Tobacco Treatment Academy

Overview

Evidence-Based Certification & CME Opportunities for Treating Tobacco Dependence

Why tobacco treatment training matters

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death, yet many clinicians feel underprepared to treat it effectively. Penn Medicine’s Tobacco Treatment Academy offers training designed by experts to help healthcare providers deliver evidence-based, compassionate care that drives better outcomes in:

Cancer prevention and screening
Behavioral health and substance use recovery
Primary care and hospital medicine
Subspecialist care

Get certified: tobacco treatment specialist training

Four Day Virtual Course | CTTS Certification Pathway

This highly interactive training helps providers build the knowledge and confidence to treat nicotine addiction in any clinical setting.

✓ 28 hours of CEU credit
✓ Trusted by physicians, nurses, counselors, social workers & more
✓ Delivered live via Zoom in four day-long sessions
✓ Consistently top-rated by past participants

Clinicians will gain:

Advanced skills in counseling and pharmacotherapy
Eligibility to become a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist (CTTS)
A Certificate of Professional Development from the Perelman School of Medicine

Be the SPARK

Treating Tobacco Use in High-Risk Populations

CME-Eligible | Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute

This no-cost, interactive tobacco treatment implementation assistance program gives healthcare professionals the tools needed to integrate evidence-based strategies into everyday care for populations facing significant tobacco-related cancer disparities. Designed with busy clinicians in mind, the course blends research-driven education with real-world application to help providers improve prevention, treatment, and survivorship outcomes.

What to Expect

Three Live Instruction Sessions – Delivered on consecutive Fridays via Zoom, combining lectures, case-based discussions, standardized patient interactions, and practice-oriented projects.
Ongoing Technical Assistance – Monthly support calls (3 total, weeks 4–15) to share progress, troubleshoot implementation challenges, and collaborate on overcoming system-level barriers.
Continuous Improvement – A final instructional session (week 16) focused on measurement strategies that sustain long-term impact. Learners complete a self-audit at 3 months to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating tobacco treatment into their workflows.

Rewired

Understanding and Addressing Adolescent Nicotine Use

Using brain science to change behaviors and support recovery.

Unlike existing prevention and teen cessation programs, Rewired speaks directly to adolescent caregivers about the neurobiology of addiction and the principles of youth behavior change. Nicotine affects the brain, but those pathways can be reshaped through collaborative effort.

There are unique challenges and opportunities in addressing adolescent vaping and nicotine dependence. Participants will gain both the scientific foundation and the practical skills needed to engage effectively with youth, families, and care teams. The program is appropriate for pediatricians, school nurses and concerned parents.

What You Will Learn:

The impact of nicotine on brain development of adolescents.
How to recognize compulsive behavior patterns and ambivalence in youth who vape.
Strategies for reducing the emotional and social consequences of tobacco use within families, schools, and healthcare.
Communication skills for building rapport, labeling emotions, and recognizing resistance.
Advocacy approaches to support patient-centered systems of tobacco dependence care.

This course is sponsored by the PA Department of Health and is FREE to PA residents.

One-day team training: tobacco dependence essentials

For Health Systems, Clinics, and School Systems

Bring colleagues together for a shared, science-based approach to treating tobacco dependence. Each training is customized to fit your organization’s goals whether you work in behavioral health, primary or specialty care.

Participants will learn to:

Recognize nicotine use as a chronic disorder of motivational control
Address the unique needs of adolescents using alternative tobacco products
Identify barriers to treatment
Deliver practical, empathetic interventions
- Available year-round for groups of 10+
- Tuition cost based on group size

Contact Sarah Evers-Casey at pennstop@uphs.upenn.edu to build your custom session.

Start your tobacco treatment training today

Whether you're looking for certification, CME credit, or team-based learning, the Tobacco Treatment Academy will help you treat nicotine addiction with confidence and compassion.
Contact us today at pennstop@uphs.upenn.edu

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Watch & learn: Free webinar series

Quick, Practical Lessons for Real-World Practice
Get expert insights in just 60 minutes. Topics include:

Advanced Pharmacotherapy (up to 8 CEUs for nurses)
Tobacco and Opioid Co-Use
Billing and Documentation
Health Equity and Stigma
Talking to Teens About Vaping
Cancer and Tobacco Counseling
Managing Patient Resistance

Free and open to all healthcare professionals

Meet the team

Frank T. Leone, MD, MS
Director

Dr. Leone is a practicing pulmonologist and Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. A formally trained epidemiologist, he has been at the forefront of clinical research and clinician education since 1997, specializing in the treatment of tobacco dependence. Dr. Leone has an extensive publication record on the topic and is a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Thoracic Society, and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. He also serves on multiple national committees focused on tobacco-related issues.

Sarah Evers-Casey, MPH, CTTS-M
Associate Director

Ms. Evers-Casey oversees all aspects of the Smoking Treatment Program, including clinical care systems, community education, tobacco control efforts, and research across the program. She provides direct patient counseling and has developed training programs for physicians, medical students, and community providers. Her research on effective educational methods has been presented at numerous national tobacco conferences. Sarah holds a Master’s in Public Health from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and is the Course Director for Penn Stop’s Training Academy.

Tierney A. Keeton-Tucker, DNP, CRNP
Clinical Program Coordinator

Tierney Keeton-Tucker is a board-certified Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). She received her BSN from Widener University in 2012 and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Rutgers University in 2016. She coordinates the inpatient tobacco dependence consult services at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. She also provides outpatient tobacco treatment at multiple clinical sites within the health system.

Jody Nicoloso, CTTS-M
Project Coordinator

Jody Nicoloso is a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist and Project Coordinator for the Tobacco Consultation Service. She manages referral workflows, organizes provider trainings, and supports program implementation for tobacco treatment services. Jody holds a B.A. in Psychology from West Chester University and brings over 20 years of experience working with special needs populations.