diff --git a/services/comm-services-lib/src/database.rs b/services/comm-services-lib/src/database.rs
index ae6d6eedf..214430fd8 100644
--- a/services/comm-services-lib/src/database.rs
+++ b/services/comm-services-lib/src/database.rs
@@ -1,251 +1,286 @@
 use aws_sdk_dynamodb::types::AttributeValue;
 use aws_sdk_dynamodb::Error as DynamoDBError;
 use chrono::{DateTime, Utc};
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::fmt::{Display, Formatter};
 use std::num::ParseIntError;
 use std::str::FromStr;
 
 #[derive(
   Debug, derive_more::Display, derive_more::From, derive_more::Error,
 )]
 pub enum Error {
   #[display(...)]
   AwsSdk(DynamoDBError),
   #[display(...)]
   Attribute(DBItemError),
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub enum Value {
   AttributeValue(Option<AttributeValue>),
   String(String),
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, derive_more::Error, derive_more::Constructor)]
 pub struct DBItemError {
   attribute_name: String,
   attribute_value: Value,
   attribute_error: DBItemAttributeError,
 }
 
 impl Display for DBItemError {
   fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter) -> std::fmt::Result {
     match &self.attribute_error {
       DBItemAttributeError::Missing => {
         write!(f, "Attribute {} is missing", self.attribute_name)
       }
       DBItemAttributeError::IncorrectType => write!(
         f,
         "Value for attribute {} has incorrect type: {:?}",
         self.attribute_name, self.attribute_value
       ),
       error => write!(
         f,
         "Error regarding attribute {} with value {:?}: {}",
         self.attribute_name, self.attribute_value, error
       ),
     }
   }
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, derive_more::Display, derive_more::Error)]
 pub enum DBItemAttributeError {
   #[display(...)]
   Missing,
   #[display(...)]
   IncorrectType,
   #[display(...)]
   TimestampOutOfRange,
   #[display(...)]
   InvalidTimestamp(chrono::ParseError),
   #[display(...)]
   InvalidNumberFormat(ParseIntError),
 }
 
+/// Conversion trait for [`AttributeValue`]
+///
+/// Types implementing this trait are able to do the following:
+/// ```rust
+/// use comm_services_lib::database::{TryFromAttribute, AttributeTryInto};
+///
+/// let foo = SomeType::try_from_attr("MyAttribute", Some(attribute));
+///
+/// // if `AttributeTryInto` is imported, also:
+/// let bar = Some(attribute).attr_try_into("MyAttribute");
+pub trait TryFromAttribute: Sized {
+  fn try_from_attr(
+    attribute_name: impl Into<String>,
+    attribute: Option<AttributeValue>,
+  ) -> Result<Self, DBItemError>;
+}
+
+/// Do NOT implement this trait directly. Implement [`TryFromAttribute`] instead
+pub trait AttributeTryInto<T> {
+  fn attr_try_into(
+    self,
+    attribute_name: impl Into<String>,
+  ) -> Result<T, DBItemError>;
+}
+// Automatic attr_try_into() for all attribute values
+// that have TryFromAttribute implemented
+impl<T: TryFromAttribute> AttributeTryInto<T> for Option<AttributeValue> {
+  fn attr_try_into(
+    self,
+    attribute_name: impl Into<String>,
+  ) -> Result<T, DBItemError> {
+    T::try_from_attr(attribute_name, self)
+  }
+}
+
 pub fn parse_string_attribute(
   attribute_name: impl Into<String>,
   attribute_value: Option<AttributeValue>,
 ) -> Result<String, DBItemError> {
   match attribute_value {
     Some(AttributeValue::S(value)) => Ok(value),
     Some(_) => Err(DBItemError::new(
       attribute_name.into(),
       Value::AttributeValue(attribute_value),
       DBItemAttributeError::IncorrectType,
     )),
     None => Err(DBItemError::new(
       attribute_name.into(),
       Value::AttributeValue(attribute_value),
       DBItemAttributeError::Missing,
     )),
   }
 }
 
 pub fn parse_bool_attribute(
   attribute_name: impl Into<String>,
   attribute_value: Option<AttributeValue>,
 ) -> Result<bool, DBItemError> {
   match attribute_value {
     Some(AttributeValue::Bool(value)) => Ok(value),
     Some(_) => Err(DBItemError::new(
       attribute_name.into(),
       Value::AttributeValue(attribute_value),
       DBItemAttributeError::IncorrectType,
     )),
     None => Err(DBItemError::new(
       attribute_name.into(),
       Value::AttributeValue(attribute_value),
       DBItemAttributeError::Missing,
     )),
   }
 }
 
 pub fn parse_int_attribute<T>(
   attribute_name: impl Into<String>,
   attribute_value: Option<AttributeValue>,
 ) -> Result<T, DBItemError>
 where
   T: FromStr<Err = ParseIntError>,
 {
   match &attribute_value {
     Some(AttributeValue::N(numeric_str)) => {
       parse_integer(attribute_name, numeric_str)
     }
     Some(_) => Err(DBItemError::new(
       attribute_name.into(),
       Value::AttributeValue(attribute_value),
       DBItemAttributeError::IncorrectType,
     )),
     None => Err(DBItemError::new(
       attribute_name.into(),
       Value::AttributeValue(attribute_value),
       DBItemAttributeError::Missing,
     )),
   }
 }
 
 pub fn parse_datetime_attribute(
   attribute_name: impl Into<String>,
   attribute_value: Option<AttributeValue>,
 ) -> Result<DateTime<Utc>, DBItemError> {
   if let Some(AttributeValue::S(datetime)) = &attribute_value {
     // parse() accepts a relaxed RFC3339 string
     datetime.parse().map_err(|e| {
       DBItemError::new(
         attribute_name.into(),
         Value::AttributeValue(attribute_value),
         DBItemAttributeError::InvalidTimestamp(e),
       )
     })
   } else {
     Err(DBItemError::new(
       attribute_name.into(),
       Value::AttributeValue(attribute_value),
       DBItemAttributeError::Missing,
     ))
   }
 }
 
 /// Parses the UTC timestamp in milliseconds from a DynamoDB numeric attribute
 pub fn parse_timestamp_attribute(
   attribute_name: impl Into<String>,
   attribute_value: Option<AttributeValue>,
 ) -> Result<DateTime<Utc>, DBItemError> {
   let attribute_name: String = attribute_name.into();
   let timestamp = parse_int_attribute::<i64>(
     attribute_name.clone(),
     attribute_value.clone(),
   )?;
   let naive_datetime = chrono::NaiveDateTime::from_timestamp_millis(timestamp)
     .ok_or_else(|| {
       DBItemError::new(
         attribute_name,
         Value::AttributeValue(attribute_value),
         DBItemAttributeError::TimestampOutOfRange,
       )
     })?;
   Ok(DateTime::from_utc(naive_datetime, Utc))
 }
 
 pub fn parse_map_attribute(
   attribute_name: impl Into<String>,
   attribute_value: Option<AttributeValue>,
 ) -> Result<HashMap<String, AttributeValue>, DBItemError> {
   match attribute_value {
     Some(AttributeValue::M(map)) => Ok(map),
     Some(_) => Err(DBItemError::new(
       attribute_name.into(),
       Value::AttributeValue(attribute_value),
       DBItemAttributeError::IncorrectType,
     )),
     None => Err(DBItemError::new(
       attribute_name.into(),
       Value::AttributeValue(attribute_value),
       DBItemAttributeError::Missing,
     )),
   }
 }
 
 pub fn parse_integer<T>(
   attribute_name: impl Into<String>,
   attribute_value: &str,
 ) -> Result<T, DBItemError>
 where
   T: FromStr<Err = ParseIntError>,
 {
   attribute_value.parse::<T>().map_err(|e| {
     DBItemError::new(
       attribute_name.into(),
       Value::String(attribute_value.into()),
       DBItemAttributeError::InvalidNumberFormat(e),
     )
   })
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 
 mod tests {
   use super::*;
 
   #[test]
   fn test_parse_integer() {
     assert!(parse_integer::<i32>("some_attr", "123").is_ok());
     assert!(parse_integer::<i32>("negative", "-123").is_ok());
 
     assert!(parse_integer::<i32>("float", "3.14").is_err());
     assert!(parse_integer::<i32>("NaN", "foo").is_err());
 
     assert!(parse_integer::<u32>("negative_uint", "-123").is_err());
     assert!(parse_integer::<u8>("too_large", "65536").is_err());
   }
 
   #[test]
   fn test_parse_timestamp() {
     let timestamp = Utc::now().timestamp_millis();
     let attr = AttributeValue::N(timestamp.to_string());
 
     let parsed_timestamp = parse_timestamp_attribute("some_attr", Some(attr));
 
     assert!(parsed_timestamp.is_ok());
     assert_eq!(parsed_timestamp.unwrap().timestamp_millis(), timestamp);
   }
 
   #[test]
   fn test_parse_invalid_timestamp() {
     let attr = AttributeValue::N("foo".to_string());
     let parsed_timestamp = parse_timestamp_attribute("some_attr", Some(attr));
     assert!(parsed_timestamp.is_err());
   }
 
   #[test]
   fn test_parse_timestamp_out_of_range() {
     let attr = AttributeValue::N(i64::MAX.to_string());
     let parsed_timestamp = parse_timestamp_attribute("some_attr", Some(attr));
     assert!(parsed_timestamp.is_err());
     assert!(matches!(
       parsed_timestamp.unwrap_err().attribute_error,
       DBItemAttributeError::TimestampOutOfRange
     ));
   }
 }