Products and Resources Catalog

On July 11th, we held a psychopharmacology consultation line with Dr. Matcheri Keshavan, where he addressed specific psychosis-related psychopharmacology questions. 

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.

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

Northwest MHTTC's Co-Director, Lydia Chwastiak, MD, MPH presented a didactic to the UW Psychiatry and Addictions Case Conference (PACC) on June 13, 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. Lydia Chwastiak reviews the five principles that guide evidence-based safe anti-psychotic prescribing, provides an overview of the recommended first-line medications for treatment of psychosis and their side effects, and identifies changes that can be made to current primary care practice to mitigate metabolic risk among patients treated with anti-psychotic medications. 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, under-served 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.

Schools play an important role in recognizing and responding to suicide risk in students. Effective strategies must be embedded within a positive school climate that engages the entire school community. This webinar outlines best practice strategies schools can implement to identify and respond to students at risk for suicide. In addition, the webinar describes the steps that schools should take to mitigate suicide risk and promote positive mental health and well-being. Presenter:  Tandra Rutledge, MA, is the Director of Business Development at Riveredge Hospital in Forest Park, Illinois. She is a certified suicide prevention gatekeeper trainer for the QPR Institute, a trainer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s educational programs, and a CIT (Crisis Intervention Training) instructor with the Chicago Police Department. As a mental health advocate and suicide prevention trainer for the past 25 years,Tandra provides training to schools, parents, faith-based organizations, physicians and other healthcare professionals Webinar Slides: The Role of Schools in Preventing Suicide Transcript: The Role of Schools in Preventing Suicide   

Co-developed by the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network Coordinating Office and the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) to help states, districts, and schools across the United States understand the core components of comprehensive school mental health and engage in a planning process around implementation of services, the National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules focuses on the following core features of effective school mental health initiatives: Roles for Educators and Student Instructional Support Personnel Collaboration and Teaming Multi-Tiered System of Supports Evidence-Informed Services and Supports Cultural Responsiveness and Equity Data-Driven Decision Making The Implementation Guidance Modules are intended to be used with district teams that can influence, develop, and oversee school mental health systems at the school district and building levels. See a complete overview of the Implementation Guidance Modules here. 

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. This first webinar in the series aims to provide community mental health leaders with an understanding of the characteristics of a comprehensive school mental health system and the different roles that community mental health providers may play in supporting student mental health and wellness. Click here to download the slides.

Aging is a fact of life and it is frequently accompanied by declining health, but it does not always have to be that way. The aging adult is frequently expected to manifest deficits in cognition, and these deficits can be part of a primary brain degenerative process, a psychiatric illness, or physical disease. These conditions either individually or combined interact with each other, meaning that the presence of one can make the other one worse. Any of these conditions along with other social factors, such as the environment where one is born, lives or works, ethnicity, income, support system, level of acculturation, and the degree of health literacy can facilitate or obstruct access to care and eventually influence health outcomes. This presentation will explain the interaction of these conditions in the Latino elderly, and the known barriers coming from the health system and health disparities perspective. The presentation will close with ideas of what you can do at home while working with the Latino elderly, and with a short video of an older Latino woman who will explain her desire to live in spite of her illnesses. With the Latino aging population growing in the US, it is our turn to promote health messages that resonate with their needs and preferences, such as optimism and acceptance, connectedness, independence, and self-worth.

Dr. Anthony Zazzarino, PhD, LPC, ACS, CPRP is a full-time faculty member at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions. He currently provides instruction for professional education courses for New Jersey’s Supported Housing agencies implementing Community Support Services (CSS), the Master’s program in Rehabilitation Counseling, and the Doctoral program in Counselor Education and Supervision. Dr. Zazzarino is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), and Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP). He completed his PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision at Walden University where he focused on improving the lives of sexual minorities with serious mental illnesses and enhancing individual’s knowledge of multicultural competence. Dr. Zazzarino is actively presenting at local, state, and national conferences related to psychiatric rehabilitation methods, counseling services, and supervision practices. In addition to his work at Rutgers, Dr. Zazzarino is a suicide prevention trainer for the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, facilitates group therapy for adolescents and adults at an intensive outpatient program, provides outpatient counseling services at his private practice, and provides clinical supervision for counselors who need supervised clinical hours in New Jersey.    Webinar Description and Objectives: Participants will become familiar with the unique needs facing individuals who identify as a sexual minority, enhance awareness of increased rates of mental health symptoms, substance use, and suicidality within this population, and explore effective services for sexual minority individuals. A sexual minority is an individual who identifies with a sexual identity other than heterosexuality.    Define the term sexual minority Identify different sexual orientations Distinguish between sexual and gender identity Explain the importance of the minority stress model Discuss the increase in mental health needs of sexual minorities Illustrate the reasons for an underutilization of services   Access webinar slides. Access webinar recording. 

Participants will become familiar with the unique needs facing individuals who identify as a sexual minority, enhance awareness of increased rates of mental health symptoms, substance use, and suicidality within this population, and explore effective services for sexual minority individuals. A sexual minority is an individual who identifies with a sexual identity other than heterosexuality.  Identify additional factors that may contribute to increased mental health needs Discuss risk factors and warning signs of suicide Describe the positive psychology framework and apply this framework to working with sexual minorities   View session recording   Dr. Anthony Zazzarino, PhD, LPC, ACS, CPRP is a full-time faculty member at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions. He currently provides instruction for professional education courses for New Jersey’s Supported Housing agencies implementing Community Support Services (CSS), the Master’s program in Rehabilitation Counseling, and the Doctoral program in Counselor Education and Supervision. Dr. Zazzarino is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), and Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP). He completed his PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision at Walden University where he focused on improving the lives of sexual minorities with serious mental illnesses and enhancing individual’s knowledge of multicultural competence. Dr. Zazzarino is actively presenting at local, state, and national conferences related to psychiatric rehabilitation methods, counseling services, and supervision practices. In addition to his work at Rutgers, Dr. Zazzarino is a suicide prevention trainer for the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, facilitates group therapy for adolescents and adults at an intensive outpatient program, provides outpatient counseling services at his private practice, and provides clinical supervision for counselors who need supervised clinical hours in New Jersey. 

On June 26th, we held our webinar "Financial Health and Mental Health: Making the Connection". Annie Harper, Ph.D, from Yale Program and Recovery and Community Health, addressed the connection between mental illness and poverty, focusing particularly on money management and access to financial services. 

Emerging Factors: Impact on an Aging Population fact sheet from the first webinar in the Improving Services for Older Americans series.

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.