Products and Resources Catalog

On September 14th, 2023, over 60 attendees gathered to explore grief leadership, to create space for providers to process the August 8th wildfires in Lahaina, Hawai'i, and to explore how those devastating fires affected people far beyond Maui. This session was a collaboration of the School Crisis Recovery & Renewal Project (a National Child Traumatic Stress Network Category II site) and the youth and young adult specialty program of the Pacific Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center    In times of crisis, coming together to make meaning of what we are each holding helps us show up for ourselves and for each other professionally. Our time together was designed to gather school crisis leaders, youth and young adult providers, and peer support professionals to explore how the Lahaina fires were experienced across multiple communities and ways to better support impacted children, youth, and young adults.   After rich discussions and collective learning and resourcing, we offer the following summary to steer our grief leadership, now and in the weeks, months, and years to come.   

About this Resource: As of July 1, 2022, the Hispanic population accounts for 19.1% of the total population of the United States, making it the largest ethnic or racial minority in the country and the second fastest growing minority after Asian Americans. Like many minority communities, the Hispanic community faces complex challenges and displays distinctive strengths when confronting mental health issues. While nearly 22% of Hispanic Americans report living with a mental health condition, only one-third report receiving any kind of mental health services or treatment. Several factors influence this community’s engagement with the behavioral health care system, including language and cultural barriers, access to preventive care, and lack of adequate health insurance. As this population continues to grow, it is imperative that mental health clinicians equip themselves with information, structural competency, and cultural humility to meet the mental health needs of the Hispanic community. The purpose of this report is to shed light on the current mental health landscape for Hispanic individuals seeking mental health care in the Southeastern states and the clinicians who serve them.

Educators and school personnel play a vital role in promoting well-being and identifying and responding to emerging mental illness in children and adolescents. However, they often have not received the training and ongoing support needed to respond in the classroom. To address this need, the MHTTC Network, in partnership with the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, developed a FREE 3-part training package focused on educator mental health literacy. Informed by and co-developed with K-12 educators, Classroom WISE (Well-Being Information and Strategies for Educators) launched in June 2021. Since then, over 10,000 educators and school staff have completed the training! This summary highlights participant feedback as well as MHTTC's dissemination and implementation efforts for Classroom WISE since its launch.

Recent prevalence estimates indicate that 1 in 36 school-age children have autism. Autistic students are much more likely than non-autistic students to experience mental health challenges, including difficulty with aspects of executive function such as planning.  This infographic provides information about strategies that can be used by educators to help autistic students build their planning skills in a manner that is inclusive and neurodiversity affirming.

  To view the white paper, please click DOWNLOAD above   Description The Mountain Plains Leadership Academy staff and trainers collaborated to produce a white paper, Lessons in Rural Leadership, that summarizes lessons learned from conducting the Mountain Plains MHTTC Leadership Academy for the past four years. Currently, there does not exist a specialized leadership program tailored to the unique needs of individual rural behavioral health leaders.  Lessons in Rural Leadership provides an insightful commentary on the complex nature of leadership in rural communities. The paper presents a treatise on internal and external challenges individuals face when taking on a leadership role and the strategies the Academy staff have developed to address these challenges and support new and emerging leaders in rural communities. The key challenges identified include resources and access to resources, staffing, and “battlefield commissions” or rapid promotion without formal preparation or training. Understanding these challenges was critical to developing a program that delivered needed support rapidly. The paper also includes several program components participants identified as instrumental in supporting their leadership development. The paper concludes with two stories from Leadership Academy participants who have become facilitators at the Leadership Academy. Authors Genevieve Berry Bob Dare Lindsey McCarthy Josh B. Spinney, LPC Ivory Tubbs, PhD

  In the wake of the recent mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, it’s vital to remember that recovery and healing take time, compassion, and support. Recognizing that everyone affected by this tragedy will navigate grief and trauma uniquely, the New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center is offering specific behavioral health resources to support survivors, their loved ones, as well as the larger community.   For an easy-to-understand overview of the disaster trauma recovery process: Disaster Behavioral Health: Response and Recovery Considerations. Reaching out for help can be the first step towards hope.

This clinical brief is intended to introduce mental health providers to the current understanding of culturally responsive care in early psychosis by providing an overview of culturally responsive tools and models for early psychosis (EP) care and highlighting the need for the continued development of a culturally responsive care (CRC) model within EP care.

From wildfires to school shootings, we need to be prepared to support the mental health of students, staff and families in our school communities when disaster strikes. This concise resource is a critical tool in building your response plans.   Access The Disaster Behavioral Health: Response and Recovery Considerations Document Here >    Want more information and school mental health resources?  Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

Needs blurb could use graphic?

About this Resource: This is the Spanish language version of our previously published fact sheet titled "Faith, Spirituality, and Peer Support." It is meant to accompany a webinar presented by Dr. Monty Burkes. 

The Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center and the UW SMART Center presented the 2024 Virtual Speaker Series to the school mental health workforce. The six-session series features discussions on ways to create a positive school climate for students and staff. Through this series, we spotlight evidenced-based strategies to address universal screening, staff retention, and bullying and its intersection with youth mental health and violence. Please feel free to share the series flyer with your colleagues!   Learn more and register for upcoming events in the series here.    Check out the history of this series! SMART Center 2023 Speaker Series SMART Center 2022 Speaker Series SMART Center 2021 Speaker Series   Learn more about the UW SMART Center here.   Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

Person-Centered Recovery Planning (PCRP) is increasingly required by both state behavioral health authorities and funders such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The implementation of PCRP requires attention to multiple aspects of the change process including overall agency culture, stakeholder competencies in PCRP, and organizational business practices. This report presents key findings from a multi-agency learning collaborative offering intensive training and technical assistance to support the uptake of PCRP across the New England Region.    by Milena Stanojlović, Maria O’Connell, Dana Asby, Stephanie Lanteri, Larry Davidson & Janis Tondora  

School violence, including school-based gun violence, is a major public health issue that has negative consequences for students, families, schools, and communities (Basile et al., 2020; Peterson et al., 2021). One approach that schools have adopted to address school violence is behavioral threat assessment (BTA). Based on a request from our funder, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), we developed a report on behavioral threat assessment and its intersection with youth mental health. This report aims to: Describe the problem of school violence and how BTA became a widely implemented school violence prevention strategy; Report on the current state of BTA implementation and its effectiveness; Discuss considerations for the fit and appropriateness of using BTA in schools; and Offer recommendations for schools, policymakers, funders, researchers, and SAMHSA on addressing BTA use in schools.

Northwest MHTTC staff met with Alaska stakeholders and advisory board members March 29, 2023, on Zoom to discuss regional training needs, hear feedback, and connect with an eye toward future collaboration. This executive summary highlights overarching themes from this meeting as well as key points. Read more about this State planning series.

Northwest MHTTC staff met with Idaho stakeholders and advisory board members March 8, 2023, on Zoom to discuss regional training needs, hear feedback, and connect with an eye toward future collaboration. This executive summary highlights overarching themes from this meeting as well as key points. Read more about this State planning series.

Northwest MHTTC staff met with Oregon stakeholders and advisory board members March 6, 2023, on Zoom to discuss regional training needs, hear feedback, and connect with an eye toward future collaboration. This executive summary highlights overarching themes from this meeting as well as key points. Read more about this State planning series.

Northwest MHTTC staff met with Washington stakeholders and advisory board members March 10, 2023, on Zoom to discuss regional training needs, hear feedback, and connect with an eye toward future collaboration. This executive summary highlights overarching themes from this meeting as well as key points. Read more about this State planning series.

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.

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.

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

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.

  All public schools in California are required to offer Identity Support Plans (IDSP) for LGBTQ+ students in elementary, middle, and high school.  This tool guides California public middle and high schools through the development of a plan to support LGBTQ+ students’ identity, success, and safety at school. It is designed for school staff, caregivers, and the student to work together to complete the document. This tool supports districts’ commitment to making educational spaces safe and supportive for ALL students, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.   All available IDSP tools and supporting documents can be accessed on the main product page. 

  All public schools in California are required to offer Identity Support Plans (IDSP) for LGBTQ+ students in elementary, middle, and high school.  The IDSP for secondary schools supports public middle and high school staff in California to work with gender-diverse students, and potentially their caregivers, to identify ways in which the student’s identity is respected and supported at school. The IDSP process fosters an educational environment that is safe and supportive for ALL students, and it serves as an effective tool to help guide school staff through conversations with families, other caregivers, and children.  This document explains the IDSP process, provides guidance about how to use the IDSP tool, and offers strategies and discussion tips that school staff can use when working with caregivers and students.   All available IDSP tools and supporting documents can be accessed on the main product page.