Products and Resources Catalog

The Central East MHTTC and HeadsUp collaborated to produce the video Availability and Accessibility of Coordinated Care in HHS Region 3. Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) is a recovery-oriented treatment program for individuals who have experienced a first episode of psychosis (FEP). The 10-minute video features interviews with family members, researchers and behavioral health professionals, who discuss their experiences, research, policy and practices and offer recommendations for addressing the issue. This educational tool, which targets secondary school professionals, highlights the availability of specialized FEP resources and treatment options in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, DC and West Virginia.

By the end of this webinar, participants were able to describe: The nature of insight and treatment engagement in psychotic disorders An overview of the causes of impaired insight and treatment engagement in psychotic disorders. Approaches to management of impaired insight and treatment engagement/alliance in psychotic disorders.   Presenter: ​​Dr. Keshavan is Stanley Cobb Professor of Psychiatry at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, as well as Academic Head of the department. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Schizophrenia Research (Elsevier) and serves on the editorial board for journals such as Early Intervention in Psychiatry and Asian Journal of Psychiatry. His main areas of research include the neurodevelopmental basis of schizophrenia, neuroimaging, and early intervention. He has an active clinical practice.   This webinar was co-hosted by the Massachusetts Psychosis Network for Early Treatment (MAPNET, www.mapnet.online).

Northwest MHTTC is proud to present its Year 5 Annual Report Summary, which captures a brief snapshot of the Center's reach from September 2022 - September 2023. This includes the main "core" grant as well as a continued School Mental Health supplement. Every year Northwest MHTTC provides training and technical assistance to the behavioral health workforce in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. In Year 5 of our operations, we reached over 14,000 people through 150 free trainings, webinars, implementations, and other events. The result? Almost 97% of participants would recommend our trainings! Here's just some of what you'll discover in our Annual Report Summary: Core Grant Activities Learn about our work in Evidence-Based Practices for Psychosis, Intensive Training and Technical Assistance, and Responding to Regional Needs & Fostering Diverse Alliances School Mental Health Supplement Activities Discover our work in Building Systems to Support the Mental Health and Well-Being of Educators, our Alaska Workshops, and Trainings. Here are other reports concerning the Northwest MHTTC's recent work: Northwest MHTTC Year 5 Summary Northwest MHTTC School Mental Health Year 1-5 Supplement Summary  

SMI Adviser is a 6-year initiative funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and administered by the American Psychiatric Association. SMI Adviser’s vision is to transform care for people who have serious mental illness so that they can live their best lives. To date, the website has been accessed over 1.9 million times and has been a resource for over 70,000 interdisciplinary learners.  In this presentation, we will provide clinicians a guide to the resources at SMI Adviser, with a focus on resources for working with individuals with early psychosis. We will also highlight resources that are found in our Centers of Excellence section, focusing on tools in the Clozapine and Long-Acting Injectable areas. We will also guide clinicians through our consultation service and share insights from the types of questions our users most commonly ask.   At the end of this presentation, participants were able to: Demonstrate knowledge of the available resources on SMI Adviser’s educational catalog and knowledge base. List and describe three tools in SMI Adviser’s Clozapine or Long-Acting Injectable Center of Excellence. Outline the process of accessing SMI Adviser’s consultation service, demonstrating the ability to effectively seek guidance to help make evidence-based treatment decisions. Presenters: Robert O. Cotes, MD, is an Associate Professor at Emory University School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He serves as Physician Expert for SMI Adviser (www.smiadviser.org), which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and administered by the American Psychiatric Association. SMI Adviser provides evidence-based resources to clinicians, individuals with serious mental illness, and their families. Sherin Khan, LCSW is Vice President of Operations and Strategy for Thresholds, Illinois’ oldest and largest provider of mental health services. Sherin also serves as the social work consultant as part of SMI Adviser, a SAMHSA funded clinical support system for people living with serious mental illness. She has over 10 years of experience in the non-profit sector with a focus on serving those who are disempowered. This webinar was co-hosted by the Massachusetts Psychosis Network for Early Treatment (MAPNET, www.mapnet.online).

Raúl Condemarín shares culturally responsive strategies that he uses as a psychiatrist with host Lola Nedic. This podcast episode is sponsored by the New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network (MHTTC).

  Additional resource: National School Mental Health Implementation Guidance Modules and Related Projects   Presented by: Jessica Christensen, M.Ed, holds a bachelor’s degree in Secondary English Education and a master’s in Education. With over a decade of middle school teaching experience, she moved from the classroom to the non-profit sector. Following the conclusion of Please Pass the Love in May 2023, she transitioned from Please Pass the Love to a full-time role at MHTTC. Jessica offers valuable insights to enhance mental well-being in education, empowering educators, and guiding districts to strengthen their mental health frameworks.    

Recording for the National Center for School Mental Health led event Understanding and Preventing Youth Suicide, originally held on February 13, 2024. Slide presentation

Recording of the event Early-Stage Psychosis: The Basics and Best Practice Updates, originally held on February 29, 2024.    

Recording of the event The Connection Between Quality of Life and Mental Health in the Black Community, originally held on January 18, 2024.   Slide presentation

Dr. Gagen reviewed a metacognitive framework for understanding psychosis and discussed a specific psychotherapeutic intervention--Metacognition Reflection and Insight Therapy. We discussed the definition of metacognition and the four main domains that are measured, the relationship between metacognitive capacity and psychological distress, and the research evidence that supports this approach.   Presenter: Emily Gagen, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist at the Brookline Community Mental Health Center. She is the director of the Massachusetts Psychosis Access and Triage Hub (M-PATH) and a member of the team at the Center for Early Detection, Assessment, and Response to Risk (CEDAR). Dr. Gagen has worked with individuals with psychosis and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders for 15 years and specializes in the treatment of young adults with early psychosis.   View a recording of this 1/26/24 session here.

  Presented by: Angie Schindler-Berg, MS, LMHP Angela Schindler-Berg is a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner and has worked with primary care clinics and integrated community-based mental health services for over 25 years.   As the Nebraska Project Lead for HealthTeamWorks, Angie promotes healthcare delivery that utilizes evidence based mental health practices, effective team-based care, care management resources, quality improvement processes, and strategic population health to improve the quality of health/life for individuals.  As a practice facilitator Ms. Schindler-Berg has worked on CMS/CMMI initiatives such as the Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC+) and with SAMHSA on the Primary and Behavioral Health Care Initiative (PBHCI).   Currently, Ms. Schindler-Berg supports the University of Nebraska Medical Center-Munroe Meyer Institute as a contracted Regional Trainer with the Region 7 Mid-America Mental Health Technical Transfer Center (MHTTC) She facilitates a collaborative network of supports, focusing on resource development and dissemination, training and technical assistance, and workforce development for the mental health field.  Angie received her Master of Science with Drake University in Rehabilitation Administration and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling. She brings expertise in integrated care, mental health, care management, crisis intervention and trauma informed care.         Learn more about this Learning Community: First Episode Psychosis Learning Community

This presentation reviewed the history of evidence-based treatments for borderline personality disorder and the components common to all effective treatments, with a specific focus on Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Good Psychiatric Management. In addition to explaining both treatments’ components, theory, and evidence base, this presentation discussed the costs and benefits of each one and the situations in which they can be most effectively used.   Presenter: Dr. Choi-Kain is currently the Director of the Gunderson Personality Disorders Institute (GPDI), an internationally recognized center of training for empirically supported treatments for borderline personality disorder (BPD) and research on outcomes as well as the social cognitive mechanisms targeted in these interventions.   View a recording of this 1/10/24 session here. 

This webinar will explore the concept of healthy aging for people living with serious mental health conditions. While people aging in this group may experience health challenges, supporters can encourage and empower people to take actions toward healthy aging despite challenges. Objectives: Explore healthy aging for people aging with serious mental health conditions List methods to promote healthy aging Identify strategies to empower older adults to make informed decisions about resources for care and supports  

  View the slides: Implementing Peer Support Specialists in a First Episode Psychosis Program   Learn more about this Learning Community: First Episode Psychosis Learning Community     Author: Marla Smith, MS, LMHP, LMHC    

Recording of the event Obesity and Lifestyle Medicine Impact on Mental Health and Diabetes, originally held on November 28, 2023.   Slide presentation

  Presented by: Jessica Christensen, M.Ed, holds a bachelor’s degree in Secondary English Education and a master’s in Education. With over a decade of middle school teaching experience, she moved from the classroom to the non-profit sector. Following the conclusion of Please Pass the Love in May 2023, she transitioned from Please Pass the Love to a full-time role at MHTTC. Jessica offers valuable insights to enhance mental well-being in education, empowering educators, and guiding districts to strengthen their mental health frameworks.     Learn more about this series: First Episode Psychosis Webinar Series & Learning Community

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.      

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 first day of the conference highlighted our MA psychosis community with an in-person poster and award session at the Bentley University Conference Center. NIMH Senior Advisor Dr. Robert Heinssen led a keynote on translational research in psychosis.    National Trends in Specialty Care for Early Course Psychosis: Recent Advances & Future Directions Robert Heinssen, PhD National Institute of Mental Health View a recording of this 11/6/23 session here.    A Social Model of Support for Psychosis Vesper J. Moore Kiva Centers View a recording of this 11/6/23 session here. 

Prolonged delays from psychosis onset to care (or Duration of Untreated Psychosis-DUP) can imperil the benefits even of evidence-based Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) clinics. Early detection efforts to shorten DUP are thus a necessary component of modern early intervention  services for schizophrenia. The NIMH-funded Mindmap campaign reported the first successful demonstration of DUP reduction in a U.S. region. Details of the design and implementation of Mindmap will be presented with lessons for future early intervention efforts.   Presenter: Vinod Srihari, MD is a staff psychiatrist at the Connecticut Mental Health Center, Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University, and the founding Director of the Program for Specialized Treatment Early in Psychosis (STEP). STEP completed the first U.S. based RCT of specialty team based care for early psychosis and followed this with the first successful replication of the Scandinavian TIPS study of DUP reduction. The Program delivers a care pathway that integrates early detection with CSC and within a population health framework that targets geographically defined populations. This webinar was co-hosted by the Massachusetts Psychosis Network for Early Treatment (MAPNET, www.mapnet.online).   View a recording of this 11/3/23 session here. 

Recording of the event A Phenotype for Resilience Against Accelerated Aging in People with Serious Mental Illness, originally held on September 14, 2023.   Event presentation

  View the slides: Cultural Linguistic and Appropriate Services (CLAS)   Additional Resources: Privilege Grouping.pdf Providing Culturally Responsive Care and Addressing Cross-Cultural Barriers in Early Psychosis.pdf   Presented by: Marla Smith, MS, LMHP, LMHC     Learn more about this series: First Episode Psychosis Webinar Series & Learning Community

This clinical brief is intended to introduce mental health providers to the current understanding of culturally responsive care in early psychosis by providing an overview of culturally responsive tools and models for early psychosis (EP) care and highlighting the need for the continued development of a culturally responsive care (CRC) model within EP care.

  Up to one-third of individuals experiencing early psychosis use cannabis and one in four meet criteria for a cannabis use disorder. Cannabis use is associated with multiple devastating outcomes, including relapse, rehospitalization, increased psychotic symptoms, reduced treatment engagement and medication adherence. Cannabis is considered the most preventable cause of psychosis relapse. This presentation will disentangle some of the myths and facts of cannabis such as, “Is cannabis addictive?” and provide contextual information for how cannabis has changed since legalization of a retail market. The rationale and importance of addressing cannabis use in psychosis treatment informed by the current science will be reviewed. Best practices for cannabis assessment and consequences will be briefly described including the challenges posed by retail cannabis markets and products. Motivational enhancement therapy for cannabis misuse, an evidence-based practice, will be presented.   Presented by: Denise Walker is a Research Professor at the University of Washington, Director of the Innovative Programs Research Group and is a licensed clinical psychologist. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of New Mexico, completed her predoctoral internship at Yale University and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington.  A main area of her research expertise is on the development and evaluation of interventions for cannabis use disorders for both adults and adolescents, utilizing brief interventions (Motivational Enhancement Therapy, MET), longer courses of treatment (MET+CBT), and aftercare. She has been involved in the development and evaluation of the Teen Marijuana Check-Up (TMCU), a school-based intervention to elicit self-referral by heavy using adolescents.  The TMCU has been the focus of five clinical trials and is identified as an “Evidence Based” intervention on the NREPP.  For the past three years, Dr. Walker has been applying her work to psychosis populations and is currently the PI of two grants focused on the adaptation of MET to address cannabis use among young adults with psychosis.     Learn more about this series: First Episode Psychosis Webinar Series & Learning Community

  Presented by: Marla Smith, MS, LMHP, LMHC     Learn more about this series: First Episode Psychosis Webinar Series & Learning Community