Products and Resources Catalog

The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. The June 2024 issue features content celebrating Pride Month, PTSD Awareness Month, and Intersection of Addiction and Racism: A Curated Bibliography‒a new comprehensive resource created by AMERSA, the ATTC NCO, and the PTTC NCO. You will also find links to upcoming trainings focused on the therapeutic benefits of humor in treatment and recovery, prevention efforts in rural communities, and trauma-informed care for transition-age youth. 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!  

This is a recording of the session presented June 6, 2024. It was presented to further develop understanding of LGBTQIA2S+ allyship and move toward solidarity. The session aims to help participants identify inclusive practices, skills, and resources to support LGBTQIA2S+ communities and demonstrating a commitment to the practice of allyship. Bio: Dr. Jeff Maliskey (he/him) is the Director for the Pride Center at the University of North Dakota. His work focuses on LGBTQIA2S+ identity support, gender and sexuality education, and advocacy. Dr. Maliskey brings over a decade of student affairs experience working with student affinity-based resources and support centers. As a first-generation, LGBTQ+ scholar, Dr. Jeff Maliskey understands the unique challenges that impact student success in relation to identity. His practice is student-centered, and justice based as means to work towards equity and inclusion in higher education.

  Humor is a part of daily living that has been shown to improve mental, physical, and emotional health. Laughter can bring us through some of the darkest times when hope seems glim. Despite the benefits and need for laughter and humor, helping professionals are taught very little about the therapeutic benefits of humor in treatment and recovery. In fact, it is sometimes discouraged in the helping professions. In this presentation you will learn strategies to incorporate humor in your work with clients.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: By the end of this presentation, you will be able to: Understand the research on the benefits of using humor to improve physical, mental and emotional health Use humor more effectively in your work with clients Use humor to improve rapport with clients and to help clients grow in recovery Use humor to help reduce burnout and increase organizational morale   PRESENTERS: Tom Farley Tom Farley grew up in Madison, WI and graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in Marketing.  He began his career in banking and finance, living and working in the New York City area.  From 1999 to 2012, he ran The Chris Farley Foundation, a nationally recognized non-profit dedicated to substance abuse prevention. Like his brother, Tom was successful in opening the “eyes and ears” of youth audiences through the powerful and effective use of humor.  In 2008 he wrote “The Chris Farley Show”, a New York Time bestselling biography of his late brother, the actor and comedian Chris Farley.  He has been interviewed on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Larry King Live, Fox News and The View. He has also been featured in People Magazine, USA Today and several national and regional newspapers and publications. Tom has served on the Dane County Human Services board and several non-profit boards. Tom works for Rosecrance Behavioral Health as the Professional Relations Coordinator for Wisconsin. He is also a motivational speaker, delivering messages on prevention and recovery. Tom lives in Madison, WI.   Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC, 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. He 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.  Mark is the author of five books on behavioral health recovery. Recent writings include Slipping Through the Cracks: Intervention Strategies for Clients with Multiple Addictions Disorders and Relationship Detox: A Counselors Guide To Helping Clients Develop Healthy Relationships In Recovery. His groundbreaking monograph, Recovery Management, co-authored with historians William White and Earnest Kurtz, helped shift substance use disorders treatment and recovery from the acute care model towards a recovery-oriented system of care. Mark is the primary contributing author of a trauma-informed gun violence prevention curriculum which is now being implemented in several large cities throughout the U.S., and he authored two stories published in the New York Times bestselling Chicken Soup for The Soul book series. In addition to his behavioral healthcare work, Mark has a 30-year career as a university educator, having taught at The University of Chicago, Loyola University of Chicago, and Illinois State University School of Social Work. He is also the co-founder of Serenity Academy Chicago, a program which sponsors recovery-oriented peer groups in local high schools.   The Great Lakes A/MHTTC 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.

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.

Telehealth has become more common in the healthcare world, including for substance use disorder and mental health treatment, but not everyone has access to the technology needed to use it. In Idaho, the Department of Health and Welfare led an initiative to create telehealth pods in libraries and other community spaces to help expand access to care and worked to provide funding, technical assistance, and other supports. In an effort to support these libraries and other telehealth access sites, the Center for Advancing Addiction Health Services (CAAHS) at the UW Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI) has developed a free online toolkit with the goal of providing information that is crucial to providing safe, supportive, and accessible spaces in community settings where telehealth can be accessed. This webinar describes the Idaho library telehealth project and the development of the toolkit, then ends with a demo of the Third Space Toolkit itself. View slides | Watch recording

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,“The State of the Research on Opioid Outcomes Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Other Sexuality- and Gender-Diverse Populations: A Scoping Review” by Paschen Wolff and colleagues. A summary of the discussion is available for download. Article link:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/11Z2D4vd6vjU6xv7NTFYR85KmrmT1M73f/view

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.  

This is a recording of the webinar presented May 16th, 2024, by Craig Uthe, MD Significant challenges exist in providing safe and adequate care to the patient with co-occurring chronic pain and opioid use disorder. Establishing trust with and empowering this patient to be an active participant in their health is a difficult but necessary step. During this session, we will identify specific polarizing factors of chronic pain and OUD that make this work difficult and discuss strategies to enhance collaboration between patient and caregiver/prescriber that focus on the risk/benefit ratio in longitudinal care.

The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. The May 2024 issue features content celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Hepatitis C Awareness Month, and National Prevention Week. You will also find links to upcoming trainings focused on the therapeutic benefits of humor in treatment and recovery, prevention efforts in rural communities, and trauma-informed care for transition-age youth. 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!  

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.  

Discover the Benefits of DBT for Individuals in Substance Use Disorder Recovery   Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) has emerged as a powerful evidence-based approach to addressing the complexities of substance use disorders, offering a comprehensive toolkit that extends beyond conventional methods. In this six-hour training, participants will delve into the core principles and techniques of DBT, exploring how they enrich SUD treatment by fostering mindfulness, enhancing interpersonal skills, regulating emotions, and bolstering distress tolerance. This training package includes a 6-hour PowerPoint presentation (full curriculum) and a 13-page handout packet. There are various options for presenting the 6 hours of content, including through a 1, 2, or 3-hour workshop, a single full-day (6-hour) training session, or two 3-hour sessions, which allows for convenient scheduling while maintaining satisfactory coverage of the material. All materials contained in this training package are 508 compliant.   Learning Objectives: At the end of this training, participants will be able to: Distinguish two (2) specific behaviors that DBT is designed to treat and the origins of DBT Describe the four (4) groups of skills utilized in DBT (Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance) Identify two (2) ways in which DBT skills can be useful for substance use disorders Apply one (1) specific DBT Skill pertaining to one of the four (4) DBT skills Explain two (2) specific ways in which DBT can be integrated into an SUD treatment setting In-Depth Description of Training:  Originally developed to address chronic suicidal ideation and borderline personality disorder (BPD), DBT blends cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with a dialectical philosophy, emphasizing acceptance and change simultaneously. Over time, research has shown its effectiveness in treating a spectrum of mood disorders including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eating disorders, and importantly, substance use disorders. This training explores how DBT goes beyond its original purpose, becoming a pivotal intervention in reshaping behavioral patterns and becoming a crucial tool in reshaping behaviors, particularly concerning substance misuse. Through this structured curriculum, participants will gain insights into the four core skill sets (modules) of DBT: Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance. Throughout this training, participants will examine the nuanced ways in which each skill set intertwines with SUD treatment, promoting a holistic approach toward recovery. Mindfulness, as the cornerstone of DBT, encourages individuals to embrace the present moment, detaching from harmful thought patterns and impulses. Interpersonal Effectiveness skills equip individuals with strategies for building healthy relationships, crucial in navigating support networks during recovery journeys. Emotion Regulation skills teach mechanisms for managing intense feelings, providing tools to modulate emotional responses without resorting to substance use, while distress tolerance skills empower individuals to withstand cravings and urge to use, fostering resilience in recovery. Moreover, this training underscores the importance of DBT in addressing co-occurring mental health disorders, breaking down barriers to recovery, and promoting sustained abstinence from substances. By fostering engagement, trust, and collaboration, DBT sets the stage for long-term success, enabling individuals to reclaim agency over their lives and forge a path toward lasting wellness. In summary, this six-hour training serves as a roadmap towards integrating DBT principles into SUD treatment, equipping participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to effect transformative change in the lives of those grappling with substance misuse.

This is the recording and slides for the webinar presented April 24, 2024

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, “Makeshift medicine is a response to US health system failures,” by Kelly and colleagues. A summary of the discussion is available for download. Article link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YuIJ6aC9724GiD7_Umcu8QB5aY3Q5xLM/view

Adolescent use of electronic cigarettes (vaping) remains steady. Teenagers can easily recite the health risks of cigarette smoking, however, awareness of the risks of vaping and the impact of nicotine on development is variable. This 90-minute webinar will explore how adolescent brain development is altered by nicotine or co-use of nicotine and cannabis. We invite educators, mental health and substance use professionals, and family members to join us in learning about the possible consequences of adolescent vaping. Download PDF

Discover the vital role peer supports play in fostering resilience, empathy, and sustainable pathways to recovery. Join us on a journey to understand the power of human connection and how peer supports are shaping a more inclusive, compassionate, and supportive future for individuals and communities alike. Learning objectives Comprehensive Understanding: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the role and significance of peer supports in mental health, addiction recovery, and community well-being. Human Connection in Recovery: Recognize the transformative power of human connection in the context of recovery, and how peer supports play a pivotal role in facilitating meaningful connections. Practical Applications: Understand practical applications of peer support methodologies, including effective communication, active listening, and collaboration within the peer support framework. About the presenter: Dr. Mo (Melissa Dittberner), PhD, CPS, PS, LMT, is an award-winning lecturer in the Addiction Counseling and Prevention department at the University of South Dakota. She has a Ph.D. in Counseling and Psychology in Education, a master’s in Addiction Studies and a bachelor’s in Health Sciences. Dr. Mo is a TEDx speaker, prevention specialist and peer specialist. She is the CEO of Straight Up Care, a telehealth platform for peer specialist. Dr. Mo is the Executive Director of Midwest Street Medicine. She is a co-author of, The Alcohol Reset. She does research on college students’ substance use, pedagogy, addiction, trauma, body brokering, tattoos as healing and harm reduction. Dr. Mo is a person in long-term recovery and her mission is to empower individuals to learn and navigate their paths to recovery and well-being. View slides | Watch recording

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!  

This 16-hour training (12 hours of live interactive training through Zoom + 4 hours of professional development plan assignments), combined with the 14-hour online “Clinical Supervision Foundations I” training, will meet the 30-hour Clinical Supervision training requirement for the Advanced Counselor and Master Counselor status, as referenced in the OASAS Substance Use Disorder Scope of Practice. This training recognizes the crucial role that Clinical Supervision holds as the cornerstone of performance improvement at both the program and client level. Clinical Supervision, when properly implemented by competent Clinical Supervisors, improves client care, develops clinical skills, and improves the knowledge and professionalism of clinical personnel. It is also paramount in imparting and maintaining ethical standards in the addictions profession. This training met the requirements for 16 renewal hours (CASAC, CPP, CPS) and 16 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.

This 16-hour training (12 hours of live interactive training through Zoom + 4 hours of professional development plan assignments), combined with the 14-hour online “Clinical Supervision Foundations I” training, will meet the 30-hour Clinical Supervision training requirement for the Advanced Counselor and Master Counselor status, as referenced in the OASAS Substance Use Disorder Scope of Practice. This training recognizes the crucial role that Clinical Supervision holds as the cornerstone of performance improvement at both the program and client level. Clinical Supervision, when properly implemented by competent Clinical Supervisors, improves client care, develops clinical skills, and improves the knowledge and professionalism of clinical personnel. It is also paramount in imparting and maintaining ethical standards in the addictions profession. This training met the requirements for 16 renewal hours (CASAC, CPP, CPS) and 16 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.

This 16-hour training (12 hours of live interactive training through Zoom + 4 hours of professional development plan assignments), combined with the 14-hour online “Clinical Supervision Foundations I” training, will meet the 30-hour Clinical Supervision training requirement for the Advanced Counselor and Master Counselor status, as referenced in the OASAS Substance Use Disorder Scope of Practice. This training recognizes the crucial role that Clinical Supervision holds as the cornerstone of performance improvement at both the program and client level. Clinical Supervision, when properly implemented by competent Clinical Supervisors, improves client care, develops clinical skills, and improves the knowledge and professionalism of clinical personnel. It is also paramount in imparting and maintaining ethical standards in the addictions profession. This training met the requirements for 16 renewal hours (CASAC, CPP, CPS) and 16 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.

Data sources estimate that between 25 to 75% of people who survive different forms of abuse and/or a violent trauma develop issues related to substance use. Despite the prevalence of trauma, it often goes undetected particularly in people already dealing with life challenges and at high risk of substance use, misuse, and mental health problems.  This interactive training will review variations of trauma and potential impacts on the mind, and how self-regulation techniques can help address traumatic reactions. The content will further discuss practice specific opportunities for integration of trauma-informed care principles and during various points of client interactions. Providers will learn how trauma-informed care provides a preventive approach to engagement and supports person-centered care. This training was approved for three renewal hours (CASAC, CPP, CPS) and three 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.

This brief, interactive learning community conversation is for those participants who are new to the evidence-based practice of Motivational Interviewing (MI). Individuals beginning their MI exploration will receive a foundational overview of this often misunderstood method of communication. Although brief, participants will conclude this introduction ready for their next step in what can grow into a fulfilling MI adventure.  This training was approved for one renewal hour (CASAC, CPP, CPS) and one initial hour (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.

Most trainings on Motivational Interviewing (MI) convey the "concept" of "Change Talk" as essential to the practice and stop there. This interactive Learning Community Conversation will review the "types" of Change Talk and provide opportunities to practice identifying this truly essential part of the language of ambivalence; along with it's often vilified counterpart, Sustain Talk. A prior working knowledge of MI is helpful if you choose to join this conversation. 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.  

"Change Talk" is the solid GOLD motor that builds motivation for behavior change when practicing Motivational Interviewing (MI); without it the change-train is going nowhere and you're not practicing MI. During this Learning Community Conversation (LCC), we will review how to evoke Change Talk and how to employ it, once it's spoken by the client/patient. The LCC "Change Talk" Is Motivational GOLD, a suggested prerequisite to join this conversation. 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.

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!