Products and Resources Catalog

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

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.   

Find our August 2019 newsletter here. In this issue we introduce our key school mental health staff, share our goals for the year, and provide new resources and upcoming events. Take a look! Sign up for our School Mental Health Newsletter!  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.

The Psychiatrist’s Guide to Population Management of Diabetes is a 3-hour, self-paced course designed for psychiatric prescribers who treat patients with serious mental illness, hosted on the HealtheKnowledge platform. The course aims to increase prescriber knowledge of and confidence in the identification and management of diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors. Based on a Population Management approach, this course provides strategies to identify care gaps and stratify risks related to diabetes in a population with serious mental illness; address prevention of diabetes through strategies to support health behavior change that are feasible in specialty mental health settings; and describe treatment options for Type 2 diabetes, including goals of diabetes care for patients with serious mental illness. This course is presented in three modules by: Lydia Chwastiak MD, MPH, a psychiatrist and internal medicine physician and professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Chwastiak is also co-director of the Northwest MHTTC. Martha Ward MD, a psychiatrist and internal medicine physician, and Associate Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine. Alyson Myers MD, a psychiatrist and endocrinologist and Associate Professor at the David and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine. Dr. Myers is also the Medical Director of the Inpatient Diabetes Unit at North Shore University Hospital.   Registration and Technical Support How to register for a course at HealtheKnowledge and how to get technical support   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 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. 

Youth peer support is a growing field in many mental health and child-serving systems, yet many agencies are new to supervising and supporting these roles. This line of work can often be taxing for its young employees, and self-care is just as important to supervision as job performance. This webinar presents specific strategies supervisors can use to promote self-care among their youth peer staff while ensuring accountability to their job duties.  

Youth peer support is an emerging and innovative role within mental health that is seen as valuable for young adults who are system involved. While many agencies want to employ or do employ youth peer support specialists, there are many questions and challenges regarding how to best support this role. In this webinar we will clarify the responsibilities and boundaries of the youth peer support role and offer tips on how to support this role and these employees within your agency.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Violence Risk Assessment & Management is a three-hour self-paced course that provides the necessary tools for clinicians to assess, manage, and stabilize threats of violence, hosted on the HealtheKnowledge platform. Concerns about violence risk frequently arise in clinical settings. There is often confusion among providers about the boundaries of confidentiality, when and how to invoke their professional obligation to protect or warn third parties, and how to balance therapeutics and public safety. This course addresses: Boundaries of confidentiality Clinicians’ duty to warn or protect potential victims Proven methods to assess and manage the risk of violence   Each module of the course includes: Real case vignettes A 3-item assessment to guide your learning Interactive practical exercises with feedback In addition, a 3.0 hour certificate of completion is available. Course Flyer Download the course flyer here. Trainers Dr. Sarah Kopelovich, a forensic clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine based at Harborview Medical Center  Dr. Katherine Michaelsen, a forensic psychiatrist at the Puget Sound Veterans Administration and Acting Assistant Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine Dr. Tobias Wasser, a forensic psychiatrist at Whiting Forensic Hospital and Assistant Professor at Yale University School of Medicine   Registration and Technical Support How to register for a course at HealtheKnowledge and how to get technical support   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 Lydia Chwastiak, MD, MPH Older adults with serious mental illnesses (SMI), such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, have more hospitalizations and 4 times greater risk of death at any given age than those without SMI. They are also 3.5 times more likely to live in a nursing home. Despite higher acute and long-term healthcare costs, adults with SMI experience greater barriers to preventive and routine health care, and often receive care that is fragmented and inadequate. These disparities highlight a need for effective and sustainable integrated care models designed specifically to support the special health care needs among older adults with SMI. This research brief provides a summary of evidence-based integrated models of care that address the mental and physical health needs of adults with SMI.  

About this Resource: This webinar will provide an overview of clinical suicidology, including the prevailing theories, assessment, interventions, and treatments. Dr. David Jobes walks participants through several suicide risk assessment tools and provides additional information about ethics and systems of care issues. Finally, Dr. Jobes provides an overview of empirically-supported treatments for managing and treating suicidality, and illustrates the use of the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicide (CAMS).   About the Presenter: David A. Jobes, Ph.D., ABPP, is a Professor of Psychology, Director of the Suicide Prevention Laboratory, and Associate Director of Clinical Training at The Catholic University of America. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, at Uniformed Services University. He has published six books and numerous peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Jobes is a past President of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and he is the recipient of various awards for his scientific work including the 1995 AAS “Shneidman Award” (early career contribution to suicidology), the 2012 AAS “Dublin Award” (for career contributions in suicidology), and the 2016 AAS “Linehan Award” (for suicide treatment research). He has been a consultant to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Defense, and Veterans Affairs. Dr. Jobes is member of the Scientific Council and the Public Policy Council of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and is Board certified in clinical psychology (American Board of Professional Psychology). Dr. Jobes maintains a private clinical, consulting, and forensic practice in Washington DC.   Additional Resources Ask Suicide Screening Questionnaire Patient Health Questionnaire 9 Columbia Suicide Screening Rating Scale

The Northwest MHTTC is partnering to provide All Patients Safe training to a part of the region's workforce specifically based on the rates and prevalence of suicide. Suicide is a silent epidemic and public health crisis.  In the US, suicide is a more common cause of death than breast cancer, prostate cancer, or traffic fatalities.  In 2014 the rate of Alaska Native males that died by suicide was nearly four times the national average. All Patients Safe provides the necessary tools to medical providers to understand their role in suicide prevention by teaching them how to: •    Integrate screening and assessment tools into their practice •    Educate patients on keeping homes safe •    Refer patients to additional resources •    Follow up with those at risk for suicide Medical professionals can make an enormous impact! 

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.