HealtheKnowledge Courses

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A New Way to Learn

The Mid-America Mental Health Technology Transfer Center is on HealtheKnowledge! 

By partnering with this resource, we're expanding our reach and providing even more courses for healthcare and behavioral health professionals. These interactive modules cover important topics and trainings that strengthen professional and personal competencies, and are rooted in evidence-based practices. Learn more about our courses below. 


Explore the Courses

COURSE: Integrated Pediatric Primary Care: A Primer Series

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This course series seeks to provide training for providers who may want to fill this practice gap by providing education on the practice of integrated behavioral health care and in advertising more intensive training and technical assistance available through the Mid-America MHTTC. These modules will discuss practical aspects of integrating into a primary care clinic, which will be relevant for behavioral health and medical/primary care providers, as well as providing guides for specific clinical presentations and how treatment can be approached in the primary care setting.

TARGET AUDIENCE: Professionals and students in psycholgy, counseling, social work, and other behavioral health professions, as well as primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, physicians assistants and nurses.

LENGTH (Hours): 4

MODULES:

Adolescent Depression

This 1 hour course provides an overview of adolescent depression including prevalence, risk factors, and recent trends. It then addresses screening, assessment and treatment of adolescent depression in pediatric integrated primary care.

  • Describe key differences for child, adolescent and adult depressive disorders
  • Describe prevalence and risk factors for depressive disorders in youth
  • Describe DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for major depression disorder
  • Identify key screening and assessment strategies for depression and when intervention is warranted
  • Describe effective treatment strategies for depression in an IPC setting

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

This 1-hour module provides an overview of obsessive-compulsive disorder among children and adolescents, including diagnostic features, prevalence, and course. It addresses identification of pediatric OCD in primary care, including brief assessment strategies, and evidence-based treatment appropriate for use in integrated primary care.

The Case for Managing Pediatric Behavioral Health Concerns in Primary Care

This 1-hour course provides an overview of both pediatric primary care services and behavioral health services, and makes a case for integration in the pediatric integrated primary care setting. 

Objectives: 

  • Define pediatric primary care including the five components that encompass it according to the American Academy of Pediatrics 
  • Explain the elements of the quadruple aim in healthcare
  • Define pediatric behavioral and mental health
  • Describe traditional behavioral/mental healthcare and the challenges with meeting the needs of children and families
  • Describe the role of behavioral health and primary care in addressing overall health for children, adolescents and their families

Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders

Objectives

  • Discuss the prevalence and risk factors for anxiety disorders in youth 
  • Discuss DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and differences between anxiety disorders 
  • Identify anxiety screening and assessment measures and determine when referral for intervention is warranted 
  • Describe evidence-based intervention strategies to treat pediatric anxiety with modifications appropriate for IPC 

COURSE: New Employees in Mental Health Services: A Training Series

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This training series is developed in a partnership of Iowa Regional Mental Health Directors, Thresholds, Inc. and the Mid-America Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, to prepare the workforce to set a foundation to work with clients with serious mental illnesses. In particular, this 7-part series provides evidence-based content on Trauma Informed Care, Cultural Competency, Motivational Interviewing, De-Escalation, Self-Care, Shared Decision Making, and Recovery Oriented Care. Each training provides the learner with a foundation for effective practice and establishes a starting point for further learning.

TARGET AUDIENCE: New employees in mental health programs

LENGTH (Hours): 3.5

MODULES:

Trauma Informed Service Delivery (EBP) 

This module prepares the learner to engage with clients living with mental illnesses in a trauma informed manner. Participants will learn to:

  • Understand the impact of trauma on clients
  • Recognize signs and prevalence of trauma
  • Adjust own behavior and create a safe space for persons exposed to trauma

Cultural Humility and Competence (EBP)

This module prepares the learner to engage with clients living with mental illnesses in a culturally competent and humble manner. Participants will learn to:

  • Provide or access services that fit with the clients’ culture or preferences
  • Value the culture of each client served to provide better support and services
  • Recognize own biases and values and not let them interfere in work relationships
  • Recognize that the client served is the expert in their own culture
  • Inquire about and respect the cultural needs and preferences of each client
  • Assist the client to find social, learning and recreational opportunities valued in their culture

Motivational Interviewing (EBP)

This module teaches the evidence-based practice of motivational interviewing including stage-based treatment and how to use micro-skills to respond to change or sustain talk. Participants will learn to:

  • Assist clients in goal setting and responding to desires to change in a stage-based manner
  • Engage clients through open ended-questions, affirmations, summaries and reflective listening
  • Respond to sustain talk
  • Elicit change talk

Crisis Prevention & De-escalation

This module prepares the learner to effectively engage with clients who are experiencing a crisis. Participants will learn to:

  • Recognize risk and early warning signs of crisis
  • Use positive behavior supports to prevent crisis and promote health and safety
  • Use appropriate and approved intervention approaches to resolve a crisis through the use of de-escalation techniques
  • Seek help from other staff or services when needed during and after a crisis and knows de-escalation techniques
  • Monitor situations and communicate with the client and his or her family and support team to reduce risk
  • Report incidents according to policies and procedures
  • See own potential role within a conflict or crisis and changes behavior to minimize conflict
  • Create an individualized crisis prevention plan per agency policy and procedures

Self-care

This module prepares the learner to take on the role of the helper. Participants will learn to:

  • Separate oneself from the struggles of the clients served
  • Recognize symptoms and signs of compassion fatigue in self and others
  • Create own wellness plan as part of professional development planning
  • Identify and use coping strategies for own wellness

Shared Decision Making

This module prepares the learner to effectively collaborate with clients on their treatment. Participants will learn to:

  • Build collaborative, professional relationships with the client, families, and other members of the support team/system as identified by the client, using their strengths, needs, abilities and preferences
  • Understand stages of change
  • Use shared decision making with the client
  • Actively elicit the perspective (voice and choice) of the client
  • Prioritize the voice and preferences of the client
  • Participate as an active member of service or support team
  • Use a trauma-informed, strengths-based approach to working in partnership with the client to track progress toward goals and adjust services as needed and desired by client
  • Gather and review information about the client to provide quality services

Recovery Oriented Care

This module teaches the learner about the foundation of recovery and their role in assisting people with mental illness in the process. Participants will learn to:

  • Empower the client to set goals, make informed choices, and follow-through on responsibilities
  • Support the client to advocate for him or herself by encouraging the client to speak for his or herself
  • Support the client as they learn to access needed services, support and resources
  • Assist the client to overcome barriers and access needed services
  • Inform the client and their family of their rights and how they are protected

COURSE: Behavioral Health and Substance Use Awareness in the Workplace
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MODULES:

Mental Health Awareness

Mental health training in the workplace can be “culture changing”. The goal of such trainings should be to open conversations about mental health, to normalize its prevalence in the workplace; and to equip people with tools to create a safe, engaged, productive workplace. This course is designed to educate people on common mental illnesses, symptoms and behaviors associated with mental health conditions. In addition, we focus on stigma surrounding mental health and serious mental illness and how to combat it as well as how to approach people experiencing difficulty with their mental health. The aim of mental health awareness training is to help participants recognize potential signs of distress. The idea is not for them to become experts in mental health, but to identify if someone may need support, to express empathy and point the individual towards potential resources.

Overcoming Stigma

Stigma is when someone views you in a negative way because you have a distinguishing characteristic or personal trait that's thought to be, or actually is, a disadvantage (a negative stereotype). Unfortunately, negative attitudes and beliefs toward people who have a mental health condition are common. In this session we will focus on ways to overcome the stigma and the resulting barriers to getting help, as well as steps to cope with stigma.

The Recovery Model

People with mental health and substance use conditions can and do recover. In this session we will explore the recovery model and its individualized approach. We will discuss the basics of recovery—principles, philosophy, practices and how to demonstrate empathy and collaboration in building a culture that is conducive to recovery.

Mental Health Crisis and De-Escalation

This session will train employees to recognize and engage individuals with mental health conditions and substance use issues in the workplace. Being able to provide them with resources to seek care, or help fellow employees seek care is critical. In this session participants will be equipped with tools to create a safe, engaged, productive workplace.

Substance Use Awareness

Substance misuse is estimated to cost society $400 billion each year in health care costs, lost productivity, and criminal justice costs. “More than 10 million full-time workers in our nation have a substance use disorder—a leading cause of disability—and studies have demonstrated that prevention and treatment programs for employees with substance use disorders are cost effective in improving worker productivity.” In this session, participants will learn about the effects of substance misuse in the workplace, learn ways to approach a coworker or employee that is dealing with addiction and the importance of maintaining confidentiality.

Behavioral Health and Substance Use Prevention

Substance use and mental health conditions can make daily activities difficult and impair a person’s ability to work, interact with family and fulfill other major life functions. Prevention focuses on helping individuals develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need to make good choices or change harmful behaviors. In this session participants will learn the importance of prevention and increase awareness of key factors that contribute to problems and crises associated with behavioral health conditions.


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