Products and Resources Catalog

The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. The April 2024 issue spotlights content celebrating National Minority Health Month and Alcohol Awareness Month. It also features links to upcoming trainings focused on supporting Black students experiencing racial trauma, harnessing AI for substance misuse prevention, and process improvement. Make sure you're subscribed to our email contact list so you never miss a month of The Great Lakes Current newsletter, and thank you for reading!  

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.

Product Developed by the Contingency Management Task Force (CM Task Force) The Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network Coordinating Office (ATTC NCO) convened the Contingency Management Task Force (CM Task Force) in April 2023 at the request of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The purpose of this Contingency Management (CM) Task Force was to define the key components of CM that will facilitate consistent evidence-based training and implementation, and to scale CM in a manner that is meaningful, permissible, and scientific. The insights gathered will help SAMHSA’s [Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Centers] to offer technical guidance, resources, partnerships, and infrastructure to support the expansion of CM to stakeholders in the field of addiction and recovery. This initial meeting is crucial in developing a shared vocabulary and an evidence based approach to CM education and training platforms, with the goal of incorporating metrics to measure effectiveness. Key information and components for facilitating CM TTA found in this report, include: 1. Key areas of considerations relating to implementation guidance (Section 2) 2. Recommendations pertaining to the development and rollout of implementation guidance (Section 3) 3. Proposed chapter titles and topics to be used in the possible development of a Contingency Management Implementation Guidance Document (Section 4) 4. Publicly available resources (Section 5) 5. Selected references (Section 6)

Over the last six months the ATTC Network Workforce Development, Recruitment, and Retention Workgroup collaborated to create a report titled Strategic Response to Behavioral Workforce Shortages, focusing primarily on barriers to recruitment and retention in the field of behavioral health. This report highlighted three areas of focus: recruitment of new employees to the field, competitive pay, and portability of licenses and certifications. In addition to the brief-style report, the workgroup created three shorter one-pager versions to be printed and used for tabling events. The report highlights identified barriers under each focus, recommended responses to address these barriers, real-world examples of organizations and states that have attempted to remedy these barriers, and action steps for addressing the barriers looking ahead. The intended use for this report is to provide concrete steps for ATTC regional offices to inform future initiatives, as well as initiating conversations at the national level to address the behavioral health workforce shortage.

Humor has long been recognized as a powerful tool in therapy, capable of breaking down barriers, fostering rapport, and promoting healing. This interactive session presented by Mallori DeSalle, MA, LMHC, NCC, CMHC, CHP, delves into the art and science of using therapeutic humor to support clients in their therapeutic journey. Participants will explore the multifaceted benefits of humor in therapy, including its ability to reduce stress, enhance resilience, and facilitate emotional processing. Through case studies, role-playing exercises, and group discussions, attendees will learn practical strategies for incorporating humor into their therapeutic practice in a safe and ethical manner. Whether you're a seasoned therapist looking to refresh your approach or a new practitioner eager to expand your therapeutic toolkit, this session offers valuable insights and practical techniques for harnessing the power of humor to support your clients on their path to healing and growth. Join us and discover how humor can be a transformative force in the therapeutic process. Download slides | View recording

The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. The March 2024 issue spotlights content celebrating Women's History Month and National Social Work Month. It also features updated versions of the Sustainability Planning in Prevention Guidebook and Sustainability Planning in Prevention Toolkit, as well as upcoming trainings focused on provider well-being and culturally responsive services for Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) clients. As always, you will also find links to all scheduled events and trainings hosted by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC! Make sure you're subscribed to our email contact list so you never miss a month of The Great Lakes Current newsletter, and thank you for reading!  

 DESCRIPTION The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally shifted the health and wellbeing of every human on planet Earth. LGBTQ community members were impacted early in the crisis, and continue to show disparities in contracting the virus, as well as higher rates of death, disability, substance use disorders, and suicide related to pandemic distress. These impacts were not evenly distributed across all LGBTQ people, however, but were concentrated among queer and transgender of color and gender diverse people in general. New research is emerging that points to both expected and surprising impacts of the disease unique to LGBTQ people. This webinar will explore LGBTQ population dynamics, needs, and ways to support vulnerable community members as the world population emerges into the post-COVID reality.   Please use the download attachment 1 button on the right side of the page to view the entire factsheet in English.     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.  

DESCRIPTION Though trauma is linked with Substance Use Disorder for people from all walks of life, LGBTQ communities experience unique sources and dynamics of trauma, as well as distinct influences and social consequences that impact the prevalence of Substance Use Disorders within the population. These may include family rejection and estrangement, increased incidence of childhood sexual abuse, identity discernment stress and faith-related shame, survivor’s guilt for those who lost dozens of friends in the early days of the AIDS epidemic, and many other special situations. This webinar will highlight some of the dimensions of trauma specific to LGBTQ individuals, substance use behaviors linked to those events, and some of the unique sites of resilience and support available within LGBTQ communities. Please use the download attachment 1 button on the right side of the page to to view the entire  English factsheet.       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.

This annotated bibliography is a collection of resources related to racism, anti-racism and advancing health equity for Black, Indigenous and other People of Color and other marginalized communities affected by unhealthy substance use and SUD/SUD treatment using a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) framework. It includes recent and classic/landmark papers on racism and SUD/SUD treatment, anti-racist strategies and approaches, advancement of health equity, issues relevant to particular racial groupings, and issues related to various disciplines/roles in healthcare (medical, nursing, social work, etc.). It also includes resources related to health disparities, SDOH, and DEI in the provision of substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery. This project is a collaboration between AMERSA, the Prevention Technology Transfer Center Network Coordinating Office (PTTC NCO), and the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network Coordinating Office (ATTC NCO).

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. 

    In this virtual panel presentation, the 2024 Hall of Fame Award Recipients from the Museum of African American Addictions, Treatment, and Recovery will participate in a panel presentation discussing the importance of providing culturally-responsive care and ways practitioners can be more effective when working with African American clients.     LEARNING OBJECTIVES: By the end of this presentation, you will be able to: Work more effectively with African American clients Better provide cross-cultural care when working with African American clients Be guided by research on best practices when providing culturally-responsive care in your work with African American clients Articulate effective harm reduction strategies for African Americans with substance use disorders     PANELISTS:    Corrie Vilsaint, PhD Dr. Vilsaint is the associate director of recovery health equity at the Recovery Research Institute and an instructor at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on addiction recovery capital, reducing discrimination among individuals in recovery, and racial health equity in remission and recovery. Dr. Vilsaint’s research is supported by the National Institute of Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol abuse and Alcoholism, and her work as a community psychologist has been awarded by the American Psychological Association.     Fred Dyer, PhD, LADC Dr. Dyer is a practitioner, presenter, consultant, and writer specializing in providing culturally responsive treatment for African American adolescents, emerging adults, and emerging adult refugees. Dr. Dyer has over 100 scholarly publications on the treatment of mental health, substance use disorders, and co-occurring disorders for African American adolescents and emerging adults. He is also the executive director of Hope Recovery Center and a recipient of the key to the city for Laurel, Mississippi—an honor award to him by the city’s mayor in recognition of his innovative consultations and trainings on culturally responsive services for African American teenage girls in the justice system.     Chyrell Bellamy, PhD, MSW Dr. Bellamy is a professor at Yale University's Department of Psychiatry, and she also serves as director of the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, director of the Peer Support Services and Research, director of the Yale Lived Experience Transformational Leadership Academy, director of the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health. Dr. Bellamy also co-designs and conducts community-based participatory research with communities of color and people living with psychiatric Illness, substance use disorders, HIV, homelessness, and incarceration histories. Her research also focuses on healthcare disparities, sociocultural pathways of recovery, and the development of culturally responsive interventions.   Representative La Shawn Ford Representative Ford is the representative of the 8th District of Illinois. He is founder of The Westside Heroin and Opioid Taskforce which serves as an innovative strategic model for creating recovery-oriented systems of care in underserved communities across the nation. The taskforce has mobilized over 33 organizations to work together in the community to reduce overdose and promote recovery on the west side of Chicago. These partners include persons with lived experience; the formerly incarcerated; recovery community organizations, substance use disorders and mental health treatment providers; mobile treatment providers; hospitals; and harm reduction specialists. Last year, the taskforce's work resulted in 2,000 fewer emergency calls for overdose thanks to the training it provided to over 3,300 community residents on the distribution and use of Narcan. The Westside Heroin and Opioid Taskforce was awarded the winner of the 2023 SAMHSA Behavioral Health Equity Challenge. Thanks to his dedicated service and contributions to the behavioral healthcare field, Representative Ford was named as the recipient of the Illinois Chapter of NAADAC's Advocate of the Year award and the Nelson Mandela Award for Justice.    Dr. Felecia Pullen Dr. Pullen is a qualitative researcher exploring structural racism's impact on attaining recovery capital for people of color with histories of drug use. Her research has resulted in the creation of MRCAT, an assessment tool for professionals who develop recovery plans in partnership with clients. Dr. Pullen is also the president and CEO of three organizations: Let's Talk Safety, a not-for profit teen led prevention program; The Pillars, Manhattan's first OASIS-funded recovery community and outreach center; and The SAFETY Net, a teen-designed club house in Harlem. Dr. Pullen's policy advocacy and activism has been widely recognized. She has also delivered numerous workshops on culturally responsive recovery.         MODERATORS:   Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC Mark Sanders is the Illinois state project manager for the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC and PTTC. He is an international speaker and behavioral health consultant whose presentations and publications have reached thousands throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, West Indies, Lithuania, and Guam. Mark is the recipient of four lifetime achievement awards, including NAADAC’s prestigious Enlightenment Award, the National Association for Addiction Professionals’ 50th Anniversary Legends Award, the Illinois Certification Board's Professional of the Year Award and Jessica Hayes Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Barbara Bacon Award for outstanding contributions to the social work profession as an alumnus of Loyola University of Chicago.    Kisha Freed, BA Kisha serves as an outreach program coordinator with CHESS BHE-TAC and has co-authored multiple blog series with Mark Sanders for the Great Lakes ATTC’s Counselors Corner blog. She is a certified professional coach with a special emphasis in emotional intelligence and mindful leadership. Utilizing her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Kisha has worked in her community helping people to get in touch with suppressed emotions through the creative arts, such as poetry writing, storytelling and hip hop and emotional intelligence online workshops. She is also an event host, public speaker, and performing spoken word poetry. She resides in Huntsville, AL with her two sons and two-year old granddaughter.     The Great Lakes A/MH/PTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.

  The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC.   The February 2024 issue features content from the Great Lakes ATTC celebrating Black History Month, including our upcoming 2024 Black History Month Panel Presentation. It also features a new educational brief on health equity in crisis systems, upcoming prevention trainings on drug trends in the region, and updates to the Classroom WISE curriculum for 2024. As always, you will also find links to all upcoming events and trainings hosted by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC!   Make sure you're subscribed to our email contact list so you never miss a month of The Great Lakes Current newsletter, and thank you for reading!

  The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC.   The January 2024 issue features the third installment of the Counselor's Corner blog series: Integrating Spirituality and Counseling with African American Clients, information on the Opioid Response Network's 2022-2023 regional summits, and a call for applications for the upcoming HEART (Healing Ethno And Racial Trauma) Training for Behavioral Health Providers Serving Hispanic & Latinx Communities intensive training series. As always, you will also find links to all upcoming events and trainings hosted by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC!   Make sure you're subscribed to our email contact list so you never miss a month of The Great Lakes Current newsletter, and thank you for reading!

The purpose of the listening sessions was to gather information from family members and loved ones of people with substance use challenges to better understand family members’ experiences supporting and seeking support for their loved one who is using substances; to ask what questions family members have about supporting their loved one who is using substances; to ask who or what is providing support for family members; and the unmet needs for support for family members. Version 1 of this report in February 2023, which described the process and findings from the initial round of listening session in 2022. Version 2 of this report describes the process and findings of additional follow up community outreach in 2023 to enhance the first phase of this consultation process: including a new round of listening sessions with family members and loved ones of people who use substances.  This project is in collaboration with the African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence and National Hispanic and Latino ATTC.

Talking To Change: A Motivational Interviewing Podcast, hosted by Glenn Hinds and Sebastian Kaplan, is a series of conversations exploring Motivational Interviewing (MI) and its influence on supporting individuals and groups as they make positive health and lifestyle changes. Talking to Change: An MI Podcast. Episode 69: Coding MI for Learning and Research, with Denise Ernst, PhD In this episode, Dr. Denise Ernst joined hosts Glenn Hinds and Sebatian Kaplan to talk about the importance of coding in MI research and teaching. They discussed the MITI, used for treatment integrity and learning enrichment, softening sustain talk, what to start paying attention to as a new learner, and more.  

  The South Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center (SSW ATTC) collaborates with Faith Partners, Inc. a non-profit 501©3, which was founded in 1995 by religious leaders seeking ways to mobilize faith communities’ resources to address alcohol and drug issues in their communities. Faith Partners provides the leadership, training, educational materials and consultation to initiate, develop and sustain a faith communities’ efforts to address drugs and alcohol and its impact on their members. Faith Partners provides an individualized plan to start an effective team effort to address the needs of the whole faith community. As part of the process of building capacity and identifying the unique needs and goals of each faith community around the development of their ministry, Faith Partners utilizes community surveys at several points in time. Following is a practical guide developed by the South Southwest ATTC with best practices for engaging the entire faith community in the survey process.

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

  The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC.   The December 2023 issue shares recorded content on wound care and xylazine, social media basics for preventionists, an infographic on providing behavioral healthcare to people living with HIV, and SAMHSA's tips for supporting your mental health through the holidays. As always, you will also find links to all upcoming events and trainings hosted by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC!   Make sure you're subscribed to our email contact list, so you never miss a month of The Great Lakes Current newsletter and thank you for reading!

New England ATTC Senior Trainer, Haner Hernandez, PhD, served on the development team for SAMHSA’s National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification. This Spanish version of the national model standards was prepared in response to President Biden's 2022 Unity Agenda and outlines model standards for substance use disorder, mental health, and family/youth peer support certification. The entire toolkit is available for download.

The New England ATTC, in partnership with RICARES, held the next monthly installment of the Recovery Science and Harm Reduction Reading Group series. We discussed a paper titled, “Predictors of Retention and Drug Use Among Patients With Opioid Use Disorder Transferred to a Specialty "Second Chance" Methadone Program” by Moses and colleagues. A summary of the discussion is available for download.

    This webinar focuses on increasing knowledge among providers in the assessment and treatment of wounds as related to intravenous drug and xylazine use.     LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Explain opioid use disorder as a chronic illness. Increase level of comfort in the treatment and assessment of wound care as it relates to intravenous drug and Xylazine use. Share best practices for incorporating harm reduction philosophies and principles in the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD).     TRAINERS:   Nicole Gastala, MD   Dr. Gastala is board certified in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine. She graduated from Loyola Stritch School of Medicine and completed her Family Medicine residency at the University of Iowa. In her clinical role, she has developed and expanded MAR by mentoring new prescribers, precepting residents, and training clinicians within the Chicago and Illinois communities.  She has also focused on the development of a walk-in integrated behavioral health, addiction, and primary care program within her FQHC system. In January 2021, Dr Gastala joined the team at the Substance Use Prevention and Recovery Division of IDHS as the medical director.     Michael Huyck, NP   Michael Huyck is a Family Nurse Practitioner at the UIH Mile Square Health Center and adjunct clinical assistant professor with the University of Illinois College of Nursing. His clinical role at Mile Square is focused on integrative substance use disorder treatment and primary care. His clinical interests involve decreasing barriers to addiction care, piloting evidenced based interventions to address problems specific to populations with SUD, and training future nurses to care for those experiencing addiction. He provides a full range of SUD treatment including buprenorphine and methadone within his practice. His current projects include wound care and ultrasound guided phlebotomy for people who inject drugs.     The Great Lakes A/MH/PTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.

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.

  The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC.   The November 2023 issue honors National Native American Heritage Month, National Homelessness Awareness Month, and a brand-new Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy intensive technical assistance opportunity. As always, you will also find links to all upcoming events and trainings hosted by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC.   Make sure you're subscribed to our email contact list, so you never miss a month of The Great Lakes Current newsletter and thank you for reading!

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.