Products and Resources Catalog

Event Description Rural behavioral health practice has unique challenges, two of which are high provider turnover rate and provider recruitment. Join us for an insightful webinar series on organizational wellness in rural behavioral health settings. This series will address key themes such as Organizational Commitment to the Culture of Care, Compassionate Leadership, and Assessment of Organizational Culture. By prioritizing these elements, rural behavioral health organizations can create a nurturing environment that not only attracts top-tier talent but also nurtures their professional growth and commitment to the organization.  In this webinar series, we will navigate through the complexities surrounding ways leaders can showcase their commitment to the culture of care for their organization, how to effectively practice compassionate leadership, and how to implement effective strategies to assess and improve organizational culture. We will explore practical strategies aimed at cultivating an environment conducive to staff satisfaction and longevity.  Through an interactive discussion, participants will gain valuable insights into implementing sustainable practices that promote organizational wellness. Whether you are an administrator, clinical supervisor, or HR professional, this webinar offers actionable steps to enhance workplace satisfaction and ultimately elevate the quality of care provided in behavioral health settings. Join us in shaping a brighter future for rural behavioral health professionals and the communities they serve.  July 25 - Session 1: Organizational Commitment to the Culture of Care To view resources from this training, please click ATTACHMENT links Recording coming soon! August 22 - Session 2: Compassionate Leadership Resources coming soon! Recording coming soon! September 26 - Session 3: Assessment of Organizational Culture Resources coming soon! Recording coming soon!

By: Elijah Jones, MSW, MEd and Isa Velez-Echevarria, PsyD Intersectionality provides a framework for understanding how different social identities connect and overlap to create different experiences and impacts of trauma. Download this 1-page guide to learn more.         This product was created by our valued partners at the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA). You can find more resources and training opportunities on their website: oacbha.org.  

Suicide & self-harm behaviors are common presenting concerns in outpatient settings, and access to inpatient care is increasingly scarce. This document includes resources designed to help providers utilize risk assessments as therapeutic interventions during outpatient treatment while also building rapport. This guide was created by our valued partners at WAFCA and is based on material presented by Dr. Jennifer Muehlenkamp on January 18, 2024 for WAFCA-CE.    

A series of monthly calls for ACT psychiatric care providers. Offered in collaboration with the Institute for Best Practices at the University of North Carolina. ABOUT THIS EVENT Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is a multidisciplinary, team-based model that provides intensive community-based and outreach-oriented services to people who experience the most severe and persistent mental illness. The vast majority also have a co-occurring substance use disorder and many experience comorbid medical illnesses. The Northwest MHTTC is hosting a series for ACT psychiatric care providers. We welcome all ACT psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and other prescribers. Sessions will be held once a month on Thursdays at 12:00-1:30 pm Pacific/3:00-4:30 pm Eastern, May-July 2024. Learn more about the series and upcoming sessions here. This presentation will identify cardiovascular risk factors for individuals with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) and describe potential areas of prevention and intervention, with an emphasis on practical tips for ACT Providers. Learning Objectives Name factors that contribute to increased rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in persons with SMI. Apply principles of motivational interviewing to promote behaviors that impact cardiovascular health. Diagnose obesity, hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia. Increase familiarity and comfort with prescribing medication for cardiovascular risk-associated conditions. View presentation slides here. FACILITATOR Martha Ward, MD Dr. Martha Ward is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Department of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Ward’s clinical work is focused on improving medical and psychiatric outcomes of individuals with serious mental illness through integrated care. Dr. Ward is the Medical Director of Park Place Primary Care, a collaborative primary care clinic located in the Behavioral Health Outpatient center at Grady Memorial Hospital. In this clinic, she serves the complex medical and psychiatric needs of patients that previously had no continuity of medical care and provides a unique training opportunity for students and residents. Additionally, Dr. Ward is passionate about medical education. She serves as Small Group Advisor and Society Mentor for medical students at Emory SOM and acts as Associate Program Director for the Combined Internal-Medicine Psychiatry Residency at Emory and Co-Director of the Global and Population Mental Health Track for the categorical Psychiatry Residency. Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

Recording of the event "Providing Culturally Sensitive Care for Black and Latinx Mothers with Mental Health Diagnoses," the third session in the Black and Latinx Perinatal PTSD series, originally held on July 10, 2024. Slide presentation

To view resources from this training, click ATTACHMENT links Click here to view the recording Event Description In this engaging and empowering training session, participants will explore effective strategies to build personal resilience and navigate workplace challenges constructively. This session will help attendees recognize and address bullying behaviors while learning strength-based approaches to foster a supportive and positive work environment. Through practical examples, participants will gain insights into promoting inclusivity and respect.  Even if transforming the workplace may not be practical, this training will equip you with the skills and strategies to protect and strengthen yourself in a challenging environment. Join us to enhance your personal resilience, develop constructive responses to bullying, and create a positive impact within your sphere of influence.  Objectives  Build Personal Resilience  Recognize and Address Bullying Behaviors  Promote Inclusivity and Respect as Seen through Effective Leadership Styles  Trainer LaVonne Fox Peltier Dr. LaVonne Fox Peltier serves as a Research Assistant Professor within the Bureau of Evaluation & Research Service, situated in the Department of Education, Health, and Behavioral Studies at the University of North Dakota. A member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa reservation, she remains deeply connected to her roots. Drawing from her extensive background, she has dedicated her expertise to working with children, youth, and young adults facing mental health challenges both in rural and urban areas as well as within mental health facilities.  Dr. Fox Peltier is particularly passionate about developing culturally rooted interventions inspired by Indigenous practices to address mental health issues. In her work, she emphasizes the importance of adopting strength-based approaches, advocating for alternatives to the commonly employed deficit-based practices. She is committed to bridging cultural understanding and mental health care for Indigenous peoples. 

ABOUT THIS EVENT The Northwest MHTTC is excited to collaborate with the Mountain West AIDS Education & Training Center Program (AETC) on this webinar series related to sexual health.  Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show a 74% increase in syphilis diagnoses from 2017-2021, including 2,800 congenital, or mother-to-child, syphilis cases in 2021 leading to 220 infant deaths. STIs overall have increased by 7% from 2020, with more than 2.5 million cases reported in the United States during 2021. Substance use, particularly methamphetamine use, appears to be highly correlated with rising rates of syphilis and other STIs. Among pregnant women with syphilis, substance use is nearly twice as high among those with a congenital syphilis outcome than those without transmission. Disparities also exist in syphilis rates across racial and ethnic groups. For example, among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons, the rate of new syphilis cases of nearly four times the rate of white persons in 2020. Syphilis is also increasing among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. Actions can be taken to reverse these trends and prevent transmission of syphilis and other STIs in these and other populations. Addressing the syphilis syndemic requires collaboration between mental health and substance use disorder treatment providers, sexual health service providers, and supportive services providers (e.g., housing). Our final session will provide an update on syndemic conditions that disproportionately impact people living with serious mental illnesses and/ or substance use disorders and discuss the important role of behavioral health providers in screening and linkage to treatment. Part 4 of the Sexual Health Series (click to view all sessions in this series). Presentation slides Information about congenital syphilis GOALS Framework for Sexual History Taking in Primary Care More about home testing: I Want the Kit (IWTK), Indigenized IWTK, Together TakeMeHome FACILITATOR Tim Menza, MD, PhD Tim Menza, MD, PhD (he/they), is an infectious disease specialist with advanced training and expertise in HIV, STI, and viral hepatitis prevention and care. Tim has extensive experience in creating, implementing, and evaluating public health policy and advocating for communities through system-level change. As medical director of Oregon’s HIV/STD/TB program over the past 5 and a half years, Tim facilitated the implementation of a free statewide home HIV/STI testing program, public health accountability metrics for the prevention of congenital syphilis, partnerships with correctional facilities to increase HIV/STI/HCV testing and led Oregon’s response to mpox. Tim is currently an associate professor in the department of medicine at the University of Washington and a medical director of the Sexual Health Clinic with Public Health-Seattle & King County. Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

ABOUT THIS EVENT After the completion of this 90-minute webinar, participants will be better able to characterize dementia, delirium, and depression (the 3 Ds), identify key similarities and differences between these clinical syndromes, recognize warning signs, and initiate diagnostic work-up. RESOURCES Presentation slides 3Ds & Delirium card contact information: [email protected]  FACILITATOR Emily H. Trittschuh, PhD Dr. Emily Trittschuh is a clinical neuropsychologist and the Associate Director of Education & Evaluation with the Veteran Administration (VA) Puget Sound Healthcare System’s Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center (GRECC). She is also a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She has specialized in neurodegenerative disease and geriatrics throughout her career.  Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement ​

  This 4-part webinar series on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers an exploration of DBT's core modules, designed to enhance the skills of students and new professionals. This series is designed to provide a foundational overview of DBT to cover the skills for mindfulness and how to help individuals stay present in the moment, regulate emotions and reduce emotional vulnerability, cope with crises and difficult situations without making them worse, and navigate interpersonal relationships effectively. Throughout the series, participants will gain valuable insights and practical techniques to support individuals in applying tools to their daily lives. Webinar objectives: Discuss interpersonal effectiveness skills for maintaining effective relationships, setting boundaries, and communicating needs Review a case study and practical examples of using these skills with clients   Presenter: Crystal Socha, MS, LPC, CRC, NCC, ACS (she/her) is a PhD Candidate and Senior Training and Consultation Specialist at Rutgers School of Health Professions in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions. Crystal's primary role includes providing in-person and remote training, consultation, and technical assistance to New Jersey agencies that provide Community Support Services. She has over 10 years of experience in the behavioral health field, delivering trauma-informed, culturally responsive, gender-affirming care and supporting individuals in building a life worth living. Before joining Rutgers, she provided recovery-oriented services in supportive housing, intensive in-home and in-community settings, community mental health centers, integrated primary care, hospital systems, and private practices. She has received a 40-hour foundational training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) by a Linehan Board Certified Clinician and utilizes a DBT informed approach within her work as a counselor.  

Recording of the event Black & Brown Latinx Perinatal PTSD: What Behavioral Health Providers Need To Know, Session 2: Exploring Trauma During the Birthing Process and Its Impact on Black and Latinx Mothers Recording, originally held on 6/26/24. Slide presentation

This presentation discussed the history of cognitive remediation and its early application in medical conditions. We also talked about how psychology and psychiatry have incorporated CR into their techniques to treat psychiatric disorders, including psychosis. This talk showed a couple of clinical cases to illustrate how cognitive remediation can improve social skills and neurocognition.   Presenter: Luis R. Sandoval, Ph.D. - Psychologist, Clinical Researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Instructor in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School   Dr. Sandoval is a researcher and a clinician in the Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Sandoval is a senior psychologist, supervisor, and researcher with an extensive background in mood, cognitive, and psychotic disorders. Dr. Sandoval has over 20 years of experience applying his expertise in multicultural settings, translating theoretical and clinical knowledge into clinical, research, and academic contexts in English and Spanish. Dr. Sandoval has led research studies and collaborated on NIH, NIMH, PCORI, and NASA-funded studies, mainly focusing on innovative treatments for cognitive issues in mood and psychosis disorders using computerized intervention. Dr. Sandoval has served as a senior clinical research consultant at the Yale School of Medicine, NASA-Johnson Space Center in Houston, Hartford Hospital, McLean, BIDMC, The Guidance Center, UT-Austin, among others.   Dr. Sandoval's expertise includes applying cognitive remediation in medical conditions (i.e., Sturge Weber,  Epilepsy, TBI) and psychiatric conditions, including psychosis, depression, Bipolar Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, and other neurocognitive illnesses. Additionally, Dr. Sandoval's research and clinical areas include digital psychiatry and psychodynamic psychotherapy.   As part of his research work, Dr. Sandoval trains and supervises clinicians in cognitive remediation treatments for early and chronic psychosis across the U.S. and how to improve cognition in medical and psychiatric conditions, combining digital tools with evidence-based therapies.

To view resources from this training, click ATTACHMENT links Click here to view the recording Event Description The mental health fields have long been leaders in understanding and raising awareness of the importance of understanding power and privilege. Multiple critiques in the past decade, however, have suggested that an overly simplistic understanding of these constructs can impede personal and professional development in multicultural awareness and, as such, be detrimental to those with whom we work. Thus, in this presentation, nuanced understandings and analyses of power and privilege will be discussed on the basis of advancements in the anti-oppression and antiracism literature.    Trainer Melanie Wilcox, PhD, ABPP  Dr. Melanie Wilcox is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Public and Preventive Health, and Department of Psychiatry at Augusta University. She is also a licensed psychologist and board certified in counseling psychology and works part-time in private practice providing both therapy and assessment via telehealth. Her clinical areas of expertise include culturally responsive and trauma-informed care as well as substance abuse and addiction. Her research focuses on culturally response and antiracist psychotherapy and training, racial and socioeconomic inequity in higher education, and racial and social justice more broadly. She is in her final year as a member of the American Psychological Association’s Board of Educational Affairs, which she chaired in 2020, and is currently President Elect-Elect of APA Division 17, the Society of Counseling Psychology. 

Event Description This program aims to equip behavioral health leaders with the essential skills and knowledge to effectively lead teams and foster healthier organizational cultures. Participants will learn strategic and people-focused leadership methods through “Authentic Connection.” The goal of this training series is to enhance their ability to navigate uncertainty, ambiguity, and conflict while maintaining resilience and composure in a rapidly changing behavioral health landscape.  Participants will learn:   -          Explore strategies for fostering wellness and resilience to develop a healthier work culture within their scope of influence.  -          Acquire practical skills in self-care, compassion, and inclusive strategies to integrate into their professional roles.  -          Learn communication strategies to collaborate with others to develop adaptive strategies to address challenges in diverse teams.    June 27 - Session 1: Healthy Teams: Collaborative Communication   To view resources from this training, please click ATTACHMENT links Click here to view the recording July 11 - Session 2: Healthy Teams: Reflective Supervision  To view resources from this training, please click ATTACHMENT links Click here to view the recording July 18 - Session 3: Healthy Cultures: Managing Systemic Burnout and Stress  To view resources from this training, please click ATTACHMENT links Click here to view the recording August 1 - Session 4: Healthy Cultures: Psychological Safety  Resources coming soon! Recording coming soon!   Trainer Lamarr Lewis Lamarr Lewis, is a dedicated advocate, author, and agent of change. With a focus on community-based mental and public health, he works with diverse groups including individuals living with psychiatric disabilities, people in recovery from substance abuse, and at-hope youth (He does not use the term at-risk).   He is an alumnus of Wittenberg University graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with minors in Africana Studies and Religion. He later received his master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Argosy University.   His career spans over twenty years with experience as a therapist, consultant, public speaker, facilitator, trainer, and human service professional. He has been a featured expert for such organizations as; Boeing, Region IV Public Health Training Center, Fulton County Probate Court, Mississippi Department of Health, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and many more.   His lifelong mission is to leave the world better than how he found it. 

This June 25, 2024 webinar provided cultural considerations and tips for culturally responsive care when working with individuals who experience psychosis. Some of the learning goals of this webinar included: Understanding the pervasive impact of culture on engagement, rapport building, assessment, and treatment outcomes. Identifying strategies to work on becoming a culturally responsive, anti-oppressive clinician outside of the therapy room. Developing a framework of development that prepares you to Receive and Respond to Feedback from people with lived experience of various different social identities and backgrounds. Building an ethic of cultural humility that centers respectful curiosity and openness to unfamiliar cultural and social concepts across the spectrum of ability, gender, sexuality, race, and culture. Differentiating between cultural humility, cultural responsiveness, and cultural competence as broader concepts that must inform a holistic idea of cultural understanding. Presenters: Vera A. Muñiz-Saurré (they/éle) is a nonbinary, queer, Peruvian public health professional of mixed Spanish and Andean ancestry working as a Program Coordinator and Peer Advocate for the Massachusetts Psychosis Prevention Partnership (M3P) and Building Bridges towards Equity in Psychosis Intervention and Careers (2B-EPIC) grants at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a Peer Counselor at the Lab for Early Psychosis at McLean Hospital. Vera is diagnosed with Schizoaffective disorder, a survivor of conversion therapy targeting their sexuality, and identifies as Mad and a psychiatric survivor. Starting in 2017, Vera helped found and admin the Psychosis Spectrum Server on Discord and still helps maintain that community! Vera’s ideology and public health approach centers abolition of long-standing oppressive systemic structures, investment in harm reduction-based support services, and reindigenization of academic knowledge systems in both theory and application. Chia Hsuan Sabrina Chang (she/her) is a psychologist, Instructor at Harvard Medical School, and site supervisor for Boston University's Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology. She is proud of her identities as a first-generation immigrant and Asian-American woman, especially in the predominantly white profession of psychology. She has published several peer reviewed papers and a book chapter on cultural psychology and gender affirming care. She is passionate about providing culturally responsive, anti-oppressive therapy and supervision, the latter of which earned her the Teaching and Mentorship Award from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She is the founder of the Anti-Racism Task Force at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center, which was bestowed the Performance Recognition Award by the Department of Mental Health. In the community, she is passionate about using her expertise as a psychologist to instigate anti-racist change and received a citation from the Massachusetts Senate for her advocacy work.

A series of monthly calls for ACT psychiatric care providers. Offered in collaboration with the Institute for Best Practices at the University of North Carolina. ABOUT THIS EVENT Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is a multidisciplinary, team-based model that provides intensive community-based and outreach-oriented services to people who experience the most severe and persistent mental illness. The vast majority also have a co-occurring substance use disorder and many experience comorbid medical illnesses. The Northwest MHTTC is hosting a series for ACT psychiatric care providers. We welcome all ACT psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and other prescribers. Sessions will be held once a month on Thursdays at 12:00-1:30 pm Pacific/3:00-4:30 pm Eastern, May-July 2024. Learn more about the series and upcoming sessions here. Our second session on June 20th discussed Clozapine and long-acting injectables (LAI). Learn more about the series and upcoming sessions here. Slides Slides - Condensed FACILITATOR Robert Cotes, MD Dr. Robert O. Cotes 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. He is Director of the Clinical & Research Program for Psychosis at Grady Health System, which comprises of three clinical programs.  The PSTAR Clinic provides evidence-based, recovery-oriented care for individuals with persistent symptoms of psychosis, specializing in the use of clozapine. Project ARROW is a coordinated specialty care team for people experiencing early psychosis, offering comprehensive, person-centered care using a multidisciplinary approach. Youth and Family TREE provides care to adolescents and young adults with a mental health condition and substance use. Dr. Cotes is an investigator for multiple research studies focused on treatment options for people with psychosis. His research focuses on clozapine and early psychosis.  Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

ABOUT THIS EVENT The Northwest MHTTC is excited to collaborate with the Mountain West AIDS Education & Training Center Program (AETC) on this webinar series related to sexual health.  The prevalence of HIV among people who have serious mental illnesses is four times as high as that of the general population. Factors that contribute to increased HIV risk include: psychiatric symptoms (e.g., disorganized thoughts and behaviors, delusions and poor executive functioning); higher rates of co-occurring substance use and other HIV risk behaviors; increased risk of social vulnerabilities, including poverty and housing instability; structural barriers (such as stigma and discrimination) to accessing medical care and prevention services in traditional medical settings. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) refers to medications for HIV-negative people to prevent them from getting HIV-infected. Current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend informing all sexually active adults and adolescents about PrEP, but in a large 2020 survey of outpatient mental health care programs, only 33% of programs offered HIV testing and only 20% prescribed PrEP. Behavioral health treatment settings offer opportunities for identifying the need for PrEP and linking clients to services. Our third session will provide information about the effectiveness of PrEP for reducing risk of acquiring HIV and describe criteria for eligibility and best practices for initiating and monitoring persons receiving PrEP prescriptions. Learning Objectives: Provide an overview of PrEP Review PrEP efficacy and effectiveness Assess PrEP side effects, risks, HIV-1 drug resistance, and other concerns Part 3 of the Sexual Health Series (click to view all sessions in this series). Slides Word cloud responses FACILITATORS Lydia Chwastiak, MD, MPH Dr. Chwastiak is a psychiatrist, internist and health services researcher who is a Professor in the UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.  Over the past 22 years, her research has focused on improving care and outcomes for people with complex needs in low resource settings, such as low-barrier primary care clinics and community mental health centers in the US, and primary and secondary medical settings in India and Nepal. Dr. Chwastiak is co-directs the UW Behavioral Research in HIV (BIRCH) Center, an NIMH-funded AIDS Research Center, and is the PI and co-director of the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (NW MHTTC). Joanne D. Stekler, MD, MPH Dr. Stekler began her career working to expand routine HIV antibody testing and access to pooled HIV nucleic acid amplification testing to diagnose acute HIV infection. She has led several studies investigating novel methods to diagnose acute and early HIV infection; comparisons of point-of-care HIV tests; and home, self-testing for HIV infection. Her current work is evaluating the feasibility of implementing point-of-care nucleic acid tests for HIV diagnosis and treatment monitoring in community and clinical sites in Seattle. Her other interests include HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and use of technology for HIV prevention. Dr. Stekler started the first community-based PrEP clinic in Seattle in 2013 and the first telePrEP clinic in 2015. Through collaborations with the Washington State Department of Health and Mountain West AIDS Education and Training Center, she has been working to expand access to PrEP to reduce healthcare disparities among populations disproportionately impacted by HIV. Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

  This 4-part webinar series on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers an exploration of DBT's core modules, designed to enhance the skills of students and new professionals. This series is designed to provide a foundational overview of DBT to cover the skills for mindfulness and how to help individuals stay present in the moment, regulate emotions and reduce emotional vulnerability, cope with crises and difficult situations without making them worse, and navigate interpersonal relationships effectively. Throughout the series, participants will gain valuable insights and practical techniques to support individuals in applying tools to their daily lives. Webinar objectives: Explore emotion regulation strategies and their importance in DBT Review a case study and practical examples of using these skills with clients   Presenter: Crystal Socha, MS, LPC, CRC, NCC, ACS (she/her) is a PhD Candidate and Senior Training and Consultation Specialist at Rutgers School of Health Professions in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions. Crystal's primary role includes providing in-person and remote training, consultation, and technical assistance to New Jersey agencies that provide Community Support Services. She has over 10 years of experience in the behavioral health field, delivering trauma-informed, culturally responsive, gender-affirming care and supporting individuals in building a life worth living. Before joining Rutgers, she provided recovery-oriented services in supportive housing, intensive in-home and in-community settings, community mental health centers, integrated primary care, hospital systems, and private practices. She has received a 40-hour foundational training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) by a Linehan Board Certified Clinician and utilizes a DBT informed approach within her work as a counselor.

To view resources from this training, click ATTACHMENT links Click here to watch the recording Event Description Clinical and psychological assessments are crucial diagnostic tools; however, it is the assessor, not the assessment, that diagnoses, and as such our tools are only as good as our understanding of science and theory. We will review important trauma theory and science and its implications for diagnosis; and considerations for taking a trauma-informed approach to psychological and clinical assessment will be discussed.  Trainer Melanie Wilcox, PhD, ABPP  Dr. Melanie Wilcox is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Public and Preventive Health, and Department of Psychiatry at Augusta University. She is also a licensed psychologist and board certified in counseling psychology and works part-time in private practice providing both therapy and assessment via telehealth. Her clinical areas of expertise include culturally responsive and trauma-informed care as well as substance abuse and addiction. Her research focuses on culturally response and antiracist psychotherapy and training, racial and socioeconomic inequity in higher education, and racial and social justice more broadly. She is in her final year as a member of the American Psychological Association’s Board of Educational Affairs, which she chaired in 2020, and is currently President Elect-Elect of APA Division 17, the Society of Counseling Psychology. 

This Family Workforce event featured the National Federation of Families and a panel of their New England affiliates. Gail Cormier, Project Director with the National Federation of Families, talked about National offerings including Family Peer Support certification, Family workforce education and technical assistance, and their transition to lifespan support as well as general offerings. Representatives from New England affiliates introduced their affiliates highlighting any unique offerings in their prospective states. This webinar was an excellent opportunity for providers who work with families to learn about the offerings of the National Federation of Families and local affiliates as well as anyone who might be interested.

Recording of the event Anxiety and Phobic Disorders in the Black Community originally held on May 30, 2024. Slide presentation

Recording of the event Black & Latinx Perinatal PTSD: What Behavioral Health Providers Need To Know, Session 1: Understanding the Intersectionality of Race, Culture, and Perinatal PTSD originally held on June 12, 2024. Slide presentation

Please note: This recording will be available until July 13, 2024.   “There is no health without mental health.”  – World Health Organization (WHO) The notion of integrated care in the field of healthcare has evolved over time. Historically, integrated care referred to the integration of mental health and addictions treatment, which is now called behavioral health. Today, integrated care refers to the integration of behavioral health and physical health. Integrated care is a best practice for supporting person-centered holistic healthcare due to the use of interprofessional collaboration with a focus on achieving the Quintuple Aim in healthcare. There is an expanding lens of integrated care beyond biomedicine that incorporates co-production of knowledge. This 90-minute virtual session will cover what constitutes integrated care, the shift from fee-for-service to value-based care, the collaborative care model, resource hubs, practice frameworks, and expanding perspectives on this evolving approach to care.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Participants will: Be able to define integrated care within the context of mainstream medicine Learn about the Collaborative Care Model as an integrated care best practice Understand integrated care practice frameworks and expanding care perspectives   PRESENTER: Jean Balestrery, PhD Jean E. Balestrery holds a Joint PhD in Social Work and Anthropology from University of Michigan, a MA in Anthropology from University of Michigan, a MSW from University of Washington and a BA from Brown University. Dr. Balestrery is founder and CEO of Integrated Care Counsel, LLC, a Spirit of Eagles Hampton Faculty Fellow and a licensed independent behavioral health clinician. An interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner with more than twenty years of combined experience in research, training and practice, Dr. Balestrery has presented research nationally and internationally with a focus on holistic health and wellbeing across the life course. Dr. Balestrery is currently a National Association of Social Workers Committee Member for LGBTQ+ Issues, Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Grant Reviewer and Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) Co-Production of Knowledge discussion participant.   The Great Lakes MHTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.

To view resources from this training, click ATTACHMENT links Click here to view the recording   Event Description Join us in welcoming Kathie Supiano, PhD, LCSW, FT, Director of Caring Connections, as she presents a timely and informative overview of the Caring Connections program. Caring Connections: A Hope and Comfort in Grief Program is based in the University of Utah College of Nursing and is a leading community resource for grief and bereavement support.  Caring Connections provides grief care and education for clinicians and students and contributes to the scientific evidence to support best practices. In this one-hour training, participants will also learn about the nuances and impacts of traumatic grief, particularly as it relates to loss by suicide or overdose. Traumatic deaths, such as suicide or death by overdose, are on the increase and have a far-reaching impact on immediate survivors and communities. An estimated 47,000 persons die by suicide in the United States annually. For every death by suicide, 135 persons—family members or friends—are impacted. While almost 42,000 people in the United States died from opioids in 2016, and that number continues to increase.   Unaddressed traumatic grief can negatively impact both individual and community mental health. Recognizing and working with the stigma and trauma attached to these deaths benefits everyone. Grief is highly individualized. This means that each person responds to grief differently according to:   How the family member or friend was lost  The grieving person’s personality  Social norms within the grieving person’s culture and family  Other stressors in the grieving person’s life  The grieving person’s history of coping with other losses  The target audience for this training includes first responders, behavioral health clinicians, social workers, addiction counselors, crisis workers, and those whose work brings them into contact with persons impacted by traumatic death.    Trainer Kathie Supiano, PhD, LCSW, FT 

  This 4-part webinar series on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers an exploration of DBT's core modules, designed to enhance the skills of students and new professionals. This series is designed to provide a foundational overview of DBT to cover the skills for mindfulness and how to help individuals stay present in the moment, regulate emotions and reduce emotional vulnerability, cope with crises and difficult situations without making them worse, and navigate interpersonal relationships effectively. Throughout the series, participants will gain valuable insights and practical techniques to support individuals in applying tools to their daily lives. Webinar objectives: Examine distress tolerance skills for navigating a crisis and intense emotions Review a case study and practical examples of using these skills with clients   Presenter: Crystal Socha, MS, LPC, CRC, NCC, ACS (she/her) is a PhD Candidate and Senior Training and Consultation Specialist at Rutgers School of Health Professions in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions. Crystal's primary role includes providing in-person and remote training, consultation, and technical assistance to New Jersey agencies that provide Community Support Services. She has over 10 years of experience in the behavioral health field, delivering trauma-informed, culturally responsive, gender-affirming care and supporting individuals in building a life worth living. Before joining Rutgers, she provided recovery-oriented services in supportive housing, intensive in-home and in-community settings, community mental health centers, integrated primary care, hospital systems, and private practices. She has received a 40-hour foundational training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) by a Linehan Board Certified Clinician and utilizes a DBT informed approach within her work as a counselor.