Products and Resources Catalog

Stigma of substance use can impede appropriate and preventive care that is critical for older adults and their wellness. Biased perceptions of substance use can often dismiss health related impacts of substance use and impede prevention efforts with the aging community. The webinar will explore how stigma of substance use with older adults underscores the lack of screening and tailored prevention. Content will further inform and educate on age-related challenges that increase substance misuse, medication adherence, and person-centered brief intervention approaches. This training was approved for two renewal hours (CASAC, CPP, CPS) and two initial hours (CPP, CPS) through New York State’s Office of Addiction Services and Supports (NYS OASAS). As an IC & RC member board, OASAS accredited courses were granted reciprocal approval by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee. Many other states offered reciprocity

Presented by: Rebecca Rossom, MD, MS and Stephanie Hooker, PhD, MPH In this session, Drs. Rossom and Hooker discussed the design and implementation of Opioid Wizard, a clinical decision support tool embedded in the EHR for primary care clinicians and developed as part of NIDA Clinical Trials Network protocol CTN-0095. The goal of the tool is to help clinicians identify, screen, diagnose and treat opioid use disorder (OUD). They also discussed one of the supplements to CTN-0095, which tested a training to reduce stigma towards people with OUD among primary care clinicians. This session was sponsored by the Northwest and Pacific Southwest ATTCs and the Western States Node of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network. Download the slides | Watch the recording

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.

CRTIC: Pour a Cup of Tea and Sit With It    Episode 4, with Erika Holliday and Lauren Ragan Wilkerson   This episode features Erika Holliday, Substance Use Coordinator for the Unified Government (Kansas City, KS) Public Health Department, and Lauren Ragan Wilkerson, Board-Certified Music Therapist at the University of California-San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. In this conversation, we challenged ourselves with questions that rarely have clear answers, and our guests offered both macro- and micro-level strategies for effecting change and maintaining well-being through it.  

A toolkit for behavioral health prevention and treatment providers, recovery community organizations, and individuals in recovery with practical information and tools to enhance their capacity to engage in effective stigma reduction efforts. This guide provides practical information about a variety of approaches to prevent and mitigate behavioral health-related stigma. Some approaches are straightforward and can be initiated by individuals on their own. These approaches include tips on using stigma-free, positive person-first language and writing letters to the editor. Some approaches are comprehensive, such as developing a community action group and implementing a community-based messaging and media campaign. The revision of this toolkit was made in collaboration with the Central East MHTTC and the Central East PTTC.

  SUD Keys to Education is a product for educators and clinical supervisors developed in 2022 by the Mountain Plains and Pacific Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Centers (MPATTC and PSATTC). This product was developed to help community college/university faculty, as well as clinical supervisors and recovery support staff to have access to brief, science-based content with the goal of providing materials that can be easily infused into existing substance use disorder and related courses (e.g., social work, nursing, criminal justice, foundation of addiction courses, ethics, counseling courses, etc.) and for clinical and recovery staff use in in-service meetings. Individuals can select the specific content to infuse into existing curricula/materials depending on specific needs of their learners. Each slide in the slide decks contain notes to provide guidance on the topics along with references and handouts where appropriate. All of the stimulant-specific slide decks also have a video (MP4) of the content narrated by subject matter experts as an alternative way of presenting the materials. The main developers of the SUD Keys are: MPATTC, HHS Region 8: Cindy Juntenen, PhD, LP, Nancy Roget, MS, Trisha Dudkowski, BA, Kenneth Flanagan, PhD, Terra Hamblin, MA, Shannon McCarty, BS, Kim Miller, MS, Abby Roach-Moore, MSW, and Maridee Shogren, DNP PSATTC, HHS Region 9: Thomas E. Freese, PhD, and Beth Rutkowski, MPH.  

The Mountain Plains and Pacific Southwest ATTCs are pleased to offer a two-part recording focused on recovery support services as it relates to People With Stimulant Use Disorders (PWSUDs). In both recordings, a review of the current research is highlighted along with people with lived experience in stimulant use and recovery discussing the findings and relating it to their own experiences. The three panelists with lived experience, all currently work at well-established recovery community organizations (RCOs), one in Colorado- Advocates for Recovery and one in Utah- Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness.  In Part 1 recovery support (e.g. definition of recovery, recovery capital, recovery benchmarks, etc.) and stimulant use (e.g., prevalence of use, impact on the brain, and craving) is discussed. While the Part 2 recording is focused on treatment and recovery services (e.g., treatment services, barriers to recovery, managing triggers and return to use, cessation triggers, 12 Step involvement, exercise, and involvement with RCOs). The overall goal of this two-part recording is to provide participants with a review of the latest science regarding stimulants within the context of people with lived experience highlighting the lessons learned from their recovery. Finally, promoting hope, community, and engagement as central/essential pieces to recovery from stimulant use disorders is a theme in both recordings with the panelists reinforcing that recovery is achievable for PWSUDs.   Recovery Support with Stimulant Use Disorders Part 1   Recovery Support with Stimulant Use Disorders Part 2        

The New England ATTC co-hosted the Recovery Science and Harm Reduction (RSHR) Reading Group meeting on March 09, 2022 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM. This discussion reviewed the article, “Hoots and harm reduction: a qualitative study identifying gaps in overdose prevention among women who smoke drugs.”  View the March 2022 RSHR Reading group meeting summary that includes a brief article summary and key themes that arose in discussion with the participants.

  Presenter: John Kelly, PhD, ABPP, Harvard University The goal of this webinar series from the CTN Western States Node and the Northwest and Pacific Southwest ATTCs is to help scholars and clinicians in the addiction field stay abreast of cutting edge science. In this session, John Kelly, PhD, ABPP of Harvard University discussed the fundamental causes of stigma in relation to substance use disorder, reviewed some of the paradoxical findings from the latest stigma research, and suggested how stigma might be more systematically addressed to enhance the clinical care and outcomes of individuals suffering from substance use disorder. Download slides | View recording    

The New England ATTC co-hosted the Recovery Science and Harm Reduction (RSHR) Reading Group meeting on September 16, 2021 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM. This discussion reviewed the article, “College programming for students in addiction recovery: A PRSIMA-guided scoping review.”  View the September 2021 RSHR Reading group meeting summary that includes a brief article summary and key themes that arose in discussion with the participants.

This session is designed for professionals who work with those at risk for contracting Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). An overview of HCV: risk; transmission; symptoms; testing; and treatment options will be provided. In addition, a discussion of harm reduction strategies and support/linkages to care will be included.   At the end of the webinar participants will be able to: Appreciate the importance of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) screening and confirmatory testing in multiple health and behavioral health settings. Recognize risk factors for HCV Describe harm reduction strategies that minimize the risk of contracting HCV List treatment options available for people with HCV. Discuss strategies to link persons with HCV to HCV-focused health care services      

This podcast series, sponsored by the Mid America Addiction Technology Transfer Center and funded by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is intended for anyone seeking basic information about substance use. This series will address stigma, highlight appropriate language, provide education on how to determine if substance use is becoming a challenge, and addressing misconceptions of substance use.   

View the resources from the 2nd session of the 3-part series Embracing Pregnant & Parenting Families Challenged with Substance Use Disorder. After the session, participants will be able to: Describe evidence-based treatment for pregnant women with an opioid use disorder Recognize the impact of parent involvement in the care of newborns experiencing Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome Develop skills and strategies to positively impact the parent-child relationship among parents with a substance use disorder   Presenter Information: Sharon Hesseltine, BSW, is President and CEO of Intentional Development, providing consultation, facilitation and training to strengthen services for pregnant and parenting families who have substance use disorders, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma. For over 30 years Sharon has worked in Public Health and specialized in early childhood development, women’s health, substance use disorder and recovery.     Click here to watch the presentation

Description: This session will provide participants with an overview of brain injury and co-occurring conditions in the context of the criminal and juvenile justice system. including information on what brain injury is and the prevalence within this system. The session will provide a framework for addressing the needs of justice involved individuals with brain injury including screening and compensatory strategies. Finally, participants will learn of community resources for individuals with brain injury.   Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to describe the prevalence of brain injury and co-occurring behavioral health in the criminal and juvenile justice system. Participants will learn about best practices for screening individuals for brain injury. Participants will learn how to support individuals identified with brain injury.   Presenter Information Judy Dettmer has been working in the field of brain injury for 30 years. Ms. Dettmer is currently the Director for Strategic Partnerships and a Technical Assistance Lead for the Traumatic Brain Injury Technical Assistance and Resource Center at the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators. Ms. Dettmer has worked extensively with adults, children and family members of individuals with brain injury. She has provided direct and systems consultation to improve the lives of individuals with brain injury. Judy has also assisted with research efforts related to brain injury and has conducted countless presentations, classes and seminars on brain injury both in the state of Colorado and Nationally. Ms. Dettmer has provided technical assistance to numerous states including but not limited to; screening on brain injury, developing infrastructure within state systems such as departments of education, criminal justice, and in developing and managing advisory boards and councils. Ms. Dettmer is currently a co-facilitator for the National Collaborative on Children’s Brain Injury.   Video Link   This training is a collaboration between Mid-America ATTC, Mountain Plains ATTC, and NASHIA.

This is the first session of the 3-part series Embracing Pregnant & Parenting Families Challenged with Substance Use Disorder. This session addresses addiction as a chronic brain disease, the brain changes inherent to addiction and the mechanisms contributing to both the brain’s vulnerability as well as how substances themselves impact the brain.  The session strives to connect neurobiological changes to common behavior of individuals with a substance use disorder. The session also explores the overlap neurobiologically between early parenting behavior and addiction while creating an opportunity for discussion of the implications for patient care during the antepartum period After the session, participants will be able to: Recognize addiction as a chronic brain disease Understand the connection between ACE’s and vulnerability for addiction Discuss the role of the reward system in driving parenting behavior Click here to watch the video presentation Presenter Information: Sharon Hesseltine, BSW, is President and CEO of Intentional Development, providing consultation, facilitation and training to strengthen services for pregnant and parenting families who have substance use disorders, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma. For over 30 years Sharon has worked in Public Health and specialized in early childhood development, women’s health, substance use disorder and recovery.     Continuing Education: Continuing Medical Education (CME), American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on  Accreditation (CNE), Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES), Iowa Credentialing Board, Missouri Board of Certification are pending approval. The series will be accepted by the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board and is deemed alcohol and drug specific and will be accepted for continuing education for licensed alcohol and drug counselors in Nebraska.   

Description: This presentation is focused on specific considerations in the treatment of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in people with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)   Learning Objectives: Understand the role of assessments in treating those with SUD and TBI Describe the implications of specific cognitive challenges Examine the executive dysfunction and the process of applying standard SUD treatment to people with executive function difficulty   Presenter Information Dr. Sparadeo began his career as the Director of the Mayor’s Task Force on Substance Abuse in the City of Providence, R.I. and he was also the Director of Substance Abuse Services for the Providence Mental Health Center at that same time. After creating a system of clinical services for the City of Providence he was appointed as CEO of Talbot House. Talbot House was the largest residential substance abuse treatment facility in New England. Dr. Sparadeo then completed his doctoral studies with a residency at the Boston V.A. Medical Center followed by a 2-year fellowship at Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital (RIH). The focus of his clinical training was neuropsychology and chronic pain. He completed his fellowship and was appointed to the Brown University School of Medicine faculty and the Rhode Island Hospital medical staff in the position of Director of Rehabilitation Psychology. Dr. Sparadeo trained numerous interns and fellows at Brown University. As Director of Rehabilitation Psychology, Dr. Sparadeo created the first comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation program for survivors of traumatic brain injury. After 8 years in his position at RIH Dr. Sparadeo was appointed National Director of Substance Abuse and TBI rehabilitation services at New Medico Health Systems in Boston, Massachusetts. He created inpatient substance abuse treatment programs in 8 rehabilitation facilities throughout the U.S. He returned to RIH and Brown University to become the director of the Concussion Care Center in the Emergency Department at RIH. He was also the chief clinical consultant to the Trauma Center and Stepdown Unit, and he was the co-director of the Interdisciplinary Spine Center in the Neurosurgery Department at RIH for 5 years before opening a private practice specializing in the neuropsychological assessment, pain assessment and pain management. He developed a specialized substance abuse treatment program for people with both TBI and substance abuse. Eventually, he developed a specialized treatment program for people with chronic pain and opiate addiction. Over the many years of his career Dr. Sparadeo has been a consultant to many agencies and healthcare programs throughout the U.S. He has also served on numerous boards of directors. He was the founder and president of the Brain Injury Association of Rhode Island. He was also the Chairman of the Governor’s Permanent Advisory Commission on TBI. He was also a member of the national committee on substance abuse and disability at SAMHSA in Washington, D.C. Most recently, Dr. Sparadeo has been a consultant and chief trainer on a federally funded grant at the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission. Dr. Sparadeo’s career has also included the publication of many scientific papers and book chapters, and he has been on the faculty of Salve Regina University graduate program in Rehabilitation Counseling where he teaches the Neuroscience of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness, Psychopharmacology for Counselors and the Neuroscience of Opioid Abuse.   Video Link     This training is a collaboration between Mid-America ATTC, Mountain Plains ATTC, and NASHIA.

  Participants in this webinar will be able to name ways addiction impacts the maternal and infant brain, identify prevention strategies, describe the significance of attachment parenting to promote infant resilience, and discuss the risk of inherited genetics. 

The purpose of this FREE series is to spark a shift in perspective among health care staff as it relates to pregnant and parenting families experiencing substance use disorder. The ultimate goal is that families experiencing SUD will be met with compassion and understanding and receive care that is grounded in recovery-oriented values and principles. Download the training flyer to learn more about this 3-session learning series and to register!

This three-part series will focus on the principles of harm reduction and its strategies to advance holistic services for individuals with substance use disorder (SUDs). Research indicates that harm reduction programs are evidence-based public health strategies designed to prevent overdose deaths, infectious disease, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancies, and injection drug use. For example, expanding access to naloxone for individuals using opioids is considered a harm reduction strategy. Specifically, this webinar series will include: an overview of the principles of harm reduction and their application in a harm reduction center; the importance of engaging law enforcement especially in rural areas and co-responder models; and a panel of experts discussing their expertise in offering harm reduction strategies in their service delivery as well as a consumer of harm reduction services.   Session One March 30, 2021, from noon to 1:00 MT, will feature Lisa Raville, Executive Director of the Harm Reduction Action Center in Denver, CO. Ms. Raville will provide an overview of the principles of harm reduction.   The learning objectives include: -An examination of the principles and evidence for the application of harm reduction strategies. -The role of harm reduction programs in eliminating stigma and shame. -Strategies to work cross-systems to advance harm reduction. -Data from a recent survey of healthcare workers.   Video Link   Session Two April 13, 2021, from noon to 1:00 MT, will feature Chief Rick Brandt, Chief of Police in Evans, CO. Chief Brandt will provide content specific to engagement with law enforcement in harm reduction to include: -Strategies to educate law enforcement on harm reduction in rural communities. -Content on how to implement harm reduction in a PD and the leadership strategies employed. -The role of law enforcement in working cross-system to prevent overdose deaths. -Application of co-responder models. Video Link     Session Three April 27, 2021, from noon to 1:30 MT, will feature a panel discussion to include the following panelists: (1) Lisa Raville, Executive Director of the Harm Reduction Action Center in CO, (2) Chris Harsell, ATTC Technical Trainer and Medical Director for Spectra Health in ND, (3) Gabriela Zapata-Alma, Director of Policy and Practice on Domestic Violence and Substance Use for the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health in Chicago, Il, (4) and a consumer of harm reduction services. The focus will be on: -Responding to questions surrounding implementation strategies. -Community and consumer benefits of harm reduction services. -How harm reduction can be employed in any agency. Video Link  

The New England ATTC co-hosted the Recovery Science and Harm Reduction (RSHR) Reading Group meeting on May 20, 2021 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM. This discussion reviewed the article, “Relational recovery: beyond individualism in the recovery approach.”  View the May 2021 RSHR Reading group meeting summary that includes a brief article summary and key themes that arose in discussion with the participants.

Starting with a background on suicide and the connection to traumatic brain injury (TBI), this presentation explores the relationship between suicide, TBI, and co-morbid substance use. After presenting some research-based findings, the speaker concludes with a discussion of the brain mechanisms that may mediate this relationship.    Learning Objectives: Provide a background on suicide and the connection to TBI Explore the relationship between TBI, suicide, and substance use Comment on mechanisms for this tri-directional relationship   Presenter Information: Dr. Peters is an Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. An active clinician, teacher, and researcher, Dr. Peters sees patients in the Acquired Brain Injury Clinic and Memory and Alzheimer’s Treatment Center at Johns Hopkins Bayview. He has been internationally recognized for his research work and has received research funding from the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. His research focuses on cognitive and other neuropsychiatric symptoms following traumatic brain injury with a specific focus on traumatic brain injury in older adults. This product is a collaboration between Mid-America and Mountain Plains Addiction Technology Transfer Center, and the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA)   Traumatic Brain Injury Substance Use Disorder and Suicide

The Mountain Plains and Mid-America Addiction Technology Transfer Centers (ATTCs) are proud to partner with the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) to present seven virtual trainings focused on the significant intersection between brain injury and addiction. The trainings consist of an introductory session followed by six special topic webinars. Special topics will include the intersection of brain injury with addictions, intimate partner violence, suicide, as well as special considerations for individual and group therapy. The final session will be focused on the introduction of a Brain Injury and Addictions Toolkit.   Domestic violence is a complex public health issue with a widespread impact on individuals, communities, and society. Many survivors of abuse also struggle with substances. This presentation will introduce the role of domestic violence and other abusive tactics—specifically mental health and substance use coercion--as additional drivers of substance misuse and addiction. To add another layer of complexity, a critically important consequence of domestic violence has been hidden in plain sight for decades—brain injury. This webinar will share what we have learned from groundbreaking research in Ohio on the intersection of brain injury and domestic violence, as well as a service provision framework called CARE (Connect, Acknowledge, Respond, Evaluate). You will leave with tools to assist you in raising awareness and addressing partner-inflicted brain injury in your services and help you better support the unique needs of people impacted by domestic violence, brain injury, and addiction.   Describe at least three ways that domestic violence can contribute to the substance misuse challenges and addiction. Learn how to use the CARE framework as a guide for working with people experiencing a brain injury, domestic violence, and addiction. Identify resources (including CARE tools) to assist you in educating, identifying, and accommodating for brain injury in your programming.   Presenter: Rachel Ramirez, MA, MSW, LISW-S, RA Rachel Ramirez is the Founder and Director of The Center on Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury, a project of the Ohio Domestic Violence Network (ODVN). Rachel is currently directing the Center’s first federal grant from the Office on Violence Against Women to increase collaboration and develop training and services for the brain injury, domestic violence, and sexual assault fields. Over the past 13 years at ODVN, Rachel has led multiple statewide initiatives on trauma-informed approaches as well as other topics. She has trained hundreds of audiences and co-authored Trauma-Informed Approaches: Promising Practices and Protocols for Ohio’s Domestic Violence Programs, as well as peer-reviewed journal articles in the Journal of Family Violence and the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma. Rachel is a bilingual licensed independent social worker and a registered advocate with senior standing in Ohio. Video Link

This training session and panel discussion were provided to the Fargo-Moorehead YWCA, and their partners, in response to a technical assistance request received by the Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center and Mountain Plains Addiction Technology Transfer Center. Panel Discussion: Trauma in the Context of Interpersonal Violence: A Systems Response Marvis Doster, CARN, Tracy Evanson, Ph.D., Chris Harsell, ANP, Thomasine Heitkamp, LCSW, Kim Miller, LMAC/LPCC, and Maridee Shogren. This panel will explore the intersection of trauma, substance use, and intimate partner violence and share decades of experience providing substance use and mental health services to individuals with a history of trauma and intimate partner violence. The new product Rural Intimate Partner Violence Survivors and Substance Use Disorders: Implications for SUD Treatment and Recovery Providers will be unveiled. Video Link  

      This virtual presentation is sponsored by the Southeast ATTC Regional Center and will focus on the reasons addiction is considered a disease, challenge some of the ideas about substance use disorders that are prevalent in many faith communities, and also honor some of the many wonderful, effective ways that faith communities can help individuals on their path towards recovery in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina. Treatment providers, peer support communities, and community-based organizations in Region 4 are encouraged to register for free.   1.    Verbalize the prevalence of substance use disorders in the general United States population,  2.    Identify four criteria of any disease, 3.    Articulate two reasons choice and will power alone are not an effective strategy for recovery, 4.    Describe two ways faith communities can help support recovery. ======================================     James E. Campbell, LPC, LAC, MAC, CACII has worked professionally in the human services field for over twenty-five years in a wide range of clinical settings, currently serving as the Training and Technical Assistance Manager for Southeast Addiction Technology Transfer Center.  His passion is helping individuals and families heal and build on the strengths they possess.  He’s a member of both NAADAC and ACA and is a past president of APSC/SCAADAC.  James is a nationally recognized, author and speaker.