Pacific Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center (HHS Region 9) - In response to the SAMHSA NOFO TI-24-011, this application seeks to serve DHHS Region 9 through the Pacific Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center (PSATTC). The PSATTC will build on its successful 22-year history of developing and strengthening the behavioral health (BH) and primary care (PC) workforce to provide culturally responsive substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery support (RS) services. Region 9 is extremely racially, ethnically, economically, and geographically diverse, containing four states (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada), three territories (American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam), three freely-affiliated nations (Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau), and 151 federally recognized tribes. Region 9 has dense urban areas and remote places spread across millions of square miles and spanning the international dateline in eight time zones. With over 224 languages spoken, and 55% of those with a non-English language as primary reporting “less that fluent” English skills, TTA services must work with numerous cultures, often simultaneously as they participate in TTA together, presenting further linguistic challenges. Data reported in 2023-24 indicated high use rates of methamphetamine, alcohol, opioids, cannabis, and betel nut across the region. There are also significant workforce shortages, most extremely in the Pacific. The PSATTC will implement high quality, culturally responsive TTA services to accelerate adoption and implementation of culturally informed and/or derived SUD evidence based and promising (EBPP) treatment and recovery skills to serve people with SUD and other co-occurring disorders. The proposed PSATTC will achieve the following goals: 1: Enhance the effectiveness and cultural competency of BH services by continuously assessing and addressing the TTA priorities of providers and stakeholders, ensuring alignment with local needs and CLAS Standards, and addressing behavioral health disparities. 2: Strengthen the SUD treatment and recovery services workforce through implementation of high-quality TTA at multiple levels with 2,725 unique participants annually and 13,625 across the 5-year project. 3: Expand availability of high-quality TTA services for SUD treatment and recovery BH/PC workforces by building and maintaining collaborative relationships within and outside the ATTC Network, thereby also reducing duplication of effort. 4: Enhance leadership skills of SUD and recovery professionals in management positions in underserved communities. 5: Continuously improve PSATTC TTA activities/services through comprehensive evaluation. Collaborative leadership will be provided by UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, Arizona State University Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center (ASU) and University of Nevada-Reno Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies (UNR). With over two decades of collaboration experience, this partnership has demonstrated success in providing nationally prominent TTA products and activities that have strengthened the SUD workforce in Region 9 and nationally. PSATTC has collaboration commitments from 47 diverse organizations who are responsible for building, training, and maintaining a strong SUD workforce, including the 10 SSAs from the states, territories, and freely affiliated nations who will help to identify key local TTA needs and will ensure cultural appropriateness of services provided. Commitments from key cultural stakeholders will ensure development and/or adaptation of culturally relevant TTA materials and methods, including organizations serving Black and Latino/a communities, Tribal, USAPI, LGBTQI+, Peers Recovery Support Orgs, federal TTA Centers, policy makers, and families.
