SAMHSA TAP on Addiction Counseling Competencies

Craig Anne forwarded information about one of SAMHSA's TAPs (Technical Assistance Publications--will add to the glossary) related to addiction counseling competencies. This would be relevant to the group in light of our PAB meeting discussion on licensure and certification of addiction professionals in Tennessee.

To view other TAPs or TIPs (Treatment Improvement Protocols), go to this link.

Glossary Update

Nancy has a glossary that will be posted here soon; this electronic file will be stored on the electronic document archive.

In the meantime, I have created a T-ACT Wikispace, which among other things creates a public area to edit files collaboratively. In that space, I have created a glossary page with a few key acronyms.

The goal is to have something that everyone can contribute information as they think of it and have time so that we don't have to wait for one person to compile all the information. We will work on migrating Nancy's glossary to this space, too. If you would like to be invited to help edit this document (and others as they move to the site), please email Robert.

The space is free, but not costless. The wiki has Google Ads on the side.

Brain's Role in Addiction

The San Jose Mercury News reports on a current article in Science:

WASHINGTON - Damage to a silver dollar-sized spot deep in the brain seems to wipe out the urge to smoke, a surprising discovery that may shed important new light on addiction.

The research was inspired by a stroke survivor who claimed he simply forgot his two-pack-a-day addiction - no cravings, no nicotine patches, not even a conscious desire to quit.

...

Clearly brain damage isn't a treatment option for people struggling to kick the habit.

But the finding, reported in Friday's edition of the journal Science, does point scientists toward new ways to develop anti-smoking aids by targeting this little-known brain region called the insula. And it sparked excitement among addiction specialists who expect the insula to play a key role in other addictions, too.

...

Why? The insula appears to be where the brain turns physical reactions into feelings, such as feeling anxious when your heart speeds up. When those reactions are caused by a particular substance, the insula may act like sort of a headquarters for cravings.

I will post a link to the article in Science when it goes online Friday.

Update: The full article is not available online. You may view the abstract here.

I Use Alone, Yeah, With Nobody Else

The RAND Corporation published a study comparing attitudes of 8^th-graders who use illegal substances socially to those who use by themselves. They document attitudinal differences in adolescence and poorer outcomes at age 23.

You can find more on their substance abuse-related research at RAND's website. They also have relevant information in some of their other centers, so check it out.

Child Trauma Assessment Tools

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) website containes a database of assessment tools for adolescents and other family members, including information about research studies that have used these measures. This may be useful for providers in identifying childhood trauma related to a youth's substance use or other problems.

SAMHSA Resources for Co-occurring Disorders

SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information has many items of interest to health care professionals, including an issue of this newsletter relating to co-occurring disorders in primary care settings. This is a link to other brochures and newsletters maintained in SAMHSA's Knowledge Application Program.

National Videoconference on Juvenile Status Offenders

From an email from the OJP/OJJDP:

On Thursday, January 18, 2007, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, in conjunction with the American Bar Association's Commission on Youth at Risk and the Family and Youth Services Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will air the national videoconference "Addressing the Needs of Juvenile Status Offenders and Their Families."

This live satellite/Internet videoconference will focus on the factors that may lead a status offender to become more deeply involved in serious risk behavior, offending, and the juvenile justice system. The broadcast will highlight programs, practices, and policies that have shown promise in intervening with status offenders by reducing further offending, providing support to their families, and steering them toward a positive future. The broadcast will be available for viewing via satellite downlink or Internet Web streaming.

Resources:

To register or to get additional information about "Addressing the Needs of Juvenile Status Offenders and Their Families," visit http://www.trc.eku.edu/jj.

You may also contact by email.

Safe Places & Starbucks

The Nashville City Paper has an article on Oasis & Safe Places. Starbucks just signed up to be a safe place. Other safe places: Metro Fire Dept, Metro Transit Authority, and every school in Davidson county as well as some Kroger stores, Wendy's restaurants & local YMCAs. From the article:

“If you’re a teen and you’re in crisis, if you’re in a home that there’s some abuse going on… and you’re not feeling safe, you can go to any Starbucks in Nashville, walk up to an employee – they’ve all been trained – and say ‘I need some help,’” Oasis spokesperson Kelly Motley said.

According to Oasis officials, once a teen expresses his or her need for help, someone from the center shelter will send a staff member to the Starbucks or a cab will be dispatched to pick up the teen. The staff at the center then assesses the teen’s needs and may provide temporary housing for up to two weeks.

The center is also distributing print materials at every location for customers to read while at the coffee shop.

PAB Meeting Scheduled for 1/30/07

A preliminary agenda is available for this quarter's project advisory board meeting, to be held at the Nashville Downtown Public Library (directions; map).

Primary Care and SA Treatment

The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, presents a free webcast:

The Role of Primary Care in Substance Abuse Treatment
Friday, January 19, 2007
1:00 - 2:30 p.m. ET / 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. CT

Click here to register or obtain more information.

New Funding Opportunities

Nancy found a couple of funding opportunities that may be of interest to members of the group.

• Mobilizing New Mentors Through Faith- and Community-Based Collaborations: a training opportunity scheduled for April 11-13, 2007 in Nashville. The program is hosted by MentorYouth.com, a division of National Network of Youth Ministries, and the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), and The Corporation for National and Community Service.
  
  
• Targeted Capacity Expansion Program for Substance Abuse Treatment and HIV/AIDS Services: an RFA from the federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) to:

  enhance and expand substance abuse treatment and/or outreach and pretreatment services in conjunction with HIV/AIDS services in African American, Latino/Hispanic, and/or other racial or ethnic communities highly affected by the twin epidemics of substance abuse and HIV/AIDS.

  Programs targeted to adolescents ages 12-17 years old are among those in which CSAT is interested.