Mountain Plains MHTTC

Event Description The mental health fields have long been leaders in understanding and raising awareness of the importance of understanding power and privilege. Multiple critiques in the past decade, however, have suggested that an overly simplistic understanding of these constructs can impede personal and professional development in multicultural awareness and, as such, be detrimental to those with whom we work. Thus, in this presentation, nuanced understandings and analyses of power and privilege will be discussed on the basis of advancements in the anti-oppression and antiracism literature.    Trainer Melanie Wilcox, PhD, ABPP  Dr. Melanie Wilcox is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Public and Preventive Health, and Department of Psychiatry at Augusta University. She is also a licensed psychologist and board certified in counseling psychology and works part-time in private practice providing both therapy and assessment via telehealth. Her clinical areas of expertise include culturally responsive and trauma-informed care as well as substance abuse and addiction. Her research focuses on culturally response and antiracist psychotherapy and training, racial and socioeconomic inequity in higher education, and racial and social justice more broadly. She is in her final year as a member of the American Psychological Association’s Board of Educational Affairs, which she chaired in 2020, and is currently President Elect-Elect of APA Division 17, the Society of Counseling Psychology. 

Event Description In this engaging and empowering training session, participants will explore effective strategies to build personal resilience and navigate workplace challenges constructively. This session will help attendees recognize and address bullying behaviors while learning strength-based approaches to foster a supportive and positive work environment. Through practical examples, participants will gain insights into promoting inclusivity and respect.  Even if transforming the workplace may not be practical, this training will equip you with the skills and strategies to protect and strengthen yourself in a challenging environment. Join us to enhance your personal resilience, develop constructive responses to bullying, and create a positive impact within your sphere of influence.    Objectives  Build Personal Resilience  Recognize and Address Bullying Behaviors  Promote Inclusivity and Respect as Seen through Effective Leadership Styles  Trainer LaVonne Fox Peltier Dr. LaVonne Fox Peltier serves as a Research Assistant Professor within the Bureau of Evaluation & Research Service, situated in the Department of Education, Health, and Behavioral Studies at the University of North Dakota. A member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa reservation, she remains deeply connected to her roots. Drawing from her extensive background, she has dedicated her expertise to working with children, youth, and young adults facing mental health challenges both in rural and urban areas as well as within mental health facilities.  Dr. Fox Peltier is particularly passionate about developing culturally rooted interventions inspired by Indigenous practices to address mental health issues. In her work, she emphasizes the importance of adopting strength-based approaches, advocating for alternatives to the commonly employed deficit-based practices. She is committed to bridging cultural understanding and mental health care for Indigenous peoples. 

Event Description This is Session 1 of the Thriving Together series. Learning objectives for this session include: Define the components of a Culture of Care within an organization and its impact on staff retention and morale.  Identify effective communication strategies for promoting a Culture of Care and fostering collaboration among staff members.  Analyze strategies for fostering Organizational Commitment to a Culture of Care, including leadership involvement and staff engagement initiatives.  Trainers Rachel Navarro, PhD, LP  Topaza Yu 

To view resources from this training, click ATTACHMENT links Recording coming soon!   Event Description This program aims to equip behavioral health leaders with the essential skills and knowledge to effectively lead teams and foster healthier organizational cultures. Participants will learn strategic and people-focused leadership methods through “Authentic Connection.” The goal of this training series is to enhance their ability to navigate uncertainty, ambiguity, and conflict while maintaining resilience and composure in a rapidly changing behavioral health landscape.  Participants will learn:   -          Explore strategies for fostering wellness and resilience to develop a healthier work culture within their scope of influence.  -          Acquire practical skills in self-care, compassion, and inclusive strategies to integrate into their professional roles.  -          Learn communication strategies to collaborate with others to develop adaptive strategies to address challenges in diverse teams.  June 27 - Session 1: Healthy Teams: Collaborative Communication   July 11 - Session 2: Healthy Teams: Reflective Supervision  July 18 - Session 3: Healthy Cultures: Managing Systemic Burnout and Stress  August 1 - Session 4: Healthy Cultures: Psychological Safety    Trainer Lamarr Lewis Lamarr Lewis, is a dedicated advocate, author, and agent of change. With a focus on community-based mental and public health, he works with diverse groups including individuals living with psychiatric disabilities, people in recovery from substance abuse, and at-hope youth (He does not use the term at-risk).   He is an alumnus of Wittenberg University graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with minors in Africana Studies and Religion. He later received his master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Argosy University.   His career spans over twenty years with experience as a therapist, consultant, public speaker, facilitator, trainer, and human service professional. He has been a featured expert for such organizations as; Boeing, Region IV Public Health Training Center, Fulton County Probate Court, Mississippi Department of Health, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and many more.   His lifelong mission is to leave the world better than how he found it. 

To view resources from this training, click ATTACHMENT links Click here to watch the recording Event Description Clinical and psychological assessments are crucial diagnostic tools; however, it is the assessor, not the assessment, that diagnoses, and as such our tools are only as good as our understanding of science and theory. We will review important trauma theory and science and its implications for diagnosis; and considerations for taking a trauma-informed approach to psychological and clinical assessment will be discussed.  Trainer Melanie Wilcox, PhD, ABPP  Dr. Melanie Wilcox is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Public and Preventive Health, and Department of Psychiatry at Augusta University. She is also a licensed psychologist and board certified in counseling psychology and works part-time in private practice providing both therapy and assessment via telehealth. Her clinical areas of expertise include culturally responsive and trauma-informed care as well as substance abuse and addiction. Her research focuses on culturally response and antiracist psychotherapy and training, racial and socioeconomic inequity in higher education, and racial and social justice more broadly. She is in her final year as a member of the American Psychological Association’s Board of Educational Affairs, which she chaired in 2020, and is currently President Elect-Elect of APA Division 17, the Society of Counseling Psychology. 

To view resources from this training, click ATTACHMENT links Click here to view the recording   Event Description Join us in welcoming Kathie Supiano, PhD, LCSW, FT, Director of Caring Connections, as she presents a timely and informative overview of the Caring Connections program. Caring Connections: A Hope and Comfort in Grief Program is based in the University of Utah College of Nursing and is a leading community resource for grief and bereavement support.  Caring Connections provides grief care and education for clinicians and students and contributes to the scientific evidence to support best practices. In this one-hour training, participants will also learn about the nuances and impacts of traumatic grief, particularly as it relates to loss by suicide or overdose. Traumatic deaths, such as suicide or death by overdose, are on the increase and have a far-reaching impact on immediate survivors and communities. An estimated 47,000 persons die by suicide in the United States annually. For every death by suicide, 135 persons—family members or friends—are impacted. While almost 42,000 people in the United States died from opioids in 2016, and that number continues to increase.   Unaddressed traumatic grief can negatively impact both individual and community mental health. Recognizing and working with the stigma and trauma attached to these deaths benefits everyone. Grief is highly individualized. This means that each person responds to grief differently according to:   How the family member or friend was lost  The grieving person’s personality  Social norms within the grieving person’s culture and family  Other stressors in the grieving person’s life  The grieving person’s history of coping with other losses  The target audience for this training includes first responders, behavioral health clinicians, social workers, addiction counselors, crisis workers, and those whose work brings them into contact with persons impacted by traumatic death.    Trainer Kathie Supiano, PhD, LCSW, FT