Products and Resources Catalog

Treatment & Recovery in African American Communities: Panel Discussion with 2022 Recovery Hall of Fame Inductees   Presented by The Online Museum of African American Addictions, Treatment, and Recovery.    Each year, the Online Museum of African American Addictions, Treatment, and Recovery inducts several addiction treatment professionals into the museum’s Hall of Fame. In this panel presentation, four of the recent inductees share their insights on how to work more effectively with African Americans with substance use disorders.   Panelists:     Michael Askew           Rev. Jan Brown        Dr. Mary Roberson    Roland Williams Click here to learn more about our panelists and the rest of the 2022 Hall of Fame inductees.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES Learn strategies for working more effectively with African Americans seeking recovery. Understand the importance of applying culturally-specific approaches to working with African Americans with SUD’s. Help African American clients maintain ongoing recovery.     WEBINAR MODERATOR   Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC, is the Illinois State Project Manager for the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. Mark is a published author, trainer, educator, and mentor, as well as the founder of the Online Museum of African American Addictions, Treatment, and Recovery and the co-founder of Serenity Academy of Chicago, the only recovery high school in Illinois. Mark is the 2021 recipient of the NAADAC Enlightenment Award, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the field.

  View the recorded webinar here: https://youtu.be/E5C8hNVaBBc    Presented By: Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC February 3, 2022   DESCRIPTION Frederick Douglass escaped slavery to become a national leader in the abolitionist movement. Malcolm X overcame a troubled childhood and a prison sentence to gain prominence as one of leading civil rights activists in the U.S. Both Douglass and Malcolm X offer lessons and implications for counseling African Americans with substance use disorders today.   You can read more on this topic in the article, "Lessons from the Recovery Legacies of Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X" by Mark Sanders. 

  Traumatic Brain Injury and Substance Use Disorder Toolkit now available!!   Traumatic Brain Injury and Substance Use Disorders: Making the Connections merges the content on traumatic brain injury (TBI) and substance use disorders (SUD) to expand capacity to address both issues in treatment. The author, Dr. Carolyn Lemsky, is a board-certified neuropsychologist with over 25 years of experience working in rehabilitation settings in the U.S. and Canada. The toolkit provides valuable and practical information for advancing behavioral health providers’ capacity when serving persons who have brain injuries.   This toolkit is a collaboration between the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators, Mountain Plains Addiction Technology Transfer Center (Mountain Plains ATTC), and the Mid-America Addiction Technology Transfer Center (Mid-America ATTC).   Order a copy of the Traumatic Brain Injury and Substance Use Disorder Toolkit    

    In a trauma-informed organization, the clinical and peer workforce ensures trauma-informed clinical best practices address the effects associated with trauma while honoring the core principles of trauma-informed care. It is an organization’s clinical work that gets to the core of shifting the focus from What is wrong with you to What happened to you. This virtual presentation is sponsored by the Southeast ATTC Regional Center and will focus on the many facets of providing trauma-informed clinical best practices. Explore key components to trauma-informed clinical practice, the core competencies of a trauma-informed practitioner, and what it means to apply trauma-informed principles across all stages of treatment. Learn more about trauma-specific, evidence-based, and emerging best practices, including interventions, focused on the mind/body connection in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina.    1. Be aware of trauma-informed practitioner core competencies 2. Increase understanding of how to apply trauma-informed principles across all stages of treatment, from universal screening through treatment planning and discharge.   ............................................ Karen Johnson, principal at Trauma-Informed Lens Consulting, partners with organizations, systems and communities to promote individual and organizational resilience, using her knowledge and experience from 26 years working in behavioral health, community services and child welfare.  During her 5½ years on the National Council for Behavioral Health’s trauma-informed services team, Karen led the initiative with Kaiser Permanente, Trauma-Informed Primary Care:  Fostering Resilience and Recovery, to create a change package for advancing trauma-informed approaches within primary care.  Karen is certified in Dr. Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead and Daring Way and is trained in Dr. Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics.  She also developed numerous community-based programs during her 19 years at SaintA in Milwaukee, WI.  Karen combines the newest science around adversity and resilience to infuse hope and connection into every client engagement, moving organizations and individuals forward in their healing journey.

  Participants in this webinar will be able to name two brain systems impacted by exposure to adverse childhood experiences, describe three social, emotional, and behavioral impacts of exposure to ACEs during adolescence, and identify stigma in self and in others. 

  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 May 2021 Dialogue contains articles on: Addiction: New Buprenorphine Practice Guidelines & National Trauma Awareness Month | Mental Health: National Mental Health Awareness Month | Prevention: National Prevention Week 2021 & HIV Prevention | ORN: Fighting Stigma | Spotlight: Queer Affirming Therapy and DEA's Community Outreach Section. Additional sections include upcoming training and webinar events, behavioral health observances, new resources, and Region 3 news. The Dialogue is designed to inform behavioral and mental health professionals of news and upcoming events in the Central East states. This electronic newsletter is disseminated bi-monthly on the first Tuesday. You are encouraged to provide us with any feedback or submit articles and topics for discussion in future issues of the newsletter, [email protected]. Sign up to receive the Dialogue in your mailbox.

As we enter National Trauma Awareness Month, I’d like to pause for a moment to consider what we know about the families of individuals living with substance use disorders… and more importantly what we don’t know. Numbers and trends: In 2019 there were 70,630 deaths attributed to overdose[i]. Estimating accurate numbers of all non-fatal overdoses in the community is challenging – we can only track what is reported/treated. We can estimate the number of nonfatal overdoses treated in emergency departments (EDs) – approximately 967,615 in 2017[ii]. Since COVID-19 started, the numbers of suspected opioid and stimulant related overdoses being treated in EDs is up despite general trends of people delaying or avoiding care in EDs due to the pandemic[iii]. For both overdose deaths and nonfatal overdoses treated in EDs the highest rates were amongst adults ages 25-54, prime periods for parenting children, adolescents, and young adults.   Sadly, we do not know how many of those individuals experiencing overdoses were parents – to my knowledge that data is not being collected. Research on the impacts of substance use on families continues to fall frustratingly behind in research, national discussions, and policy initiatives[iv]. Why should we fill these gaps in data and policy? Data tells us its badly needed. Children and adolescents who grow up in households with substance misuse are at a higher risk for: developing mental health problems iv using substances in general and develop substance use disorders iv accidental opioid poisoning iv experiencing overdoses themselves[v] … and parental substance continues to rise as a contributing factor for child removal and CPS involvement[vi]. Add to the experience of courtesy stigma -  the idea that some people avoid or distance themselves from family members of those living with substance use disorders – and the outlook seems bleak for the young people in our systems of care. BUT…. We also have a lot of promising data on how we can support the families of people living with SUDs. What can we do? We can work with families to foster resilience and connections. Resilience involves maintaining flexibility and balance in life as you deal with stressful circumstances and traumatic events. Some ways to foster resilience include: Allowing for the experience strong emotions, and also realizing when they may need to avoid experiencing them at times in order to continue functioning. Stepping forward and taking action to deal with problems and meet the demands of daily living, and also stepping back to rest and reenergize. Spending time with loved ones to gain support and encouragement, and also nurturing themselves. Supporting efforts to make connections – strengthening old connections and developing new, positive ones Perspective taking including looking beyond the current stressors to a more hopeful future, looking at setbacks and relapses as learning experiences, and nurturing positive self-images and moving beyond stigmatizing labels applied to them and family members Modeling and encouraging relying on others, and also relying on themselves. Adopting a spirit of experimentation including trying a variety of coping skills, relaxation strategies and self-care practices to see which are the best fit for that individual For more information on fostering resilience check out the resources shared by the American Psychological Association and PositivePsychology.com. We can also be more inclusive of families in our systems by reflecting on and addressing stigma in our individual approaches to working with people and in our organizations: Include the voices of families and natural supports in policy in planning Adopt a recovery-orientation in organizational mission, vision, values, hiring practices, and training Practice intentional self-reflection about our own implicit biases and use that awareness to avoid missteps and take corrective measures Promote collaboration with families and natural supports in treatment planning and implementation Offer supports to families either by developing capacity in your organization or by developing a network of providers to refer to and collaborate with Provide education about substance use, addiction and recovery with materials adapted to be developmentally appropriate for children, adolescents and young adults Create a welcoming environment for service participants and their families Collect data to support systems level advocacy Working in our field is beautifully challenging because we cannot treat symptoms like substance use in isolation. Substance use occurs within the context of life lived in a body filled with thoughts, feelings and physical sensations, in a family, in a community, in an environment, in a society. While it may seem daunting to adopt a holistic approach that includes addressing the needs of the whole person in the context of their lives, this approach works. When we foster resilience and connection, we have the potential to start a ripple effect where our services’ impacts move beyond the individuals in care to their families, to future generations, to communities. We do this work as a community of providers to support our own resilience. We are in this together. By Kristen Wright, M.S., LCPC, Central East ATTC contributor About the author: Kris has been working full time in the behavioral health field since 2007, beginning with supportive and interdisciplinary services. She received her independent license as a therapist in 2011. Her licenses allow her to provide mental health counseling and therapy in Virginia and Maryland to individuals, families and groups. She is experienced working with adults of all ages and adolescents living with behavioral health concerns including mood disorders, substance-related disorders, and trauma histories. Kris has seen that everyone faces challenges in life that can impact their mental health. She is passionate about helping her clients renew hope and get excited about life again. Many of them have challenges with anxiety, depression, low motivation, post-traumatic stress, interpersonal problems, substance use getting in the way of day to day life, and work/school related issues. Regardless of the situations they are dealing with, she teaches her clients practical tools that everyone can use to improve their mental health, enjoy life and increase resiliency. Kris’ work is holistic and person-centered. She uses the best evidence-supported behavioral health interventions, identifies and addresses the impacts and influences of all areas of a person’s life on their mental and behavioral health. Her approach has a special focus on employment, somatic, environmental and cultural factors. Her practice includes interventions from Cognitive and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies, Motivational Interviewing, Person-Centered Care Planning, Mind-Body Practices and Vocational Supports. In addition to work as a clinical therapist and as a trainer and consultant, Kris is honored to facilitate workshops for the American Red Cross’ Services to the Armed Forces serving service members, veterans, caregivers and families. She teaches Reconnections Workshops in Adult, Child and Mind Body modules providing psychoeducation, early identification of behavioral health symptoms, connections to resources, resiliency building, and health and wellness practices. She also teaches weekly yoga and mindfulness classes at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at the inpatient behavioral health unit, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) unit, and cancer unit. Kris specializes in yoga for behavioral health and wellness, with training in Inner Power Yoga, Mindful Yoga Therapy, and Yin Yoga.  Visit her website: https://kriswrightwellness.com/ [i] Hedegaard H, Miniño AM, & Warner M. (2020).  Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 1999–2019. NCHS Data Brief, no 394. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db394-H.pdf [ii] Vivolo-Kantor AM, Hoots BE, Scholl L, et al. (2020).  Nonfatal Drug Overdoses Treated in Emergency Departments — United States, 2016–2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:371–376. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6913a3external icon. [iii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, February 16). Suspected Nonfatal Drug Overdoses during COVID-19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/nonfatal/states/covid-19.html.  [iv] Winstanley, E. L., & Stover, A. N. (2019). The Impact of the Opioid Epidemic on Children and Adolescents. Clinical Therapeutics, 41(9), 1655–1662. https://doi-org.proxy-hs.researchport.umd.edu/10.1016/j.clinthera.2019.06.003 [v] Khan, N. F., Bateman, B. T., Landon, J. E., & Gagne, J. J. (2019). Association of Opioid Overdose With Opioid Prescriptions to Family Members. JAMA Internal Medicine, 179(9), 1186–1192. [vi] National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare. (n.d.). Child Welfare and Alcohol & Drug Use Statistics. Child Welfare and Alcohol & Drug Use Statistics | National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW). https://ncsacw.samhsa.gov/research/child-welfare-and-treatment-statistics.aspx.

        This virtual presentation is sponsored by the Southeast ATTC Regional Center and will focus on Logo Therapy was developed by the renowned Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl. Logo Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes meaning and purpose. In this presentation, you will learn strategies from Logo Therapy to help clients turn life pain into a life purpose in 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. Topics covered include: the 11 things that give life meaning; helping clients answer the question, Why did I survive my addiction?; helping clients turn adversity into a cause; helping clients create a vision in recovery which does not include the use of alcohol and other drugs; 10 Logo Therapy exercises; helping clients achieve life purpose in recovery.   · Define Logo Therapy · Articulate the 11 things which give life meaning. · Utilize 10 Logo Therapy exercises in your work with clients. · Help clients turn life pain into a life purpose in recovery.   ...................................... Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC has facilitated diversity training's for 25 years. His non-shaming, non-blaming style of diversity training has been well received by workshop participants. His strength as a diversity specialist lies in his versatility. He has helped a range of organizations with their diversity initiatives including: Fortune 100 and 500 companies; schools; nonprofit organizations; churches; hospitals and volunteer groups. Mark has delivered diversity training throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Caribbean and British Islands. A partial list of Clients includes: 3M Corporation; American Family Insurance Company; Xerox Corporation, GM Corporation and the United States Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. He is the author of 5 books and has had 2 stories published in the New York Times Bestselling Book Series Chicken Soup For The Soul. He lectures at the University of Chicago  

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

S2 E5: Serving Marginalized Communities x Impacts of IPV In this episode, we focus our attention on substance use coercion including the common forms, the effects on survivors, and how providers address the needs equitably by integrating services. Our conversation suggests that integrated services uniquely benefit survivors and are associated with decreased substance use and experiences of violence. We highlight this topic as new resources have been released from the National Center on Domestic violence, Trauma, and Mental Health in late 2020. Resources: Substance Use Coercion as a Barrier to Safety, Recovery, and Economic Stability: Implications for Policy, Research, and Practice: Technical Expert Meeting Summary and Report Understanding Substance Use Coercion in the Context of Intimate Partner Violence: Implications for Policy and Practice: Summary of Findings Literature Review: Intimate Partner Violence, Substance Use Coercion, and the Need for Integrated Service Models       Gabriela Zapata-Alma, LCSW, CADC, Director of Policy and Practice on Domestic Violence and Substance Use, National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health | [email protected] Gabriela Zapata-Alma, LCSW, CADC, is the Director of Policy and Practice on Domestic Violence and Substance Use at the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health, as well as a senior lecturer and coordinator of the addiction training program at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration. Gabriela brings over 15 years of experience supporting people impacted by structural and interpersonal violence. Currently, Gabriela's author's best practices provide trauma-informed policy consultation to advance racial equity, as well as capacity building related to serving marginalized communities impacted by violence, trauma, and other social determinants of health, nationally, and internationally.

Webinar series hosted in partnership with the Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network Coordinating Office, Mountain Plains ATTC, and the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health (NCDVTMH). This first webinar features an interactive panel discussion to begin the conversation and provide resources to address both substance use disorder and intimate partner violence.   Intimate partner violence (IPV) can have significant effects on one’s health, including increased risk for substance use concerns. In addition to using substances in order to cope with experiences of violence, survivors may also be coerced to use substances, face increased violence if they do not use substances, and have their attempts to engage treatment and recovery sabotaged by a partner or ex-partner – all tactics of substance use coercion. Many substance use specialists and domestic violence advocates feel unprepared to help survivors address concerns related to substance use and substance use coercion. Watch the Webinar:  

          This virtual presentation is sponsored by the Southeast ATTC Regional Center and will focus on emphasizing not only our mandate to "do no harm" in working with those who have previously been wounded but also will focus on ways to help re-establish a sense of empowerment to those who may have come to feel disempowered and who are at risk for negative life experiences 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. Utilize and interpret the results of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, 2. Articulate at least three adverse experiences covered in the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, 3. Identify at least three negative outcomes correlated with experiencing adverse childhood experiences, 4. List at least three experiences that are correlated with greater resiliency in individuals, 5. Verbalize two practical steps they can take to help mitigate adverse childhood experiences and foster greater resiliency in those they serve. .................................... 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.  

    Many people can trace patterns of addiction, trauma, dark secrets, and drug-related fatalities in their family for four or five generations. This virtual presentation is sponsored by the Southeast ATTC Regional Center and will focus on prevention, intervention, and treatment strategies to help break intergenerational patterns of addictions, trauma, and dark secrets in families. We will discuss the role of prevention specialists, therapists, providers. Trauma specialists, persons in recovery, families, and entire communities in breaking these patterns. Other topics include: how to create a healing forest to help break intergenerational patterns; the entire community as the prevention and recovery center; the unique risk and protective factors for children of parents with substance use disorders and prevention strategies; fetal alcohol spectrum as a risk factor and intervention strategies; the impact of siblings on the intergenerational transmission of addiction and prevention strategies 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. Questions about Southeast Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network (Southeast ATTC) or this training? Contact Michelle Harrison ([email protected]).      Six risk factors for intergenerational patterns of addiction in families. The role of prevention specialists, therapists, trauma specialists, and behavioral health specialists in breaking intergenerational patterns of addiction, trauma, and dark secrets. The roles of persons in recovery and families in breaking intergenerational patterns. The unique risks for children of substance-using parents. The impact of siblings on the intergenerational transmission of addiction and prevention strategies. How to create a healing forest to help break intergenerational patterns.   ====================================     Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC, is an international speaker, trainer, and consultant in the behavioral health field whose work has reached thousands throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Caribbean and British Islands. Mark has been a certified addictions counselor for 34 years. Mark is co-founder of Serenity Academy of Chicago, the only recovery high school in Illinois. He is past president of the board of the Illinois Chapter of NAADAC. He has had a 30-year career as a university educator having taught at the University of Chicago, Illinois State University, Illinois School of Professional Psychology, and Loyola University of Chicago, School of Social Work.         

Ask the Expert August's Open Dialogue is sponsored by the Southeast ATTC Regional Center and will focus on openly dialoguing about the role you play in impacting access and retention of in substance abuse treatment while shedding light on the racial and LGBTQ+ disparities for GA, AL, FL, MS, SC, NC, KY, and TN. Session Host: Lawrence Bryant, Ph.D., MPH, RRT, BSW, AAS ============================================================================================  Health Equity and Implicit Racial Bias Experiences by the LGBTQ+ Community Seeking Treatment & Recovery   Resource Mentioned:  Georgia Opioid Strategic Planning, Multi-Cultural Needs Assessment   ============================================================================================================ A Little About Dr. Bryant:  As a member of the Georgia Department of Public Health Opioid Strategic Planning Multicultural Workgroup, Dr. Bryant brings a plethora of experiences dealing with substance use disorders through clinical practice, policy, and research. He has been successful in developing and implementing a statewide strategic plan for the state of Georgia in response to the opioid and prescription drug overdose epidemic. As a part-time Assistant Professor at Kennesaw State University, Health Promotion Department, Dr. Bryant has received funding from The Georgia Department of Public Health to do a needs assessment in support of the Statewide Strategic Plan for Opioid Abuse. Dr. Bryant just receives certification in contact tracing and plans to utilize this knowledge to train others in this technique Dr. Bryant continues to publish in the field of public health and holds dual positions in both public health and psychology at Capella University. Dr. Bryant is also a registered respiratory therapist, fighting on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic in the field of pediatrics

Join us for this interactive session to discuss the ongoing impact of COVID-19, Complex PTSD, and strategies for working with individuals with opioid use disorder. Session objectives: 1. Explore and resolve issues related to Complex PTSD 2. Learn about typical long-term and residual effects of traumatic life experiences 3. Develop strategies to help cope with stressful reminders and memories.   Andre Johnson, MA, President and CEO of Detroit Recovery Project: Mr. Johnson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Morehouse College (Atlanta, Georgia), a Masters of Arts degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology. Mr. Johnson is trained certified recovery coach, considered an expert in his field, and is invited frequently to present at seminars, workshops, and as a keynote or motivational speaker to not only those in recovery but youth, adults, families, and substance use professionals. In 2013, Mr. Johnson received the prestigious Vernon Johnson award from Faces and Voices of Recovery. In 2016, President Barack Obama named Mr. Johnson a Champion of Change and honored him at the White House.   PPT_ImplicationsforCOVID19&ComplexPTSD_Johnson_7.15.20 Transcript_ImplicationsforCOVID19&ComplexPTSD_Johnson_7.15.20

An abundance of research has pointed to poor treatment outcomes for people with co-occurring trauma and addiction. Traditional addiction treatment has ignored the significant impact of trauma on personal recovery and subsequently people have continued to struggle as a result. With recent advances in understanding the impact of trauma, it is time for a change in the approach taken toward trauma and addiction. This interactive and experiential presentation offers an overview of the impact of trauma on the recovery process from a social, biological, psychological, and spiritual perspective and will provide clinicians with skills to work with  people affected by trauma throughout their recovery, as well as, understanding the conceptual framework of trauma-informed practice.

The South Africa HIV ATTC co-hosted a virtual panel discussion with the South Africa National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA) about the context and implications of the alcohol and tobacco ban that has been implemented in South Africa during the COVID19 global pandemic. Panelists include Professor Charles Parry from SAMRC, Ms Adrie Vermeulen from SANCA National, and Mr Shaun Shelley from TB HIV Care and the South African Network of People Who Use Drugs (SANPUD).

Supporting Mental Health and Substance Use Providers during the crisis created by COVID-19 is imperative. This webinar focuses on how providers are coping and how to best support this critical segment of the workforce. Participants will learn how hopelessness, fatigue, stress, trauma, and social distancing are impacting the well-being of mental health and substance use practitioners. Presenters will highlight the need to practice self-compassion, holistic wellness, and self-care as essential strategies to deal with compassion fatigue, burnout. Supportive strategies and techniques to increase connection are discussed. This product was created in collaboration with the New England MHTTC.

This is a training on Trauma Integrated Addiction Treatment.  

Mid-America ATTC, in partnership with Truman Medical Center’s Center for Trauma-Informed Innovation (TIC in BH), is piloting an intensive technical assistance (TA) project with Osawatomie State Hospital (OSH) in Kansas. The goal of this project is to work closely with OSH leadership and staff to provide training and actively support a transformation in organizational culture to implement trauma-informed care (TIC) practices in all services.  Over the next year, the TIC in BH team will use the insights they glean from this intensive TA to finalize a TIC TA guide for TTC's and behavioral health providers.The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of the TIC TA guide.

African Americans have lower rates of retention in substance use disorder treatment than the general population. In this one-hour webinar, Mark Sanders, LCSW, CSC, presents an overview of the factors that prevent African Americans from engaging in treatment, along with strategies that treatment organizations can use to increase engagement.  Presented on February 5, 2020.  Download the presentation slides. 

In this webinar sponsored by the Northwest ATTC, Lydia Bartholow, DNP, PMHNP, CARN-AP investigated the connection between psychological trauma and substance use disorders, the neurobiological adaptations that arise in response to trauma, and the ways in which these same adaptations make one vulnerable to developing a substance use disorder. Viewers also learned about the relevance and importance of pharmacotherapies for treatment of substance use disorders in those with a history of trauma, and how to apply trauma-informed practices to common clinical scenarios. Download slides