August 2022
In this Issue:



  • What's Happening Around the Region?
  • Register: Ditching the Discomfort with Data Series, Part 4, Analyzing Data
  • Products: Building a Youth Prevention System, A 3-part Webinar Series
  • Southern Plains Tribal Health Board Training Summit, August 23-25

  • National Latino and Behavioral Health PTTC events
  • National Latino Behavioral Health Conference, September 15-16
  • Register: Accelerating Training in Behavioral Health Equity: A Learning Series for Trainees
Preventing Overdose: Challenges and Promising Approaches
Preventing Overdose: Challenges and Promising Approaches
By Iris Smith, PhD., M.P.H.

North America continues to experience the highest drug-related mortality rate in the world. According to recent provisional data released from the National Vital Statistics System, the number of overdose deaths in the United States increased 8.2% from February 2021 to February 2022, with the total number of deaths estimated at 105,770.1
 
Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are largely responsible for the observed increase, with 83% of all opioid deaths involving a synthetic opioid.2 The increase has occurred despite state efforts to address the opioid crisis by increasing public education, outreach, harm reduction programs for drug users, and increasing availability of Naloxone...

The rapidity and severity of fentanyl overdose makes it imperative that users, emergency responders, and other health professionals be familiar with the signs of overdose such as, non-responsiveness, blue-gray lips, decreased respiration, hypoxia, and body rigidity. The use of rapid fentanyl test strips as well as innovative uses of technology to assist users in self-monitoring can also help to reduce overdose risk.7,8,9

About the campaign - International Overdose Awareness Day

An inspired idea, International Overdose Awareness day was initiated in 2001 by Sally J Finn at The Salvation Army in St Kilda, Melbourne. Since 2001, many community members as well as government and non-government organizations have held events...

Read more
www.overdoseday.com
Overdose Prevention

More work can be done to improve opioid prescribing, prevent misuse of prescription opioids and use of illicit opioids, reverse opioid overdoses, and treat opioid use disorder. Learn more about opioids and opioid overdose prevention.

Read more
www.cdc.gov
Texas Prevention-A New Name and a New Focus
Recently we heard from the Texas Health and Human Services, Prevention and Behavioral Health Promotion (PBHP) department about the exciting prevention and behavioral health focus and projects for the state of Texas, including:

  • A new name for the prevention services team,  Prevention and Behavioral Health Promotion, (PBHP),
  • A statewide primary prevention and behavioral health promotion campaign,
  • A coalition focus on creating environmental and systemic changes and providing stress-reducing and healing activities,
  • Innovative healing-centered projects that promote resiliency, social connection, and healing for Texans who are at-risk for substance misuse.
What's Happening Around the Region
Continue Your Data Journey and Ditch the Discomfort

A 5-part series presented by the South Southwest PTTC
 
In this five-part series, Dr. Hayden Center has taken us on a data journey that began with an overview of the basic components of data literacy. Now, in parts two through five, he’s taking us on a deeper dive into data collection, data analysis and interpretation, and finally visualizing and communicating data to your partners.
 
Have you been participating in the series on Ditching the Discomfort with Data? The resources and recordings for sessions 1-3 are available on our website and registration for part 4 is below. 
 
Ditching the Discomfort with Data Series, Part 4, Analyzing Data

Date: August 30
Time: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. MT / 10:30 - 12:00 p.m. CT / 11:30-1:00 p.m. ET
 
Data analysis is the process of working with data to gather useful information, which can then be used to make informed decisions. Part 4 of the Ditching the Discomfort with Data series will explore several methods and techniques prevention professionals and their partners need to perform to determine risks, consequences, and resources within a community.
Building a Youth Prevention System
A 3-part webinar series

Involving youth and young adults in meaningful substance misuse prevention efforts presents unique challenges. Challenges are important to overcome because participation by youth and young adults is a powerful means of driving community-level behavior change. The Building Youth Prevention Systems series helps prevention professionals overcome some of the challenges that are encountered when involving youth in your programming.

This series presented earlier this year is now available on our website and YouTube channel.

  • Part 1, Building a Youth Prevention System
  • Part 2, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Part 3, Building Authentic Youth and Adult Partnerships
Southern Plains Tribal Health Board Training Summit is Online!
 
Register now for free training from public health professionals in tribal public health.

Date: August 23-25, 2022
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3 p.m. CT each day
Duration: Sessions vary in length from one to three hours with CEU credits offered as an option when registering.

Please share this information with your colleagues!
Watch our website for
future events
Download resources
from our website
Subscribe and view past training from
our YouTube channel
National Hispanic and Latino PTTC Events
Please consider attending and sharing the events promoted below by one of our partners, the National Hispanic and Latino PTTC.
The 2022 National Latino Behavioral Health Conference
This year’s conference theme is: Latino Behavioral Health Equity: ¡Juntos Podemos! Just as our theme suggests, this will be an opportunity to gather together to share our collective expertise, knowledge and skills and to amplify the vital work being done by, with, and for Latino communities. A great opportunity to learn from experts in the field and gather relevant information on working with Latino individuals and communities!
Accelerating Training in Behavioral Health Equity: A Learning Series for Trainees

This 4-part learning series is designed to enhance education and training related to health equity for current behavioral health trainees. The program is designed to introduce trainees to various structural factors that contribute to behavioral health disparities, outline the role of social justice in achieving behavioral health equity, and foster understanding and appreciation of culture and community in promoting equity. The program is also designed to increase the number of behavioral health trainees with a particular emphasis on and orientation towards applying social justice to behavioral health practice.

Session 1
Date: Aug 22, 2022
Time: 12:00 pm MST / 1:00 p.m. CT / 2:00 pm ET

Session 2
Date: Aug 23, 2022
Time: 12:00 pm MST / 1:00 p.m. CT / 2:00 pm ET

Session 3
Date: Aug 29, 2022
Time: 12:00 pm MST / 1:00 p.m. CT / 2:00 pm ET

Session 4
Date: Aug 30, 2022
Time: 12:00 pm MST / 1:00 p.m. CT / 2:00 pm ET