Products and Resources Catalog

Fostering inclusivity in our schools means recognizing, valuing, and celebrating the unique cultural, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds that each student brings to the classroom. This is a foundational principle to supporting the delivery of an anti-racist curriculum that illuminates the value and importance of racial equality and justice and highlights the richness and uniqueness of diverse histories. Educators can encourage critical thinking and nurture empathy by challenging stereotypes and expanding the perspectives of their students. Additionally, accessibility to quality education for all students, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status, is vital for the growth and success of both individual students and the larger society. It requires equipping underrepresented students with adequate resources and support.   This product is part of the Mental Health Matters Lead with Equity series. Check out other products in this series:   Supporting LGBTQ Students in Schools   Supporting Diverse Educators

Cedric Woods shares strategies for reaching and engaging Native youth with host Ashley Stewart. This podcast episode is sponsored by the New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network (MHTTC).  

This is a recording of the May 31st, 2023 Session 4 in the series Aging Out or Growing Together? Flipping the Youth Services Paradigm to Better Support Young Adulthood. This fourth session, Navigating Barriers to Service and Client/Participant Resistance in Case-Management featured special guests Falilah Bilal, Dr. Jaleel Abdul-Adil, and Magali Rivera-Davis. Our Region 9 Training Specialist Oriana Ides facilitated this panel discussion to address how organizational values, program design, implementation strategies, and long-term visions for young adults can expand to support their evolving needs. This session and all those in the series are designed for agencies and individuals that serve transition-aged youth and young adults and explore themes specific to the needs of this age group.

This is a recording of Session 2 of Rising Practices & Policies Revisited - Uplifting Supports, Strengths, and Healing for Refugees from War. The session was held on June 12, 2023. In this session, Region 9’s Technical Assistance Specialist, Oriana Ides, facilitated a panel that focused on trauma informed and sensitive approaches to service for clients and students who are refugees from current and previous crises. The panel included speakers across our region who have lived experience with the impact of war and whose practices and policies reflect attunement to war-recovery needs. These special guests included José Patiño, Dr. Natalya (Natasha) Bogopolskaya, and Stephanie Noriega, who all shared strategies for working with individuals who have survived wars and navigated the ensuing primary, secondary, and vicarious traumas that resulted from this experience. In this session, we explored the following questions and more: What are fundamental elements of providing care and services to those who are war impacted? What are ways that experiencing secondary or vicarious war impacts survivors’ recovery (e.g., how does seeing the war in Ukraine impact the mental health of Afghani refugees in California, Ecuadorian asylees in Arizona, or native Pacific Islanders in Guam)? How can therapists, peer specialists, social workers, and other providers adapt services to ensure cultural humility and responsiveness? What practices and policies have emerged in the past year to help us help?

  This is the June session of our ongoing Workshop Wednesday learning series. To view resources from this presentation, click DOWNLOAD above Click here to watch the recording Event Description This training will provide information about anxiety in children, adolescents, and emerging adults. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of psychosocial developmental milestones (e.g., independence, emotion regulation, identity formation) and the ways in which anxiety, stress, and sociocultural factors can interfere with the successful transition to young adulthood.   Practical strategies for assessment and tools to support youth independence and college or workforce readiness will be reviewed. Trainer Lauren Hoffman

Recording of the event Black Youth Suicide: Exploring a Public Health Crisis and the Role of Racial Trauma, originally held on June 6, 2023. Slide presentation

The Caminos Translational Project will review results from the Caminos Research Study and translate key findings for numerous stakeholder groups that would benefit from increased awareness of outcomes associated with this research. The goal of this project is to increase awareness of the unique experiences of Latino youth and families, including the risk/protective factors and contextual variables, associated with the emotional well-being and academic success of participants in the research study. A total of four factsheets and 1 booklet resulted from this initiative.  The Caminos Research Study examines how stressors and supports in youth’s social environments shape family functioning and a range of indicators of adolescent health and well-being. Adolescents’ mental health outcomes are measured by internalizing symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety) and externalizing symptoms (e.g., conduct disorder, aggression, rule-breaking). Other adolescent outcomes include substance use, prosocial behaviors, and grade point average. Stressors examined include ethnic discrimination, COVID-19, and immigration threats. Supports examined include teacher, peer, and parent support. Additional factors assessed include traditional Latino cultural values as well as cultural gaps between parents and their children and between parents and the school. 

The Caminos Translational Project will review results from the Caminos Research Study and translate key findings for numerous stakeholder groups that would benefit from increased awareness of outcomes associated with this research. The goal of this project is to increase awareness of the unique experiences of Latino youth and families, including the risk/protective factors and contextual variables, associated with the emotional well-being and academic success of participants in the research study. A total of four factsheets and 1 booklet resulted from this initiative.  The Caminos Research Study examines how stressors and supports in youth’s social environments shape family functioning and a range of indicators of adolescent health and well-being. Adolescents’ mental health outcomes are measured by internalizing symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety) and externalizing symptoms (e.g., conduct disorder, aggression, rule-breaking). Other adolescent outcomes include substance use, prosocial behaviors, and grade point average. Stressors examined include ethnic discrimination, COVID-19, and immigration threats. Supports examined include teacher, peer, and parent support. Additional factors assessed include traditional Latino cultural values as well as cultural gaps between parents and their children and between parents and the school. 

The Caminos Translational Project will review results from the Caminos Research Study and translate key findings for numerous stakeholder groups that would benefit from increased awareness of outcomes associated with this research. The goal of this project is to increase awareness of the unique experiences of Latino youth and families, including the risk/protective factors and contextual variables, associated with the emotional well-being and academic success of participants in the research study. A total of four factsheets and 1 booklet resulted from this initiative.  The Caminos Research Study examines how stressors and supports in youth’s social environments shape family functioning and a range of indicators of adolescent health and well-being. Adolescents’ mental health outcomes are measured by internalizing symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety) and externalizing symptoms (e.g., conduct disorder, aggression, rule-breaking). Other adolescent outcomes include substance use, prosocial behaviors, and grade point average. Stressors examined include ethnic discrimination, COVID-19, and immigration threats. Supports examined include teacher, peer, and parent support. Additional factors assessed include traditional Latino cultural values as well as cultural gaps between parents and their children and between parents and the school. 

The Caminos Translational Project will review results from the Caminos Research Study and translate key findings for numerous stakeholder groups that would benefit from increased awareness of outcomes associated with this research. The goal of this project is to increase awareness of the unique experiences of Latino youth and families, including the risk/protective factors and contextual variables, associated with the emotional well-being and academic success of participants in the research study. A total of four factsheets and 1 booklet resulted from this initiative.  The Caminos Research Study examines how stressors and supports in youth’s social environments shape family functioning and a range of indicators of adolescent health and well-being. Adolescents’ mental health outcomes are measured by internalizing symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety) and externalizing symptoms (e.g., conduct disorder, aggression, rule-breaking). Other adolescent outcomes include substance use, prosocial behaviors, and grade point average. Stressors examined include ethnic discrimination, COVID-19, and immigration threats. Supports examined include teacher, peer, and parent support. Additional factors assessed include traditional Latino cultural values as well as cultural gaps between parents and their children and between parents and the school. 

The Caminos Translational Project will review results from the Caminos Research Study and translate key findings for numerous stakeholder groups that would benefit from increased awareness of outcomes associated with this research. The goal of this project is to increase awareness of the unique experiences of Latino youth and families, including the risk/protective factors and contextual variables, associated with the emotional well-being and academic success of participants in the research study. A total of four factsheets and 1 booklet resulted from this initiative.  The Caminos Research Study examines how stressors and supports in youth’s social environments shape family functioning and a range of indicators of adolescent health and well-being. Adolescents’ mental health outcomes are measured by internalizing symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety) and externalizing symptoms (e.g., conduct disorder, aggression, rule-breaking). Other adolescent outcomes include substance use, prosocial behaviors, and grade point average. Stressors examined include ethnic discrimination, COVID-19, and immigration threats. Supports examined include teacher, peer, and parent support. Additional factors assessed include traditional Latino cultural values as well as cultural gaps between parents and their children and between parents and the school. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted Latinx communities and highlighted how preexisting health disparities increase mental health conditions (Fortuna & Tolou-Shams, 2020). Challenges faced by Latinx families such as bereavement, food insecurity, reduced access to mental health services, and housing instability emphasize the critical need to translate and apply the best practices at the intersection of behavioral health, comprehensive school mental health systems, and Hispanic cultures. The purpose of this product is to share the lessons learned in implementing behavioral health strategies during the pandemic and exchange ideas for future responses and programs’ needs for improving Latinx communities’ mental health. The resource is a collaboration among the National Hispanic and Latino MHTTC, Central East MHTTC, National Center for School Mental Health, and the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University.

  This report is based on the research and the results of an intensive technical assistance (ITA) series hosted by our valued partners at the Wisconsin Association of Family & Children's Agencies (WAFCA). The report outlines the initial data of a multi-year intensive series being conducted with the participation of several schools in Wisconsin. For more information about the data presented in this report, please email [email protected].      For more information about the Wisconsin Association of Family & Children's Agencies, visit wafca.org.   

This is a recording of Part 1: Self-Harm and Suicide Awareness and Prevention in Childhood and Early Adolescence, that took place on April 18, 2023. To raise awareness and support prevention of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) in children, our Region 9 partnered with Dr. Meagan O’Malley, Frances Marion LCSW and Jessica Palacio LCSW to release Self-Harm and Suicide Awareness and Prevention in Childhood and Early Adolescence: A Resource for Elementary School Educators and School-Based Professionals (March, 2023) Led by the authors of this guide, this webinar video is available to provide elementary school personnel with critical knowledge and resources to help recognize, assess and respond to the warning signs of STBs in such a way that harm may be reduced and children are kept safe. Part 1 of the series offers an interactive walk through the guide with exercises and scenarios to support optimum use of the guide. Viewers of this video can benefit from the following learning objectives: Gain a deeper understanding of the risk factors and warning signs of suicide in elementary age children. Explore the protective factors against suicide, as well as tiered, school-based approaches to prevention and intervention. Learn strategies to communicate with parents/caregivers of elementary age children at risk for suicide.

This is a recording of Part 2: Young Children & Suicide Prevention for Parents and Caregivers To raise awareness and support parent and caregiver’s prevention of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) in children, our Region 9 partnered with Dr. Meagan O’Malley, Frances Marion LCSW and Jessica Palacio LCSW to release Our Young Children & Suicide Prevention: A Resource for Parents and Caregivers  (March, 2023) This resource is for schools and mental health providers to distribute to parents and caregivers so they are equipped with the tools to recognize the warning signs of STBs, and, when necessary, intervene early and effectively to keep their child safe. In Part 2 of the series, the authors of this guide walked school personnel through how to use the guide, discussed some of the risk factors for suicide, and provided coaching models for ways parents can talk with children about suicide in an age-appropriate way, as well as actions to take in securing professional help if a child is in danger. Viewers of this video can benefit from the following learning objectives: Gain a deeper understanding of risk factors and warning signs of suicide in young children. Learn developmentally appropriate ways parents and caregivers can talk with their children about suicide. Learn action steps parents and caregivers can take in responding to suicide risk in their children, including how to make their environments safer and connect children to professional support.

This is a recording of Part 1 of the Trans 101 Workshop Series - Foundations of Knowledge & Action on May 17, 2023. In Part 1, the trainer, Arc Telos Saint Amour reviewed common terms and explored examples of how anti-transgender prejudice intersects with other forms of oppression. The session modeled how to navigate conversations with transgender and non-binary people using up-to-date and affirming language. The trainer reviewed essential guidelines for supporting transgender and non-binary people in all spaces. Viewers of this recording will learn strategies that can be implemented immediately for affirming of the transgender and non-binary community! Learning objectives include: An accurate explanation on the difference between sex assigned at birth, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. Examples of affirming and supportive language, and examples of language that can be considered disrespectful, a microaggression, or non-affirming. Potential strategies for personally and professionally being able to better support transgender and non-binary people.

This is a recording of Part 2 of the Trans 101 Workshop Series - Working with Families of Trans & Non-Binary Youth on May 24, 2023. In this final session, educator and advocate Sean Lare, addressed the wide range of responses to young people in their family or care coming out as transgender or non-binary and how affirmation is essential for the mental health, safety, and future of trans and non-binary youth. Mr. Lare used case examples, small group work and best practices to guide professionals who work with trans and non-binary youth and their caregivers or families to meet both the parent/caregivers and the young person “where they are” in their process and help identify where the adult is on the spectrum of acceptance. This webinar dove briefly into family systems work, spent time considering the short- and long-term impacts of family rejection on trans, non-binary, and gender diverse youth; and discussed methods to assess where the adults are in their ability and willingness to affirm and accept their young people. , as well as helped to guide the family unit towards attunement. Viewers of this recording will learn: The five stages of the Nelson Continuum as they relate to reactions to a person coming out as transgender or non-binary. Examples from each stage of how a person might respond and explain how that type of response might affect a transgender or non-binary person. Two different approaches used to support the youth and parent/caregiver. External resources or supports for a youth and 1-2 external resources or supports for a parent/caregiver.

In this interactive presentation, the Training Director for HYPE (Helping Youth on the Path to Employment) discusses HYPE as a service model that aims to prevent long-term disability in youth and young adults through a strong and early emphasis on higher education and employment. The origins, creation, philosophy, current offerings, and future directions of HYPE was discussed.   Currently the Training Director at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research, Debbie Nicolellis has a keen interest in supporting people with mental health conditions to succeed in work and school and to have productive, meaningful careers. Debbie has a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling with a focus on Supported Employment and Psychiatric Rehabilitation from Boston University and is certified nationally as a Rehabilitation Counselor.   This webinar was co-hosted by the Massachusetts Psychosis Network for Early Treatment (MAPNET, www.mapnet.online)   View a recording of this 5/26/23 session here. 

Download the presentation slides here Session Overview: Medicaid is a leading source of financing for school mental health services and programs.  Looking forward, LEAs and mental health providers may be able to bill Medicaid for more services if there is better alignment between Medicaid policies and the services provided.  In this webinar event, Dr. Adam Wilk (SE MHTTC Policy Lead) will describe key processes through which Medicaid policies can be changed to increase Medicaid funding support for school mental health services.  He will provide examples of states that have pursued specific reforms, and he will also highlight important resources that can help school mental health leaders to identify what steps may be most appropriate to take in their home state.  This session is designed for those who are interested in learning more about options for changing Medicaid policy to better support school mental health systems and services.   Learning Objectives: Specify when Medicaid can be billed for school mental health services (including services that today are provided but not billed). Describe and distinguish the two main pathways for reforming state Medicaid programs in support of school mental health. Reference examples of other states that have pursued Medicaid reforms to advance school mental health systems.   Speaker:    Adam Wilk is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public health.  He is the Financial Policy Lead for the Southeast Region’s Mental Health Technology Transfer Center: Administrative Supplement on School-based Mental Health.  Dr. Wilk is a health economist and health services researcher, conducting research on Medicaid and underserved populations, physician decision-making, and the management of complex, chronically ill patients.  He received his doctorate at The University of Michigan School of Public Health in 2015.  Before his time in Michigan, Dr. Wilk worked at The Brookings Institution and as a consultant at The Lewin Group.

1 in 36 school-age children have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autistic students are much more likely than non-autistic students to experience mental health challenges, including difficulty with executive functioning.  This infographic provides an overview of common executive function differences in autistic students and why these differences matter for school.

Recording of the event Barriers and Risk Factors for Black LGBTQ+ Youth: Suggestions for Improving their Lived Experiences, originally held on May 2, 2023.   Slide presentation

  More college students than ever before are reporting receiving therapy or counseling.  To access resources from this webinar, please click DOWNLOAD above CLICK HERE to view the recording Event Description A recent study conducted by Healthy Minds Study confirms what many providers working with young adults and college-aged youth already know,   rates of anxiety, depression, and risk of suicide are at all-time highs.  The report also indicates that more college students than ever before report receiving therapy or counseling.  The report from the annual Healthy Minds Study is based on web surveys taken by 96,000 U.S. students across 133 campuses in the 2021-22 academic year. It found that 44% of students reported symptoms of depression, 37% reported anxiety disorders and 15% reported having seriously considered suicide in the past year—the highest recorded rates in the history of the 15-year-old survey.    How can you help someone with low mood and distress?  We dedicate this hour workshop to taking a deeper look at depression and suicide, including what depression is and how it is linked to suicide, how to recognize signs and symptoms of depression, the myths and stigma, and gauging risk of suicide in clients. The second half of the workshop is dedicated to how to provide support for these clients, including a few experiential exercises to use with clients with depression, and the creation of a safety plan that can be used with a client at risk for suicide.   Trainer Christina Ruggiero, RP

  What does emotional eating look like? Does it always look the same? Who can it affect? Learn all about it in this free series! Event Description Do you ever feel guilty for eating?   Do you ever feel anxious around food?   Do you ever feel anxious around food?   Do you ever feel a sense of a loss of control or impulsivity around food?   Do you ever judge yourself for what you eat?   Do you use food to cope, distract, or numb out?   Do you fear eating certain foods or label certain foods as good/bad?   Do you feel like you’re on a rollercoaster with your eating?   Do you feel like there is no way to trust your intuition and your body to guide your eating?   If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re in luck! We are offering a 4-week emotional eating program starting April 13th, 2023.     Emotional eating is a struggle that many of us have faced, particularly when feeling isolated, anxious, bored, empty, frustrated, or even excited. Join Laura MacLachlan, registered psychotherapist, in a 4-week educational course that will offer you the knowledge and practical strategies on conquering emotional eating and making peace with food. Laura helps people learn how to change their relationship with food and how to listen to their bodies. This course is for people who struggle with cravings, and emotional eating, or who have started a diet but haven’t been able to stick to it. Laura’s approach is grounded in cognitive behavior therapy and intuitive eating. She focuses on supporting people in understanding their desire to cope with their emotions using food while providing strategies to manage emotional discomfort without breaking healthy commitments. Additionally, this course will offer an understanding of the myths in society that promote weight gain and how the reptilian brain is involved in food addiction.   Dates Session 1: April 13th, 2023 View resources used during this session by clicking DOWNLOAD above Session 2: April 20th, 2023 View resources used during this session by clicking DOWNLOAD above Session 3: April 27th, 2023 View resources used during this session by clicking DOWNLOAD above Session 4: May 4th, 2023 View resources used during this session by clicking DOWNLOAD above Trainer Laura MacLachlan, Psychotherapist, BSc., MCP, RP Laura MacLachlan is a registered psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. She uses evidence-based interventions drawing from cognitive behaviour therapy, mindfulness, and intuitive eating, while liaising with other care providers to ensure a holistic approach to intervention. She is passionate about working with individuals and families affected by mood and anxiety disorders, emotional eating, and relationship difficulties. In her work with clients who struggle with emotional eating, recovery involves addressing the many issues that contribute to it, such as shame, relationship problems, perfectionism, and past traumas. When meeting first-time clients, Laura says, “I’m confident that together we can work to help equip you with the necessary tools to help you face and overcome the challenges you are facing. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, or emotional eating, it is important that you know you don’t have to be alone in this journey.”

This event is part of the UW SMART Center's 2023 Virtual Speaker Series. Learn more and register for upcoming events in the series here.  Transformative Systems through Equity - What are your powers? Description: A large component of transformative systems change is dependent upon an adopted foundational framework. MTSS is the framework to leverage equitable practices. This session will describe the power of equity, inclusion and belonging to create positive student outcomes. Objectives: Participants will identify the ways MTSS, as a framework for systems change, can be leveraged from a human-centered approach.    Materials & Resources: PowerPoint Presentation About the Presenter: Nikole Y. Hollins-Sims, Ed.D. Nikole Y. Hollins-Sims, Ed.D., is an educational consultant & strategist. She currently serves as a technical assistance coordinator for the Midwest PBIS network. Dr. Hollins-Sims is a former Special Assistant to the Secretary of Education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). She has previously served as an educational consultant for the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN)-Harrisburg Office, where she was the co-statewide lead for the Learning Environment & Engagement initiative. Dr. Hollins-Sims is a Pennsylvania certified school psychologist and has conducted research around caregivers of children of incarcerated parents and their motivation to engage in family-school partnerships. Dr. Hollins-Sims has been awarded as a Moral and Courageous Leader for Education by Cabrini University in 2021, the 2021 American Psychology Association (APA) Anti-Racism School Psychology Emerging Professional Award and was named the 2021 Pennsylvania School Psychologist of the Year. In 2022, Dr. Hollins-Sims served as the lead author of the book titled: Creating Equitable Practices in PBIS. Dr. Hollins-Sims has also recently launched her own business, Hollins-Sims Consultation.       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.