Publications and Digital Products

This Advisory is based on Technical Assistance Publication (TAP) 21, Addiction Counseling Competencies: The Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes of Professional Practice. It discusses the development of the counseling competencies and the validated research on which they are based, provides a simplified overview of their structure and the elements of a typical competency, and outlines how these competencies are changing the field of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment nationwide. The Advisory also addresses the critical role of cultural competency.

TIP 61 provides behavioral health professionals with practical guidance about Native American history, historical trauma, and critical cultural perspectives in their work with American Indian and Alaska Native clients. The TIP discusses the demographics, social challenges, and behavioral health concerns of Native Americans. It highlights the importance of providers’ cultural awareness, cultural competence, and culture-specific knowledge. The TIP also helps administrators, program managers, and clinical supervisors foster a culturally responsive environment for American Indian and Alaska Native clients. Specific topic areas include workforce development strategies, program and professional development considerations, and culturally responsive policies and procedures.  

This guide helps local systems use data to implement Crisis Intervention Team programs that can improve the safety and effectiveness of law enforcement response to people experiencing behavioral health crises. It provides information about building necessary partnerships, documenting program activities, identifying key metrics, establishing data collection processes, analyzing and reporting data, using data to improve programs, and expanding capacity to collect and use data. The guide is a companion to Practice Guidelines: Core Elements in Responding to Mental Health Crises.

This 2016 report provides an overview of data from the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances program. It presents findings that indicate that systems of care provide services and promote positive outcomes for underserved children and youth within the mental health system.

This report highlights existing programs that address behavioral health disparities among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander boys and young men. It also outlines effective tools and best practices in working with this population.

This manual helps communities plan and deliver substance use prevention strategies. It covers conducting needs assessments, identifying partners, and creating effective strategies for marketing and program evaluation. The manual also offers a sample timeline of tasks.

The SAMHSA Spotlight Series highlights different approaches to building trauma-informed, resilient communities. This introductory issue present's SAMHSA's six principles of trauma-informed approach, and summarizes SAMHSA's community trauma initiative.

This report presents a first-of-its-kind collaborative tribal-federal blueprint for improving the behavioral health of American Indians and Alaska Natives. This was developed in response to calls from tribal leaders for improved collaboration with federal agencies to address the behavioral health of their communities.

This fact sheet, developed for tribal audiences and the agencies that work with them, reviews suicide prevention in Indian Country and how the 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention can apply to tribal communities.

This fact sheet provides information and resources related to the specific bullying prevention needs for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. It highlights effective school-based anti-bullying prevention strategies.