Products and Resources Catalog

Trans Awareness Week, observed from November 13—19, is an opportunity to identify and become freshly aware of the unique challenges faced by the transgender community, particularly in relation to substance use disorder. We all have a crucial role to play in understanding and addressing these challenges. Behavioral health professionals, social workers, counselors, and educators play a crucial role in creating a supportive environment for transgender individuals. By recognizing the additional layers of stress and vulnerability they face, professionals can better tailor interventions and support systems that address the underlying issues contributing to substance use. The Central East ATTC is committed to equity and inclusion for ALL. In August, we provided a training titled “Creating Safety: Welcoming Approaches for LGBTQ Clients” for Health and Human Services Region 3 in which we explored how organizations can become safe spaces for LGBTQ clients and their families. To check out a recording and/or slides of that training, click HERE. We have the power and responsibility to shape a more inclusive and empathetic workforce and society. By fostering understanding, compassion, and support, we can work together to create a world where transgender individuals are not compelled to escape their pain through substance use but are empowered to face their challenges with resilience and dignity. Let Trans Awareness Week 2023 be a stepping stone toward a more inclusive, empathetic, and supportive future for us all. To learn more about Trans Awareness Week, check out https://glaad.org/transweek.

The Central East ATTC is committed to fostering a positive and affirming environment that acknowledges LGBTQ identities and realities. Though nearly every care provider expresses the intention of creating a welcoming environment for LGBTQ clients, good intentions alone are not enough to maintain a practice free of prejudice, repair poor office forms and protocols, minimize microaggressions, and eradicate disrespect for the lived experiences of sexual and gender minority community members. When a member of any marginalized group enters your setting, they are scanning for potential threats, hazards, and disappointments with their care as a reflexive gesture of self-protection. This factsheet provides an overview of indicators for creating safety and engagement techniques that can help build trust and reassurance for your LGBTQ clients. Download this factsheet to learn more.   To download the factsheet in English, please use the download attachment 1 on the right side of the page. This factsheet is now available in Spanish. Translation services by the National Hispanic and Latino Behavioral Health Center of Excellence. Traducido por: To download the full version of the Spanish factsheet, use the Download Attachment 2 button on the right side of the page.  

The New England ATTC, in partnership with the New England Association of Recovery Court Professionals (NEARCP), continues to offer a bi-monthly targeted technical assistance series for justice professionals to advance the treatment of persons with or at risk of substance use disorders involved the justice system. The latest training session titled, "The Science of Bias: How Cognition and Motivation Impact Judgment - Part 2" presented by Keith B. Maddox, Ph.D. was held on March 31st at 12PM EST. This session considered social psychological strategies to reduce bias, discussed the impact of such strategies on decision-making and outcomes, and explored ways these risk reduction strategies might be implemented in organizational contexts.

The New England ATTC, in partnership with the New England Association of Recovery Court Professionals (NEARCP), continues to offer a bi-monthly targeted technical assistance series for justice professionals to advance the treatment of persons with or at risk of substance use disorders involved the justice system. The latest training session titled, "The Science of Bias: How Cognition and Motivation Impact Judgment - Part 2" presented by Keith B. Maddox, Ph.D. was held on March 31st at 12PM EST. This session considered social psychological strategies to reduce bias, discussed the impact of such strategies on decision-making and outcomes, and explored ways these risk reduction strategies might be implemented in organizational contexts.

        The history of formerly enslaved black people in the United States and their descendants have a unique place in the United States. While slavery is often thought of as a thing of the past, the institution was a far-reaching financial cornerstone and slaveholding states had an outsized influence on the nation’s formative years. The trauma of slavery, its social stratifications, and the rationalizations for its existence has been perpetuated by other social assaults such as Jim Crow, domestic terrorism through organizations such as the Klu Klux Klan, and discriminatory housing policies from the federal government. In understanding the entrenched, pervasive nature of these issues, it is imperative to draw upon the contributions of historians and sociologists.    The ongoing impact of these events contributes to present-day social determinants of mental health for African-Americans such as black disproportionate exposure to poor academic opportunities, families, and communities disrupted by mass incarceration, exposure to violent communities, and the stressors of incessant micro and macro-aggressions. Additionally, the rationale for the justification of slavery, the inferiority of blacks, is one that remains prevalent in American messaging, whether it be through the educational system, from politicians, or through media representations. In this presentation, a structural competency approach will be applied to explore the ongoing impacts of slavery and institutional racism, the ways in which these issues can impact patients and clinicians, and the medical and mental health professional's role and responsibility in not only being aware of but combatting these issues.      Objective 1: Understand the historical and present-day context of structural racism and its role in the social determinants of health Objective 2: Describe the implications of population mental health including assessment, diagnosis and treatment Objective 3: Identify actions that can be taken by public servants to identify and address the mental health ramifications of structural racism. ======================================       Sarah Y. Vinson, M.D., F.A.P.A. is a physician who specializes in adult, child & adolescent, and forensic psychiatry. She is the founder of the Lorio Psych Group, an Atlanta, GA-based mental health practice providing expert care and consultation. Dr. Vinson is also the founder of Lorio Forensics, which provides consultation in a wide variety of cases in criminal, civil, and family court cases. After graduating from medical school at the University of Florida with Research Honors and as an Inductee in the Chapman Humanism Honors Society, she completed her general psychiatry training at Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School. While there, she also received specialized training in trauma through the Victims of Violence Program. She then returned to the South to complete fellowships in both child & adolescent and forensic psychiatry at Emory University School of Medicine. In addition to providing mental health care services such as psychotherapy, consultation, and psychopharmacology through her private practice, Dr. Vinson is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at Morehouse School of Medicine. Just two years after joining the faculty she was honored as Psychiatry and Faculty of the Year in 2015. She is also Adjunct Faculty at Emory University School of Medicine. She has been elected and/or appointed to national and statewide office by her professional peers. She is the Past President of the Georgia Council on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Treasurer of the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association. Additionally, she is an Advisor for the Judges Psychiatry Leadership Initiative.  She has been a speaker at national conferences including the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Meeting, and The National Urban League Annual Meeting. Dr. Vinson has received numerous awards in recognition of her service and leadership including the University of Florida College of Medicine Outstanding Young Alumna Award and the APA Jeanne Spurlock Minority Fellowship Alumni Achievement Award.

The New England Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), and the New England Association of Recovery Court Professionals (NEARCP), hosted a new webinar for criminal justice professionals.This interactive presentation with subject matter expert, Dr. Keith Maddox, explored the science of implicit bias, discussed the challenges it presents for decision-making, and considered strategies to mitigate its impact. Here you can find the recording of the webinar, "The Science of Bias: How Cognition and Motivation Impact Judgment."

The New England Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), and the New England Association of Recovery Court Professionals (NEARCP), hosted a new webinar for criminal justice professionals.This interactive presentation with subject matter expert, Dr. Keith Maddox, explored the science of implicit bias, discussed the challenges it presents for decision-making, and considered strategies to mitigate its impact. Here you can find the slides used in the webinar, "The Science of Bias: How Cognition and Motivation Impact Judgment."