Products and Resources Catalog

A toolkit for behavioral health prevention and treatment providers, recovery community organizations, and individuals in recovery with practical information and tools to enhance their capacity to engage in effective stigma reduction efforts.

Fentanyl is a powerful opioid analgesic – up to 100 times more potent than morphine. Although it may be legally prescribed to manage extreme pain, illicit use has increased dramatically since 2014. This product summarizes the scope and impact of fentanyl in the Central East region. It also provides recommendations for prevention and addiction professionals to help address the use and consequences of fentanyl, along with links to other resources to learn more.

Watch the 8-Part Companion Video Series - Available Now on Campus Drug Prevention The Guide to the Eight Professional Competencies for Higher Education Substance Misuse Prevention (Professional Competencies Guide) was designed to promote enhanced professional skills and ultimately significantly impact college students' decisions surrounding drugs and alcohol. This work was developed through the Mid-America PTTC, in partnership with David S. Anderson, PH.D. and a planning body of subject matter experts in the field of substance use prevention on college campuses. The Guide provides a broad understanding of the range of skills necessary for orchestrating comprehensive campus prevention efforts. The resulting compilation organizes competencies within eight core areas; further, it provides specific resources helpful for each of these areas and for overall professional development. As a whole, this Professional Competencies Guide provides a current framework that helps campus leaders and dedicated professionals move things forward, to work more efficiently, and to be more effective. Prevention Science Drugs and Alcohol Strategic Planning Needs Assessment, Evaluation and Research Program Management Policy and Environmental Strategies Leadership Communication and Advocacy The aim with this Professional Competencies Guide is to increase efficiencies and effectiveness with substance misuse prevention. Through the continued growth and learning embodied by these competencies, our campuses become better equipped to promote healthy living and learning environments. The Mid-America PTTC would like to thank Dr. Anderson and his team for their dedication to this initiative, which started from an idea that Dave Closson had during his tenure at Mid-America. Download the Professional Competencies Guide   View the web-series DEA Campus Drug Prevention  

Heather Harlan brings a wealth of information on a broad range of mental health and wellness topics. Currently, she is working with a County Department of Health. Her experience has also included, adult and adolescent drug and alcohol counseling and has been part of an initiative to support pediatric providers. Heather also serves as a volunteer family group facilitator for NAMI and interestingly in her "spare time" she is a professional storyteller. Heather says her performances are about connecting the audience. Ms. Harlan states, my highest hope is to connect the audience members with each other. The most satisfying level of experience occurs when the audience members can break down walls and interact with each other. Email: [email protected] Web: http://heatherharlan.com

Chris Davis is the Vice President of Prevention and Youth Support at Community Partnership of the Ozarks in Springfield, Mo.  Chris began his career as a counselor, but 23 years ago started his journey into substance use and violence prevention. Mr. Davis and his team provide services across a multi-county region of Southwest Missouri, and in some regards, he is the un-official historian of prevention across his state and is affectionately known as Mr. Logic Model due to his interest in perfecting the model and his passion for teaching that skill. Websites: https://nida.nih.gov/videos/teen-brain-development  www.cpozarks.org https://www.taneycountyadapt.com

The Intersection of Prevention and Recovery: Making the Connection September 7, 2022   Webinar Overview and Objectives There is frequent discussion in the field of behavioral health of the existence and problems associated with the siloing of services and its negative impact. This webinar will explore the many connections between prevention and recovery. Participants will explore opportunities for collaboration and mutual support and benefit. By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to: List common terms used in prevention and recovery Describe the intersection between prevention and recovery approaches Identify specific ways in which prevention and recovery practitioners can better support one another   Presenter: Sandra Puerini Del Sesto, M.Ed, CPSS, is a consultant and master trainer in behavioral health and strategic planning for non-profits and has worked in prevention for over 40 years. In addition, she was the founding director of the Institute for Addiction Recovery at Rhode Island College. Sandra is a member of the advisory boards of the New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC), the National Latino PTTC, the PTTC-NCO (National Coordinating Office) and the New England School of Addiction Studies. Sandra serves as the RI delegate to and the former Prevention Committee Co-Chair of the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC), which certifies professionals working in behavioral health. Sandra is a co-author of the SAMHSA's Substance Abuse Prevention Skills Training (SAPST) and its basic and advanced Ethics in Prevention courses as well as many other face-to-face and online courses in prevention.     Webinar Session Materials Recording for The Intersection of Prevention and Recovery: Making the Connection Slide Deck for The Intersection of Prevention and Recovery: Making the Connection (PDF)   Additional Resources  Words Matter- Terms to Use and Avoid When Talking About Addiction (PDF) Is it Time for Person-first Language in Addiction Treatment? William White and Alisha White (PDF) Recovery Capital (PDF)     Questions? Contact Britany Wiele ([email protected]) if you have additional questions about the content related to this webinar.

Supplemental Resources: Prevention Definitions and Strategies Working Cross Sector Social Entrepreneurship Assessment Tool   This training summarized ways to strengthen the consolidated work of prevention and recovery in communities. The training guided prevention professionals and coalition leaders through a model for making change and helping heal and protects the community from addiction. The process uses the Strategic Prevention Framework as the foundation to develop strategies for the community that prevents substance use and strengthen community recovery capital that directly affects young people. The approach uses an asset-based; evidence-informed process. Learning Objectives: Understand the opportunities and challenges associated with cross sector collaboration Gain understanding and tools to maximize collaboration with continuum partners (Prevention, Harm Reduction, Intervention, Treatment and Recovery – PHITR) Gain understanding and tools to measure collaboration success   About the Presenter: Carl Alves  President/CEO of Positive Action Against Chemical Addiction, Inc. (PAACA) in New Bedford, MA, where he directs a multi-service recovery support center, and citywide coalition whose mission is to improve the quality of life in New Bedford through substance abuse prevention and treatment strategies. He also provides technical assistance to a host of coalitions and faith-based communities statewide and nationally with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Technical Assistance Partnership for Prevention and SheRay’s & Associates, LLC. Carl is a veteran of substance use prevention, harm-reduction, treatment, and recovery. As director of a grassroots non-profit for 25+ years, he understands the challenges and importance of sustaining outcomes, relationships, and funding beyond the life of a grant. His workshops are engaging, interactive and informative with a focus on creating partnerships that strengthen mission. He is active on many boards and committees in the New Bedford area working in the substance abuse and human services fields. Carl joins SheRay’s & Associates, LLC being committed to strengthening access to substance abuse prevention services, expanding youth development opportunities and faith-based involvement throughout the country since 1992. 

Supplemental Resources: Presentation Slides   This webinar discussed the different strategies that can be implemented within neighborhood pharmacies, ways in which prevention providers can support their neighborhood pharmacies in implementing prevention efforts and ensuring that services are responsive to community members.  Learning Objectives: Describe strategies that can be implemented by neighborhood pharmacies to prevent opioid use harms. Build partnerships with community pharmacies.  Integrate opioid prevention strategies within neighborhood pharmacies through collaborative partnerships. Assess community members’ barriers and facilitators to accessing these services at their neighborhood pharmacies.    About the Presenters: Kathleen Egan, PhD, MS is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Education and Promotion at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. Dr. Egan completed a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Florida Substance Abuse Training Center in Public Health. She earned her PhD in Community Health Education from University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a MS in Clinical and Translational Population Science from Wake Forest School of Medicine. Dr. Egan's work involves the development and assessment of substance use prevention strategies that are implemented in community, medical, and academic settings. Her work is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and North Carolina Division of Health and Human Services. Tamera Hughes, PharmD, PhD is a postdoctoral research fellow at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.  Her work seeks to address healthcare disparities affecting systemically minoritized and marginalized communities in pharmacy practice. She is motivated by more than ten years of experience in various scholarly endeavors that began while serving as an undergraduate researcher in the Jackson Heart Study. This experience led Dr. Hughes to pursue a dual Pharm.D/Ph.D at Mercer University College of Pharmacy. As a postdoc at UNC, Dr. Hughes works on a CDC-funded grant that integrates pharmacists into a new collaborative care model to deprescribe opioids and benzodiazepines in older adults. Dr. Hughes is completing a 2-year fellowship in the Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity where she intends to establish her independence in pharmaceutical health services research by contributing new knowledge that improves health care access, delivery, utilization, and quality in the community pharmacy setting.

In today’s video, we would like to discuss harm reduction and its importance and break down some of the stigma often associated with this topic.     Español  La reducción de daño En el video de hoy, vamos a platicar sobre la reducción de daño y su importancia al igual que desbaratar el estigma que comúnmente acompaña a este tema     Português Redução de danos No vídeo de hoje, gostaríamos de discutir a redução de danos, sua importância e quebrar um pouco do estigma frequentemente associado a esse tópico.

  Prevention Meets Harm Reduction: How Community Collaborations Work Across the Continuum- Part One from PTTC Network on Vimeo. How can prevention coalitions work across the continuum of care to maximize impact and sustain systems-level changes that promote wellness for everyone? This virtual series will provide a framework for understanding harm reduction strategies by sharing the history and pillars of harm reduction as a social movement and examples of various types of harm reduction strategies. Participants will explore how the goals and values of prevention intersect with harm reduction and how we can work together through community collaborations to address overlapping goals. Finally, we will explore how the knowledge brought from those with lived experience can enhance our implementation strategies across the continuum of care.  

  Description: This interactive discussion explored how coalitions should be structured so that they are better poised for policy work. We asked participants to consider how the prevention work they are doing now is amenable to future policy efforts. The session explored the importance of policy identification based on community need and of coalition readiness to engage in a policy campaign. The discussion closed with an overview of our 10-step policy adoption model. In preparation for this session, participants were asked to register for, and complete, the brief online course, “An Introduction to the Power of Policy Change,” found at healtheknowledge.org. Learning Objectives: Identify coalition strengths and challenges related to policy development and adoption Understand the process to ensure the policy selection addresses a local condition Learn the ten steps of the Policy Adoption Model Access additional resources to support their policy work   About the Presenters Kristin Kidd is a technical assistance provider for the Southeast Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC)at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Kristin manages the Center’s training delivery and policy technical assistance. She has developed and delivered trainings focused on the policy process across the country. Kristin is also Principle Investigator for the North Carolina Behavioral Health Equity Initiative that collaborates with community agencies to reduce health disparities and promote equity. Prior to joining the Southeast PTTC, Kristin led the Tobacco Control Training and Technical Assistant Team at the Colorado School of Public Health. Her team provided statewide advocacy and policy guidance to local health agencies focused on eliminating tobacco disparities. Michael Sparks is an Alcohol Policy Specialist and the President of SparksInitiatives. His primary interest is working with communities to use policy to reduce alcohol-related problems. Michael currently serves as a consultant and trainer to communities across the country and is a trainer for Community Anti-drug Coalitions of America. He also works in a consulting role with Wake Forest University and Johns Hopkins University on alcohol policy issues. He has expertise in the alcohol policy field as well as in the areas of community building, using local control strategies to manage problematic alcohol and drug environments, the legislative process, and neighborhood revitalization.

  Presented by: Dr. Peter Gamache Description: June is Pride Month. The month recognizes the sweeping impact that LGBTQ+ individuals, advocates and their allies have had on history in the United States. The Southeast PTTC honors Pride Month with this important webinar focused on health disparities experienced by LGBTQQI2-S youth and adults. This session will focus on preventing and addressing behavioral health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, and two-spirit (LGBTQI2-S) youth and adult populations in southeast (HHS Region 4) communities (KY, TN, NC, SC, MS, AL, GA, FL). Learning Objectives: This session discussed the need and rationale to address Social Determinants of Health and changing demographic trends. This session discussed key advantages for implementing this approach. This session discussed practical examples of how organizations can develop inclusive policies and procedures.   About the Presenter Dr. Peter Gamache Dr. Gamache is an interdisciplinary program evaluator for initiatives that focus on underserved populations with behavioral health, primary care, and social support needs. He has also served on national workgroups for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, reviews federal funding applications, and provides technical assistance and capacity building on Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), federal policy modeling, fidelity to evidence-based service models, and disparities and outcomes reporting.

Strategic Alliance: Prevention Across the Continuum of Care Yvonne L Stroman, MA, CRS June 8, 2022, 1:00pm-2:30pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION Substance misuse prevention efforts educate and support individuals and communities to prevent the use and misuse of drugs, yet there remains a portion of our communities who use substances. Harm reduction includes strategies and ideas that aim to reduce the negative consequences related to substance misuse. Harm reduction can be considered as an approach to secondary prevention of risky behavior among youth with the intent to save lives, reduce consequences and build support. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Define harm reduction and locate strategy within the continuum of care for prevention Provide an overview of harm reduction and positive youth development philosophy Evaluate community readiness to embrace and implement harm reduction practices as part of its prevention efforts Develop one actionable item for training their own staff in harm reduction PRESENTER Yvonne L Stroman, MA, CRS, for more than 25 years, has worked in the field of social services providing leadership, direction, support, education, advocacy, training and empowerment to individuals, families and communities. She has served in various capacities, including executive director of a non-profit as well as senior management. Her current position, includes working as an administrator for the county drug and alcohol agency. Her duties include working with local organizations to assure that quality drug and alcohol services are provided, providing community education and awareness regarding alcohol and other drug use disorders; providing support and referrals to individuals seeking assistance for a drug and alcohol problem; and working with community organizations and agencies to advocate and promote recovery from addiction. Through other related initiatives, Yvonne collaborates with individuals and social agencies to promote environmental strategies and educates the public about the dangers and consequences associated with youth’s use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and other social issues affecting youth and the community. Yvonne’s community activism includes service on local boards including, Reading, PA School Board, Reading Police Diversity Board, Berks County Children and Youth Advisory Board, Berks County Suicide Prevention Task Force, and the Pennsylvania Statewide Disproportionate Minority Contact Sub-Committee –an advisory committee under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Yvonne is a national consultant for the CADCA and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Programs providing training to youth and adults on issues and initiatives that promote cultural diversity and awareness and ultimately create community level change. Additionally, Yvonne is a part-time Adjunct Professor at Alvernia University in Reading, Pennsylvania. Yvonne holds a Master’s Degree in Human Services Counseling for Addictions and Recovery and is a Certified Recovery Specialist.  

The Great Lakes PTTC created this brief to address a need identified for evidence-based information on how to successfully use naloxone vending machines (NVMs). NVMs are intended to complement, rather than duplicate, existing points of access such as syringe service programs, pharmacies, and mobile outreach units. Important considerations for implementing a NVM include readiness, stakeholder engagement, strategic placement, data collection, promotion, monitoring, and sustainability.   Click the attachment box to the right for Naloxone Vending Machines: Considerations for Implementation brief. 

    Presented by: Nicole Augustine, Founder and CEO of RIZE Consultants, LLC Description: The prevention field is an often unrecognized and undervalued part of our approach to health and wellness. We are a reactionary society that focuses most of our efforts on responding to illness through the strategy of treatment. As a result of this focus, the field of prevention has lagged behind our colleagues in treatment, while also consistently receiving the smallest distribution of financial support. Learning Objectives: After participating in this training, participants will be able to: Articulate the value of the Prevention Specialist credential Name the six Prevention Specialist performance domains Understand the typical process for acquiring the credential   About the Presenter Nicole M. Augustine, Founder & CEO of RIZE Consultants, LLC Nicole M Augustine is the Founder & CEO RIZE Consultants, LLC, a strategic consulting firm founded in January 2015. Nicole is an entrepreneur, public health professional and social justice advocate. Her journey in public health began at Cornell University when after graduating she worked for three years as a BASICS counselor for Cornell's campus harm reduction initiative.  From there, Nicole transitioned into the George Washington University School of Public Health before experiencing a rapid career progression from providing prevention education to providing training and technical assistance to communities, professionals and state agencies.Nicole has served as the Project Coordinator for the Southeast PTTC, the Project Director of the NC Behavioral Health Equity Initiative, and the Prevention Director for the Addiction Professionals of NC. Nicole currently serves as an Advanced Implementation Specialist with the Opioid Response Network.This network is building trust across justice, corrections and medical systems to address the opioid and stimulants crisis.

  Supplemental Resources: Tackling America’s Opioid Epidemic from the Ground Up (Urban Trends Newsletter Vol. 25 No. 1) Effectively Engaging Men and Fathers to Support the Health and Wellness of Their Families (Urban Trends Newsletter Vol. 25 No. 2) Community Engagement 101 (Urban Trends Newsletter Vol. 26 No.1)   Presented by: Ivan Juzang, MBA, Founder and President of MEE Productions Inc. Description: This Community Engagement Training will provide a deeper understanding of the importance of community mobilization and how community engagement strategies create wins for both the community and your organization. That “win-win” is what leads to stronger, more vibrant and resilient communities. Learning Objectives: Many agencies and organizations are struggling to engage members of affected communities. Participants in this Community Engagement Training will: Understand how to adapt the Strategic Prevention Framework to engage communities (particularly with oral-based cultures) who have been mistreated by the systems and institutions that are supposed to serve and assist them. Learn why having authentic, on-the-ground community engagement in a public health or mental health professional’s “toolbox” counters a lack of trust in mainstream institutions, even though this approach is often ignored because it is perceived as “too hard” to pull off. Learn why using a network of community partners as a message-delivery channel can be both more culturally-relevant and cost-effective than mainstream, traditional media. Learn how to effectively engage and mobilize members of the community for community-wide dialogue by involving numerous access touchpoints. Understand why a combination of digital outreach (high-tech) and on-the-ground, community-based encounters (high-touch) community-based strategies increases both impact and effectiveness of community-engagement efforts for hard-to-reach audiences. Receive an overview of the “how” through culturally-relevant community outreach and mobilization strategies and tactics.   About the Presenter Ivan Juzang, MBA, Founder and President of MEE Productions Inc. Ivan Juzang, MBA, Founder and President of MEE Productions Inc., is a leading expert in health communications and social marketing. He has over 25 years of first-hand experience working on health disparities and public health issues affecting low income, underserved and devalued communities across America. Mr. Juzang’s work focuses on how service providers, community-based organizations and the public health community can present trauma-informed and culturally-relevant health information in such a way that lifestyle changes are sustainable in the context of an economically-challenged and stressed-out life. MEE specializes in community-centered approaches that acknowledge the social determinants of health, honor personal assets and resiliency, infuse protective factors and embrace trauma-informed strategies. MEE has been engaged in substance abuse prevention work since 1991 in low-income urban communities across the country. Its specific opioid misuse work has been conducted in urban, suburban and rural communities over the last five years, in places that include Philadelphia, Baltimore and New Orleans, with Prevention Coalitions across Ohio and statewide agencies in Louisiana. Mr. Juzang was a member of the Advisory Committee on Public Issues for The Ad Council and a current board member of Power to Decide (formerly the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy). From 2003-2009, Mr. Juzang was a member of The Office of National Drug Control and Policy's Behavior Change Expert Panel. Mr. Juzang received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University, and his MBA from The Wharton School of Business.

Click Here to View Recording: Prevention's Role in Harm Reduction   Harm reduction is increasingly emphasized as an important approach when working across the continuum of care. While many in the prevention field remain focused on primary prevention, opportunities exist for preventionists to support and augment local harm reduction efforts. This webinar will focus on steps prevention practitioners can take to support harm reduction efforts, including: promoting community readiness to support harm reduction approaches, addressing substance use disorder-related stigma, and linking harm reduction efforts to more "upstream" efforts.   OBJECTIVES:  Describe how harm reduction can be addressed across the continuum of care Describe the primary prevention field’s role in harm reduction efforts Identify at least three actions prevention practitioners can take to support and augment local harm reduction efforts   FACILITATORS:  Chuck Klevgaard serves as a prevention manager for the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center.  He delivers training and technical assistance to support substance misuse prevention throughout the Midwest. Chuck has supported communities and health agencies as they adopt evidence-based alcohol, opioid, and other substance misuse programs or policies. Chuck earned his BSW from Minnesota State University Moorhead. He is a Certified Senior Prevention Specialist through the Illinois Certification Board, Inc.   Kris Gabrielsen has worked in the substance misuse prevention field since 1991. She was the Associate Director of the Western Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT), co-authored the first Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training curriculum, and co-authored the textbook, Substance Abuse Prevention: The Intersection of Science and Practice. She works with states and communities across the nation to bridge the gap between research and practice, assisting prevention professionals in maximizing their effectiveness.

The Great Lakes PTTC is committed to helping the substance misuse prevention workforce to understand its role in harm reduction efforts. The following are resources and tools to assist preventionists in understanding harm reduction and how prevention can best enhance harm reductions efforts in their local communities.   What Is Harm Reduction? Recording - Understanding Prevention’s Role in Harm Reduction Video: What is Harm Reduction? (National Institute on Drug Abuse) https://www.drugabuse.gov/videos/what-harm-reduction Harm reduction is defined as interventions aimed to help people avoid negative effects of drug use, but many understand harm reduction as a way to meet people where they are with kindness and respect. In this video, we hear from people who use drugs, people who are in recovery, and harm reduction professionals on what harm reduction is (and isn’t) in their own words. Video: Harm Reduction 101 (Harm Reduction Action Center) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXJJj_jgFmE&t=154s What is harm reduction? Harm reduction is a public health philosophy and intervention that seeks to reduce the harms associated with drug use and ineffective drug policies. Webinar series: Intersection of Prevention, Recovery, and Harm Reduction - Part 1   Part 2 The Peer Recovery Center of Excellence collaborated with the Prevention Technology Transfer Center to host two webinars around the intersection of prevention, recovery, and harm reduction. What Is the Link Between Prevention and Harm Reduction? Understanding the Role of Prevention in Harm Reduction Efforts This brief created by the Great Lakes PTTC provides an overview of harm reduction and the specific actions preventionists can take to augment harm reduction efforts in their local communities. Taking Action Action Steps for Prevention Practitioners to Enhance Harm Reduction Efforts  This succinct “job aid” created by the Great Lakes PTTC provides a checklist of actions that prevention practitioners can take to enhance harm reduction efforts. Substance Misuse Prevention’s Role in Harm Reduction – PowerPoint Slide Deck This PowerPoint slide deck created by the Great Lakes PTTC can be used by prevention practitioners to educate their stakeholders, coalition members, and others on prevention’s role in enhancing harm reduction efforts. Facilitation tips are included in the notes section of each slide. Intersection of Prevention, Recover, and Harm Reduction Learning Lab Tool Kit Prevention practitioners can use this toolkit and PowerPoint slides to facilitate learning communities to help break down silos and nurture relationships between the fields of harm reduction, prevention, and recovery. The Peer Recovery Center of Excellence in collaboration with the Prevention Technology Transfer Center Network, developed this companion product for the webinar series the Intersection of Harm Reduction, Prevention, and Recovery. Using the Socio-Ecological Model To Develop Complementary Substance Misuse Prevention and Harm Reduction Efforts This planning tool assists substance misuse prevention practitioners and harm reductionists in creating a complementary approach to prevention and harm reduction to reach people with different levels and types of risk in multiple social contexts.   Resources on Harm Reduction in the Great Lakes Region Illinois Illinois Harm Reduction and Recovery Coalition, https://www.illinoisharmreduction.org/ IDHS/SUPR Drug Overdose Prevention Program, https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=58142 A Dose of Truth, https://www.prevention.org/a-dose-of-truth Rethink Recovery, https://rethinkrecoveryil.com The Prescription Playbook, https://ilhpp.org/prescription-playbook Indiana Recovery Alliance, https://indianarecoveryalliance.org Never Alone Project, https://www.facebook.com/neveraloneindiana/ Overdose Lifeline, https://www.overdoselifeline.org/ Indiana Department of Health, https://www.in.gov/health/hiv-std-viral-hepatitis/harm-reduction-and-syringe-service-programs/ Ohio Harm Reduction Ohio, https://www.harmreductionohio.org/ Ohio Overdose Prevention Network, https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/know-our-programs/violence-injury-prevention-program/resources/ohio-overdose-prevention-network Ohio Organizing Collaborative, https://www.ohorganizing.org/harm-reduction Michigan Harm Reduction Michigan, https://harmreductionmi.org/ Michigan Opioid Partnership, https://cfsem.org/initiative/opioid/our-work/harm-reduction/ Michigan Syringe Service Programs, https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-71550_2941_4871_93142---,00.html Minnesota Minnesota Opioids Harm Reduction, https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/opioids/prevention/harmreduction.html Wisconsin Dose of Reality: Opioids in Wisconsin, https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/opioids/index.htm Dose of Reality: Safer Use, https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/opioids/safer-use.htm Multi-state Naloxone Finder https://harmreduction.org/resource-center/harm-reduction-near-you/ This website provides an access point to resources that support safer drug use.  

September 27, 2021 10am-12pm Course Description When working with Hispanic and Latino populations, clear language should never be a linear process, particularly for a collectivist society that defines and interprets experiences within a cultural context. Latino values such as ‘machismo and personalismo’ can be very insightful, but when defined and understood through an American perspective, we wonder why we feel a ‘disconnect’ with the Hispanic client/patient we need toprovide prevention services to. This interactive presentation will inform on Latino cultural nuances that can reframe communication for Hispanic individuals with substance use and/or mental health problems and discuss prevention strategies to support "recuperación" (recovery). Supplemental Material Transcript PowerPoint

One-page information sheet for Prevention practitioners that provides a brief overview of Harm Reduction and its connection with Prevention. It also includes basic Harm Reduction strategies for commonly used substances and viral infections that are a heightened risk for people who use substances.

The eleventh edition of our bi-monthly newsletter is available. This month’s edition features the National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month, Information Sheet – Overview of Connecticut Cannabis Legalization Law PA 21-1, Podcast talking about the roles and focus of the prevention field in today's environment, upcoming events including the Fellowship Symposium and Learning Labs, and regionally and nationally developed events and tools to support and grow the prevention workforce in New England. View the newsletter.

Building Great Rapport: How to Engage Patients with Unhealthy Substance Use Jim Winkle, MPH August 17, 2021, 1-3 PM EST COURSE DESCRIPTION By adopting a new approach, clinicians can greatly improve how they engage with these patients. This presentation will improve providers' ability to engage and build rapport by challenging assumptions that lead to stigma, applying principles of harm reduction, and performing a four-step brief intervention model that enhances the motivation of patients to decrease their risk of illness and death. As a result, clinicians who once considered these patient visits "difficult" can begin to perceive them as valuable opportunities to help patients adopt safer behaviors and forge their pathway to recovery. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Describe the role of stigma towards patients with unhealthy substance use List the basic principles of a Harm Reduction approach to patient care Perform a four-step brief intervention in less than five minutes Use telehealth platform functions to effectively engage patients PRESENTERS Jim Winkle, MPH has trained hundreds of providers and clinical team members how to address substance use with primary care and emergency medicine patients. As the creator of the SBIRT Oregon website, Jim has designed screening forms, clinic tools and training videos used by health professionals across the country. Jim currently works as a consultant, delivering training and technical assistance to medical systems, universities, and professional organizations.

  The Great Lakes PTTC is offering this training for prevention professionals in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI. Many people who work in harm reduction consider their work to be a "calling." Two occupational hazards, burnout and compassion fatigue/secondary trauma, can undermine that calling and diminish your effectiveness. Burnout is caused by feeling ineffective in your work and organizational/team stress. Compassion fatigue (also called secondary trauma/secondary PTSD) results from absorbing the traumatic stories and experiences of clients. Both occupational hazards can lead to a loss of energy, loss of hope, loss of enthusiasm, loss of idealism, spiritual distress, and decreased effectiveness. This virtual presentation focuses on how to prevent and recover from burnout and compassion fatigue, with an emphasis on self-care and the four things high performers do to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue. We will also discuss how to maintain energy, reduce frustration in your clinical work, and feel more successful.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES  Be aware of the four stages of burnout Understand the differences between burnout and compassion fatigue Evaluate your vulnerability for developing compassion fatigue Learn and utilize 10 strategies to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue Learn skills to reduce frustration in your clinical work Feel a greater sense of success in your work     PRESENTER   Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC, is Illinois state project manager for the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. He is an international speaker in the behavioral health field whose presentations have reached thousands throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, the Caribbean and British Virgin Islands. A partial list of clients include General Motors Corporation, Xerox Corporation, Northwestern University, and the United States Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. The author of five books, Mark has had two stories published in The New Times bestselling book series, Chicken Soup for The Soul. He has taught at the University of Chicago, Loyola University of Chicago, and Illinois State University's schools of social work. Mark’s three decades of experience as a direct service Licensed Clinical Social Worker provide the foundation for his presentations.

  The Great Lakes PTTC offers this training for prevention practitioners in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI. This training is offered in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.   Fentanyl Test strips have been proven as an effective harm reduction strategy in studies from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County, Ohio has been supporting fentanyl test strips as a harm reduction tool since 2018 and began grassroots distribution in 2019. Using data from both fatal and non-fatal ODs, the ADAMHS Board was able to get this harm reduction tool to the communities where it was needed most.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES Background on fentanyl test strips as a harm reduction tool Using data to inform harm reduction outreach efforts The power of community partnerships to reach individuals where they are     Panel Members Beth Zietlow-DeJesus, MA Director of External Affairs Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County              Madison Greenspan, MNAL External Affairs Officer Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County                  Rebekah Wiland, MSW, LISW-S Associate Director of Housing FrontLine Service                   Waverly Willis Founder The Urban Barber Association (TUBA)