Products and Resources Catalog

Crisis and loss are common in the lives of students, whether due to a death or crisis involving a student's individual family or one that affects the entire school community. Major events have the potential to cause short- and long-term effects on the psychological functioning, academic achievement, emotional adjustment, health, and developmental trajectory of students. Classroom educators and other school professionals can play a vital role in providing important support to students to promote their understanding of the event, minimize the academic impact through academic accommodations, help them learn coping strategies to accelerate their adjustment and minimize their distress, and minimize maladaptive coping mechanisms and behavioral difficulties. Yet most educators and other school professionals have had limited to no professional training in how to support students in the aftermath of crisis and loss. This workshop helps school professionals learn basic skills in how to talk with and support individual students or the entire class/school as they struggle to understand and cope with a crisis or loss in their lives. Dr. Schonfeld draws on over 30 years' experience in school crisis response and pediatric bereavement to illustrate key points.  

As we launch into Spring 2019, we are excited to share several learning events with you. We're hosting upcoming webinars on co-occurring disorder, school crisis, and low-barrier mental health services. We hope you will join us and your peers for communities of practice on cultural and linguistic competence. And we're attending upcoming conferences in the region -- we look forward to the chance to meet you there.

Expanding workforce diversity is a critical strategy to support improved access to health and health care for communities of color. To support this work, the PS MHTTC created a self-assessment tool to help mental health organizations explore their implementation of workforce diversity strategies: Assessing Workforce Diversity: A Tool for Mental Health Organizations on the Path to Health Equity. This workshop explores each of the tool's six key domains to build workforce diversity: Leadership and Governance Recruitment Orientation, Onboarding, and Ongoing Training Retention and Professional Development Communication Partnership and Community Goals This workshop outlines the purpose of these areas in strengthening workforce diversity and explore the different issues that require attention.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Explore the importance of a diverse workforce in effectively addressing mental health disparities for the populations in your community. Identify the critical components needed to assess the successes and challenges of your mental health organization in building a diverse workforce. Identify areas in which your organization excels and also areas in which you may want to focus attention. Identify action steps to address areas where your organization is more limited and incorporate these action steps into an existing organizational plan (e.g., strategic, cultural competency, or diversity plan).   INTENDED AUDIENCE: Policy makers Mental health leaders Service providers Human resource officers Community partners Mental health advocates  

Want to figure out how to create and develop policies that contribute to trauma-informed school environments? Tasked with ensuring trauma-informed  work is sustainable and scalable at your school, district office, agency, department, or organization? During this session, we'll explore the four choice points leaders face; tips  for successful policy development and implementation; and examples of current policy at the local, district, state, and federal levels from which you can choose and use for your own work. Additional resources include: Creating Trauma-Informed Policies: A Practice Guide for School & Mental Health Leadership: Guide and Infographic.  

All health service systems are undergoing fundamental changes in order to embrace the diversity of populations in the U.S. today. Many health systems continue to grapple with the numerous challenges of implementing systemic change to respond effectively to the multiple needs of diverse cultural and linguistic groups. Organizations working together as part of a broader system often do not know where to start the work of integrating cultural and linguistic competence. To do this work, organizations first need to come to a common understanding of culture and cultural competence and adopt a systemic framework for its integration into services and supports. This presentation provides a conceptual framework for cultural competence in health. Participants not only define and identify the framework and underlying principles of cultural competence, they begin to explore how these principles will influence their roles and functions. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Identify the components of a conceptual framework for cultural competence. Differentiate characteristics of culturally competent organizations and systems. Describe the implications for cultural competence in services and support systems. Determine steps to provide leadership in becoming more culturally and linguistically competent.   INTENDED AUDIENCE: Policy makers Mental health leaders Service providers Human resource officers Community partners Mental health advocates    

Mental Health and Student Learning Outcomes Webinar Series #2 Join nationally recognized suicide prevention advocates Leah Harris and Kelechi Ubozoh in exploring what a trauma-informed suicide prevention approach for educators might look like. This webinar begins with the perspective of a young person with lived experience of suicidal thoughts. Presenters identify common myths and misconceptions about students and suicide, and explore the vital importance of including students as partners in suicide prevention efforts. Examples of promising student-led initiatives, including peer-to-peer programs and school awareness campaigns, are provided.   Learning Objectives: Identify several myths or stereotypes about suicide and students Explore a framework for understanding suicide prevention through a trauma-informed and healing-centered lens Understand the links between trauma, toxic stress, and suicide and the latest findings in neuroscience that cite connectedness as a vital protective factor Describe the central values of trauma-informed practice and how to apply them to suicide prevention efforts in educational settings Name examples of model student-led suicide prevention programs and campaigns    

Access for resources and learning sessions about how to navigate the intersections of school violence, trauma, and suicide.

Why do we, as behavioral health providers, need to be concerned about the social determinants of health? This brief fact sheet examines how mental health is shaped by the social, economic, and physical environments in which people live, and how providers can address the determinants through social justice collaborations.

This handout summarizes the research that links student mental health to academic outcomes. This research brief charts the effects of untreated mental health challenges on academic achievement, GPA, test scores, attendance, and graduation.

This month's newsletter highlights several upcoming webinars from our center, provides information about accessing onsite learning experiences with our team and partners.

These resources support those seeking care on their own behalf and those providing care to others.  There are culturally specific resources for Muslim communities and broader resources for all those who are impacted by these events.  There are resources for educators, parents, youth and young adults, and healthcare providers.  Several resources can be used to support the students in our schools. Those seeking additional support for trauma and bereavement are invited to contact us. We can provide direct assistance and linkages with other regional centers.

This package of resources was developed to support Pacific Southwest mental health organizations as they work to provide culturally and linguistically competent mental health services for their diverse populations. It is easy to use and addresses the needs and realities of the Pacific Southwest region. This resource package is organized into six goal areas:  Governance and Leadership Workforce Development Community Engagement and Partnership Adaptation of Services and Supports Communication and Language Supports Continuous Quality and Accountability

The family navigator model is a peer-based, flexible approach to supporting families in which a child has a health or developmental challenge or disability. This guide is designed to support education agencies and school leaders interested in building or enhancing a family navigator program. Family-driven, youth-guided, culturally responsive support is a guiding principle of this document. It includes:   Overview of the model Special considerations for schools Guiding principles and best practices Practical tools for developing a program Links to more than 30 national and Pacific Southwest-specific resources This guide was developed by the Pacific Southwest MHTTC in partnership with Millie Sweeney, MS, from the Family-Run Executive Director Leadership Association (FREDLA).  

Our February newsletter features several upcoming events and new resources for Black History Month. We also announce the release of new products and resources on cultural and linguistic competence, family engagement, and student mental health championship.

In this short 5-7 minute video scripted, conceptualized and facilitated by youth from Long Beach, CA, young people describe why school mental health championship is vital to student mental health and the challenges and key success factors that contribute to adults showing up as allies to young people in their mental health championship & leadership. Produced by Youth Leadership Institute. --- Attributions --- Music: "Wavy Glass" by Podington Bear via FreeMusicArchive.org (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License) http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Meet_Podington_Bear_Box_Set_Disc_1/12_Wavy_Glass_1687 Graphics: Designed by Vectorpocket https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/vector-cartoon-background-empty-school-classroom_2890966.htm Designed by Freepik https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/city-at-night-and-day-illustration_829621.htm https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/school-building_805937.htm https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/background-of-boy-typing-on-laptop_1091783.htm

Check out the accompanying infographic as a quick go-to as you develop and implement your trauma-informed policy. This one-page graphic offers a refresher on the four choice points and guiding questions. The infographic is designed to be used along with the full guide to boost your planning and practice.

Creating compassionate policies is a cornerstone strategy of educational leadership. This guide provides a deep dive into developing, implementing, and evaluating trauma-informed and compassionate school policies. It highlights four "choice points" for education and mental health leadership:   Choice Point 1: Names & Definitions Choice Point 2: Platforms & Levers Choice Point 3: Approach Choice Point 4: Match Process to Product   This guide is designed to be hands-on! Each choice point comes with examples, guiding questions for leadership, and practice suggestions to help policy come alive. Also, see the accompanying infographic.   The guide is written especially for Pacific Southwest states and islands, featuring extensive examples of policy and practice from the region.

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) are federal laws that protect health privacy and ensure that student records remain confidential. HIPAA and FERPA laws are crucial in protecting student and family health information when building school mental health referral pathways, integrated support systems, and student mental health structures. Some states and islands have implemented additional regulations to these federal laws. This month, we're releasing Part 1 of a two-part HIPAA and FERPA tool. Part 1 helps individuals in Hawai'i, California, Nevada and Arizona quickly access information about state-specific HIPAA and FERPA policies.

The National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) serve as the guiding framework for this workforce diversity and inclusion policy assessment. The focus of this assessment is CLAS-driven, state-level legislation and federal mandates. This assessment identifies efforts to advance and sustain organizational governance and leadership that promotes CLAS and health equity. It includes a scan of CLAS-related policies in the Pacific Southwest, recommendations to improve CLAS implementation at the state and island level, and national and state resources.

To celebrate the new year and start of the legislative session for many Pacific Southwest states and islands, the January 2019 newsletter focuses on Policy & Practice. The resources and news included focus on recent policy, upcoming legislative action, and best implementation practices at the state, local, and organizational levels. Read on to find tools to inform policy- and decision-making.

Workforce diversity improves access to health and health care for communities of color. This self-assessment is designed to help mental health organizations explore their implementation of workforce diversity strategies. It addresses six areas: Leadership and Governance; Recruitment; Orientation, Onboarding, and Ongoing Training; Retention and Professional Development; Communication; and Partnership and Community Goals.

This pre-recorded webinar session celebrates culture and communities, and explores community programs and practices that work and are helping people. The session explores how we collectively approach the concept of evidence, effectiveness of practices, and the role of communities in achieving positive outcomes for individuals experiencing mental health conditions. This discussion is intended for clinicians, mental health program providers, evaluators, and others.  

The Pacific Southwest MHTTC Suicide Prevention addendum provides resources specific to the states and islands in our region. The resources compiled here focus on crisis intervention services that can meet immediate student needs, including crisis intervention services; linkages to no- and low-cost counseling; support groups; peer services; and trainings for educators.

The Trauma-Informed and Resiliency-Oriented Schools Professional Development Opportunities addendum lists organizations and agencies that provide trauma-informed, resilience-oriented training and professional development for schools and school communities. We provide these referrals to help school leadership select the right partner to support what evidence-based program to implement, as well as how and why to do so.