Community Behavioral Health Organization Tobacco & Cancer Control Community of Practice Kick-Off Meeting

The 2016 Community Behavioral Health Organization Tobacco & Cancer Control Community of Practice (CoP) is a 7-month initiative comprised of 10 organizations (e.g., community mental health centers, addiction treatment organizations or programs, federally qualified health centers) that provide direct services to people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders and interested in developing or enhancing their skills and knowledge in tobacco and cancer control practices. Participating organizations will gain access to organizational change experts and educational materials to help them develop and implement evidence-based tobacco and cancer control and prevention practices among populations with mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

Participating CoP organizations will:

• Explore how adopting tobacco and cancer prevention and control practices can support efforts to improve the overall health of people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders;

• Prepare their organization to meet quality metrics and standards related to healthcare transformation efforts such as Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs);

• Increase knowledge and skills in the following core areas: o Campus-wide tobacco-free policies (addressing both client and staff cessation);

o Practice guidelines for addressing tobacco cessation (including counseling and use of FDA-approved pharmacotherapy) into clinical workflow;

o Cancer preventive screening guidelines; and

o Community-based cancer control and prevention resources.

• Have the opportunity for professional recognition. This initiative will receive local, state, and national attention through presentation(s) and/or paper(s) that will be used to disseminate successes and lessons learned; and

Participating organizations will participate in an in-person orientation and action plan development meeting at the Magnolia Hotel in Denver, Colorado, and webinars and/or group calls facilitated by national experts focused on topic areas identified as highest priorities by program participants. Throughout the course of the CoP, participating organizations will have the opportunity to develop action plans for tracking and monitoring their tobacco and cancer control goals.