Center for Addiction Prevention & Support

Additional Trainings

 

Head and Heart in Recovery: Brain Science & Emotional Intelligence in Peer Support

Friday, March 6, 2026 — 9 AM to 12 PM
The Center for Addiction Prevention & Support
10 W. Broad St., 3rd Floor
Cookeville, TN 38501

This free session integrates practical neuroscience of addiction with emotional intelligence skills to help peers understand how brain changes, stress, and emotions influence substance use, relapse, and recovery. Participants will learn how addiction affects the brain’s reward, stress, and decision-making systems, why emotions often drive behavior more than logic, and how emotionally regulated peer relationships support brain healing. The training emphasizes stigma reduction, trauma-informed engagement, and sustainable peer practice, while highlighting the unique role peers play in fostering safety, connection, and hope. By combining science with relational skills, this training equips peer specialists with tools to respond more effectively to emotional distress, support recovery pathways, and protect their own wellbeing in challenging community settings.

• » Register for the March 6 Training

  Please fill out the form below to register for the training on Friday, March 6.

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  First Name*

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  Form UUID Site Name Submit  

Rebuilding: A Social Work Primer on Re-Entry Realities for Tennesseans

NASW-TN Middle Branch Meeting

Monday, March 30, 2026
The Center for Addiction Prevention & Support
10 W. Broad St., 3rd Floor
Cookeville, TN 38501

This event has been rescheduled for Monday, March 30.

Social workers across practice settings routinely encounter individuals and families impacted by the criminal justice system. Tennessee’s re-entry landscape presents unique challenges, including limited housing access, employment restrictions, regional disparities, trauma histories, and gaps in coordinated behavioral health supports. This workshop equips social workers with foundational knowledge of Tennessee-specific re-entry barriers, policy considerations, and best-practice approaches to supporting individuals returning from incarceration. 

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify at least three major re-entry barriers faced by individuals returning from incarceration in Tennessee, including structural, policy-based, and psychosocial factors.
2. Explain the role of social workers in re-entry support across micro, mezzo, and macro practice contexts, with attention to CSWE competencies and ethical considerations.
3. Describe evidence-informed strategies for improving outcomes in housing, employment, health care access, and recovery support for justice-involved individuals.
4. Apply trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and person-in-environment approaches when supporting Tennesseans navigating reintegration.

This session is approved by the NASW-TN Chapter for 1.5 continuing education units.

• » Register for the March 30 Training

  Please fill out the form below to register for the training on Monday, March 30.

  If you see this don't fill out this input box.

  First Name*

  Last Name*

  Email*

  County*

  What is your agency/organization?*

  Form UUID Site Name Submit  

Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a crucial training program designed to equip individuals with the skills to help someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis. By learning MHFA, you can make a significant difference in your community. This training is ideal for teachers, first responders, community leaders, parents, and anyone interested in supporting mental health in their community.

To request training, please email caps@tntech.edu
» More information about MHFA

 

Safe Bars

In today's fast-paced hospitality industry, ensuring the safety and well-being of your patrons is paramount. Safe Bars Training program equips bartenders, bar owners, and restaurant staff with the essential skills to create a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone. Safe Bars trains the hospitality industry to stop sexual aggression and other forms of violence through three distinct programs: 

1. Active Bystander Skills

2. Allyship Skills

3. De-escalation Skills

To request training, please email caps@tntech.edu
» More information about Safe Bars

 

Opiod Overdose Reversal Training

Drug overdoses claim the lives of many Tennesseans each year. In 2022, a reported 3,826 Tennesseans died from drug overdoses. The majority of these deaths involved illicit opioids, particularly fentanyl. With proper training and the use of naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal drug, you can intervene during an overdose and potentially save a life.

To request training in Opiod Overdose Reversal Training, please email caps@tntech.edu
» More information about Opiod Overdose Reversal Training

 

• Past Trainings

  Right from the Start: Ethics for Peer Support Work

  Friday, July 25, 2025 — 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
  The Center for Addiction Prevention & Support
  10 W. Broad St., 3rd Floor
  Cookeville, TN 38501

  This 2-hour ethics workshop will offer participants the opportunity to consider, apply, and discuss the TN Certified Peer Support Specialist Code of Ethics. Attendees will practice identifying ethical issues using detailed examples, understand the impact of maintaining healthy personal and professional boundaries, learn a 5-step model for ethical decision-making, and review the importance of supervision, self-awareness, and self-care. This course has been pre-approved for 2 continuing education (CE) hours for TN Certified Peer Recovery Specialists (Ethics/General).  

  Facilitator

  Matt Silvey, MSSW, LCSW, JD is a social worker, attorney, and educator. He is currently a faculty member of the TN Tech Department of Sociology & Political Science and serves as the Education Coordinator for the Center for Addiction Prevention & Support. 

  TN Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Continuing Education

  Building Bridges: Multi-Level Collaboration for Peer Recovery Specialists

  December 5, 2025 — 9 AM to 12:00 PM at the Center
  The Center for Addiction Prevention & Support
  10 W. Broad St., 3rd Floor
  Cookeville, TN 38501

  Join us for a dynamic 2-hour training on community networking & collaboration for Certified Peer Recovery Specialists (CPRS). This session features three expert speakers sharing insights from the state, regional, and local levels of recovery support. Participants will learn how policies, resources, and partnerships work together to expand recovery capital, reduce barriers to care, and strengthen cross-agency collaboration. 

  This training event has been approved for 2 continuing education hours for TN Certified Peer Recovery Specialists.

  Who Should Attend

  Certified Peer Recovery Specialists, peer supervisors, recovery advocates, and anyone interested in building stronger recovery networks.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Understand how state, regional, and local systems intersect to support recovery
  • Identify opportunities to connect peers with resources across multiple levels
  • Describe effective outreach and collaboration skills
  • Develop a 30-day action plan to strengthen your own professional network