Products and Resources Catalog

The National Alliance on Mental Illness recognizes that current environmental factors are traumatizing people of color, which as a risk factor can also initiate or increase substance use and potentially developing trauma and stress complications. Provider bias in stigmatic language or other microaggressions affect a client’s capacity to respond to clinical interventions and are often identified in research, as components of poor behavioral health outcomes. Culturally responsive organizations integrate cultural humility in all levels of practice and serve delivery, providing highest levels of patient centered care and building equity with persons of color and other marginalized communities. This interactive virtual training will review how to integrate cultural humility within care, review culturally and linguistically appropriate services for organizational capacity building and opportunities for provider practice, and show how cultural responsiveness can increase patient wellness for racial and ethnic populations. This training was approved for two renewal hours (CASAC, CPP, CPS) and two initial hours (CPP, CPS) through New York State’s Office of Addiction Services and Supports (NYS OASAS). As an IC & RC member board, OASAS-accredited courses were granted reciprocal approval by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee. 

Clients with SUD often have quite different histories from the clients we treat with Gaming Disorder. It is not surprising, therefore, that what they need in treatment can be different. There is overlap, of course, but the differences need to be understood by clinicians in order for treatments to be effective. One of the most common errors a clinician can make is to dismiss the problematic Internet behavior as purely symptomatic of underlying issues and, therefore, likely to clear up if those are addressed. This thinking can lead to treatment failure, as we know from the treatment histories of our reSTART clients. Clinicians know better than to make this mistake when assessing a new client who has a SUD. In this training from Hilarie Cash, PhD, LMHC, Co-Founder and Chief Clinical Officer at reSTART Life, you will have the opportunity to learn about the Internet-based behavioral addictions so that assessments are more accurate and treatment outcomes are more successful. Watch the video | Download the slides

Sponsored by the Northwest ATTC and the Washington Recovery Alliance. Affirming care is more than a value—it is a vital practice that directly impacts recovery outcomes for people with substance use disorders. This presentation from Hallie Burchinal, founder and Executive Director of the Center for Growth and Empowerment (CGE), explored the principles and practical application of affirming care, with a focus on how addiction professionals can create treatment environments that are inclusive, culturally responsive, and identity-affirming. Participants learned how affirming practices support engagement, retention, and healing in SUD services, and how small but intentional changes can make a meaningful difference in client experiences and long-term recovery.

In this session from Kamilla Venner, PhD (licensed clinical psychologist and member of the Chitina Village tribe (Athabascan)), attendees explored how to adapt MI strategies to be culturally relevant and effective in addressing co-occurring disorders, with an emphasis on building trust, understanding community-specific challenges, and integrating traditional healing frameworks. The session included both didactic content and a collaborative discussion to equip participants with practical tools for working with Indigenous clients facing mental health and substance use challenges. 

This presentation, led by Sarah Niecko, Assistant Professor of Behavioral Health Sciences at the University of Alaska Southeast, explored how Motivational Interviewing (MI) can be thoughtfully adapted to support individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders in outpatient care settings. Grounded in compassion and guided by a person-centered lens, the session offered practical strategies and real-world case examples to help participants tailor MI techniques to meet the complex needs of this population. Special attention was given to how MI can support harm reduction, enhance medication adherence, reduce relapse risk, and foster supportive relationships and environments in outpatient settings. Participants also examined how MI can be integrated with other therapeutic approaches within outpatient settings to promote sustained recovery through a holistic, multidisciplinary framework.

This presentation from Noel Vest, PhD, Assistant Professor at Boston University School of Public Health, explored findings from a mixed-methods national study examining the structure, implementation, and impact of Collegiate Recovery Programs (CRPs) in the U.S. and Canada. Participants learned about CRP funding models, mutual-help group (MHG) integration, and student recovery pathways, including key demographic trends and service utilization patterns. Drawing on both survey and qualitative data, Dr. Vest also highlighted barriers and facilitators to program success, providing practical recommendations for expanding culturally competent and sustainable recovery support on college campuses. Sponsored by the Northwest and Pacific Southwest ATTCs and the Western States Node of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network (CTN). Download slides | Watch recording

This is a recording of the webinar presented on September 24, 2025 with Helen 'Skip' Skipper. This webinar weaves together the journeys of transformation and the craft of storytelling to empower justice-impacted individuals to speak truth to power with clarity, authority, and care. Grounded in trauma-informed public speaking principles and anchored by the distinction between lived experience and lived expertise, the webinar guides participants from self-awareness and narrative construction to professional elevation and systemic advocacy. Through real stories, practical frameworks, communication strategies for diverse audiences, and emotional aftercare tools, attendees will leave with both the language and the confidence to turn personal history into expertise, influence policy, build leadership pathways, and sustain themselves emotionally while doing high-stakes, meaningful advocacy work.

This is a recording of the webinar presented on September 17, 2025 with Patrick Hibbard, PhD. Peer recovery support specialists play a vital role in helping individuals navigate the path to recovery by drawing on their own lived experience. With this unique role comes a distinct set of ethical responsibilities that safeguard the well-being of both the person served and the peer providing support. This interactive webinar provides an overview of core ethical principles for peer recovery support services, including confidentiality, boundaries, competence, and cultural responsiveness. Participants will explore real-world ethical dilemmas, learn practical strategies for resolving them, and understand how to maintain professional integrity while promoting recovery. Grounded in current standards and supported by reflective tools, this training equips peer professionals with the knowledge and skills to handle complex situations while upholding trust, safety, and quality in service delivery.  

The Working with Indigenous Communities Resource Guides include two components: “The Power of Words: Supporting Indigenous Communities Through Language” and “How to Be a Good Ally: Suggestions for Partnering with Indigenous Communities.” “The Power of Words” is designed to help readers understand the diverse and nuanced terminology used when talking about Indigenous communities, especially in HHS Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington). “How to Be a Good Ally” offers practical support for developing and delivering clinical services and programs that are inclusive of Indigenous communities. Sections of two guides cover: Essential terms to know when working with Indigenous communities Using language with care: Dos and Don’ts What is cultural humility? What is community-based participatory research? Recommendations for working in partnership with Indigenous communities References for learning more

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a powerful, collaborative method for evoking change talk in individuals ambivalent about behavior change, particularly in the treatment of substance use and co-occurring disorders. But what if there were a way to fast-track connection, deepen insight, and adapt MI tools with even greater precision? This presentation from Lisa Hake, LMHC, introduced an integrative shortcut: personality-informed MI. By identifying a client’s core personality pattern—their motivational lens—we gain access to what truly matters to them, helping us tailor our affirmations, reflections, and open-ended questions to their intrinsic worldview.

  The Take 10! Transforming Care for Women with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) and their Families series discusses current issues and challenges confronted by women presenting with substance use, SUDs, and who are in recovery. Women experience SUD in ways that are distinct from men. Studies show that when women begin treatment for SUDs, they frequently arrive with more severe medical, behavioral, psychological, and social struggles compared to men. For these reasons, there is a need for different treatment methods.   SERIES LEARNING OBJECTIVES This series will address: Best practices for treating women with SUDs in the United States, with a focus on the Midwest The link between trauma, substance use, and other co-morbidities in women Using trauma-informed approaches during treatment when appropriate Effective clinical strategies, interventions, and resources that help improve engagement, retention, and completion of treatment programs   TRAINERS Carole Warshaw, MD             Kelly Lemon, APRN, CNM, FACNM             Odayme Quesada, MD             Melinda McMichael, CPRS, CD/PD(DONA), CTSS             Elizabeth E. Krans, MD, MSc             The Great Lakes ATTC 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.

The Take 10! Transforming Care for Women with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) and their Families series discusses current issues and challenges confronted by women presenting with substance use, SUDs, and who are in recovery. Women experience SUD in ways that are distinct from men. Studies show that when women begin treatment for SUDs, they frequently arrive with more severe medical, behavioral, psychological, and social struggles compared to men. For these reasons, there is a need for different treatment methods. Series Learning Objectives This series will address: Best practices for treating women with SUDs in the United States, with a focus on the Midwest The link between trauma, substance use, and other co-morbidities in women Using trauma-informed approaches during treatment when appropriate Effective clinical strategies, interventions, and resources that help improve engagement, retention, and completion of treatment programs   If you missed the series, view the recordings!

This is a recording of the webinar presented on September 10, 2025 with Jodie Dewey, PhD. Cross-agency collaborative models of care, particularly when paired with linkage facilitators or Peer Support Specialists (PSSs) can effectively address health risks frequently impacting individuals with criminal and legal system (CLS) involvement. PSSs draw on their lived experience to build trust and rapport, and to help engage and support individuals in recovery. Their unique positioning enables them to bridge the gap between individuals seeking recovery and the professionals providing services within the CLS, mental health, and clinical settings. While PSSs have demonstrated effectiveness in mental health and medical environments, their impact within CLS settings is understudied. Integrating peers into these settings has proven to be a critical asset, as they offer unique insights, foster trust, and enhance engagement in both recovery and reintegration processes. To address these persistent gaps and optimize the role of peer support, it is essential to build a sustainable cross-agency collaboration model that prioritizes shared goals, clear communication, and coordinated resource allocation. This webinar will outline the role of PSSs and their effectiveness in health care and CLS settings. Research on the effectiveness of cross-agency collaborations to support the population of focus will also be presented. Finally, guidance will be provided to enhance the effectiveness of peer support when working across multiple agencies.  

Providing care and services for people with co-occurring disorders often provides opportunities to guide and support behavior change. Being person-centered and using OARS does not mean we are practicing MI. This interactive learning community session, led by Paul Warren, LMSW, of NY State Psychiatric Institute and the Northwest & Caribbean ATTC, explored the differences between being MI consistent/spirited and when to intentionally practice MI. Understanding this timing can enhance rapport and avoid frustration and conflict. Objectives: Define MI consistent/spirited approach. State the relationship between a behavior change goal, ambivalence and the practice of MI. Describe the intentional use of OARS during the practice of MI. Offer a rational for the use of an MI consistent/spirited approach during every conversation.

This is a recording of the webinar presented on September 4, 2025 with Justin Bell, PhD. Peer recovery support specialists are a vital part of today’s behavioral health and recovery systems, but too often, organizations are unprepared to meet the unique needs of this lived-experience-based workforce. Without intentional support, peer workers face high risks of burnout, emotional exhaustion, and turnover. Join us for a 90-minute webinar exploring how organizations can move beyond self-care messaging to build truly recovery-oriented environments. We’ll unpack the root causes of burnout in peer work, examine whether it’s avoidable or an occupational reality to prepare for, and offer concrete strategies for prevention and response. Participants will gain practical tools to strengthen their peer services through inclusive hiring practices, supportive supervision, collaborative communication, and compassionate approaches to return-to-use scenarios. This webinar is ideal for supervisors, administrators, and program leaders seeking to better support peer workers and build resilient, sustainable teams.

DESCRIPTION Building on the survey of states in Region 3, this workshop is designed to explore state strategies for addressing the workforce crisis in behavioral health. This event will briefly review the most common strategies in states nationally, and the survey findings from states in Region 3. This will be followed by a facilitated discussion and Q&A among representatives of Region 3 states participating in the workshop about successes and obstacles in addressing their workforce challenges. To download the toolkit, please use the State BH Workforce button on the right side of this page. This product was developed in collaboration with Michael Hoge, Ph.D. Michael Hoge, Ph.D., is Professor Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and the Director of Yale Behavioral Health. For four decades at Yale, he has been developing and managing comprehensive systems of behavioral health care and a broad range of clinical, rehabilitative, educational, vocational, outreach, and recovery-oriented services for children, adolescents and adults. Simultaneously, he has worked to develop and evaluate innovative services, including alternatives to hospitalization, crisis response systems, programs for the homeless, and therapeutic schools.  Dr. Hoge, a clinical psychologist, is a nationally recognized expert on behavioral health workforce development. He is a founding member and the Senior Science and Policy Advisor of  The Annapolis Coalition on the Behavioral Health Workforce.

Online Self Paced course available on the HealtheKnowledge platform! Description: This three-hour, four-module course, "Understanding Opioid Use Disorder and Justice Settings," explores the critical intersection of substance use and the justice system. The training will equip participants with scientific explanations of how substance use affects the brain and the goals of medications for opioid use disorder. The training also addresses the crucial issue of stigma and strategies to effectively manage it across diverse environments. Facilitator: Andrea J Yatsco, PhD, CADC, LCDC, A consultant with the SSW ATTC Upon completion of the four modules, a 3.0 Social Work CEU or 3.0 LPC Credit CEU Certificate will be available at no cost to the participant.  NOTE: Registration is required to access the course, however, registration to HealtheKnowledge is free! This presentation was prepared for the South Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network under a cooperative agreement from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This work is supported by grant number 1H79TI087725-01 from the Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The New England ATTC presents speaker slides from the universal TA webinar with subject matter expert Humberto Carvalho, "Building Recovery Ecosystems in Rural Communities."

The New England ATTC presents speaker slides and the Zoom recording from the third session of the three-part targeted TA series, "Foundations of Implementation Science: From Concept to Sustainable Impact" with subject matter expert Zabin Patel-Syed.  

This is a recording of the webinar presented on August 27, 2025 with Franca Dalibor. Clarifying the distinct roles of peer recovery support specialists and sponsors is essential to maintaining the integrity of services across diverse recovery systems and improving outcomes. Because recovery is not one-size-fits-all-and not everyone identifies with 12-step, spiritual or abstinence-based approaches, this training establishes clear expectations and promotes mutual respect for the unique value each role brings to the recovery process.

This is a recording of the webinar presented on August 14, 2025 with Sierra Castedo de Martell, PhD. Economic evaluation is a critical final step in the evaluation toolkit, allowing stakeholders to better understand how far program and service resources go in helping others. Economic evaluation results can also be a powerful tool in advocating for starting or continuing public support and funding for services. However, these evaluations can be challenging to interpret or to understand, especially considering program implementation can vary widely depending on scale, available resources, and factors that have geographic variation like pay or reimbursement rates. This webinar will begin with a primer on common methods of economic evaluation, focusing on what recovery support program staff and administrators need to know to support an economic evaluation of their services and interpret the results. This primer will highlight cost-effectiveness analysis, a widely-used method of economic evaluation that allows for the direct comparison of different types of services. Two free cost-effectiveness calculators will be introduced to webinar participants: one for collegiate recovery programs, and one for peer recovery support services. Both calculators deliver program-specific cost-effectiveness results based on user information, and are intended for use by program staff and administrators who want to better understand their programs’ impact, or who want another tool to advocate for funding and support.

This is a recording of the webinar presented on August 21, 2025 with Jodie Dewey, PhD. Recovery homes are evidence-based interventions that offer safe, supportive environments for individuals pursuing recovery from substance use disorders. Research consistently demonstrates that these homes contribute to improved recovery outcomes, including increased engagement in treatment, higher employment rates, and reduced substance use. Moreover, foundational principles and practices, such as the Social Model of Recovery (SMR) and the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) Level 3 recovery housing practices, offer a framework for their broad implementation. Misconceptions about their structure, purpose, and operations contribute to negative perceptions among the public and professionals alike, ultimately impeding broader support for these essential resources. The training will address current gaps in services for this population and emphasize the importance of cross-sector collaboration between recovery housing and the criminal legal and healthcare systems to enhance support and recovery outcomes, and how such partnerships can reduce stigma, inconsistency in care, and policies that inadvertently undermine the SMR. Case examples of best practices for recovery residences will be presented. Special attention will be given to the layered and complex challenges faced when serving individuals who are under community supervision and prescribed medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).

The Take 10! Transforming Care for Women and their Families with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) series is designed to discuss current issues and challenges confronted by women presenting SUDs and those with SUDs who are in recovery. Studies have shown that women begin treatment for SUDs frequently arrive with more severe medical, behavioral, psychological, and social struggles compare to men, implying the need for gender-specific treatment. Expert speakers from the substance use field will guide discussions and share evidence-based practices tailored to the specific needs of women. Participants will be able to enhance their knowledge and skills in the assessment and provision of mental health services for women from various backgrounds who experienced trauma, intimate partner violence, and discrimination. Other topics include the history of women in recovery, men counseling women, co-occurring disorders, barriers to accessing services, and other health related social issues. By engaging with the Take 10! series, individuals can actively contribute to the transformation of care for women and their families, fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment for those on the journey of recovery. During this 2- hour training session, the presenter will discuss treatment models that are family-centered for mothers in recovery and experiencing substance use disorders. These are the overall learning objectives for the series: Understand the link between trauma, substance use, and other co-morbidities in women. Understand health needs observed in women in recovery and experiencing substance use disorders. Discuss effective clinical strategies, interventions, and resources that help to improve engagement, retention, and completion of treatment programs      Trainer: Michelle Evans, PhD Dr. Michelle Evans, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Sex Offender Treatment Provider and Evaluator, has dedicated her career to supporting individuals and families impacted by addiction, with a particular focus on the Hispanic/Latino community. Her extensive background includes leadership as a hospital administrator and work as a bilingual forensic evaluator and treatment provider. She currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Elgin Mental Health Center, a state forensic psychiatric hospital in Elgin, Illinois. In her private practice at Nickerson & Associates, PC, Dr. Evans specializes in the evaluation and treatment of adults and adolescents facing challenges with substance and sex addictions. Her clinical work addresses the complex intersection of addiction, trauma, and mental health, helping clients reclaim their lives and relationships. In addition to her clinical and administrative work, Dr. Evans is an educator who teaches social work and mental health courses at Aurora University and Indiana Wesleyan University. A passionate advocate for equity, justice, and culturally responsive care, Dr. Evans consistently works to advance awareness, compassion, and effective services for marginalized and underserved populations. Her career reflects an unwavering commitment to addressing addiction and mental health challenges through culturally grounded, person-centered care.       The Great Lakes ATTC 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.

This is a recording of the webinar presented on August 6, 2025 with Humberto Carvalho, MPH. Early intervention strategies are critical for youth in rural areas facing substance use challenges. These strategies not only help prevent long-term addiction but also address underlying factors that contribute to substance use, such as social isolation, lack of resources, and limited access to healthcare. This webinar will discuss effective early intervention strategies that are proactive, community-driven, and adaptable to local challenges.