This website provides several learning topics to strengthen your understanding of strategic communication. Each topic includes a short training video and additional resources like how-to’s and templates. Discover the trainings together for comprehensive learning or explore individual topics for a more personal experience. There’s no wrong way to use this hub. There’s also an interactive tool where you can build a communication plan for your organization.
The Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care (ITTIC) was started at the University at Buffalo in 2012 by Research Professor Thomas Nochajski and Clinical Professor Susan Green out of the need for additional trauma-related services, training and support within the University and community at large. Since its inception, ITTIC has provided training and consultation within the systems of child welfare, adult mental health, developmental disabilities, education, criminal justice and the court system.
Most people start using tobacco in their pre-teen and teen years, a time during which a youth’s brain is still growing, making it easier to get addicted to the nicotine in tobacco. That’s why it’s important to educate youth about the dangers of tobacco and the fact that they are targeted by the tobacco companies and should say “no” to starting.
Increasing the price of tobacco products and presenting messages that counter the tobacco industry’s marketing are among the ways in which we can help youth never start using tobacco.
Policies that make “tobacco-free” the norm and that protect youth from getting and using these deadly products are also important. 24/7 tobacco-free school policy, prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products, and having tobacco-free outdoor parks and beaches are all examples of policies that may help prevent kids from using tobacco.
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is the name given to a group of battery-operated tobacco products that allow users to inhale aerosolized liquid (e-juice) containing nicotine and other substances.
The terms “e-cigarettes” and “e-cigs” are often used for electronic cigarettes, as well as for e-pens, e-pipes, e-hookah, and e-cigars. These products are also sometimes called “JUULs” (after a branded e-cigarette of the same name), “vapes,” and “vape pens.”
Unlike traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes are made up of a battery-operated heating part — a cartridge (unit) that typically holds nicotine and other chemicals that change into a chemical-filled aerosol when heated.
According to the CDC, there were over 107,000 fatal overdoses in the U.S. in 2021. This figure is staggering. Each number represents a unique life that was lost in the addiction crisis. It also raises an important question: who is being most affected by this epidemic?
According to SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the BIPOC community is most at risk for developing addiction. BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
Stress, trauma, housing discrimination, racism, hate crimes, and systemic pressures drastically increase the risk of developing addiction.
According to several studies, Black individuals in particular are at risk for addiction. Within the last 5 years, there has been a rise in opioid-related overdoses among Black Americans. During this time period, Black people accounted for 43% of all overdoses. This is especially jarring since Black people only make up approximately 12% of the general population.
BIPOC individuals also face barriers when trying to access treatment. These barriers can take the form of familial stigma, cultural stigma, limited healthcare access, systemic discrimination, and regulatory barriers.
The Framework for Successful Messaging is a resource to help people messaging about suicide to develop messages that are strategic, safe, positive, and make use of relevant guidelines and best practices. It was created by the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention as part of its focus on changing the public conversation about suicide
The State of Michigan is committed to preventing violent deaths of its citizens. Currently available data, however, do not always provide the information needed to assess accurately all factors associated with such a death. For example, death certificates provide victim data, but do not provide perpetrator information; police reports focus more on the perpetrator and less on the victim. The MiVDRS will collect detailed information on victims and offenders, including:
- demographics
- substance use
- relationship of victim to offender
- circumstances leading to the injury
- whether the event occurred at home or work
- date and location of the incident
- weapon type
The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) is a set of surveys that track behaviors that can lead to poor health in students grades 9 through 12. The surveys are administered every other year. Some of the health-related behaviors and experiences monitored are:
- Student demographics: sex, sexual identity, race and ethnicity, and grade
- Youth health behaviors and conditions: sexual, injury and violence, bullying, diet and physical activity, obesity, and mental health, including suicide
- Substance use behaviors: electronic vapor product and tobacco product use, alcohol use, and other drug use
- Student experiences: parental monitoring, school connectedness, unstable housing, and exposure to community violence
MODA Community functions similarly to a social network, connecting people across Michigan who are taking action against the opioid overdose crisis. This is a space to share information, learn from one another, and stay connected. The goal is to cultivate relationships and share best practices and information within the prevention space, so that everyone can remain engaged and informed.
Providing up-to-date resources and reports to the community. Focusing on youth and teen resources, parents resources, provider resources, school resources, rural resources, and campaigns and toolkits.
This study assessed support for commercial tobacco retail policies among adults. Overall, 62.3% of adults supported a policy prohibiting the sale of menthol cigarettes, and 57.3% supported a policy prohibiting the sale of all tobacco products. A majority of adults supported tobacco retail policies aimed at preventing initiation, promoting quitting, and reducing tobacco-related disparities. These findings can help inform federal, state, and local efforts to prohibit the sale of tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes.
Welcome to the African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence Resource Library, a curated collection of articles, manuals, and web-based resources. You can search through this database by topic, by type (articles, manuals, podcasts, etc.), and/or by the search term of your choice. For any combination of search criteria, you can choose to look for materials that fit all or any of your criteria.