Products and Resources Catalog

About this Resource: Given the large geographic area and diverse population of the Southeast region, the Southeast MHTTC recognizes that mental health priorities and training needs vary across providers, centers, communities, and states. With this context in mind, we assessed the mental health priorities of our region to inform our future TTA offerings. We focused on the ways in which we could further align the expertise and capacity of the Southeast MHTTC with the priorities and TTA needs of the providers and leaders in the Region IV States. This report outlines key findings from our assessment that will guide the enhancement of our TTA offerings and expand upon the reach of our current work.

Our mission is to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based and empirically supported mental health practices to improve the lives of individuals living with mental health conditions and support their recovery, wellness, and resilience. As we conclude our fifth year of activities at the Northeast and Caribbean Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, we are reflecting on strategies to support the sustainability of our efforts. A critical component of sustainability is collaboration with valued partners. We’ve had the opportunity to build many such partnerships. You’ll see in this summary of our Year 5 activities that collaborations are central to our work and its sustained impact.

About this Resource:  Behavioral health is undergoing a significant change with a focus on measurement-based care that treats to defined targets like other medical conditions. In this recording, Dr. Lori Raney discusses how primary care and specialty behavioral health practices can lead this change by moving beyond simply screening and follow-up plans to identify targets and then using validated measurement tools to assess treatment response and adjust treatment according to outcomes. She provides examples including the PHQ9 for depression, GAD7 for anxiety, and Vanderbilt for ADHD. She advocates for advancing this approach for the treatment of behavioral health conditions as a central tool for enhancing and informing population health and providing better metrics on behavioral health need and improvement.

In this series, participants will learn about implementing and evaluating new or existing programs at their agency. In this third session, the evaluation stage will be covered. View session recording

In this series, participants will learn about implementing and evaluating new or existing programs at their agency. In this second session, the implementation stage will be covered. View session recording.

In this series, participants will learn about implementing and evaluating new or existing programs at their agency. In this first session, the planning stage will be covered.   View session recording here.

This brief report examines the reported prevalence of sadness and hopelessness, suicidal ideation, bullying, fighting, and current substance use among high school age youth in the Southeast region’s eight states. These data are derived from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System.

This brief report examines the reported prevalence of sadness and hopelessness, suicidal ideation, bullying, fighting, and current drug and alcohol use among high school age youth in the Southeast region’s eight states. These data are derived from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System.

About this Resource: Region IV is the largest HHS region, comprised of eight states and 26% of the U.S. population. These states have large rural populations, high poverty rates, and face racial and cultural disparities in care. In addition the Southeast states have considerable clinical, geographic, workforce, and health system differences and often score below the median on state rankings for mental health outcomes. While these factors are important considerations when planning mental health care and support services, understanding these influences separately can be challenging. Similarly, determining the location of additional resources and the possibility of building or expanding upon mental health - public health partnerships may also be an important consideration. The Southeast MHTTC Data Visualization Project provides information on Region IV priorities in an easy to understand graphical format. Click on the "View Resource" button above to access this map and learn more about the availability of public sector healthcare resources. Public Sector Healthcare Resources Relevant Factors: Locations of public sector healthcare resources, including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Mental Health facilities; provider shortage areas; and rural versus urban communities. Helpful Tips: To view each map in this visualization series, scroll using the gray scroller bar or gray arrows below. You may also click on each of the gray boxes (or tabs). Map 1 shows the location of FQHCs in Mental Health Provider Shortage Areas. Map 2 shows the location of FQHCs in rural versus urban areas. Map 3 shows the presence of healthcare facilities within each county. Map 4 shows the distance between FQHCs and Mental Health facilities within counties. References for Data Sources: ​​Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Data Warehouse Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Behavioral Health Treatment Locator. 2023 County Health Rankings National Data Rankings data & documentation | County Health Rankings & Roadmaps

  This report is based on the research and the results of an intensive technical assistance (ITA) series hosted by our valued partners at the Wisconsin Association of Family & Children's Agencies (WAFCA). The report outlines the initial data of a multi-year intensive series being conducted with the participation of several schools in Wisconsin. For more information about the data presented in this report, please email [email protected].      For more information about the Wisconsin Association of Family & Children's Agencies, visit wafca.org.   

The Community Mental Health Association of Michigan (CMHAM) created infographics based on data gathered in their recent statewide behavioral telehealth survey. This resource demonstrates the reported rates of behavioral telehealth use patterns prior to and throughout the height of the pandemic. The survey findings underscore the state's need for improved telehealth access and continued training support for Michigan’s behavioral healthcare providers. The CMHAM formed the Michigan Behavioral Telehealth Resource Center to strengthen innovative care delivery models and increase the use of evidence-based technologies to improve access to and the quality of behavioral health care. The Resource Center provides multi-level supports for behavioral telehealth, including an online curated resource library, telehealth alert communications, and a statewide advisory group that facilitates partnerships with Medicaid state leadership staff and national policy institutes. CMHA in partnership with public sector consultants also organized provider/consumer focus groups that offer comprehensive data on telehealth use, satisfaction, and barriers.   

Download the presentation slides here Session Overview:  Schools are increasingly interested and engaged in universal mental health screening for students to inform early detection and intervention to promote student well-being. However, given the increase in child and adolescent mental health needs increasing over recent decades, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, social media, racial violence and other recent events, schools are understandably concerned about how they will practically and ethically meet the mental health needs of students if they conduct universal screening. This learning session will provide practical information about evidence-informed screening practices to help protect school systems from identifying more student mental health need than they can reasonably address. This includes activities school can engage in prior to screening (e.g., resource mapping, surveillance screening) as well as during the screening process (e.g., gradual scale-up). We will also discuss strategies to address student mental health needs that go beyond referral to mental health treatment (i.e., “Tier 3”), with a focus on options available to low-resource settings that experience barriers to care such as mental health professional shortages. Field examples of mental health screening and how student needs were addressed will be provided to facilitate shared learning. View the field example here.    Learning Objectives: Increase understanding of how to prepare for and conduct mental health screening efforts in schools that protect against identifying more need than schools can address. Increase familiarity with strategies to address student mental health needs for those who screen in for potentially needing supports.   Promote cross-state networking and shared learning about how to address student mental health needs after screening in schools.   Speaker:    Elizabeth Connors, PhD is an Assistant Professor at Yale University, Division of Prevention and Community Research and at the Child Study Center. She is also a faculty member with the University of Maryland National Center for School Mental Health, where she is the Director of Quality Improvement and a developer of The SHAPE System. Dr. Connors received her Ph.D. in Clinical Child and Community Psychology and her work focuses on improving access to high-quality mental health promotion, prevention and intervention services and supports for underserved children, adolescents, young adults and their families in critical access points such as schools and community settings.

June 14, 2022 Using data to drive decision-making is critical to ensuring that behavioral health services improve the lives of all people, no matter their race, background, or circumstance. During the Using Data for Equity webinar on Thursday, May 26 our partners at Third Sector shared a five-step process of using data to operationalize equity. This Diversity Talk pairs with that webinar and will include three elements: 1) responses to questions from the webinar, 2) deeper dives into each of the five steps, including how to address challenges and mitigate risks, and 3) facilitated discussion and peer learning on using data for equity. Check out the video archive from our May 26 webinar and make plans to extend your learning at this related Diversity Talk.   To view the recording, please go to: https://youtu.be/nyUQx_58glU   Slides coming soon!

About this Resource: Region IV is the largest HHS region, comprised of eight states and approximately one-quarter of the U.S. population. These states have large rural populations, high poverty rates, and face racial and cultural disparities in care. In addition the Southeast states have considerable clinical, geographic, workforce, and health system differences and often score below the median on state rankings for a variety of mental health outcomes.  These factors are important considerations when planning mental health care and support services; however, understanding the interplay of these influences can be challenging.  The Southeast MHTTC Data Visualization Project demonstrates the potential ways these factors intersect as well as areas where measures could be taken to remove barriers and improve mental health. Many counties in Region IV are doubly disadvantaged with a high degree of mental health burden co-exiting with mental health provider shortages. These counties should be a high priority in efforts to expand the mental health workforce in the Southeast.    Potential Impact of Workforce Shortages on Mental Health Care Relevant Factors: Availability of mental health professionals and mental health outcomes (i.e., rates of suicide, mental health distress). How to Use: Click on "VIEW RESOURCE" above to access our interactive map and visualize the intersection of these factors.    

May 26, 2022 Using data to drive decision-making is critical to ensuring that behavioral health services improve the lives of all people, no matter their race, background, or circumstance. During the Using Data for Equity webinar on Thursday, May 26, our partners at Third Sector shared a five-step process of using data to operationalize equity. Check out the video archive and make plans to extend your learning at the connected Diversity Talk on June 14 at 1:00 p.m., ET. To watch the recording, go to: https://youtu.be/WS_afNwJgbE   Presenter(s): Third Sector Capital Partners, Inc. Third Sector is a national nonprofit technical assistance organization that advises government agencies on ways to reshape their policies, systems, and services toward better outcomes for all people no matter their race, background, and circumstances.  

Download the presentation slides here The second 90-minute session builds on information presented in the Part 1 of this series. This session provides an overview of SAMHSA’s SPARS data reporting system, including guidance on how to access SPARS and how and when to enter NOMs data, how to use SPARS monitoring tools and reporting functions, and how to export and analyze data to support local project implementation. The session is designed for AWARE SEA and LEA team members who have a role in collecting or reporting NOMS data. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Understand how to access and enter NOMs data into SPARS Examine SPARS reporting functions and tools to facilitate NOMs monitoring and reassessment Discuss how NOMs data can be used to inform project planning, decision-making, and quality improvement efforts Anticipate barriers or challenges to NOMs data reporting and use and explore potential solutions. Presenter Victoria Stuart-Cassel, MPPA, is the President of EMT Associates, Inc. She brings more than 25 years of experience providing evaluation, policy research and technical assistance and training services for the behavioral health, education, and criminal justice fields. She has led numerous federal, state, and local research and policy studies, including the evaluations of three state AWARE grants with the Tennessee Department of Education. She brings extensive knowledge and experience with federal performance reporting for SAMHSA funded projects and initiatives. Ms.Cassel has authored or co-authored technical reports, research and policy briefs, and journal articles; has produced training curricula, resource guides and other technical assistance and training tools, and has presented at professional conferences and on technical assistance webinars targeting national audiences.

Learn more about the Mid-America MHTTC through our Milestones progress report. This report provides examples of the trainings, resource guides, webinars, town halls and more that our center has implemented over the recent years. 

Download the presentation slides here   Introduction to measurement-based care for more personalized, collaborative, and effective school mental health interventions  Student mental health early intervention (Tier 2) and treatment (Tier 3) services and supports are a vital component of any comprehensive school mental health system, but how student centered, evidence-based and effective are they? In this session, Dr. Connors provides guidance on how your school or district team can integrate measurement-based care (MBC) in your Tier 2 and 3 services to improve service quality, track outcomes, and sustain these crucial services for students with emerging or existing mental health needs. MBC is the ongoing use of student-, parent- and teacher-reported progress measures to inform personalized, collaborative, effective interventions. This session provided information on what MBC is, why it is useful for schools, how to locate free and low-cost progress measures, and best practices in training and implementation support for school professionals. Relevant, free resources were hand selected and shared from the National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules for States, Districts, and Schools. Learning Objectives: Increase understanding of measurement-based care and its value for improving and sustaining high quality school mental health Tier 2 and 3 services. Increase familiarity with free or low-cost progress measure options and best practices in training and implementation support for school professionals. Promote cross-state networking and shared learning about best practices, successes and challenges of tracking and reporting on the impact of Tier 2 and 3 services.   Elizabeth Connors, PhD Elizabeth Connors is an Assistant Professor at Yale University, Division of Prevention and Community Research and at the Child Study Center. She is also a faculty member with the University of Maryland National Center for School Mental Health, where she is the Director of Quality Improvement and a developer of The SHAPE System. Dr. Connors received her Ph.D. in Clinical Child and Community Psychology and her work focuses on improving access to high-quality mental health promotion, prevention and intervention services and supports for underserved children, adolescents, young adults and their families in critical access points such as schools and community settings.

This infographic presents policy efforts in the Southeast U.S. to expand the school mental health workforce in 2015-2020. 

  Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center: Year Three Program Snapshot In year three, the Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) team pulled together experts from around the nation to develop resources, provide training, create and share continuing education opportunities, and offer technical assistance to individuals serving persons with mental illness throughout the six state region. To ensure reach, the team maintained a website, managed social media campaigns, and grew an electronic mailing list. This snapshot provides program goals, reach, and the measures impact of the MHTTC program in year three (August 15, 2020 - August 14, 2021).   Key Points: The Mountain Plains MHTTC hosted 85 events in the last year. Roughly 98% of participants who completed a training evaluation in the last year agreed/strongly agreed they would recommend the training to a colleague. The team developed 21 new written products. The Mountain Plains MHTTC maintained and streamlined several topical resource pages. The website had 80,042 total pageviews.  

In this 90-minute webinar recording, representatives from the LA County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH), the San Bernardino Department of Behavioral Health (SBC DBH), the California Mental Health Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC), and Third Sector share insights, tips, and lessons learned from California’s journey to build more outcomes-focused outpatient mental health services. Over the last four years, seven California counties and the MHSOAC have worked with Third Sector, a nonprofit advisory firm, to develop a more client-centered approach to serving California’s most vulnerable residents living with serious mental illness through Full Service Partnership (FSP) programs. In California, these FSP programs partner with individuals of all ages through a “whatever it takes” model of care to provide support on the path to wellness and recovery. Currently, over 60,000 individuals are enrolled in FSP programs across the state. The presentation includes insights from LACDMH’s outcomes-focused contracting transformation, SBC DBH’s data-driven approach to local service improvement, and the MHSOAC’s role in building more consistent and human-centered programs statewide. Participants who view the webinar recording can learn: • Foundations of an outcomes-focused approach to mental health • Strategies to navigate outcomes-focused contracting and build stakeholder buy-in across the county political and provider community • Actionable recommendations to build more outcomes-focused outpatient mental health services locally • Opportunities for state leaders to support and scale local innovations and outcomes-focused strategies

About this Resource:  Region IV is the largest HHS region, comprised of eight states and 26% of the U.S. population. These states have large rural populations, high poverty rates, and face racial and cultural disparities in care. In addition the Southeast states have experienced considerable growth in Asian American communities in recent decades. Cultural and linguistic factors are important considerations when planning mental health care and support services for clients and families in these communities. Visualizing influences such as country of origin, race/ethnicity, and access to linguistically and culturally competent care can be a challenge in a large, diverse region. The Southeast MHTTC Data Visualization Project provides information on Region IV priorities in an easy to understand graphical format.   Asian American Communities and Mental Health Care Access Relevant Factors: Countries of origin, mental health facilities providing language services How to Use: Click on "VIEW RESOURCE" to access interactive map and visualize the intersection of these factors by Region IV State or County. To view each map in this visualization series, scroll using the grey scroller bar or grey arrows below. You may also click on each of the grey boxes (or tabs) below. Map 1 shows population by county. Map 2 shows distribution of people identifying as Asian. Map 3 shows mental health facilities offering language services. References for data sources are provided in the last tab.

  The Great Lakes MHTTC School-based Supplement offers this training for mental health and school-based mental health professionals in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI. Youth are increasingly battling COVID-19 while experiencing social isolation, loss of connections, loneliness and mental illness in record numbers. In a recent nationwide survey half of all college and high school-age students report being worried about their own mental health due to the pandemic. This webinar series will provide learners with tools to assess mental health in young people, recognize common mental health disorders, and identify differences between typical adolescent behavior and the onset of mental illness. We will focus on identifying how students express common mental health challenges through remote learning. In addition, we will discuss the opportunities remote learning provides for identifying students’ mental health and responding with effective coping strategies. Learning Objectives Review data on how COVID-19 has increased feelings of isolation and anxiety in youth Discuss strategies for managing fear and anxiety in a time of social isolation   Target Audience:  School personnel, mental health providers for youth, parents Speaker:  Angela Begres is a licensed clinical social worker who trained and earned her MSW at the University of Chicago. She is an expert trainer and presenter with experience integrating mental health education programs into the curriculum for students and staff within the Chicago and West Cook County public schools. In Partnership with the National Alliance for Mental Health (NAMI) Metro Suburban, Angela also developed a program to help decrease student stress and implement mindfulness in the classrooms. She has also worked with Chicago Family Services (DCFS) providing parenting education, with efforts to get parents reunited with their children.  

This module explains the purpose and value of documenting and sharing information about the impact of your comprehensive school mental health system. Best practices, resources and examples focus on how to document impact of early intervention and treatment (Tiers 2/3) services on educational, social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes.   PLEASE NOTE: As of April 2021, the MHTTC Network and National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) changed the title of the National School Mental Health Curriculum: Guidance and Best Practices for States, Districts, and Schools to the new title National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules for States, Districts, and Schools.