CARIBBEAN BASIN: On August 26, 2008, The Caribbean Basin & Hispanic ATTC the Administration of Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services of Puerto Rico (SSA), Mayor Office of Caguas Municipality and Representatives of Recovery Communities will present New Approach for Addiction Recovery, in preparation for September’s Recovery Month. This conference will promote a recovery collaborative system of care for alcohol and drug dependent individuals. Its main objective is for participants to understand the need of a network of systems of care with various collaborative organizations and community and peer supports than can provide services to address the multiple patients’ needs for recovery. Drug addiction will be conceptualized as a chronic treatable brain disease with episodes of relapse expected. SAMHSA’s vision toward recovery will be discussed by Ivette Torres, who develops national communication strategies and campaigns including the observance of the National Alcohol and Drug Recovery Month. The principles, elements and components of this system of care will be described. The Administration of Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services (SSA) will present a project that established a network of organizations that helped in the prevention of drug use among children and adolescents.
The Municipality of Caguas will present a new project that involves government agencies that will serve the substance abuse participant’s needs in their region. Groups from the community such as Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous and family members will discuss their role as a support system in the recovery process and will be asked to help define this collaborative system of care. Dr. Rafaela Robles will present a proposed Recovery System of Care to the audience. Finalizing with recommendations of this system of care that has the assumption that the recovery process needs multiple treatment approaches and organizations support to help individuals sustain recovery.
SPECIAL NOTE: In addition, during this special event the Administration of Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services of Puerto Rico (SSA) will recognize the Caribbean Basin & Hispanic ATTC for its efforts in the Substance Abuse field with community and faith-based organizations, recovery community, universities, professional associations, private providers, government, US Virgin Islands and Hispanic communities in USA.

MID-AMERICA: Mid-America ATTC has received supplemental funding from SAMHSA/CSAT to support a one-year ATTC/American Indian Health Board (AIHB) project. For this project Mid-America will work with the Oklahoma City Area Indian Tribal Health Board (OCAITHB) to develop a culturally appropriate foundational substance use curriculum that can be used in a number of venues with a variety of audiences. Mid-America staff members have met with OCAITHB leadership and curriculum writers to lay the groundwork for this process. The curriculum, Foundations of Substance Use, Abuse and Dependence, developed by Mid-America ATTC will be used as a framework for the project. The project officially begins October 1, 2008. For more information contact Pat Stilen at stilenp@umkc.edu or 816.482.1168.

MID-AMERICA: Mid-America’s 2008 PFR/ATTC Leadership Institute Booster Session was held August 5, 2008 in Kansas City, MO. 16 protégés and 14 mentors attended from the 5-state region. The focus for the day’s training was on NIATx principles—PROCESS IMPROVEMENT IN ADDICTION TREATMENT. A former LI mentor, Marilyn Thoms, provided the training with two current mentors providing site-specific examples and assisting to facilitate the discussion. All three have experience with NIATx process implementation. Each participant was asked to do a “walk-through” exercise in preparation for the Booster Session (either at an airport if traveling by air, at the hotel or in a restaurant) to increase their understanding of how this tool can be utilized in any industry or setting. Observations for improvement in these settings were shared. Both protégés and mentors learned simple process improvement techniques and had the opportunity to discuss possible ways to use these tools and techniques in their leadership projects and/or agencies. For more information contact Debbie Rockford at rockfordd@umkc.edu or 816.482.1175.

MID-AMERICA: Mid-America ATTC is a co-sponsor and conference chair of the Fifth Annual Bi-State American Indian Symposium. This year’s Symposium is scheduled for Monday, November 17, 2008. The title is Building Bridges, Transforming Perceptions towards American Indian People: Changing Tomorrow, Cherishing and Honoring Our Past. The purpose of this annual event is to encourage system changes which support urban American Indian wellness so services are provided in culturally appropriate ways and gaps in services to American Indians are reduced. All presenters at the Symposium are American Indians enrolled with federally recognized tribes. The audience is primarily non-Native persons who provide health, mental health and social services to the urban American Indians in the Greater Kansas City Area. It is a bi-state event including both Kansas and Missouri. Approximately 300 persons attend each year. Currently the planning committee is seeking workshop presenter applications through a Call for Presentations process. If you know of someone who is qualified and might be interested in presenting at this Symposium, or if you want more information about the Symposium, contact Jan Wrolstad at wrolstadj@umkc.ed uor 816.482.1150.

NORTHEAST: The Northeast ATTC New York office is proud to announce the New York state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) organized Run for Recovery, 2-mile, 4-person team event on September 16, 2008. Time: 11:00 am- 2:00 pm. Location: NYS Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY. For online registration please go to www.oasas.state.ny.us . No on-site registration and no entrance fee. After-race refreshments for runners and walkers will be provided and also Foy Brothers will perform live at this event. For more information call-518-457-8299 and for the flyer please click here.

MID-AMERICA: Mid-America ATTC was a co-sponsor with Committed Caring Faith Communities of a quarterly regional meeting for faith organizations in the western part of Missouri. Committed Caring Faith Communities is an organization of faith communities in Missouri which provide support ministries for persons in treatment and recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. This quarterly meeting was held July 30, 2008 in Kansas City, Missouri. Thirty persons from area faith communities attended. These regional quarterly meetings are an opportunity for these faith communities and others who are interested in this work to learn of federally funded programs open to faith communities, network with other faith-based organizations, hear about the latest developments in the field of substance abuse and related issues, introduce other organizations or projects that might be of assistance to the faith community, identify the training needs of faith organizations, and hear about the programs of each of the groups. These meetings are open to any faith organization in Missouri interested in substance abuse prevention, treatment, or recovery support services. Many of the faith community groups which belong to this organization are also part of the Missouri Access to Recovery project. For more information contact Jan Wrolstad at wrolstadj@umkc.edu or 816.482.1150.

NORTHEAST: The Northeast ATTC is pleased to announce the appointment of James L. Aiello to the post of Director, Northeast ATTC. Jim is the former Executive Vice President of Treatment Programs for Gateway Rehabilitation Center, the oldest and largest provider of drug and alcohol rehabilitation services in western Pennsylvania. In this capacity, he had responsibility for the administration, planning and coordination of Gateway’s services, delivered at 19 locations in Pennsylvania. He was with Gateway for over 25 years in various supervisory capacities. Prior to this he was Director of Clinical Services for Turtle Creek Valley MH/MR’s Regional Chemical Abuse Program, and Unit Director for the South Hills Health System’s Regional Alcoholism Program. Jim has been an Instructor in Penn State’s Chemical Dependency Counselor Training Program, has a Masters degree in Theology from St. John’s University in New York City, and a Masters degree in Counseling from the University of Georgia. Jim will begin on August 18th.

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST: The Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy (CABHP) and the Pacific Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center (PSATTC) hosted the 9th Annual Summer Institute July 14-18, 2008 in Sedona. The annual conference drew more than 350 participants from the behavioral health community, including practitioners and supervisors from agencies and health providers across Arizona. The weeklong event featured some of the top experts in behavioral health nationally, including keynote speakers David Shern, President and Executive Director of Mental Health America and Richard Rawson, Associate Director of the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Program (ISAP). Dr. Shern opened the event with The Health/Mental Health Imperative: Integration as the Only Sensible Alternative and Dr. Rawson closed the conference with Substance Abuse Treatment: The Next Generation.

NORTHEAST: The Northeast ATTC is conducting on four hour training, August 11, 2008. The training will be An Overview of Evidence-based Practices and an Overview of Motivational Interviewing with a New York City provider, The New York Center for Living who will treat adolescents in an intervention and aftercare capacity. Several other NIDA Blending trainings are being offered in region over the next two months. Some of the trainings scheduled are: Overview of Motivational Interviewing for Beth Israel Medical Center Social Work department, MIA-STEP for the OASAS Addiction Treatment Center clinical supervisors Rochester, New York, Treatment Planning MATRS for Palladia, Inc, NY, many other trainings are scheduled.

NIDA Initiative Activities