Products and Resources Catalog

In this series, participants will learn about implementing and evaluating new or existing programs at their agency. In this first session, the planning stage will be covered.   View session recording here.

View session recording here.   Are you supporting individuals in returning to post-secondary education? If so, you may be interested in attending this training on assessing the need for and identifying the different types of assistive technology and accommodations available for students with mental health conditions in post-secondary settings. Assistive technology and accommodations can significantly improve academic success; however, accessing these supports can be cumbersome. Additionally, there are many types of assistive technology devices/tools that students can use for academic success that range on a continuum from low to high tech. We will define assistive technology and accommodations in the post-secondary setting as well as explore the types of accommodations and assistive technology used to improve performance in post-secondary school settings. Various types of assistive technology and apps will be demonstrated. A representative from Disability Rights’ Assistive Technology Advocacy Center will also be available to provide an overview of relevant legislation and how to access assistive technology. We will utilize a service conceptualization framework and peer/expert discussions to apply the skills learned. If you wish, please come prepared to discuss an individual participating in services (Please no names or other identifying information). This training is in collaboration with the Integrated Employment Institute (IEI) at Rutgers University.   Presenters: Joni Dolce, M.S., CRC  Joni Dolce is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers School of Health Professions. Joni has many years of experience working in behavioral health services, specifically Supported Employment (SE), providing both direct services and supervising SE staff. She has authored and co-authored several articles and workbooks on employment and presents and provides webinars and trainings locally and nationally on a variety of employment related topics. She has provided training in SE on a national level, including at the NY Department of Mental Health and Hygiene, Washington State Healthcare Authority, the Veterans Administration, and SAMHSA’s Northeast and Caribbean Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC). She has taught/co-developed the inaugural academic courses for Rutgers in SE and Supported Education. Joni was training coordinator for a Field Initiated National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) grant evaluating the implementation of SE into Supportive Housing environments. Joni has been invited to present to Human Resource professionals on the topic of mental health in the workplace and is listed in the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) as a recommended speaker on this topic. She is currently a member of the MHTTC’s Dissemination and Implementation working group and is a past president of the National Rehabilitation Association’s NJ affiliate chapter and past secretary of the NJ Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association. Joni is a doctoral candidate in Psychiatric Rehabilitation further exploring the impact of disclosure decision making in employment.     Amy Banko, M.S., LAC, NCC, CPRP Amy Banko is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers University. In addition to providing course instruction, Ms.Banko is a trainer and consultant at the Integrated Employment Institute of Rutgers. Within this role, she facilitates trauma-informed, Supported Employment & Supported Education training and technical assistance to enhance practitioner competencies and program outcomes. Previously, Ms. Banko was a clinical contributor on three NIDILRR funded studies focused on education, employment,  and trauma for individuals with mental health conditions. Additionally, Ms. Banko is a co-author of a best practice manual for providing career services to transition-age youth with mental health conditions. She currently serves as Co-Investigator on two NIDILRR funded studies related to postsecondary education, mental health conditions, and trauma. Ms. Banko’s research agenda focuses on rehabilitation counseling and social/transformative justice as well as critical disability theory as she seeks to build interventions and counseling services that bolster the social determinants of health for those with mental health conditions. Her passion is addressing disability stigma, internalized stigma, ableism, and improving the social determinants of health for people with disabilities and those who experience the intersectionality of disability with other marginalized and oppressed identities. Additionally, Ms. Banko leverages her lived experience of a mental health condition to inform her research, course instruction, and counseling. Ms. Banko is currently attending her doctoral studies at Kean University for Counseling and Supervision with a focus on the treatment of trauma.

Because individuals with vision loss can experience a higher prevalence of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues as compared to their sighted peers, Prevent Blindness, the nation’s leading nonprofit eye health and safety organization, has engaged experts from around the country to raise awareness, provide education and offer newly developed resources for patients, care partners, and healthcare service professionals. According to a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) one in four adults with vision loss reported anxiety or depression. Younger adults with vision loss had almost five times the risk of serious anxiety or depression compared to adults 65 and older.  “As a patient advocacy organization, we’ve heard for many years from our constituents that one of the biggest challenges of vision loss is how deeply it impacts mental health,” said Julie Grutzmacher, director of patient advocacy and population health initiatives at Prevent Blindness. “Working together with patients, their families and healthcare professionals, we are targeting specific areas for improvement and creating strategies to bring support for those whose mental health is significantly affected from vision impairments.”       Prevent Blindness recently convened an all-volunteer Mental Health Task Force, consisting of professionals from a variety of fields, including ophthalmology, optometry, social work and clinical psychology, as well as patients experiencing vision loss.  The group created the Vision Loss and Mental Health: Key Takeaways from an Interprofessional Task Force issue brief, and collectively identified opportunities to promote process improvement and advocacy in: vision rehabilitation, resource development and dissemination, training for providers (eye care, primary care and mental health),  developing an integrated eye care model. The issue brief is intended for policy makers, providers, professionals and program personnel. Funding support for the promotion and dissemination of the mental health issue brief has been provided by Horizon Therapeutics. As a next step, Prevent Blindness is working with the Task Force to develop training modules geared towards mental health providers. Through the free Living Well with Low Vision resource, Prevent Blindness offers the “Vision Loss and Mental Wellness” webpage. The site provides detailed steps to support mental health, and a listing of mental health services from a variety of organizations. For free information on general eye health, please visit PreventBlindness.org. For a patient guide, low vision resource directories and the latest news on low vision rehabilitation, research and developments in the treatment of eye disease, and a wide range of other topics, visit LowVision.PreventBlindness.org/.   About Prevent Blindness Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. These services are made possible through the generous support of the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, Prevent Blindness is committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For more information, visit us at PreventBlindness.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

The third September issue of our newsletter spotlights Hispanic Heritage Month, features an upcoming Northwest MHTTC webinar, MHTTC & ATTC network events, other events of interest and resources. 

This DEI Reference Guide was developed in 2023 through shared efforts and multiple collaborative meetings held across the MHTTC Network, and within the MHTTC Building Health Equity and Cultural Responsiveness Workgroup (BHE & CRWG). The BHE & CRWG prioritizes the dissemination of culturally appropriate information and provides technical assistance and training for the mental health field, to ensure equitable access to culturally appropriate and resonant mental health services and the utilization of those services, so that people can achieve wellbeing and improved health outcomes. This reference guide focuses on supporting intentional dialogue about diversity, equity, and inclusion. As essential as these terms are for bridging the gaps that impact mental health, they are also often misused and misunderstood. This guide addresses the role of the MHTTC Network as a vehicle to promote and implement DEI principles in behavioral health practices. It also makes clear the position of MHTTCs nationwide when issues of diversity, equity and inclusion are discussed.

Join us for Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid and other SUDs. This event took place on September 13, 2023. Click HERE to access the event recording.

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE How do we show up for our patients, clients, and community as healthcare providers living with chronic pain? Ahmad Bennett, MA, MHP, LMFTA, will share his lessons learned navigating chronic healthcare issues while serving others. Ahmad will explore how to balance caring for ourselves and others. We will address: Working while unhealthy and impacts to care Provider physical and mental health Who's in your corner to provide professional/personal supports Professional boundaries: working to live or living to work?   ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Presentation slides Crossroads Family Therapy Website   FACILITATOR   Ahmad Bennett, MA, LMFTA, MHP Ahmad Bennett is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate and certified Mental Health Professional for Washington State. Ahmad completed his internship with Valley Cities Behavioral Health. After graduation he began working with Seattle Counseling Services until their closure, he then entered private practice and founded Crossroads Family Therapy PLLC. in 2022. He graduated from Antioch University Seattle with his Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy. He focuses on providing individual, couple, and family therapy for communities of color, first responders, and veterans. Ahmad is also an adjunct instructor at Antioch University Seattle and teaches a Sexuality & Healthy Relationships course. Ahmad is a medically retired Navy veteran and has worked in veteran-focused social services for over a decade, including working at Lake Washington Institute of Technology for five years as their Veteran Coordinator. Ahmad specialized in housing insecurity, employment services, and veteran transition services.   Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

Attendees will learn about federal policies and procedures that impact trans, nonbinary, and gender expansive youth. Attendees will receive examples of inclusive policies that states, districts, and schools have implemented that impact the mental well-being of LGBTQIA+ youth. Presented by: Jabari Lyles Jabari Lyles (they/them) is an unapologetically Black, fat, queer, gender non-conforming educator, community organizer, servant leader and consultant with over 15 years of experience leading initiatives which emphasize their passion for people, education and justice. A native of Maryland, Jabari has been active in LGBTQ organizing in across the state throughout their entire career. Aside from a long history with several flagship LGBTQ organizations in Baltimore and beyond, Jabari is most proud of their experience as a proud, Black and openly queer classroom teacher at public and independent schools in Baltimore City. Jabari was born in Baltimore City and raised in Baltimore County, Maryland. Their family, who were mostly educators and human service providers, encouraged them from an early age to nurture their love of learning and to be proud of any job well done. It was in high school that Jabari became involved with the local chapter of GLSEN, the country’s leading organization championing LGBTQ issues in K-12 schools. At 15, Jabari began assisting with producing the annual Youth Summit, a free conference-style event for LGBTQ youth and allies from the Greater Baltimore area. At 19, Jabari became the lead facilitator for the Safe Schools for All—Baltimore program, offering assemblies, guest lectures and workshops to elementary, middle and high school students on anti-bullying and LGBTQ inclusion, as well as professional development training to teachers and administrators on creating safer and more affirming schools for LGBTQ youth. For the next decade, Jabari would dedicate their career to helping shape Baltimore’s schools, nonprofits, government and businesses, into safe, inclusive places for all of the many identities found within the LGBTQ community. Prior to launching into a career as a full-time consultant, Jabari was the first-ever Senior Advisor and Director of LGBTQ Affairs for the Office of the Mayor in Baltimore City, a newly created position in local government, where they supported Baltimore’s three previous Mayoral administrations on the needs and interests of the LGBTQ community, while working to grow the community’s capacity and visibility. During their time in the Mayor’s Office, Jabari was instrumental in developing crucial new policies, including the city-wide Gender Neutral Restroom Act, the sex-based discrimination and transgender student rights policy in Baltimore City Public Schools and the legislation to amend the City charter to create Baltimore’s first Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs. Jabari is the former Chief Operating Officer and Senior Strategist at Baltimore Safe Haven, a nonprofit organization providing health and housing services for transgender people living in survival mode in Baltimore City. Currently, Jabari works with communities across the country providing consultation, technical assistance and guest speaking on gender, identity, leadership and inclusion in education. Jabari is retained by the Gender & Family Project at the Ackerman Institute for the Family as a Training & Capacity Building Associate, where they provide gender inclusion training for educators and service providers in New York City, including the New York City Department of Education. In October 2021, Governor Larry Hogan appointed Jabari to a four-year term on Maryland’s first-ever statewide Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, a 15-member body who will assist the state government with shaping public policy and furthering the capacity of state agencies to fully serve and represent LGBTQ Marylanders. Jabari has worked with and led local and statewide LGBTQ organizations, including becoming the first-ever executive director of GLSEN Maryland, the youngest-ever President and Executive Director of The Pride Center of Maryland, and co-chairperson of the education workgroup for Youth Equality Alliance, a policy coalition working towards positive outcomes for LGBTQ youth in Maryland convened by FreeState Justice. They are the former chairperson and executive producer of Baltimore Pride, a former elementary and middle school teacher in Baltimore City and the first-ever LGBTQ Studies teacher in the Upper School at Friends School of Baltimore. They are a seasoned diversity trainer and group facilitator, and has participated on several workgroups, boards and coalitions working towards gender, racial and sexual justice for Black people, transgender people and LGBTQ youth. Jabari has delivered guest lectures and guest speaking on LGBTQ inclusion and public service for Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Towson University, McDaniel College and the Maryland Institute College of Art. Their contributions have appeared in local and national publications, including the Baltimore Sun, Washington Blade, Baltimore Magazine, The New York Times, WYPR, Okayplayer and Youth Today. Their 2017 TEDx Talk, entitled Black Self/White World: Lessons on Internalized Racism gained over 200,000 views and has been featured in racial justice education and university syllabi across the globe. Jabari is a 2018 Baltimore Homecoming Hero, the only two-time recipient of the Mark Scurti Award for Outstanding Contributions to the LGBTQ Community by OUTLaw at the University of Baltimore School of Law, a 2020 Business Equality Pride Magazine LGBTQ Leader Under 40, and was recently named Emerging Leader of the Year by the Maryland LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Jabari attended The Community College of Baltimore County, and The University of Maryland—Baltimore County (UMBC) as a Sherman STEM Teacher Scholar. They have completed significant university coursework in mathematics, physical science, teacher education and gender studies, as well as a graduate certificate program in Supporting System-Involved LGBTQ Youth from Georgetown University. They currently reside in Southeast Baltimore City, where they enjoy trying out new recipes, entertaining for family and friends, dancing to loud music, the beach, and Beyoncé. Learn more about this series: Supporting the Mental Well-being of LGBTQIA+ Youth in Schools   Co-sponsored by:  

  To view resources from this session, click DOWNLOAD above Click here to watch the recording Event Description Multitiered systems of support (MTSS) have gained traction in schools as a population-based approach to meet the needs of all students, especially in the areas of academic intervention and behavior supports. Many MTSS practices are promising for school mental health practice, and can allow mental health supports to be incorporated in existing school structures. In this presentation, an MTSS approach to school-based mental health prevention and intervention techniques will be discussed. Participants will learn about strategies that support all, some, and few students based on levels of need, including a focus on universal prevention strategies, data-based decision making, and intervention modalities and strategies in each tier. Trainer Miranda Zahn, NCSP Miranda Zahn, PhD, NCSP, is an Assistant Professor of School Psychology at the University of South Dakota. She conducts research, training, and technical assistance in school-based mental health services with attention to public health approaches to early detection and intervention. In addition, Miranda is a school psychologist and school mental health provider at Nebraska’s Educational Service Unit #1, where she provides training and systems consultation to schools.

Many practitioners know "the basics" of virtual treatment and seek support in improving their effectiveness & strategies. This desk guide provides resources, information, and quick tips for practitioners working with youth in virtual settings.  This guide was created by WAFCA with funding from the Great Lakes MHTTC and is based on material presented by Lisa Anderson, LPC, CSW, in spring 2021.

This guide is intended to accompany the three-part series, Understanding Stress, Understanding Trauma, and Understanding Trauma-Informed Care web-based modules located on HealthEKnowledge. This guide is intended for facilitators, coaches, and trauma-informed care champions of this curriculum to feel guided and supported in leading a cohort of through the content. The layout of this guide provides an overview of the objectives, materials needed, breathing & grounding exercises the facilitator can use, timing and content map for live sessions, as well as additional or supplemental exercises to support the content in the module.

The objectives of this module are:  • Develop a shared language around stress, adversity, and trauma, as well as healing and resilience. • Identify different types of stress. • Identify ways stress affects the body.

The objectives of this module are: Make the distinction between trauma and ACEs. Continue to grow our understanding of various forms of trauma. Connect the role of resilience in response to trauma and adversity.

The objectives of this module are: Identify the four key assumptions in a trauma-informed approach. Discuss the six SAMHA trauma-informed care principles. Identify ways they can implement a trauma-informed care approach.

In the appendix, you can find additional breathing exercises, questions to build connections, closing exercises and practices, and TIC principles case studies.

Learn how to cultivate a strong and robust system with this informative flyer focused on how to grow a healing and resilient system.

Growing a Healing and Resilient System Informative Flyer

The Additional Breathing Exercises, Questions to Build Connection, Closing Exercises, and Case Studies are shared in the appendix.

Series Description We invite you to take a few minutes this summer to explore the benefits of developing or expanding a personal mindfulness practice, by joining us for our bi-weekly experiential mindfulness training. This is a great opportunity to try different activities and practices, and to acquire mindful tools and skills to apply in your everyday life either personally or professionally!    Studies show the practice of mindfulness can reduce stress levels, help us manage our emotions and reactions, tune in better to how we and others are feeling, and cultivate compassion for ourselves and others. This helps us make wiser choices, can boost our relationships, and mean we feel happier and calmer.    According to the American Psychological Association (APA) a mindfulness practice can help with the ability to relate to others and oneself with kindness, acceptance, and compassion.  By connecting to themselves, individuals have reported having stronger social connections and reduced feelings of loneliness and isolation.    This series of Mindful Monday sessions will feature a wide range of evidence-based practices from different disciplines, related to Self-Compassion, Intentional Visualization, and Creativity.     This is a 30-minute interactive training that begins on June 26th and will run every other week through September 25th, 2023,     Each month will have a specific theme/focus with exercises from that discipline. At the beginning of each session, participants will spend a few minutes grounding and learning about the practice for that day and then spend approximately 15-20 minutes in experiential practice, leaving a few minutes at the end for reflection and discussion.   Dates July 10th - Compassion 1   To view resources from this session, click DOWNLOAD above Click here to watch the recording July 24th - Compassion 2  To view resources from this session, click DOWNLOAD above Click here to watch the recording August 21st - Intentional Visualization 1 To view resources from this session, click DOWNLOAD above Click here to watch the recording August 28th - Intentional Visualization 2 To view resources from this session, click DOWNLOAD above Click here to watch the recording   September 11th - Creativity 1  To view resources from this session, click DOWNLOAD above Click here to watch the recording  September 25th - Creativity 2 To view resources from this session, click DOWNLOAD above Click here to watch the recording    Participants only need to register once to be able to attend any number of sessions. The same link will be used for all sessions. Upon completion of your registration, you will receive the session link in a confirmation email.  Trainer Genevieve Berry

The South Southwest MHTTC collaborated with the Texas Association of Community Health Centers (TACHC) to host the Trauma Informed Care Open Office Hours session 2. This session offered hands-on application and clarity on concepts through case-study examples and interactive discussion with TACHC Trauma Informed Care Coordinators. This session was held on August 22, 2023, and focused on Real World Applications of Trauma Informed Care Principles: Non-Medical Drivers of Health (SDoH) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

The second September issue of our newsletter spotlights Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, features an upcoming Northwest MHTTC webinar, MHTTC & ATTC network events, other events of interest and resources. 

Hosted by SAMHSA, the MHTTC Network, and Abt Associates, this webinar highlights findings from SAMHSA's Guide, Best Practices for Successful Reentry From Criminal Justice Settings for People Living With Mental Health Conditions and/or Substance Use Disorders, which explores evidence-based strategies and promising practices to address community reentry from jail or prison. Following an overview of the goals of SAMHSA’s Evidence-Based Resource Guide Series by SAMHSA’s Joe Bullock; Angel Sanchez, Bureau of Justice Assistance, from the guide’s technical expert panel, discusses this guide’s development. Stephanie Fahy, Abt Associates, provides an overview of the framing of the guide, describing factors impacting reentry, and relevant evidence-based strategies for successful reentry. Representatives from organizations featured in the guide’s case studies discuss the development of their policies or programs to address reentry for individuals living with mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders. Access the guide here. Download the slides by clicking on the "download" button above.

National Recovery Month (Recovery Month), which started in 1989, is a national observance held every September to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery in all its forms possible. Hosted by the ATTC, and MHTTC Network, in collaboration with SAMHSA, this hour-long event showcases the winners of the 2022 Recovery Innovation Challenge through a “talk-show” format. Hear from four of the ten Challenge Winners who share their innovative strategies for recovery, lessons learned from implementation, and recommendations for replication in other communities. Download the slides by clicking on the "download" button above.

After 10 years of research, Proud & Empowered has shown efficacy to support its use in school and community settings. The 10-week small group intervention uses a mix of didactic learning strategies to support LGBTQ+ youth as they navigate their family, peer, school and other community environments. Hosted in partnership with the Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity (CoE-LGBTQ+) and the MHTTC Network Coordinating Office, this presentation offers an overview of the intervention and allows for Q&A.