Products and Resources Catalog

This edition of the Mid-America ATTC newsletter highlights resources and events to support the behavioral health workforce, including Trauma-Informed Care requests, CLAS training opportunities, and harm reduction efforts in the Kansas City metro area. It also features holiday support toolkits, professional development resources, and a message of gratitude for those working in the field.

Explore the slides and video from the Workplace Well-Being: A Guidebook for Cultivating a Culture of Collective Care launch event held on November 13, 2024. The guidebook provides actionable strategies for building a supportive and compassionate workplace environment. It serves as both a comprehensive resource and a reflective journal, designed to help leaders identify and address the effects of stress and trauma, while nurturing a resilient, trauma-informed culture. During the launch event, participants were introduced to the guidebook's core concepts and learned practical approaches for integrating its tools into their organizations to enhance well-being and foster a stronger, more caring workplace culture.

Download the slides and video for the Ethical Practices for Diverse Communities with Substance Use Disorder on October 21, 2024. View the presentation: https://vimeo.com/1024401301?share=copy#t=0 About the Training: People in the helping profession must always be mindful of the ethical standards of their profession. Standards change from time to time; therefore, it is important to refresh on the commitments they are responsible for upholding as a professional. It is also our responsibility to be culturally compliant in the services we provide. Race, ethnicity, and cultural background may influence a client's identity and life circumstances. Other factors, such as gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, religion, and ability may also play into the context of a given client's mental health, and relational or personal issues. This course blends didactic material with interactive and small group exercises to help understand your ethical responsibility while delivering services to diverse communities. We will review relevant ethical standards, discuss common issues and missteps, and give you opportunities to test your knowledge. Training Objectives: • Define the concept of ethics and how it applies to working with and delivering series to diverse populations, within the helping profession. • Gain an understanding of the need for ethical cultural competency. • Define how drug policies have harmed minority communities and why that is important to understand when treating people with substance use disorder. • Identify steps in a process for ethical decision-making. About the Trainer: Darla Belflower LCSW, CPS Darla has worked in leadership in the substance use disorder and behavioral health fields for over three decades. She is currently the Clinical Director at Healing House. She has a passion for teaching others what she has learned in those years. She is Vice Chair of the KC Recovery Coalition, serves on the board of the MO Coalition of Recovery Support Providers and is a member of The MO Department of Mental Health State Advisory Council. Darla obtained her MSW from the KU, and she has a BS in Psychology and Alcohol and Drug Studies from MO Valley College. Darla is a person in recovery and author of the book, “I Am Not Anonymous.”

Check out our October 2024 Newsletter, where we’re excited to announce our funding renewal from SAMHSA and introduce you to our leadership team. Learn more about the work ahead as we continue to strengthen the behavioral health workforce!

The Mid-America ATTC (MATTC) is now accepting applications from SUD treatment facilities located in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska that are motivated to move their organization toward becoming trauma informed. This intensive technical assistance project offers implementation facilitation, a multi-faceted process of enabling and supporting individuals, groups and organizations in their efforts to adopt and incorporate innovations into routine practices. MATTC consultants provide information and resources for organizations seeking to understand the processes of TIC and support for the development of the skills needed to help organizations implement innovations in service delivery.

Designed for organizational leaders, this guidebook provides comprehensive strategies for fostering a supportive and caring workplace environment. The guidebook is intended to serve as both a resource and a reflective journal for leaders to consider how to recognize and respond to the impact of stress and trauma in their organizations, with an emphasis on building a more resilient, trauma-informed workplace culture.

This resource helps individuals and organizations navigate the legal landscape in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, ensuring that lifesaving harm reduction services, like naloxone distribution and overdose Good Samaritan laws, are accessible to those who need them most. This document was originally created in 2021 and updated in August of 2024.  

The Mid-America Addiction Technology Transfer Center (Mid-America ATTC) Impact Report highlights our contributions to the behavioral and substance use workforce from 2017 to 2024. The report offers an overview of our activities and achievements during this funding cycle.

Substance Use Disorder affects the LGBTQ community at a higher rate than the general population. Unique challenges like stigma, shame, and lack of support can impede access to treatment. As a service provider, it's important to create a welcoming and accepting environment, reduce stigma, and tailor treatments to the needs of LGBTQ individuals. Abstinence based recovery may be the key for some, where harm-reduction strategies may be more appropriate for others. By providing culturally competent treatment, we increase our clients’ chances of achieving lasting recovery. Objectives: Educate Substance Use Disorder (SUD) providers on the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals with SUD Describe effective methods for treating and connecting with LGBTQ+ clients Learn to provide effective and culturally competent treatment to the LGBTQ+ population

Our guests Patricia Gruits, Architect and Co-Executive Director at MASS Design Group, and Alejandra Cervantes, Director and Design Researcher, lead us in a thoughtful discussion that covers ways design can either hurt or heal, what it really means to engage the community that the space will ultimately serve, the tension between ensuring safety and being surveilled, and how leaders can navigate their own anxiety when, instead of pushing for action and taking charge, they need to “move at the speed of trust” by making space and time for exploring new perspectives and solutions, unleashing everyone’s creativity, really listening, and consistently nurturing relationships.

Join us for a heart-warming discussion about the innovative ways a nonprofit in Independence, Missouri, is supporting community belonging and well-being by offering warm hospitality, gorgeous food, delicious drinks, and welcoming space, all intentionally-sourced, mindfully prepared, and beautifully-presented. Our guests this time are Estela Gutierrez, Manager of BlendWell Community Cafe, and Jennifer Manuleleua, Senior Vice President of Community Development for Community Services League. They remind us that relationships really matter, intentionality is key, details make the difference, any product or service can be a tool for nurturing community resilience, and beauty and joy are important experiences for everyone.  

Animal lovers, activists, and all humans, don’t miss this episode! Our guests are Mark Churchill, Director, and Emily Harris, Case Manager, from Pawsperity: Pet Care That Unleashes Human Potential. In this engaging conversation, we discuss how TIC culture seeks to avoid re-traumatizing people and what to do when re traumatization happens, key practices for helping staff and leaders manage secondary trauma, the importance of implementing TIC at all levels of the organization (not just at the front line), the wide variety of trauma responses as well as the wide variety of ways to define success, and why giving up power in a situation can sometimes be the most powerful thing we can do.  

This time, our guests are Neal Long, Director of Learning at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Anne Manning, Deputy Director for Learning and Engagement at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. In this captivating conversation, we explore the role of art in healing and resilience, ways to be more innovative in providing support for groups of people, the importance of practicing humility when you know that you don’t know, striking a balance between beauty, comfort, and truth-telling, and curating experiences that foster choice, develop empathy, and provide care. You don’t have to be an artist to get something good out of this episode!  

The Invitation to Change (ITC) is a holistic helping model for families affected by substance use, drawing from concepts also found in CRAFT, MI, and ACT. Participants will leave the training with a complete set of tools for empowering families to support their loved ones effectively. More about the approach here. The deadline to apply is April 19, 2024. This training is a collaboration with the Great Lakes ATTC, South Southwest ATTC, Mountain Plains ATTC, Northwest ATTC, South Southeast ATTC, Mid America ATTC, and the ATTC Network Coordinating Office.

Join us for a fascinating conversation with our guests, Leslie Carto, External Media Communications Manager at University Health, and Eryn Realmuto, Internal Communications Manager at University Health, about the challenges of being trauma-sensitive in an industry designed to thrive by activating fear, opportunities to provide care for those who communicate stressful information as part of their jobs, and key tips for trauma-informed communication in any organization. Bonus: In this episode, one of our guests unexpectedly “turns the mic around” and asks the hosts to share how they each became involved in the field of Trauma Informed Care.  

Join us for Trauma Informed Care in Unexpected Places (TICUP) our next topic on the Trauma Informed Caring Podcast, brought to you by the Mid-America Addiction Technology Transfer Center and funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. In this introductory episode, Andrea and Roxanne discuss themes from the upcoming season as well as how they each came to work in the field of Trauma Informed Care and what has surprised them along the way. Warning: Listening to this series may cause you to feel good and experience more vicarious joy in your life.  

In this episode, we talk with Lisa Charlson, Human Resources Organizational Development Educator, and Jackie Griffin, Senior Director of Guest Services, both with University Health, a Level-One Trauma Center located in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri and serving as both the urban-core, safety-net hospital and the teaching hospital for the University of Missouri-Kansas City. This conversation is filled with extremely practical advice for leaders, from leaders, including ways Trauma Informed Caring transforms conflict, how to have truly collaborative conversations even around difficult topics, and how to create compassionate culture that supports and includes absolutely every person your organization touches.  

Episode 2, with Chief Judge of the 31st Judicial District in Kansas, Honorable Daniel D. Creitz, and Director of Community Corrections & Kansas Department of Corrections Juvenile Services, Troy Smith If you’ve ever wondered what works better than punishment to reduce criminal activity, you will want to listen to this episode! Our guests, Chief Judge of the 31st Judicial District in Kansas, the Honorable Daniel D. Creitz, and Director of Community Corrections and Kansas Department of Corrections Juvenile Services, Troy Smith, share their work supporting persons with substance use disorders as they experience recovery, rekindle hope, and take their lives back. You’ll be inspired as they discuss what works, what doesn’t, what it takes to stay well yourself when working in a field with this much trauma exposure, and why it’s so important to continually celebrate successes, both large and small.  

This  Black History Month, let's pause to recognize the remarkable achievements, unwavering strength, and outstanding triumphs of the Black community. It's also a time for us to recommit to cultivating an environment of inclusiveness, fairness, and opportunities for all. By recognizing and elevating diverse voices, we enrich our workplace and the vitality of our organizations, communities, and society. Take advantage of MATTC’s FREE Culturally & Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) training to improve your organization’s quality of services provided to all individuals, which will ultimately help reduce health disparities and achieve health equity. More information is found in the flyer attached! Please email [email protected] for additional information. 

We recognize that the holidays are a difficult time for many. Mid-America ATTC developed a holiday toolkit: How to Thrive During the Holiday Season. It includes tips for people in recovery and for those who support people in recovery, harm reduction techniques for those who want to cut back during the holidays, self-care ideas, LGBTQ+  and recovery resources, and more! Author: Darla Belflower Editors: Bree Sherry, Catie Holmes, and Jenny Ho Other Resources from SAMHSA's Holiday Toolkit  

Mid-America ATTC partnered with Facente Consulting to launch a harm reduction consultation pilot program in early 2022.  The goal of this program was to act as a harm reduction resource to empower individuals and organizations seeking to implement or improve evidence-based practices within their systems to reduce stigma and promote the safety and well-being of people who use drugs. The poster outlines the findings of the pilot program.

Please find the slides and the video for the Substance Use Disorder and the LGBTQ+ Community: Assessing the Impact of Compounded Stigma and Treatment Considerations on October 30 and November 6 from 1 pm - 2:30 (CST). Substance use is a complex issue that affects individuals from all walks of life, including the LGBTQ+ community. Members of this community face unique challenges when seeking help for addiction. Stigma, shame, and a lack of family support can all make it difficult for LGBTQ individuals to access the resources they need to overcome substance use disorders. Additionally, growing anti-LBGTQ legislation can further exacerbate these issues, creating a hostile environment for individuals struggling with addiction.   Session 1: Click here to watch the video Session 2: Click here to watch the video Click the button above to download the slides Objectives: Educate Substance Use Disorder (SUD)  providers on the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals with SUD Increase awareness of the compounded stigma and discrimination the LGBTQ+ community may experience Learn to provide effective and culturally competent treatment to the LGBTQ+ population   Presenter Information: Darla Belflower has worked in substance use disorder and behavioral health for over three decades. She started a training and consultation business in 2022. She is a member of The Missouri Behavioral Health Council’s Culture, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (CEDI) Committee. She is also Vice Chair of the Kansas City Recovery Coalition and is active in the Kansas City Recovery Community. Being in long-term recovery from a substance use disorder inspired her to write her memoir, I Am Not Anonymous. She has also authored two booklets and is writing a workbook on Substance Use Disorder and Trauma that will be released in the spring of 2025. Ms. Belflower is a Clinically Licensed Social Worker in both Missouri and Kansas, a Licensed Addiction Counselor in Kansas, a Certified Reciprocal Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor in Missouri, a Certified Peer Specialist, a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist, a Certified Harm Reduction Specialist, and a trainer and educator of Narcan distribution. Darla and her wife live in Kansas City, Missouri, and enjoy spending time with their daughter. She is passionate about teaching and training so that others may learn how to help those most vulnerable individuals she has enjoyed working with. CEUs are pending. Please email Bree at [email protected] for any questions.

Each person who enters recovery is as unique as their story. And this month, in honor of recovery month, we are bringing you recovery stories from people in diverse populations. Hear what people in these communities want providers to know. Episode 5: Lisa got sober at fifteen, and now, at 34 people often discount her experience.  Lisa has many labels: a person in recovery, a queer lesbian, multi-religious, and a single mom who created her family through international adoption. She continues to work on her recovery daily and is grateful to be sober.    

Each person who enters recovery is as unique as their story. And this month, in honor of recovery month, we are bringing you recovery stories from people in diverse populations. Hear what people in these communities want providers to know. Bonus Episode: Norma is an 88-year-old woman who entered recovery in her 50’s. As an older lady friends and family have a hard time believing she ever had a drinking problem. She educates her doctors and friends about what alcoholism is.