Products and Resources Catalog

This is the slide deck for Starting Down the Integrated Care Road and How the Mid-America MHTTC Can Help, the first session in our series Coming Home to Primary Care: Pediatric Integrated Health. This session will introduce the integration of behavioral health providers in primary care practices as well as the technical assistance the Mid-America MHTTC offers in this field. Speakers will demonstrate how integration efforts increase access to behavioral health, increase appointment attendance and reduce stigma. Members of the Mid-America MHTTC Integrated Care Program will welcome requests to establish and/or enhance integration efforts in primary care.    Learning Objectives:  Define integrated behavioral health care  Identify the consequences and costs of poor health to society, particularly poor behavioral health  Explain the importance of primary care in mental health delivery  Describe the advantages of integrated care for patients, physicians, and providers   Target Audience: Behavioral Health Providers Primary Care Providers Nurses   Learn more: https://bit.ly/ComingHometoIC  

Original Webinar Date: 8/5/20   This is the second of two webinar sessions. (View Session One Instead) The Pacific Southwest MHTTC is pleased to partner with The Catalyst Center, with sponsorship from the California Department of Education and Wellness Together, to offer two webinar sessions to support the California school mental health workforce, school site leaders, and systems leaders. These sessions are presented by community-based and youth-centered organizations and agencies from whom we can learn to guide our telehealth approaches, practices, and policies. The aim of both sessions is to lift up rising practices: stories of resilience as providers innovate ways to help youth access behavioral health amidst a worldwide pandemic. COVID-19 has forced us into conditions that challenge best practices for serving the mental health needs of youth we marginalize. The school behavioral and mental health workforce has the opportunity to learn from community-based service providers who have pivoted their models of care and engagement, implementing creative methods of virtual practice to ensure communities receive the care they direly need. Through these two sessions, we hope to support California school mental health advocates, educators, administrators, and other school systems leaders in managing stress and trauma in their communities. Each session highlights voices of experience from community-based organizations that have been innovative and student-centered in their response and resilience to this moment. Their learnings help us identify, adopt, and implement innovative, student-centered telehealth strategies for our students’ equitable mental health access.   Session 1: How might we partner with and listen to youth / students whom we marginalize, specifically in their telehealth experience during COVID-19? Date: Monday, August 3, 2020   Session 2: How might community-based organizations provide student support, and what can school systems learn from them, specifically related to COVID-19 telehealth? Date: Wednesday, August 5, 2020 (Click the "View Resource" button above to access the recording)  

Original Date: 8/3/20   This is the first of two webinar sessions. (View Session Two Instead) The Pacific Southwest MHTTC was pleased to partner with The Catalyst Center, with sponsorship from the California Department of Education and Wellness Together, to offer two webinar sessions to support the California school mental health workforce, school site leaders, and systems leaders. These sessions were presented by community-based and youth-centered organizations and agencies from whom we can learn to guide our telehealth approaches, practices, and policies. The aim of both sessions was to lift up rising practices: stories of resilience as providers innovate ways to help youth access behavioral health amidst a worldwide pandemic. COVID-19 has forced us into conditions that challenge best practices for serving the mental health needs of youth we marginalize. The school behavioral and mental health workforce has the opportunity to learn from community-based service providers who have pivoted their models of care and engagement, implementing creative methods of virtual practice to ensure communities receive the care they direly need. Through these two sessions, we aimed to support California school mental health advocates, educators, administrators, and other school systems leaders in managing stress and trauma in their communities. Each session highlights voices of experience from community-based organizations that have been innovative and student-centered in their response and resilience to this moment. Their learnings help us identify, adopt, and implement innovative, student-centered telehealth strategies for our students’ equitable mental health access.   Session 1: How might we partner with and listen to youth / students whom we marginalize, specifically in their telehealth experience during COVID-19? Date: Wednesday, August 3, 2020 (Click the "View Resource" button above to access the recording)   Session 2: How might community-based organizations provide student support, and what can school systems learn from them, specifically related to COVID-19 telehealth? Date: Wednesday, August 5, 2020  

May 2020: Mental Health Awareness Month  Monthly e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC.   

Great Lakes Current July 2020 Monthly e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. 

Great Lakes Current August 2020 Monthly e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. 

COVID-19 has changed the way mental health professionals and youth peers serve their populations, and in doing such many providers may be struggling themselves. In this webinar, we will cover how your organization structure can support youth peer staff, supervision strategies for supporting youth peers, and offer recommendations on how youth peer support specialists can support their youth while maintaining boundaries. The webinar is hosted by Maria Hermsen-Kritz and Caitlin Baird, two experienced youth peer support specialists and supervisors.   Resources Slides available for download here Self-Care Bingo Card Youth AOD Toolbox Self-Care Plan Example  Making A Self-Care Plan Supportive Practices for Mental Health Professionals During Pandemic-related Social Distancing Covid-19: Considerations for a Trauma-informed Response For Work Settings Trauma-informed Care and the Stress of Covid-19   Trainers: Caitlin Baird Caitlin Baird is a Project Manager and Trainer with Pathways RTC at Portland State University. Caitlin has experience working directly with transition-aged youth and young adults as a peer support specialist and as a supervisor for peer support specialists in wraparound and other mental health settings.       Maria Hermsen-Kritz Maria Hermsen-Kritz is a Research Assistant with Pathways RTC at Portland State University. She has experience providing peer support for transition-aged youth,supervising youth peer support specialists,and managing a youth drop-in center program.      

Teletherapy connects clients to vital health care services through virtual formats, phone, or via other online or electronic means. This tip sheet (the first of a three-part set) focuses primarily on best practices, skills, and strategies for providing video and phone-based services.

Teletherapy connects clients to vital health care services through virtual formats, phone, or via other online or electronic means. This tip sheet (the second of a three-part set) explores technical requirements, environmental standards, and logistical issues to consider when preparing for virtual group therapy sessions.

Teletherapy connects clients to vital health care services through virtual formats, phone, or via other online or electronic means. Videoconference-based psychotherapy can contribute to burnout due to the number of sessions held in a day, the extended time spent looking at a screen, the trials that come with working with clients in an online setting, and other challenges. This tip sheet (the third of a three-part set) offers strategies for ensuring behavioral health provider self-care and well-being.

The August 2020 edition of the Southeast MHTTC Newsletter focuses on the impact that the COVID-19 Pandemic has had on mental health systems.

Original Webinar Date: 7/31/20 This recorded webinar presentation addresses evidence-based strategies for suicide prevention. Situated within the unique stressors of shelter-in-place orders, this webinar was tailored to teletherapy and discussed the distinct factors related to suicidal crises among diverse populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants learned how to guide clients in creating Safety Plans tailored to their specific needs and cultural strengths with the limited resources available under social distancing orders. Audiences were introduced to a curated list of free videos for clinicians and clients on suicide prevention-related topics including means restriction, emotion regulation techniques, Emotional First Aid, and normalizing messages of hope from people who have survived suicide. This webinar paid particular attention to social determinants of health related to elevated suicide rates among various populations including LGBTQ people, Veterans, Native Americans, and Latina youth and young adults.   Learning Objectives: Understand Linehan’s (1993) Theory of Emotion Regulation. Develop three skills clients can use to self-regulate their emotions to prevent or manage a suicidal crisis. Learn how to support diverse clients in creating culturally specific Safety Plans. Gain insight into COVID-19 specific suicide-related risks and identify available suicide prevention resources during the pandemic.

This session will introduce the integration of behavioral health providers in primary care practices as well as the technical assistance the Mid-America MHTTC offers in this field. Speakers will demonstrate how integration efforts increase access to behavioral health, increase appointment attendance and reduce stigma. Members of the Mid-America MHTTC Integrated Care Program will welcome requests to establish and/or enhance integration efforts in primary care.  Learning Objectives:  •    Define integrated behavioral health care  •    Identify the consequences and costs of poor health to society, particularly poor behavioral health  •    Explain the importance of primary care in mental health delivery  •    Describe the advantages of integrated care for patients, physicians, and providers Target Audience: •    Behavioral Health Providers •    Primary Care Providers •    Nurses Learn more: https://bit.ly/ComingHometoIC

The Northwest MHTTC invites you to read the second installment of our July newsletter. We continue to reflect upon the mental health experiences of Black, Indigenous and people of color. We share resources and events pertaining to the goals of this month of awareness. In addition, we describe our upcoming trainings and newest products as well as present resources from the Northwest ATTC, peer support resources, a report by the MHTTC Workforce Development Working Group on mental health workforce development and more.

‌‌‌Original Webinar Date: 7/20/20 Telehealth has been in use for years across multiple settings, but in the age of COVID has seen an unprecedented and unexpected explosion in popularity. Many mental health providers who previously utilized only traditional face-to-face encounters now find themselves forced by circumstance to adapt to new technologies and new ways of interacting with their patients. This recorded session discusses some of the benefits of a telehealth practice, as well as reviewing the risks. Dr. James Armontrout places particular emphasis on discussions of potential pitfalls, both legal and clinical, that may be encountered in the telehealth setting. This presentation discusses tips for improving the telehealth experience for both patient and provider, gleaned from a review of relevant literature and from Dr. Armontrout’s own experience providing telehealth services in settings ranging from outpatient clinics to high security correctional settings. The recording also includes questions from participants related to their own experience with telehealth.   Learning Objectives Explore strengths and limitations of telehealth visits compared to traditional visits. Learn ways to manage expected challenges, including emergencies, when running a telehealth clinic. Understand risks of telehealth, including risks to privacy and situations that might give rise to legal liability.   Audience: Any clinical mental health professionals with an interest in telehealth.   Dr. James Armontrout is a staff psychiatrist with the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. He works full-time in a residential treatment program specializing in treating PTSD, other trauma-based disorders, and substance abuse. He also instructs and supervises Stanford medical students and residents completing rotations in the Trauma Recovery Program. Dr. Armontrout also has a private practice performing Independent Medical Evaluations of individuals involved in legal proceedings. Among other scholarly interests Dr. Armontrout has authored articles about the risks of mobile mental health applications (mHealth) and has served as a member of the Technology Committee with the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law since 2017. Dr. Armontrout received both his B.A. in Psychology and his M.D. from the University of Virginia. He completed residency training in Psychiatry at the Harvard Longwood Psychiatry Residency Training Program, followed by fellowship training in Forensic Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. He is board certified in Psychiatry with Added Qualification in Forensic Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Session three Providing Mental Health Telehealth Services in Farming and Rural Communities   This webinar addressed how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected access to care, specifically mental health services. Presenters discussed how access to care is critical for farming and rural and frontier communities and highlighted the unique barriers these communities face. Presenters also provided information about telehealth service and resources, and how best practices developed prior and during the pandemic may provide longer-term solutions to mental health care access for farmers and rural communities. Participants gained a deeper understanding of how telehealth services work and how these services are implemented in real-world settings.   Slide deck Recording   Trainers Holly J. Roberts, PhD Deborah C. Baker, JD Stephen Gillaspy, PhD                      Four-part Series Addressing Mental Health Care in Farming and Rural Communities  COVID-19 is taking a tremendous toll on farming communities across the U.S., which already faced financial hardships before the pandemic. Now, the agricultural community is grappling with greater levels of uncertainty of what will happen to their livelihood in the coming months and years. The pandemic creates a new set of challenges.    Session one Improving Mental Health Care by Understanding the Culture of Farming and Rural Communities June 25, 2020 This webinar addressed the mental health crisis and unique stressors caused by COVID-19 within farming and rural/frontier communities. Presenters spoke to the ways health practitioners and community leaders should address stigma, stressors, mental risk factors, and provide treatment resources in these communities. Participants learned about improving mental health engagement and the unique aspects of providing services within these communities while also getting a "boots-on-the-ground" perspective on mental health care for farmers.   View Resources from Session One   Trainers Monica Kramer McConkey, LPC Kristi Phillips, PsyD   Session two Approaching and Treating Co-Occurring Mental and Substance Use Disorders in Farming and Rural Communities July 2, 2020 This webinar discussed co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders in farming and rural communities. Speakers outlined the prevalence of mental health and substance use co-occurring disorders, linking research to real-world impact of these disorders. Presenters also touched on the impact of COVID-19 within these communities. Participants learned how primary care providers can screen and identify signs and symptoms of co-occurring disorders as well as potential options for treatment plans.   View Resources from Session Two   Trainers Maridee Shogren, CNM, DNP Rebecca Roller, PsyD, LMFT   Session four Co-Occurring Mental and Substance Use Disorders in Farming and Rural Communities: Assessment, Ethics, and Preventing Compassion Fatigue   This webinar continued the conversation about co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders in farming and rural communities begun by Dr. Rebecca Roller and Dr. Maridee Shogren. In this follow up session Dr. Roller and Dr. Shogren provided additional information for using assessment tools to screen for co-occurring disorders in farming and rural populations, examined the unique ethical considerations created by providing care in small communities, and touched on ways to identify and prevent provider compassion fatigue. Participant questions from the session on Approaching and Treating Co-Occurring Mental and Substance Use Disorders in Farming and Rural Communities were used to help guide this presentation.   View Resources from Session Four   Trainers Maridee Shogren, CNM, DNP Rebecca Roller, PsyD, LMFT   Additional Resources Farm Stress and Mental Health Rural Mental Health Resources  

Drs. Kenneth Ruggiero and Margaret Anton describe strategies to address COVID-related and other barriers to care and demonstrate an iPad-based toolkit that houses a collection of games and activities clinicians can use to improve quality of care in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). By the end of the webinar, participants are able to: Describe the benefits of telehealth based platforms Recognize the limitations of telehealth platforms Understand the potential benefits of protocol-driven games and activities in the context of child mental health treatment Describe the state of the science relative to telehealth and technology-based solutions Understand how to better serve patients while we struggle with COVID-19

  With the sudden rapid transmission of COVID-19, new federal guidelines on social distancing, and local stay-at-home orders by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker in early March, 2020, The Brookline Center, like community mental health centers across the region, was forced to very quickly push out a plan to efficiently, effectively, and safely move the vast majority of their client visits to remote sessions. As a midsize organization, The Brookline Center staffs 80 clinicians and conducts approximately 38,000 client visits per year. Even prior to March, 2020, The Brookline Center (Brookline, Massachusetts) had been planning to offer remote client services. They had launched an electronic health record system and purchased a HIPAA-compliant Zoom account. They developed a draft telehealth policy. Implementation had yet to begin, though.     As news of a stay-at-home order came in, Ian Lang, Chief Executive Officer, and Hannah Scott, Chief Operating Officer, immediately met with the Program Director and Clinical Directors to generate expectations, workplans, and timelines for clinician training and swift roll-out of telehealth processes. Next, the senior staff developed and piloted a staff training to be delivered remotely using the same technology that the clinicians would be using for client visits.   The single-day training requirements included two prerequisites: Review of the organizational policy, procedures, guidelines, and required documentation for remote client visits. Review of four short videos about telehealth.   Staff then participated in a two-hour live online staff training session on skill and strategies for conducting client visits using video conferencing technology.   Within one week of Governor Baker’s stay-at-home order, The Brookline Center had finalized their telehealth policies and procedures, trained all their staff, and launched their telehealth services with all 80 staff clinicians. At the end of that first week with a stay-at-home order, The Brookline Center had already conducted 450 remote client visits. Now, six weeks later, they conduct 1,000 remote client visits weekly and have begun to conduct online group sessions as well. The Brookline Center continues to have a small subset of clinicians on site for clinical emergencies.     Tips for Organizations Transitioning to Telehealth   Drawing from their experiences, New England MHTTC staff writer Bethany Marcogliese spoke with Ian Lang, Chief Executive Officer, and Hannah Scott, Chief Operating Officer, about the process and what they would suggest for other organizations making the switch to telehealth.   Pilot protocols, procedures, and training materials ahead of launching them with staff. The Brookline Center conducted a one-day pilot implementation before training and launching the transition with the entire staff. During the pilot day, a small group of staff clinicians received the training as planned, then used the online meeting platform to role play a client visit with a colleague, and finally conducted a client visit using the technology, protocols, and procedures they had learned. At the end of the day, the pilot group of clinicians provided feedback to the trainers and senior staff on their experiences, specifically addressing areas of the training and documentation that needed to be added, clarified, or revised. By taking a day to pilot the use of these materials, the trainers and senior staff were able to improve the quality, clarity, and completeness of the materials prior to wider distribution.   Ease staff into the transition with a soft start. Prior to the training, The Brookline Center sent clinicians credentials for the meeting platform they would be using for the training, staff meetings, and client visits. They practiced signing in and navigating the online meeting technology in a low-pressure environment, ahead of the training and full transition. This soft start helped ease the team’s anxiety about the technology itself and allowed for more efficient and effective use of training time.   Communicate with staff often and in a variety of ways. Senior staff established regular and varied communication channels as soon as their staff began working remotely so that clinicians would continue to feel connected and supported throughout the transition. In the early days of the pandemic when the situation was constantly evolving, Hannah Scott would email the staff daily with updates and any new or changed guidance on protocols or procedures. She has now moved to three emails weekly. In addition, clinicians meet with the full staff and with their clinical teams weekly, where they have the opportunity to share their experiences, ask questions, and provide feedback.   Build in some fun to break up the intensity. When possible, dedicate time during staff meetings for connection and laughter. The Brookline Center staff has spent time during their meetings sharing pictures of their pets and conducting Kahoot! quizzes to break up the intensity in their day.     Challenges of Moving Staff and Services to Remote   While The Brookline Center was able to rapidly launch remote client visits in response to COVID-19, the transition from an on-site to mostly remote organization has not been without challenges. Ian Lang describes the move to remote client visits as “the tip of the iceberg” of making the organization function remotely. With such a sudden transition, the staff are continually discovering issues that require a whole new way of doing their job. Decisions that were once made by a discussion in the hallway or a transfer of documents that once happened with a fax machine or walk down the hall to a colleague’s office now need to be documented and tracked electronically. The organization has had to completely rethink how they use paper in their day-to-day processes and move these systems online. They are now using Microsoft Teams, Sharepoint, and DocuSign in a much more intentional and nuanced way to help make up for the lack of paper and in-person transactions.   A particular pain point for the organization during this switch was the intake process. Previously, new clients would be evaluated on-site and required to fill out an extensive intake packet on paper. After two weeks conducting remote visits with existing clients, The Brookline Center began seeing new clients remotely. While the switch to remote client evaluations was relatively smooth, the conversion of the intake packet to a HIPAA-compliant user-friendly electronic form and registration process to an electronic transaction required significant effort to test and implement. The transition to an electronic intake process has been fully implemented, which will help support the increasing numbers of new clients The Brookline Center is seeing, as the pandemic becomes a long-duration event.   In a rapidly evolving health care and insurance payment landscape with regulations and requirements for services constantly changing in response to COVID-19, senior staff are continuing to course correct and update the policies, procedures, and guidelines for staff as needed. Hannah Scott has found that frequent email communications and staff and team meetings have helped keep the staff informed and connected.     How are Clinicians and Clients Coping with the Switch?   Overall, the feedback from The Brookline Center clinicians and clients about the switch to remote visits has been positive. Though the sudden transition has been a strain, clinicians report feeling supported, well-trained, and pleasantly surprised at how easy it has been to switch to providing services online. The staff training included guidance for clinicians to orient their clients to the technology and resources for troubleshooting issues with the online platform, which has helped client visits run smoothly. Clinicians have also been able to devise new and innovative ways to engage their clients online. For example, playing online games with their young clients.   The Brookline Center reports a generally positive response to the transition from their clients as well. They have found that most of their clients feel comfortable engaging with clinicians remotely, though they will provide phone-only sessions for clients that do not have the technology or comfort level to use the video conferencing component.   Lessons learned:   The switch to remote services and internal processes has improved the organization. The Brookline Center has found that the strides made in this condensed amount of time will benefit them post-pandemic. Ian Lang recognizes that, “the pandemic forced us to change for the better.”   Lack of place does not negate support. The Brookline Center has been heartened by the fact that they continue to provide quality mental health services to the community, even without a physical space for clients to go to.   Community mental health centers exist for times like this. As a community mental health center committed to providing outstanding, affordable mental health care and community-based social services, The Brookline Center has been able to swiftly respond to the changing needs of their community. Beyond mental health services, they have worked with The Brookline Foundation and the Town of Brookline, to increase their support of rent and basic expenses by nearly 500%, shift from one-time support of basic expenses to ongoing, expand housing services, and support an increasing number of clients who are accessing public benefits for the first time.     Helpful Tools and Resources for Organizations Transitioning to Telehealth   Select a HIPAA-compliant video conferencing platform, such as Zoom for Healthcare Set up a cloud-based secure internal document sharing and communication system for staff, such as Microsoft Teams or G Suite from Google Transfer all paper forms (including intake packets) to a secure electronic solution, such as DocuSign. Convert your phone lines to a cloud-based platform that can be used remotely, such as RingCentral. For more information and best practice strategies for transitioning to telehealth, visit MHTTC’s Responding to COVID-19: Building Telehealth Capacity resource page.      

Week 3 Training #6: Telehealth and Substance Use Disorders View the video here Access slides here Presenter:  Mark Duncan, MD, Assitant Professor, UW Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences; Co-Medical Director UW PACC, Telepsychiatry Rotation, and Advanced Collaborative Care - Addictions Medical Education Learning Objectives Briefly review what the evidence says about telehealth SUD treatment Outline a telehealth SUD visit Develop understanding around special considerations for SUD treatment Highlight changes in SUD treatment due to the Pandemic Describe supplemental digital programs

Week 4 Training #7: 42 CFR Part 2 and HIPAA Access slides here View video here Resources: Center of Excellence for Protected Health Information (CoE-PHI) Resource Library Center of Excellence for Protected Health Information (CoE-PHI) Request Technical Assistance Video: Tips to Keep Your Telehealth Visit Private Telehealth and Privacy Tips for for Providers Telehealth and Privacy Tips for Clients   Presenters: Christine Khaikin, JD - CoE-PHI Health Policy Sally Friedman, JD - CoE-PHI Senior Health Privacy Training and TA Director Caroline Waterman, MA,LRC,CRC - CoE-PHI SUD Lead Michael Graziano, MPA - CoE-PHI Project Director   Learning Objectives Identify basic requirements of 42 CFR Part 2 and HIPAA Explore recent changes to federal privacy laws outlined within the CARES act Explore privacy law application to telehealth in accordance with recently released SAMHSA and OCR guidance Describe how to access resources and TA provided by the Center of Excellence for Protected health Information (CoE-PHI)

For a subset of individuals affected by COVID-19, events related to the global pandemic may lead to PTSD symptoms. For others, the pandemic and related stressors may exacerbate existing PTSD symptoms. This 1 hour webinar guides attendees through what the state of the science is to date on PTSD and COVID-19, and how it may affect implementation of treatment of existing or new PTSD symptoms.   Download the slides here.   Read the FAQs here.

Wednesday, May 6, 11am - 12pm -- Training #5: Creating a Clinical Workflow for Telehealth Access slides here View recording here Presenter:  Jennifer Erickson, DO, Acting Assistant Professor in the UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Learning objectives: List the four components of a telemedicine clinic work flow.

This is the third and final session of the three-part webinar series, Making a Good Connection: Engaging Students and Families in School Tele-Mental Health, that is geared toward providers who are making the transition from in-person to telehealth services. Session content focuses on practical strategies and equity concerns related to engaging children, adolescents and families using distance technology. The presenters devote the first segment of each hour-long presentation to a specific topic, then address attendee-submitted questions. To view the recording, click on the "View Resource" button above. Download the slides here. Download the FAQ Sheet here. If you'd like access to recordings and resources for all session in this series, click here.

Presentation Slides    Webinar's FAQ   COVID-19 has impacted so many individuals physically, psychologically, socially, and financially. Many individuals from the Latino population have been significantly impacted due to the ongoing disparities in health care and resource availability. Telehealth services have been a way to provide desperately needed services in a safe way, but there are significant challenges to providing services that consider the cultural needs of the individual as well. In this webinar, we will discuss the challenges of treating Latino clients during the COVID crisis, and we will discuss how to assess and provide interventions to meet the needs of Latino individuals using telehealth modalities.