Like many other chronic medical conditions, substance use disorders (SUDs) are both treatable and preventable. With the award of new funding from SAMHSA, the Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) will advance SUD prevention efforts by providing training and technical assistance to prevention professionals working across the country.

The PTTC includes one coordinating office and 10 regional and two focus area centers that will deliver training and technical assistance tailored to local needs. A primary goal of the PTTC Network is to help prevention organizations implement effective practices that improve outcomes. 

Community partnerships will play an important role:  the PTTC Network will help community health centers and primary care organizations increase use of evidence-based practices for SUD screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment. The PTTC Network will also work with schools to expand prevention programming in health education, link students to community programs, and increase parent engagement. 

To address the crucial area of preventing opioid overdose, the PTTC Network will promote the use of naloxone, the life-saving medication used to reverse the effects of opioid overdose. Training on how to administer the antidote will be made widely available to first responders, prescribers, patients, employers, and family members.