Training and Technical Assistance
At RIZE, we are dedicated to enhancing knowledge and building capacity through our robust Training, Technical Assistance, and Capacity Building (TTA) programs. Our approach includes one-on-one support, small group discussions, action planning, training sessions, and collaborative opportunities that cater to diverse knowledge levels.
Our training methods emphasize skill-building alongside content delivery, utilizing facilitation strategies that navigate varying behaviors while adhering to adult learning principles. We prioritize lived and living experiences and foster open dialogue to ensure equity, making every participant feel valued and included. We promote inclusive language and connect social determinants of health with substance use outcomes, while addressing power dynamics in the learning environment to cultivate a collaborative atmosphere. Continuous quality improvement remains at the forefront of our training initiatives.
One of our resources is the Your Rights in Recovery Toolkit, co-developed with our Together in Recovery Advisory Committee. This toolkit serves as a vital resource for individuals seeking treatment and their advocates, incorporating insights from lived experiences and addressing equity-related issues. Recognized as a top innovation at the 2021 National Stigma of Addiction Summit, this toolkit was updated and re-released in December 2024 as an accessible digital educational resource.
We also host learning communities to enhance skill-building and share new tools. Through partnerships with the Kraft Center for Community Health and the National Harm Reduction Coalition, we organized successful harm reduction and housing events that attracted over 300 attendees. Responding to increasing training requests, we supported Housing First University in producing a six-part series that engaged over 250 participants. Training sessions, such as Eviction Prevention Strategies and a two-part Assertive Engagement series, offered free continuing education credits for social workers.
Over the past five years, RIZE addressed a critical educational gap by providing harm reduction training for social workers. We developed 11 free virtual courses that fulfill continuing education requirements with the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and the National Harm Reduction Coalition. Course topics range from supporting individuals who use drugs to cultural humility, with 2025 offerings aimed at deepening harm reduction knowledge and translating it into practical strategies.
Supported by funding from RIZE, EMO Health provided continuing education to address pharmacy professionals’ perspectives, attitudes, and knowledge gaps related to opioid use disorder (OUD) prevention and treatment. Pharmacy professionals working in retail and community practice settings serve as access points for medications for opioid use disorder, harm reduction supplies such as syringes, and naloxone. As a result, community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians were the target learning audience. EMO collaborated with community partners and employers, including retail pharmacy chains, to engage and deliver OUD training to the target audience.