Products and Resources Catalog

Find all of our 2019 - 2020 school mental health recordings in one spot! These are all free, self-paced professional development learning opportunities for school staff, educators, parents, caregivers, and more.  New events are always being added to our schedule. Be sure to visit our School Mental Health website to stay up to date with our latest events & training opportunities as well! Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

This fact sheet summarizes recommendations for eliminating mental health disparities from the American Psychological Association (APA), describes promising practices in the Southeast (HHS Region IV), and lists additional resources.

Original Webinar Date: 7/22/20 We all have implicit biases, and it’s important that we become mindful of how they can show up and impact our work with others. Implicit biases can lead to unfair differences in the expectations we hold for those we serve, how we interact with them, and the learning opportunities we provide. In this recorded series, we explore the dynamics of implicit bias and its impact on decision-making in behavioral health spaces. In the process, we grapple with the concepts of prejudice, bias, microaggressions, and stereotypes. Presented by Pacific Southwest MHTTC team members Dr. Rachele Espiritu, Kaitlin E. Ferrick, JD, and Dr. Suganya Sockalingam.   This recorded series will challenge you to: Reflect on your own implicit bias Recognize the role bias plays in responding to mental health concerns and in client interactions Learn ways to become self-aware of personal biases Acknowledge the way bias shows up in our organizational culture, climate, policies, and practices Examine strategies to disrupt the biases that show up in our work

The Well-Being Series is a variety of virtual learning opportunities for kids, families, and educators focusing on mental wellness and suicide prevention -- and a wealth of relevant information and access to school mental health experts in one spot. This document provides an complete list of all the helpful links shared throughout the series. Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

The 3-part School Leader Series is focused on the role of the school leader in creating and maintaining a positive climate and culture virtually during the global pandemic and in the building upon the return to school. This document provides a complete list of all links and resources shared during the third webinar in the series, a live Q&A session with presenters and school leaders. Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

The School Leader Series is brought to you by Sound Supports, LLC, Northwest PBIS Network, and the Association of Washington School Principals in partnership with the school mental health supplement to the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. This webinar is the last event in the 3-part School Leader Series. Learn more about the series and access other webinar recordings here.  ABOUT THE SERIES: This webinar series is focused on the role of the school leader in creating and maintaining a positive climate and culture virtually during the global pandemic and in the building upon the return to school. We know these are challenging times and want to provide information you can use immediately and to use for the plans to return to school as part of your MTSS framework. The series is broken into three 90-minute sessions on three separate dates. *Please note that the last session is a chance to get your questions addressed LIVE!   SERIES OBJECTIVES:  Describe how trauma/extreme stress impacts our ability to learn, and executive functioning skills Identify guiding ideas, and concrete steps, school leaders can take to support teachers, families, and themselves emotionally Identify how the core features of MTSS, including systems, practices, and data, can be shaped to address build protective factors for the school community now. Identify how the core features of MTSS, including systems, practices, and data, can be shaped to address build protective factors for the school community once your students are back in the building.   >> Presentation PDF >>> Helpful Links & Resources The School Leader Series is part of The Well-Being Series - Connections During COVID-19: Mental Wellness Webinars for Families and Educators. Click here to learn more about our series of webinars for kids, parents, and educators, focusing on mental wellness and suicide prevention.  Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

Original Webinar Date: 05/13/2020 Implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. Everyone has them, and becoming mindful of how implicit and explicit biases impact our work with others is important. Implicit biases can lead to unfair differences in the expectations we hold for those we serve, how we interact with them, and the learning opportunities we provide. This webinar recording is part of a four-part series that explores the dynamics of implicit bias and its impact on our work in mental health. Starting with the individual, this webinar challenges you to reflect on your own implicit biases and learn ways to become self-aware regarding your own biases and microaggressions. Additional sessions in this series focus on relationships with clients, organizational culture and climate, and engagement with communities.   Viewers will be able to: Develop a shared understanding of implicit bias. Experientially grapple with the concepts of prejudice, bias, stereotypes, and attitudes. Recognize the role bias plays in responding to the mental health concerns. Learn ways to become self-aware regarding their own biases.       About the Facilitators: Dr. Rachele Espiritu is the co-director of SAMHSA's Pacific Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (Hawaii, California, Arizona, Nevada, and the Pacific Islands). Dr. Espiritu provides training, technical assistance, and capacity building at the local, territory, tribal, state, and national level in multiple systems, including mental health, substance use, public health, and education. She is a founding partner with Change Matrix LLC, a minority- and women-owned small business that motivates, manages and measures change to support systems that improve lives. She is a former School Board Member of Denver Public Schools (DPS), where she provided direction and leadership for Whole Child efforts and successfully passed a resolution for DPS to become a trauma-informed school district.   Kaitlin E. Ferrick, J.D. is a Knowledge Transfer Specialist with the Pacific Southwest MHTTC and a Change Specialist with Change Matrix. Ms. Ferrick’s work focuses on driving equitable outcomes for children and families through strategic, cross-sector systems change. Previously, Ms. Ferrick was the Head Start State Collaboration Office Director at the Michigan Department of Education where she worked to improve collaboration between the federal Head Start and state early childhood systems. Ms. Ferrick attended law school at the University of Wisconsin, where she participated in the Innocence Project and assisted an array of indigent clients with their legal matters. She also taught in Los Angeles County Head Start classrooms as a Teach for America corps member.   Dr. Suganya Sockalingam is a Founding Partner at Change Matrix, LLC, which supports agencies in addressing diversity, cultural competence, and cross-cultural communication as well as leadership, collaboration, and conflict management. Dr. Sockalingam focuses on supporting individuals, organizations, and systems to motivate, manage, and measure systems change. Currently, she serves as a training and technical assistance provider for several national technical assistance centers, and for other federal, national, state, territorial, and community agencies. She earned her doctorate at Washington State University and has worked in many capacities in public and behavioral health, both nationally and internationally, for over 25 years.

  Peer delivered services are increasingly being recognized for their value, and becoming more readily available.  In peer support, we believe recovery is possible for all and work to support others to achieve their self-directed recovery. This webinar provides a broad overview of the history, research, misconceptions, implementation, supervision and benefits of peer delivered services. Slides available for download here References for this presentation Speakers Adrienne Scavera is the training and outreach director for Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO), one of Oregon's oldest and largest peer-run organizations. In her role as a department director, Adrienne works to support the peer workforce from initial entry and training to systems-level advocacy. Currently, Adrienne serves on several committees and boards, including the Oregon Health Authority’s Training Evaluation and Metrics Program Scoring Committee and the state Traditional Health Worker Commission. In her work, Adrienne prioritizes the experience of individuals as the experts on their own lives. Over the years, she has worked in research, direct service, program development, management, training, and with non-profits, educational institutions, and peer-run organizations. She enjoys writing about herself in third person, well-organized spaces, and friendly animals.   Janie Gullickson is a person in long-term recovery and for her that means she has not used alcohol or other drugs in over 11 years. Janie is in recovery from both addiction and mental health challenges as well as homelessness, incarceration, and criminal justice involvement. She navigated all types of systems and institutions that can accompany such life experiences, from frequent hospitalizations to prison. Janie was released from Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in September of 2006. Janie first began her work as a Peer Support Specialist/Recovery Mentor for Yamhill County HHS in McMinnville, Oregon in 2011. Janie joined the peer-run organization Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO) as a project assistant in 2014. In May of 2017 Janie became MHAAO’s Executive Director. She also earned her Master of Public Administration: Health Administration (MPA: HA) degree from Portland State University in June of 2017. Janie is passionate about social justice issues with a focus on mental health and addiction recovery, peer programs and services and advocacy in these realms.  

The School Leader Series is brought to you by Sound Supports, LLC, Northwest PBIS Network, and the Association of Washington School Principals in partnership with the school mental health supplement to the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. This webinar is the second in the 3-part School Leader Series. Learn more about the series and access other webinar recordings here.  ABOUT THE SERIES: This webinar series is focused on the role of the school leader in creating and maintaining a positive climate and culture virtually during the global pandemic and in the building upon the return to school. We know these are challenging times and want to provide information you can use immediately and to use for the plans to return to school as part of your MTSS framework. The series is broken into three 90-minute sessions on three separate dates. *Please note that the last session is a chance to get your questions addressed LIVE!   SERIES OBJECTIVES:  Describe how trauma/extreme stress impacts our ability to learn, and executive functioning skills Identify guiding ideas, and concrete steps, school leaders can take to support teachers, families, and themselves emotionally Identify how the core features of MTSS, including systems, practices, and data, can be shaped to address build protective factors for the school community now. Identify how the core features of MTSS, including systems, practices, and data, can be shaped to address build protective factors for the school community once your students are back in the building.   >> Presentation PDF >> Resource List The School Leader Series is part of The Well-Being Series - Connections During COVID-19: Mental Wellness Webinars for Families and Educators. Click here to learn more about our series of webinars for kids, parents, and educators, focusing on mental wellness and suicide prevention.  Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

About this Resource: The Northwest School Mental Health team delivered two presentations at the 2020 Virtual MTSS Fest on April 22, 2020. Learn more about Virtual MTSS Fest and its full agenda here.    Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF): Integrating MTSS & School Mental Health >> Presented by Kelcey Schmitz & Tawni Barlow Presentation Description: ISF is a structure and process for creating one comprehensive system of social, emotional, and behavioral supports and moving school mental health from a co-located approach to an integrated approach. The presentation will focus on key messages including a single system of delivery, mental health wellness as a protective factor, measuring impact as opposed to access, and using the MTSS framework to guide an integrated approach. Medical Lake School District will share successes and lessons learned. New ISF material will be shared as well as how to access other school mental health information from the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center.   Implementing Social-Emotional Learning into PBIS >> Presented by Susan Barrett & Tammy Bolen Presentation Description: This session will describe ways we can use this time to build personal social emotional competencies and connections with our students. We will also discuss strategies for redesigning our systems of supports as we come back to school in the Fall. Lastly, we will highlight 2 resources that focus on strategies for adult wellness and connecting with families. Presenter Bios: Susan Barrett, MA, is the Director of the Mid-Atlantic PBIS Network at Sheppard Pratt Health System in Baltimore Maryland. She has a Masters in Counseling Psychology and certification in Special Education, having served as a teacher, administrator and coordinator with Sheppard Pratt Health System since 1993. Mrs. Barrett serves as an Implementer Partner with the United States Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)'s National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).       Kelcey Schmitz, MSEd, is the Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and School Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Specialist at the University of Washington School Mental Health, Assessment, Research and Training (SMART) Center. Kelcey has been involved in many Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) efforts providing training, coaching, and evaluation to schools, districts, families and community organizations to support the social, emotional, and behavioral strengths and needs of students within an MTSS framework. She brings extensive experience leading state-wide MTSS efforts. Kelcey is also part of the Washington Partnership Access Line (PAL) for Schools pilot project and the Washington State School Climate Transformation Grant. Kelcey has a master’s degree in Special Education from the University of Kansas.     Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

The School Leader Series is brought to you by Sound Supports, LLC, Northwest PBIS Network, and the Association of Washington School Principals in partnership with the school mental health supplement to the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. This webinar is the first in the 3-part School Leader Series. Learn more about the series and access other webinar recordings here.  ABOUT THE SERIES: This webinar series is focused on the role of the school leader in creating and maintaining a positive climate and culture virtually during the global pandemic and in the building upon the return to school. We know these are challenging times and want to provide information you can use immediately and to use for the plans to return to school as part of your MTSS framework. The series is broken into three 90-minute sessions on three separate dates. *Please note that the last session is a chance to get your questions addressed LIVE! SERIES OBJECTIVES:  Describe how trauma/extreme stress impacts our ability to learn, and executive functioning skills Identify guiding ideas, and concrete steps, school leaders can take to support teachers, families, and themselves emotionally Identify how the core features of MTSS, including systems, practices, and data, can be shaped to address build protective factors for the school community now. Identify how the core features of MTSS, including systems, practices, and data, can be shaped to address build protective factors for the school community once your students are back in the building.   >> Presentation PDF The School Leader Series is part of The Well-Being Series - Connections During COVID-19: Mental Wellness Webinars for Families and Educators. Click here to learn more about our series of webinars for kids, parents, and educators, focusing on mental wellness and suicide prevention.  Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

This fact sheet explains the differences between mental health disparities and mental health inequities, and explores how things like structural racism and inequality contribute to mental health inequities.

This brief report begins with an overview of mental health workforce challenges in the region. It then offers strategies for workforce recruitment and retention, as well as shares Region IV resources for mental health professionals.

The Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center and the Pacific Southwest MHTTC are collaborating to bring you A "Think Tank" Time: A Gathering of School Mental Health Practitioners to Surface School Mental Teleheath Needs and Resources. This event is part of The Well-Being Series - Connections During COVID-19: Mental Wellness Webinars for Families and Educators. Click here to learn more about our series of webinars for kids, parents, and educators, focusing on mental wellness and suicide prevention.  Description: For the past couple of months the Northwest and Pacific Southwest regions have been engaged in learning about the Interconnected Systems Framework - a structure and process to integrate PBIS and school mental health within school systems. This systems work is just as important now, as schools explore how to best provide school mental health, telehealth, and virtual student supports. This "think tank" workshop identifies the needs we are noticing; the resources in our field that can support those needs; and ways we can  develop tools and supports to fill the gaps. >> Learn more about the event and potential next steps here.    Audience: Educators, school counselors, social workers, psychologists; behavioral health agencies; student support services; state education entities; county Offices of Education; community-based organizations; technical assistance providers; field specialists, professors, thought leaders; and anyone else who would like to join.   Meeting Materials:  PowerPoint Presentation    Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

This fact sheet reviews how socioeconomic factors contribute to mental health outcomes, and takes a closer look at how these factors disproportionately affect the Southeastern United States.

Arizona has spent the past several decades developing a crisis system that is widely regarded as one of the most advanced in the nation. In this model, a robust continuum of services work together in concert to provide high-quality care in the least-restrictive setting that can safely meet the person’s needs while also ensuring fiscal sustainability and responsible stewardship of community resources. This webinar describes key features of the Arizona model including: overview of the crisis continuum; governance, financing, and accountability; examples of collaboration with law enforcement and other community partners; and strategies for using data to drive continuous system improvement.   Slides available for download here. References cited in this presentation are available here. About the Presenter Margie Balfour, MD, PhD A psychiatrist and national leader in quality improvement and behavioral health crisis services, Dr. Margie Balfour is the Chief of Quality and Clinical Innovation at Connections Health Solutions, which provides access to mental health and substance use care throughout Arizona, and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona. Dr. Balfour was named the Doctor of the Year by the National Council for Behavioral Health for her work at the Crisis Response Center in Tucson. She was awarded the Tucson Police Department’s medal of honor for her efforts to help law enforcement better serve the mentally ill population. She serves on the board of directors of the American Association of Community Psychiatrists, The American Association for Emergency Psychiatry, and NAMI Southern Arizona. She earned her MD and PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Cincinnati, and completed her residency and fellowship in Public Psychiatry at the University of Texas.  

Trauma-informed care is a belief system that can be adopted by ourselves and our community partners which empowers every member involved to thrive. Becoming trauma informed is oftentimes a non-linear process that consists of four distinct phases and uses six guiding principles. In this webinar we will explore those phases and principles, how they relate to the parallel process, and why trauma-informed care is imperative to our peers, our organizations, our community partners, and ourselves. Resources and References Slides available for download here References and additional resources cited in this presentation are available here   Speaker Kristin Griffey, PSS, PWS, CRM Kristin Griffey, PSS, PWS, CRM is a trauma-informed care specialist as well as a community and workplace traumatologist and compassion fatigue specialist. Empowering others in the wake of trauma and/or severe life stressors is one of Kristin's greatest joys. A mother, a friend, and a fierce advocate, Kristin roots her lived experience in Portland, Oregon. She believes deeply in trauma-informed care and providing space for those who may be struggling with compassion fatigue.

Recording of the webinar titled Landscape of Digital Peer Support Services Across the Globe, originally held on February 13, 2020.   Slide Presentation

School Compassionate Cultural Analytic Tool for Educators (S-CCATE) is a cutting edge, 21st Century social emotional learning tool that helps educators to vision, plan, and monitor progress toward the implementation of compassionate, trauma-informed practices in classrooms. The tool, a brief, validated assessment to be completed by teachers and other school personnel, is uniquely designed to guide teams of educators and whole school communities through the process of transformational change.     Additional S-CCATE Resources Updated Tutorial S-CCATE Validation Study and Manual S-CCATE Infographic S-CCATE National Flyer

Prepared by Maria Hermsen-Kritz, Research and Training Center for Pathways to Positive Futures  Peer support is fast emerging as a promising and widely endorsed addition to the array of mental health services available to young people experiencing serious mental health conditions. This practice brief offers strategies for supporting youth peer support specialists and addressing common challenges they face. This brief was prepared in collaboration with the Research and Training Center for Pathways to Positive Futures, Portland State University and supported by grant SM 08171 from the Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Integrating cultural and linguistic considerations in our mental health services requires shifts in values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. If we are truly invested in improving the client’s experience as they enter our organizations and in creating equitable systems for services, we need to be open to changes. We can all lead and engage in a change process to integrate cultural and linguistic considerations into our policy, infrastructure, workforce, community engagement, and programs and services. Presenters Suganya Sockalingam and Annie Guo VanDan (Pacific Southwest MHTTC) provide a conceptual foundation of the importance of culture, including definitions, frameworks, and concepts. We look at a self-assessment tool to examine cultural and linguistic competence (CLC) in our organization, and we explore the leadership required to motivate and integrate CLC into systems and service delivery.   Participants will: Recognize and explain the importance of culture and language in mental health services. Use CLC strategies to meet the needs of culturally diverse populations. Identify ways participants can lead (promote) CLC in service delivery. Explore ways to make the CLC change stick!   Audience: Mental health services program directors, administrators, providers, and other personnel involved in mental health services and supports.    

Patients with serious mental illness (SMI) experience inequities in cancer care that contribute to increased cancer mortality. Co-morbid mental illness is also associated with increased healthcare utilization and costs compared to other patients with cancer. Pro-active psychiatry consultation and person-centered, team-based care are promising approaches that may increase access to cancer care. We will discuss how we adapted the collaborative care model to address the needs of patients with SMI and cancer and share best practices and case examples.   Presented by Dr. Kelly Irwin Dr. Irwin is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a faculty psychiatrist at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center and MGH Schizophrenia Program. Dr. Irwin is the Director of the Collaborative Care and Community Engagement Program, a research and clinical program focused on improving cancer outcomes for people with severe mental illness. She also co-founded Engage -- a community network that engaged diverse voices to promote equity in cancer care and research for people with mental illness and regularly collaborates with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health. Dr. Irwin has an MD from Harvard Medical School and an MPH from Harvard School of Public Health. She completed her residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean in 2012 and is currently leading a randomized controlled trial funded by the National Cancer Institute that is investigating the impact of proactive psychiatry consultation and case management on cancer care for people with serious mental illness.    

The Northwest MHTTC and Pacific Southwest MHTTC are excited to bring you our three-part Interconnected Systems Framework Webinar Series. About the Webinar: The interconnected systems framework (ISF) is a strategy to align all social-emotional-behavioral interventions through one system at the state or regional, district, and school level. ISF builds on the success of social service platforms and provides specific steps for integration and alignment to create healthier schools. This webinar will kick-off the ISF learning series with a look at how we can effectively implement and lead ISF installation. Presented by Susan Barrett, MA, and facilitated by the school mental health leads of the Northwest MHTTC (Kelcey Schmitz) and the Pacific Southwest MHTTC (Leora Wolf-Prusan).   >> Presentation PDF >> ISF 101 Fact Sheet   Learning Objectives:  Understand ISF and its positive impact on schools Discuss strategies to align PBIS/MTSS and student mental health Identify appropriate community-level partners Learn initial steps for implementing the ISF approach   Presenter Bio Susan Barrett, MA, is the Director of the Mid-Atlantic PBIS Network at Sheppard Pratt Health System in Baltimore Maryland. She has a Masters in Counseling Psychology and certification in Special Education, having served as a teacher, administrator and coordinator with Sheppard Pratt Health System since 1993. Mrs. Barrett serves as an Implementer Partner with the United States Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)'s National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).     Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

This flyer provides an overview of Mid-America MHTTC services in the field of school mental health.