Products and Resources Catalog

Despite the demands of a profession in the health and behavioral health care disciplines, providers are dedicated to their craft and enjoy a deep satisfaction from helping others. But with the job are pressures and at times unanticipated factors that can increase susceptibility to exhaustion leading to compassion fatigue and other occupational hazards, referred to as “the cost of caring for others.” The adverse effects of compassion fatigue can decrease the provider’s emotional and physical well-being, influence the quality of care they provide for their clients, and have a profound effect on service delivery and person-centered care with communities served. This interactive webinar will help to identify often elusive work-related conditions that promote empathy strain, self-assessment tools and practical prevention strategies for self-care and means to resiliency and wellness for us, the people helping people. 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.

by Raymond Crowel, PsyD, Clinical Director, The Danya Institute  In March 2020, COVID-19 made its presence felt literally around the world. Within weeks, our lives were upended, as businesses shuttered their doors, schools closed, and our social connections were severed. The same was true for substance use and recovery programs when outpatient addiction treatment, medication-assisted treatment, and residential treatment programs closed. In the early months, both face-to-face services and AA/NA support networks were nonexistent. Successful substance use recovery requires access to treatment, connection to people, and a strong community that supports recovery. Limited access to treatment and services, paired with isolation, anxiety, and depression caused by the pandemic, proved to be devastating for many people in recovery. Relapse and overdose rates jumped in the first year of the pandemic, destroying the progress that was beginning to be made in combating the opioid abuse epidemic. In addition, many vulnerable people turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with the chronic stress, loneliness, loss of work, and grief. Lastly, the drug trade in fentanyl exploded. The result was a dramatic spike in overdoses and substance use-related emergency department visits. While the COVID-19 pandemic has become less deadly, substance abuse has not. The ongoing trauma from the pandemic, untreated relapses in recovery, limited treatment capacity, and increasing potency and availability of illegal drugs contributed to more than 100,000 deaths in 2022 (NIDA). The pandemic forced substance use treatment systems to think of creative ways to continue to support recovery. Peer Recovery Specialists, trained in outreach and connecting with persons ready to begin their recovery process, shifted to disposable cell phones and virtual support services and support groups. Flexible Federal and state government policies allowed medication-assisted treatment programs to provide more walk-up and take-home dosing. The entire substance abuse and mental health service system migrated to telehealth services to provide safe access to ongoing treatment. Online networks and virtual referral processes made identifying and matching treatment providers with those seeking treatment easier.  As residential programs reopened, providers implemented masking, testing, safe distancing, and sanitation processes to protect residents and staff from COVID-19. Many such practices put into place during the height of the pandemic have remained in place, permanently altering how services are delivered.  Sadly, our rates of addiction, overdose, and death by overdose remain high. Although education, prevention, and treatment efforts are back to near pre-pandemic levels, still more needs to be done to save the lives of the many still struggling with addiction. At a minimum, we need: More treatment professionals, including Peer Recovery Specialists and credentialed foreign-trained professionals.   Integrated approaches to healthcare that consider both mental health and substance, along with social determinants of health. Increased adoption of harm reduction efforts, including the widespread distribution of Naloxone, needle exchanges, and fentanyl test kits, as well as supervised consumption sites.   COVID-19’s legacy is one of suffering and rising to the challenge. We are hopeful that the enduring legacy will be a stronger system of care for behavioral health, built with the same determination brought to combatting COVID-19.   

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.  

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 70: MI in the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, with Dr. Jim Carter In this episode, hosts Glenn and Sebastian talk to Dr. Jim Carter, a licensed clinical psychologist who recently founded a specialized online clinic called OCD123. Dr. Carter talks about what obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is, how to help people with OCD, and how our minds work and alternatives for when we get stuck. The episode ends with the group performing and then debriefing a role play focused on helping a new father with fears of contamination/germs.

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 71: MI and Harm Reduction, with Dr. Kasey Claborn In this episode, hosts Glenn and Sebastian talk to Dr. Kasey Claborn, a licensed clinical psychologist and assistant professor of Social Work and Psychiatry at the University of Texas in Austin. They talk about Kasey’s early MI story, what community outreach is, what harm reduction is and how it and abstinence can be considered part of a continuum. Dr. Claborn also describes ways to train harm reduction workers in MI and how to apply similar principles to peer support. Finally, the group discusses barriers to harm reduction and how to overcome them, how to adapt MI for use in a harm reduction context, and what kinds of political aspects of harm reduction might come into play.  

  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.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is an umbrella term that refers to a wide range of life-long physical, cognitive, and behavioral effects that can occur as a result of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE).  Additionally, individuals with FASD often struggle with co-occurring substance use and mental health challenges and may benefit from modifications to treatment that take into consideration the cognitive, behavioral and adaptive functioning challenges that are common across the spectrum.  This presentation will provide the attendee with a brief overview of FASD, information regarding assessment and diagnosis, and suggestions for ways to tailor treatment/intervention to support success. Presenter Dr. Joanne Sparrow is a clinical psychologist in private practice currently licensed in Washington and Colorado; she works primarily with adults who present with histories of complex trauma/post-traumatic stress disorder, mood and anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders. View recording (slides and handout to follow)    

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.

Virtual service delivery in the substance use and mental health treatment fields is here to stay, according to Meurer-Lynn (2023) and other notable researchers (Aafies- van Doom, et al., 2023; Shore, 2021; etc.) As such, how to blend in-person and virtual service delivery becomes an important question. Hybrid service delivery is a mixture of in-person sessions with videoconferencing sessions and may include phone check-ins. Hybrid service delivery models are known for providing flexibility, especially to clients with access issues, such as clients living in rural areas or those with transportation issues. The exact combination of virtual and in-person sessions ratio is determined by the clinician and patient (Aafies- van Doom, et al., 2023). Recently, many clinics have started to leverage in-person and virtual (video and phone) sessions and negotiate with clients a schedule that will increase engagement and positively impact attendance and adherence to treatment (SAMHSA, 2021). This two-part webinar series will: Provide an overview of substance use clinical services delivered via videoconferencing and telephone Describe and give examples of hybrid service delivery that is based upon the needs of the client, clinician, and provider Illustrate what clinicians and administrators need to consider when initiating hybrid delivery services, like reimbursement, privacy/security issues, staffing, and telephone policies

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 68 Executive Functioning and MI, with Tamara Hamilton, LCSW, DMBT In this episode, hosts Glenn Hinds and Sebastian Kaplan talk to Tamara Hamilton, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 30 years of experience in behavioral health, about executive functions (EF) and what they are, “learning is changing,” Tamara’s journey as the mother of a child with autism, setting the emotional climate when working with children and families, applying MI to EF coaching, parallels when working with parents, EF skills in context, and more.  

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.  

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 70: MI in the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, with Dr. Jim Carter In this episode, hosts Glenn and Sebastian talk to Dr. Jim Carter, a licensed clinical psychologist who recently founded a specialized online clinic called OCD123. Dr. Carter talks about what obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is, how to help people with OCD, and how our minds work and alternatives for when we get stuck. The episode ends with the group performing and then debriefing a role play focused on helping a new father with fears of contamination/germs.

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 4th Edition of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) will be out Fall 2023. Treatment providers and program evaluators use patient placement criteria to ensure that clients receive the appropriate level of care based on person-centered needs. This brief 1-hour overview webinar will highlight some of the upcoming changes in the 4th Edition. The content will explore the updated ASAM 6-dimensions and the revised and updated Continuum of Care. Additional training will be announced once the manual is officially released, reviewed, and articulated for treatment providers.

Virtual service delivery in the substance use and mental health treatment fields is here to stay, according to Meurer-Lynn (2023) and other notable researchers (Aafies- van Doom, et al., 2023; Shore, 2021; etc.) As such, how to blend in-person and virtual service delivery becomes an important question. Hybrid service delivery is a mixture of in-person sessions with videoconferencing sessions and may include phone check-ins. Hybrid service delivery models are known for providing flexibility, especially to clients with access issues, such as clients living in rural areas or those with transportation issues. The exact combination of virtual and in-person sessions ratio is determined by the clinician and patient (Aafies- van Doom, et al., 2023). Recently, many clinics have started to leverage in-person and virtual (video and phone) sessions and negotiate with clients a schedule that will increase engagement and positively impact attendance and adherence to treatment (SAMHSA, 2021).   This two-part webinar series will: Provide an overview of substance use clinical services delivered via videoconferencing and telephone Describe and give examples of hybrid service delivery that is based upon the needs of the client, clinician, and provider Illustrate what clinicians and administrators need to consider when initiating hybrid delivery services, like reimbursement, privacy/security issues, staffing, and telephone policies  

This webinar provided an interactive learning experience for attendees to explore adolescent substance use and new paths for research. Presenter Niranjan Karnik, MD, PhD reviewed recent data trends related to the prevalence of substance use among teens, described current treatment approaches, and talked about the pros and cons of social media and digital mental health interventions. Presenter Niranjan S. Karnik, MD, PhD, is the director of the Great Lakes Node of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN). His research focuses on data science, technology, and community-based interventions for vulnerable populations with psychiatric and substance use disorders. Watch the recording here.   Webinar keyword: Specific populations

Clients who are challenged by substance use and are involved in the justice system face special challenges as it relates to Harm Reduction. While there has been some significant headway in the acceptance of harm reduction, some mandated entities such as the courts, probation, and parole continue to struggle with harm reduction practice with justice involved clients. This workshop will provide individuals who work with the population the opportunity to learn how to engage mandating entities as a collaborative partner in care. 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

November 2023 Dialogue: ATTC: Trans Awareness Week | MHTTC: School Well-Being Learning Community | PTTC: Fostering Inclusivity and Substance Use Prevention | ORN: Finding a Voice. Additional sections include behavioral health observances, virtual training and webinar events, and new resources. The Dialogue is designed to inform behavioral and mental health professionals of news and upcoming events in the HHS Region 3/Central East region. 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 and our weekly training bulletin in your mailbox.   Visit the Dialogue Archives.

  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!

Professional boundaries set the parameters of effective and appropriate interaction between professionals and the people they serve. Boundaries protect clients and patients as well as providers. This interactive course will discuss professionalism and ethics, dual relationships, and how to build a safe working environment. 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.