With nearly 1400 people in attendance, the Annual NWPBIS Network Conference is the largest gathering of educators, researchers, thought leaders, community partners, and practitioners in the field of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) in the Pacific Northwest.

It's one of the school mental health supplement's largest events too. This year we sponsored the Mental Health strand and brought in experts from across the field to provide trainings in over 20 sessions on key topics related to school mental health across the conference and pre-conference. You can learn more about the conference and access materials here.

During the 2020 Annual Conference, two of our School Mental Health staff were featured for their hard work and dedication to promoting school-wide mental health for all:

• Kelcey Schmitz, the School Mental Health Lead for the Northwest MHTTC, received the PBIS Champion Award. When presenting her with the award, Jessica Swain-Bradway, the Executive Director of the Northwest PBIS Network, shared these kind words:

"Kelcey Schmitz is the epitome of what it looks like and sounds like to be a PBIS Champion. She is a Washington-based, well-established technical assistance provider in PBIS, MTSS, and the Interconnected Systems Framework. She is a strong advocate for children, families, teachers. Even though Kelcey resides in Washington, her positive influence extends across the entire region and nation. Kelcey is a connector, a mover, shaker, and ALWAYS has the greater good at the forefront of her decision-making. NWPBIS Network is appreciative of her support and partnership."

• Dr. Eric Bruns, the Associate Director of the UW SMART Center and Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, provided the closing keynote entitled "Putting Mental Health at the Heart of Every School (A Research, Policy, and Parent's Perspective). In his presentation, Eric outlined the seriousness and potential causes of the current crisis in children's mental health. Regardless of its causes, he stressed, the crisis is real, and schools are the best chance we have as a society to mobilize the public health model of universal, targeted, and intensive supports for children's mental well-being.

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.