22 Million Beacons of Hope: A Conversation with Rear Admiral Christopher Jones

This episode is about the shift from running prevention programs to building the conditions that make prevention work in the first place.

Dave sits down with Rear Admiral Christopher Jones, PharmD, DrPH, MPH, Director of SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), for a conversation about what's changing in the field, what's non-negotiable no matter what substance is in the headlines, and how communities can use data to build trust instead of fear.

Chris brings a rare combination to this conversation: a doctorate in health policy, a career that runs through CDC, FDA, and the White House, and 25 years of his own recovery sitting underneath all of it. He doesn't talk about prevention as an outsider looking in.

You'll walk away with a clearer way to think about risk and protective factors across substances, a challenge to the single-program mindset many coalitions default to, and a better way to talk about data with your community without leaning on fear or shame to make the point land.

Press play, and get ready to rethink what you're actually building toward.

In This Episode:

- Why Chris calls himself "deployable" and what the US Public Health Service actually is

- The non-negotiable Chris repeats to his own team: don't chase a single substance

- A surprising policy lever for prevention that has nothing to do with drugs: SNAP benefits

- Dave's own story of how "22 die a day" messaging deepened his shame instead of encouraging him to get help

- Chris's one-sentence answer for what to say when someone asks what prevention even is

- Why "innovate and engage" is Chris's mindset challenge for prevention leaders this year

Guest Bio:

RDML Christopher M. Jones, PharmD, DrPH, MPH, is a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service and Director of SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP). His career spans CDC, FDA, and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, and he is a person in long-term recovery.

Connect with Dave:

Website: https://djc-solutions.com/

Community: https://preventionleaders.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/djc-solutions-llc

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveclosson/

Connect with CSAP and more:

• https://www.samhsa.gov/
• https://www.samhsa.gov/about/offices-centers/csap
• https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/prevention/campaigns-events
• https://pttcnetwork.org/
• https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/prevention/talk-they-hear-you
• https://www.samhsa.gov/data/data-we-collect/nsduh-national-survey-drug-use-and-health