Products and Resources Catalog

About the Learning Session: The MHTTC Network is hosting an 8-part training series using the National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules for States, Districts, and Schools. This resource was developed by the MHTTC Network in partnership with the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) and aims to help states, districts and schools advance comprehensive school mental health and engage in a planning process for implementation.   Module 1: Foundations of Comprehensive School Mental Health provides an overview of the National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules resource, as well as the definition and core features of comprehensive school mental health. The session consists of a discussion with a small panel of education and mental health leaders from across the country (including a member from the National Center for School Mental Health team) who will provide an “always and now” application of the Implementation Guidance Modules and innovative ideas for implementation, considering the current COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on school mental health. Access the recording of this session by clicking the blue "View Resource" button above. Access presentation slides here. Access our FAQ and Resources document (that includes responses to questions asked by participants during the live event) here. Access the closed captioning transcript for this session here. Learn more about the remaining sessions in this learning series here. To learn more about the National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules and gain access to the COMPLETE resource, click HERE. PLEASE NOTE: As of April 2021, the MHTTC Network and National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) changed the title of the National School Mental Health Curriculum: Guidance and Best Practices for States, Districts, and Schools to the new title 'National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules for States, Districts, and Schools.' Session Panelists: Pia Escudero a mental health leader and social work professional with over 30 years of experience in mental health and health programs for the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the United States. As Executive Director of the Student Health and Human Services (SHHS) Division, she directs the services of over 2000 school mental health and health professionals including social workers, nurses, pediatricians, child psychiatrists, human relations and restorative practices experts, wellness programs and positive behavior intervention and supports district wide. Her expertise includes the development, implementation, and evaluation of high-quality interventions that promote resiliency, healing, and lifelong health. Dr. Dana Milakovic is a mental health and trauma specialist with experience in school mental health, community mental health, pediatric neuropsychology, school administration, and school psychology.  In her current role, she is focused on strengthening schools by applying neuropsychological research to mental health integration in schools, trauma-sensitive schools, school climate, substance use disorders, and improving mental health services for children across Pennsylvania. Prior to her work at PDE, Dr. Milakovic spent over 19 years working on behalf of children with special needs as a community mental health evaluator, school psychologist, and administrator. Dr. Sharon Hoover is a licensed clinical psychologist and a Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Co-Director of the National Center for School Mental Health. She currently leads NCSMH efforts to support states, districts and schools in the adoption of national performance standards for quality and sustainability of comprehensive school mental health systems. Dr. Hoover has led and collaborated on multiple federal and state grants, with a commitment to the study and implementation of quality children’s mental health services. Dr. Nancy Lever is a clinical psychologist with extensive clinical, research, policy, and training experience related to advancing comprehensive school mental health systems. Dr. Lever has over 20 years of experience providing and leading school mental health services and programming efforts at the local, state, and national levels. She serves as the executive director of the University of Maryland School Mental Health Program, and co-director of the National Center for School Mental Health, wherein she is working at local, state, and national levels to advance research, training, policy, and practice in school behavioral health.

  Understanding Anticipatory Anxiety This 3-page product illustrates the differences between a typical anxiety pattern and an unhealthy anticipatory anxiety pattern, and includes practical tips to help resolve anxiety in healthy ways. Anticipatory anxiety develops when the mind attempts to predict, process, and adapt to future events. It helps individuals prepare for future events, but an overabundance of anxiety can be unhealthy. It often manifests as fear and worry as the body expends energy anticipating potential periods of stress or crisis.   Access the product using the "Download" button above   Product Preview                                                                   Author Sara Durbin, PsyD    

  The Great Lakes MHTTC School-based Supplement offers this training for mental health and school-based mental health professionals in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI. Today’s youth are facing new and ongoing trauma-producing challenges, including the disruption of normal school life caused by COVID-19, financial and social emotional problems at home, and the stressful, systemic realities of racial injustice. The result: students are experiencing more depression and anxiety than ever before. This webinar series will provide learners with tools to assess mental health in young people, recognize common mental health disorders, and identify differences between typical adolescent behavior and the onset of mental illness. We will focus on identifying how students express common mental health challenges through remote learning. In addition, we will discuss the opportunities remote learning provides for identifying students’ mental health and responding with effective coping strategies. Learning Objectives: Participants will learn: Key virtual warning signs of mental health challenge How to address mental health concerns with youth and caregiver. Target Audience: School personnel, mental health providers for youth, parents Speaker:  Angela Begres is a licensed clinical social worker who trained and earned her MSW at the University of Chicago. She is an expert trainer and presenter with experience integrating mental health education programs into the curriculum for students and staff within the Chicago and West Cook County public schools. In Partnership with the National Alliance for Mental Health (NAMI) Metro Suburban, Angela also developed a program to help decrease student stress and implement mindfulness in the classrooms. She has also worked with Chicago Family Services (DCFS) providing parenting education, with efforts to get parents reunited with their children.  

View Presentation Slides   This webinar reviews evidence for the "illness identity model" which proposes that self-stigma has a profound impact on the recovery of people diagnosed with serious mental illness. It also discusses intervention options for addressing self-stigma.    Presenter: Philip T. Yanos, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at John Jay College, City University of New York. He is an Associate Editor for the journal Stigma and Health, and the director of Clinical Training for the clinical psychology Ph.D. program at John Jay College and the Graduate Center. Yanos is the co-developer of 'Narrative Enhancement and Cognitive Therapy,' a group-based treatment that addresses the effects of self-stigma among people with mental illness. This treatment approach has been translated into seven languages. He is the author of over 100 articles and book chapters, the book Written Off: Mental Health Stigma and the Loss of Human Potential (Cambridge University Press, 2018), and was the principal investigator on two recent large, federally-funded projects. 

The Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center and the Northwest PBIS Network have collaborated to bring you a FREE, 3-part webinar series presented by WellEducator, LLC.  The Self-Care and Compassion for the Educator webinar series is part of The Back-to-School Series - Supports for Staff, Students & Families During COVID-19. Click here to learn more about our series of webinars on concrete strategies to strengthen connections, promote mental wellness and resilience, and support everyone in the return to schools during a global pandemic. About the Webinar: Webinar Objectives: Learn the benefits and importance of a practice of self-compassion and gratitude. Learn how to create a practice of self-compassion and gratitude to support your wellbeing. Learn and experience 3 mindfulness/meditation exercises.   Presentation Materials: Reflective Notes Committed Action Plan   >> Click "View Resource" above to access the recording About the Series: At WellEducator, an educator is anyone who is professionally invested in helping students find their passions, raise their voices, and build their skills to support future generations in reaching their fullest potential.  NWPBIS is partnering with Dr. Renee VanNorman of WellEducator, LLC to bring you the most up to date research, suggestions, and exemplars on how to build wellness, and respond to life's challenging moments (in and out of the classroom) with self-compassion.  Educator stress and burnout has been reported as higher than any other profession (Stoeber, J., & Rennert, D, 2008). Stressors include lack of social/emotional training, ineffective interpersonal relationships, vicarious trauma, and unrealistic systems’ requirements. Stressors impact wellbeing and availability to effectively build high quality relationships with students. Educators inherently deserve support in nurturing their holistic wellbeing. During these workshops participants will practice skills to decrease stressors on mind/body systems to stay connected to the wonders and curiosities of teaching using evidence-based mindfulness practices, radical acceptance and values-driven goal setting. >> Learn more about the Educator Wellness Series here. Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

In Well-Being Wednesdays: Fostering Positive Emotions and Experiences, which aired Feb. 10, 2021, attendees learn to differentiate between pleasant and difficult emotions and thoughts and the importance of proactively fostering more pleasant experiences. Attendees learn a skill that can be used to broaden their awareness to these moments and to engage with them deeply in ways that bring joy or meaning. Well-Being Wednesdays: Taking Care of Educators Who Take Care of Kids is a webinar series geared toward education professionals, administrators, and stakeholders who are working together to create a culture of well-being that supports students and educators. Learn more: https://bit.ly/Well-beingWeds

In Well-Being Wednesdays: Fostering Positive Emotions and Experiences, which aired Feb. 10, 2021, attendees learn to differentiate between pleasant and difficult emotions and thoughts and the importance of proactively fostering more pleasant experiences. Attendees learn a skill that can be used to broaden their awareness to these moments and to engage with them deeply in ways that bring joy or meaning. Well-Being Wednesdays: Taking Care of Educators Who Take Care of Kids is a webinar series geared toward education professionals, administrators, and stakeholders who are working together to create a culture of well-being that supports students and educators. Learn more: https://bit.ly/Well-beingWeds

Original Publication Date: 2/11/2021 The Pacific Southwest MHTTC curated a list of resources to support mental health needs of agricultural workers. The list includes relevant webinars, podcasts, publications, and online resources.

  How well are our child-serving systems addressing the unmet basic, health, and education needs of children? What are some of the challenges? What are some of the opportunities? Ann Smith, JD, MBA, Executive Director of AFCAMP – Advocacy for Children answered these questions, and explored ways to meet the needs of children and families more effectively and efficiently.

On February 11th, we held a virtual convening on Supporting the Mental Health of BIPOC Community College Students where stakeholders from all 6 states discussed challenges, shared promising practices, and identified opportunities to improve services and supports for BIPOC students.   During the convening, Dr. Justin Heinze presented data from recent Healthy Minds Study survey respondents, including rates of depression, anxiety, and service access in college students. In addition to increases in poorer mental health across a variety of indicators, the responses also illuminate differences by race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, as well as those attending community colleges versus four-year institutions. To watch the recording, click here.    Dr. Heinze is an educational psychologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. His research investigates how schools influence disparities in violence and other risk outcomes from an ecological perspective that includes individual, interpersonal, and contextual influences on development. He is particularly interested in structural features of school context and policy that perpetuate inequity in violence and firearm outcomes, but also how these institutions can serve as a setting for intervention.

Resource list developed for our Supporting the Mental Health of BIPOC Community College Students Convening that took place on February 11, 2021. 

This interactive webinar discussed how to facilitate hope and develop skills that will facilitate the recovery journey of Hispanic/Latinx people with Lived Experience by using motivational interviewing principles.

  Responding to Provider Stress and Burnout - Cultivating Hope and Compassion Providers of all occupations are experiencing increased levels of on-the-job stress as they work to respond to the many needs of the individuals they serve during the COVID-19 pandemic. Acknowledging these challenges and securing appropriate supports are crucial to promoting the well-being of all providers. This training provided attendees with detailed information on the impact of chronic stress and compassion fatigue as well as strategies to cultivate hope, compassion, and resilience. Contact David Terry with any questions.    Slides and Recording Access slides using the download button above Recording   Additional Resources Voices from the Field: A Blog about Resilience during the Pandemic Provider Well Being: Program Goals and Resources   Trainers LaVonne Fox, PhD, OTR/L Dr. Fox was born and raised on the Turtle Mountain Chippewa reservation. She has considerable experience working with children, youth, and young adults with mental health issues in communities. Dr. Fox is currently serving as a technical trainer for the Mountain Plains MHTTC and is the lead trainer on the tribal school's Community of Practice program serving communities across Health and Human Services (HHS) Region 8.   Shawnda Schroeder, PhD Shawnda Schroeder is a Research Associate Professor. With the Mountain Plains MHTTC she focuses on access to care, rural mental health, and provider well-being.    Thomasine Heitkamp, LCSW Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor, Thomasine Heitkamp is the PI and Co-Director of the Mountain Plains MHTTC. She currently leads two teams of faculty and staff who provide their expertise to behavioral health practitioners to ensure positive treatment outcomes that support sustainability.   David Terry, BA David is the Program Coordinator for the Mountain Plains MHTTC and is the lead for the latest effort to address provider well-being during the global health pandemic.  

This session examines the body/mind science of psychoneuroimmunology, discovering how our thoughts are the first and maybe the most important thing impacting our health and well-being. The Northwest MHTTC is excited to collaborate with Rebekah Demirel L.Ac. MPCC to deliver a webinar and podcast series as part of our support of provider well-being. Find out more about the series here. Resources Presentation Slides Presenter Rebekah Demirel L.Ac. MPCC is the founder and director of Trauma Integration Programs, with more than a decade as an ambulance paramedic, twenty-two years as a paramedic trainer, eighteen years of mental health counseling experience, specializing in traumatic stress and she is a licensed East Asian medicine practitioner and acupuncturist. Rebekah’s unique skill set and experience are informed by her own traumatic childhood and teen years spent on the street and in the foster care system, giving her a special familiarity and empathy for trauma and loss.        Want more information? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's Resource Library and Websites by Topic  and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

Persons with serious mental illnesses are more likely than others to experience homelessness. Homelessness policies in the U.S. have evolved as research has informed us about the dynamics of homelessness. Federal policies reflect research showing that a relatively small number of people who experience homelessness remain homeless for long periods of time, often because of disabilities that make it difficult to exit without structured support and housing (Permanent Supportive Housing). Also, federal efforts to address “crisis homelessness” have been deployed, providing assistance through “rapid rehousing” programs to prevent long-term homelessness. The initiative to end veteran homelessness combined these two approaches and led to a 50% reduction in homelessness. This presentation summarizes the intersection of these research and policy efforts which greatly affect the need for comprehensive housing and support services for persons with serious mental illnesses. As a result of this seminar, attendees will learn: Homelessness is characterized by two primary dynamics: crisis homelessness and chronic homelessness; Crisis homelessness can be effectively addressed by providing emergency cash, case management and relocation assistance, with rent supports; Permanent supportive housing can successfully address chronic homelessness and is cost-neutral for many populations, research shows; Three federal programs – the Chronic Homelessness Initiative, the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program (HPRP), and the campaign to end veteran homelessness – established new and more robust policies to support these research-informed approaches; Homelessness assistance programs do not prevent homelessness, and rising rates of unsheltered homelessness and the aging of the adult homeless population are creating new challenges for policymakers to address.   Speaker: Dennis Culhane, PhD, is the Dana and Andrew Stone Professor of Social Policy at the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. Culhane is a nationally recognized social science researcher with primary expertise in the field of homelessness. From July 2009 to June 2018 he served as Director of Research at the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a leader in the integration of administrative data for research and directs Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP), an initiative that promotes the development of integrated data systems by state and local governments for policy analysis and systems reform.  His homelessness work has positioned him as an early innovator in the use of administrative data for research and policy analysis, particularly for populations and program impacts that are difficult to assess and track. Culhane’s work has resulted in federal legislation requiring all cities and states to develop administrative data systems for tracking homeless services in order to receive HUD funding. His work has also been instrumental in a national shift in how cities address chronic homelessness and family homelessness. Culhane’s current research utilizes linked administrative data to better understand and respond to the emerging crisis of aging homelessness. Recently, this work was featured in The New York Times Magazine article, Elderly and Homeless: America’s Next Housing Crisis.   Permanent Supportive Housing: A Webinar Series  

The Northwest MHTTC celebrates Black History Month and shares related resources and events. We share our upcoming events on provider well-being, integrated care, management of psychosis in primary care settings, and more, as well as our recent products

The materials attached to this product were originally aired on February 5, 2021 as a part of the South Southwest MHTTC's Wellness Workshop series. Protecting your well-being while working with and caring for overwhelmed colleagues and clients. Understand how to create, maintain, and strengthen your self-care plan. Examine the uniquely taxing effects of the pandemic and what self-care skills help most. Manage expectations of yourself and others in the face of widespread overwhelm. Facilitated by Sarri Gilman, MA, MFT Access the webinar above & download the slides HERE Presenter Bio: Sarri Gilman, LMFT is a psychotherapist and author. She teaches Overwhelm Recovery for Healthcare and Human Service Providers. She is the author of The Mystery of Knowing Journal, a journal for self-care and boundaries, Transform Your Boundaries, and Naming and Taming the Overwhelm for Healthcare and Human Service Providers. Sarri ran non-profit organizations for 20 years. Two of the organizations served children and teens who were homeless. She is the founder of Cocoon House in Everett, WA. She taught leadership development for seven years. She has been in practice for 35 years and continues in private practice in her community on Whidbey Island, WA.

Persons with serious mental illnesses are more likely than others to experience homelessness. Homelessness policies in the U.S. have evolved as research has informed us about the dynamics of homelessness. Federal policies reflect research showing that a relatively small number of people who experience homelessness remain homeless for long periods of time, often because of disabilities that make it difficult to exit without structured support and housing (Permanent Supportive Housing). Also, federal efforts to address “crisis homelessness” have been deployed, providing assistance through “rapid rehousing” programs to prevent long-term homelessness. The initiative to end veteran homelessness combined these two approaches and led to a 50% reduction in homelessness. This presentation summarizes the intersection of these research and policy efforts which greatly affect the need for comprehensive housing and support services for persons with serious mental illnesses. As a result of this seminar, attendees will learn: Homelessness is characterized by two primary dynamics: crisis homelessness and chronic homelessness; Crisis homelessness can be effectively addressed by providing emergency cash, case management and relocation assistance, with rent supports; Permanent supportive housing can successfully address chronic homelessness and is cost-neutral for many populations, research shows; Three federal programs – the Chronic Homelessness Initiative, the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program (HPRP), and the campaign to end veteran homelessness – established new and more robust policies to support these research-informed approaches; Homelessness assistance programs do not prevent homelessness, and rising rates of unsheltered homelessness and the aging of the adult homeless population are creating new challenges for policymakers to address.   Speaker: Dennis Culhane, PhD, is the Dana and Andrew Stone Professor of Social Policy at the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. Culhane is a nationally recognized social science researcher with primary expertise in the field of homelessness. From July 2009 to June 2018 he served as Director of Research at the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a leader in the integration of administrative data for research and directs Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP), an initiative that promotes the development of integrated data systems by state and local governments for policy analysis and systems reform.  His homelessness work has positioned him as an early innovator in the use of administrative data for research and policy analysis, particularly for populations and program impacts that are difficult to assess and track. Culhane’s work has resulted in federal legislation requiring all cities and states to develop administrative data systems for tracking homeless services in order to receive HUD funding. His work has also been instrumental in a national shift in how cities address chronic homelessness and family homelessness. Culhane’s current research utilizes linked administrative data to better understand and respond to the emerging crisis of aging homelessness. Recently, this work was featured in The New York Times Magazine article, Elderly and Homeless: America’s Next Housing Crisis.   Permanent Supportive Housing: A Webinar Series  

Click here to watch the recording for Strategies of Support for Mental Health Providers - Empowering one another during times of crisis. 

Click here to view the handouts from Strategies of Support for Mental Health Providers - Empowering one another during times of crisis. 

The materials attached to this product were originally aired on January 29, 2021 as a part of the South Southwest MHTTC's Wellness Workshop series. Understand the impact of widespread overwhelm in this field. Acknowledge the effects of historical, intergeneration, racial, institutional, climate, political, and pandemic trauma. Recognize the signs of personal overwhelm. Learn key strategies toward overwhelm reduction and recovery that are most helpful during the pandemic. Examine your expectations, needs, vulnerabilities and strengths. Using your core values, develop your support. Access the webinar above & download the slides HERE Presenter Bio: Sarri Gilman, LMFT is a psychotherapist and author. She teaches Overwhelm Recovery for Healthcare and Human Service Providers. She is the author of The Mystery of Knowing Journal, a journal for self-care and boundaries, Transform Your Boundaries, and Naming and Taming the Overwhelm for Healthcare and Human Service Providers. Sarri ran non-profit organizations for 20 years. Two of the organizations served children and teens who were homeless. She is the founder of Cocoon House in Everett, WA. She taught leadership development for seven years. She has been in practice for 35 years and continues in private practice in her community on Whidbey Island, WA.

This fact sheet will help teachers, school staff and other education stakeholders increase their awareness and understanding of suicide attempts and contributing factors among youth through age 18.

Original Broadcast Date: 1/25/21 Peer Specialists bring distinct value in the engagement of people during and after suicide crisis in numerous ways, such as inspiring a sense of hope for recovery, personal understanding of barriers and solutions to mental health system navigation, and contributing to anti-stigma efforts with lived experience of mental health recovery. With a diverse panel of Peer Specialists (youth and adult) working across the crisis continuum of care from the Pacific Northwest and Southwest and New England regions of the United States, audiences will learn about the roles of Peer Specialists in promoting wellness and recovery within mobile crisis units, peer respite programs, creating self-help tools like Apps and documentary film, supporting our colleagues within the Peer workforce, and working on warm and hot lines for both youth, adults, and older populations. This recorded panel is Part 1 of a 3-webinar series about Peer Specialists’ Roles in Behavioral Health Crisis including Suicide.

  Riding the Wave of Stress and Trauma to Enhance Self-Care Resources Access slides using the download button above Recording   Providers of all occupations are experiencing increased levels of on-the-job stress as they work to respond to the many needs of the individuals they serve during the COVID-19 pandemic. This training provided a metaphor for riding the wave of stress, trauma, and grief. It examined how integrating the brain and body response can heal during times of crisis. A focus was provided on maintaining healing practices and building new pathways to enhance self-care. Traditional Indigenous trauma processing and the importance of grief rituals were explored with a discussion of commonalities of cultures.