Products and Resources Catalog

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

In furthering our efforts to meet people where they are and foster healthy practices in adolescents and youth, the Great Lakes MHTTC and Wisconsin PATCH (Providers and Teens Communicating for Health) asked teens to describe the best ways adults can partner with youth and what motivates young people to get involved with organizations like PATCH. The responses featured in this resource were provided by teenage participants of the PATCH Teen Educators program.    This product was created with our valued partners at Wisconsin PATCH.  

  Host: Isa Velez Echevarria, PsyD Featured Guest: Maureen Dee, MSW, MBA   ****This podcast was recorded in English.****   We invite you to check in with Isa Velez and Maureen Dee as they celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, discuss the importance of providing culturally appropriate services for Hispanic/Latinx communities, and share with listeners a variety of projects and resources specific to supporting behavioral health for Hispanic/Latinx populations.  (Listening time: 41 min., 37 sec.)      Maureen Dee, MSW, MBA Maureen Dee retired in 2019 from her position of Executive Director of Treatment, Prevention and Recovery Programs at Catholic Charities Corporation, in the Diocese of Cleveland.  Since graduating from CWRU/MSASS in 1978 (Master’s in Social Work), she went to work at Catholic Counseling Center in Cleveland, as a bilingual social worker. She subsequently earned an MBA from Cleveland State in 1985. Maureen was born and raised in Uruguay, South America, and is committed to serving the Hispanic Community. Starting with her course of study at MSASS, she specialized in program planning and alcohol treatment. She started various programs for juvenile justice-involved adolescents who presented with a concern about their use of alcohol and/or other drugs. She developed an expertise in the delivery of alcohol and other drug treatment and prevention at Catholic Charities and managed all of Catholic Charities’ behavioral health programs in Cuyahoga County, including 4 Matt Talbot residential treatment centers.  She worked in Cleveland’s Catholic Social Services system for 41 years. Maureen facilitated the start of the first Hispanic Urban Minority Alcohol and Drug Abuse Outpatient Program in Ohio (the Hispanic UMADAOP) which was housed temporarily under Catholic Charities and then became its own 501 C 3 organization under Miguel Prieto.  She helped start Hispanic Alliance, Inc., a consortium of Hispanic-serving organizations to promote collaboration and enhance funding for the needs in the Hispanic community. She was also instrumental in securing the zoning and funding to establish Hispanic UMADAOP’s Casa ALMA residential treatment center for latinos, also the first in Ohio.  She has served on various Ohio State and Cuyahoga County strategic and planning committees, including the Ohio Recovery Council under Governor Richard Celeste which was instrumental in forming the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS); was appointed to serve on the Ohio Chemical Dependency Credentialing Board for 8 years (now the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board); was instrumental in developing the adolescent criteria for determining placement in treatment levels of care (a precursor to the ASAM criteria); was on the Cuyahoga County Service Coordination Team under the Families and Children First Council which coordinated child placements for the Department of Children and Family Services and the Juvenile Court; and was on many other committees and collaborations with the intent of advancing alcohol, other drug addiction and mental health treatment and prevention services for special populations, in particular adolescents and minorities. Maureen currently serves on the Hispanic Roundtable and on the governing boards of LATINA, Inc., the MetroHealth System and the Brittingham Memorial Medical Library at MetroHealth, and is also on the Board of Nueva Luz Urban Resource Center, which serves the HIV/AIDS population.  Maureen is a member of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences’ Visiting Committee at Case Western Reserve University. She is a mentor for Master’s students in their Leadership Fellows Program and she is also a mentor for College Now first time college-bound Hispanic students transitioning from the Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD).  

  Host: Isa Velez Echevarria, PsyD Featured Guest: Adriana Alejandre, LMFT, Founder of Latinx Therapy and Host of Latinx Therapy Podcast   ****This podcast was recorded in English.****   We invite you to check in with Isa Velez and Adriana Alejandre as they celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, discuss the importance of providing culturally appropriate services for Hispanic/Latinx communities, and share with listeners a variety of projects and resources specific to supporting behavioral health for Hispanic/Latinx populations.  (Listening time: 20 min., 49 sec.)      Adriana Alejandre, LMFT Adriana Alejandre is a trauma psychotherapist and speaker from Los Angeles, California. She specializes in serving adults who struggle with PTSD and severe traumas at her own private practice. In recent years, she has also offered her services as part of disaster relief efforts for those traumatized and distressed by Hurricane Harvey and the Las Vegas shooting. Adriana is the founder of Latinx Therapy, a national directory of Latinx Therapists and global, bilingual podcast that provides education to combat the stigma of mental health on the ground, and in the digital spaces. Adriana’s expertise has been featured in LA Times, Telemundo, USA Today, the New York Times and Buzzfeed, among many others. In 2019, she won Hispanizice’s TECLA award for Best Social Good Content award, and in 2020 she was one of five Latinx influencers chosen for the #YoSoy Instagram and Hispanic Heritage Foundation award. Adriana’s mission is to create spaces to spark dialogue about mental health struggles and strengths in the Latinx community.   Latinx Therapy Podcast Latinx Therapy Website, Service Provider Directory, & Other Resources

  Host: Isa Velez Echevarria, PsyD Featured Guest: Adriana Alejandre, LMFT, Founder of Latinx Therapy and Host of Latinx Therapy Podcast   ****Este podcast es en Español.****   We invite you to check in with Isa Velez and Adriana Alejandre as they celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, discuss the importance of providing culturally appropriate services for Hispanic/Latinx communities, and share with listeners a variety of projects and resources specific to supporting behavioral health for Hispanic/Latinx populations.  (Listening time: 18 min., 22 sec.)      Adriana Alejandre, LMFT Adriana Alejandre is a trauma psychotherapist and speaker from Los Angeles, California. She specializes in serving adults who struggle with PTSD and severe traumas at her own private practice. In recent years, she has also offered her services as part of disaster relief efforts for those traumatized and distressed by Hurricane Harvey and the Las Vegas shooting. Adriana is the founder of Latinx Therapy, a national directory of Latinx Therapists and global, bilingual podcast that provides education to combat the stigma of mental health on the ground, and in the digital spaces. Adriana’s expertise has been featured in LA Times, Telemundo, USA Today, the New York Times and Buzzfeed, among many others. In 2019, she won Hispanizice’s TECLA award for Best Social Good Content award, and in 2020 she was one of five Latinx influencers chosen for the #YoSoy Instagram and Hispanic Heritage Foundation award. Adriana’s mission is to create spaces to spark dialogue about mental health struggles and strengths in the Latinx community.   Latinx Therapy Podcast Latinx Therapy Website, Service Provider Directory, & Other Resources

Host: Alfredo Cerrato, Great Lakes A/MH/PTTC Senior Cultural & Workforce Development Officer Special Guest: Derrick Martin, LPCC-S, EMDR, CCTP                         Traumaologist, Traumaology LLC    We invite you to check in with Alfredo Cerrato and Derrick Martin as they discuss post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) in first responders, including the support services and therapies available for those coping with overwhelming life experiences. Derrick discusses his experience working as a paramedic and firefighter, and how managing his own CPTSD diagnosis with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy motivated him to become a mental health professional and traumaologist.  (Listening time: 30 min., 4 sec.)   Derrick Martin, LPCC-S, EMDR, CCTP Derrick is an independently licensed psychotherapist with supervisory designation in the State of Ohio. Prior to his career as a traumaologist, he start out his life in public safety. Starting out as an EMT-Basic and furthering his education becoming an EMT-Paramedic, he also obtained his Professional Firefighter I & II certification. He has served over 12 years of combined service service the citizens of the State of Ohio. In 2008, he was seriously injured on duty and forced to leave public safety from that injury. That time in his life was very difficult and at times very dark. Seeking out help, he discovered psychotherapy and EMDR therapy. Having been diagnosed with CPTSD, he went through EMDR therapy and accredit that to saving his life. As a patient, he experienced both the good and the bad of various clinicians and knew that he wanted to give back and raise the bar for the standardization of care for first responders and other victims of trauma. 

View Slide Deck This session explores the intersectionality and cultural diversities within the Hispanic and Latinx community and how it impacts mental health services with a focus on cultural considerations and trauma histories.   Presenter: Dr. Azara Santiago Rivera serves as the Coordinator of the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology at Felician University, Lodi, New Jersey. Also, she earned the status of Emeritus Professor and was the Director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program in the Department of Psychology at Merrimack College. Before joining the Merrimack community, she held academic appointments at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) as the chair of the Counseling Department in August 2011 and became dean of academic affairs in August 2013 until 2015.  Dr. Santiago-Rivera served as the associate dean of the School of Education, University at Albany (NY) from 2001―2004. Among outcomes of her work were initiatives to advance early career faculty with a focus on publishing, teaching strategies and tenure and promotion processes.   In addition, she also held faculty positions as a professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2004―2011) and assistant and associate professor, University at Albany [NY] (1992―2004). Her publications and research interests include multicultural competencies in the counseling profession, bilingual therapy, Latinx adults and depression, and the impact of environmental contamination on the biopsychosocial well-being of Native Americans.  Her current work involves assessing depression in Latinx adults and the challenges associated with the use of translated measures from English to Spanish. She is a coauthor of 3 books, over 50 peer reviewed articles and book chapters, and has given over 120 presentations/workshops at local, national and international conferences, universities, and organizations. She has held leadership positions in professional organizations such as the Vice-President of the Latino Interest Network of the Association of Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD), and the President of Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ) within the American Counseling Association. She is a past- President of the National Latino/a Psychological Association. She is the Founding Editor of the Journal of Latinx Psychology (APA journal) and is a Fellow of Divisions 45 and 17 of APA. In 2014, Dr. Santiago-Rivera received the APA Presidential Citation for outstanding contribution to the profession. Currently, Dr. Santiago Rivera is the President of the Latino Mental Health Association of New Jersey and the Treasurer-Elect of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education.

View Session Recording This session explores the intersectionality and cultural diversities within the Hispanic and Latinx community and how it impacts mental health services with a focus on cultural considerations and trauma histories.   Presenter: Dr. Azara Santiago Rivera serves as the Coordinator of the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology at Felician University, Lodi, New Jersey. Also, she earned the status of Emeritus Professor and was the Director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program in the Department of Psychology at Merrimack College. Before joining the Merrimack community, she held academic appointments at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) as the chair of the Counseling Department in August 2011 and became dean of academic affairs in August 2013 until 2015.  Dr. Santiago-Rivera served as the associate dean of the School of Education, University at Albany (NY) from 2001―2004. Among outcomes of her work were initiatives to advance early career faculty with a focus on publishing, teaching strategies and tenure and promotion processes.   In addition, she also held faculty positions as a professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2004―2011) and assistant and associate professor, University at Albany [NY] (1992―2004). Her publications and research interests include multicultural competencies in the counseling profession, bilingual therapy, Latinx adults and depression, and the impact of environmental contamination on the biopsychosocial well-being of Native Americans.  Her current work involves assessing depression in Latinx adults and the challenges associated with the use of translated measures from English to Spanish. She is a coauthor of 3 books, over 50 peer reviewed articles and book chapters, and has given over 120 presentations/workshops at local, national and international conferences, universities, and organizations. She has held leadership positions in professional organizations such as the Vice-President of the Latino Interest Network of the Association of Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD), and the President of Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ) within the American Counseling Association. She is a past- President of the National Latino/a Psychological Association. She is the Founding Editor of the Journal of Latinx Psychology (APA journal) and is a Fellow of Divisions 45 and 17 of APA. In 2014, Dr. Santiago-Rivera received the APA Presidential Citation for outstanding contribution to the profession. Currently, Dr. Santiago Rivera is the President of the Latino Mental Health Association of New Jersey and the Treasurer-Elect of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education.

This webinar event occurred on March 11, 2022 and was facilitated by Brent Ambacher.  In 2017, Louisiana was still an abstinence-only state as far as any treatment options were concerned for those experiencing OUD. Taking up the SAMHSA State Targeted Response (STR) Grant meant a whole new approach was required as it funded medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for the first time, and Peer Support was seen as essential from day one. Each of the state’s ten human services districts put a Peer on staff for the Grant, and each of the state’s ten OTPs hired a resource coordinator to liaise with them. This presentation encapsulates Louisiana's experiences in setting these steps in motion, the mistakes we’d avoid in future, the teething troubles we’ve experienced, and more importantly, the successes and knowledge we’ve gained along the way.  Participants will: Discover what peers add to the process in a strictly monitored treatment environment  Learn how they can both assist and anticipate the needs of the counsellors Identify specific roles that can play within an Opioid Trearment Provider (OTP) Learn about the benefits of embedding Peers in harm reduction teams and their role as links between treatment, support services, and the individuals they encounter

The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. The May 2022 issue features Mental Health Awareness month, the Counselor's Corner blog series, and a complete calendar of events. 

Conozcamos las estrategias y mejores prácticas en las técnicas de reducción de crisis

Los proveedores de servicios de salud presentan un riesgo significativo de estrés y quemazón laboral en comparación con la población en general, lo que puede provocar condiciones de salud mental como insomnio, ansiedad, consumo de sustancias y sentimientos de depresión. Agregue a eso la carga del COVID-19, el dolor y otras pérdidas, las tasas de suicidio en proveedores de salud están aumentando. ¡Todos podemos hacer la diferencia!

  Health providers are at significant risk for stress and burnout compared to the general population. This can lead to conditions such as insomnia, anxiety, substance use and feelings of depression. Add the burdens of COVID-19, grief and other losses and we see health provider suicide rates increasing. We can all make a difference to intervene and potentially save a life. En Español Related Products: Peer Support for Healthcare Providers Taking Care of Yourself While Taking Care of Others

Providing equitable mental health and substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery services means engaging with all communities to make sure all people feel welcome and supported. This resource list, compiled by SAMHSA’s Technology Transfer Centers (TTCs), includes community engagement resources developed by the TTCs and other reputable organizations, and is sorted alphabetically by title within the following categories: Community Engagement Strategies, Cultural Competency, Health Equity, Population-Specific Interventions, and Research Supporting Community Engagement. For additional information, please visit our colleagues at the National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health (NNED), and their NNEDshare - a collaborative space to share resources and intervention efforts to improve the delivery of behavioral health care interventions in diverse populations, learn about resources and innovative community efforts across the country, and connect with others to learn from their efforts.

View Presentation Slides Download Certificate Mental Health Providers are skilled at helping others manage emotional difficulties and crises, but how good are we at asking for help when we need it?  Webinar Objectives: Explore our expectations, challenges, and issues around getting help when we need it Identify who and what can offer supports in difficult times Discuss the importance of support Apply concepts to get support for ourselves  Related Products: Taking Care of Yourself While Taking Care of Others Pause, Breathe, Move: Self-Care for Healthcare Providers Bouncing Back: Building Resilience at Work in the Time of COVID-19

In 2020, the New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (New England MHTTC) engaged stakeholders from across the region in conversations about children’s mental health services. The conversations, which included leadership and staff from state child welfare and behavioral health offices, family-run organizations, and service providers, focused on learning about policies, initiatives, progress, and needs in each state.

The Northwest MHTTC and the Pacific Southwest MHTTC are coming together to provide a special virtual town hall on school mental health leadership in times of wildfire.   About This Resource: Six principals, superintendents, county and state office of education leaders from Washington State, California, and Oregon who have experienced wildfire in the past and present will offer reflections, lessons learned, and share their stories so we can learn from and with them in this moment of need. Leaders will be in conversation for the first portion of the townhall, and then will answer your questions through a moderated Q & A.   >> Presentation PDF >> Wildfire Supporting Resources >> Click "View Resource" above to access the recording Our Presenters:  Ed Navarro is the Principal of both Rincon Valley Middle School and Santa Rosa Accelerated Charter School. His schools were both heavily impacted by the devastation of the Tubbs fire in 2017. 127 of his students and several of his teachers and staff lost their homes to fire. He has continued to lead his schools through subsequent California fires, smoke days, PSPS power outages and the COVID pandemic. His students and staff continue to heal from the devastation. Prior to becoming principal, he was an assistant principal at Montgomery High School. Ed has spent the past 16 years as a teacher and administrator for Santa Rosa City Schools where he taught middle school English, was Activities Director, as well as head wrestling coach. Ed has a B.A. in English from San Francisco State University, as well as a credential in Educational Leadership from Sonoma State University. Ed has two children, one who is enjoying her educational journeys within the Santa Rosa City Schools district and a son who will be attending Southern Oregon University this fall.     Matt Reddam, MS, MFT is a licensed therapist and current School and Community Wellness Advisor for the Butte County Office of Education in California. The former Policy and Practice Coordinator for Trauma Transformed Bay Area, Matt is recognized as a regional expert in traumatic stress and an advocate for marginalized and historically subjugated populations. Beginning his career as a therapist, Matt quickly found that systems and communities often pathologized children’s attempts to survive, leading to misdiagnosis, marginalization, and the robbery of resilience. This led him to shift his work from individual treatment to the consultation and training of large systems. As a survivor of complex trauma, a student of racial justice, and a father, Matt continues to walk the line of learner, expert, and fierce advocate. After the Camp Fire in 2018, Matt began working primarily within Butte County, and continues to support the health and wellness of the community of Paradise. Matt believes that true systemic and community change comes from discomfort, relationship, and unflinching self-reflection. Matt lives in Chico with his partner and two children, Liam and Caleb, his living examples of resilience and hope.   Laurie Dent, Ph.D. has served over 20 years in public education and was appointed as Superintendent of the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District effective July 1, 2016. Serving in the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District since 1998, her previous role was Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services, where she lead, promoted and sustained exceptional academic achievement at all schools district-wide. Prior to becoming Assistant Superintendent, Dent served as the district’s Chief Academic Officer. Dent earned her doctorate from Northwest Nazarene University in spring 2018 and her Superintendent Certification in 2016 from Washington State University. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pacific Lutheran University, a Master of Education in Special Education from Pacific Lutheran University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, and an Administrative Certification from the University of Washington. She is one of 25 Superintendents to watch in the United States: https://www.nspra.org/superintendents-watch. Fun fact: Dent is a member of the Marathon Maniacs and two-time Boston Marathon finisher!    Jeannie Larberg, Ph.D. is the Director of Whole Child at Sumner-Bonney Lake School District in Washington. Dr. Larberg has served over 30 years in public education, serving as a school counselor at every grade level and was an adjunct instructor at college. Before public education, she started her career in psychiatric and community mental health. She has been serving in Sumner-Bonney Lake School District as a Whole Child administrator for the past few years. Larberg earned her doctorate from Grand Canyon University in Psychology with an emphasis in Cognition and Instruction. She received her bachelor's degree in Pre-law/Criminal Justice at Gonzaga University, a Master's of Science in Counseling Psychology, and certification in school and career counseling from Central Washington University. Dr. Larberg is a National Board Certified Counselor. Fun Fact: Larberg has been an avid skier at Crystal Mountain and only missed one ski season in the past 30 years.     B Grace Bullock, Ph.D is a psychologist, research scientist, educator, Senior Mental Health Strategist at the Oregon Department of Education, author of the acclaimed book, Mindful Relationships: 7 Skills for Success - Integrating the science of mind, body & brain. She has devoted her career to teaching and examining the intersection of psychological and physiological strategies for promoting mental, emotional and relational health and well-being and enhancing resilience. An educator at heart, she teaches courses and workshops on mental health promotion, stress reduction, and how to build and sustain healthy relationships for universities, professional schools, school districts and organizations nationally and internationally.       From fighting wildland fires with the U.S. Forest Service to putting out fires in the classroom, education was the last place that Dr. Rachael George, Ed.D. thought she’d end up. It wasn’t until a hard conversation with a base manager in Grangeville, Idaho did Rachael realize she needed to put her chainsaw down and make a bigger impact on the world. Rachael is a member of the ASCD Emerging Leaders Class of 2015 and currently serves as the principal of Sandy Grade School in the Oregon Trail School District. Over the past six years, Sandy Grade School has moved from being one of the lowest ranked elementary schools in the state of Oregon to performing in the top 20% of elementary schools. Sandy Grade School has been recognized by the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE) as a Model School for closing the achievement gap. Prior to serving as an elementary principal, she was a middle school principal of an “outstanding” and two-time “Level 5: Model School” as recognized by the State of Oregon. Rachael specializes in curriculum development, instructional improvement as well as working with at-risk students and closing the achievement gap. Rachael co-authored the book PrincipalED: Navigating the Leadership Learning Curve that is due out in October in addition to several other books coming out later in the school year. Connect with Rachael on Twitter @DrRachaelGeorge.

  Social Media and Mental Health Services Webinar Series  June, 2019   Session one: Recording Session two: Recording Session three: Recording The goal of this three-part webinar series was to present the state of the science on the role of social media as a potentially viable intervention platform for engaging persons with mental disorders, enhancing existing mental health services, and supporting community-based mental health providers.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is pleased to announce the release of Screening and Follow-Up for Unhealthy Alcohol Use: Quality Improvement Change Package for Health Plans, a toolkit to help health plans address unhealthy alcohol use among their members and improve reporting of the HEDIS alcohol measure using electronic clinical data.  This Change Package was developed with funding from SAMHSA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with the National Committee for Quality Assurance. This Change Package is rich with evidence-based practices, successful strategies, and resources from a three-year Learning Collaborative involving five health plans.  This toolkit specifically includes guidance for reporting the HEDIS alcohol measure using Electronic Clinical Data Systems (ECDS), examples of effective quality improvement tools, and strategies for improving measure performance from health plan innovators in ECDS reporting.

For Suicide Prevention Month 2020, we've shared a variety of suicide prevention resources that you can share with your school community so that everyone is aware of what to look out for and how to protect our at-risk kids and family members: Forefront Suicide Prevention Center's Toolkit for Schools LEARN® Saves Lives Webinar Recording Additional suicide prevention resources   Please share these resources with your school community because now more than ever, we all need to learn how to prevent suicide.   >> Click "View Resource" above Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

The 2020 Southwest First Episode Psychosis Conference took place virtually on August 3rd through the 5th. In this presentation, Dr. Ashley Weiss, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Director of EPIC-NOLA at Tulane University, describes the development of their early psychosis program and shares the techniques and creativity used to enhance community outreach regarding early psychosis treatment within her community. Download the session slides.

Session three Rural but Reachable: How to Build Grief Support by Creating Community This session addressed the unique qualities of our rural environments which lend people to create community surrounding the common denominator of grief. Attendees explored the ways in which they can start developing connections in their own communities to support those in grief and individuals experiencing loss. Finally, this session discussed the ways that COVID-19 has changed community and connections in rural settings and discussed ways to support others as grief and loss become a more common experience.   Slide deck Recording   Trainer Cynthia Drake                Three-part Series on Rural Social Isolation and Loneliness  Social isolation and loneliness are complex conditions that can have increased consequences for individuals living in rural and remote communities. The current COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates the challenges faced by providers working in rural communities in identifying and responding to the needs of individuals who may be experiencing increased social isolation and loneliness. This series aims to provide an overview of the topic, and novel ways to support providers in responding to the needs of the individuals they serve.   Session one Rural Social Isolation and Loneliness: Rates, Importance, and Identifying Risk July 14, 2020 In this session, participants learned about loneliness and social isolation among older adults in rural and urban areas. Dr. Henning Smith reviewed existing data, what we know, how social isolation and loneliness are unique in rural areas, and how rural social isolation is a health and mortality risk factor. She discussed what has changed as a result of the current health pandemic, how to prepare rural providers to ask questions to determine isolation/loneliness, and what can be done for rural people who are experiencing isolation/loneliness.   Session One Resources   Trainer Carrie Henning-Smith, PhD, MPH, MSW     Session two The Evolving Nature of Social Connections: Promoting Well-Being in Times of Crisis July 22, 2020 This session addressed programs designed to make connections between and among individuals and organizations to promote well-being in the aging population. Social Connect: Mindful Stress Management is a six-session program delivered virtually through a Zoom platform or telephonically. The program was revised during the early stages of the current pandemic to address the concern of increasing isolation among the elderly population. Social Connect draws on mind-body stress management strategies, in particular, Mindfulness-Based Stress Management. The session will provide the overview of the program, conceptual foundation, program elements, and lessons learned from the first pilot offerings. Central Minnesota Council on Aging (CMCOA) is a non-profit organization designated by the Minnesota Board on Aging as the Area Agency on Aging for the 14 county Central Minnesota region. In partnership with public and private organizations, CMCOA helps older adults age successfully by building community capacity, advocating for aging issues, maximizing service effectiveness, and linking people with information.  Chisago Age Well is one of four Silos to Circles communities whose mission is to increase awareness of, access to, and satisfaction with, existing services and health resources in the community.    Session Two Resources   Trainers Natalie Matthewson, MA, LPC Rebecca Hostetler Darcy Rylander, BS, RYT, NBC-HWC Steve Hoover, PhD              Additional Resources Rural Mental Health Resources

Housing for all in Rural Communities June 24, 2019 Jennifer Lopez discussed housing for all in rural communities with a focus on housing solutions for persons with mental health concerns in rural settings. Slide deck Recording

We are excited to introduce ourselves and the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (Northwest MHTTC). When we received news that our proposal was funded late last year, it felt like a dream come true. Now we have the opportunity to move the needle on improving behavioral health outcomes for persons with or at risk of developing serious mental illness across Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington).