Products and Resources Catalog

See the Northwest MHTTC's January newsletter. Read about some important collaborative meetings our staff traveled to, 2 webinars we are hosting in February, a CBTp research brief, and some valuable resources we wanted to share with you.    

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp) ePrimer is a 3-hour, self-paced course open to all types of providers, hosted on the HealtheKnowledge platform. It 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: Psychosis education, CBT fundamentals, and 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.  Registration and Technical Support How to register for a course at HealtheKnowledge and how to get technical support   Trainer 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 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.

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.

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!

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.  

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 Cognitive Therapy for Anxiety (CBT-A). Anxiety is the most treatable and common mental health condition we know of today. Treatments are highly effective and well-studied over many decades. These treatments are also shown to work with complex patients in primary care. However, treating anxiety can require patients to expose themselves to situations that are difficult. This module will walk clinicians through how to approach treating anxiety in a primary care setting. The learning objectives for this module are to:   Understand the CBT model of anxiety symptoms Describe how to give the ‘treatment pitch’ to patients, and discuss the difference between treatment with exposure vs. anxiety management strategies Understand how to develop and work on an exposure hierarchy with patients Describe anxiety management strategies that use physical and cognitive approaches   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.  

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.   

Prepared by Pamela Vona, MA, MPH, USC; Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, Treatment and Services Adaptation Center for Resilience, Hope and Wellness in Schools, and University of Washington School Mental Health Assessment, Research & Training (SMART) Center In the United States, children and adolescents are exposed to violence and other traumatic events at alarming rates. Numerous studies have documented the short-and long-term consequences of exposure to violence and other traumatic events on children and adolescents. Despite these negative consequences, few children and adolescents receive appropriate care. This is particularly true for low-income, ethnic-minority youth. Schools have been shown to reduce barriers to mental health care. Given the high rates of trauma exposure and the central role schools can play enhancing access to care, it’s essential that school-based counselors and mental health providers receive training in evidence-based trauma interventions. This Practice Brief describes three of the most commonly used effective school-based interventions for trauma and the importance of creating a “trauma-informed” school community in order to optimize these interventions. Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

Prepared by Sarah Kopelovich, PhD Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for psychosis (CBTp) is an accepted evidence-based treatment aimed at reducing the distress and impairment associated with psychotic symptoms.  CBTp has been incorporated in national Canadian and United States schizophrenia treatment guidelines. It is also a mode of treatment that can sometimes be perceived by providers as lacking emphasis on human relationships, though the basis of CBT is built upon relational factors including: validation, optimism, recovery-orientated practice and collaboration.  As a result of this perception, CBTp may not be as attractive to some practitioners, resulting in fewer trained clinicians, in turn, impacting client access to this evidence based treatment. This brief provides a summary of research to determine if CBTp is able to meet the stated needs of individuals seeking mental health services. 

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.

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 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.  

Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Manifestations and Consequences for Persons with Psychosis or Other Serious and Persistent Mental Illness   About this resource:   This pre-recorded webinar will teach clinicians about the important links among trauma, PTSD, and Serious Mental Illness (SMI) diagnoses. Clinicians will learn about the specific manifestations of trauma in this population, as well as the clinical, functional, and psychotherapeutic consequences of untreated PTSD among individuals with SMI. Finally, clinicians will learn about screening instruments and methods for assessing trauma exposure and PTSD among individuals with SMI.  About the Trainer:  Jennifer Gottlieb, Ph.D., is a Diplomate in the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and a licensed clinical psychologist whose research and clinical work is dedicated to the development and implementation of effective psychotherapeutic interventions for psychosis, schizophrenia, and other severe psychiatric conditions. She earned her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Montana, completed her clinical internship at the University of California/San Diego VA, and has been on the faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry Schizophrenia Program, Dartmouth Medical School, and Boston University.