Goal

To increase the availability of cessation programs and resources in Alameda County.

This is being accomplished through:

System Changes

Systematic integration of client/patient tobacco education and cessation interventions into Primary Care, Maternal Child and Adolescent Health, Behavioral Health Care Services (substance abuse and mental health) agencies. Clients/patients are being assessed for tobacco use, advised to quit and either provided with cessation services and support, or referred to other cessation services. Availability of free cessation and drop-in groups at convenient community locations and primary care provider sites.

Collaborative Provider Education, Training, and Technical Assistance

Collaboration with the Alameda Health Consortium (AHC), Tobacco-Use Intervention Project, funded by the American Legacy Foundation to implement Smoking as a Vital Sign (SVS) into AHC Community Health Centers and school-based clinics and train clinical staff in SVS protocols.

On-Site agency staff training for primary care, substance abuse and mental health providers (60-90 min.), including development of educational handouts and materials.

Three to four hour comprehensive training in nicotine dependence treatment protocols, brief tobacco cessation intervention techniques and other skill-building cessation workshops for clinicians, health educators, case managers, peer counselors, translators, and other outreach workers.

Trainings in American Lung Association Freedom from Smoking Cessation Program and Brief Tobacco Cessation Interventions offered to cessation providers.

Specialized tobacco education for specific groups, such as Smokers' Only workshops for staff of provider agencies and tobacco education for parents of teens in residential drug treatment.

College courses on tobacco dependence and co-occurring disorders through Addiction Studies Counselor training programs.

Technical assistance in tobacco policy development and implementation, nicotine dependence treatment and SVS protocols for cessation providers.

Distribution of a bi-yearly newsletter to a mailing list of over 800 clinicians, administrators and other health services workers.

Advocacy, Policy, Outreach, and Resources

Distribution of a comprehensive cessation provider list available through the American Lung Association.

Informational/advocacy presentations to key health care Board members and policy makers.

Identification of gaps in services or training and strategies for expanding cessation outreach.

For more information on the Cessation Committee, Contact Judy Gerard at: 510-653-5040 of thunderroadatod@sutterhealth.org

HIGHLIGHTS (January - June 2004)

• American Lung Association of the East Bay Responds to 25-40 inquires per month regarding local tobacco cessation services through recent activation of their 1-800-LUNG-USA voice mail system.
• The Alameda County Ambulatory Medical Clinics implemented Smoking as a Vital Sign at 3 sites in December 2003. During 96,000 patient visits each year, patients will be asked about their tobacco use. Smokers are advised to quit and referred to cessation classes. Recent exit interviews show that 73% of patients were asked about tobacco use at intake.
• Thunder Road provided 18 on-site and special topic tobacco treatment trainings to 416 clinical staff of substance abuse and mental health agencies; wrote, published, and distributed 2 issues of the ATOD Network newsletter to a mailing list of 825; and provided 135 technical assistance contacts with cessation providers.
• Berkeley Tobacco Prevention Program (BTPP) provided 4 sessions of cessation classes. A total of 62 attended and 22 quit smoking. BTPP researched and implemented a new 3-hour cessation group, and provided technical assistance for implementing Smoking as a Vital Sign with 3 health and social services organizations.
• The Alameda County Public Health Department - Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Division's Smoke-Free Homes Project conducted over 1,200 tobacco interventions with pregnant and parenting women at the Telegraph Avenue WIC site in Oakland.
• Provided 2 skill-building trainings on how to conduct Brief Tobacco Cessation Interventions for over 60 clinicians and health educators in collaboration with the Alameda Health Consortium Tobacco-Use Interventions Project and Alameda Medical Centers.