Charlie Seltzer brings an eclectic background to his work in SUD Pv. He retired from a 25-year career in the health field four years ago before becoming a CARS consultant. Since, he has assisted counties–large and small, urban and rural–with developing their Strategic Prevention Plans (SPPs).
Charlie became interested in the health field as an AIDS prevention specialist, and later ran an AIDS service agency that provided case management services to people disabled by AIDS. Noticing the role that drugs and alcohol play in HIV transmission, Charlie made a career transition to SUD Pv where he worked in Mendocino County’s SUD Pv program for ten years. In that role, he coordinated innovative Pv programs as the Prevention Services Coordinator and later as the Prevention Administrator.
With CPI, Charlie’s TTA support has focused on strategic Pv planning. Along the way, he has written articles, led webinars, and presented at conferences on this topic. He believes that “the SPP is a remarkable tool that requires people to think critically about why they do what they do, and whether what they did was what they hoped to do.” In supporting counties with their SPPs, Charlie has observed that it is often better to succeed with modestly framed objectives than struggle with imposing ones.
Charlie has supported hundreds of Pv professionals from state agencies, counties, and non-profits. In his experience, the broad SUD issues have been remarkably similar across the state, with everyone doing the very best they can. Reflecting on his time with CPI, Charlie says, “The work has been rewarding. I’ve learned about places that had previously been just names on a map to me. I’ve met wonderful, dedicated people all across our state.”
If you would like SPP guidance from an experienced consultant like Charlie, or if you would like to learn about available strategic planning TA from CPI, contact us through the TA/Training Request Form.