South Southwest MHTTC

The South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC), invites Region 6 Peer Specialists and Family Partners to participate in our monthly networking meetings. These no-cost, virtual meetings offer you the opportunity to collaborate with other Peer Specialists and Family Partners in a supportive, mentoring environment. The goal is to provide a space for resource sharing, support around ways to be most effective when working with clients, options for self-care strategies, and more! This event takes place on the first Friday of each month from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. CT.  About the Facilitator:  Jessi Davis (she/they) is an experienced Program Coordinator with a demonstrated history of working in the Peer Support, Mental Health, and Substance Use Recovery fields. Jessi is known for work surrounding Youth and Young Adult Peer Support training, technical assistance, and leadership. Their qualifications include Mental Health Peer Specialist, Recovery Support Peer Specialist, Peer Recovery Support Specialist – Transitional Aged Youth, and Digital Peer Support certifications. Currently working at the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, Jessi works to provide support, technical assistance, and training to the peer workforce throughout the 5 states and all tribal communities within Region 6. They have spent much of their career focused on Youth and Young Adult Peer Support and is currently the President of the National Association of Peer Supporters.

A learning community among state education and mental health leaders involved in Project AWARE grants in the region.

This training is invite only.  The South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) invites peer specialists from across Region 6 to apply for the Youth and Young Adult Peer Specialist training. In order to attend the YAYAPS TOT, participants must have successfully completed the Youth and Young Adult Peer Support training through the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. Youth and Young Adult Peer Support is a three-day training that provides participants with a foundation for youth experience with mental health and substance use challenges, the unique issues for youth navigating recovery and youth-serving systems, and best practices and tools for peer specialists looking to support youth. The training will also encourage participants to consider how to use their own lived experience when supporting youth through structured reflection, group discussion, and interactive activities. The Training of Trainers Event for the Youth and Young Adult Peer Support will prepare people to co-facilitate this training in their community. The virtual YAYAPS TOT is four days long, during which experienced facilitators will introduce the terms and concepts in the Youth and Young Adult Peer Support training, review the structure and expectations for facilitating the training, and discuss common challenges or questions that come up when facilitating the training. Learning Objectives: At the end of this training, it is envisioned that participants will be able to: Identify the core learning objectives and main ideas for the Youth and Young Adult Peer Support training; and Conduct the Youth and Young Adult Peer Support training according to best practices and expectations for instructors.   Facilitators Jessi Davis (she/they) is an experienced Program Coordinator and Peer Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the Peer Support, Mental Health, and Substance Use Recovery industries. Jessi is known for work surrounding Youth and Young Adult Peer Support training, technical assistance, and leadership. Currently working at the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, Jessi works to provide support, technical assistance, and training to the Peer Workforce throughout the 5 states and all tribal communities within Region 6. They have spent much of their career focused on promoting access to quality Peer Specialist services across the lifespan. Darcy Kues (she/her) is a Project Manager with the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center and the Addiction Research Institute, where she writes curricula focused on peer support and recovery services. She has over 7 years of experience in curriculum development, grant writing, and program coordination for peer support services and recovery-oriented behavioral health. Darcy has developed trainings on reentry peer support, youth and young adult peer support, trauma responsiveness, peer support supervision, LGBTQ affirming services, and more. She is committed to building a world where recovery and lived experience are centered at every level of decision-making.

The Healing and Transformation Learning Academy (HTLA) manual was created to provide guidance on facilitating this program. It is intended to facilitate a process of professional growth, and guide participants on their creation of a "final project." The manual is available at no cost through the download link on this page. The Healing and Transformation Learning Academy (HTLA) is founded on the principles of peer support, acknowledging and respecting the unique paths individuals have taken in their lives. Consequently, it does not have a predetermined outcome in mind. This framework empowers participants to explore unlimited pathways that will lead them to their intended destinations throughout their time in HTLA. Although this document provides detailed facilitator notes, the space is collaboratively created to meet individuals where they are. Email [email protected] for any Technical Assistance on the utilization and implementation of this program.

First-episode psychosis can strip away one's identity, obscure one’s history, and shatter one’s vision for the future. And often, this process happens through contact with the mental health system, rather than the condition itself. At just 17 years old, Leah Giorgini found herself navigating a descent to invisibility after a traumatic childhood marred with violence, neglect, and parental death led to a first episode of psychosis. Once a high achiever, Leah became a patient adrift from the world, paralyzed by antipsychotic medication and low expectations. However, when a progressive therapist lent Leah a book about Feminist Perspectives on Mental Health, Leah suddenly felt seen as a whole person in context and began to reemerge as a visible and capable individual. Now an Occupational Therapist working in nonprofit leadership, Leah is working to change the societal inequities that lead to and perpetuate human suffering. She will present her story and outline how connecting the dots of trauma, intersectionality, and occupation can lead to rights-based care that helps people feel seen and empowered.  By the end of this training, participants will be able to:  Describe the importance of acknowledging intersectionality in mental health care, particularly in understanding how various aspects of identity, such as gender, race, and socioeconomic status, intersect with experiences of psychosis and recovery.  Describe the role of occupation in the recovery process for individuals with first-episode psychosis, and understand how occupational therapy principles can be integrated into rights-based care approaches to support individuals in regaining agency and meaning in their lives.  Identify the key factors contributing to the social invisibility experienced by individuals with first-episode psychosis, including the impact of interactions with the mental health system.  About the Presenter: Leah is a British-Indonesian immigrant who moved from England to the United States in 2016. As a psychiatric survivor, domestic violence survivor, former foster youth, and a person who has previously experienced homelessness, Leah is working towards a world free of oppression and injustice. She believes that promoting psychological and social approaches to psychosis is equity in action towards this vision.  Trained as an Occupational Therapist, Leah primarily worked in clinical mental health settings until she came to the United States, where she found a home working in nonprofit leadership. Leah has worked in an array of settings with people diagnosed with psychosis, including working in early intervention in psychosis, assertive outreach, a mental health recovery café, a high-secure forensic hospital, and homeless emergency shelters. She currently serves as Executive Director of the US Chapter of the International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis (ISPS-US.)   

Living with a psychotic disorder can be an experience of uncertainty, isolation, and diminished hope for young people and their loved ones. For providers, supporting people with complex psychological conditions increases the risk of burnout. This presentation discusses how intentional kindness and community-building strategies are good medicine practices that can benefit young people with psychosis, families, and care teams.  This presentation challenges providers face to maintain spaces that support deep human connection: This presentation will discuss specific barriers and responses to barriers faced during the last three years to sustain and expand human connection among program participants and care team members.  Learning Objectives Have a greater understanding of the subtle and explicit ways how psychotic disorders impact a large network of people, to include young people experiencing symptoms, family members, and care providers.   Review the positive impact that kindness practices and intentional human connection have in people’s physical, mental and spiritual health.   Discuss specific ways how EPICenter (A FEP in Tucson Arizona) integrates kindness practices and community building initiatives as core components of their program.     About the Presenter: Gustavo Perez, PhD, (he/him) is a clinical associate professor at the University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Psychiatry Department where he directs the Early Psychosis Intervention Center (EPICenter). Dr. Perez's priorities include: Supporting young adults with serious mental illness in building a life of connection and purpose, advocating for families, preparing the next generation of providers to offer best diagnostic and intervention practices, and engaging with local communities to reduce stigma and increase opportunities for youth in different stages of psychotic disorder. Dr. Perez is a licensed psychologist and a certified trauma specialist. He completed his doctorate degree in school psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and his clinical psychology internship at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Prior to joining the University of Arizona, Dr. Perez was the chief psychologist at the Pima County Juvenile Detention Center in Tucson AZ.