Thank you for volunteering as an Amtrak ambassador. This brief video will highlight key procedures and practices you learned in your Ambassador training. Remember to wear comfortable professional clothing and comfortable shoes. Also, bring your Amtrak Ambassador shirt or vest. If you do not have one, you'll receive it at the pre-shift meeting.

You also want to bring a positive attitude and a willingness to serve our customers. Let's begin. At the start of your shift, you'll participate in a pre-shift meeting with your ambassador lead. The pre-shift meeting will begin with a safety briefing where you'll become familiar with station features, including emergency exits and important Amtrak staff locations.

This is a great time to ask your ambassador lead any pertinent questions. Make sure to sign into your shift during the pre-shift meeting. It is very important to follow all sign-in and sign-out procedures during your ambassador shift so we know when you are in the station and so you get credit for your ambassador shift.

The ambassador lead will ensure you understand how to communicate during your shift and who to contact in an emergency. The ambassador lead will give a refresher on how to use the family radio and the use of local phone numbers for station operations.

As an Amtrak ambassador, you are supporting Amtrak passengers as they ask a variety of questions from explaining where you board the train, to where the restrooms are located, to where an ATM is located. You are also reminded while in the station to look around and report any suspicious activities or behaviors to Amtrak Police Department.

If an emergency occurs, you may be requested to provide direction to passengers and help them remain calm. Support Amtrak Police Department with basic crowd control. This might include directions for evacuation, stay in place, or shelter in place. Ambassadors are expected to adhere to emergency procedures.

If you observe a fire, medical emergency, or police incident, call Amtrak Police at 1-800-331-0008. Send a text to APD11 or call 911. Enter the APD numbers into your cell phone contact list before your shift. After you contact Amtrak Police, immediately report the incident to the ambassador lead.

Be prepared to provide details about the incident when requested, but do not put yourself in danger to get additional details. Ambassadors are expected to report fires, medical emergencies, and police incidents. You are not expected to perform the functions of a trained emergency responder.

However, if you have taken appropriate training and are comfortable reacting, you may provide first aid, CPR, or use an AED or fire extinguisher. Amtrak does not require ambassadors to provide medical support, fire extinguisher use, or other services if they are uncomfortable or untrained to perform.

Amtrak thanks you again for volunteering in the very important role of ambassador. Have a great shift.

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Kai: When I can access everything, school is easier.

Jessica Plitt: And we want education for all students to be easy to access. This video is for people with disabilities and school administrators. We want to address avenues for reporting or responding to reports of digital accessibility barriers.

David Kutch: A digital barrier is when you can't access digital content you need to access. Most people experience this when the internet is down. But individuals with disabilities may experience digital barriers regularly, for example, when encountering inaccessible technology that cannot be made accessible immediately.

Jessica Plitt: Meet eight-year-old Kai. Like most eight-year-olds, he's an active boy and loves doing what eight-year-old boys like to do. But unlike most eight-year-olds, Kai is blind. He uses a screen reader, braille display and other tools in class and for homework. He likes how technology enables him to do the same schoolwork as his classmates, but it can also be challenging. When instructional materials and websites are inaccessible, individuals with disabilities may be denied equal access to educational programs and other services and activities. Kai told us of a situation where there was no alternative text, so his screen reader couldn't tell him what was on the screen. What can he or his parents do then?

David Kutch: As the other videos in this series have addressed, there are lots of ways the educational community can find and remediate barriers or avoid them at the design stage. But we all realize technology is constantly changing. So even those who are really paying attention to accessibility may let something slip through the cracks, and students like Kai or parents or community members with disabilities may find themselves in very frustrating situations where they simply do not have equal access to what others enjoy.

Jessica Plitt: So what can a school do to reduce barriers and frustration and increase accessibility for people with disabilities? First, make sure your website contains clear information on whom to contact if a user with a disability encounters a barrier. Make sure the contact information is in an easy-to-find location on your webpages. And second, establish clear procedures within your organization so that when individuals reach out for help, they get the help that they need. Ensure that you're not asking people to bounce between a disability services office and an IT department, or make them go to your vendor for help. Work together to get them immediate access to the underlying service, program or activity while you are removing the barrier.

David Kutch: If you are a person with a disability who is personally experiencing a digital barrier and can't access content on a school website, as a first step, ask the school for help or to provide another way to get the content or services you need. But if you don't think your school is providing adequate access, contact OCR for technical assistance or to file a complaint. You also may seek to enforce your rights through the courts. This video was produced by the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Jessica Plitt: You can find us at ed.gov/ocr, or email us at ocr@ed.gov.

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When you encounter a patient with major bleeding from the arms or legs, use a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. Have the patient or partner hold direct pressure on the wound. Locate the pair of gloves in the PATC kit and quickly put them on both hands.

Locate the tourniquet in your PATC kit. Unfasten the Velcro and straighten out the tourniquet. Wrap the tourniquet around the wounded extremity, placing as high on the limb as possible. Pass the red tab on the end of the tourniquet through the opening on the buckle.

Use one hand to hold the buckle while using the other to pull the remaining material of the self-adhering band as tight as possible. Fasten the tourniquet back onto itself all the way around the limb, but not over the rod clip.

The band should be tight enough that the tips of three fingers will not fit between the tourniquet and the skin. If the tips of three fingers fit under the band, re-tighten and re-secure. Twist the rod until the bleeding stops. This will hurt and that is okay.

Secure the rod in the clip to lock it in place. Secure the time strap and note the time on the strap using your permanent marker located in the PATC kit. Wait for additional help to arrive.

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The recent media focus on sexual harassment has left a lot of people wondering what's acceptable to say or do in the workplace. Let's look at some guidelines for communicating respectfully with coworkers and customers. Let's start with the big one. As a general rule, it's not okay to make comments about someone's body or physical appearance, such as skin, hair, body parts, body shape, or how someone walks or talks.

This goes for clothing too. Before you comment on clothing, consider the context and the nature of your relationship with the person. If you still think it's okay to say something, focus on the clothing, not the person's body in the clothing.

This makes a big difference. For example, it's okay to say, "Cool sweater," but it's not okay to say, "I like the way your chest looks in that sweater," or, "I bet you'll get the vacation days you wanted if the boss sees you in that sweater." Next, let's talk about hugs.

Don't assume everyone is okay with a hug. In fact, outside of a handshake, it's best to avoid physical contact with coworkers and customers. Stick with a smile, a warm greeting, or a handshake. They'll have the same effect and you won't risk making someone uncomfortable.

Another consideration is gender. Gender should have no bearing on a compliment you give to a coworker or a customer. Before giving a compliment or making a comment, ask yourself, "Would I say this if this person were a different gender?" If the answer is no, chances are you should not say it.

Does this mean we can't give compliments or show people how much we like and appreciate them? Of course not. Here's the key, focus compliments and comments on people's achievements, intelligence or skills. For example, to compliment a coworker after a presentation, instead of saying, "Great job.

You looked great in that suit," say, "Great job. Your presentation was so insightful." And remember, if you are at all unsure about how your words will be taken by someone, it's probably best to not say them.

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Hello, I'm Larry Stevens, theproject director of Maryland Medication Assisted Treatment and RecoverySupport, or Maryland MATTERS. There are many pathways to treatment if you aresuffering from opioid use disorder, and you should be aware of all of them todetermine which one is right for you. One pathway includes medication-assistedtreatment.

Decades of research support thatopioid addiction is a chronic disease that can be treated effectively withmedications, just as medications are effective in treating other chronicconditions such as diabetes and heart disease. There are several medicationsthat can help treat addiction: methadone, buprenorphine or Suboxone, andnaltrexone.

They are all approved by theFood and Drug Administration and proven to be effective for the treatment ofopioid use disorder. When thinking about MAT as a treatment option, considerthe following benefits: it's available at outpatient residential treatmentsettings, it reduces or eliminates cravings, it decreases withdrawal symptoms,it reduces the risk of relapse, and hospitalization is generally not needed.

There are three medications thatwe use to treat opioid addiction: methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, andthey all work slightly differently in the brain, but the effect is the same: toreduce cravings and make people be adherent with treatment. Methadone andbuprenorphine block cravings and ease the symptoms of withdrawal.

Naltrexone blocks any opioid, sopeople don't feel any of the effects of any other opioids that might, theymight use or might be in their system. Um, I came up here to help on the otherindividuals, um, combat the disease of addiction. Not just, uh, opioid use,but, uh, every other illicit substance that there is.

Um, it's a strenuous processthat you must go through, um, one unfortunately that I had to experience, andto give that information back, uh, means a lot to me. Um, you know, I, I tell alot of individuals I work with, "I'm a hope dealer, not a dopedealer." When the MAT people came in, they gave me information.

They, uh, explained ... Youknow, like I said before, they shared their experience, strength, and hope withme. You know? 'Cause I didn't think that there was no hope. You know, the MATprogram came in and gave me hope. You know, it came in and gave me my lifeagain. You know, even today now, like it's, it's, you know, like I thank Godthat I don't get high.

I don't get off on thismedication, you know? I get better, you know? And, and it allows me to live,you know. Um, today I'm at home. I have a beautiful apartment. I used tosurvive and fit in. Now I'm living. So you know, yeah, the, my peer supportspecialist has changed everything. They changed my thinking, you know, and Ididn't think that nothing.

You know, I was hopeless. I washelpless. I was useless. I was, you know, at a point in my, uh, addiction I washomeless, you know? And today, you know, I've been given my life back. Hi, myname is Cyril Scovins. I'm a counselor at The Turk House, and what I wanna talkabout today is medication-assisted treatment and when it's done right.

You know? We have different waysthat it's done, but there's a way when it's done right. And when I talk aboutthis, I'm talking about, they call it MAT, but really it just stands formedication-assisted treatment.

So when you look at this and youthink about medication-assisted treatment, I compare it to when you go to adoctor for a broken leg. Um, you go to the doctor, they examine it, they put itin a cast. So the doctor examines it, puts it in a cast. You're gonna be in acast for six weeks and then you're gonna come back and we're gonna look at it.

We're gonna check it out andmake sure everything's good. And if it's healed, we're gonna let you go. Ifit's not, we're gonna put it back. So that's the same way that it works when welook at medication-assisted treatment. So you go to the doctor, they give youSuboxone He says, "I'm gonna give it to you for six weeks, and I'm gonnagive you eight milligrams.

Real small dose just to see howit's working." So just like with the person with the, with the, uh, cast,you're gonna come back in six weeks. You're gonna ask the doctor, he's gonnasay, "So how is it working?" You'll say, "Well, it's workinggood," or, "It's not working good." At that point, the doctormay have to increase it to 12 milligrams.

So he says, "Come back inanother six weeks. We'll t- take a look at it again." Okay, another sixweeks in the cast. You're gonna go back to the doctor for your Suboxone. He'sgonna say, "Okay, you say it's not working." He's gonna give youanother six weeks, uh, and he's gonna increase it to 12 milligrams Perfect.

You come back in six weeks, youlook at him, "Doctor, 12 milligrams is working. I'm able to go to school.I'm, I'm, I'm back at work. I'm, my life is feeling better. I like the 12milligrams. It's right where I need to be." That's when medication-assistedtreatment is working right. I would say MAT is beneficial because People,people, people need to realize that addiction is a disease, and like anydisease, it's not always curable by sheer willpower alone.

A disease is chemical thataffects the brain, and sometimes it takes medication to fix that, and it's veryimportant to view it as an opportunity that you're not switching to anotherdrug. This is something that'll be controlled by your doctor. You work withyour doctor, you work with us, your peer support specialist, and you use thatto change your life around.

And just like any othermedication, it's to help you. What peers do is to basically ... They'rebasically somebody that can be compassionate, who have been there before, whohave life experiences that relate to the people that they're going to talk to.Um, they're very non-judgmental. They can come at it from an angle that maybemore clinical folk can't.

Um- And it, it, it's basically,it, it's very rewarding to be a peer. I, I can think of one participant inparticular who, when I started out with them, they were at the very bottom ofthe chain. They were homeless. Um, they had overdosed twice into the hospital.They had no job, uh, and family support had dwindled for various reasons.

Uh, we started working together,and through getting on MAT treatment and starting to work hard with me and, andgetting back into their family life, uh, they were able to get a job. They wereable to reconcile with their family, move back into their grandparents' house,and right now, you know, they're, they're on medication treatment.

They have a job. They have aplace to live, and i- in my mind, that's just the full turnaround from wherethey began, and that's only been about four months now. So it's, it's a greatthing. I don't think that success would have happened without MAT, at least notas quickly. Um, one thing I always tell people about MAT is that it's not thecure to your addiction.

It, what it does is it gives youtime to work on all the things in your life that you need to change. I talk tomy clients, uh, my participants about what I've been through. I'm very openabout it with them because I like to think that they would be open with me, andI let them know that, hey, uh, some people don't need this at all.

Some people need this for ashort time, and some people might need it for the rest of their life. Andwhatever works best for you is the way that we're willing to try and how we'regonna be supportive of going forward. We use the word stigma, uh, associatedwith addiction, and I think that's a good term.

But when we treat peopledifferently because they have an illness or a condition, that's not stigma.That's more discrimination and prejudice. So I think it's very true thatindividuals with addiction are discriminated against, sometimes by theirfriends, families, employers, et cetera. Don't let the stigmas affect yourchoice Do what you feel is right for you.

And if you're going to get onit, use it to change your life, to change your habits. And, and this, don't letthe stigmas determine your decision because everything works differently foreverybody. And, uh, and I think it's important that people are open, especiallywith the seriousness of what's going on right now.

I think people need to be moreopen on how to make a change and, and more willing to work on those changes.The biggest misconception of MAT is that you're just switching the drug you'realready on for another drug. The next question we hear a lot of is thataddiction medication is a substitution for not doing heroin and not doingoxycontin.

Okay. Okay, substitution. Solet's look at substitution. Vitamins are substitution for, uh, the things thatour body doesn't produce anymore. We take insulin to substitute for our bodiesnot being able to produce insulin. Substitution. So we're taking, uh, themedication-assisted treatment to substitute for the things that happenchemically in our brains from using drugs that cause us to now have to use thischemical to soften our recovery, right?

As we're going through recovery.It works. Substitution. The next argument we hear about medication-assistedtreatment is a person who takes medication-assisted treatment is not inrecovery That's not true Give it a chance. Um, take yourself out of it. Um,think about your future, what you will want, what you really, really want.

You know what I mean? And onceyou get into recovery, you gonna just understand the sky's the limit. Um, deepdig, deep d- deep, dig deep down, you know what I'm saying? And just think theoverall picture of what can you really accomplish, and it's not hard. You know,um, just give it a chance. It takes time.

That is just a awesomeexperience, you know what I'm saying? Just give it a chance. It's a awesomeexperience. Just give yourself a chance, 'cause you deserve it. Your familydeserve it, your daughter, your children deserve it, and your parents deserve it,to see you what God intended for you to be. From the beginning, it was really,like, not so clear, and it's very, very clear now.

It's like when you ... It's likea fog has lifted, and MAT has really changed it, you know what I'm saying? WhenI didn't know what to expect, and it has, you know, went beyond my expectation.This time for me, I've been, been on medication treatment for five months, andthis the longest I ever been on medication treatment.

I would have been just jumpedout of it. But I feel like this is, this is what working for me. I'm notworried about urges. I'm not worried about cravings. I'm not worried aboutwaking up ill. You know, I'm not... Even when I do medication assistance, I'mnot worried about the next day. For some reason, you know, like I said, my peeradvocate specialist just got through to me, and I said, "Okay, I'll tryit."

You know? And, and it's been alife-changing event. From-- My life has been soaring, you know, because I'mable to, um, I'm able to be a part of life. I'm able to live, you know, um,without chasing a drug. It's nothing wrong with the problem that we have. It's,it's something wrong with doing something about it, you know?

Um, and if you don't believe,just give yourself a break. You know, try it. It works. My life is livingproof, you know. Um, every day I get up, I pray, and I go to the MAT program,and I get the hope and belief that I can do this one day at a time. Af- youknow, uh, one day at a time. That's all I can tell the next person.

One, take it one day at a time,and just give yourself a break and have faith and believe that it works. If itworked for me, it could work for you. Research shows that MAT is the treatmentof choice for many patients with opioid use disorder. MAT reduces the risk ofrelapse and death from overdose while improving and enhancing the lives ofpatients.

Managing a chronic disease likediabetes or asthma often involves long-term management with medications to helpease symptoms and help the patient lead a healthy life. Opioid use is nodifferent. Medications to treat opioid use disorder are a safe and effectivecomponent of addiction treatment.

Maryland Matters hopes that youhave a better understanding of your options with MAT. It could improve yourtreatment and recovery and the quality of your life. The option formedication-assisted treatment is available to you right now. These are the programsthat partner with us in providing medication-assisted treatment.

Anne Arundel County Departmentof Health, ODSOS, and the Baltimore Washington Medical Center provide outreachto people who use opioids and overdose survivors. They provide access to peersupport specialists, MAT eligibility screening and referrals, methadonemaintenance, care by a physician specializing in addiction medicine, opioidoverdose response training, and state coordination through the MarylandRecovery Net.

Total Health Care's SubstanceUse Disorder Unit provides addiction services, mental health treatment, familytherapy, somatic care, case management, acupuncture, and group and individualcounseling services, as well as gender-specific services. On-site space isavailable to facilitate Narcotics Anonymous meetings and a weekly familysupport meeting.

The peer program is an integralpart of services. Weekly activities include clubhouse gatherings, book clubmeetings, alumni events, and Maryland Matters activities. The ReflectiveTreatment Center is an opioid maintenance therapy and detoxification facilitythat has operated since 1969. Reflective provides medication-assistedtreatment.

It offers individual, group, andfamily counseling. A diverse group of medical professionals, certifiedcounselors, and peers focus on providing each client with a recovery-orientedsystem of care services. Daybreak Treatment Center provides medication-assistedand substance abuse treatment to individuals addicted to prescription painmedications, heroin, or both.

The program's individual andgroup counseling sessions address the issues of addiction and support patientsin their recovery process. Daybreak is committed to assisting individuals inrecovery from opioid addiction in a dignified and respectful manner. Turk Housemaintains excellence and leadership in the Baltimore recovery community bycontinuously expanding the scope and effectiveness of its clinical,residential, and vocational services.

Turk House aspires to providecomprehensive treatment and a transitional living environment in a home-likesetting for people who are chemically dependent.

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