Products and Resources - SAMHSA Reporting

Recap of the full video as we take time to celebrate 30 years of the ATTC Network in this online celebration with individuals from across the network.

Messages from the ATTC directors on the 30th Anniversary of the ATTC Network

30 years of ATTC Networks - photos and memories from across the years.

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ATTC Messenger May 2023 Featured Article Emerging Adults (EAs; ages 18–25) report greater alcohol use than any other age group (roughly 35% report recent heavy episodic or binge drinking) (Hingson et al., 2017), yet very few voluntarily participate in existing brief intervention programs (Helle et al., 2021). Although most young people gradually reduce their drinking without any treatment as they assume more adult responsibilities in their mid to late 20s, many show a developmentally persistent pattern of alcohol use disorder, and even those who eventually reduce their drinking experience substantial alcohol-related harm prior to “maturing out” (Liguori & Lonbaken, 2015). Brief Motivational Interventions (BMIs) that include personalized drinking feedback delivered in a motivational interviewing style are a promising approach to reaching young people who demonstrate risk drinking in educational or healthcare settings and have demonstrated reductions in drinking across numerous clinical trials with emerging adults (Cronce et al., 2022; Tanner-Smith & Lipsey, 2015)). However, there are three key limitations to the potential public health impact of BMIs as an alcohol risk reduction approach (Murphy et al., 2022). Read the full article by clicking on the 'View Resource' button above.

ATTC Messenger April 2023 Featured Article The Alcohol Use and Mental Health Project ECHO is a no-cost virtual program for health care professionals who are looking for up-to-date and research-based information on working with people who use alcohol.  Heavy alcohol use has a wide-reaching impact on society and individual wellbeing. The state of New Mexico has the highest rate of alcohol-related mortality in the nation (Esser et al., 2022). Yet, health care professionals often lack the training and expertise to work effectively with patients who use alcohol across the prevention-to-treatment spectrum (e.g., Dimoff et al., 2017; National Centre on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 2012).  Read the full article by clicking on the 'View Resource' button above.

ATTC Messenger June 2023 Featured Article Pride month is a month celebrated around the world that signifies the resilience and the strides the LGBTQI+ community has made in visibility and recognition. Some LGBTQ+ people take time to celebrate, build new friendships, advocate, or reflect on the LGBTQI+ community’s rich history. However, there is still work to be done. We are experiencing one of the most tumultuous times in recent history for the LGBTQI+ community and those who support them, with a constant threat to the well-being and health of LGBTQI+ people through a barrage of anti-LGBTQI+, and predominantly anti-trans, laws going into effect across the country. This Pride Month, we call on providers to be visible allies to LGBTQI+ people by adding statements of support to your websites, adding pronouns to the names of staff in your directories, putting LGBTQI+ symbols and messaging in places your clients will see them, attending trainings on the population, and working to make your practices as affirming and appropriate as possible. To aid in this call to action, we want to highlight important tools from the National SOGIE Center and the Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity that can help providers show up as affirming supporters and allies. Read the full article by clicking on the 'View Resource' button above.

Topics focused on Google Analytics 4 and other website updates

A complete guide to the new Google Analytics platform utilized as dashboards for the TTC Websites.

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 74: MI and Servant Leadership, with Jemima Neddy Organ In this episode, Jemima Neddy Organ, a community educator who has worked as an instructor and training consultant in Kenya and the Middle East, joined Glenn and Sebastian to talked about MI in the context of leadership. They discussed what servant leadership is, the distinction between servant and transformational leadership, the core skills of MI (i.e., OARS) and servant leadership, and transitions. Find other episodes here.

The ATTC Network Workforce Development Coordination Workgroup was formed to increase the perspective and understanding of the current challenges facing recruitment and retention for behavioral health jobs and how the ATTC Network could assist in addressing these challenges and opportunities. These three one-pagers were developed to focus on three particular areas of the many affecting this employee shortage: Portability of Licenses and Certifications, Recruitment of New Employees to the Field, and Competitive Pay. Each one-pager states the issue, provides recommendations, gives examples of what is already happening in that area, and contains possible action steps to adopt to further address the issue.  

This is the recording and a pdf file of the slides used for the March 27, 2024 webinar

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.

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.

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)

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, “State-level homelessness and drug overdose mortality: Evidence from US panel data” by Cano and Oh. A summary of the discussion is available for download. Article link: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376871623011481?ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-2&rr=85fb4e876ef442b5 Please find the meeting summary here: ATTC ReadingGroup 03212024 Summary

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, “Hospitalizations for Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorders in Older Adults: Trends, Comorbidities, and Differences by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity,” by Acevedo and colleagues. A summary of the discussion is available for download. Article link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/11782218221116733 Please find the the meeting summary here: ATTC ReadingGroup 02222024 Summary

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!  

The Institute of Medicine describes person-centered care as the qualities of compassion, respect and responsiveness to the needs, values, and expressed desires of each individual patient. But how do we ensure that we as providers are working from ‘where the client is at’ instead of from our own agenda? Effective engagement strategies grounded in eliciting information, positive regard and empathetic understanding will be discussed. Further, the content will inform and highlight Cultural Humility key components as a means to person-centered care to enhance the opportunities that build trust and rapport. When people who seek services are heard and included in their treatment care, they are more likely to commit to their own recovery and wellness process.    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.

Xylazine (or “tranq”) is a non-opioid sedative and tranquilizer only approved for use in veterinary medicine. However, over the past several years, human consumption of xylazine has begun rapidly increasing. Although initially only identified in illicit drug supplies in limited areas, xylazine has been found in 48 states as of April 2023. Xylazine is frequently, though not exclusively, used in conjunction with opioids, particularly fentanyl—due to xylazine’s ability to prolong their effects. Xylazine use presents many potential dangers to people, including an increased risk of overdose and the development of necrotizing tissue damage. This factsheet details key concerns, overdose responses, harm reduction techniques, and more.   To download the factsheet in English, please click the  "Understanding Xylazine" button on the right side of the page.   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, please click the "Comprender la xilacina" 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).

A brief explainer on what Technology Transfer is.

In this webinar, Natania Crane, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Director of the UIC Recovery Clinic, provides current information on research and treatment related to cannabis use and mental health, including recent changes in cannabis use, how the endocannabinoid system may regulate mental health symptoms, and what we currently know about cannabis use and mental health. Sponsored by the Northwest and Pacific Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Centers (ATTCs) and the Western States Node of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network. View slides | Watch recording