Products and Resources Catalog

Behavioral threat assessment was developed to prevent targeted attacks, such as school shootings. However, there are concerns about the use of threat assessment in schools, including as it relates to student mental health. This symposium by the MHTTC Network Coordinating Office and National Center for School Mental Health details results of a key informant roundtable, scoping review, and white paper that examine considerations for behavioral threat assessment, research outcomes, and recommendations for the future of behavioral threat assessment in schools. NOTE: This was originally presented at the 2023 Advancing School Mental Health Conference, hosted by the National Center for School Mental Health in New Orleans, LA.

About 4 of 5 children with mental health issues have unmet mental health needs. Key to addressing the youth mental health crisis (as declared by the U.S. Surgeon General) is identifying and addressing student mental health challenges in school settings. This poster examines how much technical assistance/implementation strategies was needed to introduce districts and schools to Classroom WISE and help them explore, plan, implement, and sustain training. NOTE: This poster was originally presented at the 15th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Washington, DC.

This poster uses an Implementation Research model to examine how contextual factors (e.g., leadership and climate; steps taken by the school to incorporate the content into professional development activities) affect implementing a mental health literacy training, Classroom WISE, in K-12 schools, and how to leverage facilitators to increase program uptake. NOTE: This poster was originally presented at the School Social Work Association of America's 2023 Annual Conference in Broomfield, CO.

Educators and school personnel play a vital role in promoting well-being and identifying and responding to emerging mental illness in children and adolescents. However, they often have not received the training and ongoing support needed to respond in the classroom. To address this need, the MHTTC Network, in partnership with the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, developed a FREE 3-part training package focused on educator mental health literacy. Informed by and co-developed with K-12 educators, Classroom WISE (Well-Being Information and Strategies for Educators) launched in June 2021. Since then, over 10,000 educators and school staff have completed the training! This summary highlights participant feedback as well as MHTTC's dissemination and implementation efforts for Classroom WISE since its launch.

Developing and disseminating effective educator and school personnel training packages does not necessarily lead to their use and implementation. This session demonstrates Classroom WISE, a free 3-part package (online course, video series, resource library) focused on educator mental health literacy, and presents evaluation results for the package and a technical assistance project that examines differences in uptake of the Classroom WISE based on the level of implementation support. NOTE: This was originally presented virtually at the 2022 Advancing School Mental Health Conference, hosted by the National Center for School Mental Health.

School mental health staff play a vital role in promoting mental health and well-being and identifying and responding to emerging mental illness in children and adolescents. Partnering with educators is essential; however, they often have not received the education, training, and/or ongoing support needed to respond in the classroom. Learn how school mental health staff can use the free Classroom WISE suite of tools to move school mental health forward. NOTE: This was originally presented at the School Social Work Association of America's 2022 Annual Conference in Chicago, IL.

This panel includes presentations from the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network highlighting key workforce challenges of rural mental health providers. Presenters highlighted regional expertise in tele-behavioral health and pediatric integrated primary care as key strategies to manage behavioral health workforce challenges. Presenters also described technical assistance and training opportunities available through the MHTTC Network to address rural mental health workforce challenges.

School violence, including school-based gun violence, is a major public health issue that has negative consequences for students, families, schools, and communities (Basile et al., 2020; Peterson et al., 2021). One approach that schools have adopted to address school violence is behavioral threat assessment (BTA). Based on a request from our funder, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), we developed a report on behavioral threat assessment and its intersection with youth mental health. This report aims to: Describe the problem of school violence and how BTA became a widely implemented school violence prevention strategy; Report on the current state of BTA implementation and its effectiveness; Discuss considerations for the fit and appropriateness of using BTA in schools; and Offer recommendations for schools, policymakers, funders, researchers, and SAMHSA on addressing BTA use in schools.

After 10 years of research, Proud & Empowered has shown efficacy to support its use in school and community settings. The 10-week small group intervention uses a mix of didactic learning strategies to support LGBTQ+ youth as they navigate their family, peer, school and other community environments. Hosted in partnership with the Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity (CoE-LGBTQ+) and the MHTTC Network Coordinating Office, this presentation offers an overview of the intervention and allows for Q&A.

About the Event: There are multiple federal health privacy laws that may apply to student mental health information. To assist mental health professionals working in schools in understanding how the federal health privacy laws apply to student mental health information, the MHTTC Network and the Center of Excellence for Protected Health Information (CoE-PHI) hosted a two-part virtual learning series that: Describes how federal health privacy laws (e.g., HIPAA and FERPA) apply to student mental health information Explains how student mental health information can be protected and shared in compliance with federal health privacy laws Discusses common scenarios involving student mental health information that arise in school settings through case study discussions led by clinical and legal experts Demonstrates how relevant resources and technical assistance can be accessed through the MHTTC Network and the CoE-PHI Session 2 built upon the learnings from Session 1 by reviewing common scenarios in school settings that involve student mental health information. Subject matter experts led a discussion about clinical and legal considerations for each scenario. Intended Audience: While all school administrators and personnel are welcome to view the recording, this program is specifically aimed toward school-based health and mental health professionals, including: Health and mental health providers employed by a school district Community providers contracted by a school district to work on site at a school School-Based Health Center providers Session Materials: Click the "VIEW RESOURCE" button above to access the session recording Click here to access the Case Scenarios handout that was used in this session. Click here to view the session slides Click here to access the Learning Series Highlights handout Click here to access the session transcript. Please note: This is session was part of a two-part virtual learning series. Although not required, viewing the recordings of both sessions is strongly recommended. For more information about this 2-part series, click here.

About the Event: There are multiple federal health privacy laws that may apply to student mental health information. To assist mental health professionals working in schools in understanding how the federal health privacy laws apply to student mental health information, the MHTTC Network and the Center of Excellence for Protected Health Information (CoE-PHI) hosted a two-part virtual learning series that: Describes how federal health privacy laws (e.g., HIPAA and FERPA) apply to student mental health information Explains how student mental health information can be protected and shared in compliance with federal health privacy laws Discusses common scenarios involving student mental health information that arise in school settings through case study discussions led by clinical and legal experts Demonstrates how relevant resources and technical assistance can be accessed through the MHTTC Network and the CoE-PHI Session 1 focused on the importance of protecting and sharing student mental health information. Subject matter experts also provided an overview of the federal health privacy laws that apply to student mental health information. Intended Audience: While all school administrators and personnel are welcome to view the recording, this program is specifically aimed toward school-based health and mental health professionals, including: Health and mental health providers employed by a school district Community providers contracted by a school district to work on site at a school School-Based Health Center providers Session Materials: Click the "VIEW RESOURCE" button above to access the session recording Click here to view the session slides Click here to access the Learning Series Highlights handout Click here to access the session transcript. Please note: This is session was part of a two-part virtual learning series. Although not required, viewing the recordings of both sessions is strongly recommended. For more information about this 2-part series, click here.

This is an invited report on implementation science for SAMHSA leadership. The purpose is to provide an overview of the emerging science of implementation, and to suggest implications for SAMHSA’s leadership, administrative and funding role in the delivery of behavioral health services in the US. The report is a rapid response, and one interpretation of a broad, complex and dynamic field. The report organizes and interprets implementation science by a selection of the most robust, trailblazing frameworks that lend to ease of application and real-world relevance. In addition, these frameworks are widely adopted, prominent, and the subject of active research programs—so continued use and refinement is ongoing.

The Classroom WISE (Well-Being Information and Strategies for Educators) training package provides knowledge and skills that are effective and applicable for educators, school personnel, and school health and mental health professionals. We know that training alone is not enough to create practice change. Taking the Classroom WISE online course and reviewing the videos and resources are only the first steps. It’s up to you and your school team to decide how to use the Classroom WISE materials to implement actual changes and enhance how your school promotes student mental health and identifies and responds to students with mental health concerns. The Classroom WISE Implementation Guide helps school teams develop a plan for implementing Classroom WISE. We have updated this guide to include examples of how four school teams implemented Classroom WISE in their respective schools. You can view these Classroom WISE Implementation Stories below! Click here to view the Classroom WISE Implementation Story for Buffalo Grove High School. Click here to view the Classroom WISE Implementation Story for Kingwood Elementary School. Click here to view the Classroom WISE Implementation Story for Maplewood High School. Click here to view the Classroom WISE Implementation Story for Provisional Accelerated Learning Academy.

On January 20, the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse led an informational webinar on the latest COVID-19 guidance and resources for kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) schools. The session featured guest speakers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network. Presenters provided an overview of COVID-19 guidance for K-12 schools and shared resources to address the mental health impact on students, parents, teachers, and school personnel. The discussion featured additional school safety-related resources available through SchoolSafety.gov, as well as a Q&A session. This webinar is part of the 2022 School Safety Webinar Series, a program hosted by the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse to address emerging risks and threats facing the K-12 school community. Held on a monthly basis, the webinar series covers a range of school safety topics, and provides information on the resources, tools, and best practices available to equip school leaders with a set of strategies in creating safer and more resilient school systems. The Federal School Safety Clearinghouse is a federal government interagency collaboration comprised of the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Justice to provide a comprehensive and centralized location for federal school safety resources. The Clearinghouse reviews, collects, and distributes guidance, tools, best practices, and actionable recommendations to improve safety and security within school communities. Learn more at SchoolSafety.gov or sign up for updates.  Questions? Please contact the School Safety team at [email protected]

Join this NNED Virtual Roundtable to hear about strategies that motivate racially/ethnically diverse individuals to consider behavioral health as a career path. Discover how community-based organizations are working to diversify the behavioral health workforce including recruiting and retaining racially/ethnically diverse staff. Learn from panelists about professional pathways and programs/trainings that support racially/ethnically diverse people in behavioral health careers. Learning Objectives: Understand the importance and impact of a racially/ethnically diverse behavioral health workforce. Examine how community-based organizations can create career development experiences in behavioral health such as internships and trainings for racially/ethnically diverse people. Identify national and regional programs for professional pathways that support racially/ethnically diverse people in behavioral health careers. Learn about strategies to promote the behavioral healthcare field to make it more inviting and interesting to racially/ethnically diverse young people. Access the resources and recording here. 

More than ever before, the behavioral health services provided by community-based organizations (CBOs) that serve racially/ethnically diverse communities are essential to support the recovery and healing of the people most impacted by COVID-19. Current funding approaches are challenging to navigate. Oftentimes, it is even more difficult for CBOs that don’t have the infrastructure to respond to these opportunities to sustain their work. Foundations and government agencies are recognizing the importance of funding with flexibility so that CBOs can effectively serve racially/ethnically diverse communities. Funders are establishing relationships with CBOs to drive effective solutions for these communities, while also looking inward to implement changes in their practices and policies. This includes inviting CBOs to provide input on application processes, simplifying the criteria and fields in requests for proposals (RFPs), and ensuring a faster turnaround time to get funds to CBOs. View this pre-recorded NNED Virtual Roundtable to consider new ways to tap into philanthropic and governmental funding to meet the behavioral health needs of racially/ethnically diverse communities. Behavioral health-focused CBOs will share how they are leveraging funding opportunities and their successful partnerships with funders — how they were created, cultivated, and grown before and during the pandemic.  Objectives: Understand how both funders and CBOs are responding to disparities in funding and behavioral health services within the current context of COVID-19. Learn about unique funding partnerships between government agencies/foundations with CBOs serving diverse racial/ethnic communities and underserved populations. Identify fiscal challenges and solutions related to behavioral health services faced by CBOs, including billing and reimbursements. Access the resources and recording here.

The COVID-19 pandemic on top of growing racial tensions across the nation are impacting youth mental health—including stress, anxiety, and fear. With school closures and the digital divide, young people are missing a sense of structure and stimulation and are at greater risk for social isolation while not receiving the social support that is essential for their overall mental health and well-being. View the recording from the NNED's Virtual Roundtable to learn how CBOs working with underserved and racially/ethnically diverse youth—Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), immigrant and refugee, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and 2-spirit (LGBTQIA2S+)—are quickly shifting their practices and programs in today’s unprecedented environment to address these mental health needs. Responses to these growing needs of youth include bolstering methods for telehealth, shifting to more remote positions, and providing services in innovative ways. Panelists will share methods for how they are enhancing their staff’s skills and shifting roles to build resilience and competently respond in crisis situations. Objectives for Part 1: Understand the national context of the behavioral health issues that underserved and racially/ethnically diverse youth are currently facing; Identify innovative approaches CBOs are taking to meet diverse youth where they are; Learn about unique CBO partnerships to address the behavioral health needs of diverse youth; and Learn how CBOs are increasing their staff capacity, socio-emotional skills, and self-care to quickly adapt and respond to crises. Access the resources and recording here. 

This is the third session belonging to a three-part virtual roundtable to address the impact of historical and present day trauma and social injustice on their mental health, provides self-care strategies, and identifies long term community engagement strategies to address the mental health of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. The objectives of this webinar are to identify systems issues and policies impacting the access to quality care, improving the current workforce by increasing the number of AANHPI providers (including paraprofessional community members), and providing ongoing training and support. This webinar also clarifies what constitutes culturally competent and linguistically appropriate care (including innovative approaches and integrated models that recognize the relationship between physical and mental health), identifies allies and partners who can further systems changes, and identifies one action step each participant can do to effect these changes.

About the webinar: While some talk about stages of grief, the reality is that most of us do not move through grief in a step-by-step way. Grief researchers have identified tasks that we need to accomplish in the grieving process to lessen the pain of loss. Some of us move through those tasks without even knowing that’s what we’re doing – it just feels like time healing the wounds. Some may need to focus more attention on the tasks of grieving in order to let go of our suffering. In either case, having an active approach to grief can empower both older adults and those who serve them to manage this human experience. Differentiating normal grief from prolonged grief disorder and evidence-based treatments will also be discussed. Watch the recording of this webinar by clicking the "view resource" button above.  To access the slide deck and handout related to this session please click on the links below. Slide Deck  Tasks of Grieving Handout About the Presenter

Many persons may experience perinatal mental health concerns during the prenatal and postpartum periods. Practitioners play an important role in supporting birthing families through the detection, assessment and treatment of perinatal mental health symptoms as well as the delivery of sensitive and culturally competent care. Perinatal Mental Health Learning Series: Strategies and Considerations for Behavioral Health and Health Care Providers is a virtual learning series intended for health and behavioral health providers who work with individuals affected by mental health symptoms during the perinatal period. Expert speakers emphasize increasing awareness and screening methods in perinatal mental health and health care, as well as psychotherapeutic treatment. This is the second session, Evidence-Based Treatment for Perinatal Mental Health Disorders, belonging to the 2-part series. Presenter Mara Acel-Green, MSW, LICSW, leads the discussion about the importance of using evidence-based treatment when treating individuals with perinatal health disorders. The application of CBT for perinatal emotional complications is focused on in this discussion and as well as being mindful of risks for women of color. Strategies to address these concerns are included. Access the slides here Resources Highlighted During the Session Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale (PASS) Ted Talk- Miriam Zoila Perez- How Racism Harms Pregnant Women and What Can Help Feeling list Birthing Healthier Families: Post-Graduate Certificate Using CBT for Perinatal Emotional Complications  Reference list You can find more information and resources regarding Perinatal Mental Health at: https://mhttcnetwork.org/centers/global-mhttc/perinatal-mental-health-resources

Learning Collaboratives: A Strategy for QI and Implementation - Learning Session To educate technical assistance providers about learning collaboratives and their potential use in quality improvement and implementation, the MHTTC Network Coordinating Office commissioned a review and report conducted by the Annapolis Coalition on the Behavioral Health Workforce. The report, Learning Collaboratives: A Strategy for Quality Improvement & Implementation in Behavioral Health, addresses: what are learning collaboratives; what is the evidence for their effectiveness; what are their key elements; how have they been applied in behavioral health; and what are best practices for use in behavioral health? The review concludes with a summary of key findings and a set of recommendations for technical assistance providers. In October 2020, Michael Hoge, Manual Paris, Jr., and Heather Gotham provided a learning session on the report, including a review of the findings and recommendations, followed by facilitated discussion with technical assistance providers. For the report itself, see Learning Collaboratives: A Strategy for Quality Improvement & Implementation in Behavioral Health. For the accompanying Resources document, see Resources on Planning and Conducting Learning Collaboratives. For more information on this initiative, see our Workforce Development Training webpage.  

On Day 2 of our MHTTC Grief Sensitive Virtual Learning Institute, we open our full day of learning with a brief whole Institute gathering that will: Welcome back participants from Day 1 and welcome in new participants joining us Offer a brief meditation and a few tools to help us get through the upcoming holidays in the face of grief and loss (with GSVLI faculty Doug Smith) Provide an overview and forecast to Day 2, previewing our learning line up Download the slides HERE. Speaker: Douglas Smith has been the lead instructor for the University of Wisconsin’s Grief Support Services Certificate program, which has trained over 600 healthcare professions in 39 states and 14 countries. He has conducted extensive grief training workshops in all 50 states, and internationally. He also has extensive personal experiences related to grief. This webinar was the opening session of Day 2 of November's Grief Sensitivity Virtual Learning Institute (GSVLI). For more information on how to access resources from September's and November's GSVLI, please click here.

Join youth leaders from the RYSE Youth Center, a community based organization founded by young people and their adult allies who were experiencing- and still are- violence, loss, homicides, and trauma. Together, RYSE youth and staff created a home agency to address the emotional, mental and political health of youth that centers healing, agency, leadership, and dignity. The MHTTC GSVLI was honored to have RYSE youth sit with one another in a conversation-for them and by them- on what it looks, sounds, and feels like to not only survive grief, but to thrive in its wake. In sharing their experiences and stories, our conference ends with those we serve.  Download the slides HERE. Speakers: Latrinity Gulley has been a RYSE member since 2018 and is currently a student at Contra Costa College studying Psychology. She has been a part of the Community Leadership Institute (CLI), which is a program that teaches young leaders grassroots organizing. With CLI, she volunteered at various community organizations, including Safe Return. While working to clean up community parks and trails, she simultaneously started the first-ever Black Student Union at her high school. Mental health is essential to Latrinity because of her own struggles and having someone to talk to about l what she is going through has been crucial to her healing process. When she gets her degree, she hopes that she will be able to be there for people who too struggle with mental health.   Monica Tello has been a RYSE member since 2018 and is currently a student at Contra Costa College, exploring her career options, with plans to transfer to a university. While in high school, she spent a year volunteering at an animal shelter. Mental health is important to Monica because when she first started coming to RYSE she was going through the “worst year of her life” and having someone to talk to was essential for her to keep pushing and moving forward. “I believe everyone deserves that opportunity.”   Carizma Hughes has been a RYSE member since 2016 and is currently a student at Los Medanos College with plans to transfer to a university to study Elementary Education. She has been a mentor for Project WHAT!, a youth-led program that helps children of incarcerated parents build community by sharing their experiences through storytelling and creative work. She has also facilitated several groups to develop best practices in serving children of incarcerated parents. This webinar was the closing session of November's Grief Sensitivity Virtual Learning Institute (GSVLI). For more information on how to access resources from September's and November's GSVLI, please click here.

Our opening keynote address focuses on intervention strategies for grief therapy. Dr. Katherine Shear introduces the concept of H.E.A.L.I.N.G. milestones and stopping points in adapting to loss. She provides simple, evidence-based guidelines for grief therapy that include active listening, validation, support and guidance. She presents a simple approach to grief therapy, based on proven efficacious treatment for prolonged grief disorder, discusses the relationship between usual grief and prolonged grief disorder and how to recognize the latter, and provides tips for understanding and addressing processes that can stall or halt the process of adapting to loss. Download the slides HERE. Speakers: Dr. M. Katherine Shear, Founder and Director of the Center for Complicated Grief, is an internist and a psychiatrist with the heart of a social worker. She is a talented clinician who is widely recognized for her work in bereavement studies and complicated grief disorder. Dr. Shear developed a short-term psychotherapy for people unable to move forward after a loss that was influenced by her inherent optimism and faith in human creativity and resilience. Complicated Grief Therapy (CGT) has proved to be efficacious in three NIMH-funded randomized controlled trials. Her work has produced several assessment instruments and an instruction manual for CGT—a focused, adaptation-focused approach with the strongest evidence base of any grief treatment to date. Dr. Shear is the Marion E. Kenworthy Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia School of Social Work and Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. She served on review committees of the National Institute of Mental Health and on the advisory council for its National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. She served as an advisor to the DSM-5 workgroup on complicated grief and adult separation anxiety, a member of the World Health Organization’s ICD11 Working Group on Mood and Anxiety Disorders, a member of the scientific advisory board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and an elected member of the board of the Association for Death Education and Counseling. This webinar was the opening session of November's Grief Sensitivity Virtual Learning Institute (GSVLI). For more information on how to access resources from September's and November's GSVLI, please click here.