Products and Resources Catalog

The Great Lakes Wave podcast channel is available on all of the top podcasting platforms, including Anchor,  Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Breaker.  New episodes and podcast series are added regularly!  

Download the presentation slides here Classroom WISE is a free, 6-hour mental health literacy online course for teachers and school staff with brief, high-impact training videos and accompanying website (www.classroomwise.org ). This course was developed with input from educators, students, and school mental health leaders, co-developed by the National Center for School Mental Health and the SAMHSA-funded Mental Health Technology Center Network. This learning session will provide an overview of Classroom Wise Module 6: Classroom Strategies to Support Students Experiencing Distress. Join us to discuss how this modules aligns with your existing initiatives and supports and explore effective approaches to roll out the Classroom Wise in your local schools. Following this event, there is one additional live sessions this summer to support Classroom WISE implementation in the Southeast, register for our last session and view past sessions here! Learning Objectives: 1. Increase understanding of Classroom WISE Module 6 structure and content. 2. Increase understanding of best practices to effectively support Classroom WISE adoption and implementation in local school systems. 3. Promote cross-state networking and shared learning about best practices in school mental health system implementation of school staff training materials.

  Implementing Farm Stress Grab-n-Go Kits in HHS Region 7 and 8 Communities Access slide deck with green download button above Click here to watch the recording Farm stress is the stress experienced by farmers and their families due to the unique agricultural work environment. This past year created escalating levels of mental health distress for everyone. In response to the pandemic, farming and ranching communities already dealing with high stress levels saw incidents of drug and alcohol abuse rapidly increase, as well as rising numbers of death by suicide.   In response to the increasing need for mental health tools designed to address the specific needs of farm and ranching communities, the Mid-America Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC), the Mid-America Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), and the Mountain Plains MHTTC collaborated to develop a set of easy-to-use ("Grab-n-Go") presentations and flyers for use by extension offices and behavioral health providers in farm communities. Based on interviews with extension agents in HHS Region 7 and HHS Region 8, the team identified four key areas of concern: mental health awareness, stigma, co-occurring disorders, and death by suicide.     During this presentation, participants will learn who could benefit from using these free resources, how to use the resources effectively, and a brief background on the conversations and research that spurred the resources' development.   After attending this session, participants can expect to:   Learn why the Farm Stress Grab-n-Go Kits were made and who can benefit from using these resources.  Learn how to effectively use the Farm Stress Grab-n-Go Kits, as well as other MHTTC Farm Stress resources.  Learn how to initiate difficult community conversations about mental health issues to support community-based solutions.    Trainers Brandy Clarke, PhD, LP, Director, Region 7 Mid-America MHTTC Erika Holliday, MPH, CHES, Sr. Program Support Coordinator, Region 7 ATTC, Maridee Shogren, DNP, CNM, CLC, University of North Dakota, Region 8 MHTTC and ATTC Genevieve Berry, Project Manager, Region 8 MHTTC 

Download the presentation slides here Classroom WISE is a free, 6-hour mental health literacy online course for teachers and school staff with brief, high-impact training videos and accompanying website (www.classroomwise.org). This course was developed with input from educators, students, and school mental health leaders, co-developed by the National Center for School Mental Health and the SAMHSA-funded Mental Health Technology Center Network. During this learning session Dr. Elizabeth Connors provided an overview of Classroom Wise Module 4: Understanding and Supporting Students Experiencing Adversity and Distress and Module 5: Teaching Mental Health Literacy and Reducing Stigma. Dr. Connors also lead discussion around how these modules align with existing initiatives and supports and explored effective approaches to roll out the Classroom Wise in local schools. There are two additional live sessions this summer to support Classroom WISE implementation in the Southeast, register for our last session and view past sessions here! Learning Objectives: 1. Increase understanding of Classroom WISE Modules 4 and 5 structure and content. 2. Increase understanding of best practices to effectively support Classroom WISE adoption and implementation in local school systems. 3. Promote cross-state networking and shared learning about best practices in school mental health system implementation of school staff training materials.

Recording of the event Combating Early Psychosis Stigma, originally held on June 23, 2021.   Presentation slides.

Experiential Ways to Build Up Your Mental Health and Resilience - Workshop Wednesday Session Access slide deck with the green download button above Click here to watch the recording   Session Description This training focused on improving mental health wellness by teaching participants to recognize when they are thriving or languishing and provided skills and strategies for building and increasing resilience. Christina Ruggiero gave an overview of the foundations of mental health wellness and guided participants through exercises that support self-reflection, relaxation, and the development of a personalized self-care plan. Christina closed the session by reviewing additional resources that participants can use to establish self-care strategies to cope with uncontrollable events.     After attending this session, participants will:    Understand the difference between Thriving Mental Health and Languishing Mental Health. Recognize the significant role mental health plays in overall health and well-being. Have practiced and become familiar with exercises to improve mental health using relaxation and self-care.   Develop self-care strategies to help manage COVID-19 uncertainty.   Trainer Christina Ruggiero, CCC, RP Christina Ruggiero (she/her) is a Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario, Canada, currently working full-time as a mental health counsellor for students attending Queens, University. She obtained her Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Toronto, before pursuing her Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology at Adler University in Vancouver, BC. She finds great meaning in educating individuals about mental health, and reducing the stigma associated with mental illness. During her graduate degree, she created an anti-stigma training module for students and staff to use at Simon Fraser University, believing that change involves education and experiential components, including self-awareness and reflection. She continues this method training students and staff at Queens in mental health awareness, compassion fatigue, and distress support.

      Hard copies of the toolkit are also available. If you'd prefer a hard copy, please reach out to us at [email protected]. Farm stress is the stress experienced by farmers and their families due to the unique agricultural work environment. The global health pandemic has had a substantial effect on farm stress. Farming and ranching communities already dealing with high stress levels saw incidents of drug and alcohol abuse rapidly increase, as well as rising numbers of death by suicide.   In response to the increasing need for mental health tools designed to address the specific needs of farm and ranching communities, the Mid-America Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC), the Mid-America Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), and the Mountain Plains MHTTC collaborated to develop a set of easy-to-use ("Grab-n-Go") presentations and flyers for use by extension offices and behavioral health providers in farm communities. Based on interviews with extension agents in HHS Region 7 and HHS Region 8, the team identified four key areas of concern: mental health awareness, stigma, co-occurring disorders, and death by suicide.   Authors Erika Holliday, MPH, CHES, Sr. Program Support Coordinator, Region 7 ATTC Mogens Bill Baerentzen, PhD, Serious Mental Illness Program Director, Region 7 Mid-America MHTTC Stephanie Smith Kellen, MA, PLMHP, Pre-Doctoral Psychology Intern Region 7 MHTTC Brandy Clarke, PhD, LP, Director, Region 7 Mid-America MHTTC Maridee Shogren, DNP, CNM, CLC, University of North Dakota, Region 8 MHTTC and ATTC Genevieve Berry, Project Manager, Region 8 MHTTC  

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE In celebration of May as Mental Health Awareness Month and National Asian Pacific Islander History & Heritage Month, Aleks Martin surprised their audience via Northwest MHTTC with guests Boya Hua and Dr. Hieu Pham. This month’s learning goals are to identify the social impact of stigma and shame on the “self”, and to identify tools to overcome the suffering and silence. Though the panel discussion originally aired on May 19, 2021, the following is an excerpt from the live audio recording of the webinar. Find out more about the series here. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES View the webinar recording and access accompanying resources FACILITATOR & PANELISTS Aleks Martin (S/he pronouns, but they is ok) has been in the health and social service field for over 20 years. Aleks was drawn to the LGBTQI2+ community in their mid-twenties working for a national HIV-prevention study with youth called, Young Asian Men’s Study (YAMS). This exposed them to the great work of HIV workers from other organizations and how community-based programs are critical in reaching out to the most vulnerable populations. During this time, they worked as a Disease Intervention Specialist with Public Health - Seattle & King County for 7 years, including working on the pilot study for the Rapid HIV Test Kit (then a 20-minute test). A big portion of their professional career was spent at Seattle Counseling Service, a behavioral health agency for the LGBTQ community. From 2003 to 2019, Aleks started as Database Manager, Health Educator, Program Coordinator to Chemical Dependency Counselor and Addictions Program Supervisor. This was the safe space where their yearning for higher education was cultivated so they could serve their community further. As a graduate of the University of Washington’s School of Social Work - Masters Program, Aleks developed their skills as a mental health clinician and social justice advocate. Aleks’ perspectives where shifted and allowed them to have a wider lens for diversity, inclusion and equity. Aleks was inspired to start a private practice to address the special needs of the LGBTQI2+ and BBIPOC (Black, Brown, Indigenous and People of Color), particularly Queer and Trans Asian and Pacific Islander people dealing with unique and special issues that intersect with race/culture and gender/sexuality like coming out, spiritual conflicts, cultural dissonance, gender transition, social navigation at work and other environments, interpersonal relationships from intimacy to friendships, understanding relationships with non-LGBTQI2+ partner(s), and so on. Boya Hua, MSW, LMHC, LSWAIC (she/her), is a licensed mental health therapist who speaks Mandarin and English. She moved to Seattle from Shanghai, China in 2015, in order to pursue her graduate study at University of Washington, School of Social Work. Back in China, she had been actively involved in community engagement and advocacy work in Chinese LGBTQ community for over six years. She founded a sexual diversity education workshop called LGBT Free Talk and co-organized ShanghaiPRIDE. She is the author of a book called Voices of LGBT in Shanghai based on interviews with 20 queer local folks in Shanghai. Currently, she provides culturally-sensitive mental health services at Seattle Counseling Service, an LGBTQ-specialized community mental health agency. She is also enthusiastic about literature, music, body movement and being close to nature. Hieu Pham, MD, MSPH, AAHIVS (he/him), is a family physician. He was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and calls New York City his home. He was raised by a single mother. His own immigrant experience inspired him to care for immigrant and refugee communities. In New York City, he was involved with GAPIMNY, an organization that works to continue to support and empower queer and trans Asians and Pacific Islanders. It was this formative experience that continues to motivate him to work with gender diverse communities. He worked in public health before starting medical school in Chicago, and then moved to Seattle for residency in Family Medicine at Swedish Cherry Hill. Currently he works at International Community Health Services in Seattle's International District, a safety net clinic, where he primarily serves patients who are immigrants and refugees. He speaks Vietnamese, English, and Mandarin. Hieu provides full-spectrum family medicine, including obstetrical services, HIV care, pre-exposure prophylaxis, and gender affirming care. He also works at Nova Wellness Center, a school-based clinic, caring for gender diverse teens.  When not working, you can find Hieu in Seattle's International District supporting the neighborhood's restaurants or coffee shops, eating pizza, and spending time with his boyfriend.

Overcoming Mental Health Stigma - Workshop Wednesday Session Access slide decks with the green download button above View Recording   Session Description May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the Mountain Plains MHTTC hosted a session on overcoming mental health stigma. Marvis Doster, CARN, and Chris Harsell, DNP, ANP-BC, examined ways to identify and address mental health stigma. The Mountain Plains MHTTC supports research and information gathering on mental health stigma in rural communities and we invite you to learn more here.   Trainers Chris Harsell, DNP, ANP-BC Marvis Doster, CARN  

Identify the social impact of stigma and shame on the “self”, identify tools to overcome the suffering and silence. The Northwest MHTTC is excited to collaborate with Aleks Martin, MSW, LSWAIC, SUDP, to deliver a webinar and podcast series as part of our support for provider well-being. Find out more about the series here. Resources View presentation slides Listening to Shame by Brene Brown Provider Lived Experience and Stigma Key Ingredients of Anti-Stigma Programs for Health Care Providers Shame: The Elephant in the Room Shame vs. Guilt Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement   Presenter Aleks Martin (S/he pronouns, but they is ok) has been in the health and social service field for over 20 years. Aleks was drawn to the LGBTQI2+ community in their mid-twenties working for a national HIV-prevention study with youth called, Young Asian Men’s Study (YAMS). This exposed them to the great work of HIV workers from other organizations and how community-based programs are critical in reaching out to the most vulnerable populations. During this time, they worked as a Disease Intervention Specialist with Public Health - Seattle & King County for 7 years, including working on the pilot study for the Rapid HIV Test Kit (then a 20-minute test). A big portion of their professional career was spent at Seattle Counseling Service, a behavioral health agency for the LGBTQ community. From 2003 to 2019, Aleks started as Database Manager, Health Educator, Program Coordinator to Chemical Dependency Counselor and Addictions Program Supervisor. This was the safe space where their yearning for higher education was cultivated so they could serve their community further. As a graduate of the University of Washington’s School of Social Work - Masters Program, Aleks developed their skills as a mental health clinician and social justice advocate. Aleks’ perspectives where shifted and allowed them to have a wider lens for diversity, inclusion and equity. Aleks was inspired to start a private practice to address the special needs of the LGBTQI2+ and BBIPOC (Black, Brown, Indigenous and People of Color), particularly Queer and Trans Asian and Pacific Islander people dealing with unique and special issues that intersect with race/culture and gender/sexuality like coming out, spiritual conflicts, cultural dissonance, gender transition, social navigation at work and other environments, interpersonal relationships from intimacy to friendships, understanding relationships with non-LGBTQI2+ partner(s), and so on. 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.

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. For many Asian Americans, Asian cultures have shaped their explanatory models of health including mental health. In this event, Dr. Fan provided a brief analysis on how Asian religious and philosophical traditions affect the understanding, clinical manifestation and treatment-seeking behaviors of people with psychotic disorders and other mental illnesses. In addition, the mental health toll of anti-Asian racism and being a “model minority” will be presented. During the second part of the event, Dr. Fan lead a clinically oriented discussion to address the barriers to improve mental health care for Asian Americans.   Xiaoduo Fan, MD, MPH, MS Dr. Fan is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He is Director of the Psychotic Disorders Clinical and Research Program and Director of the Chinese Mental Health Program at UMass. Dr. Fan received his medical degree from Peking University and MPH degree from Harvard University. In addition, Dr. Fan obtained a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at Rosalind Franklin University. Dr. Fan is a member of the advisory panel for the Patient-Centered Outcome Research Institute (PCORI), and a member of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Council on International Psychiatry and Global Health. He also serves as a reviewer for various federal grant programs. We will be providing certificates of completion for a total of 1.5 hours to those who watch the recording. You will be asked to register in order to watch the recording. To watch the recording, click here. To request your certificate of participation, click here.     

Objectives: 1-The participants will receive an overview of the current concept of what is called Schizophrenia 2-The limitations of the current name Schizophrenia as an appropriate title for this illness will be reviewed 3-Several alternative names are Schizophrenia will be listed along with results of a recent survey by our group, followed by discussion   Slides:      Presenters: Raquelle Mesholam-Gately, PhD Matcheri Keshavan, MD  

  The Great Lakes MHTTC offers this training for parents, caregivers, school-based mental health and other behavioral health professionals in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI. This training is offered in response to a need identified by stakeholders in our region. More Than Sad: Suicide Prevention for Parents teaches parents how to be smart about mental health. Parents will learn how to recognize signs of depression and other mental health problems, initiate a conversation with their child, and get him or her help.   Learning Objectives: Identify signs of depression and other mental health problems Learn strategies to talk with youth about mental health Learn how to access mental health services and supports   Speaker:  Tandra Rutledge is the Director of Business Development at Riveredge Hospital, a free-standing psychiatric facility in Illinois. Tandra is a mental health advocate and suicide prevention educator. She promotes wellness and resilience through a social justice and racial equity lens. Tandra serves on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and is a member of the Illinois Suicide Prevention Alliance. She is an AMSR trainer (Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk), a certified suicide prevention educator for the QPR Institute, an adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) instructor, and a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) instructor with the Chicago Police Department.    

Evaluación y traije* del suicidio en cinco pasos. *Conocido como "triage" en inglés   View English version

Suicide Assessment Five-step Evaluation and Triage   View Spanish version

Recording of the Rock Recovery-led event Marginalized Voices - Understanding the Presentation and Prevalence of Eating Disorders, originally held on February 25, 2021.   Slide Presentation

Recording of the Rock Recovery-led event Symptom Substitution, Trauma and the Hidden Addiction of Eating Disorders, originally held on March 4, 2021.   Slide Presentation

Recording of the Rock Recovery-led event Breaking through Shame - How Faith Communities Can Remove Mental Health Stigma and Support those with Eating Disorders, originally held on March 11, 2021.   Slide Presentation

  The Great Lakes MHTTC offers this presentation for behavioral health providers in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI. Norman Cousins was in pain 24 hours per day and doctors predicted that he would die soon. Cousins self-prescribed comedy tapes as his medicine. He discovered that for every 10 minutes he laughed, he had two hours of pain free sleep. He lived 16 years longer than his doctored predicted. This presentation focuses on the therapeutic benefits of humor for mental health and medical professionals and promises to be a fun learning experience. Learning Objectives How to use humor to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue. The use of humor to increase organizational morale. The positive impact of humor on physical and mental health. How humor can reduce stigma. How to use humor to increase rapport with clients and patients.   Speaker:  Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC is the Illinois project manager for the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. Mark is an international speaker in the behavioral health field whose presentations have reached thousands throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Caribbean and British Islands. He is the author of 5 books and has had two stories published in the New York Times bestselling book series, Chicken Soup For The Soul. He has lectured at the University of Chicago and Loyola University of Chicago Schools of Social Work.

View Presentation Slides   This webinar reviews evidence for the "illness identity model" which proposes that self-stigma has a profound impact on the recovery of people diagnosed with serious mental illness. It also discusses intervention options for addressing self-stigma.    Presenter: Philip T. Yanos, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at John Jay College, City University of New York. He is an Associate Editor for the journal Stigma and Health, and the director of Clinical Training for the clinical psychology Ph.D. program at John Jay College and the Graduate Center. Yanos is the co-developer of 'Narrative Enhancement and Cognitive Therapy,' a group-based treatment that addresses the effects of self-stigma among people with mental illness. This treatment approach has been translated into seven languages. He is the author of over 100 articles and book chapters, the book Written Off: Mental Health Stigma and the Loss of Human Potential (Cambridge University Press, 2018), and was the principal investigator on two recent large, federally-funded projects. 

This module first reviews specific types of universal mental health promotion services and supports, including school climate, school staff well-being, positive behaviors and relationships, positive discipline practices, mental health literacy and social emotional learning. Then, quality indicators and best practices to ensure these services and supports are of high quality, adequate implementation, and fit local considerations.   PLEASE NOTE: As of April 2021, the MHTTC Network and National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) changed the title of the National School Mental Health Curriculum: Guidance and Best Practices for States, Districts, and Schools to the new title National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules for States, Districts, and Schools.

Monthly electronic newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. November 2020 issues features Native American Heritage Month, Veterans Day, and new resources including Stigma Basics, Counselor's Corner, and Telehealth Services for Mental Health infographic.  

This presentation will focus on a community-based, compassionate approach to addressing issues related to children’s mental health and trauma with 7 features essential to providing valuable, cost-effective services to children and youth with serious behavioral and emotional challenges. We will include suggestions for implementing a mental health support services team in a way that serves youth’s needs without stigmatization or additional funding, with concrete examples of our methods.    Presenter(s):  Christine Mason, PhD Dana Asby, MA MEd Martha Staeheli, PhD

This webinar series is a collaboration between the Northeast and Caribbean MHTTC, the Northeast and Caribbean ATTC, and the Northeast and Caribbean PTTC.   Building off the psychological framework of unconscious bias as discussed in the first session, this second presentation will review and inform on how unconscious bias is reflected in words, communications, and relations toward persons of color through case scenarios reflecting its impact in the addiction, mental health, and prevention settings. The elusiveness of cognitive bias underscores provider assumptions and perceptions and affect judgment that leads to prejudice, micro-aggressions, and even discriminatory practices in care. The discussion will also identify commonly experienced pressures of personal and ‘on the job’ stress, and other bias risk factors that affect decision making, interactions, and client/patient outcomes in behavioral health.