South Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center: HHS Region 6 - The purpose of the South Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center (SSWATTC) is to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by substance use in Health and Human Services Region 6 by developing and strengthening the specialized behavioral health care and primary health care workforces that provide substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery support services. The South Southwest ATTC utilizes a multi-pronged, community- oriented, systems change approach to accelerate the adoption and implementation of evidence-based, culturally informed, and promising SUD treatment and recovery-oriented practices. Our work is based on an implementation science framework and includes targeted and intensive technical assistance to increase knowledge, build skills, and change practice. We provide in-person events, online courses, and web-based integrated learning models that use current technologies to provide training, technical assistance, and consultation activities. The target populations of this proposal are: (a) professionals in the primary and behavioral health care workforce who participate in change driven targeted/intensive technical assistance for knowledge and skills building; (b) service provider teams who engage in quality improvement processes; (c) well-trained, emerging substance use treatment and recovery professionals entering the workforce with culturally informed and evidenced-based skills and practice; (d) families and individuals seeking quality care for substance use; and (e) our strong, established, and growing network of culturally diverse practitioners, researchers, policymakers, funders, and recovery community members who collaboratively enact policies and practices that improve lives. SSW ATTC participants in the most recent Fiscal Year (2023) identified as 61.4% White, 20.3% Black, 5.8% American Indian, and 3.6% Asian/Pacific Islander. 40.5% identified their ethnicity as Hispanic. The majority identified as female (78.4%) (SSW ATTC GPRA, 2023). The SSWATTC will provide training, education, and technical assistance to at least 2,500 persons annually and over 12,500 persons during the 5 year project period. The goals of the South Southwest ATTC in Region 6 are to 1) meet the specific, targeted technical assistance needs of the substance use treatment and recovery support service workforces and communities, 2) increase high-quality delivery of SUD treatment and recovery support services, 3) increase implementation of culturally informed, recovery-oriented evidence-based and promising practices, 4) develop and expand a culturally informed and recovery-oriented workforce, 5) increase community, consumers’, and families’ access to technical assistance resources, and 6) build and maintain collaborative working relationships within and outside the ATTC Network. Measurable objectives include needs assessment and engagement strategies that guide areas of focus and activities, implementation of targeted and intensive TA that result in improved skills and changes in real-world practice, and increased engagement in underserved communities in the workforce and technical assistance activities.
