From January to June 2020, American Indians and Alaska Natives were 3-5 times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 than non-Hispanic whites, and their mortality rate was almost twice as high, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additionally, in August of 2020, the CDC released a report that stressed the importance of a “culturally responsive public health effort that sustains the strengths of AI/AN communities” (Hatcher et al., 2020). Through their K-12 initiative, the National American Indian and Alaska Native MHTTC contributed to this response by providing needed guidance as it related to schools serving Native students, mental health, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Motivational Interviewing is an evidence-based practice that can assist in engaging clients into behavioral health services. “MI is a collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication with particular attention to the language of change. It is designed to strengthen personal motivation for and commitment to a specific goal by eliciting and exploring the person’s own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion” (Miller & Rollnick, 2013, p. 29).

Bringing mental health professionals to competence in using Motivational Interviewing, and sustaining its use in practice is an intensive process. This project was developed in response to several requests from providers in HHS Region 2 and discussions regarding the need to implement and sustain Motivational Interviewing within their organizations and with all levels of staff, including administrators, supervisors, and direct service providers. 

Texas legislative changes spurred the need for schools to think differently about supporting school mental health. With over 1200 districts, Texas relies on Regional Educational Service Centers to support Local Education Agencies (LEAs) through training and technical assistance. However, Texas Educational Service Centers had varying expertise in school mental health and no organized process for supporting implementation of school mental health best practices within their region. In collaboration with the South Southwest MHTTC, Texas’ State Education Agency developed a school mental health model, based in part on the information outlined in the National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules.

A licensed independent mental health practitioner (LIMHP), providing behavioral health care in a rural primary care clinic in Saline County, Nebraska, reached out to the Mid-America ATTC to set the ball rolling on this project. Ten years ago, this LIMHP completed training in pediatric integrated care through the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). About 5 years ago, she established an independent practice and contracted with a hospital organization to provide behavioral health services in their primary care clinic. This provider and the hospital organization initiated discussions to enhance their knowledge on pediatric integrated care and explore a new integrated care business partnership. The hospital organization wanted to pursue a new type of business partnership in which the LIMHPs would be better integrated into their system in terms of workflow, referral, communication, and business operations. They recognized both the value of this LIMHP’s behavioral health practice as well as her interest in providing behavioral health care in a rural, underserved area. Saline County is designated as a geographic Mental Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) by the Health Resources & Services Administration.

Ventura County, CA, is home to a large Hispanic and Latino migrant population. About 60% of students in the county self-identify as Hispanic or Latino. The Ventura County Office of Education identified a need to improve culturally responsive mental health services aligned with the health beliefs, practices, and needs of Hispanic migrant students and their families. The National Hispanic and Latino MHTTC, in collaboration with the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE), implemented targeted technical assistance to promote cultural and linguistic competence among school district staff serving Hispanic migrant children and their families.

The New England MHTTC Person-Centered Recovery Planning (PCRP) Learning Collaborative project is a multi-agency learning collaborative to provide intense training, TA, and implementation support around the practice of PCRP. It began with a series of introductory webinars in December 2019 and was scheduled to conclude in December 2020; however, supports will be extended for 3 months due to significant project disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Primary faculty are Dr. Janis Tondora of the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health and Dr. Dan Wartenberg of Newport Mental Health.