Products and Resources Catalog

This webinar presents the role of work in recovery from serious mental illnesses (SMI), identifies the critical features of Supported Employment services and the eight practice principles of evidence-based Supported Employment, and provides and reviews employment resources. "Having a job increases self-esteem and promotes recovery. It's vital for people with serious mental illnesses to have employment opportunities that can provide the right supportive services to help them sustain healthy, productive lives." (Kana Enomoto, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary - SAMHSA)   View session recording

Prepared by Jessica Maura, PhD and Sarah Kopelovich, PhD Over 100 million people in the US identify as belonging to a racial and/or ethnic minority group. Individuals with a serious mental illness who also identify as a racial/ethnic minority tend to receive poorer quality of care, have less access to services, and experience higher dropout rates and poorer outcomes when compared to their White counterparts1. These differences have spurred initiatives to integrate cultural perspectives into evidence-based treatments. This practice brief is intended to help clinicians —particularly those who administer Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for individuals with serious mental illness—to enhance their cultural awareness and incorporate culturally-relevant practices into their formulation and treatment approach.

This is the fourth installment of our regional newsletter. This issue's focus is on mental health and the criminal justice system.

Read our latest Northwest MHTTC newsletter! Our December newsletter is short and sweet, reflecting back on the year, and ahead to 2020. Find out about our recent in-person Advisory Board meeting in Seattle, where members from our 4-state region joined for lively discussion about collaborating to reach our mutual goals.  Best wishes to all in the holiday season!

This webinar presents the key elements of recovery from serious mental illnesses based on the research literature and reviews of first-person accounts from those in recovery. This webinar is the first in a series of webinars focused on services and practices that support recovery.    Session Objectives: Describe the key elements of recovery from serious mental illness. Distinguish clinical and personal recovery. Identify the services and practices that support recovery.    View session recording   Joni Dolce, MS, CRC, CPRP, is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers, School of Health Professions. Joni has several years of experience working in behavioral healthcare settings, namely supported employment. Joni teaches courses in the AS and BS in Psychiatric Rehabilitation programs as well as providing training and technical assistance to behavioral healthcare providers. Her research interests include staff training and employment services. She presents nationally on the topic of employment services and is listed as a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recommended speaker on the topic of creating workplaces that support mental health.

This flyer provides an overview of Mid-America MHTTC services in the field of serious mental illness.

Patients with serious mental illness (SMI) experience inequities in cancer care that contribute to increased cancer mortality. Co-morbid mental illness is also associated with increased healthcare utilization and costs compared to other patients with cancer. Pro-active psychiatry consultation and person-centered, team-based care are promising approaches that may increase access to cancer care. We will discuss how we adapted the collaborative care model to address the needs of patients with SMI and cancer and share best practices and case examples.   Presented by Dr. Kelly Irwin Dr. Irwin is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a faculty psychiatrist at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center and MGH Schizophrenia Program. Dr. Irwin is the Director of the Collaborative Care and Community Engagement Program, a research and clinical program focused on improving cancer outcomes for people with severe mental illness. She also co-founded Engage -- a community network that engaged diverse voices to promote equity in cancer care and research for people with mental illness and regularly collaborates with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health. Dr. Irwin has an MD from Harvard Medical School and an MPH from Harvard School of Public Health. She completed her residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean in 2012 and is currently leading a randomized controlled trial funded by the National Cancer Institute that is investigating the impact of proactive psychiatry consultation and case management on cancer care for people with serious mental illness.    

In this Brief Behavioral Skills module Drs. Kari Stephens and Patrick Raue provide an overview of Behavioral Activation, an evidence-based treatment for depressive symptoms. Behavioral Activation is a structured and brief approach to treatment that targets patterns of avoidance, withdrawal, and inactivity that are common among those with depressive symptoms. The learning objectives for this module are to:    Understand the Behavioral Activation model of depressive symptoms Describe how to develop a case formulation for a patient experiencing elevated depressive symptoms Understand the role of avoidance in maintaining depressive symptoms Describe how to help patients select activities and make a specific plan Understand how to evaluate the outcome of patients’ efforts and problem-solve barriers to action planning   Presenters: Kari Stephens, PhD Clinical Psychologist with the University of Washington School of Medicine, a UW Associate Professor of Family Medicine; an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education. Patrick Raue, PhD Clinical Psychologist at UWMC-Roosevelt, Associate Director for the University of Washington Evidence-Based Psychosocial Interventions; Director of the National Network of Problem Solving Treatment Clinicians; Trainers, & Researchers and a UW Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Population Health. See related resources here.  

In this Brief Behavioral Skills module Drs. Kari Stephens and Patrick Raue provide an overview of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Distress Tolerance Skills, an evidence-based approach that teaches patients skills to help them tolerate distressing thoughts and emotions. Distress Tolerance (DT) skills are appropriate for patients who are experiencing crisis, especially those who are experiencing a serious problem that cannot be solved in the moment. The learning objectives for this module are to help clinicians:   Determine when to use DBT’s Distress Tolerance (DT) skills with your patients List the DT skills Integrated use of DT skills in the practice setting   Presenters: Kari Stephens, PhD Clinical Psychologist with the University of Washington School of Medicine, a UW Associate Professor of Family Medicine; an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education.   Patrick Raue, PhD Clinical Psychologist at UWMC-Roosevelt, Associate Director for the University of Washington Evidence-Based Psychosocial Interventions; Director of the National Network of Problem Solving Treatment Clinicians; Trainers, & Researchers and a UW Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Population Health.   Find related Resources here.  

Find our October newsletter here. You will find links to three online trainings we've developed, now available as self-paced continuing education courses through the HealtheKnowledge platform. We call out the two other regional TTCs; the Northwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) and Northwest Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC), and highlight upcoming webinars produced by various TTCs.  You will find links to an important survey on Serious Mental Illness and Suicide Educational Needs, as well as School Mental Health Resources, a Mental Health First Aid Course, and a Call for Presentations to the 2020 Washington Behavioral Healthcare Conference next June in Kennewick, Washington. And more! Sign Up for the Northwest MHTTC Newsletter

Recording of the webinar titled Chop Wood and Carry Water: Key Elements in Progressive Peer Workforce Practice, originally held on July 30, 2019.   Presentation Slides

Severe and persistent mental illness touches every part of a person’s life. It impacts overall health, relationships, activities of daily living and overall quality of life. The mental health treatment community is learning more about evidence-based practices that result in increased quality of life and improved recovery trajectories. The foundation of mental health treatment is a multidisciplinary treatment team. In this webinar, Dr. Gina Bryan gives an overview of how nurses support people with persistent and severe mental illness.

Find our 2nd published newsletter here, acknowledging the completion of our inaugural year. This newsletter issue focuses on Integrative Care. "In the US, a person living with schizophrenia has a life expectancy that is, on average, 28 years shorter than that of the general US population.1 The Northwest MHTTC is committed to addressing this health disparity through training, implementation, and workforce activities that target the leading causes of this premature mortality. During our inaugural year, we partnered with regional stakeholders on activities to target two leading causes of death, cardiovascular disease and suicide (read in our newsletter). As we begin our second year, we have a variety of activities planned which further our mission and our vision of a future in which people who experience psychosis have the same life expectancy as their peers."  Lydia Chwastiak MD. MPH, Co-Director, Northwest MHTTC 1 Olfson M, Gerhard T, Huang C, Crystal S, Stroup TS. Premature Mortality Among Adults With Schizophrenia in the United States. JAMA psychiatry. 2015;72(12):1172-1181.  

At the Fifth Biennial Conference of the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration (SIRC) on September 13-14, 2019, a group representing the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center presented a research poster, “Supporting Practitioners through Workforce Development: How do Training Strategies Impact Implementation Outcomes?” The poster presentation was part of a group, “Training and D & I Competencies” on Saturday, September 14. Northwest MHTTC Co-Directors, Lydia Chwastiak and Maria Monroe-DeVita and Training Director, Sarah Kopelovich collaborated with Director of Evaluation and School Mental Health Lead, Eric Bruns and his Wraparound Evaluation and Research Team members, Jonathon Olson, Philip Benjamin, Marianne Kellogg, and Taylor Berntson. The conference took place at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. The goal of the 5th Biennial Conference of  SIRC was to explore the ways in which research, policy and practice intersect to advance the field and improve outcomes for populations served. From the conference website, “Where does the “rubber meet the road” and how do our advances in implementation science have a direct and relevant impact on policies and programs in real world settings? We hope that our 2019 conference provided the opportunity for implementation researchers, intermediaries, practitioners, policy makers and students to convene, share innovations and ideas, and learn from one another. We believe that, more than ever, it is important to create a space where interactive dialogue can enable us to better understand each other’s perspectives and advance our field. Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

We’ve launched a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp) ePrimer in HealtheKnowledge. This 3-hour, self-paced course is designed to serve as a primer in foundational concepts related to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and its application to psychotic symptoms and experiences. Learners will start by testing their knowledge on a 30-item adapted CBT quiz, and will then be guided to complete brief modules on the topics of: (1) Psychosis education, (2) CBT fundamentals, and (3) Applying CBT to psychosis. Finally, learners will apply what they’ve learned to a practice and self-reflection exercise. Resources for further learning are provided.    Trainer Sarah Kopelovich, PhD University of Washington, School of Medicine Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Professor, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis Northwest MHTTC Role: Director of Training Sarah Kopelovich, PhD is a forensically-trained, licensed clinical psychologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine, based at Harborview Medical Center. Dr. Kopelovich is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and holds a Professorship in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis. Her research aims to enhance implementation and dissemination strategies for psychosocial interventions indicated for individuals with Psychotic Spectrum Disorders. She leads the only CBT for psychosis Provider Network in the country, which has received continual state funding since 2015. She regularly conducts workshops, seminars, and professional consultation across the country for mental health practitioners in CBT for psychosis (CBTp) and CBTp-informed care; Coordinated Specialty Care for First Episode Psychosis and Assertive Community Treatment; and diagnostic, suicide, and violence risk assessment. Dr. Kopelovich is core faculty with the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center and currently serves as the Director of Training. This product launched as a closed course included with a CBTp Implementation project. The course is now available to the public and can be found by clicking the "Resource" link above.   

The Psychiatrist’s Guide to Population Management of Diabetes is a 3-hour, self-paced course designed for psychiatric prescribers who treat patients with serious mental illness, hosted on the HealtheKnowledge platform. The course aims to increase prescriber knowledge of and confidence in the identification and management of diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors. Based on a Population Management approach, this course provides strategies to identify care gaps and stratify risks related to diabetes in a population with serious mental illness; address prevention of diabetes through strategies to support health behavior change that are feasible in specialty mental health settings; and describe treatment options for Type 2 diabetes, including goals of diabetes care for patients with serious mental illness. This course is presented in three modules by: Lydia Chwastiak MD, MPH, a psychiatrist and internal medicine physician and professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Chwastiak is also co-director of the Northwest MHTTC. Martha Ward MD, a psychiatrist and internal medicine physician, and Associate Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine. Alyson Myers MD, a psychiatrist and endocrinologist and Associate Professor at the David and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine. Dr. Myers is also the Medical Director of the Inpatient Diabetes Unit at North Shore University Hospital.   Registration and Technical Support How to register for a course at HealtheKnowledge and how to get technical support   This online course was created by the Northwest Region 10 Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) with support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  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.

An overview of key constraints on Medicaid reimbursement for School Mental Health Services.

This fact sheet provides an overview of the mental health services system and landscape in Kentucky.

This fact sheet provides an overview of the mental health services system and landscape in North Carolina.

This fact sheet provides an overview of the mental health services system and landscape in South Carolina.

Northwest MHTTC's Training Director, Sarah Kopelovich, PhD, presented a didactic to the UW Psychiatry and Addictions Case Conference (PACC) on June 20, 2019. This was one of two sessions which focused on the diagnosis and medical management of psychosis in primary care settings. The goal of these two sessions is to build understanding among primary care providers about the treatment and management of psychosis and how the medical management of psychosis can impact the physical health of those receiving treatment. In this session, Dr. Sarah Kopelovich reviews updated facts and figures concerning psychosis outcomes to enable primary care providers to provide more accurate psychoeducation, key considerations relevant to differential diagnosis in a primary care setting, and core practical skills for a clinical encounter of any nature. Dr. Kopelovich also provides information about high-yield behavioral interventions and skill building techniques that can be incorporated into primary care sessions. The UW Psychiatry and Addictions Case Conference (UW PACC) series is a CME-accredited program designed to expand the mental health and addictions care capacity of health care professionals in remote, underserved areas of Washington. The goal of UW PACC is to develop a regional peer learning and support network for treating mental health and addictions that will ultimately result in better patient care. Modeled after the University of New Mexico's Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), UW PACC offers telehealth resource support to build the confidence and skills of providers who care for patients with mental and behavioral health conditions. The series is appropriate for primary care providers, mental health or addictions providers, and psychiatrists willing to engage in a proven model of distance learning. Using interactive video, each session includes a 20-minute educational presentation from a year-long curriculum, followed by in-depth case consultations between community providers and a panel of UW Medicine psychiatrists. New attendees are welcome at any time and weekly attendance is not required.

Recording of the webinar titled Integrated Care Needs of Older Adults with Serious Mental Illness & Implications for Effective Care Transitions, originally held on July 10, 2019.   Slide Presentation  Older Adult Fact Sheet

This fact sheet provides an overview of the mental health services system and landscape in Mississippi.

This fact sheet provides an overview of the mental health services system and landscape in Tennessee.