VIRTUAL-Intertwined Issues Series-Housing Issues & Substance Use

VIRTUAL-Thursday, January 11, 2024, 1:00 PM-4:00 PM-$109 including CEUs
Intertwined Issues Series-Housing Issues & Substance Use
Suzy Langevin, LICSW, LADC I & William Nall, LMHC

This training will provide clinicians with an understanding of the issues individuals face with maintaining safe and appropriate housing with substance use disorder, as well as an overview of the Housing First model to address these concerns.
Massachusetts is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis, making serving individuals in need of safe and secure housing more challenging than ever. This training will provide an overview of the Housing First model, along with practical guidance for clinicians and case managers navigating the complex and often opaque world of housing assistance and supports.

Following this training the participants will understand:

• The rationale, principles and practical supports provided in a Housing First model
• Strategies for addressing common barriers in maintaining housing
• The relationship between harm reduction and housing, and practical strategies to reduce both individual and community harms.

Suzy Langevin, LICSW, LADC I, Director of Training and Professional Development at Open Sky Community Services, is committed to making the best evidence-based tools and supports available to both Open Sky employees and the broader provider community through the Bridge Training Institute. Ms. Langevin has presented regionally and nationally on implementing evidence-based treatment modalities, including the Stephanie Moulton Symposium, NAADAC National Webinar Series, and the Massachusetts Psychiatric Rehabilitation Collaborative Annual Conference. She has extensive training and fidelity coding experience in Motivational Interviewing and is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT).

She had provided training and consultation in a variety of evidence-based treatment modalities to mental health providers, school systems, community groups and state agencies, where feedback has included, “Suzy is very knowledgeable and provides practical insight on how to apply the skill learned in real life situations. Her training approach is upbeat, engaging, and informative.”

In her more than decade long tenure at Open Sky, she served as Director of Dual Diagnosis Services, where she developed a model for services for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders within the agency’s community mental health programming. She also previously worked to implement and supervise the provision of Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) services across adult and adolescent treatment settings and the development and opening of The Bridge Counseling Center, Open Sky’s outpatient division. In 2014, Ms. Langevin was awarded the ABH Excellence in Outcomes Award as a member of the CR for PTSD group. She was selected to the Worcester Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Worcester Class of 2021.

In addition to her work at Open Sky, Ms. Langevin has experience in a diverse range of settings, including emergency mental health, juvenile justice, residential treatment, and hospital inpatient care.

William Nall, LMHC, Clinical Director of Homeless Services at Open Sky Community Services, is driven to eliminate the stigma of homelessness, advocate for greater housing opportunities, and provide equitable care to all people experiencing homelessness. William has been with Open Sky Community Services for over 5 years and has worked with a variety of populations with different challenges. He has worked directly with people experiencing homelessness over the past 3 years. Through his work at Open Sky, William has trained staff and other community providers in community safety, trauma informed care, harm reduction, and multiple evidence-based practices.