Products and Resources Catalog

The Person-Centered Recovery Planning (PCRP) Consultation Corner is a 6-month learning series featuring a monthly webinar on the “FAQs” of PCRP; offering practical tools and resources to support quality PCRP at the level of both individual service delivery and organizational systems change; and providing follow-up “office hours” through smaller-group technical assistance for webinar participants who wish to take a “deeper dive” on a given topic. The topic for webinar session 2 was "Co-Creation of the PCRP Document-Partnering, Goal Discovery & Emphasis on Real Life Results." At the end of the series, participants will be able to: Define PCRP and its essential elements Increase familiarity with existing and emerging state and federal requirements regarding PCRP Articulate a minimum of three differences between traditional methods of treatment planning and best-practice PCRP Learn more about how the MHTTC PCRP Consultation Corner series can provide tools and resources to support the implementation of PCRP at your organization Presenters: Janis Tondora and Amy Pierce   Janis Tondora, Psy.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine.  Her work involves supporting the implementation of person-centered practices that help people with behavioral health concerns and other disabilities to get more control over decisions about their services so they can live a good life as they define it. She has provided training and consultation to over 25 states seeking to implement Person-Centered Recovery Planning and has shared her work with the field in dozens of publications, including her 2014 book, Partnering for Recovery in Mental Health: A Practical Guide to Person-Centered Planning. Janis’ consultation and publications have been widely used by both public and private service systems to advance the implementation of recovery-oriented practices in the U.S. and abroad. She is a life-long resident of Connecticut where she lives with her husband and beloved labradoodles after recently becoming an empty-nester with two children in college.   Amy Pierce (she/her) is an international trainer and consultant has been working in the Peer Movement in the State of Texas for over two decades. She currently serves as Recovery Institute Associate Director at Via Hope by serving as a subject matter expert on the implementation of peer services and other recovery-oriented practices. She has extensive experience in the peer support sector, having started the first peer support program in the state hospitals in Texas, working as a peer support worker in a community mental health agency, and working as the Program Coordinator for a transitional peer residential housing project.   This series is co-sponsored by the New England and South Southwest MHTTCs. More information about the series.

The Person-Centered Recovery Planning (PCRP) Consultation Corner is a 6-month learning series featuring a monthly webinar on the “FAQs” of PCRP; offering practical tools and resources to support quality PCRP at the level of both individual service delivery and organizational systems change; and providing follow-up “office hours” through smaller-group technical assistance for webinar participants who wish to take a “deeper dive” on a given topic.   Participants were able to: Define PCRP and its essential elements Increase familiarity with existing and emerging state and federal requirements regarding PCRP Articulate a minimum of three differences between traditional methods of treatment planning and best-practice PCRP Learn more about how the MHTTC PCRP Consultation Corner series can provide tools and resources to support the implementation of PCRP at your organization Presenters: Janis Tondora, Amy Pierce, and Amanda Bowman   Janis Tondora, Psy.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine.  Her work involves supporting the implementation of person-centered practices that help people with behavioral health concerns and other disabilities to get more control over decisions about their services so they can live a good life as they define it. She has provided training and consultation to over 25 states seeking to implement Person-Centered Recovery Planning and has shared her work with the field in dozens of publications, including her 2014 book, Partnering for Recovery in Mental Health: A Practical Guide to Person-Centered Planning. Janis’ consultation and publications have been widely used by both public and private service systems to advance the implementation of recovery-oriented practices in the U.S. and abroad. She is a life-long resident of Connecticut where she lives with her husband and beloved labradoodles after recently becoming an empty-nester with two children in college.   Amy Pierce (she/her) is an international trainer and consultant has been working in the Peer Movement in the State of Texas for over two decades. She currently serves as Recovery Institute Associate Director at Via Hope by serving as a subject matter expert on the implementation of peer services and other recovery-oriented practices. She has extensive experience in the peer support sector, having started the first peer support program in the state hospitals in Texas, working as a peer support worker in a community mental health agency, and working as the Program Coordinator for a transitional peer residential housing project.   Amanda Bowman, LCSW-S, PSS (she/her) is a clinical social worker, certified peer specialist supervisor, and WRAPⓇ facilitator, using her professional and lived experience with mental health challenges to promote person-centered practices in behavioral health care. Coming from direct social work practice and administrative leadership within the public mental health system, she joined Via Hope in 2013, where she served as Recovery Institute Director until 2023. In this role, she oversaw the development and delivery of organizational change programs, which included statewide initiatives to support the implementation of person-centered planning, peer support services, and trauma-responsive work environments. As the owner of Sidecar Consulting, Amanda now facilitates collaborative learning events and serves as a subject matter expert for programs designed to support change within and across agencies. Outside of work, you may find Amanda with her family hiking the Barton Creek Greenbelt or enjoying live music.   This series is co-sponsored by the New England and South Southwest MHTTCs. More information about the series.  

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 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

At the New England MHTTC, we believe that agencies and organizations can benefit from applying a racial equity lens to their structure and activities. “A racial equity lens is a set of questions we ask ourselves when we are planning, developing or evaluating a policy, program or decision. It helps us assess if we are taking in the perspectives of the racially diverse people and communities we intend to serve, and whether our policies and programs are resulting in equitable or inequitable outcomes. An equity lens helps us see where challenges and opportunities exist, so that we can make intentional steps to ensure more equitable outcomes for all individuals and communities.” Asking meaningful questions is key. In order to compile the questions for consideration below, the TTC Network conducted a review of approximately 50 organizational and community assessment tools and resources available from the website, Racial Equity Tools. We pulled and synthesized questions from these materials, as well as direct resources from the New England MHTTC, to determine questions most applicable for our work. By providing this resource, we are not signifying that this is a complete list of questions to consider in order to achieve racial equity. We aim to spur thinking and action among the agencies, organizations, and collaborators in our community and we acknowledge that this is just one step in a longer, more integrated and comprehensive process.

Compassionate Listening is... A personal practice – to cultivate inner strength, self awareness, self regulation and wisdom. A skill set – to enhance interpersonal relations and navigate challenging conversation. A process – to bring individuals or groups together to bridge their differences and transform conflict A healing gift – to offer a compassionate listening session to a person who feels marginalized or in pain.   These principles, adapted with permission from the Compassionate Listening Project,, guide the engagements of the New England MHTTC's Racial Equity and Advancing Cultural Humility (REACH) for Organizational Change Learning Collaborative. We encourage you to use these principles as you engage in frank and honest conversations in the workplace. The principles are designed to keep the dialogue grounded so that you can focus your energy on cultivating compassion and respect for others; serving as a witness to another's truth; and listening and speaking from the heart.  

Issues stemming from race and other cultural matters are broad and varied. Individuals and organizations will find that they are quite knowledgeable and proficient in some aspects of cultural competence, and yet, may neglect asking crucial questions in another area. For instance, we may be acutely aware of making focus group (or other) accommodations for the hearing impaired community, but may not have a cache of options to make public health programs accessible to non-native English speakers. When you begin to consider your approach to engagement with diverse communities, you can gauge how and why mainstream strategies have a lower effectiveness and work from a more culturally responsive foundation. Ultimately, the more your work stems from relevant aspects of racial and cultural identity, the greater your chances for effective outcomes and increased, sustainable engagement from a broader, more diverse community. In assessing your agency/organization's capacity for cultural responsiveness, it is useful to have a tool that is focused on core ways to interpret the wide range of behaviors and attitudes that are expressed in the policies and practices of an organization. Our Process of Gaining Cultural Competence represents a continuum into which we can place behaviors, attitudes, policies, and practices. This is intended to be a dynamic tool, since there is always room for growth and development in individuals, organizations, and institutionalized policies and practices.

  Objectives: Review common supervision models, highlighting their absence of cultural integration. Critique current supervision models, while discussing their potential to cause harm to supervisees. Identify ways to apply the supervision models in a culturally adapted manner.   Presented by: Patty Cerda-Lizarraga, Ph.D., Belinda Hinojos, PhD, LP, and Anitra Warrior, PhD, LP Patricia Cerda-Lizarraga, Ph.D., graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a double major in Cognitive Psychology and Spanish Language and Culture. She moved to the Midwest where she completed her Masters degree and doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Patricia previously worked as a staff psychologist at UNL where she provided individual and group therapy to college students. Patricia was the diversity coordinator at Counseling and Psychological Services at UNL and has a passion to work with issues of diversity and with people of color. She recently came on board at Morningstar to work with the American Indian population in Nebraska and expand her training in working with children and families. Dr. Patty was born and raised in Southern California. Together with her two young boys and her husband they have made Lincoln, Nebraska their home. Dr. Patty enjoys family time and taking trips to California and Mexico.   Belinda Hinojos, Ph.D., received her bachelor's degree in psychology and master's degree in counseling psychology from the University of Kansas. She completed her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is a staff psychologist and training director with Morningstar. In this role, she provides mental health services to American Indian communities in Nebraska. This includes outreach and services to the Little Priest Tribal College and the Nebraska Indian Community College. Dr. Hinojos previously held the position of training director at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s (UNL) Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Throughout her career, Dr. Hinojos has focused on increasing access to quality mental health services for people of color. She began her work at UNL-CAPS as the Diversity Coordinator and Latinx Outreach Specialist. Prior to starting her doctoral program, Dr. Hinojos worked at a community mental health agency in Kansas City providing mental health services to the Latinx community. She is an active member of the National Latinx Psychological Association. She currently serves on the Standing Committee on Diversity through the Association of Counseling Center Training Agencies, in addition to the Training Advisory Committee for the Minority Fellowship Program through the American Psychological Association.   Dr. Anitra Warrior is the owner of Morningstar Counseling and Consultation in Lincoln, Nebraska, and is from the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma. She earned her Ph.D. in counseling psychology in 2015 and has operated her clinic since 2012. Since receiving her Ph.D., Dr. Warrior has established four additional clinics that are now located throughout eastern Nebraska. Morningstar offers counseling on two college campuses, as well as in schools, communities, and other integrated care locations with the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska. Clinic sites are based on reservations and in rural and urban settings. Dr. Warrior specializes in treating trauma in children through the utilization of evidenced based practices that have been adapted to the American Indian population. Most recently, Morningstar has become a training site for doctoral candidates with the Munroe-Meyer Institute. This track will focus on integrated care on the reservation as well as provide additional clinical training opportunities in schools, colleges, and in the tribal communities.     Learn more about the series — Decolonizing Training and Supervision: Implementing a Culturally Responsive Model of Training    

Learn more about innovative approaches to supporting better outcomes for those who provide care as well as those seeking and receiving behavioral health care in communities of color in New England!   Presenters--including clinicians, researchers, faith and community leaders, and people with lived expertise--will explore strategies for: Delivering culturally competent care Creating recovery-ready workplaces Integrating peer support in the workforce Building career ladders for existing staff and retaining early career staff Day one's theme was "Defining the Workforce and Visioning for the Future" View a recording of this 2/13/23 session here. 

Learn more about innovative approaches to supporting better outcomes for those who provide care as well as those seeking and receiving behavioral health care in communities of color in New England!   Presenters--including clinicians, researchers, faith and community leaders, and people with lived expertise--will explore strategies for: Delivering culturally competent care Creating recovery-ready workplaces Integrating peer support in the workforce Building career ladders for existing staff and retaining early career staff Day four's theme was "Innovations for a Sustainable Workforce" View a recording of this 2/16/23 session here.

The Great Lakes MHTTC specializes in the NIATx model of process improvement: a set of tools for addressing problematic processes in the work system. Process improvement can be defined as “changing the way that work is performed so it is more efficient and effective.” Initially geared toward manufacturing, process improvement is now widely recognized as a powerful tool for making positive change in any setting. Behavioral health organizations use process improvement to: Identify and address problems in their work processes Speed up and sustain the adoption of evidence-based practices Reduce barriers to access to and retention in treatment   Download the Great Lakes MHTTC's Areas of Focus: Process Improvement brief to learn more about who we are and why process improvement is an area of focus for HHS Region 5.   

This is a recording of Part 1 in the Getting Grief-Ready at Work: A Starter Kit Workshop Series, that took place on November 28, 2022.   In this workshop series, the Pacific Southwest MHTTC's Field Director, Leora Wolf-Prusan, Ed.D, Dr. David J Schonfeld of the National Center for School Crisis & Bereavement, and Mary Pauline Diaz-Frasene of the Dinner Party teamed up to lead a text-study exploration of Fostering Grief Ready Workplaces: A Starter Kit for Mental Health and School Mental Health Leadership.   This Starter Kit offers a review of essential guidelines and evidence-based practices to cultivate a grief-sensitive culture. The workshop series is an accompaniment for the Starter Kit and is intended to serve anyone interested in being grief sensitive, including school and mental health leaders, providers, and professionals.   Part 1 in the Starter Kit Workshop Series offers opportunities to hear questions, discussion, and discourse on the following: •    Grief Readiness: The Basics & How Grief Impacts our Workforce •    Self-reflection: How Grief Ready am I? Is my Team? Is my System? •    Approaching Grief Readiness with a Power Analysis: Cultural Sensitivity and Anti-Racism at Work

This is a recording of Part 2 in the Getting Grief-Ready at Work: A Starter Kit Workshop Series, that took place on December 5, 2022. In this workshop series, the Pacific Southwest MHTTC's School Mental Health Field Director, Leora Wolf-Prusan, EdD, Dr. David J Schonfeld of the National Center for School Crisis & Bereavement, and Mary Pauline Diaz-Frasene of the Dinner Party teamed up to lead a text-study exploration of Fostering Grief Ready Workplaces: A Starter Kit for Mental Health and School Mental Health Leadership.   This Starter Kit offers a review of essential guidelines and evidence-based practices to cultivate a grief-sensitive culture. The workshop series is a dynamic accompaniment for the Starter Kit and is intended to serve anyone interested in being grief sensitive, including leaders, providers, and professionals.   Part 2 in the Starter Kit Workshop Series offers opportunities to hear questions, discussion, and discourse on the following: •    Implementation Science and Grief Readiness at Work: The Stages to Navigating and Confronting Loss at Work •    Being a Manager, Supervisor, or Leader in the Context of Loss •    Crafting a Grief Readiness Plan (including: Exploring your Bereavement Leave Policies

This infographic summarizes the impact of the South Southwest MHTTC in the 2021-2022 grant year, including activities through the core grant and the school supplement.

In this session of the 2022 ABC Summit, district leaders across four communities share the universal supports that have been put in place for students through Project AWARE in Texas, the barriers they experienced, how they overcame those barriers, and some of their lessons for others looking to put universal school mental health practices in place.

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 previously recorded webinar will highlight findings from SAMHSA’s guide titled, Addressing Burnout in the Behavioral Health Workforce through Organizational Strategies, which explores evidence-based, organization-level strategies and promising practices to address burnout within the behavioral health workforce. Following an overview of the goals of SAMHSA’s Evidence-Based Resource Guide Series by SAMHSA’s Humberto Carvalho, MPH; Candice Chen, MD, MPH, George Washington University, from the guide’s technical expert panel will discuss this guide’s development. Ellen Childs, PhD, Abt Associates, will provide an overview of the framing of the guide, describing factors leading to burnout, and relevant evidence-based strategies to address it. Representatives from organizations featured in the guide’s case studies will discuss development of their policies or programs to address burnout. Download the slides for this presentation here. Access the guide here.

  View the presentation slides:       Mitigating bias in hiring and promoting practices in the behavioral health field is a priority.  Behavioral health practitioners are required now more than ever to pay closer attention to these challenges in the workplace. Join us for a discussion around increasing awareness, effectively navigating challenges, and moving towards action.   Learning Objectives:  Define what professionalism means to your organization and the origins of that definition. Identify strategies to make hiring practices more inclusive.   Presented by:  Dr. Anitra Warrior is the owner of Morningstar Counseling and Consultation in Lincoln, Nebraska, and is from the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma. She earned her Ph.D. in counseling psychology in 2015 and has operated her clinic since 2012. Since receiving her Ph.D., Dr. Warrior has established four additional clinics that are now located throughout eastern Nebraska. Morningstar offers counseling on two college campuses, as well as in schools, communities, and other integrated care locations with the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska. Clinic sites are based on reservations and in rural and urban settings. Dr. Warrior specializes in treating trauma in children through the utilization of evidenced based practices that have been adapted to the American Indian population. Most recently, Morningstar has become a training site for doctoral candidates with the Munroe-Meyer Institute. This track will focus on integrated care on the reservation as well as provide additional clinical training opportunities in schools, colleges, and in the tribal communities.   Belinda Hinojos, Ph.D., received her bachelor's degree in psychology and master's degree in counseling psychology from the University of Kansas. She completed her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is a staff psychologist and training director with Morningstar. In this role, she provides mental health services to American Indian communities in Nebraska. This includes outreach and services to the Little Priest Tribal College and the Nebraska Indian Community College. Dr. Hinojos previously held the position of training director at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s (UNL) Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Throughout her career, Dr. Hinojos has focused on increasing access to quality mental health services for people of color. She began her work at UNL-CAPS as the Diversity Coordinator and Latinx Outreach Specialist. Prior to starting her doctoral program, Dr. Hinojos worked at a community mental health agency in Kansas City providing mental health services to the Latinx community. She is an active member of the National Latinx Psychological Association. She currently serves on the Standing Committee on Diversity through the Association of Counseling Center Training Agencies, in addition to the Training Advisory Committee for the Minority Fellowship Program through the American Psychological Association.   Learn more about the series: Leadership Institute Community of Practice                 

July 13, 2022 The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)’ s Region 1 Office, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)’s Office of Regional Operations in Region 1, and the New England MHTTC’s Childhood-Trauma Learning Collaborative have collaborated to convene the Healthcare workers and Educators Addressing and Reducing Trauma (HEART) Collective to enhance collaborations between schools and community health centers, mental and behavioral health agencies, and/or community-based organizations to support positive mental health and well-being for youth in a school-based setting.

Out of the Box Engagement Exercise Handout The Out of the Box Engagement Exercise was an opportunity for conference attendees to participate in collaborative dialogue across difference at the 2022 South Southwest MHTTC FEP Conference. Conference attendees were assigned to groups and asked to reflect on and submit ideas for re-envisioning engagement in the support of recovery. To learn more about what ideas conference attendees had during this collaborative dialogue group, please find the “Out of the Box Engagement” Exercise handout. The South Southwest MHTTC team organized the ideas by the themes: centering peer support, coordinating and deconstructing our systems, embedding care in community, funding and access, holistic/person-centered care, interventions for staff, particular interventions/next steps, public education, using technology to build community. Each theme includes a brief description.  

This webinar was hosted by the South Southwest MHTTC on June 14, 2022. Mark Garnand, CPSW, LSAA facilitated this presentation along with Nathan Lawson and Melisha Montono as part of our Region 6 Peer Support Spotlight Series focused on New Mexico. With the current leadership of the Office of Peer Recovery and Engagement (OPRE), the state of New Mexico has nearly doubled the number of Certified Peer Support Workers in our state. Assisting in various capacities, Certified Peer Support Workers (CPSWs) have become a growing and present force in the Behavioral Health Network in New Mexico. This presentation on the Four Agreements written by Don Miguel Ruiz, explored the Four Agreements discussed the understanding of how they can correlate with our Ethics and self-care as Behavioral Health Professionals.   Presentation Slides Recording

This is a recording of the Session 1 panel discussion in the Rising Practices & Policies in the Workforce series, that took place on May 9, 2022. The panel discussion looked at how school and mental health leaders from our region are preparing their workforce for the launch of 988, the new National Suicide Prevention Hotline. On July 16, 2022, a three-digit, national mental health crisis hotline (mandated by the federal government in October 2020) is scheduled to launch nationwide. When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network. The expansion of the current National Suicide Prevention Lifeline program to effectively triage, respond, and stabilize individuals experiencing a mental health crisis will require significant workforce expansion and training. This session invited regional 988 implementers to share opportunities and challenges during this transition.   In this session, panelists explored: What is 988, and what might it mean for our region? What are some promising and cautionary elements of this rising practice? How might our workforce successfully transition from the Suicide Prevention Lifeline model to the 988 model? How might we engage meaningful partnerships in this transition? What challenges do we foresee at the workforce level, and what training, resources, or other support would help resolve these challenges? What might be some rising practices, policies, and successful strategies for 988 adoption and integration?   Click here to download a PDF of the panel presentation. 

May 5, 2022 Creating a culture of change requires transformative leadership. Watch this interactive session, an extended opportunity to discuss the traits of transformational leaders, with speakers from our 4/28/ REACH Session. Learn strategies to help create and communicate your organization’s vision, and then inspire, motivate, and empower others to achieve that vision.   To watch the recording, please go to: https://youtu.be/-TvphoMyeBw    

/*-->*/ /*-->*/ /*--> April 28, 2022 Creating a culture of change requires transformative leadership. Our panel of experts will discuss the traits of transformational leaders and share strategies to help leaders create and communicate an organization’s vision, and then to inspire, motivate, and empower others to achieve that vision.   to watch the recording, go to: https://youtu.be/z4NW6msF4qs   Presenters:  Ashley Stewart, PhD, MSSW, C4 Trainer & Curriculum Development Specialist, C4 Innovations Livia Davis, MSW, Chief Learning Officer, C4 Innovations