Products and Resources Catalog

Learn more about innovative approaches to supporting better outcomes for those who provide care as well as those seeking and receiving behavioral health care in communities of color in New England!   Presenters--including clinicians, researchers, faith and community leaders, and people with lived expertise--will explore strategies for: Delivering culturally competent care Creating recovery-ready workplaces Integrating peer support in the workforce Building career ladders for existing staff and retaining early career staff Day one's theme was "Defining the Workforce and Visioning for the Future" View a recording of this 2/13/23 session here. 

Learn more about innovative approaches to supporting better outcomes for those who provide care as well as those seeking and receiving behavioral health care in communities of color in New England!   Presenters--including clinicians, researchers, faith and community leaders, and people with lived expertise--will explore strategies for: Delivering culturally competent care Creating recovery-ready workplaces Integrating peer support in the workforce Building career ladders for existing staff and retaining early career staff Day two's theme was "Building Community and Developing Pathways in Prevention." View a recording of this 2/14/23 session here. 

Learn more about innovative approaches to supporting better outcomes for those who provide care as well as those seeking and receiving behavioral health care in communities of color in New England!   Presenters--including clinicians, researchers, faith and community leaders, and people with lived expertise--will explore strategies for: Delivering culturally competent care Creating recovery-ready workplaces Integrating peer support in the workforce Building career ladders for existing staff and retaining early career staff Day three's theme was "Peer Recovery Workforce: Multiple Pathways." View a recording of this 2/15/23 session here.

Learn more about innovative approaches to supporting better outcomes for those who provide care as well as those seeking and receiving behavioral health care in communities of color in New England!   Presenters--including clinicians, researchers, faith and community leaders, and people with lived expertise--will explore strategies for: Delivering culturally competent care Creating recovery-ready workplaces Integrating peer support in the workforce Building career ladders for existing staff and retaining early career staff Day four's theme was "Innovations for a Sustainable Workforce" View a recording of this 2/16/23 session here.

Recording of the event Management of Psychotic Disorders in the Black Community, originally held on February 23, 2023.   Presentation slides

***RECORDING*** (click the link below) Part 1: Invisible Injuries: The Complex Intersection of Domestic Violence, Behavioral Health, Traumatic Brain Injury and Strangulation   DESCRIPTION: The significant impact of domestic violence on a person’s behavioral health—including substance use and mental health conditions—has long been recognized by researchers and practitioners alike. In addition, the domestic violence movement has known for decades that abusers frequently assault their partners by targeting the head, neck, and face—through blows to the head that can cause traumatic brain injuries (concussions) and strangulation.  We are just discovering how that violence impacts the brain, and therefore a person’s health. Brain injury caused by domestic violence is rarely identified and almost never immediately treated, and results in short- and long-term physical, emotional, and cognitive consequences that can impact every area of a person’s life--including their ability to successfully access and participate in your agency's services. This session will share with you The Ohio Domestic Violence Network and The Ohio State University’s project and research that resulted in the creation of an evidence-based framework CARE (Connect, Acknowledge, Respond, Evaluate) and its accompanying CARE tools for you to use to address brain injury.     LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Describe the relationship between domestic violence and brain injury. Explain the evidence-based framework: Connect, Acknowledge, Respond and Evaluate (CARE). Promote CARE tools to address brain injury.     PRESENTER:   Rachel Ramirez, LISW-S, RASS, is the Director of Health and Disability Programs and the Founder of The Center on Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury at The Ohio Domestic Violence Network (ODVN). In this role, she oversees several initiatives on the intersection of domestic violence, disability, and health access, with a focus on trauma-informed services and partner-inflicted brain injury. She also provides extensive statewide, national, and international training, consultation, technical assistance, and program support. Rachel has been with ODVN for 15 years and has co-authored several peer reviewed journal articles, as well as been featured on National Public Radio, The New York Times Magazine, and The Washington Post discussing brain injury and domestic violence.       The Great Lakes MHTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.

  We joined with NASHIA for this exciting two-part series on peer support best practices for those working and living with people who have a TBI. This is part of our ongoing Workshop Wednesday series.  Series Description  Join the Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) and the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) for this exciting two-part series on Peer Support best practices for providers and individuals working and living with people who have a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).     When experiencing a life-changing event such as a brain injury, peer support can be a key factor in moving through the recovery process. Individuals who have successfully navigated a similar journey can have an incredible impact on others who are struggling. Peer support can expand successful outcomes into the community and help with emotional, social, academic, and vocational success.     These presentations on best practices approach for providing brain injury-informed peer support will provide attendees with the following:     Session 1: Workshop Wednesday, 2/22/2023  • Background on the merits of brain injury-informed peer support.   • An overview of brain injury-specific peer support models.   To access resources from this presentation, please click DOWNLOAD above CLICK HERE to view the recording   Session 2: Wednesday, 3/01/2023    • Strategies for integrating brain injury-informed practices into existing behavioral health peer support.   • Resources and tools To access resources from this presentation, please click DOWNLOAD above CLICK HERE to view the recording Trainers Judy Dettmer, Director of Strategic Partnerships, National Association of State Head Injury Administrators Click here to read Judy's bio.    Anastasia Edmonston, MS, CRC, Trainer and Consultant, National Association of State Head Injury Administrators Click here to read Anastasia's bio. 

During this panel discussion, hosted in partnership with the Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity and the MHTTC Network Coordinating Office, presenters discuss recent efforts to adapt and create prevention and screening resources to serve LGBTQ+ young people. Presenters include a first-person perspective from a trans person in recovery; implementation of SBIRT in high school settings; newly drafted guidelines for using SBIRT with transgender and nonbinary populations; and important findings about what drives harmful substance use among LGBTQ+ adolescents. Access the resource list here or by clicking the "download" button above. Please note: To view the video recording please download the resource list and click on the first general resource on the list, "View Panel Recording". After clicking, you will be prompted to sign up for an account to gain access.

Download the presentation slides here Session Overview:  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common co-occurring diagnosis for autistic youth. However, the substantial overlap between autism and ADHD can pose challenges in identifying and supporting students with autism, ADHD, or both. The goal of this webinar series is to provide information about executive functioning differences that are common in autistic students and how these challenges relate to and are distinct from ADHD.   Part 2 of this webinar will provide an overview of evidence-based approaches that can be used to support the executive functioning of autistic students, including those with co-occurring ADHD.   You can view part 1 here.    By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to: Describe evidence-based approaches and strategies to support executive functioning in autistic students with and without co-occurring ADHD. Identify strategies to support the executive functioning of autistic students within case studies. Know where to find additional resources to support the executive functioning of autistic youth, including those who have ADHD.   Speaker:  Katherine Pickard, Ph.D., received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Michigan State University and completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at JFK Partners at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Her primary research interest is in the translation of evidence-based practices into community systems that are naturally positioned to serve children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and developmental delays. Dr. Pickard's research is grounded in community-engaged research models and guided by dissemination and implementation science. Dr. Pickard leads and collaborates on research examining mechanisms that foster the adoption, implementation and sustainment of evidence-based practices within a variety of community systems, including early intervention and public school systems. She is particularly interested in the role of families and community stakeholders in shaping interventions as they are implemented within the community, and in other factors that impact the reach and sustainability of translation efforts. Clinically, Dr. Pickard is a licensed psychologist and has a strong background in supporting individuals with ASD and other developmental disabilities across the lifespan. She holds specific expertise in parent-mediated interventions rooted in naturalistic, developmental and behavioral principles (know as NDBIs) as well as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for youth with ASD and co-occuring anxiety.    In our products, we choose to use identity first language (i.e., autistic students) in response to the preference of many autistic individuals and in an effort to avoid ableist ideologies. We recognize that this is not the language preference of every individual. For more information on the rationale for our language choice, please see the Bottema-Beutel et al., 2021.

About this Resource: According to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), Black Americans have substantially lower access to mental health and substance-use treatment services despite rates of behavioral health disorders not significantly different from the general population. There are multiple barriers to accessing mental health care within the Black community. While stigma surrounding mental health remains high, access to Black mental health professionals remains a challenge as well (Ward et al., 2013). Only 4% of therapists in the US identify as Black; and among Black therapists, only 4% are Black men. (Lin et al., 2018). Identifying strategies that increase access to quality care and decrease stigma among Black or African Americans remains a priority. The Confess Project of America, which trains community leaders such as barbers and beauticians to offer support and bridge the gap between unmet mental health needs in African American communities, is one emerging practice that may hold promise. 

Recording of the event Psychoeducation & Psychosis, originally held on February 21, 2023.   Presentation slides

This presentation by Dr. Frank D’Attilio addressed mental health professionals’ propensity to give less of a priority to their own self-care when working with others. Emphasis was placed on how they can become more mindful of this shortcoming and employ strategies and interventions for change. Upon completion of this activity, participants were able to: Become familiar with the signs and symptoms of distress or burnout in themselves Become familiar with some of the strategies and intervention for self-help Learn how to identify when it is time for them to consult professional mental health treatment for themselves   Watch a recording of this 2/22/23 session here. 

Session overview How do we make sure the programs in place to support student wellness are maintained when schools are understaffed or staffing keeps changing? Our goal is to ensure that school mental health supports remain available to students now and long term. This learning forum is dedicated to facing one of the common challenges in this work: the dynamic nature of the staff and leadership in place to implement programs. We can predict the unpredictable and plan for it.  In this virtual learning session, you will learn to sustain morale and momentum by preparing for staff changes with effective practices for knowledge, skill, and responsibility transfers.   Intended Audience This session is designed for local education agencies/school districts engaged in school mental health initiatives that are experiencing turnover, gaps, or transition in program staff and/or leadership. It is ideal for those with a role in planning for the longevity of school mental health services through implementation procedures. The information will also be relevant to state education agency teams seeking strategies for sustainability planning and implementation.   Learning Objectives Participants who join this session will be able to: Approach program staffing as a fluid and flexible element of a school mental health initiative. Prepare transition planning and procedures to ensure knowledge transfer and communication about core program components. Leverage effective practices implemented by peers who are effectively navigating staff turnover.   Speaker   Christina Borbely PhD [“borbay”], is a developmental psychologist (Columbia University, 2004) in Aptos, CA. She is coordinator of professional development for Santa Cruz County California Behavioral Health Services and leads her own consulting firm specialized in translating research science into developmentally relevant and culturally competent practices. She strives to support thriving youth in healthy families within safe communities based on connecting evidence of what works to the people and systems serving them (e.g., teachers, social workers, administrators, or volunteers). 

Join us for our MHTTC event, Stories from the River. This event took place on February 16, 2023.

This 5-hour, self-paced course is the STRIDE Group Facilitator Training, a follow up to the popular Empowering Wellness in Mental Health: Helping People with their Lifestyle Changes, which outlines the principles and evidence behind the STRIDE Program, developed by Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. What makes this course unique is that it was developed specifically for people living with mental illness, taking anti-psychotic medications to help reduce the cardiovascular risks often experienced by this population. Learn with the developers of the STRIDE Program to explore and understand the Group program curriculum. 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).    Certificate of Completion/Contact Hours Available  Physicians, physician assistants, primary care ARNPs, psychologists, and other health care providers may be eligible for CME or CEUs for completing the course. Retain your Certificate of Completion and verify its suitability for CME/CEUS with your licensing/credentialing entity.  The University of Washington is an approved provider of continuing education for DOH licensed social workers, licensed mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, psychologists, chemical dependency professionals, nurses and physicians under the provisions of: WAC 246-809-610, WAC 246-809-620,WAC 246-811-200, WAC 246-840-210, WAC 246-919-460 and WAC 246-924-240. 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.

View Recording Slides (Click on the Download Button) Session 1- An introduction to MI and the Spirit of MI By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Define motivational interviewing (MI) and its use in behavioral health services.  Identify the intersection of MI and professional values. Describe the role of providers in facilitating change.  Describe the four elements that make up the spirit of MI and how each contributes to behavior change.  

  See each session below to access any resources available from this series.   Event Description This six-session training series provides education on the fundamentals of trauma and how it emerges within our public schools.  It will provide tools and perspectives on the complexities of becoming a trauma-informed school environment and will explore the logistical components of implementing best-practices on a systems-level for trauma-informed supports and protocols.    Sessions:   1. The Fundamentals of Trauma (1/9/23) To access the slide deck from this session, click DOWNLOAD above CLICK HERE to view the recording 2. Embracing the Paradigm Shift (1/23/23)  To access the slide deck from this session, click DOWNLOAD above CLICK HERE to view the recording 3. Key Elements of Trauma-Informed School Environments (1/30/23)  To access the slide deck from this session, click DOWNLOAD above CLICK HERE to view the recording Becoming a Trauma-Informed School Logistics Part 1 (2/6/23)  To access the slide deck from this session, click DOWNLOAD above CLICK HERE to view the recording Becoming a Trauma-Informed School: Logistics Part 2 (2/13/23)  To access the slide deck from this session, click DOWNLOAD above CLICK HERE to view the recording Developing Relevant Metrics for Measuring Progress in School-Based Trauma-Informed Practices (2/20/23)  To access the slide deck from this session, click DOWNLOAD above CLICK HERE to view the recording Learning Objectives Learn what Trauma is, what it looks like, and how to respond in a supportive way  Learning the key components of what it means to be “Trauma-Informed” within a host environment focused on academics  Identify logistical and operational elements of implementation of a trauma-informed approach to supporting public education  Developing relevant metrics for measuring progress and success in School-Based Trauma-Informed practices.  Trainer Tamera Ford, LCSW Tamera J. Ford, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) holds 15+ years of experience providing mental health therapy and case management in a multitude of settings; residential treatment, school-based health centers, outpatient mental health, primary health care, and early intervention (Head Start children and families ages 0-5).  In addition to her training in EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) and Synergetic Play Therapy™, Tamera has advanced standing as a student of Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing® approach for trauma resolution and currently provides trauma therapy in her private practice located in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.  Formerly a teacher (K-12) and more recently a Lean Process Improvement Practitioner, Tamera's passion is in offering support and guidance to individuals, groups and organizations personally and professionally.

Recording of the event Rites and Rituals: Bringing a Cultural Lens to Positive Youth Development for Black Girls, originally held on February 14, 2023.   Presentation slides

Participating in a demanding professional life while maintaining healthy engagement in non-work roles can be overwhelming, frustrating, and riddled with guilt. It can also be a source of joy, inspiration, and creativity. This session explored how multiple demanding roles can be mutually beneficial, helping us improve our creativity, rest, and happiness. Using tools from the therapy room as well as behavioral science, attendees learned how they can actively enhance their well-being while maintaining a foothold in multiple demanding roles. Presenter: Yael Schonbrun, Ph.D., assistant professor at Brown University, co-host of the Psychologists Off the Clock podcast, and author. This event was presented in collaboration with the Massachusetts Mental Health Center GrandRounds series. Watch a recording of this 2/15/2023 session here. 

Using a trauma-informed lens, this recorded training offers tools from expressive arts therapy (EXA) for working with a variety of clients. Presenter Suraya Keating, MFT, REAT, RDT, discusses various multimodal arts practices as they relate to polyvagal theory. These practices can be used to soothe and/or energize the nervous system, employ co-regulation in helpful ways, promote self-awareness, and support the agency, empowerment, and well-being of many populations, including individuals with PTSD, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, individuals with autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and other mental health disorders.   This online webinar showcases a variety of expressive arts therapy tools informed by polyvagal theory and is designed for clinical practitioners, including marriage and family therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, licensed clinical social workers, drug recovery counselors, psychiatric nurses, as well as those in training or internship programs for their respective licenses.

Co-occurring disorders are now considered the expectation, not the exception. This webinar will discuss co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders in Latino youth.  It will include etiology, prevalence, and treatment options for this population.   Learning objectives: 1. Explain the prevalence of co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders among youth. 2. Discuss approaches to working with families with youth who have co-occurring disorders. 3. Examine culturally appropriate treatment options for co-occurring disorders in Latino youth. Speaker: Diane Arms  Diane Arms currently serves as The Center for Co-occurring Disorders Director at The Council on Recovery. She has dedicated her career to serving the Latino population in the Health Field, including Mental Health and Substance Use. She received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from the University of Texas at El Paso. Diane has served as Director of Health Integration at Avenue 360 Health and Wellness, Director of Prevention and Counseling at the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans, and with the Harris County Health Care Alliance as Program Manager facilitating leadership meetings amongst local FQHCs to identify, address, and resolve systemic issues proactively. Ms. Arms has also served as an Operations Administrator for the children's division unit at Emergence Health Network, El Paso's Local Mental Health Authority. She has successfully implemented programs such as Multisystemic Therapy in a Mental Health Setting and Transition Age Youth, assisting transitioning clients from children's services to adult services in the mental health system.  

Download the presentation slides here   Session Overview:  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common co-occurring diagnosis for autistic youth. However, the substantial overlap between autism and ADHD can pose challenges in identifying and supporting students with autism, ADHD, or both. The goal of this webinar series is to provide information about executive functioning differences that are common in autistic students and how these challenges relate to and are distinct from ADHD.   Part 1 of this webinar series will help participants to understand common executive functioning differences in autistic students and how these differences relate to ADHD. You can view part 2 here.    By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to: Describe how often autism and ADHD co-occur. Define executive functioning and its importance for autistic youth. Know the executive functioning differences that are common in autistic youth with and without co-occurring ADHD. Identify executive functioning differences among autistic youth within two case studies.   Speaker: Katherine Pickard, Ph.D., received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Michigan State University and completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at JFK Partners at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Her primary research interest is in the translation of evidence-based practices into community systems that are naturally positioned to serve children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and developmental delays. Dr. Pickard's research is grounded in community-engaged research models and guided by dissemination and implementation science. Dr. Pickard leads and collaborates on research examining mechanisms that foster the adoption, implementation and sustainment of evidence-based practices within a variety of community systems, including early intervention and public school systems. She is particularly interested in the role of families and community stakeholders in shaping interventions as they are implemented within the community, and in other factors that impact the reach and sustainability of translation efforts. Clinically, Dr. Pickard is a licensed psychologist and has a strong background in supporting individuals with ASD and other developmental disabilities across the lifespan. She holds specific expertise in parent-mediated interventions rooted in naturalistic, developmental and behavioral principles (know as NDBIs) as well as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for youth with ASD and co-occurring anxiety.    In our products, we choose to use identity first language (i.e., autistic students) in response to the preference of many autistic individuals and in an effort to avoid ableist ideologies. We recognize that this is not the language preference of every individual. For more information on the rationale for our language choice, please see the Bottema-Beutel et al., 2021.

Original Webinar Date: 8/4/20 This is the third in a three-part webinar series. (Part One, Part Two) This session summarizes the principles of psychological first aid and common reactions that may be seen in any crisis event, including the current pandemic.  It provides practical advice on how to help students and staff understand and cope with the current pandemic and begin to prepare for what may be needed to offer support to students when schools re-open.  The session underscores the need for professional self-care and highlights some of the barriers as well as some potential solutions.  Together, we consider how best to support students, staff, and ourselves during this evolving pandemic.   Intended audience: educators; school mental health providers and support professionals (school counselors, nurses, psychologists, and social workers); school administrators; and community-based medical and mental health professionals providing support to schools and/or children and families.   About the Presenter: David J. Schonfeld, MD, FAAP, established and directs the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement (www.schoolcrisiscenter.org); the Center coordinates the Coalition to Support Grieving Students (www.grievingstudents.org), comprised of over 85 organizations including the major educational professional organizations. He holds a joint appointment at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Schonfeld has authored more than 100 scholarly articles, book chapters, and books (e.g., The Grieving Student: A Teacher’s Guide, Brookes Publishing), and he has given more than 800 presentations on the topics of pediatric bereavement and crisis. He has provided consultation and training on school crisis and pediatric bereavement in the aftermath of a number of school crisis events and disasters within the United States and abroad, including school and community shootings in Newtown, CT, Marysville, WA, Aurora, CO, Chardon, OH, and Townville, SC; flooding from hurricanes Sandy in New York and New Jersey, Katrina in New Orleans, and Ike in Galveston, TX; 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, China; tornadoes in Joplin, MO, and Alabama; and Great Smoky Mountain wildfires in Sevierville, TN. He has also conducted school-based research (funded by NICHD, NIMH, NIDA, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, William T. Grant Foundation, and other foundations) involving children’s understanding of and adjustment to serious illness and death, as well as school-based interventions to promote adjustment and risk prevention. About the National Center for School Crisis & Bereavement: In 2005, Schonfeld established the NCSCB with funding from the September 11th Children’s Fund and the National Philanthropic Trust. Further funding from the New York Life Foundation has allowed the center to provide ongoing and expanded services. The center aims to promote an appreciation of the role that schools play to support students, staff, and families at times of crisis and loss; to collaborate with organizations and agencies to further this goal; and to serve as a resource for information, training materials, consultation, and technical assistance. 1-877-53-NCSCB (1-877-536-2722) [email protected]

As we move into our fifth project year in service of you and the school mental health workforce, we sit in reflection about the learning, listening, and leading that has evolved over the years together.    A couple of highlights in this Fall Issue:  Our regional school mental health webpage was launched in September 2021 and has received 1,044 pageviews; we hope to continue to build resources and content that can support you.  More than 120 regional and national Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) grantees attended our PS MHTTC programming in Year 4; we hope to continue to support AWARE leaders in our region and beyond.  School mental health professionals represent the highest proportion of our Center’s training and technical assistance! We see you, lifelong learners.  Our products, including project-developed resources and archived recordings, have been viewed or downloaded 26,374 times.   We hope that you continue to see us as a resource for creating or locating the content and coaching you need and want so that our work feels efficacious, supported, informed, and impactful.  In this quarter’s newsletter, we offer new programming, research and resources, and so much more.