Nevada Certification Board - PRSS & PRSS-S Approved

In the last few years, more firefights and police officers have died by suicide than in the line of duty. Indeed, it is also believed that the numbers of reported suicides for first responders are usually underestimated. This workshop will explore the phenomenon of First Responder suicide including causes/conditions and learn what is being done to prevent suicide in this vulnerable population. Additionally, resources for peers, family members, and professionals will be investigated with attendees to help them take an active role in providing support to the First Responders in their lives.

Peer support is a system of giving and receiving help founded on key principles of respect, shared responsibility and mutual agreement of what is helpful. Individuals who have common life experiences with the people they are serving deliver peer support services. By sharing their experiences, peers bring hope to people in recovery and promote a sense of belonging within the community. The services often provided by peers are multi-faceted and include, but are not limited to: individual advocacy, education, development of natural supports, support of work or other meaningful activity of the individual’s choosing, crisis management support, and specific skills training.

It has long been recognized that abuse by an intimate partner can have traumatic mental health and substance use effects. Research has found high rates of both past and current intimate partner violence (IPV) among people in substance use disorder and mental health treatment settings. A growing body of evidence has found that abuse is often targeted at a partner’s substance use and mental health in deliberate attempts to undermine and control survivors and keep them from achieving their recovery goals. These forms of abuse, known as substance use coercion and mental health coercion, not only jeopardize the well-being of survivors and their children, but also compromise the effectiveness of mental health and substance use disorder treatment. All of this is further complicated by escalating rates and severity of IPV during the COVID-19 pandemic. This session will provide treatment and recovery specialists with a conceptual framework for understanding survivors’ patterns of substance use within the context of IPV, will prepare practitioners to recognize and respond to substance use coercion and mental health coercion within treatment and recovery services, and will equip practitioners with strategies and resources tobetter serve survivors and their children.

The purpose of this online training is to provide participants with information about methamphetamine and its impact on the user's brain, body, and behavior. The mental health and physical health consequences of methamphetamine use will be presented, including the cognitive impact of methamphetamine use. The presentation will conclude with a discussion on how to implement effective behavioral treatment interventions with people who use methamphetamine, and the necessary adaptations needed to engage and retain people in care. Specific topics will include: (1) the scope of methamphetamine use from a local, regional, and national perspective; (2) methamphetamine and the brain and its impact on cognition; (3) methamphetamine and psychosis/psychiatric co-morbidity; (4) short- and long-term health consequences; (5) the methamphetamine-HIV link; (6) effective, evidence-based behavioral treatments for people with a stimulant use disorder; and (7) methamphetamine treatment outcomes.

Participants will identify the symptoms of burn-out, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma, assess personal functioning, and review self-care skills to ensure greater resilience. Attendees will leave with practical skills to apply to their professional and personal lives to prepare for continued service to the community and peers.