Products and Resources Catalog

Housing for all in Rural Communities June 24, 2019 Jennifer Lopez discussed housing for all in rural communities with a focus on housing solutions for persons with mental health concerns in rural settings. Slide deck Recording

Texas schools have never been more interested in supporting students’ mental health. Community mental health centers are a critical partner for schools seeking to provide comprehensive school mental health; however, creating healthy partnerships can be challenging. Join us in the second webinar in the series to hear from the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission about new initiatives underway to expand access to student supports for emotional and behavioral health across the state. Tune in for an update on the recent legislative changes intended to create safe and supportive schools in Texas.

June is Pride Month! In this newsletter, we feature events, resources, and news related to supporting LGBTQ mental health, including in our schools. This newsletter also highlights a wealth of upcoming learning events from our MHTTC, including Adaptive Leadership Trainings, a regional School Mental Health Learning Collaborative, and several conferences where we'll be presenting. We hope to see you soon.

Together with Veterans: A Rural Veteran Suicide Prevention Program June 20, 2019 Gina Brimner spoke to the Together With Veterans Program. Together With Veterans targets rural populations and empowers Veterans to lead community-based and evidence-informed planning efforts to address Veteran suicide locally and discuss implementation strategies. Slide deck

Farm Crisis and Behavioral Health June 19, 2019 Charles Griffin provided a backdrop to the recurrence of the farm crisis, new legislation to address the crisis, as well as strategies for addressing the needs of farming communities. Slide deck Recording

We are excited to introduce ourselves and the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (Northwest MHTTC). When we received news that our proposal was funded late last year, it felt like a dream come true. Now we have the opportunity to move the needle on improving behavioral health outcomes for persons with or at risk of developing serious mental illness across Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington).

On June 19th, we held our third Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) Series webinar on "Trauma-Informed Care in the Context of Recovery-Oriented Approaches". Rebecca Miller discussed the principles of trauma-informed care and those of a recovery orientation complement one another well. She also described both models, discussed the overlap between the two, and highlighted examples of how recovery-oriented, trauma-informed approaches look in programs/practice. 

On June 19th,we held the second part of the webinar series "Person-centered Recovery Planning (PCRP) Implementation Series". Janis Tondora, PsyD. from Yale University's Program and Recovery and Community Health, and Dan Wartenberg, Psy.D, M.P.H., Chief Clinical Officer, Newport Mental Health reviewed the key indicators of PCRP from both a process and a documentation perspective.

Webinar by Kate Hardy, Clin.Psych.D Dr. Kate Hardy, an international expert in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for psychosis (CBTp), gives a didactic on incorporating natural supports into therapy for a group of CBTp trainees. She covers the utility of involving natural supports like family members or friends into a course of CBTp and illustrates through case examples how to do so skillfully and therapeutically.

This 45-minute video interview presentation created by Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC), representing HHS Region VIII, is a professional learning tool to explore how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) affect the human population. Director of Mountain Plains MHTTC, Professor Thomasine Heitkamp, interviews a national expert on Adverse Childhood Experiences, Dr. Donald Warne, who offers insight to providers and educators interested in gaining a deeper understanding of ACEs, including content on historical trauma and addressing stigma. WHAT ARE ACEs? Adverse Childhood Experiences ACEs are experiences in childhood that are unhappy, unpleasant, and/or hurtful. They are sometimes referred to as toxic stress or childhood trauma. ACEs are categorized into three groups: abuse, neglect, and household challenges. Each category is further divided into multiple subcategories. The prevalence of ACEs is organized by category. All ACE questions refer to the respondent’s first 18 years of life. Abuse Emotional abuse: A parent, stepparent, or adult living in your home swore at you, insulted you, put you down, or acted in a way that made you afraid that you might be physically hurt. Physical abuse: A parent, stepparent, or adult living in your home pushed, grabbed, slapped, threw something at you, or hit you so hard that you had marks or were injured. Sexual abuse: An adult, relative, family friend, or stranger who was at least 5 years older than you ever touched or fondled your body in a sexual way, made you touch his/her body in a sexual way, attempted to have any type of sexual intercourse with you.   Household Challenges Mother is treated violently: Your mother or stepmother was pushed, grabbed, slapped, had something thrown at her, kicked, bitten, hit with a fist, hit with something hard, repeatedly hit for over at least a few minutes, or ever threatened or hurt by a knife or gun by your father (or stepfather) or mother’s boyfriend. Substance abuse in the household: A household member was a problem drinker or alcoholic or a household member used street drugs. Mental illness in the household: A household member was depressed or mentally ill or a household member attempted suicide. Parental separation or divorce: Your parents were ever separated or divorced. Incarcerated household member: A household member went to prison.   Neglect Emotional neglect: Someone in your family helped you feel important or special, you felt loved, people in your family looked out for each other and felt close to each other, and your family was a source of strength and support. Physical neglect: There was someone to take care of you, protect you, and take you to the doctor if you needed it, you didn’t have enough to eat, your parents were too drunk or too high to take care of you, and you had to wear dirty clothes.   Research Findings The Center for Disease Control-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study is one of the largest investigations of childhood abuse and neglect and household challenges and later-life health and well-being. The original ACE Study was conducted at Kaiser Permanente from 1995 to 1997 with two waves of data collection. More than 17,000 Health Maintenance Organization members from Southern California receiving physical exams completed confidential surveys regarding their childhood experiences and current health status and behaviors. The CDC-Kaiser Permanente ACE Study uncovered how ACEs are strongly related to development of risk factors for disease, and well-being throughout the life course. More detailed information about the study can be found in this article, “Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults External.”

The workload for a school counselor in a traditional role can be overwhelming, and students in need of mental or emotional support may be inadvertently overlooked. This webinar describes how shifting from a traditional counseling approach to a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) benefits both students and staff members who provide mental and/or behavioral support services. Strategies discussed include using data to identify students in need of support, expanding the effectiveness of the continuum of interventions, and thinking “out of the box” to engage non-traditional MTSS team members. The Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience Education) Coordinators from two rural school districts in northern Nevada share how an MTSS has transformed their districts and positively impacted the lives of students. Participants learn key strategies from two rural school districts who built a Multi-Tiered System of Support from the ground up. Successes, lessons learned, and the challenges that two Project AWARE grantees have experienced while implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Support will benefit all participants who join! Identify school and community resources that can be used to provide preventative and early intervention services Understand the enhanced continuum of interventions in a multi-tiered and multi-dimensional system of support Understand how to target interventions and monitor progress using data  

There are longstanding concerns about whether the mental health workforce has been adequately trained and is large enough to the meet the diverse needs of this country’s population. The concerns have become more acute as a strong U.S. economy drives greater recruitment and retention problems in this field. This webinar, sponsored by the MHTTC Network Coordinating Office and facilitated by Michael Hoge, Ph.D., briefly reviewed the major challenges and then presented an array of strategies for finding, keeping and building a more competent workforce. Innovative practices from across the country were also highlighted. The webinar recording can be accessed here.The slide deck for this webinar, as well as the webinar recording transcription, are available for download above. Please contact Jessica Gonzalez at [email protected] if you have any questions.

On June 5th, we held the first part of the webinar series "Person-centered Recovery Planning (PCRP) Implementation Series". Janis Tondora, PsyD. from Yale University's Program and Recovery and Community Health, and Dan Wartenberg, Psy.D, M.P.H., Chief Clinical Officer, Newport Mental Health reviewed the key indicators of PCRP from both a process and a documentation perspective. 

on June 5th, Dr. Rivers Murphy, with Kate Retzel, Principal, Lee Elementary School (Lee, MA), shares strategies and activities used during the implementation of a year-long mindfulness program in a prek-6 school. They also shared strategies for introducing mindfulness in high schools, including some of the unique opportunities and challenges associated with this work at the secondary level. To download the slides, click here. Presenter(s): Michele Rivers Murphy, Ed.D., CEI Associate Director, Heart Centered Learning

On June 5th, we held our second Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) Series webinar on "What Is Trauma-Informed Care and Why Does It Matter?" Katie Volk discussed principles of trauma-informed care, ways to implement it in your organization, and how it aligns with and promotes recovery-oriented practice. To watch Nadine Burke Harris's TED Talk mentioned during the webinar, click here. 

PowerPoint presentation that provides an overview of the Central East MHTTC's work.

Violence Risk Assessment & Management is a three-hour self-paced course that provides the necessary tools for clinicians to assess, manage, and stabilize threats of violence, hosted on the HealtheKnowledge platform. Concerns about violence risk frequently arise in clinical settings. There is often confusion among providers about the boundaries of confidentiality, when and how to invoke their professional obligation to protect or warn third parties, and how to balance therapeutics and public safety. This course addresses: Boundaries of confidentiality Clinicians’ duty to warn or protect potential victims Proven methods to assess and manage the risk of violence   Each module of the course includes: Real case vignettes A 3-item assessment to guide your learning Interactive practical exercises with feedback In addition, a 3.0 hour certificate of completion is available. Course Flyer Download the course flyer here. Trainers Dr. Sarah Kopelovich, a forensic clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine based at Harborview Medical Center  Dr. Katherine Michaelsen, a forensic psychiatrist at the Puget Sound Veterans Administration and Acting Assistant Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine Dr. Tobias Wasser, a forensic psychiatrist at Whiting Forensic Hospital and Assistant Professor at Yale University School of Medicine   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.  

The state of affairs in the United States and globally currently places policies over people. The intersection of international territories and human rights is most salient in our discourse on immigration. The impact systemic policies have on families, particularly children, is profound and deeply troubling. This webinar will address the challenges immigrant children face, including unaccompanied minors, and how school-based systems can create supportive contexts for children and their families.

Prepared by Lydia Chwastiak, MD, MPH Older adults with serious mental illnesses (SMI), such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, have more hospitalizations and 4 times greater risk of death at any given age than those without SMI. They are also 3.5 times more likely to live in a nursing home. Despite higher acute and long-term healthcare costs, adults with SMI experience greater barriers to preventive and routine health care, and often receive care that is fragmented and inadequate. These disparities highlight a need for effective and sustainable integrated care models designed specifically to support the special health care needs among older adults with SMI. This research brief provides a summary of evidence-based integrated models of care that address the mental and physical health needs of adults with SMI.  

On May 23rd, Center for Educational Improvement (CEI) in collaboration with New England -MHTTC, presented the second webinar of the Childhood-Trauma Learning Collaborative (C-TLC) Webinar Series on Parents and Compassion. This webinar explained how schools can be engaged with families that are steeped in trauma. They discussed how trauma can impact children and how the family can assist, and how to increase compassionate interactions between school and families. To download the slides, click here. 

Though the practice of civil commitment and involuntary hospitalization has markedly changed since the middle of the 20th century, it remains one of the most controversial procedures in behavioral healthcare.   This webinar explores civil commitment law through the lens of civil liberties for young adults of transition age. We consider the ethical tensions between a provider or family member's desire to help a young person experiencing serious mental illness and the young person's autonomy. Presenters will discuss the importance of shared decision making and will provide strategies for improving the process of civil commitments for youth and their families.   Learning Objectives: Understand the history of civil commitment in the US. Consider justifications for civil commitment and involuntary mental health treatment. Identify best practices and practical strategies for shared decision making with youth and families through a civil commitment process. Identify key questions for policy and agency decision makers to consider when establishing processes which may lead to civil commitment.  

Assertive Community Treatment Fidelity and Rural Considerations May 28, 2019 Dr. Hannah Koch discussed how to tweak the Assertive Community Treatment model to make it work in a rural setting. Slide deck

On May 15th, Michelle Friedman-Yakoobian PhD and Brandon Gaudiano PhD discussed Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and its application to treating individuals with early psychosis. The webinar provided a brief overview of this approach, information about the emerging research in this area, and a case example.  

On May 16th, Center for Educational Improvement (CEI) in collaboration with New England -MHTTC, presented the first webinar of the Childhood-Trauma Learning Collaborative (C-TLC) Webinar Series on Neurobiology and Executive Functioning. This webinar discussed the neurobiology of trauma and how trauma impacts cognition, judgment, and academic learning. To download the slides, click here.