Recent News

This column describes a mixed-methods needs assessment conducted by the Southeast Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) to identify regional mental health priorities in eight states of the southeastern United States. The six priority areas identified were mental health workforce, school-based mental health, suicide prevention, peer workforce, criminal justice and mental health, and supported housing. […]

SDSU Extension To Assess Farm-Ranch Stress Statewide November 27, 2020 - South Dakota State University Extension will conduct a statewide needs assessment to help agricultural producers manage stress, utilizing a U.S. Department of Agriculture program called the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. The program is a 12-state collaborative that addresses stress management and mental health […]

Editors' Note: This story ran in our December newsletter, published Dec. 1.   Good news: We're extending the application deadline for Sustaining Pediatric Integrated Primary Care During a Pandemic Learning Community to 5 p.m. CT Friday, Jan. 15.   This 6-month learning community will provide the opportunity for behavioral health team members in integrated pediatric primary care settings to […]

Editors' Note: This story ran in our December newsletter, published Dec. 1.   Dr. Anitra Warrior of Morningstar Counseling in Lincoln, Nebraska, delivered a bonus presentation on equity considerations primarily pertaining to Native populations in supplement to the October iteration of our Coming Home to Primary Care: Pediatric Integrated Health series.   Dr. Warrior was slated to […]

Editors' Note: This story ran in our December newsletter, published Dec. 1.   All November Grief Sensitivity Virtual Learning Institute materials, including webinar recordings, slides, FAQ documents, and more, are now available here — for free.   Over the course of two days, more than 4,000 people attended the virtual learning institute, geared toward providing front-line workers with tools […]

The Role of Rural and Urban Geography and Gender in Community Stigma Around Mental Illness November 23, 2020 - A new study, based off work from the Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) product “Measuring Stigma around Mental Illness in North Dakota,” examined the role of gender and rural-urban living in perceptions about […]

Report: 20% of Covid-19 Patients Develop Mental Health Issues November 19, 2020 – A new report, published in the Lancet, found that one in five Covid-19 patients develop mental illness within 90 days of recovery. Individuals who have had Covid-19 are likely to develop anxiety, depression, insomnia, or post-traumatic stress disorder. These findings indicate potential […]

Join us for these events celebrating Native American Heritage Month! “The American Indian is of the soil, whether it be the region of forests, plains, pueblos, or mesas. He fits into the landscape, for the hand that fashioned the continent also fashioned the man for his surroundings. He once grew as naturally as the wild […]

Bystander Training to Prevent Bullying Improves Student Mental Health November 16, 2020 - Both victims and bystanders of bullying face social and emotional consequences that impact mental health. A study led by Aida Midgett, published in the Journal of Prevention and Health Promotion, evaluated middle school students who had undergone bystander training. The results indicate […]

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported only 11.5% Latinx representation in education and health services, and around 5% of United States psychologists are Hispanic or Latinx. Developed by the National Hispanic and Latino MHTTC, the provider booklet, National Hispanic Heritage Month Part II: The Experience of Being a Non-Latino Mental Health Professional Who Works with […]

NRI Finds COVID-19 Impacts Include Workforce Shortages in 68 Percent of States, Reduced Inpatient Admissions in 21 States, 88 Percent Fewer Community-Based Encounters To understand and assess the magnitude of the COVID-19 impact on state mental health systems and how these systems have adapted to challenges presented by the pandemic, the NASMHPD Research Institute (NRI), […]

Research from our MHTTC team focusing on behavioral health organizations and Covid-19 was featured in Forbes. View the article here.

Sarah Nielsen Chosen to Receive Roster of Fellows Award November 10, 2020 - Sarah Nielsen, PhD, OTR/L has been chosen to receive the American Occupational Therapy Association’s (AOTA) Roster of Fellows Award for her dedication and extraordinary leadership in the field of occupational therapy. The AOTA Roster of Fellows recognizes occupational therapist members of AOTA, who […]

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month November 4, 2020 - November is Native American Heritage Month and the team at Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) wants to help you celebrate. Explore the resources and events listed below and use the hashtags #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth and #NAHeritage on social media!   Resources   Strengthening Resilience: Promoting Positive […]

The Northwest MHTTC and the Pacific Southwest MHTTC collaborated in September of 2020 in the midst of unprecedented wildfires on the West Coast to provide a special virtual town hall on school mental health leadership in times of wildfire. Six principals, superintendents, county and state office of education leaders from Washington State, California, and Oregon who have experienced wildfire […]

The application period for the Sustaining Pediatric Integrated Primary Care During a Pandemic Learning Community, geared toward integrated behavioral health providers, opens Nov. 9. Application information will be released soon.   This 6-month learning community will provide the opportunity for behavioral health team members in integrated pediatric primary care settings to problem-solve how to sustain integrated […]

The Family Peer Support: An Emerging Workforce Webinar Series, drawing from themes outlined in our August webinar by the same name, kicked off with a session on outcomes on Oct. 22.   Our Center's serious mental illness program director, Bill Baerentzen, PhD, and Jai Sookram, PhD, family and peer services manager at Community Alliance, opened the […]

The MHTTC Network is gearing up for the November Grief Sensitivity Virtual Learning Institute, occurring 11 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Nov. 12-13.   The learning institute, entitled Applying Concepts to Practice, is geared toward providing front-line workers with tools and strategies that can be used when addressing the needs of individuals experiencing grief and loss during COVID-19 […]

The National American Indian and Alaska Native MHTTC K-12 School Initiative is committed to providing culturally informed, evidence based and experienced based programs and services to support native students spiritual and emotional wellbeing. To access the National American Indian and Alaska Native MHTTC’s current and upcoming SMH programming and resources, click here.

Farming Communities Tackle Rise in Suicides October 14, 2020 - At a drive-through ice cream social in Sauk County, Wisconsin, the Farmer Angel Network supplied goody bags that included a foam cow stress toy and information about wellness resources – and pamphlets to prevent loved ones from considering death by suicide. According to the Midwest Center […]

Over the last year, the Northwest School Mental Health Team has been providing training and technical assistance in Idaho. As a result of those efforts and collaborations, our partners, like Optum, are emphasizing school mental health within an integrated framework in rural Idaho schools.  Read their recently released case study on Enhancing Behavioral Health in Idaho Schools and […]

November 19th is National Rural Health Day 2020 October 23, 2020 - Please join the Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) in celebrating the 10th Annual National Rural Health Day! The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health sets aside the third Thursday of every November to celebrate National Rural Health Day. National […]

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, IHS has partnered with the University of New Mexico (UNM) to provide TeleECHOs for members of the healthcare team. TeleECHOs are interactive virtual sessions that focus on working through real patient and system level challenges. Specific ECHOs Include (click each to download): IHS COVID-19 ECHO Mental Health and Resiliency […]

Organizing Partners include the Behavioral Health Training, Workforce and Policy Innovation Center of the University of Washington's Behavioral Health Institute in partnership with the WA State Health Care Authority (HCA).  Key Tribal Partners include the Indian Health Service's Telebehavioral Health Center of Excellence (TBHCE), the American Indian Health Commission (AIHC) of Washington State and others. Session 1 11:00am - September 17, 2020 -- Addressing […]