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Original Broadcast Date: 11/13/20 For part two of this series, Justin Thongsavanh, Iana Malcolm, and Carla Fernandez share learnings from The Dinner Party, a nation-wide movement turning loss from an isolating experience to one marked by community support, candid conversation, and forward motion. From small groups gathering in over 100 cities across the US to now an entirely virtual offering in the COVID-era for individuals and organizations, Iana and Carla will share key lessons learned in 2020, and how they translate to your workplace. They will take you through an interactive work session to design your own loss readiness plan for your organization. Their work has appeared widely in media, from CNN to New York Times, OnBeing and Oprah Magazine, and as a case study in over half a dozen books. Their workplace program has been rolled out in organizations across sectors and sizes, such as Banner Health, Good Shepherd Services, Redfin, Google, and more. For more information, visit thedinnerparty.org/atwork. Download the slides HERE.   Speaker Bios: Carla Fernandez, Co-Founder, The Dinner Party Fernandez is the co-founder of the award winning The Dinner Party , which houses Grief At Work. The family dinner table is sacred ground in the Fernandez family - so when her dad passed away of brain cancer, coming back to the table was a natural way for her to connect with others and unpack the experience of life after loss. She is also on the founding team of enso, a mission-driven creative agency working with brands such as Google, Khan Academy, and Nature Conservancy on their impact campaigns. She is an NYU Social Entrepreneurship Fellow, and Senior Fellow at the USC Annenberg School of Communications Innovation Lab.     Iana Malcolm is a community manager & BIPOC lead. At 27, and after 7 years of being her Caregiver, she lost her mother to Breast Cancer. At 31 years old, she lost her father to Brain Cancer. Since then she has dedicated her life to the support of Caregivers and all those managing life after loss. Outside of her work as a Community Manager for The Dinner Party, she is a birth and death Doula, Yoga and Meditation teacher, and leads Wellness retreats worldwide with her company Bliss Out Retreats.     Justin Thongsavanh, MPA is a community manager for The Dinner Party. Throughout his career, he has worked for a variety of nonprofits and municipalities focusing on the development and implementation of programs for youth. Prior to joining The Dinner Party, he worked for one of the nation’s largest bereavement camps, developing programs and raising funds for children and teens who experienced the loss of a parent or sibling. After the death of his own father at the age of 12, he felt isolated and alone. As an adult he has made it his mission to not only find a community for himself, but to also help create a community for folks who have experienced loss and subsequent adversities. He holds a B.A. in Liberal Studies, a Certificate in Non-Profit Management, and a Master’s in Public Administration all from California State University, Long Beach.     This webinar was one of the sessions of November's Grief Sensitivity Virtual Learning Institute (GSVLI). For more information on how to access resources from September's and November's GSVLI, please click here.

For our November 2020 newsletter we're excited to share a wealth of new events and resources in this month's newsletter. In particular, we want to highlight resources we've shared in honor of National Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month. We welcome you to take a look and learn more about how to support the mental health and wellness of Native students, staff, and families. Sign up for our School Mental Health Newsletter!  Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

Learning Objectives: present the steps of developing a safety plan, with special considerations of the limitations imposed by the current pandemic; risk management including the use of involuntary commitment in clients experiencing psychosis; crisis planning and potential harm reduction strategies to decrease risk of violence for when clients have encounters with law enforcement.

Are You the Therapist a Grieving Client Wants to Meet? Jill Johnson-Young, LCSW LEARNING TRACK: Evidence-Based & Culturally Defined Practices Session Description: The research about grief responses by those served by hospice at the end of a loved one’s life is pretty clear survivors, particularly the primary survivor, aren’t open to support from that resource for grief if their attempts to voice emotional needs were met with medical solutions during the dying process. Those who felt they were not well prepared for a death are even less open to hospice-based grief services. Survivors who are questioning their faith following the death of a loved one are not best served by a faith-based group or provider- it’s just not a good fit in that moment. As a therapist who are you likely to refer to as a source of grief support? The vast majority of programs belong to one of those two groups. That leaves us, the clinicians, to do this right. To know which survivors do best, who is most at risk, and in COVID, how previous survivors of mass losses found resilience and recovery. We have the research. Why do we keep going back to five stages? How do you meet your grief client in the room, speak their language, not say the wrong thing, and create an environment with words and space to promote healing? Speaker Bio: Jill Johnson-Young is a dynamic and engaging local, national, and international speaker who loves teaching both professional and community groups about dementia, death and dying, and grief and loss. She co-owns Central Counseling Services in Riverside, California, where she is also a clinical therapist and practices as a certified Grief Recovery Facilitator. Jill has authored three children’s grief books and an adult grief workbook with more in process, and created www.yourpaththroughgrief.com, a year-long, comprehensive grief support program. She also has a website with resources for therapists, www.jilljohnsonyoung.com, which includes resources for therapists.   PowerPoint_Nov12_Are you the therapist a grieving client wants to see part2 Transcript_Nov12_Are you the therapist a grieving client wants to see part2

Interventions for Times of Uncertainty Janice Nadeau, PhD, LP, LMFT, RN, FT LEARNING TRACK: Evidence-Based & Culturally Defined Practices Session Description: In this session we will examine models and approaches to grief support that are most needed as our survival is being threatened on multiple fronts. In our efforts to help we will need to address the effects of the pandemic as it is amplified by political and racial strife and economic insecurity. Loss is everywhere in evidence. We will explore ways of promoting good grief using models such as the Dual Process Model (Stroebe and Schut), Meaning-Making (Nadeau, Neimeyer), the use of rituals and metaphors and Trauma interventions such as EMDR, Brain Spotting and Mindfulness Meditation. This session will include case examples and down to earth, front line suggestions on how to cope as we face our own uncertain futures and shifting professional sand. Speaker Bio: Dr. Janice Winchester Nadeau is a Licensed Psychologist, Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and Master’s Prepared Nurse. She has been active in the grief and loss field for over three decades. Her Doctoral research at the University of Minnesota led to the publication of Families Making Sense of Death by Sage in 1998. Dr. Nadeau has served as faculty for the Association for Death Education and Counseling teaching Advanced Grief Therapy for six years. Dr. Nadeau has presented her work internationally and has been in private practice at Minnesota Human Development Consultants in Minneapolis since 1994.     PowerPoint Slides_ Interventions in Times of Uncertainty_GSVLI  Transcript_Interventions in Times of Uncertainty_GSVLI

Learn more about what the School Mental Health supplement to the Northwest MHTTC accomplished in our second year of operations with this 2-page document. 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.

Rituals are actions done in purposeful ways that symbolize something much more than the acts themselves. Every culture has rituals that provide purpose and meaning to experiences. Rituals are made up of actions that represent ideas, thoughts, myths, or beliefs about something specific. They give purpose to action and always serve to connect us to something else, generally something greater than ourselves. In difficult times, rituals provide a certain order to an existence that otherwise might be full of confusion and chaos. Given the current pandemic, loss and grief have taken a front seat. A sense of loss permeates in many of our lives, and for many clients this may be difficult to name. Furthermore, the inability to perform rituals in our habitual ways can be distressful for many. The current webinar will discuss the experience of loss and grief for Latinos during the current pandemic: including physical and symbolic losses. The presenters will discuss Latinos values and rituals as they relate to the current pandemic. The importance of the therapeutic relationship will be discussed as well as approaches and strategies that promote new rituals, new meanings, and a transformative experience. Three case studies will be included for group discussion.   Download the slides HERE.     About the presenters:    Salvador Treviño, PhD- Dr. Treviño has taught professional psychology for over 40 years and lectures extensively on the theories and practices of psychoanalytic psychotherapy, primitive mental states, and Latino behavioral health. Drawing on his scholarship of more than 43 years of clinical work with Latino immigrants and families, Dr. Treviño is active in furthering the national conversation on cultural diversity, the impact of historical trauma on Latino behavioral health, the psychology of racism, and matters of social justice from a psychoanalytic perspective. Dr. Treviño is Executive Director of GCAPS - Guadalupe Counseling & Psychological Services in Santa Barbara, CA and is adjunct faculty of the Antioch University Santa Barbara Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Treviño is licensed as a psychologist and marriage and family therapist specializing in salud mental Latina.   Darice Orobitg, PhD- Darice Orobitg is a clinical psychologist. She obtained a BA from Washington University in St. Louis and completed her PhD at Carlos Albizu University in San Juan, PR. Dr. Orobitg worked at the PR Rape Crisis Center where, she was a therapist for children, adolescents, and adult survivors of sexual violence. At the PRRCC she was also a clinical supervisor and coordinator of clinical services. She later worked at the National Hispanic and Latino ATTC as trainer and TA consultant offering training and TA to clinicians, counselors, social workers, and other professionals offering services to Hispanic and Latino populations with SUDs. Dr. Orobitg was also a clinical consultant at Proyecto Mujer- a gender-specific treatment program for Latinas with SUDs and trauma histories. Darice is currently the Training and Content Specialist for the National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. She has been in private practice since 2005.  

View Presentation Slides   Session Description: Join Doug Smith to explore grief counseling skills. Part 2 (During the November Institute) will present and briefly describe a multitude of grief counseling tools, including loss intensity graphs, relationship complexity graphs, healing contracts, grief diaries, letters to finish the unfinished, memory books, memory jars, memory quilts, memory sculptures, memory collages, forgiveness flowers, wounded healer resumes, joys and concerns altars, guided imagery techniques, virtual dreams, breath meditations, collaborative prayers, tools for getting through the holidays, Tonglen, and the use of silence. Speaker Bio: Douglas Smith has been the lead instructor for the University of Wisconsin’s Grief Support Services Certificate program, which has trained over 600 healthcare professions in 39 states and 14 countries. He has conducted extensive grief training workshops in all 50 states, and internationally. He also has extensive personal experiences related to grief.  

Presentation slides

View Presentation Slides Session Description: Part 2 begins by reviewing research on grief interventions.  Participants consider the goals and techniques of grief counseling in individual, family, and group settings.  Special emphasis is placed on techniques such as meaning-making and the use of ritual and an overview of expressive techniques, as well as techniques especially suited for children, adolescents, and older adults. Speaker Bio: Dr. Kenneth J. Doka is a Professor Emeritus, The College of New Rochelle and Senior Consultant to the Hospice Foundation of America.  Dr. Doka has extensive experience in the area of grief, is a prolific author and speaker, providing keynoted addresses internationally. Dr. Doka participates in the annual Hospice Foundation of America Teleconference and has appeared on CNN and Nightline.  In addition, he has served as a consultant to medical, nursing, funeral service, and hospice organizations as well as businesses and educational and social service agencies.  Dr. Doka was elected President of the Association for Death Education and Counseling in 1993.  In 1995, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the International Work Group on Dying, Death, and Bereavement and served as chair from 1997-1999.  The Association for Death Education and Counseling presented him with an Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Death Education in 1998 and Significant Contributions to the Field of Thanatology in 2014.  In 2000 Scott and White presented him an award for Outstanding Contributions to Thanatology and Hospice.  His Alma Mater Concordia College presented him with their first Distinguished Alumnus Award.  He is a recipient of the Caring Hands Award as well as the Dr. Robert Fulton CDEB Founder’s Award.  In 2006, Dr. Doka was grandfathered in as a Mental Health Counselor under NY State’s first licensure of counselors. Dr. Doka is an ordained Lutheran minister. http://www.drkendoka.com/  

Presentation slides

Watch the webinar. Download the FAQ.   As an extension to Part 1, we will focus on ways to communicate empathy and support students’ grief journey inaction. We will identify common barriers to providers communicating empathy to those who are grieving, invite all to reflect on our own barriers, and discuss possible ways to overcome those barriers. Then, we will introduce therapeutic activities that support students in establishing a sense of safety, dealing with emotions, making sense of the loss, and living with the loss beyond the loss, including over telehealth. Two clinicians from Hathaway Sycamores will share their clinical experiences and how they worked through their own barriers in supporting students’ grief journey.   Speaker: Rozlyn Kwong, LMFT, Hathaway Sycamore Child and Family Services   Learn more about the Grief Sensitivity Virtual Learning Institute.  

Watch the webinar.   Building on the information presented in September, this session will address more advanced topics related to supporting grieving students, including: 1) the unique challenges of supporting grieving preschool-age and college students; 2) providing support when death occurs in the context of a major school crisis; and 3) professional self-care for those providing support to grieving students. The session will also review the principles of commemoration and memorialization in school and community settings. Speaker: David J. Schonfeld, MD, FAAP, Director, National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement   Learn more about the Grief Sensitivity Virtual Learning Institute.  

Watch the webinar.   The current school landscape is experiencing overwhelming psychosocial needs of students, caregivers who are uncertain how to support youth, and school systems struggling to develop a responsive plan. COVID-19 has only served to exacerbate symptoms of trauma, grief, and loss for students and families. This session will provide an overview of trauma sensitive mindfulness techniques from neurobiological theory to a variety of specific practices that can be taught to students struggling with grief and trauma.   Speakers: Kerry Doyle, University of Southern California Lisa Wobbe-Veit, University of Southern California   Learn more about the Grief Sensitivity Virtual Learning Institute.  

Download the slides. Download the FAQ.   As an extension to Part 1, we will focus on ways to communicate empathy and support students’ grief journey inaction. We will identify common barriers to providers communicating empathy to those who are grieving, invite all to reflect on our own barriers, and discuss possible ways to overcome those barriers. Then, we will introduce therapeutic activities that support students in establishing a sense of safety, dealing with emotions, making sense of the loss, and living with the loss beyond the loss, including over telehealth. Two clinicians from Hathaway Sycamores will share their clinical experiences and how they worked through their own barriers in supporting students’ grief journey.   Speaker: Rozlyn Kwong, LMFT, Hathaway Sycamore Child and Family Services   Learn more about the Grief Sensitivity Virtual Learning Institute.  

Download the slides.   Building on the information presented in September, this session will address more advanced topics related to supporting grieving students, including: 1) the unique challenges of supporting grieving preschool-age and college students; 2) providing support when death occurs in the context of a major school crisis; and 3) professional self-care for those providing support to grieving students. The session will also review the principles of commemoration and memorialization in school and community settings. Speaker: David J. Schonfeld, MD, FAAP, Director, National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement   Learn more about the Grief Sensitivity Virtual Learning Institute.  

Download the slides.   The current school landscape is experiencing overwhelming psychosocial needs of students, caregivers who are uncertain how to support youth, and school systems struggling to develop a responsive plan. COVID-19 has only served to exacerbate symptoms of trauma, grief, and loss for students and families. This session will provide an overview of trauma sensitive mindfulness techniques from neurobiological theory to a variety of specific practices that can be taught to students struggling with grief and trauma.   Speakers: Kerry Doyle, University of Southern California Lisa Wobbe-Veit, University of Southern California   Learn more about the Grief Sensitivity Virtual Learning Institute.  

About the Product:  This infographic provides an overview of the Southeast MHTTC Year 2 events, activities and highlights. 

This presentation, Module 2: Cultural Case Formulation and Assessment Using the Dsm-5 Cultural Formulation Interview, is based on the guide developed by the National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. The goal of this training is to increase the awareness and abilities of mental health care providers in their use of cultural elements by promoting the use of culturally appropriate formulations when treating Latinx presenting with psychological and mental health disorders. This webinar is informed by current research findings on the impact of cultural factors on the assessment and treatment of mental health disorders and on the therapeutic relationship.   Download Slides Here

Considering Culture in the Diagnosis of Mental Health Disorders in Hispanic and Latino Populations. Module Goal: This module will provide training on integrating Latino cultural factors into the assessment, evaluation, and diagnosis of emotional, psychological, and mental disorders. This training is Module 3 of the Clinical Applications of Cultural Elements in Treating Hispanic and Latinos with Mental Health Disorders series and was prepared by the National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. The goal of this training is to increase the awareness and abilities of mental health care providers in their use of cultural elements by promoting the use of culturally appropriate formulations when treating Latinx presenting with psychological and mental health disorders. The information is informed by current research findings on the impact of cultural factors on the assessment and treatment of mental health disorders and on the therapeutic relationship.   Download Slides Here

Developing Culturally Centered Interventions Module Goal: This module will provide training on the integration of culturally centered interventions in mental health and substance use treatment. This training is Module 4 of the Clinical Applications of Cultural Elements in Treating Hispanics and Latinos with Mental Health Disorders and was prepared by the National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. The goal of this training is to increase the awareness and abilities of mental health care providers in their use of cultural elements by promoting the use of culturally appropriate formulations when treating Latinx presenting with psychological and mental health disorders. The information is informed by current research findings on the impact of cultural factors on the assessment and treatment of mental health disorders and on the therapeutic relationship.   Download Slides Here

  MODULE 5: Engaging and Treating the Hispanic and Latino Client Module Goal: This module will provide training on best practices in the engagement and treatment phase of mental health treatment with the Hispanic and Latino client. This training is Module 5 of the Clinical Applications of Cultural Elements in Treating Hispanics and Latinos with Mental Health Disorders series and was prepared by the National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. The goal of this training is to increase the awareness and abilities of mental health care providers in their use of cultural elements by promoting the use of culturally appropriate formulations when treating Latinx presenting with psychological and mental health disorders. The information is informed by current research findings on the impact of cultural factors on the assessment and treatment of mental health disorders and on the therapeutic relationship.   Download Slides Here

This 2-page document presents a summary of the Northwest MHTTC's accomplishments during our second year of operations, 2019-2020. 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.

In this webinar from Nov. 19, 2020, Mid-America MHTTC specialists and partners with Omaha-based Community Alliance describe how family peer support workers help families adjust their thoughts, feelings and behavior to promote health and well-being. Self-care allows family members to relate better to their loved ones, and providers and practitioners to promote recovery. Participants will understand how a family peer support worker can help families:   Adopt productive self-care strategies through teaching and modeling; Understand, identify, and accept their own emotional response to the illness of a loved one; and Develop a personal self-care plan.   Speakers:   Dr. Lilchandra Jai Sookram has been in the mental health field for over 40 years. At the Nebraska State Hospital, he provided psychological services to persons with serious mental illness and to their family members, and he directed clinical services including psychology, nursing, social work, therapeutic recreation, education and return-to-work programs. He is the former director of mental health services in Kansas and clinical director of a juvenile correctional facility. Currently he is manager of family and peer services at Community Alliance. Bill Baerentzen, Ph.D., CRC, LMHP, is serious mental illness program director for the Mid-America MHTTC. Much of his outreach involves promoting evidence-based practices to help people with serious mental illness (SMI) live meaningful inclusive lives. Dr. Baerentzen has worked as director of a 250-bed emergency overnight shelter; supervisor of therapists in a treatment program for persons with co-occurring disorders; and as faculty in a rehabilitation counseling program. Cecilia Losee is a financial planner who specializes in working with special needs families. Her own disability and that of her adult daughter give her a unique perspective into what it takes to plan for the future. With over 10 years in the industry she uses many different tools, such as special needs trusts, to ensure the protection of government benefits while maximizing the amount left to take care of your loved ones. Rich Kalal is a parent of a loved one with serious mental illness. A retiree of IBM, Kalal works as a volunteer at Community Alliance, in particular on family education programs along with Dr. Jai Sookram. On many occasions, Kalal has spoken to University of Nebraska Medical Center residents of psychiatry and family medicine and medical students about being a family member of a person with a serious mental illness.     Learn more about Family Peer Support: An Emerging Workforce at https://bit.ly/FPS_2020