This online toolkit was created to support behavioral health organizations integrate tobacco treatment plans at their facilities. The materials are intended for agency clinicians and administrators.
Navigate the toolkit by clicking on a question below. Explore links, videos, and additional questions within each section. There are blank tools – noted TOOL – throughout. Download and print TOOLS to use at your organization.
Getting Started
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Why do people use tobacco?
What is tobacco use disorder (TUD)?
Why treat tobacco use and TUD in substance use treatment settings?
Can people with behavioral health conditions successfully stop using tobacco?
How does tobacco use impact a person’s recovery and mental health?
How does treating tobacco impact our agency?
Build a Foundation to Treat Tobacco Use Disorder
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How do we assess our current efforts and resources on treating tobacco?
How do we draft a tobacco treatment policy?
Do you have sample treatment policies?
What implementation strategy should we use?
How do we create a supportive environment for successful treatment?
Train Staff
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What is the most effective way to treat tobacco?
How do we talk to clients about tobacco?
How do we motivate clients to quit?
What are the 7 FDA approved medications to treat tobacco?
How do we train staff to treat tobacco?
While behavioral health clinicians already have many of the skills and competencies required to treat tobacco, they may feel uncomfortable around the topic of tobacco. Provide sufficient staff training on evidence-based best practices as well as the benefits of tobacco recovery on health and wellness. Regular trainings can increase knowledge, shift beliefs on tobacco use, and have been shown to increase confidence and rates of interventions with clients.1
Training Opportunities:
| Training | Description |
| Bucket Approach Training | Skills and competency training to provide evidence-based tobacco treatment tailored to smokers coping with mental illness and/or other addictions |
| An Updated Review of Tobacco Treatments | Understand tobacco dependence as a chronic disease and learn how to initiate evidence-based clinical interventions using a brief intervention model |
| Training for Systems Change: Addressing Tobacco in Behavioral Health | Learn how to successfully address tobacco in your clinical setting; and to develop a plan and policy to integrate evidence-based tobacco treatment |
| Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training | Learn effective evidence-based clinical interventions for the treatment of tobacco dependence and become certified in the treatment of tobacco dependence (CTTS Certification) |
Develop Tobacco Treatment Program
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How do We Develop a Tobacco Treatment Program?
How do we develop a tobacco treatment protocol/workflow?
Who is on our tobacco treatment team?
How do we develop a group program for tobacco?
Implement Tobacco Treatment Interventions
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How do we assess tobacco use?
What should be included in a tobacco treatment plan?
How do we integrate tobacco into our EMR or record-keeping system?
Do you have educational materials for clients?
Build Organizational Capacity
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Are there additional resources to support tobacco treatment outside our agency?
How do we bill for treating tobacco?
How do we sustain tobacco treatment efforts long-term?
How do we support staff who use tobacco products?
Evaluate Tobacco Treatment Program
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How can we ensure the treatment program is implemented as we designed it?
How do we know the treatment we provide is effective?
Other Key Considerations and Concerns
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What should we know about e-cigarettes?
Additional Resources
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Tobacco-Free Environment Policy Toolkit