A MONTHLY SERIES: MAY TO NOVEMBER 2022

Overview 

This training series is for all employees working on an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team. Participants will learn foundational skills for their specific role, how to work on a multi-disciplinary team, and how to advance the lives of persons with serious mental illness. 

Target Audience 

Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHCs) that are implementing Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) in Kansas. 

Communities of Practice 

Specialists on Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams will meet monthly with others in similar positions. Members of the community will learn from peers to effectively integrate their unique practices on the multi-disciplinary team. The communities are facilitated by a seasoned ACT specialist. To inquire about participating, contact [email protected] 

Speakers: 

Marla Smith, MS, LMHP, LMHC 

Marla Smith has been a Regional Trainer for the Mid-America Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) since November 2020. There, she coordinates behavioral health training with a focus on working with those who have a diagnosis of a serious mental illness. Licensed in both Nebraska and Iowa as a Mental Health Counselor, Marla has spent nearly 17 years working directly with clients of all ages and has learned over the years that it is about connecting with those you serve by meeting them where they are at and communicating in a respectful and trauma-informed manner to help facilitate change.  Marla holds a Master's degree in Youth and Family Services from Bellevue University. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and taking long walks in nature. 

Angela Schindler-Berg, MS, LMHP

Angela Schindler-Berg is a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner and has worked with primary care clinics and community-based mental health integrated care services for over 25 years. Angie received her Master of Science with Drake University in Rehabilitation Administration and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling. She brings expertise in integrated care, mental health, care management, crisis intervention and trauma informed care. 

Angie has worked on CMS/CMMI initiatives such as the Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC+) and with SAMHSA on the Primary and Behavioral Health Care Initiative (PBHCI). She also sits on the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Nebraska Board and the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) Behavioral Health Integration Workgroup.

Currently, Ms. Schindler-Berg supports the University of Nebraska Medical Center-Munroe Meyer Institute as a contracted Regional Trainer with the Region 7 Mid-America Mental Health Technical Transfer Center (MHTTC) She facilitates a collaborative network of supports, focusing on resource development and dissemination, training and technical assistance, and workforce development for the mental health field.

Archive

Orientation to Assertive Community Treatment

WEBINAR VIDEO | PRESENTATION SLIDES

• The Orientation to Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) provides an overview of the evidence-based practice. We will discuss the principles and practices of an effective ACT team, review the ACT Fidelity Assessment and highlight the feasibility of implementing the model.

Trauma Informed Care 

April 27, 2022 | 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. CT 

WEBINAR VIDEO | PRESENTATION SLIDES 

• Being trauma informed is an important skill to have when working with those diagnosed with serious mental illness. Trauma-informed care is an approach to engaging people with histories of trauma that recognizes the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledges the role that trauma has played in their lives. 

Fidelity Assessment Training

April 29, 2022 | 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT

WEBINAR VIDEO | PRESENTATION SLIDES 

• This training, led by Bill Baerentzen, PhD, CRC, LMHP, and Marla Smith, MS, LMHP, LMHC, is a part of the Mid-America Mental Health Technology Transfer Center's series on Implementing Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) in Kansas. 

Motivational Interviewing 

May 25, 2022 | 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. CT 

WEBINAR VIDEO | PRESENTATION SLIDES

• Motivational Interviewing is a directive, client centered counseling style to assist clients with facilitating behavior change by empowering the clients and collaborate with them to create an actionable plan. It enhances the client’s motivation to change by helping to explore and resolve ambivalence.

Recovery Oriented Care 

June 22, 2022 | 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. CT

WEBINAR VIDEO | PRESENTATION SLIDES

• Recovery-oriented care is guided on the understanding that each person is different and an expert on their own lives. Each client should be supported to make their own choices towards achieving their goals, and they should be listened to with dignity and respect. 

Shared Decision Making 

July 27, 2022 | 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. CT

WEBINAR VIDEO | PRESENTATION SLIDES

• Shared Decision Making is a collaborative process that allows the clients and the providers to make healthcare treatment decisions together, considering the client’s strengths, values and preferences, while sharing the best information available in order to make an informed decision.

Assessments

August 31, 2022 | 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. CT 

WEBINAR VIDEO | PRESENTATION SLIDES

• Assessments are an integral part of the ACT program to consistently be able to meet your clients where they are at. Learn about the different types of assessments you will be conducting such as Brief Psychiatric Readiness Scale (BPRS), Comprehensive Assessment among others. This training has a direct focus on how assessments and their application fit into the ACT model. This specific understanding is crucial to the implementation and operation of a successful ACT Team.

Treatment Planning 

September 28, 2022 | 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. CT

WEBINAR VIDEO | PRESENTATION SLIDES

• Treatment planning is important for mental health care as it provides a guide to how services may best be delivered. It serves as an outline of the therapeutic interventions, what is going to be done, when it is going to be done and by whom while considering the client’s needs.

De-escalation/Crisis Intervention 

October 19, 2022 | 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. CT

WEBINAR VIDEO | PRESENTATION SLIDES

Benefits Planning 

November 16, 2022 | 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. CT

WEBINAR VIDEO | PRESENTATION SLIDES