Products and Resources Catalog

Between April 6, 2020 and April 20, 2020, the Northwest PTTC supplemented the one-hour listening sessions with each of the four states in HHS Region 10: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington with an online emergency workforce assessment.  The online assessment offered an alternative format for prevention professionals to inform the Northwest PTTC about emerging issues related to changes in their work environment due to the Covid-19 stay-at-home orders. The goal of the brief 12 question assessment was to identify barriers faced by the prevention workforce and how the Northwest PTTC can continue to support the workforce. 104 prevention professionals from the four states in HHS Region 10 responded to the anonymous online survey. Responses and emerging themes from the responses are summarized in the attached document.

Between April 1, 2020 and April 3, 2020, the Northwest PTTC convened one-hour listening sessions with each of the four states in HHS Region 10: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Sixty-one state and community-level prevention practitioners participated in the listening sessions. Each listening session included 5 open-ended questions: 1) What is a concern and hope that you bring with you today? 2) What are you doing to keep prevention moving forward? 3) What is working right now? 4) How can the Northwest PTTC support you? 5) What training would be useful? The emerging themes from the state responses are summarized in the attached document. 

  The Central East PTTC has created the Substance Use Prevention Resources for Use During a Pandemic guide to help prevention professionals navigate this challenging time.  "The pandemic, and its related social and economic impacts, have the potential to significantly increase many risk factors for substance use, including: anxiety, stress, depression, trauma, and grief. It may also weaken some protective factors against substance use, such as peer social networks and availability of social activities. Prevention professionals need to be prepared to address these factors now and in the future, once the immediate danger from the virus has passed. Fortunately, there are numerous resources available to support prevention work."  

As people stay at home and alcohol sales increase, concerns escalate among prevention professionals and public health officials around the emotional and mental risks of substance misuse amid the outbreak. We understand that economic dislocation, job loss and fear of death by disease can be triggers for substance use, which heightens the risk of other issues like suicide and domestic violence.  This webinar will be a starting point for a regional dialogue as we prepare for recovery and the important role that prevention professionals will play in the response. Transcript Presentation Power Point Speakers: Jennifer Myers, MA Training Development Manager Violence and Trauma Team at EDC   Jennifer Myers, M.A. is a mental health professional, consultant, and trainer who has worked to create trauma-sensitive systems throughout her career. She is currently the Training Development Manager for the Violence and Trauma team at Education Development Center (EDC). Jennifer is a thought leader and content expert developing violence prevention, resiliency, and trauma-informed resources and trainings across the prevention spectrum nationally and internationally. She has advised and guided community, school, and health systems in the areas of violence and suicide prevention, mental health promotion, and resilience. She has over 18 years of mental health, crisis response, and substance misuse counseling experience in a variety of settings working with diverse populations including university students, veterans, and LGBTQ individuals. She is a master trainer for Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk and H.O.P.E. Suicide Prevention for Crime Victims. Prior to joining EDC, she was the Assistant Director of Mental Health Initiatives and the Coordinator of Suicide Prevention at the University of South Carolina. At the University, Jennifer led the mental health response to critical incidents including natural disasters and campus violence. Jennifer holds an MA in Counseling and a BS in Psychology from Ball State University. Chuck Klevgaard, BSW Chuck Klevgaard  delivers training and technical assistance to support substance misuse prevention throughout the Midwest. Klevgaard has supported communities and health agencies as they adopt evidence-based alcohol, opioid, and other substance misuse programs or policies. Klevgaard also serves as a prevention manager to the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center. Klevgaard earned his BSW from Minnesota State University Moorhead. He is a Certified Senior Prevention Specialist through the Illinois Certification Board, Inc.

As sheltering in place becomes the new normal in many areas of the US, millions are experiencing isolation, financial insecurity, and unprecedented levels of stress—at a time when physical distancing separates people from the support systems they need most.   And as we move into the planning for our response, let’s remember that prevention practitioners have a proven track record of success in coordinating local public health responses to health emergencies. National emergency epidemiologic data demonstrate that state and local prevention efforts work: the overall prevalence of drinking among 12- to 20-year olds has declined by 32.9 percent since 2004, due in part to effective prevention initiatives.   

Part 2 of 2: Legal and Ethical Considerations for Telehealth Prevention This presentation reviews the legal and ethical considerations for prevention practice through a virtual setting. Participants learn which requirements must be in place as well as current changes due to COVID-19.  Key Objectives: Participants will be able to describe legal and ethical considerations for virtual prevention practice Participants will be able to identify if a virtual platform is HIPAA and FERPA compliant Participants will learn how to safeguard their clients through responsible technology use   Presented By: Aaron Fischer, PhD, BCBA-D Webinar Recording PDF PowerPoint Slides Link to Part 1 of 2: Understanding How to Leverage Telehealth Technology for Prevention Services We are closely collaborating across the Technology Transfer Center (TTC) Network in response to COVID-19.  There are a number of telehealth related products, webinars, virtual discussion sessions, and web resource pages being developed across the three Technology Transfer Centers (TTCs).  We are all doing our best to ensure we avoid duplication, and we recognize that some overlap in activities and resources related to this topic is understandable.  We realize the need for information and training across the workforce that provides prevention, treatment and recovery support services for substance use disorder (SUD) and mental illness is vast. You can access the events calendar and the products calendar through the Technology Transfer Center (TTC) landing page and see a listing of all events and products across the three networks. https://techtransfercenters.org/landing

Self-Care in a Selfless Field Webinar We are currently living in unprecedented and difficult times. Prevention specialists, in addition to experiencing the current global pandemic, also listen to painful and distressing experiences which can lead to compassion fatigue and burnout. This presentation will help us to learn more about possible signs of burnout, how to implement self-care practices to your daily life, and receive available resources to combat the effects of work-related stress. Presented by: Anna Purkey, M.Ed. & Jana Sill, M.Ed, Dept. of Educational Psychology, College of Education, University of Utah Presentation PDF Self-Care in a Selfless Field Resources Mountain Plains MHTTC: Covid 19 Mental Health Resources Webinar Recording

April 2020 issue of the Great Lakes Current, with a special focus on responding to COVID-19.  Includes links to resources and information produced by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC, as well as the other TTC programs across the country. 

Part 1 of 2: Understanding How to Leverage Telehealth Technology for Prevention Services This webinar supports prevention providers by highlighting tools and features of service delivery, through videoconferencing platforms. Participants will learn how to use this technology to engage in direct prevention efforts, as well as indirect prevention efforts, by supporting coalitions, caregivers, and school staff. Key Objectives: Participants will understand various features of videoconferencing platforms Participants will be able to describe ways the technology tools can facilitate prevention services Participants will learn how to leverage telehealth to support coalitions, caregivers, and school staff   Presented by: Aaron Fischer, PhD, BCBA-D Webinar Recording PDF PowerPoint Slides Resources: Understanding How to Leverage Telehealth Technology for Prevention Services Link to Part 2 of 2: Legal and Ethical Considerations for Telehealth Prevention We are closely collaborating across the Technology Transfer Center (TTC) Network in response to COVID-19.  There are a number of telehealth related products, webinars, virtual discussion sessions, and web resource pages being developed across the three Technology Transfer Centers (TTCs).  We are all doing our best to ensure we avoid duplication, and we recognize that some overlap in activities and resources related to this topic is understandable.  We realize the need for information and training across the workforce that provides prevention, treatment and recovery support services for substance use disorder (SUD) and mental illness is vast. You can access the events calendar and the products calendar through the Technology Transfer Center (TTC) landing page and see a listing of all events and products across the three networks. https://techtransfercenters.org/landing

The Great Lakes ATTC developed this webpage to provide an overview of regional and national resources related to telehealth for behavioral health. This site will be updated regularly with new information and tools designed specifically for the behavioral health field.  

The Great Lakes PTTC developed this webpage to provide an overview of regional and national initiatives and resources dedicated to preventing and reducing stigma associated with having, treating, or being in recovery from a substance use or mental health disorder.  Visit the Preventing and Reducing Stigma web page. 

This presentation by Sheila Weix, MSN, RN, CARN was recorded on April 1, 2020 and is a follow-up to her PART 1 presentation released on March 20, 2020. Viewers will be provided with updated information on the ever-changing challenges facing healthcare providers under the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as best practices for reducing exposure risks, maximizing limited resources, and safely managing treatment during this difficult time.   Transcript

Providing SUD services during a pandemic requires a mix of disaster preparedness, safety precautions, telehealth, and ethics. During her tenure as a leader in SUD treatment, Sheila Weix has been involved with emergencies related to the HIV epidemic, 9/11, and the 2008 economic collapse. She is currently applying this experience in an outpatient treatment service that includes medication-assisted treatment in rural Wisconsin during the COVID19 pandemic. Webinar participants will learn about: Safety precautions How to move all services to telehealth Reimbursement contingencies Leadership actions underway to address this rapidly changing situation    Transcript