Jason Mccoy & cassandra hainey

Thursday, January 28 @12:00 CT | Effective SOTP Team Practices 

Ali will illuminate how integrating the Science of the Positive into school district and coalition DNA
has resulted in transformed norms of connection, collaboration, and wellbeing.

Jason McCoy, MPH, has spent more than a decade helping young people, families, schools, and communities build healthier environments. He currently serves as Community Prevention Manager with Clay County Public Health in Minnesota, where his work spans youth substance use prevention, community engagement, Positive Community Norms, positive experiences, and public health policy.

Jason’s journey with Positive Community Norms began as a practitioner looking for a better way to talk about prevention. Rather than focusing primarily on what was going wrong, PCN offered a way to accurately tell the story of what was already going right—and then grow it. He has since applied Positive Community Norms in schools and communities, working alongside young people to collect and communicate local data, correct misperceptions, strengthen protective norms, and build prevention efforts rooted in the strengths already present in a community.

Jason holds a Master of Public Health from North Dakota State University and bachelor’s degrees in Exercise Science and Community Nutrition from the University of North Dakota. He is a Certified Prevention Professional in Minnesota and a trained facilitator in HOPE—Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences. His work with HOPE has deepened his interest in the Science of Positive Experiences and its connection to the Science of the Positive: not only recognizing what is going right, but intentionally creating the relationships, environments, opportunities, and experiences that help people flourish.

Outside of public health, Jason is a husband and father, an author, and an enthusiastic storyteller. He enjoys writing fiction and nonfiction, staying active, and spending time with his family. Whether he is working with students, community leaders, or prevention professionals, he tries to bring the same principle to the work: focus on what is strong, build from what is good, and help people see what is possible.

Cassandra Hainey is a Science of the Positive Trainer with the Montana Institute, where she is honored to work with communities to uncover and grow the positive that already exists.

Cassandra has spent fifteen years supporting students and strengthening the systems that surround them. She spent five years as the Positive Community Norms Grant Coordinator in Rock Ridge, Minnesota, leading efforts to correct misperceptions of teen substance use norms to grow healthy behaviors and attitudes. She previously advocated for the best interests of children as a guardian ad litem and served as Executive Director for Volunteers in Education, connecting students to trained volunteer tutors. 

Cassandra currently serves as the Mesabi Behavioral Health Network Coordinator, building on what is going right in her region and working to expand access to comprehensive, person-centered services for mental health and wellbeing. She works to strengthen collaboration across Northeastern Minnesota and connect organizations and systems in ways that better serve people and communities. Cassandra also sits on the State’s Behavioral Health Planning Council, helping ensure funding brought into Minnesota is used in ways that create meaningful, positive impact. Throughout her career, Cassandra has continuously moved her work further upstream, focusing on prevention, early intervention, and the conditions that help people and communities thrive.

Cassandra is passionate about empowering young people to lead, grow, and make a meaningful impact in their communities. She has witnessed firsthand that when students are given the guidance and space to make decisions, they develop genuine ownership, confidence, and personal growth. Cassandra has provided training to elementary and junior high students, helping them present at statewide conferences, lead initiatives within their school, and share their ideas with district administration and large community audiences. She advocates for students to have the tools, opportunities, and the confidence they need to lead both in and out of school.

Outside of work, Cassandra enjoys adventuring, hiking, and playing board games with her husband, Shaun, and their four kids. She enjoys reading, learning, and good-spirited arguing. She intentionally resets herself to being present by riding horses, taking on home projects, and hiking in the mountains