Products and Resources Catalog

Recording of Honoring Our Native Veterans' Past, Present, and Future. This event took place on November 10, 2022.

In this Issue:   Five Reasons to Get Credentialed in 2023! How the PTTC can help you get credentialed, Start here! News Release! IC&RC announces a new prevention specialist exam Epi Corner: Health Literacy and Prevention Practice What's Happening Around the Region? Webinar: Ditching the Discomfort with Data, Part 5, Communicating and Visualizing Data, Tomorrow, November 17 Video: Developing New Skills Webinar: Substance Misuse Prevention's Role: Addressing Disparities in Rural Communities, December 13 New SAMHSA Guide: Implementing Community Level Policies to Prevent Alcohol Misuse November National Awareness Resources

The National American Indian and Alaska Native Prevention Technology Transfer Center invites all Tribal Partnerships For Success (PFS) grantees to a virtual gathering. During this gathering, we will: • Host a platform for Tribal PFS grantees to engage with and support each other, • Engage with and support Tribal PFS grantees’ needs, and • Provide collaboration for Tribal grantees with the National AI/AN PTTC.

Safer Homes, Safer Communities: Firearms, safety, and culture November 2, 2022   Webinar Description and Objectives Community prevention practitioners are cultural brokers who understand the values and norms of their community. Current research demonstrates that when communities effectively implement evidence-based interventions to prevent youth access to substances, communities also benefit from a reduction in firearm-related violence. This presentation will explore how five core values (Safety, Protection, Responsibility, Freedom, and Community) expressed by owners of firearms can act as a bridging tool to strengthen and expand substance misuse prevention efforts, prevent suicide by firearms, and promote safer communities.  This presentation will highlight existing coalition efforts that promote safety by reducing easy access to firearms and medications. The Safer Homes, Suicide Aware program educates the public on the potential deadliness of easy access to firearms and medications if available during a time of crisis. Led by Forefront Suicide Prevention and the Second Amendment Foundation, the Safer Homes Coalitions is comprised of firearms retailers, health care providers, and suicide prevention experts who came together around a single goal to save lives.   Presenters   Jeffrey Chen-Ning Sung, M.D., is a board-certified psychiatrist and a clinical assistant professor with the UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. His work focuses on education and training in the areas of suicide prevention and suicide care.  Particular interests include supporting clinicians who have experienced the loss of a patient to suicide and building knowledge among healthcare professionals about cultural aspects of firearm ownership and use. Dr. Sung earned his M.D. at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. His clinical interests focus on psychotherapy. He has taught psychodynamic theory, suicide risk assessment, and managing response to patient suicide. Brett Bass is the Safer Homes, Suicide Aware Program Manager.  He joins Forefront after years of volunteering on the Firearms Subcommittee of the Safer Homes task force.  Brett enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 2006, completing Military Police School in 2007 as the Honor Graduate of his class.  He reported to MWSS-473, Det. A in Fresno, CA shortly thereafter and was mobilized to active duty.  Upon moving to Washington, Brett transferred to H&S Co. 4th LSB out of Ft. Lewis.  He deployed to Latvia with his battalion in 2010, Kuwait (from 2011-2012) and Afghanistan (from 2012-2013) as an individual augment with MARCENT.   Webinar Recording and Slides   Safer Homes, Safer Communities: Firearms, safety, and culture Recording Safer Homes, Safer Communities: Firearms, safety, and culture Slides (PDF)     Additional Resource   PSA- Suicide Prevention Collaborative of El Paso County Safer Homes Suicide Aware Website     Questions? Contact Clarissa Lam Yuen ([email protected]) if you have additional questions about the content related to this webinar.

This tool serves prevention specialists that want to establish positive relationships with hispanic, latino, or latinx populations and those who are already working with this population and want to improve their cultural humility. The goal of this product is to help lessen the barriers that prevention specialists and latino populations may face when discussing substance misuse and addiction. Covered in this tool are geography of hispanic and latino populations within New England, linguistics to consider, risk and protective factors, and New England state specific resources for people who identify as hispanic, latino, or latinx with whom prevention specialists may want to connect. This tool was written in the fall of 2022, during a time of increasing cultural awareness and humility which, when incorporated into all aspects of life, will benefit everyone.   This resource is specific to the New England region which includes Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont. This tool speaks to some specific cultural aspects of Hispanic, Latino, or Latinx people, discussed further in the Linguistic section.   From the Author: As someone who identifies as Puerto Rican, and who has a passion for advancing health equity for minority populations, I wanted to create this resource to further knowledge of the complexities of hispanic, latino, latina, and latinx people for the prevention workforce in New England. Growing up I watched family members struggling with substance misuse and addiction be negatively affected by a lack of understanding in care settings about the diversities between hispanic and latino subgroups. I hope that by increasing knowledge about these differences, I can contribute to the reduction of health disparities in the prevention portion of behavioral health. -Rhetta Vega

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

It’s Not about Me…It’s about Us Part 2: Walk the Talk: Applying Techniques and Tools to Practice Lisa Connors, LCPC, NCC, MAC, ABD November 17, 2022, 2:00pm-3:30pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION The engagement and retention of clients are crucial elements for desired outcomes and improved experiences of care for patients. Cultural humility, the SBIRT model, motivational interviewing principles, and coaching skills are essential in practice. This webinar will explore cultural humility and how it catalyzes engaging and retaining clients. It will review how using the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) approach supports patients in making healthier lifestyle changes related to excessive alcohol and drug use by using motivational interviewing principles through screening, conducting a brief intervention, and referring to treatment. When using the SBIRT model, professionals identify clients who may be using alcohol or illicit drugs/prescription medications in ways that are harmful to their health. This webinar will also explore coaching skills that can facilitate a client’s action toward change. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Describe the background and importance of conducting SBIRT in various settings to prevent excessive alcohol and drug use. Engage clients using motivational interviewing and coaching strategies and skills. Understand how to incorporate valid and reliable alcohol and drug screening tools in practice. Apply elements of screening, brief intervention, and referral to the treatment. PRESENTERS Lisa Connors, LCPC, NCC, MAC, ABD is an Associate Pastor at In His Image International Ministry, Inc. She is a Licensed Bachelor Social Worker, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, Board-Certified Coach, Master Addiction Counselor, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and Certified Grief Counseling Specialist. Ms. Connors is Certified in Thanatology [the study of death, dying, and bereavement]. She has been in the human services/social work/counseling fields for 30 years and has worked in a variety of settings providing services to the despondent and downtrodden. Ms. Connors works tirelessly to help others reach their fullest potential in life, supporting and empowering those who have been oppressed, stigmatized, marginalized, and victimized. Her greatest passion is working with, serving, and providing training related to individuals affected by HIV/AIDS, substance use and mental health disorders, violence/abuse/trauma, grief and loss, racial and social injustices. Ms. Connors is a mental health therapist providing services to individuals who have co-occurring issues. In addition to her pastoral and clinical work, Ms. Connors is a college professor. She has taught at the University of Maryland and is currently teaching at Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland. Like many women of color, Ms. Connors has experienced various forms of oppression. Ms. Connors earned her Bachelor of Social Work, Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Professional Counseling degrees, respectively, and is a Doctoral Candidate completing her Ph.D. in Psychology.  

The National American Indian and Alaska Native PTTC has published its most recent newsletter. The theme for this issue is Addressing Stigma and SUDs.  This issue focuses on the negative impact stigma has on Natives in the early phases of development of a substance use disorder. People in this situation could profit from early intervention but may feel embarrassed because of the stigma associated with substance use/abuse. The main article describes ways to ensure that culturally appropriate prevention efforts are both trauma-informed and non-stigmatizing.

It’s Not about Me…It’s about Us Part 1: Setting the Foundational Stage Lisa Connors, LCPC, NCC, MAC, ABD November 10, 2022, 2:00pm-3:30pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION Substance use is a public health problem. This webinar will facilitate a different worldview in understanding, identifying, and treating substance use problems. It will review how social injustices impact substance use problems and knowledge of how the webinar can address those injustices in our communities. Evidence-based approaches, such as person-centered and harm reduction, will set the foundation for tackling issues that interfere with substance use prevention among individuals and communities. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Identify the extent of substance use problems and addiction Describe social injustices, consequences associated with those injustices, and their impact on substance use prevention. Define the goals and core principles of person-centered and harm reduction approaches. Utilize person-centered and harm reduction strategies to engage and retain clients in prevention care. PRESENTERS Lisa Connors, LCPC, NCC, MAC, ABD is an Associate Pastor at In His Image International Ministry, Inc. She is a Licensed Bachelor Social Worker, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, Board-Certified Coach, Master Addiction Counselor, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and Certified Grief Counseling Specialist. Ms. Connors is Certified in Thanatology [the study of death, dying, and bereavement]. She has been in the human services/social work/counseling fields for 30 years and has worked in a variety of settings providing services to the despondent and downtrodden. Ms. Connors works tirelessly to help others reach their fullest potential in life, supporting and empowering those who have been oppressed, stigmatized, marginalized, and victimized. Her greatest passion is working with, serving, and providing training related to individuals affected by HIV/AIDS, substance use and mental health disorders, violence/abuse/trauma, grief and loss, racial and social injustices. Ms. Connors is a mental health therapist providing services to individuals who have co-occurring issues. In addition to her pastoral and clinical work, Ms. Connors is a college professor. She has taught at the University of Maryland and is currently teaching at Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland. Like many women of color, Ms. Connors has experienced various forms of oppression. Ms. Connors earned her Bachelor of Social Work, Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Professional Counseling degrees, respectively, and is a Doctoral Candidate completing her Ph.D. in Psychology.  

Social Wellness fact sheet

Developed by the Central East PTTC, this fact sheet serves as a resource for prevention professionals to understand the adaptation of prevention interventions, why it's essential, and what it can look like. The fact sheet also contains links to additional resources prevention professionals can use to learn about this complex topic.  

Efforts to prevent substance misuse generally fall under one of two broad approaches: individual and environmental strategies. Individual strategies focus on interventions to change attitudes and intentions, provide knowledge, and develop skills to help individuals resist influences that would lead them to use substances. These interventions involve working repeatedly with individuals and small groups, requiring a tremendous amount of resources to reach a large portion of the community population.   Environmental strategies, such as policy change, focus on changing the environments that shape individual behavior. The goal is to make the healthy choice the easy choice. Policy change also provides a greater opportunity to address health disparities.This guidebook will help you and your coalition make sense of the policy process by breaking it down step-by-step.   In detail, the guide will cover: How to draft the Policy Action Statement Building compliance of the policy with the responsible organization(s) or entity Collecting data to establish a link between the Community Condition and the Proposed Policy Developing an Issue Brief that makes the case for the Policy and offers the policy solution Drafting the Policy Language Utilizing media advocacy Organizing and mobilizing for support Preparing and presenting your policy to Decision Makers Supporting policy implementation and compliance Evaluating the policy campaign process and impacts     By working through the supporting activities, you and your partners will gain experience in forming, implementing, and promoting the compliance with ATOD policies. These policies have the potential to make alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs less accessible, less affordable, and less prevalent, thereby reducing the community-level harms associated with these substances.    This guidebook was adapted from Implementing and Supporting Policies to Prevent Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Misuse Information Guide Series funded by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services.

   2022 RESEARCH & DESIGN (RAD) PRODUCTS: New research-based substance misuse prevention tools supporting the Changing Landscape of Cannabis with a Focus on the IC&RC Prevention Domains. Prevention Product Development for the New England Region. Link to view the recorded webinar (recorded on November 9, 2022).    USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO SUPPORT YOUTH CANNABIS PREVENTION: A STRATEGY GUIDE FOR PREVENTIONISTS AND COMMUNITY COALITIONS   This product is meant to serve as an introductory strategy guide for preventionists and community coalition members interested in using social media for primary prevention of cannabis use among youth in their communities. The guide introduces professionals to what social media is, the role it plays in cannabis prevention, recent research on the relationship between social media and youth cannabis use, practical considerations for developing social media, and how social media can be used to support different ICRC domains such as evaluation, communication, education and service delivery, community organization, and professional growth. READ MORE AND DOWNLOAD.     MOBILIZING COMMUNITY IN CANNABIS PREVENTION: A PREVENTION GUIDE IN THE ERA OF LEGALIZATION   This toolkit was created for prevention specialists who need some tips in navigating conversations with local lawmakers in the era of legalized cannabis use. Many prevention specialists feel discomfort in outreaching to their municipalities because they do not want to unintentionally advocate or lobby, as this is prohibited. This toolkit helps prevention specialists broach those conversations and clearly outlines the differences between advocacy and education. The latter is very much allowed and encouraged! READ MORE AND DOWNLOAD.     PREVENTING YOUTH USE OF CANNABIS: CANNABIS PREVENTION ALTERNATIVE TO SUSPENSION PROGRAM   An alternative to suspension curricula and facilitators guide built on best practices for cannabis prevention within indicated populations. READ MORE AND DOWNLOAD.     RESTORATIVE PRACTICES IN PREVENTION: TAKING A RELATIONSHIP-BASED APPROACH TO PREVENTING YOUTH CANNABIS USE THROUGH RESTORATIVE PRACTICES   A guide for community prevention efforts focused on keeping youth healthy while navigating the evolving cannabis landscape. Through adopting restorative practices and focusing on relationships, this guide seeks to support youth health and well-being while applying lessons learned from youth alcohol and tobacco use prevention efforts. READ MORE AND DOWNLOAD.     CANNABIS CONVERSATIONS: A TOOLKIT FOR COMMUNITIES WITH A HARM REDUCTION LENS A communication frame that will compassionately educate prevention professionals and community members on the impacts of cannabis use on young brains while not stigmatizing cannabis use for therapeutic or medical reasons. READ MORE AND DOWNLOAD.       HEALTHY COMMUNITY, HEALTHY PEOPLE: COMMUNITY CANNABIS POLICY TOOLKIT FOR THE VERMONT PREVENTION PROFESSIONAL A toolkit that prevention professionals and communities working on cannabis related policy improvement can use to help support prevention and public health at a community level. READ MORE AND DOWNLOAD.       View the 2021 products.

RECORDING: Laugh It Off: How Therapeutic Humor Can Work for You (And Your Communities)   Improve your outlook and reduce harmful stress through humor. That’s the message of this seriously funny workshop where you will get to practice applied therapeutic exercises that you can use every day to improve your wellbeing and the wellness of your clients and others around you. Research has shown that accessing humor and laughter directly after a stressful situation reduces stress hormones and creates lasting, positive feelings. Muscles relax, breathing changes, and the brain releases endorphins, natural painkillers, and other psychological benefits. Mallori and Lodge will teach you how to laugh off difficult times, and as a result turn the negative impacts of stress into the positive benefits of humor.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to… Identify how laughter is used to reduce stress. Develop a personalized humor application. Explore how humor can be a resource to strengthen psychological safety and build community   PRESENTERS:  Mallori DeSalle Mallori DeSalle is a licensed mental health counselor, an internationally certified prevention specialist, motivational interviewing trainer and a certified humor professional. As a speaker and trainer, she has sparked curiosity in both the young and young-at-heart. Her passion for creating a lasting impact led her to the public health field and for the past 14 years she has worked at Prevention Insights, a center within the School of Public Health at Indiana University, Bloomington.  Mallori works with people all over the world. She served on the Board of Directors for the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor and in 2021 became a TEDx speaker. Her credentials don’t impress her family, but occasionally her corny jokes do make them laugh.   Lodge McCammon Dr. Lodge McCammon is a therapeutic humorist, instructional designer, author, musician, and international education consultant who provides professional services, including keynote speeches, workshops, curriculum development, and a variety of training programs. He works with school districts, universities, nonprofits, and businesses (e.g., Palm Beach Schools, University of the West Indies, Discovery Education, Microsoft, Amazon, The Coca-Cola Company). Most recently, Lodge facilitated a month of therapeutic humor for the Nourished Teachers Community, which is a Facebook-funded initiative focused on helping educators cope with work stress and avoid burnout. He uses a program that he designed called “Laugh It Off!" to help his clients transform their daily frustrations into humor.

The November 2022 Dialogue contains articles on: Addiction: Gaming Addiction | Mental Health: Helping Children Cope with Death & Grief | Prevention: Veterans and Substance Use Prevention | ORN: Native American Heritage Month | Regional Spotlight: The Recovery Bank Additional sections include behavioral health observances, virtual training and webinar events, Region 3 news, and new resources. The Dialogue is designed to inform behavioral and mental health professionals of news and upcoming events in the Central East states. This electronic newsletter is disseminated on the first Tuesday of each month. You are encouraged to provide us with any feedback or submit articles and topics for discussion in future issues of the newsletter.  Sign up to receive the Dialogue in your mailbox. 

Logic Models: Mapping Your Prevention Efforts is a course for prevention practitioners to help them understand logic models, and provide guidance for building a logic model for their prevention program. The course consists of an interactive content module and a completion quiz. It is estimated that the course may take up to 2 hours to complete. Certificate of Completion Available

What Does Not Work in Prevention is a course for prevention practitioners designed to help them identify interventions that have been shown through research to NOT be effective in preventing substance misuse, understand evidence-based approaches that can be used as effective alternatives to the ineffective/counterproductive strategies, and engage in strategies to address resistance to discontinuing ineffective and/or counterproductive prevention strategies. The course consists of an interactive content module and a completion quiz. It is estimated that the course may take up to 2 hours to complete. Certificate of Completion available

RECORDING - PUTTING THE ENGAGE BACK IN ENGAGEMENT   DESCRIPTION: Stuck in a rut? Scrambling for time? Wondering what's next? Are your requests for volunteers met with crickets? One of the biggest struggles that organizations have in this busy culture is to attract and retain volunteers and staff, in addition to garnering the support of the community in their efforts as well. Attend this session to learn from over 20 years of experience engaging the community, recruiting volunteers, and making connections to support that sustainability of your coalition to make the most out of your valuable time…and theirs!   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to: Describe best practices in engagement of volunteers, key stakeholders, and the community Implement strategies to maximize and generate resources in their community to achieve their mission Use resources and the tools from the webinar to increase engagement in their prevention efforts   PRESENTER: Melissa Moore  Melissa Moore has worked in Public Health for over 20 years, leading substance abuse prevention and coalition efforts in multiple diverse communities. Emphasizing the need to go beyond education to address the factors that contribute to substance abuse, Ms. Moore has helped lead assessment, planning, implementation and grant writing efforts to transform the way communities tackle this daunting burden. An expert in engagement and communication, Ms. Moore is always looking for opportunities to take great ideas and move them into tangible actions answering the age-old question...We recognize this is an issue, now what can we do about it?

The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC.   The October 2022 issue closes out our celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month (observed Sept.15-Oct.15) with new episodes of the Checking In Podcast. This issue also features information and resources that support National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and National Bullying Prevention Month. You will also find links to all the upcoming events and trainings for the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. 

The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC.   The November‒December 2022 issue honors National Impaired Driving Prevention Month (December) by sharing resources and media from SAMHSA's "Talk. They Hear You.®" campaign for underage drinking prevention. This issue also features prevention-focused HealtheKnowledge courses, two new Counselor's Corner blog posts about the relationship between SUD and music, the Great Lakes ATTC's "Embracing Change" article on the ATTC/NIATx Service Improvement Blog, and even more brand new products and resources from HHS Region 5.  You will also find links to all the upcoming events and trainings for the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. 

In this Issue:   Overcoming Testing Anxiety Building Organizational Capacity to Face a Changing Public Health Landscape What's Happening Around the Region? Webinar: Ditching the Discomfort with Data, Part 5, Communicating and Visualizing Data Video: Coalition Cohesion Recordings: Alcohol Policy Series Need an Ethics Course? October National Awareness Resources

    In this Issue:   Embracing Equity Fostering the Resilience of Children What's Happening Around the Region? Webinar: Connecting Alcohol Policy Strategies to Prevention September 28: Essentials September 29: Implementation Video: What is Coalition Efficiency? Online Course: Cannabis Prevention Series Shared Wisdom from the Evaluation and Epidemiology Team What's New? September Awareness Month Resources  

Stigma Series Part 2: Debunking the Myths Around Addiction Jessica Hulsey, BA October 12, 2022, 1:00pm-2:30pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION Substance use disorders (SUD) are some of the most highly stigmatized health conditions worldwide, and stigma creates barriers to early intervention, screening, treatment, and effective recovery. Addressing addiction like a disease instead of a moral failing requires shifts in practice as well as understanding. There is also a significant body of research defining the most effective treatments for substance use disorder (SUD). Yet many myths persist about the nature of addiction and the right ways to treat it. These myths remain due to various factors, most of which are rooted in deep-set cultural notions of addiction that fail to consider the science behind the disorder. These myths are uniquely harmful as they are often “assumed” to be true and thus considered by some to be self-evident. In this two-part presentation, participants will learn about addiction myths and misinformation, including the myth of ”28 days," the myth of replacing one drug for another, and the myth of “rock bottom”. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Learn about common myths and misconceptions about addiction and how to dispel them Understand common myths around Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Understand that addiction is a chronic relapsing disease and how to change the messaging in community. PRESENTER Jessica Hulsey, BA is the Executive Director of the Addiction Policy Forum, a national nonprofit organization that leads the fight against the deadly consequences of addiction and helps patients, families, and communities affected by the disease. Jessica has more than 25 years of experience in the field of prevention, treatment, and policy solutions to address substance use disorders and has collaborated with our nation’s top scientists to translate the science of addiction into digestible content for patients, families, and other key audiences.