Recent News

Watch the recorded virtual panel presentation in honor of Black History Month. The panel features the 2024 Hall of Fame Award Recipients from the Museum of African American Addictions, Treatment, and Recovery and is moderated by our colleagues, Mark Sanders and Kisha Freed. The group discusses the importance of providing culturally-responsive care and ways practitioners can be […]

By:  Kisha Freed and Mark Sanders Ella Fitzgerald’s 1938 blues song, “When I Get Low, I Get High,” eloquently summarizes the medicinal role alcohol and other drugs have played for African Americans experiencing oppression, isolation, and depression (Sanders, Sanders and White, 2006). The first article of this three-part series discusses the cultural importance of spirituality […]

Publication date: November 27, 2023 By: Tanner Bommersbach, MD, MPH; Policy Fellow, Center for Mental Health Services   As we approach the holiday season, it is important to remember that it is very common to feel added stress — and this stress can worsen symptoms of a mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety, or a substance use […]

  World AIDS Day is observed on December 1 each year. It is a day of solidarity for people around the world who are affected by HIV and an opportunity to remember those we have lost and emphasize the urgency of our collective commitment to ending the HIV epidemic. (cdc.gov)   In honor of World […]

November is National Homelessness Awareness Month. SAMHSA is committed to addressing the needs of individuals, including youth, and families with substance use disorders or mental health issues who are experiencing homelessness. We invite you share programs and resources to spotlight this important cause and increase continued efforts to aid those in need. #HomelessnessAwarenessMonth

Join us in honoring National Native American Heritage Month this November by sharing products and trainings offered by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, PTTC, our national centers, and SAMHSA.     Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC Breaking Intergenerational Patterns of Addiction, Trauma, and Dark Secrets Cultural Factors in Substance Use: A Native Holistic Perspective Desk Guide: A Comprehensive […]

This October, the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC are honoring Domestic Violence Awareness Month by sharing culturally responsive and trauma-informed training and resources that support individuals and families experiencing domestic violence (DV), intimate partner violence (IPV), and substance use disorder (SUD). Research shows there is an association between DV/IPV and SUD, and these co-occurring […]

The Desk Guide: Engaging and Effective Teletherapy with Youth & Students is now available! Visit the product page to download this helpful new resource!     This product was created by our valued partners at WAFCA.     

By: Laura Saunders, MSSW Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based, cost-saving substance use prevention service, as well as an important public health intervention method. Approximately 26% of adults in the U.S. report heavy substance use in the past year, and the unhealthy use of alcohol is the fourth-leading preventable cause of death in […]

In honor of PTSD Awareness Month, the Great Lakes MHTTC has released new episodes of the Checking In Podcast in which we asked PTSD treatment providers to describe the different ways they "check in" with themselves and recognize when they need to engage in stress relieving techniques to protect against vicarious trauma. Check out these new episodes to learn […]

The Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC invite you to join us in congratulating our colleague, Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC, for being named the recipient of the Illinois Certification Board's 2023 Jessica Hayes Lifetime Achievement Award and the Faces & Voices of Recovery 2023 Innovations in Recovery Award.    In April, The Illinois Certification Board, Inc. honored Mark Sanders with […]

  Social media use among children and teens is nearly universal, with recent research finding a correlation between frequent social media use and an increased risk of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Social media is also one of the most prevalent platforms where cyberbullying occurs. New reports from the Surgeon General and the […]

Check out the brand-new Educator Self-Care Resource Guide created by our valued partners at ASPIN! This guide offers a collection of evidence-based multimedia resources focusing on the self-care and well-being of educators, especially in relation to workforce shortages and widespread professional burnout stemming from the disruptions of COVID-19.    Don't wait–visit the product page to […]

Pride Month celebrates the countless contributions of the LGBTQ+ population in all areas of our culture. Join the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC and our partners across the Network in recognizing Pride Month with the following resources focused on the behavioral health needs of the LGBTQ+ population:    Great Lakes ATTC Webinar: Providing Culturally […]

This May, we celebrate the important contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and invite you to join us in commemoration by supporting culturally responsive care and following evidence-based practices to increase health equity. Learn more about these topics by accessing and sharing related content provided by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC: Webinar Recordings Alcohol […]

Join the Great Lakes MHTTC and our partners in promoting mental health awareness throughout the month of May! In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month and National Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, we are spotlighting the following events and resources:     Great Lakes MHTTC - Upcoming Events & New Products May 4: Supporting Resilience: […]

  April was first designated as Alcohol Awareness Month in 1987 to increase public awareness about the prevention and treatment of excessive alcohol use–which continues to kill more than 140,000 Americans every year.   In addition, alcohol misuse increased dramatically during the pandemic, often co-occurring with opioid use disorder. Between 2019 and 2020, opioid overdose deaths that […]

  In part 1 and part 2 of the Power of Music series, we shared our observations and experiences of how music affects the emotions and behaviors of clients with substance use disorders and adolescents who might be at risk of substance use. We discussed how music can trigger substance use, yet, when used consciously as a tool, it can also […]

    Every February, during Black History Month, we are reminded that most of us—regardless of color or culture—grew up with an incomplete view of American and European history. We were missing the perspectives of colonized peoples, enslaved Africans and their descendants, and the conquered original nations of this continent. When we lack these perspectives, we […]