Tobacco use, and thus tobacco-related morbidity, is elevated amongst patients with behavioral health treatment needs. Consequently, it is important that centers providing health care to this group mandate providers’ use of tobacco screenings to inform the need for tobacco use disorder intervention. This study examined the prevalence of mandated tobacco screenings in 80 centers providing health care to Texans with behavioral health needs, examined key factors that could enhance screening conduct, and delineated providers’ perceived barriers to tobacco use intervention provision. The results indicated that 80% of surveyed centers mandated tobacco use screenings; those that did were significantly more likely than those that did not to have a hard stop for tobacco use status in health records and were marginally more likely to make training on tobacco screening available to providers. The most widespread barriers to tobacco use disorder care provision were relative perceived importance of competing diagnoses, lack of community resources to refer patients, perceived lack of time, lack of provider knowledge or confidence, and belief that patients do not comply with cessation treatment. Overall, the results suggest that there are opportunities for centers providing care to Texans with behavioral health needs to bolster their tobacco screening and intervention capacity to better address tobacco-related health disparities in this group. Health care centers can support their providers to intervene in tobacco use by mandating screenings, streamlining clinical workflows with hard stops in patient records, and educating providers about the importance of treating tobacco with brief evidence-based intervention strategies while providing accurate information about patients’ interest in quitting and providers’ potential impacts on a successful quit attempt.

Tobacco use is exceedingly high among individuals receiving care for opioid addiction, but not commonly addressed by clinicians in treatment settings. Taking Texas Tobacco Free (TTTF) is a comprehensive tobacco-free workplace (TFW) program that builds treatment centers’ capacity to address tobacco use with evidence-based tobacco cessation policies and practices. Here, we examine the process and outcomes of TTTF’s implementation within 7 opioid addiction centers. Program goals were structured according to the RE-AIM framework. Pre- and post-implementation data were collected from client facing and non-client facing employees to assess changes in education, training receipt, knowledge, and intervention behaviors, relative to program goals. Centers reported tobacco screenings conducted and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) delivered through 6 months post-implementation. Overall, 64.56% of employees participated in TTTF-delivered tobacco education, with a 54.9% gain in tobacco control and treatment knowledge (p < 0.0001), and significant increases in exposure to education about tobacco use and harms among individuals with opioid use disorder (p = 0.0401). There were significant gains in clinicians’ receipt of training in 9/9 tobacco education areas (ps ≤ 0.0118). From pre- to post-implementation, there were mean increases in the use of the 5A’s (ask, advise, assess, assist, and arrange) and other evidence-based interventions for tobacco cessation, with statistically significant gains seen in NRT provision/referral (p < 0.0001). Several program goals were achieved or exceeded; however, 100% center participation in specialized clinical trainings was among notable exceptions. One program withdrew due to competing pandemic concerns; all others implemented comprehensive TFW policies. Overall, TTTF may have improved participating opioid treatment centers’ capacity to address tobacco use, although study limitations, including lower post-implementation evaluation response rates, suggest that results require replication in other opioid addiction treatment settings.

Individuals with behavioral health conditions account for 50% of annual smoking-related deaths, yet rarely receive tobacco dependence treatment within local mental health authorities (LMHAs). As lack of training and knowledge are key barriers to providing tobacco dependence treatment, Taking Texas Tobacco-Free (TTTF) developed an iterative, 4–6-months train-the-trainer program to embed expertise and delivery of sustained education on tobacco-free workplace policies and practices in participating centers. We explore the employee “champions’” train-the-trainer program experiences using a community of practice (CoP) model to identify key contributors to successful program implementation. Across 3 different LMHAs, we conducted semi-structured individual and group interviews online at 2 time points. We interviewed each champion twice (except for 1 champion who dropped out between measurements); pre-implementation (3 group interviews; N = 4 + 4 + 3 = 11 champions); post-implementation (7 individual interviews and 1 group interview; 7 + 3 = 10 champions). Therefore, 11 champions participated in pre- and post-implementation interviews from July 2020–May 2021. Guided by an iterative, thematic analysis and constant comparison process, we inductively coded and summarized data into themes. Five factors contributed to successful program implementation: value of peer support/feedback; building knowledge, champion confidence, and program ownership; informative curriculum, adaptable to targeted populations; staying abreast of current tobacco/nicotine research and products; and TTTF team responsiveness and practical coaching/assistance. Champions reported the TTTF train-the-trainer program was successful and identified attitudes and CoP processes that effectively built organizational capacity and expertise to sustainably address tobacco dependence. Study findings can guide other agencies in implementing sustainable tobacco-free training programs.

Despite prior successful implementation of Taking Texas Tobacco Free (TTTF), an evidence-based tobacco-free workplace program, in local mental health authorities (LMHAs), post-implementation employee attrition necessitated continuing education on tobacco-free policies and tobacco treatment practices. Here, we report on the outcomes of a train-the-trainer program which trained “champions” to deliver tobacco cessation education at their LMHAs. Three LMHAs participated in program implementation via 10 champions, iteratively trained and coached by TTTF. Measures administered evaluated four goals: (1) increase champions’ self-efficacy in delivering trainings, (2) achieve program fidelity via TTTF staff evaluation of trainer effectiveness and knowledge increases among attending employees, (3) achieve stakeholder program acceptability, and (4) achieve program adoption via an increase in follow-up trainings. Champions’ self-efficacy increased throughout TTTF training. TTTF staff ratings of champion-led trainings met the targeted range for trainer effectiveness; employees had a 28.71% knowledge increase over baseline post-training (p < 0.001). Employees rated champions’ training delivery “very good” to “excellent”, on average; both champions and employees were, on average, “satisfied” to “extremely satisfied” with the curriculum and training received. There was an increase over baseline in trainings delivered during follow-up, and trainings increased in length and topic coverage. Ultimately, the train-the-trainer program achieved the intended goals, although not all changes were statistically significant, likely at least partially attributable to small sample sizes. Overall, these results suggest that TTTF’s train-the-trainer program was successful in its delivery and intention to build capacity for the provision of in-house tobacco education trainings to behavioral health employees/providers. However, further evaluation in additional settings, with more champions, et cetera, is necessary to validate these findings, ensure their replicability, link program implementation with reduced patient tobacco use rates, and assess long-term sustainability.

Many adults with a substance use disorder smoke cigarettes. However, tobacco use is not commonly addressed in substance use treatment centers. This study examined how provider beliefs about addressing tobacco use during non-nicotine substance use treatment, provider self-efficacy in delivering tobacco use assessments, and perceived barriers to the routine provision of tobacco care were associated with changes in the delivery of the evidence-based five A’s for smoking intervention (asking, advising, assessing, assisting, and arranging) at the organizational level. The data were from 15 substance use treatment centers that implemented a tobacco-free workplace program; data were collected before and after the program’s implementation. Linear regression examined how center-level averages of provider factors (1) at pre-implementation and (2) post- minus pre-implementation were associated with changes in the use of the five A’s for smoking in substance use treatment patients. The results indicated that centers with providers endorsing less agreement that tobacco use should be addressed in non-nicotine substance use treatment and reporting lower self-efficacy for providing tobacco use assessments at pre-implementation were associated with significant increases in asking patients about smoking, assessing interest in quitting and assisting with a quit attempt by post-implementation. Centers reporting more barriers at pre-implementation and centers that had greater reductions in reported barriers to treatment over time had greater increases in assessing patients’ interest in quitting smoking and assisting with a quit attempt by post-implementation. Overall, the centers that had the most to learn regarding addressing patients’ tobacco use had greater changes in their use of the five A’s compared to centers whose personnel were already better informed and trained. Findings from this study advance implementation science and contribute information relevant to reducing the research-to-practice translational gap in tobacco control for a patient group that suffers tobacco-related health disparities.

Racial and ethnic minorities, and women, experience stark disparities in cancer risk behaviors and mortality rates, yet often remain underrepresented in scientific research positions. We conducted an exploratory, qualitative study to examine the value of mentored research experience as part of an NCI-funded research training program designed to increase the representation of minority and women scientists in cancer disparities research. Using individual interviews, we explored 16 mentees’ and 7 mentors’ program experiences and perspectives to identify the most effective strategies to build strong mentoring relationships that could ultimately contribute to increased representation in health disparities research. Two expert analysts employed thematic analysis and constant comparison to code, categorize, and summarize the data into themes. Mentees and mentors shared five themes identifying contributions to program success: conditions for building successful mentoring relationships; role of mentor/mentee similarities or differences and their impact on effective collaboration; program elements that fostered developing knowledge, skills, and confidence; program supportive opportunities; and challenges and benefits of in-person vs. virtual program delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings contribute to improving the quality of training programs for historically excluded trainees to advance their cancer disparities research careers and offer a successful model that can guide similar programs.