A place for behavioral health providers and organizations to assess and improve their individual and collective well-being
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Online Courses

Healtheknowledge offers free and low cost continuing education for Healthcare Providers
Healtheknowledge.org
A place for behavioral health providers and organizations to assess and improve their individual and collective well-being
Learn More

Online Courses

Healtheknowledge offers free and low cost continuing education for Healthcare Providers
Healtheknowledge.org

Central East MHTTC

Danya Institute, Inc.
8737 Colesville Road Suite L - 203
Silver Spring,
MD
20910
HHS Region 3
DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV
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The Central East MHTTC, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and managed by the Danya Institute, supports resource development and dissemination, training and technical assistance (TA)  to the behavioral health and primary care workforce in HHS Region 3, which includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia that provides prevention, treatment and recovery support services to individuals who have and/or are at risk of developing a serious mental illness and/or co-occurring substance use disorder.

Recent News

From the Central East MHTTC
Jan. 06, 2024
Finding solutions to workforce challenges is an ongoing need in SAMHSA HHS Region 3. To this end, the Central East MHTTC, in partnership with the Annapolis Coalition, launched the Achieving Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Recruitment and Retention Learning Community on December 13, 2023. Twenty-four behavioral health professionals representing eight select Maryland and Pennsylvania organizations […]
Jan. 02, 2024
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has released the new report Foundation Work for Exploring Incompetence to Stand Trial Evaluations and Competence Restoration for People with Serious Mental Illness/Serious Emotional Disturbance. This publication provides an overview of the status of the fields of competence to stand trial (CST), incompetence to stand trial, […]
Nov. 15, 2023
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has released the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Conducted annually, this report provides nationally representative data on substance use and mental health indicators among people aged 12 or older in the United States. […]

Upcoming Events

Hosted by the Central East MHTTC
Webinar/Virtual Training
DESCRIPTION Bipolar disorder (BD) is a serious mental illness that can cause unusual shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels. An estimated 2.8% of U.S. adults (around 7 million people) had BD in the past year. In observance of World Bipolar Day (March 30), this webinar will review BD symptoms and treatment with a goal to decreasing misconceptions and increasing timely help seeking. It will also discuss factors that may present as barriers to early intervention in the Black community.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES Recognize early symptoms of bipolar disorder Name at least three misconceptions about bipolar disorder Identify barriers and opportunities for timely treatment PRESENTER Jemima Kankam, MD, DLFAPA is a board-certified psychiatrist and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. She is the Medical Director for Outpatient Psychiatric Services at MedStar Harbor Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Kankam received her medical training at the University of Ghana Medical School (Accra, Ghana, Africa), and later completed her psychiatric residency at University of Maryland Medical System in 1990. Before her current position began, she was in private practice for 25 years. Dr. Kankam received the American Psychiatric Association 2020 Assembly Award for Excellence in Service and Advocacy. She is also a member of the Ghana Physicians and Surgeons Foundation of North America. Her areas of special interest are promoting public education to increase mental health awareness and reduce stigma, and improving mental health awareness in the general medical community. HOST Annelle Primm MD, MPH is the Senior Medical Director of the Steve Fund, an organization focused on the mental health of young people of color. She is also a member of the Black Psychiatrists of America Council of Elders.   This webinar is part of the Health Equity Webinar Series, an ongoing collaboration between the Central East MHTTC and the Black Psychiatrists of America to increase education and awareness surrounding mental health in the Black community.   View past webinars in the series
Webinar/Virtual Training
  DESCRIPTION Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder, affecting 3x the number of adults diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia combined! Despite its prevalence, the experiences of clients with BED and how to address them are all too often misunderstood. This 90-minute webinar will help clinicians better understand BED and how to properly treat clients who struggle. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of what BED is (and what it’s not), and will dismantle common stereotypes that can prevent individuals from getting proper care. Additionally, clinicians will gain tools to implement weight-inclusive, trauma-informed treatment practices with their own clients at all levels of care. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Define binge eating disorder (BED), with an emphasis on addressing common misunderstandings Identify and respond to stigma in the research, framing, and treatment of BED Cite five evidence-based treatment approaches for mental health care for BED Define recovery and identify ways to measure client progress in treatment   PRESENTER Heather Clark, LCPC, LPC, MA is a licensed counselor, focusing on disordered eating, including binge eating disorder, bulimia, anorexia, orthorexia, body dissatisfaction, and diet culture. She is the Clinical Director for Rock Recovery, an eating disorder nonprofit based in Arlington, Virginia. She blends several approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, the Internal Family Systems Model, and Relational-Cultural Therapy, and always centers weight-inclusivity and trauma-informed care. She also enjoys counseling those dealing with anxiety, shame, self-compassion, and Christian spirituality/spiritual trauma. Heather is currently working towards becoming a Certified Body Trust® Provider, which helps equip her to support folks journeying toward freedom with food and a deep sense of being at home in their bodies. Heather earned her B.A. in Mass Communications in 2007, and her M.A. in Professional Counseling in 2015.          
Webinar/Virtual Training
  DESCRIPTION Our culture is obsessed with weight loss and idolizes thinness, equating it to health. This westernized view of "health" has contributed to serious harms and deficiencies in care delivery across disciplines. Weight-inclusive care, grounded in the principles of Health At Every Size ® (HAES), is a contemporary framework that challenges our assumptions about weight and health, and offers an inclusive, alternative approach to the treatment and care of bodies at all sizes.  This 90-minute webinar will explore the problems and harms associated with the dominant, weight-centric paradigm and approach to care, especially for those in larger bodies. Attendees will learn how to address those problems and expand their understanding of what it means to provide weight-inclusive care. Attendees will learn the principles of Health At Every Size ®, learn how to identify their own biases around size and health, and move towards creating a more inclusive treatment environment for all bodies.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES Explain the dominant, weight-centric paradigm, and identify the problems and harms associated with it Define anti-fat bias and understand it's underpinnings and effects Recognize the tenets and benefits of a weight-inclusive paradigm Define the concept of Social Determinants of Health, and connect this concept to weight-inclusive care Describe the principles of Health At Every Size ® (HAES)  Identify five or more practical applications to immediately increase weight-inclusivity in care   PRESENTERS Heather Clark, LCPC, LPC, MA is a licensed counselor, focusing on disordered eating, including binge eating disorder, bulimia, anorexia, orthorexia, body dissatisfaction, and diet culture. She is the Clinical Director for Rock Recovery, an eating disorder nonprofit based in Arlington, Virginia. She blends several approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, the Internal Family Systems Model, and Relational-Cultural Therapy, and always centers weight-inclusivity and trauma-informed care. She also enjoys counseling those dealing with anxiety, shame, self-compassion, and Christian spirituality/spiritual trauma. Heather is currently working towards becoming a Certified Body Trust® Provider, which helps equip her to support folks journeying toward freedom with food and a deep sense of being at home in their bodies. Heather earned her B.A. in Mass Communications in 2007, and her M.A. in Professional Counseling in 2015.       Natasia James, MS is a Resident in Counseling with Rock Recovery. She received her Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2021 at the University of Kentucky. She has a wide breadth of experience in the mental health field, including experience with both adolescents and adults with eating disorders in the Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient levels of care.  Her approach is to create a space for clients to feel comfortable and safe, encourage self-exploration to resolve core issues regarding their disordered eating/negative body image, and help clients to evolve in their authenticity. She is passionate about creating inclusive spaces, and access to high quality of care for under-resourced communities.                

Products & Resources

Developed by the Central East MHTTC
Multimedia
Recording of the event The Connection Between Heart Disease and Mental Health in the Black Community, originally held on February 15, 2024. View Slides
Multimedia
Recording of the event Reducing Stigma Toward the Transgender Community, originally held on March 7, 2024. View Slides
Multimedia
Recording of the event Eating Disorders for the Non-Specialist: Core Competencies , originally held on February 22, 2024. View Slides
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