The Northwest MHTTC is excited to partner with Lamarr Lewis to offer a live learning community on cultural humility and responsiveness as a mental health practitioner. 6 hours of CE contact hours available* (see below.) ABOUT THE LEARNING COMMUNITY This learning community will focus on learning how to demonstrate cultural humility in organizational practices, service provision, and strategies. Participants will learn to acknowledge and improve awareness while being responsive to decisions, actions, and policies shaped by their personal cultural perspectives. Participants will develop an orientation and active engagement towards the process of building more open and understanding environments as a way to create healthier workplace cultures while advancing equity and being inclusionary of the diversity within the Northwest behavioral health workforce.  Objectives Learn ways to validate the experience of others while identifying your own “blind spots” to increase empathy for those we serve. Acknowledge the need for cultural awareness and understanding, through self-reflection to create change and more supportive workplace environments. Develop the ability to reframe interactions with others as one of collaborative equals. Increase awareness of similarities and differences among and between cultural groups and appreciate the benefits of cultural diversity.  ELIGIBILITY Members of the mental health/behavioral health workforce who are based in the states of Alaska, Oregon, Idaho & Washington (HHS Region 10) Commitment to attend the whole series is required Each individual must have access to computer/web camera/audio to participate Seats are limited, we will notify you of your application status by April 26. Questions: For questions about this series, including eligibility and registration please contact the Northwest MHTTC at [email protected]. SESSIONS: Tuesdays, May 7 - 28, 2024 12:00 - 1:30 pm AK / 1:00 - 2:30pm PT / 2:00 - 3:30pm MT May 7: Cultural Competence < Cultural Humility and Responsiveness   This session will focus on learning how to demonstrate cultural humility and responsiveness. Participants will learn to acknowledge and improve awareness about decisions, actions, and policies that are shaped by their personal cultural perspective. The goal is for participants to develop an orientation and active engagement towards increased understanding and the process of transitioning to more open and understanding workplace environments.   Slides May 14: Collaborative Communication  This session will focus on developing teamwork and enhancing collaboration through person-centered communication. We will use interactive activities and discussions to teach techniques such as; active listening, healthy reinforcement, conflict resolution, and clear feedback. Participants will also learn ways to manage and identify daily stressors and unexpected events that can impact effective communication.   May 21: Relationships First  This session will focus on the process of establishing and nurturing healthy and functional connections with others. Participants will learn approaches to build genuine, meaningful, and lasting relationships between others to achieve shared goals. The goal is to foster supportive environments where individuals feel connected, empowered, and encouraged to contribute to the greater good of the workplace and community.  May 28: Finding Common Ground  This session will focus on building collaboration and cultivating a culture of inclusivity where everyone feels valued and heard. By further learning how to invest in meaningful relationships, participants will work to create a positive and sustainable impact on their workplace environment. They will learn ways to identify common goals and interests and empower all members to be a part of the decision-making process. FACILITATOR Lamarr Lewis, MA, LAPC, CPRP Lamarr Lewis is a dedicated advocate, author, and agent of change. With a focus on community-based mental health, he works with diverse groups including individuals living with psychiatric disabilities, people in recovery from substance abuse, and at-hope youth (He does not use the term at-risk). He is an alumnus of Wittenberg University graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with minors in Africana Studies and Religion. He later received his master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Argosy University. His career spans over twenty years with experience as a therapist, consultant, and human service professional. He has been a featured expert and trainer for such organizations as; Boeing, Fulton County Probate Court, Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network, Mississippi Department of Health, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Region IV Public Health Training Center, the Ruby Neeson Diabetes Awareness Foundation, and more. His lifelong mission is to leave the world better than how he found it. *Continuing Education Contact Hours Details Physicians, physician assistants, primary care ARNPs, psychologists, and other health care providers may be eligible for CME or CEUs for completing the course. Retain your Certificate of Completion and verify its suitability for CME/CEUs with your licensing/credentialing entity. The University of Washington is an approved provider of continuing education for DOH licensed social workers, licensed mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, psychologists, substance use disorder professionals, nurses and physicians under the provisions of: WAC 246-809-610, WAC 246-809-620, WAC 246-811-200, WAC 246-840-210, WAC 246-919-460 and WAC 246-924-240.

Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health challenges and substance use disorders (SUDs) in young people. This training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial support to a young person who may be developing a mental health or substance use issue and help connect them to the appropriate care. Attendees will complete a 2-hour self-paced class (pre-work) and then participate in a 4.5-hour instructor-led class using video conferencing via Zoom. Course capacity is limited, so please only register if you are able to fully attend the training.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES Participants will learn to: Identify mental health challenges and SUDs in young people Methods for outreach and support for youth Connect youth with appropriate care   CONTINUING EDUCATION Participants who fully atternd this training will be eligible to receive 5 continuing education (CE) hours certified by the Illinois Certification Board (ICB). CE certificates will be managed by ICB.   PRESENTER Natalie Maggiore, Prevention Specialist for IABH, works with the COO/VP of Programs to develop, implement and evaluate the Association’s youth leadership conference - the Cebrin Goodman Teen Institute. Natalie works with the Prevention Program Director to assist CGTI and Operation Snowball Action Teams throughout the year as they create and implement Action Plans to better their schools and communities. Natalie holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and continues to pursue expanding mental health education and awareness through that avenue. She is also a certified instructor for Youth Mental Health First Aid and Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA).   The Great Lakes MHTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.

This is an application, and not all people who apply will be able to get in due to class size. The South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) invites peer specialists from across Region 6 to apply for the Youth and Young Adult Peer Specialist training. The Youth and Young Adults Peer Support training was developed to train peer supporters on the topics of youth voice and issues specific to youth navigating mental health or substance use challenges. The Youth and Young Adults Peer Support training is available for anyone who works, or is interested in working, as a peer specialist. This three-day training provides participants with a foundation for youth experience with mental health and substance use challenges, the unique issues for youth navigating recovery and youth-serving systems, and best practices and tools for peer specialists looking to support youth. The training will also encourage participants to consider how to use their own lived experience when supporting youth through structured reflection, group discussion, and interactive activities. There is no age requirement for participating in this training. Applicants will be informed of acceptance before April 5, 2024. Applicants will be accepted on a rolling basis, so we encourage interested folks to apply early since space in the training may fill up quickly. Not all applicants will be accepted as we have limited seats available. The Youth and Young Adult Peer Support training is appropriate for anyone working or volunteering (or interested in working or volunteering) as a peer specialist. The only prerequisite to attendance is that participants must have previous formal training in peer support practice (e.g., their state’s Peer Specialist certification training, Intentional Peer Support, etc.). Priority consideration will be given to people who are interested in attending the YAYAPS Training of Trainers so that they may facilitate the Youth and Young Adult Peer Support Training in their communities. Learning Objectives At the end of this training, it is envisioned that participants will be able ​​to: Define the term “youth” Identify and practice effective ways of meeting youth and young people “where they are” Build authentic connections with young people based on lived experience, regardless of differences in age or other experiences Identify stigmatizing language used to describe young people and effectively reframe such language through the lens of peer values Understand how resistance or other actions may be forms of self-advocacy, communication, or responses to trauma Identify common responses to trauma that young people experience Support young people in exploring different ways to heal from trauma Utilize foundational knowledge of power and privilege to support youth experiencing oppression Assist young people in learning to advocate for themselves within the settings that young people must navigate Set and hold boundaries with persons served and coworkers Identify challenges and ethical boundaries for supporting family members of a young person     Facilitators Jessi Davis (she/they) is an experienced Program Coordinator and Peer Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the Peer Support, Mental Health, and Substance Use Recovery industries. Jessi is known for work surrounding Youth and Young Adult Peer Support training, technical assistance, and leadership. Currently working at the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, Jessi works to provide support, technical assistance, and training to the Peer Workforce throughout the 5 states and all tribal communities within Region 6. They have spent much of their career focused on promoting access to quality Peer Specialist services across the lifespan. Darcy Kues (she/her) is a Project Manager with the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center and the Addiction Research Institute, where she writes curricula focused on peer support and recovery services. She has over 7 years of experience in curriculum development, grant writing, and program coordination for peer support services and recovery-oriented behavioral health. Darcy has developed trainings on reentry peer support, youth and young adult peer support, trauma responsiveness, peer support supervision, LGBTQ affirming services, and more. She is committed to building a world where recovery and lived experience are centered at every level of decision-making.

This event is part of the UW SMART Center's 2024 Virtual Speaker Series. Learn more and register for upcoming events in the series here. Bullying Prevention in Elementary and Middle Schools: Leveraging Experts in Your Building Description: Session attendants will learn about the types of bullying, strategies to disrupt bullying in schools, and focus specifically on how to leverage school resource officers, bus drivers, and other safety personnel in your bullying prevention efforts. Objectives: Participants will be able to describe at least four different types of bullying and their characteristics Participants will be able to identify a schoolwide strategy to disrupt bulying Participants will be able to train school resource officers, bus drivers, and other safety personnel in the schoolwide prevention strategy   Presentation Materials Recording Coming Soon!   About the Presenter: Sara McDaniel, Ph.D. Professor of Special Education in the Department of Special Education and Multiple Abilities, and Director of the Center for Interconnected Behavioral and Mental Health Systems at the University of Alabama Dr. McDaniel is a professor of Special Education in the Department of Special Education and Multiple Abilities at the University of Alabama and is the Director of the Center for Interconnected Behavioral and Mental Health Systems (CIBMHS). The CIBMHS is a research center that engages in rigorous research in schools and focuses on supporting schools and districts in implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and school-based mental health services. Dr. McDaniel conducts research and teaches in the areas of: (a) PBIS, (b) classroom management assessment and coaching, (c) Tier 2 social, emotional, and behavioral supports, and (d) preventative treatments for diverse populations of students placed at high risk.       Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

The first issue of our May 2024 newsletter features Mental Health Awareness Month resources, upcoming Northwest MHTTC events, and disseminates other events & resources of interest to the workforce.

Springfield College MSW students hosted a virtual discussion about Social Emotional Learning (SEL.) There was also an opportunity for Q&A.   Presenter: Dr. Jean Conway is a graduate of Northeastern University (BS in Psychology), Boston College (MSW), and Concordia University (MS Ed). Jean brings over three decades of dedicated service as a social worker within the Worcester Public School system, demonstrating her strong commitment to supporting student social and emotional well-being.   This event was co-sponsored by Springfield College.