NORTHEAST: The Northeast ATTC is in the process of developing an online discussion forum to create a community of providers who are currently or have experience implementing projects involving Motivational Incentives. The online learning community (discussion forum) will serve as a place to share information and possibly interact with members of NIDA's Motivational Incentives workgroup. The target launch date is June 2008.

NATIONAL OFFICE: Get to kNOw: The National Office’s Summer 2008 Training Series - Coming this summer to a computer monitor and phone line near you! Please join any and all of the PowerPoint-assisted teleconference training series in which the ATTC National Office invites you to Get to kNOw …

• The NEW ATTC Style Guide
• The Web Site Administration Functions
• The NEW ATTC Products Database
• ATTCnetwork.org
• “Workforce Development” on ATTCnetwork.org
• “Featured Topics Library” on ATTCnetwork.org
• AddictionCareers.org
• fightRXabuse.org

For specific dates, times and descriptions please check the ATTC Intra-Network Calendar available on the Administrative Porthole page (scroll to bottom). You may register for any of the training series by clicking on this link and completing the on-line registration form: Click here to register.
Please contact the ATTC National Office: 816-235-6888 if you have any questions or email Laurie Krom at: kroml@umkc.edu.

NORTHEAST: The New York office of the Northeast ATTC project lead, Michelle Cleary, conducted a presentation on the ATTC network's Leadership Institute at the New England School of Addiction Studies on June 11. The presentation was done as part of an all day session offered by the Executive Deputy Commissioner of OASAS, Kathleen Caggiano-Siino who presented on NY's Talent Management goals and objectives. Katie Kirkpartick of St. Joseph's Rehabilitation Center in Saranac Lake also presented on Performance Based Compensation.

NORTHEAST: The Northeast ATTC along with IRETA is hosting the first session of the 2008 Scaife Advanced Medical Student Assistantship in Alcohol and Other Drug Dependency program has begun and will run through June 25th. Participant include seven medical and psychology students from across the US. This is a three week program that offers students training in the field of Addiction Services incomparable to any they may have encountered in their prior medical school education or residency experience. This program provides a clinical experience to increase awareness and knowledge in screening and diagnosing substance use disorders, research, brief motivational interviewing skills, neonatal treatment of chemically dependent infants, family issues, methadone maintenance and other issues.

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST: On June 17, 2008 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Dr. Thomas Freese will participate in a CPDD Workshops entitled, Innovative Technology Transfer and Information Dissemination Strategies: Results from Five ATTC-sponsored Initiatives. The workshop is co-chaired by Drs. Skinstad (Prairielands ATTC) and Horvatich (Mid-Atlantic ATTC). Additional co-presenters include Dwayne Mackey, and Nancy Roget. For more information, please contact Sal Santoyo at sasantoyo@mednet.ucla.edu.

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST: On June 18-19, 2008 in Burlingame, CA, Dr. Richard Rawson will present an Overview of the CalOMS Evaluation at the 2008 California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs’ Conference entitled, Implementing a Comprehensive Continuum of Services – Beyond Transition-Creating Synergy. Dr. Thomas Freese will also participate in a panel at this conference on “Workforce Development: How to Develop, Support and Retain a Quality Workforce.” For more information, please contact Bethany Stern at bplain@ucla.edu.

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST: On June 20, 2008 in Los Angeles, CA, the PSATTC, together with UCLA ISAP and Los Angeles Metropolitan Churches, will sponsor a training entitled, Professional Substance Abuse Assessment and Screening for Faith-Based Leaders. Training participants will receive a copy of the SAMHSA document “Core Competencies for Clergy and Other Pastoral Ministers in Addressing Alcohol and Drug Dependency and the Impact on Other Family Members.” A second training on the topic of core counseling competencies will be held on July 20th (additional information will appear in a future issue of kNOw Notes). For more information, please contact Beth Rutkowski at finnerty@ucla.edu.

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST: On June 23-25, 2008 in Orlando, FL, Beth Rutkowski will participate in the 2008 SAAS National Conference and NIATx Summit. On June 25th, she will present during a workshop entitled, Learning Collaboratives: Developing a Local Learning Collaborative, Improving Client Engagement and Retention, and Going International. The topics of her presentations are: (1) the LA County/CA NIATx experience (co-presented with Akiko Tagawa, LA County ADPA), and (2) an international application of NIATx in the UNODC Treatnet capacity-building project (co-presented with Michael Boyle, Fayette Companies). For more information, please contact Beth Rutkowski at finnerty@ucla.edu.

CENTRAL EAST: The Danya Institute and Central East will continue to support three ongoing co-occurring competent training programs in the District of Columbia during 2008. These concurrent programs, coordinated in conjunction with the DC Department of Mental Health, comprise classes meeting once or twice a month, giving each participant a total of 81 hours of training while preparing them to work in co-occurring treatment environments.

NEW ENGLAND: ATTC-NE Co-Director Steve Gumbley was elected an at-large member of the Board of Directors of Faces & Voices of Recovery beginning July 1. He joins two other New England representatives: CCAR Executive Director Phil Valentine (at-large) and regional rep. Patty McCarthy, Director of Friends of Recovery - Vermont (FOR-VT). More information about Faces & Voices of Recovery can be found at their website: www.facesandvoicesofrecovery.org

NEW ENGLAND: The ATTC-NE is sponsoring more than 15 courses for counselors, clinical supervisors and administrators at the 39th Annual New England School of Addiction Studies being held from June 9 - 13, 2008 at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, New Hampshire. The Summer School is an intensive week-long experience for participants to further their knowledge, skills, and experience in the field of chemical dependency services through in-depth coursework.

NEW ENGLAND: Steve Gumbley presented on “Alcohol and Substance use in the LGBTI Community” at the Maine LGBTI Health Disparities Summit in Augusta, Maine, May 29, 2008. This “first ever” statewide conference on healthcare issues for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons was sponsored by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Department of Health and Human Services. Almost 200 practitioners participated in the day-long conference.

NORTHEAST: Staff from the New York Office of the NeATTC took part in the 2nd Annual NYS Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers Co-occurring Disorders Conference on May 14-16, 2008. Representatives from organizations in New York State who work in Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders presented on a variety of topics. The NeATTC Booth was displayed and materials were disseminated.

NORTHEAST: The Northeast ATTC would like to congratulate the fifty certified TIP #42 Trainers, recognized by the Departments of Health and Welfare for successful completion of the SAMHSA Substance Abuse Treatment for Persons with Co-Occurring Disorders (TIP 42) Training of Trainers Curriculum. These COCE TOT trainings were held in February and April 2008 in Pennsylvania. To see a complete list of trainings please visit http://www.pa-co-occurring.org/

NORTHEAST: The Northeast ATTC, in conjunction with NYS OASAS and OMH sponsored the COCE training or trainers in NYC on June 4-6. Twenty five trainers were trained at the NYC Office of OASAS. Representatives from NYS OASAS and OMH as will as representatives from several community based substance abuse and mental health organizations took part in the training. A learning community will get underway shortly to support the trainers as they roll out the training in their community.

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST: On June 14, 2008 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Dr. Thomas Freese will participate in the 8th Annual SAMHSA-CSAT Satellite Session. The CPDD pre-conference session is entitled, Linking Research to Practice: Addressing Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in Substance Abuse Treatment and HIV/AIDS. For more information, please contact Dr. Freese at tefreese@ix.netcom.com.

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST: On July 14-18, 2008 in Sedona, AZ, the PSATTC will host the 9th Annual Summer Institute. This year’s event continues a tradition of excellence as the PSATTC hosts an array of presenters representing the top leaders and innovators in the behavioral health field. Some features of SI08 will include: 6 nationally renowned keynote speakers; 40 breakout sessions covering a broad variety of important topics; more than 500 attendees from all levels of the behavioral health community; the first-ever weeklong Motivational Interviewing Academy; and deluxe conference accommodations at the Hilton Sedona Resort & Spa. The lineup of keynote speakers and trainers represents some of the leading clinical trainers and researchers from across the country, including:

• David Shern, Ph.D., President & Executive Director , Mental Health America
• Michael Flaherty, Ph.D., Executive Director, Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions (IRETA)
• Michael Dennis, Ph.D., Senior Research Psychologist and Director, Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN) Coordinating Center, Chestnut Health Systems
• Judith Cook, Ph.D., Director, Mental Health Service Research Program & Professor of Sociology in Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Richard Rawson, Ph.D., Associate Director, UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (ISAP)
• Margaret (Peggy) Swarbrick, PhD, OTR, CPRP, Director, Institute for Wellness and Recovery Initiatives, Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey

For more information about SI 2008, visit: www.cabhp.asu.edu.

CENTRAL EAST: Central East has co-sponsored a long term MIA: STEP implementation initiative with the Mid-Atlantic Node at 6 Baltimore CTN program sites. The initiative began in June, 2007 with the training of all clinical staff in MI, continued with the training of senior clinical staff in MIA: STEP, and now will train all clinical supervisors in MIA: STEP. Central East is in the process of planning similar training within the Central East region around other blending initiatives.

MID-AMERICA: Mid-America ATTC provided a three-hour workshop on the NIDA Blending Team Product, Promoting Awareness of Motivational Incentives: An Overview of Motivational Incentives Featuring the Fishbowl Method, at the 2008 MidSOUTH Summer School on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Problems. The workshop was held on June 9, 2008, at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock in Little Rock, Arkansas. Mid-America ATTC Associate Director Jan Wrolstad and Project Manager Debbie Rockford co-facilitated the workshop. 75 participants attended. For more information contact Jan Wrolstad at wrolstadj@umkc.edu or 816.482.1150.

NIDA Initiative Activities