Tobacco treatment specialist training program & scholarships improve public health

Weeklong training sessions slated for May and October at Roswell Park; more than 230 scholarships awarded since 2023 to bolster communities

New York State Quitline press release

The majority of people who use highly addictive tobacco products want to quit, with about half making attempts each year. Trained tobacco treatment specialists (TTS) make a difference in their communities by empowering those making quit-attempts and prescribing proper cessation medications, increasing the odds for success and saving lives.

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center offers a weeklong tobacco treatment specialist (TTS) training program to help train those interested in addressing tobacco product use and better serving their communities. The on-site certification program is one of just 28 worldwide accredited by the Council for Tobacco Treatment Training Programs. As part of its commitment to increase the number of specialists throughout New York, Roswell Park offered more than 230 scholarships since 2023 to those working in communities that experience tobacco-related disparities.

Amee Crowley, a social worker at Salamanca High School on the Seneca Nation’s Allegany Territory, attended Roswell Park’s program in October 2025. After attending and then becoming a certified TTS, she launched a pilot program to help students. The school hopes the program can provide prevention-based alternatives, especially for students caught with vapes or other tobacco products at school.

Nate Calhoun, a senior peer specialist at BestSelf Recovery Community in Buffalo, attended Roswell Park’s TTS training program in May 2025. Through the skills Nate learned, he incorporated cessation treatment sessions as part of a holistic approach to wellness.

“Thanks to the knowledge and tools I brought back, we’re now able to offer small group treatment sessions for nicotine cessation,” Calhoun said. “This provides more engaged levels of interaction and personal attention for BestSelf participants.”

The next sessions of the Roswell Park TTS training program takes place on-site in Buffalo from May 11-15 and from Oct. 5-9. Registration details and a scholarship application are available at www.roswellpark.org/tts or by calling 716-845-8970. Attendees are from all parts of New York and include new quit coaches with the New York State Quitline, which is physically based at the Roswell Park campus.

The New York State Quitline is a service supported by the New York State Department of Health. It is one of the first and busiest state lines in the nation and has responded to nearly 3 million calls since it began operating in 2000. It encourages those who use commercial tobacco and electronic/vape products to talk with their health care professionals and access available Medicaid or health insurance benefits for medication support. Confidential texting programs with weekly guidance for skill-building are available by texting QUITNOW (English) or DÉJELO YA NY (Spanish) to 333888 or by visiting www.DropTheVape.org. All those who live in New York can contact the NYS Quitline seven days a week for free coaching and resources by calling 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) or by visiting www.nysmokefree.com.