Resources & Training for Tailored Plan Tobacco Free Initiative

Living Tobacco Free is a Partners Wellness Program designed to encourage, support, and equip tobacco users in their efforts to quit, and to link them to treatment providers and community, and create awareness across communities in their efforts to quit tobacco use. This is in alignment with the Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) approach to tobacco reduction statewide. For more information, see the program overview at the bottom of this page.

Partners is offering training, events, and resources to help support providers in their implementation of the NC Tobacco-Free Policy requirement that goes into effect for NC Standard and Tailored Plan providers on April 1, 2024 (click link below to review requirement).

https://medicaid.ncdhhs.gov/blog/2023/03/15/north-carolina-standard-plan-tailored-plan-and-lmemco-tobacco-free-policy-requirement

Visit this page often to stay updated on all things Tobacco-Free at Partners!

Provider Trainings for Tobacco Use Treatment and Tobacco-Free Policies

Below is a list of trainings. There are recorded trainings that you are free to use on demand, upcoming FREE live trainings, and nationally accredited tobacco use treatment specialist trainings and scholarships. As always, your regional tobacco control staff are also available to provide or set up trainings for provider agencies.

Recorded Trainings:

Providing a Tobacco Free Culture of Care (3 hrs)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-xd6LMLk_H-9xBfdSbrmDTVFx6tKbHMT/view?usp=sharing

Taking Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services Tobacco-Free: A Success Story from Maryland (1 hr)  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jx0fxP1vmxhDEk4_StT3ET3TDCBZz4w5/view?usp=sharing

Partners Living Tobacco Free Provider Kickoff Event recorded Tuesday 10/18/22  (2 hrs)
https://youtu.be/gbKm61Xd_Bo?t=55

Includes great lineup of speakers and topics designed to help providers prepare to implement State guidelines around tobacco free campuses and incorporate evidence-based tobacco cessation treatment by April 1, 2023. Many providers may know Joyce Swetlick at DHHS, Stephanie Gans, Carlene Crawford, and others on the Tobacco Prevention and Control team. Watch their presentations on the topics listed below and learn about Partners Living Tobacco Free Wellness Program.

• Overview- Partners Living Tobacco Free Wellness Initiative- Supporting providers through the process
• The Why/Buy In
• Roadmap for providers
• 1-2 provider testimonials
• The Quitline experience
• Incorporating Evidence-Based Treatment into your program (Screening, Brief interventions, Billing)
• Changes in the environment (signs, conversion of smoking areas to wellness, …)
• Wrap-up and Q&A

Other Training Opportunities:

BreatheEasyNC has several upcoming trainings, click the link below:
https://breatheeasync.org/tobacco-use-treatment-integration-training/#Training_Staff

Justice in the Air: Framing for Tobacco-Free Behavioral Health Initiatives
Charlotte AHEC- free webinar with CEUS.
Available October 6, 2022- October 5, 2024
https://www.charlotteahec.org/event/69522

Media Kit Materials

Brochures, handouts, graphics, etc. for providers to use in practice.

• NEW Resource Available! FREE Tobacco-Free Campus SIGNS
  Any agency that needs new or updated tobacco-free policy signage can contact Natalie Thompson nrthompson@dconc.gov for free signs. These metal signs clearly show all of the types of products that are covered by the policy (combustible, smokeless, and vapes) and designate the area as tobacco-free. Signs will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, so be sure to contact Natalie if you need these free signs!
• Policy Templates and Signs
  https://breatheeasync.org/policy-templates-signage/
• Materials and Communication tools – Mecknc.gov/Tobacco Free Mecklenburg
  https://www.mecknc.gov/HealthDepartment/CommunityHealthServices/TobaccoFreeMecklenburg/Pages/Communication-Tools.aspx

Partners Health Management Living Tobacco Free Wellness Program Overview

Living Tobacco Free is a Partners Health Management prevention and population health program designed to prevent, reduce and stop tobacco use in all forms. This plan aims to address member and recipient tobacco-related health concerns through education, support, treatment, resources and access to QuitlineNC. Living Tobacco Free is a program that can support tobacco users, treating providers and communities in their efforts to quit.

Living Tobacco Free will target members and recipients who use tobacco across our service area. Partners recognizes that tobacco use contributes to chronic conditions. For that reason, we have chosen Living Tobacco Free as one of our initiatives to improve health. Tobacco use causes disease and illness in nearly every organ in the body. Despite significant progress, tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States and North Carolina. Tobacco cessation can save lives and improve overall health.

The goals of Living Tobacco Free include:

• Wellness and Prevention – Reduction of tobacco in all forms, including cigarettes, chewing tobacco and vaping pens with specific targets for members/recipients with behavioral health (BH), intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
• Wellness and Recovery Management – Manage and reduce risk of members’ tobacco-related health conditions through the use and completion of the QuitlineNC program.
• Safety Across Settings – Promote tobacco free campuses at contracted facilities, in alignment with the Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) approach to tobacco reduction.
• Manage multiple chronic conditions – Increase the percentage of members who receive medical assistance with smoking and tobacco use cessation (National Committee for Quality Assurance [NCQA] Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set [HEDIS] measure) using three components:
  • Advising smokers and tobacco users to quit
  • Discussing cessation medications
  • Discussing cessation strategies

Updated: July 25, 2023