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This presentation will explain how adolescent brain development creates a special vulnerability to developing substance use disorders. Participants will learn about the impact of substance use on adolescent physical and mental health.

This 4-hour training is designed to increase recognition of gender bias and foster inclusive practices to promote a safe, equitable and supportive work environment for people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming. Participants will identify the promoters and inhibitors of gender equity and inclusion in the workplace.

This training will provide participants with strategies, tools and the confidence to take the important steps to create an LGBTQ inclusive elementary school environment. Participants will leave with concrete strategies to help foster a more inclusive school as well as the confidence to seek teachable moments and respond to questions about LGBTQ topics in an age appropriate way. 

This training will provide participants with strategies, tools and the confidence to take the important steps to create an LGBTQ inclusive school environment. Participants will leave with concrete strategies to help foster a more inclusive school. This specialization at the secondary level is critical to providing educators with the tools and strategies they need for emotional, social and academic success of the students they serve. 

The training team will present an interactive program that integrates best practices and principles regarding training for cultural humility (Fisher-Bourne, Cain and Martin, 2015; Betancourt, Green and Carrillo, 2016), while communicating essential knowledge and nuanced understanding regarding Native communities in Massachusetts.

This 12-hour training teaches active bystander intervention skills through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion to support respectful and equitable interactions to improve employee and client experiences. Participants will learn Ethical Upstander skills to analyze and respond to common microaggressions directed at marginalized social identity groups. This highly interactive training uses workplace scenarios to allow participants to practice skills for supporting those who are targeted and engaging in mindful dialogue with those who are intentionally or unintentionally expressing bias through words, behavior and policies.

This advanced, 12-hour training is designed for those in the field of substance addiction prevention, treatment and recovery who have already completed basic diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training. Participants will examine policies and practices that are barriers to and amplifiers of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)in employment and within the culture and structures of agencies.

This 12-hour advanced training is for those in leadership, supervisory and decision-making positions who have already completed basic antiracism training . This training examines the programs, services and method of delivery that your organization provides. Participants will learn to use a Racial Equity Impact Assessment Tool for planning events, developing programs and creating policies.

This 12-hour advanced training is for those in leadership, supervisory and decision-making positions who have already completed basic antiracism training . This training examines the programs, services and method of delivery that your organization provides. Participants will learn to use a Racial Equity Impact Assessment Tool for planning events, developing programs and creating policies.

This advanced 12-hour training is for those who have already completed basic antiracism training. Many professionals of color working in human services experience racial bias, discrimination and harassment from clients and, too often, agencies don’t know how to respond. Because of mental illness, addiction, head injuries and other factors, many administrators and practitioners believe there is nothing that can be done to prevent or respond to biased behavior from clients. When agencies lack the skills and protocols to prevent and respond to racism, it creates an unsafe, hostile climate. The lack of prevention and support can leave employees of color feeling stressed and alienated, which can impact trust, morale and retention. Ultimately, this lack of effective response to racism harms the client-provider relationship and the agency’s reputation.

This training focuses on the brain structures and systems involved in addiction, the role of learning in the addiction process, and the critical neurological differences between youth and adults. We will first review typical adolescent brain development and how substances can impact the brain’s reward pathway system, leading to addiction.  We will also discuss the impact of both adverse childhood experiences and mental health challenges on neurodevelopment.

We will then focus on the disease model of addiction (as defined by the medical community and evidenced by research), and the role that key regions of the brain play in the development of substance use disorders. We will discuss what takes place at the synaptic cleft when neurons are impacted by substances, and how this changes brain functioning in both the short-term and long-term.  Finally, we will review the implications of the neurobiology of addiction for youth and young adults in recovery and discuss ways that we can help support their recovery over time.

This training is aimed towards anyone working with youth and young adults; prior knowledge is not required

Are e-cigarettes and other nicotine vaping products safe to use? Are they safer than smoking combustible cigarettes? What is the treatment approach with people who want to quit vaping? This workshop will review the evolution nicotine vaping products and the latest research on how they impact physical and mental health, including special considerations for youth and for anyone in recovery from other substance use disorders who use these products. We will discuss the public health debate about these products and provide updates on current Federal regulations. The workshop will also outline treatment approaches for nicotine dependence including best practices for assisting youth and adults who want to quit and applying the Stages of Change model and motivational strategies when working with people who are not ready to quit. 

This training provides an overview of the disease of addiction, key issues to be aware of when working with youth struggling with substance use, and how best to support youth in recovery and their families.

We will review key risk factors for the development of youth substance use disorders, including early onset, trauma, co-occurring mental health issues, genetics, and environmental factors. We will look at trends of use and how best to intervene through screening, assessment, and referral to treatment. Best practices for engaging youth in treatment will be emphasized.

This training will also review the different levels of care currently available in Massachusetts, licensed by the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS)/Office of Youth and Young Adult Services, including detox/stabilization, residential treatment, recovery high schools, and outpatient services. Peer recovery and family recovery best practices and supports will also be identified.

This training is aimed towards anyone working with youth and young adults; prior knowledge is not required.

The adoption of an effective substance use prevention program is only the first step toward achieving the positive youth and family outcomes community-based organizations aim to achieve. Research has demonstrated time and time again that high-quality implementation of evidence-based programs is critical to attaining reductions in youth substance use. However, there continues to be some debate about whether programs should be flexibly adapted to fit local contexts or delivered with strict fidelity to the original program model. Increasingly, evidence from research and practice indicates that there must be a balance between the two to achieve positive and sustained program outcomes. This webinar will provide an overview of the latest research on the fidelity vs. adaptation debate and will share best practice tools and strategies for community organizations aiming to successfully walk the fidelity-adaptation tightrope to meet the needs of their local communities.

The Collaborative for Anti-Racism & Equity (CARE) is hosted its first webinar on 8/24/23 . In this 90-minute presentation, hear from our partners and we discuss our work to support and address racism as a public health crisis.

Webinar Objectives:

• Describe barriers to achieving racial equity
• Explain how governmental programs to achieve racial equity comply with the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Assess community involvement in declarations of racism as a public health crisis and identify opportunities for community to be authentically centered in political processes
• Identify limitations and opportunities for narrative change in news coverage of policy efforts to declare racism a public health crisis
• Learn more about the history of declarations
• Understand their role in public health
• Learn more about APHA’s racism declarations tracking map

Presenters:

Lawrence Haynes – American Public Health Association
Dawn Hunter – Network for Public Health Law
Camara Jones – O’Neill-Lancet Commission on Racism, Structural Discrimination, and Global Health
Catherine Labiran – The Praxis Project
Crystal Lewis – The Institute for Healing, Justice, & Equity
Hina Mahmood – Berkeley Media Studies Group
Ruqaiijah Yearby – The Institute for Healing, Justice, & Equity