Products and Resources Catalog

View the slides: Implementing Peer Support Specialists in a First Episode Psychosis Program Author: Marla Smith, MS, LMHP, LMHC Marla Smith has been an integral part of the Mid-America Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) since November 2020. Her primary role involves coordinating behavioral health training, particularly focusing on individuals diagnosed with serious mental illnesses. As a licensed Mental Health Counselor in both Nebraska and Iowa, Marla brings extensive experience, having worked directly with clients of all ages for nearly 20 years. Her approach emphasizes the importance of connection, meeting individuals where they are, and using respectful, trauma-informed communication to support positive change. Marla holds a Master's degree in Youth and Family Services from Bellevue University. Outside of work, she cherishes family time and indulges in crafting as a favorite pastime.  Learn more about this Learning Community: First Episode Psychosis Learning Community

  This talk discussed when, how, and why to prescribe clozapine. Dr. Laitman gave specific approaches to minimize predictable side effects and maximize benefits. He also presented his own data supporting this approach.   Presenter: Dr. Robert Laitman is an internist who specializes in the use of clozapine in an optimal fashion for individuals with schizophrenia or other psychotic spectrum disorders.   This webinar was co-hosted by the Massachusetts Psychosis Network for Early Treatment (MAPNET, www.mapnet.online)   View a recording of this session here. 

The third issue of our Northwest MHTTC December newsletter highlights our two new podcast episodes, upcoming ATTC & MHTTC events, and resources related to behavioral health, professional development, and wellness. The events include training sessions on cultural humility, healthy aging, and professional boundaries. The resources offered include SAMHSA programs for rural EMS training, integrated models for behavioral health and primary care, toolkits for behavioral health resources, and an SPRC self-paced course for suicide prevention data capacity.

In 2022, the MHTTC Network was asked to amplify and disseminate existing programming and resources related to school violence for the school mental health workforce (e.g., crisis intervention teaming, school violence trauma and grief response, cultural considerations for school violence), and develop responsive training and technical assistance to address additional needs identified. Through the MHTTC School Mental Health Initiative, we conducted an environmental scan and gap analysis, through which we aimed to 1) compile existing programming/resources on school violence, especially those developed by the MHTTCs and other SAMHSA-funded organizations; 2) identify the gaps that exist in school violence-related programming/resources available in the field; and 3) consider the development of new training, technical assistance activities, and/or resource(s) with a focus on addressing the gaps identified via the environmental scan and gap analysis. This summary highlights the findings from that work, including the free resources and resources lists, as well as organizations of interest that provide free resources, that were compiled through the environmental scan.

This 3-part series provided a detailed understanding of trauma and the various types trauma individuals experience. Sessions explored the impact of secondary/vicarous trauma on corrections staff by examining the various ways exposure to traumatic events impacts the individual, the work they do, and the individuals they engage with on a daily basis. This series also explored what is needed to establish a trauma-informed organization, the impact of stigma and bias, and finished with the interplay of two groups of trauma survivors - corrections staff, inmates, and/or parole/probation supervisees - and strategies to mitigate or reduce trauma activation potential among staff and those they supervise for more successful overall outcomes.   Session 3 discussed the disparate, significant impact of incarceration and reentry on women returning to the community; challenges, barriers, and strategies for improving outcomes for women reentering society.   Presenters: Daisy Hernandez, MSW, LCSW, MBA, C4 Innovations and Steven Samra, MPA, C4 Innovations   View a recording of this session here. 

  To view resources from this session, click DOWNLOAD Click here to view the recording Event Description Many behavioral health providers had to rapidly shift to the use of telehealth services in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic to continue offering care to clients in need. In this “post”-pandemic era, new research is highlighting that technology is here to stay in the behavioral health workforce, but with the rapid transition of virtual services, many staff report minimal training and guidance as to how to best use such technology within their organization and in the delivery of client services. While research indicates that telehealth perceptions from staff are favorable and telehealth is seen as generally useful, both urban and rural providers report training needs related to clinical care and administrative functions. This workshop will explore strategies to help increase digital literacy for clients and to effectively engage clients in remote services. Additionally, this workshop will explore several avenues of reducing barriers to telehealth care for rural and under-resourced areas, such as increasing access to the required technology and how to ensure technology-based services are structured to be reimbursable. Trainer Ashley Fortier, PsyD Dr. Ashley Fortier is a Psychologist Candidate in Colorado and currently serves as a Technical Assistance Lead within the Behavioral Health Program at the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). She works with various stakeholders across states and organizations in the West to further behavioral health program development and workforce initiatives. Her professional mission is to increase behavioral health care accessibility, effectiveness, and capacity in rural and frontier regions. She collaborates on a variety of research projects and publications in the areas of rural behavioral health, trauma-informed care, child and adolescent suicidology, and innovations in psychology practice. Much of Dr. Fortier’s clinical experiences focused on delivering mental health care to survivors of trauma and abuse, patients with severe and persistent mental illness, incarcerated juveniles and adults, and those experiencing acute behavioral health crises. Dr. Fortier received her B.S. in Psychology and Criminal Justice from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst as well as her M.A. and Psy.D. in Clinical Forensic Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology-Los Angeles.

Grounded in national and regional EPINET data on discharge in early psychosis services, this presentation focused on social and cultural vectors underlying the 'hard' problem of disengagement and presented alternative approaches for addressing distrust, and strengthening clinical relationships by centering lived experiences of psychosis, socioeconomic disadvantage, racism, and cultural difference.   Presenter: Nev Jones PhD is a patient-alumna of specialized early psychosis services and currently assistant professor in the School of Social Work and Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. As a program developer, evaluator and researcher, her work has sought to amplify the perspectives of those most impacted by the public mental health system, foreground the role of social and structural determinants, and support transformative change.   View a recording of this session here. 

This 3-part series provided a detailed understanding of trauma and the various types trauma individuals experience. Sessions explored the impact of secondary/vicarous trauma on corrections staff by examining the various ways exposure to traumatic events impacts the individual, the work they do, and the individuals they engage with on a daily basis. This series also explored what is needed to establish a trauma-informed organization, the impact of stigma and bias, and finished with the interplay of two groups of trauma survivors - corrections staff, inmates, and/or parole/probation supervisees - and strategies to mitigate or reduce trauma activation potential among staff and those they supervise for more successful overall outcomes.   Session 2 discussed the impact of dual trauma survivors (officers and inmates), understanding the power differential and toxic stress, and how trauma interplays between inmates and officers to increase the tension and challenges of life within jail or prison, as well as probation and parole. Explored strategies to shift the interactions between corrections deputies and parole/probation officers and the supervisees under their purview from adversarial to collaborative. Presenters: Emil Caron, and Steven Samra, MPA, C4 Innovations.   View a recording of this session here. 

This event discussed the New England MHTTC's work assisting organizations with racial equity and efforts to make web-based content reflective of the mission & values of the organization. With intersectionality in mind, Ashley Stewart, Director of the Center for Health Equity informed attendees about the methods used to ensure inclusivity, cultural awareness, and attunement via a web auditing process.   The second part of the webinar series on December 12, 2023 covered: Assessment of the general tone and essence of a website related to engagement around equity, inclusion, and diversity. In addition to the use of intentional terminology, there is the need to assess how the terms are used, the stories they tell, the messages they imply, the depth or superficiality of the use of narrative or terms, and the broader impact on community engagement.

  To view resources from this training, please click DOWNLOAD Click here to watch the recording Event Description Learn about the COMET™ conversation. Join our panelists, Maret Felzien, Kristen Curcija, MPH, and Dr. Jack Westfall, as they present an insightful mental health model designed for rural and agricultural communities that teaches communities how to address difficult issues before they become mental health crises. Developed by the High Plains Research Network, COMET™ (Changing Our Mental and Emotional Trajectory) is a community training that teaches community members how to support a friend or neighbor in a vulnerable space by helping them shift their mental health trajectory back to a place of wellness and away from the path of a mental health crisis. The COMET™ model aligns with rural cultural values of neighbor helping neighbor and communities being their own best resource. The holidays can be stressful, and this conversation reminds us how we can identify those stress points within our community and how we all can be supportive in a natural way to engage a friend, a neighbor, or an acquaintance when you are concerned about their well-being. Trainers Maret Felzien Maret is a native to northeastern Colorado and recently retired from a long career working to support underserved and underprepared students at the local 2-year college. Currently she assists with the daily operations of the family dry-land farm and cattle ranch. She became involved with community engagement and primary care practice- and community-based research  20 years ago working with High Plains Research Network (HPRN) and its Community Advisory Council. This group informs, advises, and co-creates health research to strengthen primary care across rural eastern Colorado. The research conducted in these rural communities has been fun, meaningful, and successful, and most importantly, has shown positive impact on the health of the communities. Her community engagement work and advocacy has grown from this experience to include work at the state and national level; additionally, she continually collaborates on research teams and with projects as a patient/community voice or leader, an advocate, and even sometimes as a co-investigator in research and primary care advocacy. Kristen Curcija Kristen Curcija, MPH, is a Research Services Senior Professional at the University of Colorado Department of Family Medicine and has been with the department for over 7 years. Her work focuses on practice-based and public health research, particularly in rural regions. She supports the High Plains Research Network and its Community Advisory Council. Originally from a small town in central Illinois, Kristen enjoys learning about the unique experiences of rural clinics and communities in eastern Colorado because the stories resonate with things she is familiar with. Her research experience and interests include diabetes, loneliness, drug and alcohol screening, treatment for opioid use disorder, and improving mental health in rural communities. Kristen has experience in quantitative and qualitative data collection, management, and analysis through survey administration and key informant interviews.  She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from Benedictine University and a Bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Kansas State University. Jack Westfall Jack Westfall is a family doctor in Colorado. He completed his MD and MPH at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, an internship in hospital medicine in Wichita, Kansas, and his Family Medicine Residency at the University of Colorado Rose Family Medicine Program. After joining the faculty at the University of Colorado Department of Family Medicine, Dr Westfall started the High Plains Research Network, a geographic community and practice-based research network in rural and frontier Colorado. He practiced family medicine in several rural communities including Limon, Ft Morgan, and his hometown of Yuma, Colorado. He added Medication Assisted Treatment to his clinical care in 2016.The work of the HPRN and its participatory, Community Advisory Council has included funding from the CDC, NIH, AHRQ, and numerous state and local foundations. After retiring from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, he worked for several years as the Director for Whole Person Care at Santa Clara County Health and Hospitals in San Jose, California. He served for several years as the Director of the Robert Graham Center for policy research in primary care and family medicine in Washington DC. He continues to consult and collaborate on primary care practice-based research, community-based participatory research,  integrated primary care and behavioral health, and the interface between primary care, public, and community health.

Click here to access the presentation slides (PDF). Medicaid is a leading source of financing for school mental health services and programs. As Medicaid policies change, there may be greater opportunities for mental health providers to bill Medicaid for more services in schools. In this two-part webinar event, Dr. Adam Wilk (SE MHTTC Policy Lead) will describe key policies that govern Medicaid funding for school mental health services, and how they can be changed to increase school mental health funding. He will provide examples of states that have pursued specific reforms, and he will also highlight important resources that can help school mental health leaders to identify what steps may be most appropriate to take in their home state. This series is designed for school mental health leaders who are interested in learning 1) about the fundamentals of Medicaid financing of school mental health services and 2) about options for changing Medicaid policy to better support school mental health systems and services. This session (Part II) will focus on policies concerning which providers can bill Medicaid for services and whether Medicaid can be billed for services provided in school settings. Learning Objectives: Characterize the four requirements that must be met for billing Medicaid for school mental health services. Discuss the Medicaid policies that can affect which providers can bill Medicaid for services and whether services provided at schools can be billed to Medicaid. Describe how state Medicaid policies on eligible providers and covered settings can be reformed in support of school mental health.

Developed by the Northeast & Caribbean Mental Health Technology Transfer center, this Motivational Interviewing: A Training of Trainers manual is designed to prepare those knowledgeable in MI to deliver motivational interviewing instruction to their peers. The motivational interviewing training is comprised of six modules designed for delivery in 60-minute in-service sessions. The participant manual contains the corresponding PowerPoint slides (with room to take notes) and all activity worksheets. Below, you will find links to the remaining modules and resources for the Motivational Interviewing Training Series.

This 3-part series provided a detailed understanding of trauma and the various types trauma individuals experience. Sessions explored the impact of secondary/vicarous trauma on corrections staff by examining the various ways exposure to traumatic events impacts the individual, the work they do, and the individuals they engage with on a daily basis. This series also explored what is needed to establish a trauma-informed organization, the impact of stigma and bias, and finished with the interplay of two groups of trauma survivors - corrections staff, inmates, and/or parole/probation supervisees - and strategies to mitigate or reduce trauma activation potential among staff and those they supervise for more successful overall outcomes.   Session 1 discussed mass incarceration and a “lay of the land” overview for justice-involved people of color. The subcultures of incarceration, urban and historical trauma and its relation to Trauma-Informed Corrections Care, and the impact on recidivism and recovery for reentering citizens were also discussed. Presenters: Steven Samra, MPA, C4 Innovations, and Daryl McGraw, MA, C4 Innovations.   View a recording of this session here. 

The second December issue of our newsletter features ways to find support during the holiday season, ATTC & MTTC network events, other events of interest, and resources including SAMHSA Notice of Funding Opportunities.

The Embracing Authenticity: A Guide to Authenticity and Cultural Awareness at Work webinar series provided guidance and support for the use and implementation of the accompanying workbook, which is intended to be used as a guide for deeper levels of processing and to support healthier conversations in the workplace around identity and wellness. This resource can be used as a tool to address the unique experiences of work-related stress compounded with being a person of color and also as a resource for folks seeking to be more accountable for reducing harm and creating a more equitable work environment. This comprehensive guide is designed to support you in cultivating authenticity, promoting inclusion, and prioritizing wellness in the workplace. Whether you're an organizational leader, a colleague, or an individual who has experienced marginalization, this workbook provides practical insights, exercises, and resources to make meaningful progress. Presenters: Ashley Stewart, PhD, MSSW, LSW, Director of the Center for Health Equity, C4 Innovations Ronitia Hodges, Senior Project Manager, C4 Innovations

A major concern in school communities across the country is school violence. This symposium provides an overview of the MHTTC Network's School Mental Health Initiative, and highlights training and technical assistance (TA) that the MHTTC Network is leading on addressing school violence and school mental health. NOTE: This was originally presented at the 2023 Advancing School Mental Health Conference, hosted by the National Center for School Mental Health in New Orleans, LA.

This event discussed the New England MHTTC's work assisting organizations with racial equity and efforts to make web-based content reflective of the mission & values of the organization. With intersectionality in mind, Ashley Stewart, Director of the Center for Health Equity informed attendees about the methods used to ensure inclusivity, cultural awareness, and attunement via a web auditing process. The first part of the webinar series on December 5, 2023 covered: The inclusion of language addressing, responding to, and advocating around equity-related topics. C4 equity audits also assess for all forms of identity-based oppression, including, but not limited to, sexism, ageism, ableism, heterosexism, and linguistic and religious-based oppression.  

The Embracing Authenticity: A Guide to Authenticity and Cultural Awareness at Work webinar series provided guidance and support for the use and implementation of the accompanying workbook, which is intended to be used as a guide for deeper levels of processing and to support healthier conversations in the workplace around identity and wellness. This resource can be used as a tool to address the unique experiences of work-related stress compounded with being a person of color and also as a resource for folks seeking to be more accountable for reducing harm and creating a more equitable work environment. This comprehensive guide is designed to support you in cultivating authenticity, promoting inclusion, and prioritizing wellness in the workplace. Whether you're an organizational leader, a colleague, or an individual who has experienced marginalization, this workbook provides practical insights, exercises, and resources to make meaningful progress. Presenters: Ashley Stewart, PhD, MSSW, LSW, Director of the Center for Health Equity, C4 Innovations Ronitia Hodges, Senior Project Manager, C4 Innovations

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

This event discussed the New England MHTTC's work assisting organizations with racial equity and efforts to make web-based content reflective of the mission & values of the organization. With intersectionality in mind, Ashley Stewart, Director of the Center for Health Equity informed attendees about the methods used to ensure inclusivity, cultural awareness, and attunement via a web auditing process. The first part of the webinar series on December 5, 2023 covered: The inclusion of language addressing, responding to, and advocating around equity-related topics. C4 equity audits also assess for all forms of identity-based oppression, including, but not limited to, sexism, ageism, ableism, heterosexism, and linguistic and religious-based oppression.

  The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC.   The December 2023 issue shares recorded content on wound care and xylazine, social media basics for preventionists, an infographic on providing behavioral healthcare to people living with HIV, and SAMHSA's tips for supporting your mental health through the holidays. As always, you will also find links to all upcoming events and trainings hosted by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC!   Make sure you're subscribed to our email contact list, so you never miss a month of The Great Lakes Current newsletter and thank you for reading!

Behavioral threat assessment was developed to prevent targeted attacks, such as school shootings. However, there are concerns about the use of threat assessment in schools, including as it relates to student mental health. This symposium by the MHTTC Network Coordinating Office and National Center for School Mental Health details results of a key informant roundtable, scoping review, and white paper that examine considerations for behavioral threat assessment, research outcomes, and recommendations for the future of behavioral threat assessment in schools. NOTE: This was originally presented at the 2023 Advancing School Mental Health Conference, hosted by the National Center for School Mental Health in New Orleans, LA.

Chia Hsuan Sabrina Chang and host Lola Nedic discuss culturally responsive care and strategies for clinicians. This podcast episode is sponsored by the New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network (MHTTC).

About this Resource: This flipbook document accompanies our Housing First Ends Homelessness on-demand recording. It describes how the Pathways Housing First program works to end homelessness for individuals with mental illness, addiction, and other health challenges. An overview of the 3 case study programs (City - Milwaukee County Housing Services, State - Georgia Housing Voucher Program, and Federal - VA Homeless Programs Office) used to illustrate how Housing first is successfully implemented is provided.  To view this resource in pdf format, please click here.