Resource Library

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

In this video series, you will hear from experienced prevention specialists working in New England describing the varied roles and experiences of prevention specialists. Each video focuses on a Prevention Performance Domain as defined by the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) Prevention Specialist Job Analysis. Through these videos, you will learn what each prevention domain is and how all the domains function together for effective prevention. If you are new to the field of prevention, or starting a new role within the field, these videos will help you understand the science and practice of prevention specialists.

This brief from the CDC provides an overview of health equity, health disparities, how it's connected to the social determinants of health, and what you can do to promote health equity.

Recent legislation in Massachusetts requires that parents of middle and high school athletes and other adults such as coaches, athletic directors, athletic trainers, and school nurses receive educational materials on the potential dangers of opioid use and misuse. The educational materials shall also be distributed in written form to all students participating in an extracurricular athletic activity prior to the commencement of their athletic seasons.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) and Massachusetts Technical Assistance Partnership for Prevention (MassTAPP) collaborated to provide action steps to help prevent opioid misuse and overdose among student athletes. This fact sheet also highlight resources for addressing possible alcohol or opioid misuse or addiction.

A new CDC feature article gives parents and educators tips and resources to help them protect youth from the harms of vaping. Parents and educators--including teachers, administrators, and coaches--play an important role in protecting youth from e-cigarettes, also known as vapes. As students go back to school, it is the perfect time to educate them about the dangers of vaping. This article highlights e-cigarette use among youth, the health risks of vaping for youth, how nicotine can be a source of stress, and resources to help youth quit vaping. It includes suggestions on how parents and educators can talk to youth about the dangers of vaping and how to quit.

 

This is a list of characteristics of white supremacy culture that show up in our organizations. Culture is powerful precisely because it is so present and at the same time so very difficult to name or identify. The characteristics listed are damaging because they are used as norms and standards without being proactively named or chosen by the group. They are damaging because they promote white supremacy thinking. Because we all live in a white supremacy culture, these characteristics show up in the attitudes and behaviors of all of us – people of color and white people. Therefore, these attitudes and behaviors can show up in any group or organization, whether it is white-led or predominantly white or people of color-led or predominantly people of color.

This website offers a revised and updated take on the original article outlining White Supremacy characteristics, written in 1999 when the author was working in collaboration with his late colleague and mentor Kenneth Jones.

Health equity matters in prevention and has always mattered. It is and should always be at the core of everything we do. This means understanding the role of structural and institutional inequality in creating disparities. With health equity in the front of mind we can ensure that we are providing the best prevention interventions possible to meet community needs. Take this course to uncover why health equity matters and how we can prioritize equity in action.