The Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center School Mental Health Team is excited to present the Parent & Professional Keynote on Mental Health & Autism at the Alaska Autism Resource Center's 2020 Online Autism Conference.
Parent & Professional Keynote on Mental Health & Autism: "Research, Resources, and Recommendations from the School Mental Health Assessment Research and Training (SMART) Center"
Presented by Kelcey Schmitz & Jill Locke
November 9th, 2020
10:30 - 11:30 AM (Alaska Standard Time)
Presentation Description: The University of Washington's School Mental Health Assessment, Research and Training Center is a national leader in developing and supporting implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in schools, including prevention, early intervention, and intensive supports. In this session, we will share two efforts being led by the SMART Center. Jill Locke, PhD, SMART Center co-director, will share new cutting-edge autism research in schools that is part of the Autism Intervention Research on Behavioral Health (AIRB) network and the National Institute of Mental Health Advanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults with Mental Illness (ALACRITY) Center. Kelcey Schmitz, MSEd, School Mental Health Lead to the Northwest MHTTC and parent of a child with ASD, will provide an overview of free training and resources available through the regional center as well as best practices for installing mental health in schools.
Jill Locke, Ph.D, is an Associate Professor in the University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the School Mental Health Assessment Research and Training (SMART) Center Co-Director, a licensed child psychologist, and research affiliate at the Seattle Children’s Autism Center. To date, her research has focused on the: 1) presentation of social impairment for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in inclusive school settings; 2) identification of best practices for youth with ASD; and 3) understanding of successful implementation and sustainment of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for youth with ASD in public school settings. She was the principal investigator of two foundation grants that highlighted the importance of the organizational context in successful EBP implementation for youth with autism. She also was the principal investigator on an NIMH K01 Career Development Award (K01MH100199) that used quantitative and qualitative methods to examine individual- and organizational-level factors as predictors of EBP implementation in self-contained settings for children with ASD. She is currently the: 1) principal investigator of an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) grant (R324A200033) to examine evidence-based practice use to support youth with autism in inclusive settings; 2) MPI of an IES grant (R305A200023; PIs: Lyon, Locke, and Cook) to develop and test an organization-focused implementation intervention – Helping Educational Leaders Mobilize Evidence (HELM) – to support the use of Tier 1/universal social-emotional and behavioral programs and practices, and 3) site PI of a Health Resources Services Administration Autism Intervention Research Network on Behavioral Health (AIRB) grant (UT3MC39436 PI: Kasari) to develop and test an implementation strategy (UNITED) to support the uptake and implementation of three evidence-based interventions that focus on early intervention, school-aged children, and adolescents with autism with the goal of promoting access and services for underrepresented and under-resourced communities. Her experiences have highlighted the importance of collaborating with public schools and the reality of working within the constraints of publicly funded systems, their timeline (e.g. school calendar year), and with their personnel.
Kelcey Schmitz, MSEd, is the Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and School Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Specialist at the University of Washington School Mental Health, Assessment, Research and Training (SMART) Center where she leads the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funded School Mental Health Team at the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC). The Northwest MHTTC supports the school mental health workforce in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Kelcey has been involved in many Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) efforts across all three tiers providing training, coaching, and evaluation to schools, districts, families, and community organizations to support the social, emotional, and behavioral strengths and needs of students within an MTSS framework. Kelcey also is part of the Autism Intervention Research Network on Behavioral Health (AIRB) research project with Dr. Jill Locke leading the Community Advisory Board and supports other training and technical assistance efforts with schools and districts. Kelcey has a master’s degree in Special Education from the University of Kansas and is the parent of a child with autism spectrum disorder.
Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.
