Products and Resources Catalog

About this Resource: This product accompanies the Southeast MHTTC’s 4-Part Series on Forensic Peer Mentoring, ‘Ready for Re-entry’. It provides an overview of forensic peer mentoring services, describes the role of a forensic peer mentor, and reviews components of the forensic peer mentor training. 

About this Resource: In the final session of our 'Ready for Re-entry' series, panelists discuss the practical application of the Forensic Peer Mentor service delivery model.

About this Resource: In the on-demand recording of Part 3 of our Ready for Re-entry series, panelists discuss the Forensic Peer Mentor Training itself, focusing on the Ready for Reentry training created by the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network (GMHCN). Panelists describe the opportunities and challenges faced while developing and growing this new model of peer support.

This 3-part series provided a detailed understanding of trauma and the various types trauma individuals experience. Sessions explored the impact of secondary/vicarous trauma on corrections staff by examining the various ways exposure to traumatic events impacts the individual, the work they do, and the individuals they engage with on a daily basis. This series also explored what is needed to establish a trauma-informed organization, the impact of stigma and bias, and finished with the interplay of two groups of trauma survivors - corrections staff, inmates, and/or parole/probation supervisees - and strategies to mitigate or reduce trauma activation potential among staff and those they supervise for more successful overall outcomes.   Session 3 discussed the disparate, significant impact of incarceration and reentry on women returning to the community; challenges, barriers, and strategies for improving outcomes for women reentering society.   Presenters: Daisy Hernandez, MSW, LCSW, MBA, C4 Innovations and Steven Samra, MPA, C4 Innovations   View a recording of this session here. 

This 3-part series provided a detailed understanding of trauma and the various types trauma individuals experience. Sessions explored the impact of secondary/vicarous trauma on corrections staff by examining the various ways exposure to traumatic events impacts the individual, the work they do, and the individuals they engage with on a daily basis. This series also explored what is needed to establish a trauma-informed organization, the impact of stigma and bias, and finished with the interplay of two groups of trauma survivors - corrections staff, inmates, and/or parole/probation supervisees - and strategies to mitigate or reduce trauma activation potential among staff and those they supervise for more successful overall outcomes.   Session 2 discussed the impact of dual trauma survivors (officers and inmates), understanding the power differential and toxic stress, and how trauma interplays between inmates and officers to increase the tension and challenges of life within jail or prison, as well as probation and parole. Explored strategies to shift the interactions between corrections deputies and parole/probation officers and the supervisees under their purview from adversarial to collaborative. Presenters: Emil Caron, and Steven Samra, MPA, C4 Innovations.   View a recording of this session here. 

This 3-part series provided a detailed understanding of trauma and the various types trauma individuals experience. Sessions explored the impact of secondary/vicarous trauma on corrections staff by examining the various ways exposure to traumatic events impacts the individual, the work they do, and the individuals they engage with on a daily basis. This series also explored what is needed to establish a trauma-informed organization, the impact of stigma and bias, and finished with the interplay of two groups of trauma survivors - corrections staff, inmates, and/or parole/probation supervisees - and strategies to mitigate or reduce trauma activation potential among staff and those they supervise for more successful overall outcomes.   Session 1 discussed mass incarceration and a “lay of the land” overview for justice-involved people of color. The subcultures of incarceration, urban and historical trauma and its relation to Trauma-Informed Corrections Care, and the impact on recidivism and recovery for reentering citizens were also discussed. Presenters: Steven Samra, MPA, C4 Innovations, and Daryl McGraw, MA, C4 Innovations.   View a recording of this session here. 

About this Resource:  In this on-demand recording, panelists from part 2 of our Ready for Re-entry series discuss how trusting relationships of community partners are essential for the program. Common community partners typically include officials within the department of corrections, community supervision, district attorney office and local law enforcement.    Click here to learn more about our 4-part 'Ready for Re-entry' series! 

About this Resource:  In this on-demand recording, panelists from Part 1 of our 'Ready for Re-entry' series discuss the Forensic Peer Mentor role, including the responsibilities, qualifications and organizational framework needed to build and support a Forensic Peer Mentor Program.   Click here to learn more about our 4-part 'Ready for Re-entry' series! 

Hosted by SAMHSA, the MHTTC Network, and Abt Associates, this webinar highlights findings from SAMHSA's Guide, Best Practices for Successful Reentry From Criminal Justice Settings for People Living With Mental Health Conditions and/or Substance Use Disorders, which explores evidence-based strategies and promising practices to address community reentry from jail or prison. Following an overview of the goals of SAMHSA’s Evidence-Based Resource Guide Series by SAMHSA’s Joe Bullock; Angel Sanchez, Bureau of Justice Assistance, from the guide’s technical expert panel, discusses this guide’s development. Stephanie Fahy, Abt Associates, provides an overview of the framing of the guide, describing factors impacting reentry, and relevant evidence-based strategies for successful reentry. Representatives from organizations featured in the guide’s case studies discuss the development of their policies or programs to address reentry for individuals living with mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders. Access the guide here. Download the slides by clicking on the "download" button above.

Recording of the event Portrayal of Mental Health and Gun Violence in the Media, originally held on June 7, 2023.   Slide presentation

The aim of Think Trauma: A Training for Working with Justice Involved Youth is to make creating trauma-informed juvenile justice systems easier to implement. Many youth in the juvenile justice system have survived horrific traumatic experiences including chronic exposure to violence that has profoundly shaped how they think, behave, and respond. Direct care professionals working with youth in juvenile justice-related facilities have very challenging and emotionally draining roles; they are responsible for preserving their safety and the safety of others and serve as parent, counselor, mentor, role model, disciplinarian, and advocate. Goals of the training: To educate juvenile justice professionals about the impact of trauma on the development and behavior of youth in the juvenile justice system. To provide juvenile justice professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to: Respond appropriately to the behavioral and emotional challenges of traumatized youth Help traumatized youth develop the ability to recognize trauma or loss reminders Help traumatized youth recognize and develop their strengths Help traumatized youth recognize survival coping strategies and develop positive coping strategies needed to grow into healthy, productive, and functional adults  Take care of themselves and seek support from others To learn strategies for supporting youth reintegration into the community Understand the role of intergenerational, historical, and system-induced trauma on youth behavior Develop strategies for adjusting agency practices and procedures to more effectively address the impact of trauma on youth, their families, and staff Review the role of youth cultural experiences for building resilience among traumatized youth   Day four's theme was "Staff Wellness and Addressing Organizational Stress."   View a recording of this 4/27/23 session here. 

The aim of Think Trauma: A Training for Working with Justice Involved Youth is to make creating trauma-informed juvenile justice systems easier to implement. Many youth in the juvenile justice system have survived horrific traumatic experiences including chronic exposure to violence that has profoundly shaped how they think, behave, and respond. Direct care professionals working with youth in juvenile justice-related facilities have very challenging and emotionally draining roles; they are responsible for preserving their safety and the safety of others and serve as parent, counselor, mentor, role model, disciplinarian, and advocate. Goals of the training: To educate juvenile justice professionals about the impact of trauma on the development and behavior of youth in the juvenile justice system. To provide juvenile justice professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to: Respond appropriately to the behavioral and emotional challenges of traumatized youth Help traumatized youth develop the ability to recognize trauma or loss reminders Help traumatized youth recognize and develop their strengths Help traumatized youth recognize survival coping strategies and develop positive coping strategies needed to grow into healthy, productive, and functional adults  Take care of themselves and seek support from others To learn strategies for supporting youth reintegration into the community Understand the role of intergenerational, historical, and system-induced trauma on youth behavior Develop strategies for adjusting agency practices and procedures to more effectively address the impact of trauma on youth, their families, and staff Review the role of youth cultural experiences for building resilience among traumatized youth   Day three's theme was "Coping in Context."   View a recording of this 4/25/23 session here. 

The aim of Think Trauma: A Training for Working with Justice Involved Youth is to make creating trauma-informed juvenile justice systems easier to implement. Many youth in the juvenile justice system have survived horrific traumatic experiences including chronic exposure to violence that has profoundly shaped how they think, behave, and respond. Direct care professionals working with youth in juvenile justice-related facilities have very challenging and emotionally draining roles; they are responsible for preserving their safety and the safety of others and serve as parent, counselor, mentor, role model, disciplinarian, and advocate. Goals of the training: To educate juvenile justice professionals about the impact of trauma on the development and behavior of youth in the juvenile justice system. To provide juvenile justice professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to: Respond appropriately to the behavioral and emotional challenges of traumatized youth Help traumatized youth develop the ability to recognize trauma or loss reminders Help traumatized youth recognize and develop their strengths Help traumatized youth recognize survival coping strategies and develop positive coping strategies needed to grow into healthy, productive, and functional adults  Take care of themselves and seek support from others To learn strategies for supporting youth reintegration into the community Understand the role of intergenerational, historical, and system-induced trauma on youth behavior Develop strategies for adjusting agency practices and procedures to more effectively address the impact of trauma on youth, their families, and staff Review the role of youth cultural experiences for building resilience among traumatized youth   Day two's theme was "Understanding Trauma's Impact on Development."   View a recording of this 4/13/23 session here. 

The aim of Think Trauma: A Training for Working with Justice Involved Youth is to make creating trauma-informed juvenile justice systems easier to implement. Many youth in the juvenile justice system have survived horrific traumatic experiences including chronic exposure to violence that has profoundly shaped how they think, behave, and respond. Direct care professionals working with youth in juvenile justice-related facilities have very challenging and emotionally draining roles; they are responsible for preserving their safety and the safety of others and serve as parent, counselor, mentor, role model, disciplinarian, and advocate. Goals of the training: To educate juvenile justice professionals about the impact of trauma on the development and behavior of youth in the juvenile justice system. To provide juvenile justice professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to: Respond appropriately to the behavioral and emotional challenges of traumatized youth Help traumatized youth develop the ability to recognize trauma or loss reminders Help traumatized youth recognize and develop their strengths Help traumatized youth recognize survival coping strategies and develop positive coping strategies needed to grow into healthy, productive, and functional adults  Take care of themselves and seek support from others To learn strategies for supporting youth reintegration into the community Understand the role of intergenerational, historical, and system-induced trauma on youth behavior Develop strategies for adjusting agency practices and procedures to more effectively address the impact of trauma on youth, their families, and staff Review the role of youth cultural experiences for building resilience among traumatized youth   Day one's theme was "Trauma and Justice Involvement."   View a recording of this 4/11/23 session here. 

Young gang membership is prevalent in the US. Youth gang membership is associated with serious violent offending and victimization. Youth gang membership elevates the risk of various negative, potentially long-term social and health consequences. Law enforcement agencies report a greater percentage of Hispanic/Latino and African-American/black gang members compared with other races/ethnicities. The most recent figures provided by law enforcement are 46 percent Hispanic/Latino gang members, 35 percent African-American/black gang members, more than 11 percent white gang members, and 7 percent other race/ethnicity of gang members. This curriculum aims to help educators and school mental health clinicians working with Latino youth understand the risk factors and intervention strategies specific to Latino youth. Training Objectives Participants will discuss the unique historical context that puts Latino youth at risk for joining and staying in gangs and the social determinants of health associated with gang involvement. Participants will examine evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies as well as best practices in the cultural adaptation of existing protocols will be reviewed. Participants will idenifty cultural considerations for the clinician-youth and educator-youth relationship will be discussed. 

The Think Trauma curriculum helps mental health and well-being providers who work with justice-involved youth in a variety of contexts. This learning session was a brief overview of the Think Trauma curriculum and a Q&A opportunity about stressors for this population and their association with trauma. The 4-day training dates and registration links are coming soon. This training was designed to be implemented in any residential/correctional facility or justice-based organization for juveniles (i.e., probation, diversion programs etc.) that aims to develop a trauma-informed workforce. Goals of the training: Educate juvenile justice professionals about the impact of trauma on the development and behavior of youth in the juvenile justice system. Provide juvenile justice professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to: respond appropriately to the behavioral and emotional challenges of traumatized youth; help traumatized youth develop the ability to recognize trauma or loss reminders; help traumatized youth recognize and develop their strength; help traumatized youth recognize survival coping strategies and develop positive coping strategies needed to grow into healthy productive, and functional adults and to take care of themselves and seek support from others; learn strategies for supporting youth reintegration into the community. Understand the role of intergenerational, historical, and system-induced trauma on youth behavior. Develop strategies for adjusting agency practices and procedures to more effectively address the impact of trauma on youth, their families, and staff. Review the role of youth cultural experiences for building resilience among traumatized youth.   Watch a recording of this 2/2/23 session.

In this session of the 2022 ABC Summit, Round Rock ISD leaders shares their model of collaboration between the district police force and mental health providers to support student success. The presenters discuss the different ways in which they are working to avoid the school-to-prison pipeline with mentoring, student supports, and advocacy.   Download the slides

This resource contains a compendium of the Youth Gang curriculum that can help understand the Hispanic and Latino youth gang involvement and the context and implications for the mental health repercussions. This desk reference will include a quick look at the following topics: Mental Impacts of Gang Involvement Trauma and Stress Substance and Abuse and other Mental Effects Common Reasons for Gang Joining Geographic and Environmental Factors Push and Pull Factors Hispanic and Latino Identity Cultural Considerations when working with Latino Youth and Families Cultural Inclusive Approach Main Takeaways 

  The Healing Our Protectors: Building Resilience Among Tribal Law Enforcement Officers Through Cultural Interventions toolkit can be accessed by clicking here.  Access resources from this presentation by clicking DOWNLOAD above CLICK HERE to view the recording Event Description Healing Our Protectors: Building Resilience Among Tribal Law Enforcement Officers Through Cultural Interventions is a resource intended to assist behavioral health providers in gaining a greater understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among law enforcement officer, especially those working in and with tribal communities. It provides suggestions for a culturally responsive approach to treatment using the medicine wheel and offers concrete exercises. It is also a tool for law enforcement supervisors and administrators who wish to gain a greater understanding of the unique needs of Indigenous law enforcement officers who are dealing with a host of job-related challenges and stressors.   Trainer LaVonne Fox, PhD, OTR/L LaVonne Fox, PhD, OTR/L- She currently is employed at the Turtle Mountain Community College in Belcourt, ND and recently accepted the position of Vice President of Academic Affairs. LaVonne was born and raised on the Turtle Mountain Chippewa reservation. She has considerable experience researching Indigenous Youth programs for positive mental health and wellness connected to identity. She is currently developing a Master in Education Program that focuses on decolonization/deconstructing the educational system and embedding indigenous values and beliefs. was an associate professor at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND, in the Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Medicine and Health Sciences for 26 years until December 31, 2019.  

This paper examines strategies for helping formerly incarcerated individuals with mental health challenges and other recovery assistance requirements successfully reenter society.

See each session below to access resources. Event Description This 4-part series is designed for the first responder community including law enforcement, parole, and probation personnel, EMTs, and any other members of the community engaged in emergency and front-line efforts.     The series kicks off with a 90-minute foundational introduction to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). In this session, participants will learn what TBI is, its common signs and symptoms, how it can occur, and why conventional intervention methods often don't work with individuals living with TBI. We encourage all participants to attend the first session, it will establish a baseline of understanding for all participants as we move thru the series.    This training series will provide participants with tips and strategies for first responders who may encounter individuals living with a history of brain injury when responding to calls in the community. People living with brain injury have higher rates of mental health conditions and problematic use of substances and are often overrepresented among vulnerable populations. First responders may encounter individuals and their family members affected by brain injury when responding to crisis situations such as individuals expressing suicidal ideation and intent, those who are homeless, victims and perpetrators of intimate partner violence, and justice-involved individuals. Participants will become familiar with common clues of a history of brain injury and strategies to engage with individuals and deescalate as needed when encountering those living with this often-hidden disability.    Training Series Dates (participants must register for each session):    June 9th - Introduction - Kick-Off 10:00 am MST - 11:30 am MST  To access slide deck and associated resources, click DOWNLOAD above CLICK HERE to view the recording   June 16th: Intensive Workshop 1 for Law Enforcement and EMT Personnel 9:00 am MST - 10:00 am MST  To access slide deck and associated resources, click DOWNLOAD above CLICK HERE to view the recording   Intensive Workshop 2 for Probation and Parole Personnel 1:00 pm MST - 2:00 pm MST  To access slide deck and associated resources, click DOWNLOAD above CLICK HERE to view the recording   July 14th: Wrap-Up Panel  10:00 am MST - 11:30 am MST  To access slide deck and associated resources, click DOWNLOAD above Learning Objectives Attendees will be able to describe at least 3 common brain injury-related impairments  Attendees will be able to identify three signs that an individual may have a history of brain injury  Attendees will learn 3 strategies to safely engage with and redirect individuals living with a history of brain injury  Trainer Anastasia Edmonston, MS, CRC    

Original broadcast date: 05/11/21 A national three-digit 988 behavioral health and suicide prevention crisis hotline is probably the most significant public policy initiative impacting behavioral healthcare since Medicaid expansion. Behavioral health crisis services have never had a moment like this, where the policy forces are aligning at federal state and local levels and are driving positive change.  The implementation of 988 provides us with the opportunity to build-out and finance a statewide behavioral health crisis response system that is on par with the 911 emergency medical management system.    There are many questions that this webinar addresses as an initial forum to learn about best practices to apply to 988 crisis response system optimization. Increasing our collective knowledge is best achieved by engaging with subject-matter experts, rather than expending time, energy, or other resources extracting or researching for answers in disconnected and fragmented ways. Session outcomes include new learning and insights to more effectively respond to a rapid 988 implementation trajectory.  Participants find that the content and interchange of this session is both pragmatic and enriching.

Recording of the event Supporting Children of Incarcerated Parents: A Webinar for Caregivers, originally held on May 3, 2021.   Slide Presentation

  Hard copies of the toolkit are also available. If you'd prefer a hard copy, please reach out to us at [email protected]. Toolkit Description Healing Our Protectors: Building Resilience Among Tribal Law Enforcement Officers Through Cultural Interventions is a Mountain Plains MHTTC resource that serves behavioral health treatment providers in gaining a deeper understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of their work as a law enforcement officer. Co-authored by Leo Belgarde, Sr., it provides a first person account of his experiences as a tribal officer, Bureau of Indian Affairs officer, city officer, and county police officer. It describes events that precipitated him seeking treatment for PTSD and the consequences he faced due to accessing treatment. Healing Our Protectors is a resource that has been developed to provide strength-based, positive, culturally responsive strategies for Indigenous law enforcement officers. If the officer does not connect with this aspect of their culture, this resource still supports a cultural representation of where they are policing and can be modified to meet their needs.   Authors LaVonne Fox, PhD Leo Belgarde, Sr. Thomasine Heitkamp, LCSW   Editor Shawnda Schroeder, PhD, MA