Rebecca bishop, msw  haner Hernandez, PhD  Sarah Jerome, MPH Using Training and Technical Assistance to Support Quality Implementation of A Strategy to Prevent Secondary Addictions Rebecca bishop, msw  haner Hernandez, PhD  Sarah Jerome, MPH 2019 Conference on Gambling Problems Striving Toward for a Resilient and Informed Commonwealth Mention the secondary addiction we are focusing on is problem gambling Funded by DPH Office of Problem Gambling Services

Who we are Massachusetts Technical Assistance Prevention Partnership Provide training and technical assistance to grantees funded to implement problem gambling prevention strategies funded by Department of Public Health, Office of Problem Gambling Services

Massachusetts ambassador project Men People of Color History of Substance Misuse Participatory, peer-to-peer strategy that trains men of color with a history of substance misuse to facilitate groups and lead conversations with their peers about preventing problem gambling. This presentation will focus on the Massachusetts Ambassador Project Participatory: means having a process or system to ensure that the voices of those with the lived experience of addiction recovery are heard and respected, and that people in recovery are involved at all levels of decision making aboutprogram, policy and strategic planning.

How we got here: Project Development Used health and racial equity lens to inform statewide regional planning process that included: Key informant interviews Focus groups Community meetings The regional planning process promotes health equity by: Identifying health disparities and addressing inequities Using evidence to inform decisions Engaging the community, with a focus on populations most impacted

Project Development: findings At-risk and problem gamblers were more likely to: Report often consuming large amounts of alcohol at one time Be unemployed Be Black Men are 3 times more likely to have a gambling problem than women Black populations are 4 times more likely to have a gambling problem than White populations Problem gamblers were more likely than recreational gamblers to use illicit drugs.

Project Development: Community Engagement Few widespread conversations about problem gambling among peers in recovery Peers playing leadership roles in recovery support centers want to help prevent problem gambling

Massachusetts Ambassador Project Objectives 1. Prevent or reduce problem gambling among high risk populations 2. Help at-risk populations develop and maintain the healthy lifestyles needed to ensure that they won’t develop problems with gambling Goals 1. Recruit and retain ambassadors from communities that experience racial and ethnic health disparities and have a history of substance misuse 2. Improve ambassadors’ workforce skills through training, professional development, and supervisory support 3. Establish relationships with community organizations to facilitate ambassador-peer connections.

Massachusetts Ambassador Project: Technical assistance Planning & Support Kick-Off Event Orientation Monthly TA Calls Peer Leaning Supervision 3-Day Training Problem Gambling Prevention Relationship between SUD’s and Problem Gambling Building Health & Racial Equity Ambassador Model: Individual & Group Conversations Monthly Regional Education Boosters Community of Practice Professional Development Opportunities

Massachusetts Ambassador project: Timeline Kick-Off Event Orientation 3-Day Training Community Outreach Conversations Community of Practice Project introduction and expectations -TA for a grant being used in recovery centers is different - Project planning Project training Outreach and partnership development Facilitate groups and have individual conversations Statewide peer learning opportunities Continuous Technical Assistance and Evaluation

Massachusetts Ambassador project: impact Community Outreach Reached 1307 high-risk individuals Facilitated 112 groups reaching 663 men, including 266 men of color Had 255 conversations with high-risk individuals in a variety of settings Attended 13 community events and discussed problem gambling prevention with 419 people Conversations Community of Practice

Recovery support Center Program Directors Efrain Baez, Director Brian Robbins, Director Stairway to Recovery PIER Recovery Center Brockton, MA Hyannis, MA Recovery support Center Program Directors Southeast Massachusetts, Region C

Vernel Williams Brockton Ambassador Samuel Velez Carlton Page Hyannis Ambassador Lee Stewart Ambassadors Southeast Massachusetts, Region C