Products and Resources Catalog

Recording of the webinar Assessing Organizational and Systems Readiness for Access to Appropriate Care Levels, originally held on August 8, 2019.   Slide Presentation Older Adult Fact Sheet

Recording of the webinar titled "Suicide and Opioids," originally held on September 25, 2019.   Download the 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.

On September 26th, Lynda Gargan led a webinar on how family members are the most consistent adults in children’s lives and have important information to share with schools which may improve the behavioral health of their children. She also discussed ways to enhance the lives of students through effective family engagement strategies designed to improve the behavioral health of children. To download the slides, click here. 

The Southeast MHTTC conducted a region-wide needs assessment to better understand the landscape of public mental health in the Southeast. We focused on examining the demographic, clinical, and mental health system characteristics of the region; available mental health-related trainings and resources; and states’ mental health priorities, strengths, and needs. This is the finalized version of the needs assessment report.

This brief provides an overview and the lessons learned from a program implemented through the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education’s Behavioral Health Program (WICHE BHP). This initiative focused on developing rural psychology internship opportunities in an effort to grow the rural workforce. These internships have proven effective for behavioral health workforce development and may apply to other health disciplines as well. Authors Dennis Mohatt Liza Tupa Shawnda Schroeder

Dr. Michael Hogan examines suicide prevention in healthcare settings, comparing the progress made in reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths with the lack of progress in reducing suicide deaths. The available tools for “suicide care” have comparable cost and effectiveness to CVD interventions and a focus should be placed on improving use of these effective tools. Please click here to access the webinar.

Dr. David Jobes, the founder and developer of CAMS, presents on this evidence-based suicide-focused clinical framework for effectively treating suicidal patients. Please click here to access the webinar.

This month: we launch our monthly newsletter, share recordings of hosted webinars, and announce upcoming events. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter here.

  On August 29th, Dr. Hilary Hodgdon, Director of Research Operations at the Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Institute, talked about the science and the tools that can help school staff identify students at the greatest risk of experiencing significant trauma. This interview-style session was led by the Center for Educational Improvement’s Executive Director Dr. Christine Mason. To download the slides, click here. 

On September 10th, Suzan Mullane, MSEd., Research Associate and Trustee, Center for Educational Improvement, discussed how research has shown that children with mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders and their families face personal, financial, and neighborhood challenges more often than families of children without these disorders. These challenges may make it harder for some parents to give their child the resources they need to thrive. The type of community that families live in, urban versus rural, may increase these challenges. She also addressed better access to mental health care for children and parents in rural areas. To download the slides, click here.   

On September 19th, we kicked off the C-TLC Book Study. Based on CEI’s Heart Centered Learning® model, Mindfulness Practices explains, through research, the influential power mindfulness can have on reducing trauma and how this can positively affect a school’s climate and culture. This book study will provide educators with the opportunity to explore ways to uplift students through mindful breathing, yoga, meditation, and instruction in classrooms while building caring, kind, compassionate schools.   It was led by Christine Mason, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director, Center for Educational Improvement (CEI) and C-TLC Project Director and Michele Rivers Murphy, Ed.D., Associate Director, Heart Centered Learning, Center for Educational Improvement. 

On September 20th, Emily Kline discussed how many individuals with first episode psychosis are reluctant to attend treatment and are at risk for dropping out before receiving the full benefits of care. This webinar reviewed reasons that teens and young adults may be wary of first episode psychosis treatment and offer practical suggestions for creating a program that promotes engagement and minimizes barriers at the outset of treatment. 

A fact sheet describing the need for mental health services among school age children, with data from the Youth Behavior Risk Surveillance System (Year 2018 Data).

Infographics describing health and prevention services for students and policies related to mental health screenings.

Infographics describing the mental health staffing characteristics in schools in the Southeast region.

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.  

September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month. Find resources to help build your capacity to support Latinx mental health.

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

September 13, 2019 The Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, in partnership with the University of North Dakota Department of Occupational Therapy, hosted a half-day training symposium on suicide prevention for students and faculty of the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The training opened with a presentation of commonly used suicide assessment tools, how to have a conversation with patients regarding suicidal thoughts, and best practices for using a multi-disciplinary approach to supporting patients with active suicidal thoughts. A moderated panel discussion on suicide prevention with special populations followed. Slide deck Recording

This webinar is part one of a two-part series. The first webinar will discuss a mental health response to both natural and human-created disasters. The differences for each type of disaster will be discussed with a focus on natural disasters. Case studies from different natural disasters will be discussed. It will also discuss the relationship between the mental health and public health sectors and how these two groups work together during a natural disaster. Learning Objectives By the end of this training, participants will be able to: Describe the phases of a disaster mental health response during a natural disaster. Define the factors that lead to resilience during a natural disaster. Assess the behavioral health needs of a community after a natural disaster. Explain the relationship between the mental health and public health sectors during a mental health disaster response during a natural disaster.

This second webinar will discuss a mental health response to human-created disasters. The phases of response to a human-created disaster will be described as well as the factors that lead to resilience. Case studies on recent human-created disasters will be discussed. It will also discuss the relationship between the mental health and public health sectors and how these two groups work together during a human-created disaster. Learning Objectives By the end of this training, participants will be able to: Describe the phases of a disaster mental health response during a human-created disaster. Define the factors that lead to resilience during a human-created disaster. Assess the behavioral health needs of a community after a human-created disaster. Explain the relationship between the mental health and public health sectors during a mental health disaster response during a human-created disaster.

This fact sheet is meant to accompany the two-part Southeast MHTTC webinar related to Mental Health Response to both natural and human-created disasters.

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.