School Mental Health
About us:
In addition to regular training activities and special areas of focus, the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (Northwest) has received funding to support increased training and technical assistance for school mental health in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. To operationalize this support Northwest has partnered with the University of Washington School Mental Health Assessment, Research, and Training (SMART) Center, a national leader in developing and supporting implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in schools, including prevention, early intervention, and intensive supports.
The Northwest School Mental Health (SMH) and Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Training and Technical Assistance (TA) Center, within the UW SMART Center, supports school mental health efforts with the goal to build a single system of delivery in which education and mental health systems are integrated across the tiers.
The primary center goals are:
- Provide training and technical assistance on implementation of mental health services in schools and school systems.
- Build infrastructure and create learning communities.
- Support educational leaders to promote mental health for ALL.
“Northwest PBIS Network's regional work has been leveraged by our connection to the Northwest Region School Mental Health and MTSS Training and TA Center that is part of the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. We were able to provide a comprehensive school mental health strand at our 2019 conference, drawing in record attendance. We're also poised to dive deeper into regional collaborations, and break down some persistent obstacles to establishing a true system of care for students in our public schools.”
*Quote from Jessica Swain-Bradway, PhD, Executive Director, Northwest PBIS Network
Special Events in Response to COVID-19
- Considerations for Systematic Screening PK-12: Universal Screening for Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors in the COVID-19 Era - August 12, 2020
- Managing Anxiety & Return to School Webinar Series - September 9th, October 7th, December 9th
- Self Care and Compassion for the Educator Webinar Series - October 9th, November 12th, December 11th
- The ISF West Coast Party Webinars: Enhancing MTSS - Integrating Student Mental Health and Wellness through Systems, Data, and Practices
- LEARN® Saves Lives Suicide Prevention Training for Parents/Caregivers, followed by Q&A Session with Suicide Prevention Experts - April 2, 2020
- Be Our Lunch Date? A "Think Tank" Time: A Gathering of School Mental Health Practitioners to Surface School Mental Telehealth Needs and Resources - April 10, 2020
- Educator Wellness Webinars - April 3rd, April 24th, May 15th, June 3rd, 2020
- Psychological First Aid – Listen Protect Connect/Model and Teach - May 13, 2020
- Building Protective Factors for Yourself and the School Community: The School Leader Series - April 30th, May 14th, June 4th, 2020
- Student Life Skills to Survive & Thrive During COVID-19 & Beyond - Live Q&A Sessions May 19th & June 16th
- Ambiguous Loss: Grieving in the Time of COVID-19, Followed by Live Q&A Session - May 27th, 2020
- Resources for Supporting the Mental Health and Well-being of Children and Families During COVID-19 - June 11th, 2020
- Hope & Cope 2020: A free webinar for youth age 14 - 21 - June 17th, 2020
"Thank you for what you guys do through the NW MHTTC and SMART. A price cannot be put on the value I place in the information you guys have provided. It has been incredibly useful for my line of work."
*Quote from Sierra Jackson, QMHA Culture of Care Coach
Current Events:
Optum Idaho Virtual Conference - April 13 - 14, 2021 - UPCOMING
Classroom WISE: A Mental Health Literacy Course for Teachers and School Staff - Spring 2021 - UPCOMING
The 18th International Virtual Conference on Positive Behavior Support - March 17 - March 19, 2021 - UPCOMING
Healing School Communities in the Context of Racial Violence: Where do we go from here? - February 25 & March 4, 2021 - NEW
19th Annual NWPBIS Network Conference - February 24 - 26, 2021 - NEW
WSCA Virtual Annual Conference - February 24 - 26, 2021 - NEW
Washington MTSS PLC - January - June 2021 - NEW
MHTTC School Mental Health Curriculum Always and Now 8-Part Learning Series - February - May 2021 - NEW
SMART Center 2021 Virtual Speaker Series - March 3, April 7, May 5, June 2, 2021 - NEW
Past Events:
Alaska Autism Resource Center's 2020 Online Autism Conference - November 9-11, 2020 (Online)
Leading Our School Systems & Communities Through and After Wildfire - September 30, 2020 (Online)
Events from August 2019 - August 2020
Northwest PBIS Summer Institute - August 13, 2020 (Online)
Supporting School Mental Health in the Context of Racial Violence - July 31 & August 7th, 2020 (Online)
News:
The Case for School Mental Health Brief - NEW
New Journal Publication! Rates for Mental Health Service Utilization - NEW
New Journal Publication! What Happens When Training Goes Virtual? - NEW
School Mental Health Initiative in Idaho Leads to Greater Mental Health Integration In Schools
School Mental Health Team Featured at 2020 Northwest PBIS Conference in Tacoma
School Mental Health Initiative in Idaho
Products:
Year 2 Northwest MHTTC School Mental Health Supplement Review - NEW
Year 1 Northwest MHTTC School Mental Health Supplement Review
Fact Sheet: Supporting Native American & Alaska Native Youth in School Settings
School Mental Health Practice Brief: Effective Programs to Address Trauma in Schools
Creating Trauma-Responsive Schools Webinars
Interconnected Systems Framework Webinars
- ISF 101: An Introduction Recorded Webinar | Presentation PDF
- ISF 201: When School Mental Health is Integrated within an MTSS Framework Recorded Webinar | Presentation PDF
- ISF 301: Installing an Integrated Approach Recorded Webinar | Presentation PDF
Interconnected Systems Framework Discussion Hours
- February 2021 Northwest School Mental Health Newsletter - NEW
- December/January 2021 Northwest School Mental Health Newsletter
- November 2020 Northwest School Mental Health Newsletter
- October 2020 Northwest School Mental Health Newsletter
- September 2020 Northwest School Mental Health Newsletter
- August 2020 Northwest School Mental Health Newsletter
- Newsletter Archive August 2019 - July 2020
FREE! Self-Paced, School Mental Health Recorded Webinars
Suicide Prevention Month 2020 Resources
Highlighted Resources:
- School Mental Health Framework and Tool Guide
- Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered Models of Prevention (Ci3T)
- Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF)
- MTSS Resource Page (Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction)
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- National PBIS Technical Assistance Center
- National School Mental Health Curriculum
- Northwest PBIS Network
- SAMHSA's Guidance to States and School Systems on Addressing Mental Health and Substance Use Issues in Schools
- School Safety
- Social Emotional Learning Modules (Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction)
- Supporting Student Mental Health: Resources to Prepare Educators
- Trauma-Aware Schools
- Trauma-Engaged Schools Framework (Alaska Department of Education and Early Development)
Looking for more resources? Check out our resources page here.
How to get involved:
- Join the mailing list for alerts about trainings, monthly e-newsletters, tools and resources. Sign up Here!
- Let us know about:
- School Mental Health and MTSS workforce needs.
- Upcoming events that could be shared with others and/or enhanced by SMH or MTSS presentations.
- Other state, district, or regional leaders who should know about our center.
- Partnership opportunities.
For more information, contact:
Kelcey Schmitz, MSEd
kelcey1@uw.edu
School Mental Health Director, Northwest MHTTC