Northeast & Caribbean PTTC

Description The ability to have a conversation about sensitive issues such as grief and loss, trauma or suicide, is a critical part of providing quality care. Further, these situations can also increase provider anxiety who may feel uncomfortable or ill-equipped to address them. While talking about these challenges may not be easy, a provider that uses a person-centered and empathetic approach can be effective in supporting individuals who are struggling with feelings of isolation and desperation. This interactive webinar will review how distress can manifest within different psychosocial dimensions, communication skills to confidently bring up and hold a strength-based conversation using unique strengths to empower and support, and provider competencies to integrate in practice. Credits This training meets the requirements 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 are granted reciprocal approval by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee. Many other states offer reciprocity - please check with your accrediting agency.   Trainer Diana Padilla, MCPC, CTSS, CARC has worked in the behavioral health field for more than 25 years. Using a culturally informed and inclusive recovery-oriented perspective, Ms. Padilla instructs on how to enhance strategies and interventions to best meet the substance use and related needs of communities of color, LGBTQ+ people, and other traditionally underserved populations. She is also an SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment) Technical Assistance and Implementation Specialist, helping agencies to build their capacity to effectively intervene with communities at risk of substance use and mental health related conditions and behaviors.

In 2023, the advisory “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation - The US Surgeon General’s Advisory on Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community,” shined a light on social disconnection as a public health crisis. Many people around the country experience feelings of isolation, invisibility, and insignificance—the definition of loneliness—and research has confirmed its prevalence and detriment to health, stating that “lacking social connection can increase the risk for premature death as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.” Bring your coffee or tea as we connect with each other and familiarize ourselves with the Advisory’s findings, explore how other countries have developed systemic solutions to address isolation, and discuss how to increase social connectedness in our own communities.   Learning Objectives: After the session, participants will be able to: 1) Articulate trends in social connection in the U.S. 2) Describe the potential impact of loneliness on future substance use 3) Discuss different cultural perspectives around loneliness 4) List evidence-driven prevention strategies to address loneliness 5) Identify at least one action step they can take to address loneliness in their own    community. Presenter bios: Tracy Desovich -MPH, CPS – Tracy is a training and technical assistance specialist with over 30 years of experience in substance misuse prevention and public health. Her expertise includes community health assessment, planning, organizing and evaluation, leadership development, utilizing data to mobilize change, social norms marketing and healthy communities’ principles. Teresa Gomez – MA, MS is a Training & Technical Assistance specialist with EDC. For more than a decade, Teresa managed public & private global health efforts for European organizations. Her areas of focus include substance misuse prevention, behavioral health, social interventions for young people, and meeting the needs of underserved women.

Description This interactive webinar will review Harm Reduction as both a concept and how it translates in strategies that can apply in a variety of situations with people actively using substances. Participants will review and practice using basic communication skills of Motivational Interviewing for a person-centered approach to "meet people where they are at," and incite motivation to change. Credits This training meets the requirements 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 are granted reciprocal approval by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee. Many other states offer reciprocity - please check with your accrediting agency. Trainer Diana Padilla, MCPC, CTSS, CARC has worked in the behavioral health field for more than 25 years. Using a culturally informed and inclusive recovery-oriented perspective, Ms. Padilla instructs on how to enhance strategies and interventions to best meet the substance use and related needs of communities of color, LGBTQ+ people, and other traditionally underserved populations. She is also an SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment) Technical Assistance and Implementation Specialist, helping agencies to build their capacity to effectively intervene with communities at risk of substance use and mental health related conditions and behaviors.

Description: This two-hour training explores Harm Reduction strategies, or interventions aimed at reducing negative consequences related to substance use or other risk behaviors. Session reviews misunderstandings and barriers to helping people who actively use substances and informs on the 8 principles of harm reduction and how they apply in behavioral health." Presenter: Diana Padilla, MCPC, CARC, CASAC-T, is a Research Project Manager at New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center. She is a senior staff trainer for the Northeast & Caribbean Addiction Transfer Technology Center Network (NeC-ATTC), and a member of the ASAP-NYCB Trainer Registry. As a cultural agent, Ms. Padilla promotes an equity lens in trainings for engaging diverse communities in need, aligning with evidence and strength-based strategies within behavioral health, addiction, prevention, and recovery supports fields and professional capacities.

Webinar Description: As prevention professionals, facilitation in both virtual and face-to-face spaces is an integral part of our work. The ability to convene partners -- whether in meetings, trainings or events – and lead them through collaborative decision-making and other processes is essential to the success of community-based change efforts. This session looked at the art and science of facilitation, the skills needed for successful facilitation and discussed real-world tips and techniques for consensus-building with groups and managing group dynamics. Session Learning Objectives included: Describing the facilitation skills prevention practitioners need Identifying techniques for managing group processes and dynamics Identifying strategies for handling challenging situations as a facilitation   Presenter Info: Sandra Puerini Del Sesto, M.Ed, ACPS is a consultant and master trainer in behavioral health and strategic planning for states and non-profits. For over thirty-five years, Ms. Del Sesto has provided training throughout the United States in all areas of prevention practice.   Jess Goldberg, MSW, MPH, CPS, is a Training and Technical Assistance Specialist with Education Development Center. She specializes in building capacity to improve behavioral health at the national, state, regional and local levels.

Webinar Description Tailored for early career practitioners looking to elevate their prevention practice, this session explored the foundational prevention competencies that every prevention professional should build toward, where to find professional development opportunities to support growing those capacities, and best practices for planning your personal approach to professional development. Appropriate for individuals intending to pursue prevention certification, are seeking career advancement or simply want to improve their skills and abilities. Our presenters shared practical insights and valuable resources to support the professional development journey. Session Learning Objectives included: Defining key foundational competencies important for early prevention practitioners to develop Listing sources (e.g., organizations, websites) providing professional development opportunities for prevention professionals Describing the process for developing a personal approach to professional development   Presenter Information Sandra Puerini Del Sesto, M.Ed, ACPS is a consultant and master trainer in behavioral health and strategic planning for states and non profits. For over thirty five years, Ms. Del Sesto has provided training throughout the United States in all areas of prevention practice. She is a member of the advisory boards of the New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC), the National Latino PTTC and the New England School of Addiction Studies. Sandra serves as the RI delegate to the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC). Jessica Goldberg is a Training and Technical Assistance Specialist with Education Development Center. For over a decade, Jess has specialized in building capacity to improve behavioral health at the national, state, regional and local levels. Her areas of expertise include preventing youth substance use; promoting cross sector collaborations; addressing health disparities; strategic planning, logic model development, and sustainability planning. Jess is a Certified Prevention Specialist and holds an MSW and an MPH from Boston University.   Additional Documents PowerPoint Flyer Personal Professional Development Action Plan Starter