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SCLC | Fall 2025

Upcoming Events

December Webinar: Cessation Under Siege | December 2

SCLC’s next webinar, Building a System That Helped 300,000 People Quit Smoking will take place on December 2 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Renee Fogelberg, MD, FACOG, Dipl. ABOM, NCMP, Clinical Lead Tobacco Cessation at Kaiser Permanente, Northern California will explain how to design and build a new tobacco cessation workflow that integrates into electronic medical records and how to leverage strategic “teachable moments” where quit rates are statistically higher.

Our October Webinar is Now On Demand!

Did you miss our October webinar Tobacco Cessation Under Siege: Industry Reinvention, Federal Setbacks, and California’s Lessons in Resilience with Pamela M. Ling, MD, MPH, Timothy McAfee, MD, MPH, and April Roeseler, BSN, MSPH? It’s not too late to tune in! The webinar is now available on demand.

Watch here!

Participate in a

UCSF Research Study!

Your Insights Needed on Tobacco Cessation and Re-Entry Populations

The Smoking Cessation Leadership Center is seeking input from Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) administrators to better understand how CCBHCs are addressing tobacco dependence for individuals in the re-entry populations. To support this effort, we are conducting key informant interviews to gather insights on current initiatives, challenges, and opportunities.

We are prioritizing the recruitment of all CCBHC administrators in facilities located in urban and rural settings, as well as administrators working in facilities that are Medicaid funded, a Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration Grantee, or are operating with a state Medicaid waiver. Interviews will be conducted over Zoom and last 30 to 45 minutes.

We will explore:

How your clinic engages with individuals involved in the criminal legal system
The successes and challenges you’ve encountered in providing tobacco cessation support
Barriers that may prevent engagement with this population

Your insights will help shape discussions on improving awareness and confidence in providing cessation support to this community. We will offer a $35 gift card for your time and effort.

Please let us know if you are interested in participating in this study by emailing Maria Pamatmat at MaKrisanta.Pamatmat@ucsf.edu.

Features

New Comprehensive Presentation Resource on Tobacco Use and Behavioral Health Now Available

The National Partnership on Behavioral Health and Tobacco Use, co-founded by SCLC, brings together leaders from the tobacco control, public health, and behavioral health sectors to develop a comprehensive plan to address disparities in commercial tobacco use prevalence and improve access to treatment in the US for those with behavioral health conditions. The Communications Workgroup of the National Partnership has created a PowerPoint slide deck that serves as a ready-to-use resource for external presenters to educate audiences on the harms of tobacco, share treatment resources for individuals with behavioral health conditions, and provide key references with credible citations. Presenters can tailor the deck to their needs by selecting individual slides or presenting the full deck.

We invite you to explore and share the presentation deck with your community.

If you use this resource, we kindly ask that you share your feedback by completing the brief survey linked on the first slide of the presentation.

For more information on the National Partnership on Behavioral Health and Tobacco Use visit BH4TobaccoFree.org

Technical Assistance is Just One Click Away!

With more than 20 years of experience leading the field in tobacco cessation, SCLC’s expert team provides tailored technical assistance to meet your organization’s unique needs. From policy development to clinical protocols, we’ll help you access proven resources, connect with partnership leaders, and strengthen your systems for success.

Announcements

November 20 is the Great American Smokeout (GASO)!

This national event is an ideal opportunity for behavioral health facilities to promote tobacco-free living and spark conversations about quitting tobacco. Facilities can encourage staff and patients to commit to one day without tobacco and use the moment to highlight available quit resources, medications, or referrals to quitlines. GASO is also a great opportunity to reinforce swapping smoke breaks for wellness breaks and creating activities that support well-being. Even a single day tobacco-free can inspire confidence and spark longer-term quit attempts. Learn more at the American Cancer Society webpage.

New Quality Standard for Smoking Cessation in Accredited Cancer Programs

Beginning January 1, 2026, the Commission on Cancer will require all accredited cancer programs implement a process to screen patients with newly diagnosed cancer for current smoking. Patients who are current smokers must receive or be referred for smoking cessation treatment consistent with evidence-based guidelines within 30 days of screening, and smoking cessation treatment services must be available on site or by referral.

Learn more about these new standards

Visit our website at SmokingCessationLeadership.ucsf.edu for more evidence-based resources.

Tools and Resources

Thinking about thinking about going tobacco-free? Find out what stage of change your facility is at with our interactive online Tobacco-free Toolkit for Behavioral Health Agencies. Stay tuned for an updated version of our toolkit in 2026!

Did you know we have toolkits, infographics, online curriculum and more? Find what you need under Resources on our website.

Explore our Affiliated Centers at UCSF

The Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education (CTCRE) is also a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Tobacco Control. CTCRE carries out its work through rigorous and relevant research that reaches policymakers and the public.

The UCSF Fontana Tobacco Treatment Center offers classes as well as individual consultations with health care professionals trained in treating tobacco addiction. Fontana helps individuals who use tobacco – including cigarettes, vapes and smokeless tobacco – maximize their chances of quitting for good.