Recent News

By: Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC As it pertains to substance use, in recent decades the U.S. government, media, law enforcement, substance use disorders (SUDs) treatment community, and the general public have primarily focused on impacts of cocaine, methamphetamines, prescription drug misuse, and opioid use disorder. Discussions of alcohol use disorders have gone the way of […]

  First Lady Betty Ford's 1978 public statement about her alcohol use disorder played a major role in destigmatizing substance use disorders. Residential treatment facilities expanded exponentially to treat substance use disorders. The next several decades after the First Lady's public testimony, the nation experienced a crack and heroin crisis in metropolitan communities and a […]

In the October 2022–September 2023 grant year, the Opioid Response Network (ORN) expanded existing community collaboration efforts to convene regional summits in each of the 10 HHS regions. Altogether, ORN convened 38 summits with a total of 1,623 participants. Great Lakes HHS Region 5 hosted four of these summits. The first summit was held in […]

By: Kisha Freed and Mark Sanders  Ella Fitzgerald’s 1938 blues song, “When I Get Low, I Get High,” eloquently summarizes the medicinal role alcohol and other drugs have played for African Americans experiencing oppression, isolation, and depression (Sanders, Sanders and White, 2006). The first article of this three-part series discusses the cultural importance of spirituality […]

Press release: November 16, 2023 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced notices of funding opportunities this week for grant programs that address behavioral health challenges in local communities by preventing substance use initiation, reducing the progression of substance use, and addressing […]

The HEALing Communities Initiative, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative® launched the Opioid-Overdose Reduction Continuum of Care Approach (ORCCA): A Policymakers Guide to Implementing Evidence-Based Strategies that Address Opioid Overdose to aid policymakers, communities and key stakeholders in developing comprehensive, multi-system strategies that address […]

November is National Homelessness Awareness Month. SAMHSA is committed to addressing the needs of individuals, including youth, and families with substance use disorders or mental health issues who are experiencing homelessness. We invite you share programs and resources to spotlight this important cause and increase continued efforts to aid those in need. #HomelessnessAwarenessMonth

Join us in honoring National Native American Heritage Month this November by sharing products and trainings offered by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, PTTC, our national centers, and SAMHSA.     Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC Breaking Intergenerational Patterns of Addiction, Trauma, and Dark Secrets Cultural Factors in Substance Use: A Native Holistic Perspective Desk […]

This October, the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC are honoring Domestic Violence Awareness Month by sharing culturally responsive and trauma-informed training and resources that support individuals and families experiencing domestic violence (DV), intimate partner violence (IPV), and substance use disorder (SUD). Research shows there is an association between DV/IPV and SUD, and these co-occurring factors make it challenging […]

Press release: September 12, 2023   SAMHSA, in collaboration with RTI International, has released two important resources intended to aid community practitioners in the ongoing work to end the overdose crisis. “Engaging Community Coalitions to Decrease Opioid Overdose Deaths” and "Opioid-Overdose Reduction Continuum of Care Approach (ORCCA)” are available for free online. These products will […]

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, […]

By: Laura Saunders, MSSW Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based, cost-saving substance use prevention service, as well as an important public health intervention method. Approximately 26% of adults in the U.S. report heavy substance use in the past year, and the unhealthy use of alcohol is the fourth-leading preventable cause […]

By; Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC As I participated in the 3rd Annual Walk for Recovery hosted by Southern Illinois Recovery Network in honor of National Recovery Month 2023, I reflected on how far this region has come in tackling the challenge of substance use disorders (SUD). Approximately 15 years ago, this rural region that comprises […]

Twelve Steps Programs, Spiritually-Modified CBT, and Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy By: Kisha Freed, Success Coach, Six Seconds Certified EI Practitioner/Assessor, Mindfulness Meditation Instructor        Mark Sanders, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Substance Use Disorders Counselor.   The first article of this series establishes the contextual framework that we build upon in this discussion—especially regarding […]

Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC State Program Manager, Illinois Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC   An African proverb says, “Teeth are just bones!” It’s often said it can take up to 17 years for a practice to move from research to clinical practice, and many innovations never reach wide dissemination and implementation. Thirty years ago, SAMSHA […]

  Providence, RI – July 7, 2023 – The Opioid Response Network (ORN), a coalition of national organizations led by the Rhode Island-based American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry and funded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), hosted 150 public health leaders for a summit in Providence, RI from May 16–18, 2023. […]

Integrating hepatitis C (HCV) services into opioid treatment settings can improve access to testing, diagnosis, treatment, and support for individuals with HCV, particularly those with a history of substance use. Your Guide to Integrating HCV Services into Opioid Treatment Programs, published by the ATTC Network Coordinating Office in 2020, outlines how this approach has the […]

The Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC invite you to join us in congratulating our colleague, Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC, for being named the recipient of the Illinois Certification Board's 2023 Jessica Hayes Lifetime Achievement Award and the Faces & Voices of Recovery 2023 Innovations in Recovery Award.    In April, The Illinois Certification Board, Inc. honored Mark Sanders with […]

Pride Month celebrates the countless contributions of the LGBTQ+ population in all areas of our culture. Join the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC and our partners across the Network in recognizing Pride Month with the following resources focused on the behavioral health needs of the LGBTQ+ population.      Network Resources Online Learning: HealtheKnowledge Providing […]

This post, the first in a three-part series, shares perspectives from Kisha Freed, a Success Coach, Six Seconds Certified EI Practitioner/Assessor, and mindfulness meditation teacher, and Mark Sanders, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Substance Use Disorders Counselor.   Over the years, counseling has addressed mind and body. There has been some apprehension about the […]

This May, we celebrate the important contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and invite you to join us in commemoration by supporting culturally responsive care and following evidence-based practices to increase health equity. Learn more about these topics by accessing and sharing related content provided by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC: Webinar […]

SAMHSA is alerting providers and grantees to the risks associated with xylazine, a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer not approved for human use. Xylazine is increasingly found in combination with opioids such as fentanyl. This alert by Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, Dr. Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, warns that  "As xylazine is not an opioid, […]

April was first designated as Alcohol Awareness Month in 1987 to increase public awareness about the prevention and treatment of excessive alcohol use–which continues to kill more than 140,000 Americans every year.   In addition, alcohol misuse increased dramatically during the pandemic, often co-occurring with opioid use disorder. Between 2019 and 2020, opioid overdose deaths […]

  In part 1 and part 2 of the Power of Music series, we shared our observations and experiences of how music affects the emotions and behaviors of clients with substance use disorders and adolescents who might be at risk of substance use. We discussed how music can trigger substance use, yet, when used consciously […]