MHTTC Network Coordinating Office

About this Virtual Training It's crucial that school-based professionals have the information and skills they need to understand how student behavioral health information can be shared and protected. By creating a strong network of school professionals that understand the federal health privacy laws that impact their students, schools will be equipped to address the rising need for behavioral health services and improve health outcomes. To assist mental health professionals working in K-12 schools in understanding how the federal health privacy laws apply to student mental health information, the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network and the Center of Excellence for Protected Health Information (CoE-PHI) are hosting a 90-minute virtual training that will: Describe how federal health privacy laws (e.g., HIPAA and FERPA) apply to student mental health information Explain how student mental health information can be protected and shared in compliance with federal health privacy laws Discuss common scenarios involving student mental health information that arise in school settings through case study discussions led by clinical and legal experts Demonstrate how relevant resources and technical assistance can be accessed through the MHTTC Network and the CoE-PHI Please note: This learning session builds on the 2-part learning series, Federal Health Privacy Laws: Basics for School Professionals, held by the MHTTC Network and the CoE-PHI in Spring 2023. We encourage you to access the recordings from last year’s learning series and we look forward to sharing new clinical scenarios with you this year! Who Should Attend? Health and mental health providers employed by a school district Community providers contracted by a school district to work on site School-Based/School-Linked Health Center providers School administrators, teachers, school counselors, athletic trainers, and other school personnel Certificates of attendance will be made available to attendees who attend at least half of the session. CEU's are not available for this session. Questions? Please contact Jessica Gonzalez at [email protected]. Speaker Lineup Abigail English, JD Abigail English is a lawyer, researcher, and advocate for the rights of vulnerable young people. She provides consultation services to nonprofit organizations and public agencies on legal and policy issues in adolescent and young adult health including federal and state health privacy laws. She is currently a consultant for the National Center for Youth Law and for the Center of Excellence for Protected Health Information and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC Chapel Hill. She also serves as Senior Policy Fellow for the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM); in 2007-2008 she was President of SAHM.   Katy Stinchfield, MS, LPC, RPT  Katy Stinchfield is a private practice school mental health consultant and clinical supervisor working in rural community mental health in Oregon. She is the past Director of Behavioral Health Programs at the National School-Based Health Alliance (SBHA), where she led SBHA’s mental health and substance abuse prevention initiatives for schools and school-based health centers (SBHCs). Katy has worked with children and families in the mental health, education, and social services fields for over 20 years.  She is both a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed School Counselor in Oregon, as well as a Registered Play Therapist (RPT).    Steve North, MD, MPH, FAAFP, FASAM  Dr. North is a practicing rural family physician with additional certification in adolescent medicine and addiction medicine. He is currently the Vice President of Medical Operations for Eleanor Health, a technology enabled outpatient substance use disorder program grounded in harm reduction and focused on the whole person. Additionally, he founded and serves as the medical director for the Health-e-Schools school based telemedicine program. Since 2011 Health-e-Schools has been providing access to health care for students and faculty at schools and currently serves ~120 schools in 11 predominantly rural North Carolina counties. 

Suicide is a global public health concern, and the need for robust prevention infrastructure is more critical than ever. This learning session delved into the multi-faceted approach the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) has taken to support states and territories in building effective and sustainable suicide prevention infrastructure. During this session, we explored the intersection of community behavioral health services and suicide prevention infrastructure through shared risk and protective factors, crisis supports, and focus on social determinants of health. Participants learned about: SPRC’s Recommendations for State Suicide Prevention Infrastructure including the six essential elements of prevention infrastructure Evaluating suicide prevention infrastructure using the State and Territorial Suicide Prevention Needs Assessment (SNA) Current national priority areas and key findings of the 2023 SNA SPRC resources and tools to support comprehensive suicide prevention infrastructure A case study demonstrating how effective suicide prevention infrastructure tangibly reduces suicide rates During this session, we also briefly touched upon the broader significance of these elements within the wider suicide prevention landscape. This session aims to equip participants with the knowledge, tools, and inspiration to address shared gaps in effective suicide prevention and promote progress towards sustainable suicide prevention infrastructure. NOTE: During the session, the term shift from gatekeeper to community helper was discussed. See the statement below: Moving forward, SPRC will transition from using the term "gatekeeper" to "community helper" in all references related to our training or programming. This change is rooted in our ongoing effort to use language that reflects our values of inclusivity and support. The term "gatekeeper" has been identified as carrying an exclusionary connotation, and we believe "community helper" more accurately describes the vital role individuals play in suicide prevention within their communities. This update is not just about changing a term; it's about ensuring our language fosters a sense of belonging and support for everyone involved in the critical work of suicide prevention. Additional resources shared during the session are available below: Mentimeter responses to “How do you think your work may intersect with suicide prevention?” Mentimeter responses to “One key step you heard Utah take to build their suicide prevention infrastructure” based on the video here Suicide Prevention Resource Center State Suicide Prevention Infrastructure State/Territory Suicide Prevention Resources State and Territorial Suicide Prevention Needs Assessment Homepage 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention

Behavioral threat assessment was developed to prevent targeted attacks, such as school shootings. However, there are concerns about the use of threat assessment in schools, including as it relates to student mental health. This symposium by the MHTTC Network Coordinating Office and National Center for School Mental Health details results of a key informant roundtable, scoping review, and white paper that examine considerations for behavioral threat assessment, research outcomes, and recommendations for the future of behavioral threat assessment in schools. NOTE: This was originally presented at the 2023 Advancing School Mental Health Conference, hosted by the National Center for School Mental Health in New Orleans, LA.

School mental health staff play a vital role in promoting mental health and well-being and identifying and responding to emerging mental illness in children and adolescents. Partnering with educators is essential; however, they often have not received the education, training, and/or ongoing support needed to respond in the classroom. Learn how school mental health staff can use the free Classroom WISE suite of tools to move school mental health forward. NOTE: This was originally presented at the School Social Work Association of America's 2022 Annual Conference in Chicago, IL.