Past Events

Cultural Competence is a life-long process requiring personal awareness, education, sharing of power and intentional actions to extend social justice and equity to all. This interactive training invites learners to reflect on their cultural identities, history, and experiences, and to actively consider how each of these elements can impact outcomes with clients. Participants will engage in individual, small and large group activities focused on Anti-Oppression and Anti-Racist outcomes. 

Description: The Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) is an evidence-based practice that teaches family and friends or concerned significant others (CSOs) how to help their loved one to change, and them feel better about themselves. Clinicians can support and help CSOs relearn how to practice self-care, enjoy pleasurable activities again, problem solve, and set goals when dealing or living with a family member who has a substance use disorder. CRAFT works to affect the loved one’s behavior by changing the way the family interacts with them. Using the CRAFT practice, practitioners can help families learn how to move loved ones using substances toward treatment, reduce the loved one’s alcohol and substance use, whether the loved one has engaged in treatment or not, and improve the lives of the concerned family and friends.

The New England ATTC in partnership with the Vermont Judiciary is hosting two trainings from May 17-18, 2021 from 9:00-12:00 EST with subject matter expert Brenda Westberry, MS. The training, "Risk Need and Responsivity - Development and Delivery of Offender Treatment with Motivational Interviewing Skills" delivered on May 17th and 18th will discuss the risk, need, and responsivity principles that guide assessment and rehabilitation of justice involved offenders. Participants will also explore motivational interviewing techniques that support reflective listening, increase offender self-efficacy, and assess motivation for behavioral change. [This event is private and by invitation only]

Mindfulness/ Self care & Living Beyond COVID May 14, 2021 11:00am- 2:00pm CT This event was developed in response to a need identified in Region 6 by the UTRGV School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling a partner with the SSW ATTC. It is session four of the Issues in Counseling Series for 2020- 2021.  1. Using Mindfulness for the Self Care and Wellbeing of Counselors, Presented by: Dr. Andrea Almaguer 2. Beyond the COVID Era: Reintegration to Normal Living, Presented by: Dr. Kim Nguyen-Finn, Dr. Eva Miller & Dr. MaryAnn Rocha Attendees can earn 3 hours of continuing education units (CEUs) for LPC, LCDC, and CRC licensure. The fee is $50. The session will be held virtually via Zoom.  For more information, please contact Teresa Guerra at [email protected] For accommodations, please contact [email protected] by May 10, 2021

The New England ATTC serves as a lead partner on the Substance Exposed Newborn Taskforce at the Rhode Island Department of Health. The Taskforce, will offer a weekly Pregnancy & Parenting Peer Recovery Specialist Training Series from May 7 – June 25, 2021 in partnership with the Parent Support Network of RI. This series is designed for peer recovery support specialists to develop tailored skills for working with individuals who are pregnant and/or parenting.   [Registration is now closed and this is a private event]

DESCRIPTION This conference will focus on the integration efforts that support a collaborative healthcare approach. Current medical updates in services for STIs, HIV, TB, hepatitis, family planning and addictions will be discussed. After completing this conference, the learner should be able to: State current practice in the care and treatment of STDs, HIV, opioid addictions and mental health Explain how to screen clients for substance abuse issues Identify Population at risk for HIV/STIs/Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Demonstrate effective team skills by sharing information effectively, listening and responding to feedback from others, and using simple communication. Important Note: You must register and attend both days in order to be eligible to receive credit as well as complete the required evaluations. AGENDA - DAY 1 Intro to FTCC Jeanne Hoover, STD/HIV PTC at Johns Hopkins University STI Treatment and Guidelines Update Khalil Ghanem, MD, Phd Drug Use and Abuse Renata Henry, M.Ed., The Danya Institute, Central East ATTC New Contraceptive Methods Mike Policar, MD, MPH This event is the first of two trainings. Visit the What's New DC webpage. INTENDED AUDIENCE This course has been designed for physicians, physician assistants, clinicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, counselors, social workers, educators, case managers, and intervention specialists working in addictions, STI/HIV, SUD and mental health agencies, and other programs. ACCREDITATION Please email [email protected] with any questions. Register for Day 2, May 21, 2021 This training is a collaboration between Mid-Atlantic Education and Training Center, STD/HIV Prevention Training Center at Johns Hopkins, Central East ATTC, DC Area Health and Education Centers-Georgetown University, and National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association.

Session Three Contingency Management with Serious Mental Illness; HHS Region 8 May 13, 2021 12:00pm - 1:00pm MST | 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST Contingency management is an evidence-based treatment approach focused on the principles of behavior management and cognitive-behavioral therapy that provides incentives for meeting treatment goals. This session will describe how contingency management can be utilized when working with individuals with serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders to improve treatment outcomes. Trainer: Michael McDonnell, PhD

ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a movement to de-monopolize knowledge and amplify capacity to provide best practice care.   The Peer Support ECHO (PS ECHO) is an online community for peer recovery specialists and mental health peers. The Great Lakes ATTC is partnering with Wayside Recovery to offer this training series for peer recovery support providers (SUD and mental health) in HHS Region 5 (IN, IL OH, MI, MN, WI). The sessions will take place on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month, and there will be new presenters and topics featured in each session!   LEARNING OBJECTIVES:     Identify community and statewide resources     Apply new skills and tools to the peer recovery support profession     Expand understanding of best practices, core competencies, and ethical standards for peer recovery support professionals   TRAINING SCHEDULE 2021 January 14th (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) January 28th (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) February 11th (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) February 25th (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) March 11th (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) March 25th (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) April 8th (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) April 22nd (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) May 13th (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) May 27th  (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) June 10th  (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) June 24th (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) July 8th (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) July 22nd (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) August 12th (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) August 26th (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) September 9th  (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) September 23rd (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) October 14th (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) October 28th (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) November 11th (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) November 25th (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern) December 9th  12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern)    

The New England ATTC, in partnership with AdCare Educational Institute of New England and the New England PTTC, is hosting the 5th cohort of its popular intensive technical assistance initiative: the Leadership Development Program (LDP). The new cohort began April 28, 2021 for addiction professionals in Region 1 and will continue through June 18,2021. For this cohort, the New England ATTC has introduced interviews to the application process as a new innovation intended to fill in any gaps from the written application, including verification of program commitment and supervisory experience. Another key innovation is the integration of Google Classroom as a key participant resource. The LDP focuses on key leadership skills using a range of learning methods designed to increase participant effectiveness. This program includes the use of a highly diverse, intact learning community that includes participants from across the prevention, intervention, and recovery support service continuum. Developing effective leaders is of particular importance as the profession faces the COVID-19 pandemic, the overdose crisis, a changing behavioral healthcare landscape, and the impending retirement of many "baby boom" generation leaders.   [This is a private event]

This session will be a guided discussion for TOR Grantees to share your expertise, unique tribal and community practices, and offer peer-to-peer support for your TOR program. In 2021, we will be holding this session on the second Wednesday of each month for an hour and a half: 4 - 5:30 EST . 3-4:30 CST . 2-3:30 MST . 1-2:30 PST . 12-1:30 AKST

New England ATTC team members Raymond Sanchez and Mika Salas delivered their training, "Transitioning to Effective Online Training: Engagement Strategies and Application" for the Summer School of Addiction and Prevention Studies Faculty on May 12, 2021.  This interactive training explores techniques and best practices to manage and engage participants in their virtual training session using both internal and external resources, as well as practice how to implement these changes into their current curriculum. This training will dive deep into implementation strategies for translating their previously in-person curriculum to a virtual platform.   This 3-part training is designed to help trainers use Zoom effectively to engage participants in virtual learning. It may be especially useful to ensure that trainings and technical assistance activities are accessible for individuals living in rural and underserved communities.

This presentation is focused on specific considerations in the treatment of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in people with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)   Learning Objectives: Understand the role of assessments in treating those with SUD and TBI Describe the implications of specific cognitive challenges Examine the executive dysfunction and the process of applying standard SUD treatment to people with executive function difficulty   Presenter Information Dr. Sparadeo began his career as the Director of the Mayor’s Task Force on Substance Abuse in the City of Providence, R.I. and he was also the Director of Substance Abuse Services for the Providence Mental Health Center at that same time.  After creating a system of clinical services for the City of Providence he was appointed as CEO of Talbot House.  Talbot House was the largest residential substance abuse treatment facility in New England.  Dr. Sparadeo then completed his doctoral studies with a residency at the Boston V.A. Medical Center followed by a 2-year fellowship at Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital (RIH).  The focus of his clinical training was neuropsychology and chronic pain.  He completed his fellowship and was appointed to the Brown University School of Medicine faculty and the Rhode Island Hospital medical staff in the position of Director of Rehabilitation Psychology.  Dr. Sparadeo trained numerous interns and fellows at Brown University.  As Director of Rehabilitation Psychology, Dr. Sparadeo created the first comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation program for survivors of traumatic brain injury.  After 8 years in his position at RIH Dr. Sparadeo was appointed National Director of Substance Abuse and TBI rehabilitation services at New Medico Health Systems in Boston, Massachusetts.  He created inpatient substance abuse treatment programs in 8 rehabilitation facilities throughout the U.S.  He returned to RIH and Brown University to become the director of the Concussion Care Center in the Emergency Department at RIH.  He was also the chief clinical consultant to the Trauma Center and Stepdown Unit, and he was the co-director of the Interdisciplinary Spine Center in the Neurosurgery Department at RIH for 5 years before opening a private practice specializing in the neuropsychological assessment, pain assessment and pain management.  He developed a specialized substance abuse treatment program for people with both TBI and substance abuse.  Eventually, he developed a specialized treatment program for people with chronic pain and opiate addiction.  Over the many years of his career Dr. Sparadeo has been a consultant to many agencies and healthcare programs throughout the U.S.  He has also served on numerous boards of directors.  He was the founder and president of the Brain Injury Association of Rhode Island.  He was also the Chairman of the Governor’s Permanent Advisory Commission on TBI.  He was also a member of the national committee on substance abuse and disability at SAMHSA in Washington, D.C.  Most recently, Dr. Sparadeo has been a consultant and chief trainer on a federally funded grant at the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission.  Dr. Sparadeo’s career has also included the publication of many scientific papers and book chapters, and he has been on the faculty of Salve Regina University graduate program in Rehabilitation Counseling where he teaches the Neuroscience of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness, Psychopharmacology for Counselors and the Neuroscience of Opioid Abuse. This training is a collaboration between Mid-America ATTC, Mountain Plains ATTC, and NASHIA. 

This series of sessions features traditional Native American storytelling, along with time for discussion on what can be learned from the stories, as well as the ways these stories can be incorporated by Native American providers into their work with patients. Please note that while we encourage non-Native providers to attend these sessions to increase your cultural understanding and sensitivity, we ask that out of respect for cultural traditions, you do not use these stories as your own if they are not a part of your culture. Native storytelling is an long honored way of teaching lessons of life. We, as Native people, need to laugh while learning. For example, laughing at how Coyote makes funny mistakes. This can teach people how to avoid behaving as Coyote does. Further, Native legends can offer stories about Creation or the Trickster. However, some stories can only be told during certain times of the year. For example, Coyote legends are only told during the winter time because that is often when Native people would be in their lodges practicing survival skills to help the tribe thrive in difficult times. Traditionally, the storyteller needed to be an excellent psychologist and able to understand peoples’ perspectives. A story might be used in treatment to help a patient come to a realization in a culturally informed way.

This virtual dialogue was sponsored by the Southeast ATTC Regional Center and focused on ethical dilemmas of telehealth technology and strategies to mitigate them in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina.       Experts in the field will share the latest knowledge and answer questions from our community. As professionals and practitioners move beyond webinars and training to more Intensive Technical Assistance (TA) needs, Ask the Expert becomes an infinite space to ask questions and increase your knowledge on some of the most popular and buzzing topics in behavioral health and SUD fields.     To increase the knowledge capacity surrounding SUDs/OUDs To increase the awareness of emerging SUD hot topics and provide expert-level knowledge on myths surrounding many of them.  

The ever increasing diversity of the US population along with noted decades of health disparities require that providers become as adept as possible in providing quality services to multicultural communities. This interactive training will review the National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards as a road map of benchmarks and actionable items that help programs to assess potential obstacles in delivering culturally responsive care within agency-level (services and behavioral health systems) and systems-level (client and provider) interactions. The content will further offer capacity building strategies using the National CLAS Standards and deliver high quality behavioral health care, essentially building equity and inclusion in services for persons of color and other marginalized communities.  

Event Description: Please join ASU School of Social Work for Trauma Informed Care & ACEs. This course is an integrative organizational approach to engaging individuals with histories of traumatic experiences. According to the SAMHSA Gains Center, whose mission is to “educate criminal justice professionals about the impact of trauma and how to develop trauma-informed responses,” the following definition of trauma-informed care is provided within the framework of the criminal justice and behavioral health system. We will also address Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and end on Compassion Fatigue & Self-Care for those working with this population. Please note that this training occurs online, via the ZOOM Platform. The link will be provided the morning of the training via email. Please log in at least 15-20 minutes in advance of the event start time so you can get situated, and troubleshoot if needed. In-person attendance is limited to ten people. Remain vigilant against the virus by continuing to follow all public health protocols, including wearing a face covering and practicing physical distancing. ASU continues to offer fast, easy and free COVID-19 testing to all students, employees and the general public. Visit our testing webpage to make an appointment, or visit https://eoss.asu.edu/health/announcements/coronavirus/management for additional information on ASU's Coronavirus management policies and protocols. For in-person attendees, paid parking close to our ASU offices on the 1st floor of the Westward Ho is available at the corner of Fillmore and Central, at street meters, and other parking lots downtown. We are unable to provide or validate parking for this event. Attendees must attend both webinars and will earn 3 hours of CEs. We will be providing the following continuing education: NAADAC, NASW, APA & NBCC. Registration: $59 per person. Student Registration: Enrolled students may receive a discount. Please email [email protected] for questions. Registration Link:  https://na.eventscloud.com/ehome/601026

Description: Ready or not, we are now living with online service delivery. Supervisors and the supervision they provide are especially critical at this time. This practical and interactive learning-community conversation provides guidance for preparing and maximizing the impact of online supervision. All supervisors are welcome. This conversation assumes prior supervisory training and/or experience. Dates: May 11th and 18th Hours: 9:00am-12:00pm Credits: This training meets the requirements for six renewal hours (CASAC, CPP, CPS) and six initial hours (CPP, CPS) through New York State’s Office of Addiction Services and Supports (NYS OASAS). Participants must attend both sessions in their entirety to receive a certificate of completion. All participants are required to turn on their video cameras and to actively participate in order to receive credit.

The New England ATTC, in partnership with AdCare Educational Institute of New England and the New England PTTC, is hosting the 5th cohort of its popular intensive technical assistance initiative: the Leadership Development Program (LDP). The new cohort began April 28, 2021 for addiction professionals in Region 1 and will continue through June 18,2021. For this cohort, the New England ATTC has introduced interviews to the application process as a new innovation intended to fill in any gaps from the written application, including verification of program commitment and supervisory experience. Another key innovation is the integration of Google Classroom as a key participant resource. The LDP focuses on key leadership skills using a range of learning methods designed to increase participant effectiveness. This program includes the use of a highly diverse, intact learning community that includes participants from across the prevention, intervention, and recovery support service continuum. Developing effective leaders is of particular importance as the profession faces the COVID-19 pandemic, the overdose crisis, a changing behavioral healthcare landscape, and the impending retirement of many "baby boom" generation leaders.   [This is a private event]

New England ATTC team members Raymond Sanchez and Mika Salas delivered their training, "Transitioning to Effective Online Training: Advanced Zoom Functions and Best Practices" for the Summer School of Addiction and Prevention Studies Faculty on May 10, 2021.  This training introduces participants to advanced Zoom function to build the specialized skills necessary to host and facilitate an engaging and secure virtual training. Moreover, this training explains how training objectives can be used to inform key decision about modes of engagement, use of a training partner and/or technical support, and tailoring of curriculum to match participant needs.   This 3-part training is designed to help trainers use Zoom effectively to engage participants in virtual learning. It may be especially useful to ensure that trainings and technical assistance activities are accessible for individuals living in rural and underserved communities.

Please join us for our virtual talking circle, held on the second Monday of the month. This group will be facilitated by a Native guest and will focus on concerns about yourself, your family, your work, and/or your tribal community that you may be experiencing during these uncertain times. There is no fee or expectation to participate in this event. This is a respectful meeting space. Come share your concerns, offer support, and respect the group’s privacy. Please note your time zone: 1:30-3 ET . 12:30-2 CT . 11:30-1 MT . 10:30-12 PT . 9:30-11 . AKT

The New England ATTC will convene a Regional Advisory Board Meeting to share highlights over the reporting period and identify emergent areas of needs. Priority topics will include the overdose epidemic, health equity, and serving Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous populations. 

The New England ATTC serves as a lead partner on the Substance Exposed Newborn Taskforce at the Rhode Island Department of Health. The Taskforce, will offer a weekly Pregnancy & Parenting Peer Recovery Specialist Training Series from May 7 – June 25, 2021 in partnership with the Parent Support Network of RI. This series is designed for peer recovery support specialists to develop tailored skills for working with individuals who are pregnant and/or parenting.   [Registration is now closed and this is a private event]

Too often the implementation of evidence-based practices and quality improvement efforts start strong, but are not sustained. And too often this is because teams do not receive the support that they need to succeed. Quiet Coaching is designed to support coaches in the building of successful teams by combining a range of process tools and relationship building strategies that build trust, and get results. [This event  is private and by invitation only]

DESCRIPTION: The goal of this project is to provide a standardized set of trainings and supervisory supports to service providing organizations that will: 1. improve outcomes for patients who have co-occurring disorders, 2. Improve organizational outcomes, staff morale, and organizational efficiencies. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Describe the purpose of the CCISC model Define the key elements of the CCISC Model that allows programs of every level to respond to the needs, desires, and interests of all persons served (and their families) Understand the importance of implementing CCISC as an ongoing quality improvement process  and addressing the needs of individuals with co-occurring disorders WHO SHOULD ATTEND: All persons who interact with patients, which may include intake staff, reception area personnel, drivers, maintenance staff, as well as professional staff. PRESENTERS: Anthony Estreet, PhD, LCSW-C, LCADC, Executive Director, Next Step Treatment Center. Anthony is an experienced client-centered therapist coupled with strengths in developing and delivering effective training.