Recent News

Dr. Ryan Flinn, Co-Director of the SAMHSA-funded Mountain Plains Addiction Technology Transfer Center, is serving as guest co-editor of a special issue of the Journal of Prevention and Health Promotion entitled “Harm Reduction Strategies to Address Substance Misuse and the Associated Challenges.” Proposals for articles are due July 31, 2024. The Journal of Prevention and […]

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, an opportunity to update your knowledge about alcohol use disorder (AUD) and the adverse impact of alcohol misuse on health and society. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), researchers estimate that each year there are more than 178,000 alcohol-related deaths, making alcohol a leading preventable […]

The Utah State Legislature passed Senate Bill 26, the Behavioral Health Workforce Amendments bill, on February 28. Among other things, the bill creates the Masters in Addiction Counseling license making Utah the 32nd state to create such a license. The Association Utah of Substance Abuse Professionals (AUSAP) board worked on this initiative for two years […]

Participate in National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® (NDAFW) and help share facts about drugs, alcohol, and addiction in your community. NDAFW is an annual health observance that inspires dialogue about the science of drug use and addiction among youth. NDAFW provides an opportunity to bring together scientists, students, educators, healthcare providers, and community partners […]

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), finalized modifications to the Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Patient Records regulations at 42 CFR part 2 (“Part 2”), which protect the privacy of patients’ SUD treatment records. Specifically, […]

The ATTC Network joins SAMHSA in recognizing February as Black History Month. Explore resources and events from the Network and through the month of February.   The ATTC Network is continually adding to its library of resources and training materials for Black American and People of Color communities. Visit the Building Health Equity and Inclusion […]

On Feb 1, 2024 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) marked two years of its Overdose Prevention Strategy (Strategy) by announcing bold new actions to combat overdoses. These actions include finalizing a rule that will dramatically expand access to life-saving medications for opioid use disorder, announcing that certain grant funds may now […]

SAMHSA’s 20th Prevention Day (SPD) takes place on Monday, January 29, 2024, in conjunction with CADCA National Leadership Forum at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Join us for the largest annual national gathering dedicated to advancing the prevention of substance use and misuse. We’ll celebrate the 20th anniversary of […]

November is National Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor Native peoples for their cultures, traditions, and history.   Link to Article    

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is joining federal partner agencies in raising awareness of domestic violence (also known as intimate partner violence) throughout our nation. The Mountain Plains ATTC and SAMHSA are committed to addressing domestic violence prevention, treatment and recovery for survivors. RESOURCES: Rural Intimate Partner Violence Survivors and Substance […]

MPATTC training staff, Maridee Shogren DNP, CNM, CLC has published an article in the 27 September 2023 publication, Maternal and Child Health Journal. The article, “Reducing Fear to Help Build Healthy Families: Investing in Non-Punitive Approaches to Helping People with Substance Use Disorder” addresses the issue of how fear and stigma stop pregnant and parenting […]

Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is one of the oldest and most researched evidence-based practices(EBPs) for treating people with serious mental illness. The Maintaining Fidelity to ACT: Current Issues and Innovations in Implementation guide reviews ACT principles, summarizes contemporary issues impacting ACT teams, and examines aspects of ACT implementation when extending the model to specific populations and settings. […]

The Opioid-Overdose Reduction Continuum of Care Approach (ORCCA) Practice Guide 2023 guide was developed for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Technology Transfer Centers (TTC) program and other providers of technical assistance as a resource for individuals working to end the opioid crisis. The ORCCA guide includes a menu of evidence-based practices […]

This publication is a product of the HEALing Communities Study (HCS) and informed by the Communities That HEAL (CTH) Intervention Manual as well as integral contributions from research and community partners across four research sites. This guide was developed in recognition of the need to center community engagement throughout the efforts to address the opioid […]

In August 2023, the Mountain Plains ATTC in collaboration with the University of North Dakota (UND) College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines, HHS Region 8 Opioid Response Network (ORN), and UND’s Don’t Quit the Quit program hosted a North Dakota Critical Access Hospital Summit intended to reduce the stigma of substance use disorders and improve […]

In June 2023, Dr. Scott Walters, Regents Professor at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth’s School of Public Health, presented an online training, The Perfect and The Good: Engaging People Around Harm Reduction and Non-Abstinence Based Goals for substance use providers through the Mountain Plains Addiction Technology and Transfer Center. […]

This document provides information on xylazine, a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer used as an additive in illicit drug supplies, notably in combination with heroin and fentanyl. It discusses the effects of xylazine use, including sedation and potential risks such as hypotension and bradycardia. The document also emphasizes harm reduction interventions for individuals who may encounter xylazine […]

SAMHSA has issued a new practical guide on Connecting Communities to Substance Use Services: Practical Approaches for First Responders. When first responders (law enforcement, fire, and EMS) encounter people who use drugs (PWUD), they have an opportunity to connect individuals to a variety of different substance use services depending on their needs. This resource document […]

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is pleased to announce that the agency’s Harm Reduction Framework Draft is now open for public comment. The framework will inform SAMHSA’s harm reduction activities, as well as related policies, programs, and practices.   SAMHSA’s aims are to integrate harm reduction activities across its Centers and […]

SAMHSA has issued a new advisory on Identification and Management of Mental Health Symptoms and Conditions Associated with Long COVID – Long COVID can have devastating effects on the mental health of those who experience it due to social isolation, financial insecurity, chronic illness (both physical and psychological), caregiver burnout, and grief. Those who have […]

SAMHSA has issued a new Practical Guide for Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach (TIA). The primary goal of this guide is to expand the discussion presented in SAMHSA’s previous resources on trauma (Concept of Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services). The guide specifically focuses on tools and strategies for implementing a TIA and highlights the […]

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today released a new data report Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Behavioral Health: Results from the 2021 and 2022 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, indicating that lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults are more likely than straight adults to use substances, experience mental health conditions including major depressive […]

The links below provide resources and publications for clinicians, researchers, and other health professionals related to the health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) individuals. These resources include information about training to help providers develop skills to deliver culturally-responsive and evidence-based treatment, recovery and prevention services for LGBTQIA+ populations dealing […]

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) created brief videos series on a variety of alcohol related topics called Short Takes. Eight videos are available on the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) website. The videos are easy to download and put into presentations or post on websites/social media and can […]