Author: Nelson Jose Tiburcio PhD

Dr. Nelson Jose Tiburcio, is not only the Chief Executive Officer at The SASSI Institute, he is also a Latino drug and alcohol researcher, originally from New York City. His academic degree is in Criminal Justice from the Graduate Center of New York and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. His training and expertise have been in the areas of substance use and abuse, sustained opioid recovery, public health, HIV/HCV prevention and treatment, community reentry, recidivism, cultural competence and health literacy in major urban areas. During a period of over twenty years, he has led, directed and/or collaborated on studies investigating the various initiates and public health consequences of illicit drug use, mostly heroin and prescription opioids but including cocaine, crack and other drugs among them.

September 3, 2020

Coming Soon: Adolescent SASSI-A3

We wanted to provide you some important SASSI updates. We’re excited to announce that the research findings on the adolescent SASSI-A3 have been published! Within the coming weeks and next few months, we will be concentrating our efforts on publishing the SASSI-A3 instrument, which similarly to the adult screening tool, now includes a prescription drug scale and greater sensitivity to opioids and prescription medications. The updated instrument will be available on our online platform immediately on the release date. We will provide additional details and pre-ordering information as soon as we have a confirmed availability date. You can read the published finding here: Validity of the Adolescent Substance Abuse Screening Inventory-3 (SASSI-A3). We also expect to publish other manuscripts examining co-occurring disorders among some of these adolescents; and the increase and dangers of Vaping as a drug source for them and adults, which has increased dramatically in recent years. These manuscripts are in submission and we hope to have them published by year end as well.

On another note, despite wonderful advances in securing possible cures and vaccines, COVID-19 clinical trials, and worldwide collaboratives to address this virus, the unfortunate reality is that the case numbers continue to climb and sadly, the death toll continues to rise. This has forced many states and local governments, and even the federal government, to change well thought initiatives and plans, and even back-track on some of the openings and relaxing of public health statutes. As a result, many private practitioners and even some long-standing programs have had to continue furloughing operations, or sadly cease operating altogether. With even greater sadness, we have heard multiple reports from the substance abuse, treatment, and correctional field/s about the loss of family, colleagues and friends to this devastating disease, and our hearts and prayers continue to go out to their families.

The SASSI Institute remains committed to helping you stay connected and feel supported during this period of uncertainty. We will be informing you of developments as they occur on our end. But for now, please accept heartfelt wishes from all of us, that you and your families remain safe.

We will get through this together!

#alonetogether

July 2, 2020

The Latest Research and COVID-19 Update from the CEO

In a previous post, we discussed how the COVID-19 crisis is affecting the substance use disorder field throughout the country. Unfortunately, last week showed a dramatic increase in the number of reported cases nationally, particularly towards the end of the week (more than 40,000 additional reported cases, mostly from the west coast and southwest). As a result, many colleagues that had reopened for business to provide clients with critically needed services, unfortunately, had to close their doors again. Locally, we also experienced spikes. Not unexpectedly, we have seen a larger number of conference and venue cancellations than the already high numbers of cancellations reported previously. Fortunately, several venues have opted to hold teleconferences, thus allowing for a return to some semblance of normalcy.

Our number one concern at The SASSI Institute is maintaining the safety and care of those in the greatest need of help, the clients under your care. To do so effectively and efficiently, counselors, therapists, doctors, nurses, and all of us collectively, that engage in the work we do, must prioritize taking care of ourselves and practice the necessary precautions to enable those protections. We must adhere to the recommended CDC guidelines, including practicing social distancing, and engaging in frequent hand-washing.

We want to report that internally, as a result of some local area infection spikes, regretfully we had to postpone the dates when we expected full operational in-house staffing. Despite this needed precaution, we have maintained our shipping capacity of paper products and our SASSI-Online platform is fully operational. All other departments remain available during normal work hours to answer questions and provide assistance.

We are also very happy to report that our research department has three articles submitted for publication. And perhaps most importantly, we continue to ardently work on the upcoming release of the third iteration of our adolescent screening tool (SASSI A3). As previously reported, our adolescent “Fake Good” article was published in Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly in late December 2019.

The SASSI Institute remains committed to helping you stay connected and supported during the COVID-19 crisis and these other periods of strife. As always, please accept our heartfelt wishes that you and your families remain safe.

#alonetogether

Warm Regards,

Dr. Nelson Jose Tiburcio, CEO

June 18, 2020

An Update from the CEO

We at The SASSI Institute wanted to update you on the COVID-19 crisis and how we see it affecting the substance use disorder field, not only here in southern Indiana, but also as reported from our many contacts throughout the country. The unfortunate reality is that many private practitioners, and even some long-standing programs, have had to furlough operations or sadly, cease operating altogether. We have lost many colleagues and personal friends to this devastating disease from the substance abuse, treatment, and correctional field/s, and our hearts and prayers go out to their families. Another grim reality is that those in greatest need of our help, our patients, are most at risk during these precarious times of calamity. Sadly, many of our gathering spots, conventions, and venues have been cancelled or postponed, in some cases, for several months. These venues allow us to dialogue, and although we may not always agree, the sharing of information and ideas is what ultimately makes us stronger.

Internally, within the coming weeks, we will increase our shipping capacity for paper products to three days a week, depending on demand. And as I said in an earlier post, we are all looking forward to getting back to full operational capacity soon, but first and foremost, our greatest concern is the safety and well-being of our staff and customer base. During normal work hours, we remain available to answer questions, assist with order placement, and provide clinical support. Our SASSI-Online platform is fully operational, and staff remain available to offer assistance, technical support, and guidance as needed.

I would be remiss if I didn’t call attention to the racial, political, and criminal justice divisions that are currently affecting our country in so many devastating ways. Black lives DO matter, as do the lives of us all. These and so many other serious issues are affecting our country presently. It is no longer acceptable for us to simply state words; indeed it is now a time more than ever for us to unite and not divide. Regardless of race, creed, color, religion, sexual orientation, or political persuasion, we must focus our energies on that which will make us all collectively stronger. We must infuse a greater awareness of injustice in its many forms and manifestations, address these whenever possible, and enhance the dialogue leading to collective, constructive action. For us to become a greater part of the solution in creating a more just society, we must first understand that all of us can and must play a role.

The SASSI Institute remains committed to helping you stay connected and feel supported during the COVID-19 crisis and these other periods of strife. We will be informing you of developments as they occur on our end. But for now, please accept heartfelt wishes from all of us, that you and your families remain safe. #alonetogether

We will get through this together!

Warm Regards,

Dr. Nelson Jose Tiburcio, CEO

June 9, 2020

We Mourn the Loss of a Close Friend, a Pioneer in the Recovery Movement for Indiana

It is with a heavy heart that The SASSI Institute reports the passing of a dear friend and colleague, Mr. Stan DeKemper. Stan was not only a friend to the Recovery Field but also a personal and close friend of mine. Stan was the Executive Director of Indiana Credentialing Association on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (ICAADA). Our prayers and condolences go out to his family.

Rest in Peace, old friend!

Nelson

Read the full press release from Mental Health America of Indiana that includes quotes from the man himself.

If you would like to contribute to the Stanley DeKemper scholarship fund, please do so by going to: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx…

April 9, 2020

An Update from the CEO

The SASSI Institute is committed to helping you stay connected and feel supported during the COVID-19 crisis. The sudden changes and disruptions to our daily lives coupled with the unknowns about the immediate future can be scary and stressful. For those in the substance use disorder field, these disruptions can be particularly stressful as we are already addressing the critical needs of our clients.

As you can see by visiting our site, blogs or other social media outlets, although presently all our staff members are telecommuting because of state mandated “stay at home” policies, we remain available during normal work hours to answer questions, assist with order placement, clinical support and technical guidance as needed. Our SASSI-Online platform is fully operational, and our teams remain available to offer assistance and support. On April 6^th, our Governor modified the stay at home ordinance such that we are now capable of shipping paper products one or two days a week. At some point soon, we are hoping to get back to full operational capacity.

We will be informing you of developments as they occur. But for now, please accept our heartfelt wishes that you and your families remain safe.

#alonetogether

We will get through this together!

Warm Regards,

Dr. Nelson Jose Tiburcio, CEO

March 13, 2020

A Tribute to a Dear Friend and Colleague

We wish to pay tribute to Dr. Linda E. Lazowski, former Research Director of The SASSI Institute, who passed away on February 13, 2020. Linda first joined The SASSI Institute as a Research Psychologist in 1995 and retired in 2018.

Linda was a Brooklyn, NY native and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Psychology from Baruch College in New York City. She then relocated to California to get her Master’s Degree and Ph.D. in Social and Personality Psychology from UC Santa Barbara. During her career at The SASSI Institute, she was an integral part of the development of various revisions of the adult and adolescent SASSI screening tools. She was also instrumental in the development of the Spanish, Vocational Rehabilitation, and American Sign Language versions of the SASSI as well as collaborating on the research findings for the BADDS instrument. She authored and co-authored research and journal articles alongside our founder, Dr. Glenn A. Miller, up until his passing in 2013.

She was a valued colleague and friend to many staff, past and present. We keep her family in our thoughts as we express our deepest condolences.