1. 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

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

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