Products and Resources Catalog

The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. The April 2024 issue spotlights content celebrating National Minority Health Month and Alcohol Awareness Month. It also features links to upcoming trainings focused on supporting Black students experiencing racial trauma, harnessing AI for substance misuse prevention, and process improvement. Make sure you're subscribed to our email contact list so you never miss a month of The Great Lakes Current newsletter, and thank you for reading!

This 3-part learning series is intended for individuals working in behavioral health who are interested in building skills that will help increase their engagement in advocacy efforts promoting Hispanic and Latino behavioral health equity. This series will begin with an overview of the importance of advocacy for promoting equity, will transition to skill-building for advocacy, and end with developing action plans for engaging in advocacy. The goal of this series is to better equip and prepare behavioral health workers to advocate for behavioral health equity for Hispanic/ Latino clients and communities at the local, state, or federal. After the 3-part webinar series, an optional follow-up learning collaborative of non-profit organizations from Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI) will share about how they are advocating for Latino communities.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: In session 1, The Role of Advocacy in Promoting Behavioral Health Equity, participants will learn: Why advocacy is critical to social justice and behavioral health equity for marginalized communities What are the barriers and facilitators to engaging in advocacy   TRAINING SCHEDULE: Session 1, The Role of Advocacy in Promoting Behavioral Health Equity: April 9, 12:00–1:30 PM CT Session 2, Skill-Building for Advocacy: May 14, 12:00–1:30 PM CT Session 3, Action in Advocacy: June 25, 12:00–1:30 PM CT

The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. The March 2024 issue spotlights content celebrating Women's History Month and National Social Work Month. It also features updated versions of the Sustainability Planning in Prevention Guidebook and Sustainability Planning in Prevention Toolkit, as well as upcoming trainings focused on provider well-being and culturally responsive services for Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) clients. As always, you will also find links to all scheduled events and trainings hosted by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC! Make sure you're subscribed to our email contact list so you never miss a month of The Great Lakes Current newsletter, and thank you for reading!

The New England MHTTC’s area of focus is the resilience and recovery of persons (and their loved ones) at risk for, living with or recovering from mental health challenges. During the reporting period, we continued to support and enhance the region’s capacity to provide equity-focused, recovery-oriented care across several dimensions. Our training and technical assistance (T/TA) explicitly aim to help promote recovery-oriented behavioral health systems of care and to move these systems beyond an acute care model to better meet the needs of persons with prolonged mental illness or substance use disorders (Davidson et al., 2021). A central aspect of recovery-oriented systems of care is the inclusion of people with lived experience at all levels of partnership–from service users, families, and direct peer support service providers to clinicians, managers, and administrators. Our T/TA aims to honor and promote those with lived experience in all our activities. The content and process of our work is grounded in our Guiding Principles on Resilience and Recovery. Consistent with these principles, we take an equity-minded approach to recovery-oriented care which recognizes that even the most progressive treatment systems exist within a social context where people of color and other historically marginalized groups often experience—both individually and collectively—an additional layer of trauma that has devastating consequences on their health and well-being. We are committed to proactively advancing social justice and racial equity as an essential component of recovery-oriented systems transformation across the New England region.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. To achieve its mission, SAMHSA identifies priority areas to better meet the behavioral health needs of individuals, communities, and service providers.   Through its regional network— designed to improve the delivery of behavioral health services in each of the 10 HHS regions—SAMSHA develops collaborations that emphasize equity, trauma-informed approaches, and recovery. The collaboration between the SAMHSA Region One and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Region One offices, is an example of an intentional outreach effort developed to empower housing professionals with resources, tools, and practices that help them support and enhance the lives of public housing residents.

  The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC.   The February 2024 issue features content from the Great Lakes ATTC celebrating Black History Month, including our upcoming 2024 Black History Month Panel Presentation. It also features a new educational brief on health equity in crisis systems, upcoming prevention trainings on drug trends in the region, and updates to the Classroom WISE curriculum for 2024. As always, you will also find links to all upcoming events and trainings hosted by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC!   Make sure you're subscribed to our email contact list so you never miss a month of The Great Lakes Current newsletter, and thank you for reading!

Changing the Conversation is the official C4 Innovations podcast, where hosts and guests discuss critical and timely topics focused on equity, substance use, mental health, homelessness, and trauma. The New England MHTTC has sponsored episodes of the podcast that explore a variety of specific topics, including reaching and engaging Native youth, the importance, and benefits of fostering an authentic and inclusive environment in the workplace, and honoring lived experience. Podcast host Ashley Stewart shared behind-the-scenes discoveries and lessons learned from fascinating conversations. Ashley was joined by Ronitia Hodges, C4 Innovations Program Manager.

Our third session was a didactic and tangible one, and we encouraged participants to bring in examples from their organizations as presenter Ashley Stewart shared a resource handout that helps guide organizations through the stages of transformation. Attendees spent time in groups discussing essential questions like: What does it look like to acknowledge to engage in accountability and take action? What do we need to acknowledge? Where do we need to take accountability? And what does action look like?

  The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC.   The January 2024 issue features the third installment of the Counselor's Corner blog series: Integrating Spirituality and Counseling with African American Clients, information on the Opioid Response Network's 2022-2023 regional summits, and a call for applications for the upcoming HEART (Healing Ethno And Racial Trauma) Training for Behavioral Health Providers Serving Hispanic & Latinx Communities intensive training series. As always, you will also find links to all upcoming events and trainings hosted by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC!   Make sure you're subscribed to our email contact list so you never miss a month of The Great Lakes Current newsletter, and thank you for reading!

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. 

Grounded in national and regional EPINET data on discharge in early psychosis services, this presentation focused on social and cultural vectors underlying the 'hard' problem of disengagement and presented alternative approaches for addressing distrust, and strengthening clinical relationships by centering lived experiences of psychosis, socioeconomic disadvantage, racism, and cultural difference.   Presenter: Nev Jones PhD is a patient-alumna of specialized early psychosis services and currently assistant professor in the School of Social Work and Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. As a program developer, evaluator and researcher, her work has sought to amplify the perspectives of those most impacted by the public mental health system, foreground the role of social and structural determinants, and support transformative change.   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 event discussed the New England MHTTC's work assisting organizations with racial equity and efforts to make web-based content reflective of the mission & values of the organization. With intersectionality in mind, Ashley Stewart, Director of the Center for Health Equity informed attendees about the methods used to ensure inclusivity, cultural awareness, and attunement via a web auditing process.   The second part of the webinar series on December 12, 2023 covered: Assessment of the general tone and essence of a website related to engagement around equity, inclusion, and diversity. In addition to the use of intentional terminology, there is the need to assess how the terms are used, the stories they tell, the messages they imply, the depth or superficiality of the use of narrative or terms, and the broader impact on community engagement.

The Embracing Authenticity: A Guide to Authenticity and Cultural Awareness at Work webinar series provided guidance and support for the use and implementation of the accompanying workbook, which is intended to be used as a guide for deeper levels of processing and to support healthier conversations in the workplace around identity and wellness. This resource can be used as a tool to address the unique experiences of work-related stress compounded with being a person of color and also as a resource for folks seeking to be more accountable for reducing harm and creating a more equitable work environment. This comprehensive guide is designed to support you in cultivating authenticity, promoting inclusion, and prioritizing wellness in the workplace. Whether you're an organizational leader, a colleague, or an individual who has experienced marginalization, this workbook provides practical insights, exercises, and resources to make meaningful progress. Presenters: Ashley Stewart, PhD, MSSW, LSW, Director of the Center for Health Equity, C4 Innovations Ronitia Hodges, Senior Project Manager, C4 Innovations

This event discussed the New England MHTTC's work assisting organizations with racial equity and efforts to make web-based content reflective of the mission & values of the organization. With intersectionality in mind, Ashley Stewart, Director of the Center for Health Equity informed attendees about the methods used to ensure inclusivity, cultural awareness, and attunement via a web auditing process. The first part of the webinar series on December 5, 2023 covered: The inclusion of language addressing, responding to, and advocating around equity-related topics. C4 equity audits also assess for all forms of identity-based oppression, including, but not limited to, sexism, ageism, ableism, heterosexism, and linguistic and religious-based oppression.  

This event discussed the New England MHTTC's work assisting organizations with racial equity and efforts to make web-based content reflective of the mission & values of the organization. With intersectionality in mind, Ashley Stewart, Director of the Center for Health Equity informed attendees about the methods used to ensure inclusivity, cultural awareness, and attunement via a web auditing process. The first part of the webinar series on December 5, 2023 covered: The inclusion of language addressing, responding to, and advocating around equity-related topics. C4 equity audits also assess for all forms of identity-based oppression, including, but not limited to, sexism, ageism, ableism, heterosexism, and linguistic and religious-based oppression.

Rates of behavioral health needs are higher for people living with HIV (PLWH) and those at risk of acquiring HIV than the general population. Current research indicates PLWH are twice as likely to have a behavioral health condition than the general population. For this reason, our partners at Vivent Health have created this new infographic highlighting some basic information about integrated care for PLWH that providers need to know.

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE Latina immigrant women are at increased risk of depression and anxiety symptoms, due to the many social and economic stressors they face, as well as significant barriers to accessing quality mental health care. Join us as India Ornelas, professor of health systems and population health at the University of Washington School of Public Health, presents results from the Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma (ALMA) intervention studies, including efforts to disseminate the program to Latinas living in the Yakima Valley of Washington State.    ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Presentation slides Promoting mental health in Latina immigrant women: Results from the Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma intervention trial India J. Ornelas, Deepa Rao, Cynthia Price, Gary Chan, Anh Tran, Gino Aisenberg, Georgina Perez, Serena Maurer, Adrianne Katrina Nelson PMID: 36809698 PMCID: PMC9998361 (available on 2024-03-01) DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115776 Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma: In-Person and Online Delivery of an Intervention to Promote Mental Health Among Latina Immigrant Women India J. Ornelas, PhD, MPH, Georgina Perez, MSW, Serena Maurer, PhD, Silvia Gonzalez, Veronica Childs, Cynthia Price, PhD, Adrianne Katrina Nelson, MPH, MSC, S. Adriana Perez Solorio, Anh Tran, PhD, MPH, and Deepa Rao, PhD PMID: 35723668 PMCID: PMC9595613 DOI: 10.1089/jicm.2022.0491   FACILITATOR India J. Ornelas, PhD Dr. India J. Ornelas teaches in the MPH program and is the Director of the MPH Core Curriculum. Her research focuses on understanding how social and cultural factors influence the health of Latino and American Indian communities. She collaborates with communities to develop and test culturally relevant interventions in the areas of mental health, substance use and cancer prevention.     Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

Creating Affirming Environments for LGBTQ People Receiving Services provides an overview of terms, concepts, and identities that people working in the behavioral health field should know to provide affirming services and cultivate affirming environment for LGBTQ people. Based on a 2018 report from the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health, titled Peers in Research: Interventions for Developing LGBTQ-Affirmative Behavioral Health Services in Texas, most providers in Texas do not hold overtly prejudicial attitudes towards LGBTQ clients, but that most providers either lack the knowledge and skills to provide appropriate care to LGBTQ clients or are not aware of the importance of LGBTQ-affirming care. This training aims to bridge the gap many providers feel by offering basic information, resources, and guidance for people working in behavioral health agencies on how to support LGBTQ people receiving services.     Co-created by: Darcy Kues, JD., and Shane Whalley, MSSW     Learning Objectives: At the end of this training, participants will be able to:    • Define many current terms used in the LGBTQ communities;    • Understand the foundation of sexual orientation and gender;    • Recognize the unique impacts of trauma on the LGBTQ communities;    • Communicate using an affirming framework with LGBTQ people receiving services; and    • Implement at least one LGBTQ-affirming organizational/environmental change.     For more information on this training, including training opportunities through the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center or how to bring this training to your community, please email [email protected].

This two-day hybrid conference explores progress and updates on the Massachusetts Strategic Plan for Early Psychosis (Mass-STEP). Our theme this year was Scaling Up: Access & Equity for Psychosis, and explored strategies to expand the reach of high-quality psychosis services across Massachusetts. This effort includes partners from many different backgrounds, including individuals and families, government stakeholders, researchers, clinicians, teachers, faith leaders, emergency responders, and all others who are invested in improving our statewide system of care for psychosis. The second day explored different areas of health equity in psychosis, spotlighting ways to bridge service gaps in geography, race, and language.   Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Psychosis Diagnoses & Risk Deidre Anglin, PhD City University of New York View a recording of this 11/7/23 session here.   Working with Medical Interpreters: Shifting from Standards of Practice to Intersubjectivity in the Clinical Space Margaret Lanca, PhD Cambridge Health Alliance View a recording of this 11/7/23 session here.   Psychosis Care for Rural Populations Kristen Woodberry, MSW, PhD & Sarah Lynch, LCSW Maine Medical Center View a recording of this 11/7/23 session here.   Expanding & Strengthening the Mental Health and Early Psychosis Career Pipeline for Black and Latinx Youth S. Kwame Dance, PsyD, MBA Mental Health ACCESS & Boston Arts Academy View a recording of this 11/7/23 session here.      

The one-hour Reclaiming Native Psychological Brilliance virtual series provides an opportunity for participants to: Gain skills on strength-based approaches in partnership with Native People to enhance Native behavioral health, and Discuss ways that Native brilliance is demonstrated and supports behavioral health, and Learn about Native brilliance examples to share with behavioral health and other health care staff, as well as with local Tribal Nation citizens The concept of Native psychological brilliance will be celebrated through Native music videos and Native spoken word performances as part of each session of the Reclaiming Native Psychological Brilliance series.   August's topic was "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Support for Building on Tribal Practices for Wellness in Indian Country."  

Dr. Irwin discusses health disparities for individuals with serious mental illness across the cancer continuum. She reviews the development of a model of person-centered collaborative care, including findings from a recent randomized trial, and introduces a coalition dedicated to ensuring mental illness is never a barrier to cancer care.   Presenter: Dr. Kelly Irwin is an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a faculty psychiatrist at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center and MGH Schizophrenia Program. She is the founding director of the Collaborative Care and Community Engagement Program, a clinical and research initiative dedicated to improving cancer outcomes for individuals with serious mental illness in the Center for Psychiatric Oncology and Behavioral Sciences at the Mass General Cancer Center.   View a recoding of this 9/22/23 session here. 

This DEI Reference Guide was developed in 2023 through shared efforts and multiple collaborative meetings held across the MHTTC Network, and within the MHTTC Building Health Equity and Cultural Responsiveness Workgroup (BHE & CRWG). The BHE & CRWG prioritizes the dissemination of culturally appropriate information and provides technical assistance and training for the mental health field, to ensure equitable access to culturally appropriate and resonant mental health services and the utilization of those services, so that people can achieve wellbeing and improved health outcomes. This reference guide focuses on supporting intentional dialogue about diversity, equity, and inclusion. As essential as these terms are for bridging the gaps that impact mental health, they are also often misused and misunderstood. This guide addresses the role of the MHTTC Network as a vehicle to promote and implement DEI principles in behavioral health practices. It also makes clear the position of MHTTCs nationwide when issues of diversity, equity and inclusion are discussed.

Available in both English and Español! Trauma-informed care and culturally responsive care are two important mental health service delivery approaches that are increasingly recognized as necessary for providing effective and equitable mental health care. Latino communities in Ohio face several challenges, including limited accessibility to healthcare services, particularly mental health care, and a lack of multicultural and multilingual clinicians. Implementing culturally responsive and trauma-informed approaches can effectively support mental health professionals to address the needs of Hispanic and Latino populations in Ohio. By providing accessible, sensitive, and tailored care, professionals can promote help-seeking behaviors, healing, resilience, and well-being within these communities.