SAMH Providers Training and Technical Assistance
To enhance Florida’s behavioral health system, the Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health provides training, technical assistance and resources based on research, best practices and federal and state government accountability standards. SAMH contracts with several provider agencies to coordinate and conduct training and technical assistance. Trainings focus on evidence-based practice, skill-building sessions, emerging trends and performance improvement.
Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network
Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the ATTC Network provides training and technical assistance for evidence-based and promising treatment, recovery-oriented practices, and to improve the knowledge and skills of the behavioral health workforce.
Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association (FADAA) Learning Management System
The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association (FADAA), in partnership with the Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, offers a variety of online educational opportunities through its Learning Management System(LMS). All courses are self-paced so the learner can set the pace of learning the material. Course topics include child welfare and substance use, cultural competency, peer and recovery support, women and substance use, substance-exposed infants and serving intravenous drug users.
Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association (FADAA) Webinars
The Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health contracts with the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association for training and technical assistance to enhance the knowledge and capacity of the behavioral health field for workforce development. Topics include: drug usage trends, medication-assisted treatment, recovery, ethics, evidence-based practice, trauma-informed care and more.
Limited Mental Health License for Assisted Living Facilities Course
This free online course, authorized and funded by the Florida Department of Children and Families, is offered on Florida’s Learning Management System (LMS) for Behavioral Health at FADAA (floridalearner.org). It is designed to help address the needs of persons with mental health conditions who live in assisted living facilities (ALF). This course meets the statutory requirements for six (6) hours of initial training for all direct service staff members in ALFs that have a Limited Mental Health License (s.429.075, F.S.).
For more information check out the flyer from the Florida Behavioral Health Association.
SAMHSA Technical Assistance and Training Directory
SAMHSA-funded training and technical assistance centers offer free support to those working in the field on topics across the behavioral health spectrum. This includes assistance for states, tribes, non-profits, communities, health care professionals, and behavioral health specialties including licensed clinicians and peer support specialists.
Registry of Peer Specialist Trainers
The following is a list of trainers who are certified to facilitate the forty-hour curriculum, Helping Others Heal: A Peer Support Training Manual. This training and curriculum covers the Florida Certification Board’s four content learning areas (mentoring, advocacy, recovery support, and professional responsibility) and applies to both mental health and substance use peers. The training is intended to enable individuals to master the job tasks necessary to effectively work as a peer specialist, whether working as an Adult, Family, or Veteran peer specialist. Some trainers are willing to travel statewide. This list denotes which regions they are closest to. Please contact trainers directly to organize a training or to find out if a training is being offered in your region.
Central Region
- Maria Fuentes
Email: @email
Phone: (407) 898-0110
Northeast Region
- Bryan Mingle
Email: @email
Phone: (904) 337-4061 - Sarah Sheppard
Email: @email - Desiree Manning
Email: @email
Phone: (904) 528-8375
Northwest Region
- Beth Dees
Email: @email
Phone: (850) 766-4925 - Crystal Gery-Agee
Email: @email
Phone: (850) 491-8447 - Lynn Masslieno
Email: @email
Phone: (850) 319-9808 - Senie Thomas
Email: @email
Phone: (850) 380-7141
Southeast Region
- Susan Nyamora
Email: @email
Phone: (954) 629-0405 - Barbara Moody
Email: @email - Sherita Douglas
Email: coachsherita@gmail.com
Phone: (727) 919-1296
Southern Region
- Tanya Humphrey
Email: @email
Phone: (786) 918-8597
SunCoast Region
- Beth Piecora
Email: @email
Phone: (813) 740-4811 ext. 255