Products and Resources Catalog

Substance Use Prevention Policy Part 1: What is Policy and How Can It Help Achieve Prevention Outcomes Josh Esrick, MPP, and Emily Patton, MSc, PgDip September 12, 2023, 1:00pm-2:30pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION This webinar will summarize the importance of policy change as a strategy for prevention professionals. It will discuss why and how policy changes can have significant impacts on substance use prevention goals, including addressing inequities, and reducing health disparities. The webinar will describe the different types of policy options that exist and how they align with substance use risk and protective factors, including the social determinants of health. It will also discuss the strengths and challenges that policy change efforts can have compared to other prevention interventions and why they should be part of a comprehensive approach to prevention. As part of this discussion, the webinar will also provide an example of such an approach. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Recognize why policy change can be an important goal in prevention. Describe the types and objectives of substance use prevention policies. Identify the strengths and drawbacks of using policies as a type of prevention intervention. Explain how policy change can be part of a comprehensive approach to prevention. PRESENTERS Josh Esrick, MPP is the Chief of Training and Technical Assistance at Carnevale Associates, LLC. Mr. Esrick has over ten years of experience researching, writing, evaluating, and presenting on substance use prevention and other behavioral health topics. He is an expert in providing training and technical assistance (TTA) in substance use, having overseen the development of hundreds of TTA products for numerous clients, including six of SAMHSA’s ten regional Prevention Technology Transfer Centers (PTTCs), the PTTC Network Coordinating Office, the Central East Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) and Mental Health Technology Transfer Centers (MHTTC), and SAMHSA’s Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT). These trainings and products have covered a wide range of topics, including strategic planning, data collection and analysis, and identifying evidence-based prevention interventions for youth. In addition to TTA, Mr. Esrick has directly provided many of these services to behavioral health agencies and other entities. He has published several academic journal articles. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Master of Public Policy from George Washington University.     Emily Patton, MSc, PgDip holds a Masters of Science in Abnormal and Clinical Psychology from Swansea University and a Postgraduate Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Edinburgh. She offers significant professional experience in the fields of public policy development and analysis, criminal justice research, data collection and analysis, program development, and performance management.  

    Prioritizing Equity in Prevention Series: The Role of Prevention in Addressing Alcohol Use in the U.S. Military August 22, 2023   Learning Session Description U.S. military personnel are particularly vulnerable to a number of health disparities due to their occupational stresses, hazards, and environments. These include frequent geographic relocations due to changing duty stations, undergoing deployments, and balancing work-life demands (e.g., supporting their families). Each of these factors contribute to alcohol misuse on their own, and taken together, create a high-risk setting for military personnel. Additionally, concern for potentially career-ending ramifications keep many personnel from seeking treatment or support. Military personnel report binge drinking at higher levels than the U.S. civilian population: in 2018, 34% of active duty personnel binge drank in the past 30 days compared to 27% of U.S. adults age 18 and older. This population also experiences extensive harms, including violence, injury, poor work performance, and potential harm to careers. This Learning Session will discuss the risk and protective factors that contribute to the military alcohol environment, drawing parallels between colleges and the military as institutions with unique opportunities for prevention efforts to promote health equity within this population. Participants will have the opportunity to assess the potential alcohol-related issues specific to the military population in their jurisdiction and develop a plan for collaborating with the military community to address these issues.   Objectives In this learning session, participants will: Describe alcohol consumption and harms specific to military personnel Discuss risk and protective factors that contribute to the alcohol environment on and around military installations Determine opportunities for collaboration in the prevention of excessive alcohol consumption among military personnel   Learning Session Recording and Slides The Role of Prevention in Addressing Alcohol Use in the U.S. Military Recording The Role of Prevention in Addressing Alcohol Use in the U.S. Military Slide Deck (PDF)   Presenter Alicia Sparks, PhD, MPH, is the Chair of the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance and a Senior Principal at Synergy Enterprises, where she serves as the Project Director for NIAAA’s APIS contract, as well as SAMHSA’s STOP Act contract. Dr. Sparks served as Project Director for CDC’s alcohol advertising monitoring project, for which she directed a team of researchers in conducting analyses of Nielsen data to determine alcohol industry compliance with self-governed rules on advertising alcohol to youth audiences. She has more than 12 years of experience in alcohol policy research, including designing, implementing, and evaluating studies, programs, and policies. Dr. Sparks has led the development of numerous publications on alcohol policy, including the 2022 Implementing Community-Level Policies to Prevent Alcohol Misuse evidence-based resource guide and the 2016 Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health. She has published more than 20 peer-reviewed manuscripts and has presented at more than a dozen conferences. She is co-chair of the Alcohol Policy conference series and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Global Alcohol Policy Conference.   Questions Contact Britany Wiele ([email protected]) if you have additional questions about the content related to this learning session.

  Webinar Description The Social Norms Approach is a prevention strategy that corrects misperceptions of risky behaviors and focuses on the healthy behaviors that already exist in groups. Research shows that most people overestimate risky or unhealthy habits and under-perceive normative healthy behaviors, and that decreasing the over-perception of unhealthy or risky behaviors improves health outcomes.   This session explored the fundamental principles and key concepts behind the social norms approach as well as a process that attendees could use in their own communities to uncover and promote the positive norms that already exist.   Learning objectives for Session 1 included: -Describe the Social Norms Approach -List elements of an effective social norms process -Identify the data needed to build a social norms campaign   Presenter   Lauri Solomon is a training and technical assistance specialist with the Education Development Center.  She has more than 25 years' experience in public health working on a variety of initiatives including the prevention of substance misuse, sexually transmitted infections, and teen pregnancy. Lauri has been providing technical assistance and training on the application of the social norms approach since 1999. She also holds a doctorate in social justice education and works to bring an equity lens to all aspects of her work.   Additional Resources  Flyer  PowerPoint

  Webinar Description The Social Norms Approach is a prevention strategy that corrects misperceptions of risky behaviors and focuses on the healthy behaviors that already exist in groups. Research shows that most people overestimate risky or unhealthy habits and under-perceive normative healthy behaviors, and that decreasing the over-perception of unhealthy or risky behaviors improves health outcomes.   This session explored the fundamental principles and key concepts behind the social norms approach as well as a process that attendees could use in their own communities to uncover and promote the positive norms that already exist.   Learning objectives for Session 2 included: -Describe what are more and less effective approaches to health communication and social marketing -Identify the data needed to build a social norms campaign -List elements of a social norms marketing print ad   Presenter   Lauri Solomon is a training and technical assistance specialist with the Education Development Center.  She has more than 25 years' experience in public health working on a variety of initiatives including the prevention of substance misuse, sexually transmitted infections, and teen pregnancy. Lauri has been providing technical assistance and training on the application of the social norms approach since 1999. She also holds a doctorate in social justice education and works to bring an equity lens to all aspects of her work.   Additional Resources  Flyer  PowerPoint

  This document provides information on xylazine, a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer used as an additive in illicit drug supplies, notably in combination with heroin and fentanyl. It discusses the effects of xylazine use, including sedation and potential risks such as hypotension and bradycardia. The document also emphasizes harm reduction interventions for individuals who may encounter xylazine in the drug supply, including the use of naloxone for responding to overdoses and the importance of wound identification and treatment.

The Northeast and Caribbean Summer 2023 Newsletter (English | Spanish) is here. This issue highlights resources for professionals in academic settings and parents, as well as, our upcoming trainings.   

Webinar Description This training looked at the importance of Data Informed Decision Making, or DIDM, in strategic prevention planning, and the value of using data within each step of the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) to identify priority needs and achieve prevention goals. During this webinar, presenters defined key data-related terminology, described the benefits of using a data-informed prevention planning process, discussed common challenges and barriers to using data to plan and examined data-informed decision making within each SPF step.   Presenter Emily Bhargava is a Training and Technical Assistance Associate with Education Development Center (EDC). She is skilled in facilitation, data literacy, strategic and sustainability planning, and evaluation design. For over 15 years, she has led community-level health promotion efforts. She is an expert in the prevention of substance abuse, violence, suicide, teen pregnancy, obesity, and HIV, guiding the planning and implementation of culturally and linguistically responsive community-level prevention and health promotion efforts across Massachusetts and the United States.   Additional Resources  Flyer  PowerPoint

In this Issue:   *New South Southwest PTTC Prevention Onboarding Roadmap Other PTTC Resources for Onboarding the New Prevention Professional Epi Corner: Using a Multi-faceted Approach to Adolescent Opioid Misuse and Overdose What's Happening Around the Region?

Connecting Communities to Substance Use Services: Practical Approaches for First Responders - SAMHSA's Behavioral Health Equity Statement

This product is developed by Morgan Neavill, M.S. under the 2022-2023 Mountain Plains Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) 2022-23 Fellowship Program. Are you interested in advocating for the health and wellbeing of Montanans, but not sure where to begin? This toolkit will give you an overview of what it means to advocate on the issue of marijuana, and how to do so effectively. Montana Alliance of Prevention Website

Recording: Prevention Across the Continuum    This is the first webinar in a three-part series on implementing prevention strategies across the continuum of care. Prevention plays a critical role throughout the continuum of care and understanding this role can prepare prevention professionals to be the most effective in their work. Having a solid understanding of this model is one of the first steps prevention professional should grasp. Join us for an interactive webinar series that outlines each component of the continuum, and the role prevention has throughout, as well as identifying areas that prevention can serve in a supportive role as communities work collaboratively to reduce substance misuse. Information about the other two webinars can be found here:   This is a 3-part webinar series. Register now for the upcoming sessions using the following links: Understanding and Implementing Selective Prevention Strategies, August 23, 2023, 9:30-11:00 AM CT Understanding and Implementing Indicated Prevention Strategies, August 31, 2023, 9:30-11:00 AM CT   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Participants will be able to: Discuss the overall continuum of care and the role in which prevention plays throughout List prevention strategies that can be implemented in each portion of the continuum Identify how and who to connect with when working across the continuum of care   PRESENTER: Ashley Bodiford, MPH, MS, CSPS, ICP Ashley Bodiford, MPH, MS, CSPS, ICPS, is the Director of Prevention at LRADAC in which she develops, implements and maintains effective prevention services for Richland and Lexington counties in South Carolina. In her previous role at LRADAC, she served as the Alcohol Enforcement Team Coordinator in which she developed and implemented evidence-based programs to reduce underage drinking and impaired driving. Mrs. Bodiford has worked in the field of substance use prevention since 2010 and is skilled in universal, selective, and indicated prevention strategies. Mrs. Bodiford has served on the South Carolina Association of Prevention Professionals and Advocates (SCAPPA) board for several years, and served as the organization’s president from 2018-2020. Mrs. Bodiford holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Developmental Psychology, a Master in Public Health and a Master in Human Services.   The Great Lakes A/MH/PTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.  

Webinar This webinar occurred on 8/8/23 and a one-hour certificate of attendance is available here If you attended the live event on August 8, 2023. Webinar Resources: Slides. Webinar Presentation: Presentation. Certificate: A one-hour certificate of attendance is available here Summary: The webinar explored Cannabidiol (CBD) products are often marketed for a range of different health conditions; however, there is little evidence to support the safety and effectiveness of over-the-counter, non-FDA-approved CBD products for many of these uses. This webinar will highlight information presented in SAMHSA’s advisory titled, Cannabidiol (CBD) – Potential Harms, Side Effects, and Unknowns, which introduces readers to CBD, how it is derived, and how it differs from other cannabinoids and cannabis products. Participants will learn about the biological and physiological effects of CBD, the risks and harms of CBD use, which include interactions with other drugs and potential risks during pregnancy and fetal development, and common misconceptions about CBD, given its broad availability and marketing for several medical conditions despite limited evidence of efficacy. Panelists: Humberto Carvalho - SAMHSA Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Krishnan Radhakrishnan - SAMHSA National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Krishnan Radhakrishnan, MD, PhD, MPH, Physician, Senior Advisor in the National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory (NMHSUPL) within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is board certified in public health and general preventive medicine. Dr. Radhakrishnan has broad-based research experiences and published extensively in the clinical, epidemiological, biomedical, biological and physical sciences, supported by extensive computational modeling, data analysis, interpretation and synthesis. He received his BSc (Hons) from Imperial College London, MS from Cornell University and Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), all in Mechanical Engineering. After several years conducting research at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, focusing on mathematical/computational modeling of combustion, with applications in aero and space propulsion, Dr. Radhakrishnan returned to school, earning his M.D. degree from Case Western Reserve University and MPH from University of Kentucky, Lexington, where he received his residency training in general preventive medicine and public health and served as chief resident and American Cancer Society Fellow, focusing on cancer prevention and control. Amy Berninger, MPH - Abt Associates Health Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation Senior Associate Amy Berninger, MPH, has over 12 years of experience working on a variety of projects related to behavioral health policy that have largely focused on research design, implementation, and evaluation in the areas of substance use disorder prevention and treatment. At Abt Associates, she works on both federal and state research projects for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and others. Through this work, Ms. Berninger has supported institutions with efforts to develop and implement policies and procedures that promote substance use prevention and improve capacity to provide effective treatment and recovery support services for individuals with substance use disorders. Ms. Berninger received her MPH in Epidemiology from Boston University School of Public Health.

  Webinar Description Creating a personal professional development plan can seem challenging, whether it’s finding time within our schedules or balancing family obligations, deciding which trainings to select, or overcoming difficulties and finding the motivation to continue. In this webinar we looked at the benefits of creating and regularly reviewing a professional development plan and examined the key components to include in creating professional development plans, including:   · Revisiting personal professional development goals and strategies considered or started · Assessing and identifying successes and challenges in personal development plans · Exploring strategies to overcome professional development challenges · Exploring potential career pathways and approaches to a career in prevention · Developing a personal 6-month professional development plan   Presenter Carol Oliver is a nationally recognized leader and trainer in substance misuse prevention. She has expertise in knowledge translation, instructional design, and strategic planning. She specializes in developing systems to solve complex health-related problems and creating effective behavioral health workforces. Nicole M. Augustine is a passionate prevention thought leader, dedicated to using innovative strategies to strengthen communities, address health inequities, and drive change. An experienced training and technical assistance (TA) specialist, she specializes in integrating equity throughout the strategic prevention framework. Nicole is a Certified Substance Use Prevention Consultant and a Master Certified Health Education Specialist. She is the author of Prevention Specialist Exam Study Guide (Routledge), a book that helps readers understand the competencies and knowledge necessary to become a certified prevention specialist.   Additional Resources  Flyer  PowerPoint  Handout

  Webinar Description This training will reviewed how Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is diagnosed and its associated effects on the body and long-term impacts on opioid users. Discussion included a review of cognitive impairment, compulsivity factors, risk factors, and physical dependence for OUD, which may have implications for screening and treatment. The stigma associated with opioid use and prevention strategies were also covered.   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.    Additional Resources  Flyer  PowerPoint Supplemental Resource 

Session 1 - Prevention Leadership Through a Culturally Humble Lens   This interactive course provided a foundational conversation that placed the idea of prevention leadership in the context of cultural humility, inequity, and social justice.   Learning Objectives: Define cultural humility. Identify the difference between cultural humility vs. cultural competence.  Discuss the importance of these topics within the context of current SUD prevention priorities, and prevention leadership.  Discuss potential resources for prevention leaders.   Access the supplemental resources associated with this virtual training opportunity via the download button above.

Xylazine: Understanding the Latest Emerging Substance July 25, 2023, 1:00pm-3:00pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION Xylazine (or “tranq”) is a non-opioid sedative and tranquilizer only approved for use in veterinary medicine. However, over the past several years, human consumption of xylazine has begun rapidly increasing. Although initially only identified in illicit drug supplies in limited areas, xylazine has been found in 48 states as of April 2023. Xylazine is frequently, though not exclusively, used in conjunction with opioids, particularly fentanyl—due to xylazine’s ability to prolong their effects. Xylazine use presents many potential dangers to people, including increased risk of overdose and the development of necrotizing tissue damage. This webinar will bring together experts from across disciplines to discuss the history of xylazine use, what is known about its current scope of use and consequences, the effects of xylazine on people, and wound care and other harm reduction strategies. It will also offer an opportunity for participants to ask questions in a roundtable panel discussion format. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Describe Xylazine and its history of use and consequences. Explain how harm reduction strategies need to be adapted for complications in Xylazine use. Describe the current trends that detail the scope and the extent of the Xylazine issue. PRESENTERS Jason Bienert, RN, CWCN Josh Esrick, MPP   DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY (DEA) GUEST:  Gail Poirier Section Chief, Strategic Intelligence Section (NIT) Jaclyn Iera Program Manager, Office of Forensic Sciences   SAMHSA:        Jeanne Tuono Assistant Regional Director (Region 3)      

In this Issue:   The Times, They are a-Changin!: The Updated SPF Application for Prevention Success Training (SAPST) Taking a SAPST course Epi Corner: Understanding and Addressing the Needs of LGBTQ+ Youth Additional Resources for LGBTQ+ Youth What's Happening Around the Region?

  Expected Outcome Tool  

In this Issue:   Data Gap Spurs Development of Collegiate Survey in Arkansas Additional College Intervention Resources Epi Corner: Substance Use, ACEs, and Mental Health Disorders as Contributors to Maternal Mortality What's Happening Around the Region? SAMHSA Releases New Data on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Behavioral Health

  The Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC are dedicated to integrating cultural responsiveness into all our training and technical assistance offerings. We aim to help develop workforce competencies to provide equitable and inclusive care to all. Download this guide to learn more about our growing inventory of evidence-based trainings designed to improve the delivery of culturally-responsive prevention, treatment, and recovery approaches!   If you have questions about the culturally-responsive trainings we currently offer or suggestions for additional culturally-responsive trainings that would support the behavioral health workforces in our region, please contact:  Alfredo Cerrato, Senior Cultural & Workforce Development Officer ([email protected])  

Prevention is a public health strategy has been implemented for centuries. Whether to reduce the spread of disease or to mitigate the use of substances, educating the public on the dangers and potential negative outcomes of risky behaviors has become a mainstay of preventative actions. Educating the general public about health prevention is complex. Within society are cultures and subcultures with their own values, systems of belief, education levels, cultural traditions, and socioeconomic statuses. Additionally, demographics concerning age, racial identity, access to healthy food and healthcare, quality of available education, safe neighborhoods, and affordable housing also factor into prevention-oriented messaging. In short, blanketed, one-size-fits-all prevention strategies often fall short of expected outcomes. 

RECORDING: Demystifying Alcohol Policy Strategies: Planning and Implementation   DESCRIPTION: This 90-minute webinar will provide details on how practitioners can plan for and implement effective policy strategies. This webinar seeks to demystify policy work for practitioners and increase their comfort with and ability to engage in it effectively. The presenter will explore model policies, including successful approaches to working across settings and the importance of partners and leadership.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Identify model policies and their essential components Explain the role of leadership in policy development and implementation. Describe the importance of understanding the opposition in policy implementation Define strategies to counteract existing harmful policies.   This was a three-part webinar series.  Each session was recorded. The two previous session recordings can be found at the following links. June 15, RECORDING: Policy and Prevention: Understanding Effective Alcohol Policy Strategies June 22, RECORDING: How COVID Changed Alcohol Policy   PRESENTER: Maureen Busalacchi  Maureen Busalacchi is currently the Director of the Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Project (WisAPP) at the Medical College of Wisconsin Comprehensive Injury Center. She has had decades of experience in public health policy and systems change as she ran Smoke-Free Wisconsin and lead successful smoke-free air and tobacco tax campaigns. She also chaired the State Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs (SCAODA) ad-hoc committee which rolled out the report on how to reduce excessive drinking in Wisconsin earlier this year. She currently is co-chair of Wisconsin Public Health Association (WPHA) Public Affairs Committee. Maureen is a frequent presenter at state and national conferences on advocacy, systems change and public health issues.  Recently, she served at the Advancing a Healthier Endowment at MCW as a program manager advising in policy and systems change applicants and over 45 grantees. She served as an advisor to the Healthy Wisconsin Leadership Institute and WI Initiative to Promote Healthy Lifestyles (WIPHL), and a mentor for the Wisconsin Women’s Policy Institute. She has served on a city council and president of her children’s PTO and neighborhood association. She lives in Madison with her husband, daughters, dogs, and a large bird.

Use this simple chart & its key questions to map out, track and achieve your own professional development goals. For additional information, view the associated training here. 

Webinar Description The National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards provide a framework to assist organizations to work more effectively and resourcefully with diverse populations. This interactive training will instruct on how to implement the National CLAS Standards within behavioral health care settings to build organizational capacity and provide culturally informed and linguistically conducive services that enhance recovery and wellness pathways, integrate strategies to reduce racial and ethnic disparities and advance behavioral health equity and inclusion for both communities and the professionals that provide care.   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.    Additional Resources  Flyer  PowerPoint  Handout - CLAS Standards Handout - CLAS Checklist  Handout - CLAS Cultural Competence Self Assessment