Recent News

View the Southwest FEP Conference Evaluation Report in detail or View the Conference Debrief. The Southwest First Episode Psychosis Conference (SWFEP) was hosted by the South Southwest MHTTC Network from August 3-5th 2020. This three-day training event brought together early psychosis mental health providers, experts on first episode psychosis, and hundreds of participants attending virtually. Initially planned […]

Frequent Mental Distress Among Adults, by Disability Status, Disability Type, and Selected Characteristics — United States, 2018 September 11, 2020 - In the United States, an estimated 17.4 million adults with disabilities experience frequent mental distress, 4.6 times more often than adults without disabilities. Adults with disabilities are also more likely to live below the federal […]

In case you missed it: SAMHSA released the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The annual survey is the nation’s primary resource for data on mental health and substance use among Americans. View a video presentation of the NSDUH data findings presented by Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, Dr. […]

Stefanie Winfield, MSW, to Speak at HRSA Event on Best Practices in School Mental Health September 14, 2020 - Stefanie Winfield, the School Mental Health Lead for the Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, has been invited to be a panelist on a training, "School Mental Health Best Practices in Region 8," hosted by […]

A Connection During Crisis September 7, 2020 - The Virtual Crisis Care Program, currently at work in South Dakota, is getting people the right level of mental health care sooner by using an electronic tablet. The tablet allows someone in crisis to talk with a mental health professional at Avera eCare. Clay County Chief Deputy Paul […]

September is Suicide Prevention Month September 9, 2020 - Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Leading Causes of Death Reports, in 2018, suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall, amounting to over 48,000 lives. Suicide was the second […]

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month 2020   The Pacific Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (PSMHTTC) joins the nation in observing September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. While necessary every year, the critical importance of suicide prevention and postvention cannot be overstated in the midst of 2020’s multiple challenges and crises including the COVID-19 pandemic, an […]

The Mid-America MHTTC's school mental health program is excited to announce that the application period has opened for our upcoming professional learning community, Supporting School Mental Health During a Pandemic.   This learning community will be a collaboration between the Mid-America MHTTC team and the National Center for School Mental Health. The target audience for this […]

Sanford Health and the University of North Dakota Announce Behavioral Health Collaboration September 8, 2020 North Dakota. – Sanford Health and the University of North Dakota (UND) have joined forces to offer behavioral health support services to people struggling due to COVID-19.   The Behavioral Health Bridge, a Sanford/UND collaboration, is a series of online […]

Reversing the Rising Tide of Suicide August 24, 2020 – According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide accounted for over 48,000 deaths in the United States in 2018. Furthermore, for each suicide death, an additional 200 people consider suicide. Factors that may influence an individual’s risk for suicide include adverse childhood experiences, […]

Editors' Note: This story ran in our September newsletter, published Sept. 2.   A new webinar series kicking off in early September will present well-being skills to education professionals, administrators, and stakeholders who are working together to create a culture of well-being that supports students and educators.   The introductory session for Well-Being Wednesdays: Taking Care […]

Editors' Note: This story ran in our September newsletter, published Sept. 2.   The Mid-America MHTTC is excited to announce the development of a new webinar, Student Mental Health During COVID-19: How to Prepare as Schools Reopen, geared toward emergency managers, public health professionals (state and local health departments) and school administrators who are working together […]

Editors' Note: This story ran in our September newsletter, published Sept. 2.   Serious Mental Illness Program Director Bill Baerentzen, PhD, recently contributed insights on permanent supportive housing to the Essential Conversations in Social Services 2020 podcast.   In the latest episode, The Importance of Housing & Employment, Dr. Baerentzen and co-guest Suzanne Watson from Southwest Iowa Mental […]

Editors' Note: This story ran in our September newsletter, published Sept. 2.   The Mid-America MHTTC serious mental illness program on Aug. 20 co-presented the Family Peer Support: An Emerging Workforce webinar with the Omaha-based Community Alliance's family and peer services department.   The webinar introduced family peer support as a profession, explored its roles and functions, […]

Suicide Rates by Sex and Three Leading Methods August 2020 - Since 2008, suicide has ranked as the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, with deaths by firearm, suffocation, and poisoning as the leading methods. In urban areas, suicide rates have increased 34% from 2000 to 2018. During the same time period, the […]

Grief Sensitivity Virtual Learning Institute The Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, is hosting a two-part series in September and November 2020 with leading grief experts across the country. The series is geared toward providing front-line workers with tools and strategies that can be used when addressing […]

Assessing Workforce Diversity: A Tool for Mental Health Organizations on the Path to Health Equity   Developed By: Pacific Southwest MHTTC SUMMARY: Workforce diversity improves access to health and health care for communities of color. This self-assessment is designed to help mental health organizations explore their implementation of workforce diversity strategies. It addresses six areas: […]

  SUMMARY: A study in JAMA finds huge improvement with patients in India treated with collaborative-care model. Lydia Chwastiak, MD, was a co-author and principal investigator on the study. Read more: HERE.     **********************************   Want more information? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's Resource Library and Websites by Topic  and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available […]

Healthcare Looks to Telehealth to Address Physician Burnout August 14, 2020 – Health care has a stress and burnout problem. Physicians have the highest suicide rate of any profession, losing up to four hundred of their colleagues a year. In an industry with a large shortage of health care professionals, the effect is catastrophic. The […]

Rural First Responders Fight More Than a Pandemic August 13, 2020 – In Marion County, West Virginia, a recent surge in emergency calls was not entirely due to COVID-19. May 2020 saw twice the number of drug overdose calls as May 2019. Emergency responders were quick to point out that substance abuse and misuse does […]

The New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center is proud to announce our new podcast series: "Changing the Conversation: Recovery and Resilience."   Our inaugural episode focuses on Parenting in Recovery. Host Katie Volk talks with Joanne Nicholson, a professor in the Institute for Behavioral Health at the Heller School at Brandeis University and a clinical and […]

The Impact of COVID-19 on College Student Well-being August 2020 - The Healthy Minds Network, in collaboration with the American College Health Association, developed a set of survey items focused on students’ attitudes, concerns, preventive behaviors, and their perceived supportiveness of colleges and universities related to COVID-19. This report presents results from 18,764 students on […]

CDC Article: "Mental health, substance use and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic."   By: Czeisler et al Published August 14, 2020. SUMMARY: “What is already known about this topic? Communities have faced mental health challenges related to COVID-19–associated morbidity, mortality, and mitigation activities. What is added by this report? During June 24–30, 2020, U.S. adults […]

  "Why mental health and the law matters."   Published August 14, 2020. A new center based in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington focuses on the intersection of mental health and the criminal justice system. The Center for Mental Health, Policy, and the Law made its debut this summer. Northwest […]