Products and Resources Catalog

Recording of the event Geriatric Mental Health in the Black Community, originally held on June 30, 2022.     Slide Presentation

Out of the Box Engagement Exercise Handout The Out of the Box Engagement Exercise was an opportunity for conference attendees to participate in collaborative dialogue across difference at the 2022 South Southwest MHTTC FEP Conference. Conference attendees were assigned to groups and asked to reflect on and submit ideas for re-envisioning engagement in the support of recovery. To learn more about what ideas conference attendees had during this collaborative dialogue group, please find the “Out of the Box Engagement” Exercise handout. The South Southwest MHTTC team organized the ideas by the themes: centering peer support, coordinating and deconstructing our systems, embedding care in community, funding and access, holistic/person-centered care, interventions for staff, particular interventions/next steps, public education, using technology to build community. Each theme includes a brief description.  

Virtual attendees during the 2022 South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) First Episode Psychosis (FEP) Conference also had the opportunity to ask questions through the Q&A feature. Although many questions were answered during the time of the event, some questions were saved and answered by speakers after the event. The attached handout includes a list of questions that were answered by speakers in writing after the conference.   Q&A Handout

The 2022 South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) First Episode Psychosis (FEP) Conference occurred from June 1st to June 3rd 2022 in a hybrid format, with approximately 150 in-person participants in Austin, TX, and 300 virtual participants. Conference attendees in the virtual format shared a number of resources in the chat box throughout the conference. The South Southwest MHTTC aggregated the following list of resources from comments from the chat box. Please note that the resources were recommended specifically by conference attendees and speakers and not by the South Southwest MHTTC. Please find the list of resources below:     Psychosis: Recovery and Discovery by Dr. Eleanor Longden:   Power Threat Meaning Framework   At the Intersections of Psychosis and Marginalization by Mx. Yaffa: Killing Rage by Bell Hooks My Gender is Black Article Black on Both Sides Histories of the Transgender Child Understanding Drapetomania   Family Member/Support Person Engagement During Care for FEP: Challenges and Strategies to Move Forward by Dr. Oladunni Olouwoye Cultural Formulation Interview   College Life with Psychosis: The Student Lived Experience Perspective by Students with Psychosis: DBT Workbook for Psychosis by Maggie Mullen 

Recovery-oriented care is guided on the understanding that each person is different and an expert on their own lives. Each client should be supported to make their own choices towards achieving their goals, and they should be listened to with dignity and respect. In this training, you will learn: How to promote the active involvement of the services Implement the person-centered approach to enhance the chances of success in the road to recovery Understand what makes the person-centered approach different than traditional treatment planning Learn more about Implementing Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) in Kansas.  

Presentation Slides Presentation Recording Presentation Summary This presentation occurred during the 2022 South Southwest MHTTC First Episode Psychosis conference on June 3rd. Dr. Dror Ben-Zeev was the keynote speaker for this session. Presentation Summary: Technology is redefining how we study, assess, and treat mental illness. Mobile health (mHealth) now enables us to bring cutting-edge treatments out of the clinics and research centers and into the hands of the people who need them most. Professor Dror Ben-Zeev from the University of Washington provided an overview of recent advancements in the field of mHealth and examines how mobile devices and digital telecommunication infrastructure can be harnessed to support detection, prevention, and support for people with serious mental illness.  Professor Ben-Zeev described the lessons his team learned from conducting multiple mHealth initiatives with complex populations in real-world settings. He outlined his vision for effective, realistic, and sustainable mHealth for mental health in the years ahead. About the Speaker   Dr. Dror Ben-Zeev (he/him/his) Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science University of Washington   Dror Ben-Zeev, PhD, is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. He is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in the development and evaluation of technology-based approaches in the study, assessment, treatment, and prevention of mental illness. Dr. Ben-Zeev serves as the Director of UW's Behavioral Research in Technology and Engineering (BRiTE) Center (https://www.brite.uw.edu/) and the mHealth for Mental Health Program (www.mh4mh.org), a multidisciplinary effort to harness mobile technology to improve the outcomes of people with psychiatric conditions and their loved ones. His research includes development of several self-management apps for people with serious mental illness, leveraging mobile and context-aware technologies for assessment of violence and suicidality in psychiatric hospital settings, behavioral sensing and Natural Language Processing systems for detection of psychotic relapses, social media-based outreach and remote data collection involving people who experience hallucinations, community-based clinical texting interventions, and technology designed to reduce human rights violations perpetrated against people with mental illness in Low and Middle Income Countries. Dr. Ben-Zeev’ s work has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, Patient Centered Outcome Research Institute, the Veterans Administration, and several foundations. His studies have been covered by NPR, The Washington Post, Nature, Wired Magazine, Slate, Vice News, The Economist, and the New York Times. He serves as the Editor of the "Technology in Mental Health" Column in Psychiatric Services (APA Journal) and is a regular speaker at national and international scientific meetings including invited presentations at the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Academies, and the White House.

Presentation Slides Presentation Recording Presentation Summary This presentation occurred during the 2022 South Southwest MHTTC First Episode Psychosis conference on June 3rd. Mx. Yaffa was the keynote presenter for this session. Presentation Summary: Although the current Mental Health system is starting to integrate understandings of equity and justice into healing practices and treatment it is important to understand the oppressive history of our system and how this has led to harm within various communities. In this session, Mx. Yaffa discussed the social, historical, and cultural factors impacting care for individuals experiencing psychosis through an intersectional lens. They shared their experiences with living with various mental health challenges and seeing, hearing, and believing things that others do not. Mx. Yaffa shared their experiences with navigating mental health care in three countries, and the cultural Intersections that create various challenges for individuals experiencing first psychosis episodes. Mx. Yaffa shares how their other intersectional identities have both made navigating the mental health system more complex and has helped on their road for recovery. In particular, Mx. Yaffa highlighted trans, Muslim, and indigenous identities as inseparable constants in their care and wellbeing. About the Speaker   Mx. Yaffa (they/them/theirs) Equity and Transformation Consultant   Mx. Yaffa is an award-winning disabled, mad, trans, queer, Muslim, indigenous Palestinian. Mx. Yaffa conducts transformative work around displacement, decolonization, equity, and centering lived experiences of individuals most impacted by injustice. Mx. Yaffa is a storyteller and an equity and transformation consultant, having shared their story with over 100,000 audience members at speaking events globally. Mx. Yaffa has worked in over two dozen countries, and specializes in global and community vision building. Mx. Yaffa is an engineer, with a specialty in sustainability and social engineering, a peer support specialist, and an equity and transformation consultant. Mx. Yaffa utilizes peer support as a foundation for all their work, supporting peer-run spaces in organizational capacity building, equity, and sustainment. Mx. Yaffa brings together engineering, peer support, and trauma to support their vision of more equitable and accountable communities that lead to individuals' self-actualization. Mx. Yaffa is the Founder of several non-profits and community projects, such as CT Mutual Aid, and Life in My Days, an international non-profit that supports individuals and their communities on their journeys for self-actualization through mutual aid, transformative justice, and disability justice. For the last few years, Mx. Yaffa has also been a Master Recovery Educator, facilitating the RI Peer Support Certification training nationally to certify individuals as Peer Support Specialists. Additionally, Mx. Yaffa is an Equity Coach with Sustainable CT, supporting municipalities in the State in engraining equity practices into any sustainability work. Mx. Yaffa has a MA in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice from Queen's University Belfast, a Childhood Traumatic Stress graduate certificate from the Boston Trauma Center, and a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from WPI. Mx. Yaffa currently serves as a board member for TransLifeline and is the previous co-chair of the International Association of Peer Supporters board.

Presentation Slides Presentation Recording Panel Summary This panel presentation occurred during the 2022 South Southwest MHTTC First Episode Psychosis conference on June 2nd. Dr. Vanessa Vorhies Klodnick was the moderator of this session and panelists consisted of leaders from South Southwest Region 6 FEP programs. Presentation Summary: There are few opportunities within traditional conference structures to celebrate individual and program level accomplishments that incrementally improve services. The “Sharing Successes Project” allowed multiple first episode psychosis (FEP) programs within the South Southwest region of the United States to share strengths at both an individual and systems level. Presenters share about program-level changes that sustain and transform recovery-oriented care in this region as well as transformation that they hope to see in FEP care in the future, inspiring further systems-level change.   About the Panelists Moderator   Dr. Vanessa Vorhies Klodnick (she/her/hers) Director of Research & Innovation for Youth & Young Adult Services Thresholds Vanessa Vorhies Klodnick, PhD, LCSW, is a nationally-recognized expert in adapting and blending evidence-based practices for older youth and young adults, including IPS Supported Employment. Vanessa is the Director of Research & Innovation for Youth & Young Adult Services at Thresholds, the largest community mental health provider in Illinois, and a faculty affiliate at the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health at The University of Texas at Austin. Vanessa has been involved in multiple projects across the country that enhance IPS and/or draw from IPS to improve community mental health provider engagement of, partnership and impact with vulnerable and marginalized young people with serious mental health conditions. Vanessa is currently overseeing the continuous quality improvement of multiple multidisciplinary teams designed for youth and young adults, all which include Supported Employment and Education Specialists. Panelists Burke Center: Roger Riley, Program Lead Taylor Stevens Trisha Jolly, STEP MHC Recovery Coach COMPASS: Delinda Reese, Certified Family Partner Emily Sanchez, Case Manager Early First Episode Psychosis Program at UNM: Ashley Park, Program Therapist Emergence: Alejandra Cuellar, Administrative Support Supervisor and Outreach Coordinator Harris Center: Anna Marshall, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)/Licensed Practitioner of the Healing Arts (LPHA) Integral Care: Sanjhi Gandhi, Primary Clinician    Tropical Texas: Victoria Castaneda, Case Manager

Presentation Slides Presentation Recording Presentation Summary This presentation occurred during the 2022 South Southwest MHTTC First Episode Psychosis conference on June 2nd. Dr. Oladunni Oluwoye was the keynote speaker for this session. Presentation Summary: Family member or support person engagement is invaluable throughout care for their loved one experiencing the early stages of psychosis. From navigating pathways to services to receiving services from coordinated specialty care, engagement can be defined in various ways. In this presentation, Dr. Oladunni Oluwoye provided an overview on the importance and impact of family members or support persons on the pathway to mental health services and while receiving care for loved ones in the early stages of psychosis. She presented recent work and several strategies used to improve family engagement in early intervention services as well as culturally-informed approaches used to address racial inequities. About the Speaker Dr. Oladunni Oluwoye (she/her/hers) Co-Director Washington Center of Excellence in Early Psychosis   Dr. Oluwoye is an assistant professor in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University, Spokane, and the Co-Director of the Washington Center of Excellence in Early Psychosis. She received her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, an M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Alabama A&M University, and her Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Education for the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Oluwoye is the lead evaluator for New Journeys a network of coordinated specialty care programs in Washington State and is supported by multiple grants from NIMH, including a Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award(K01). Dr. Oluwoye’s overarching research focuses on the early onset of serious mental illness, specifically psychosis among racially and ethnically diverse families, and the development of strategies to increase engagement and service utilization. Through this work, her hope is to improve pathways to care and advance the availability, acceptability, and effectiveness of mental health care among racially and ethnically diverse populations.   Positionality Statement: We should all strive to assess how our own positions in society and experiences might contribute to the research questions we ask, how we engage with those who participate in studies, and our interpretation of findings based on peoples’ lived experiences. Because of this I acknowledge my standpoint and the privilege I have as a Black woman/scholar. While I identify as Black and technically African American by naturalization, I am slightly removed from the experiences of the African American community, although I consider myself as an outside/insider. To an extent, it is through my own family’s experiences with a loved one with a serious mental illness and that of a Black individual in the US, that initiated my research focus on family engagement in early psychosis with an emphasis on improving the experiences of Black families. While, I do not have direct experience of navigating mental health services, I am fortunate enough to to have families willingly share with me their stories/experiences that paints part of the picture for me to have better understanding.

Presentation Recording Presentation Materials Presentation Slides ASQ NIH Screening Tool C-SSRS Baseline Screening Tool C-SSRS Baseline Screening Tool - Spanish Version Patient Safety Plan Template SAFE-T Handout Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire - Revised (SBQ-R) Presentation Summary This presentation occurred during the 2022 South Southwest MHTTC First Episode Psychosis conference on June 2nd. Dr. Tara Niendam facilitated this keynote session. Presentation Summary: Risk for self-harm behaviors is high in early psychosis populations; therefore, all clinical programs need a protocol for risk assessment and management that begins at first client contact and is maintained over time. This presentation provided an overview of suicide rates in the US, an approach to assessing risk and protective factors, and an introduction to the CSSRS – the gold-standard tool for suicide ideation and behavior. The presentation will also briefly covered methods for addressing suicide, including the Safety Plan Protocol. About the Speaker Dr. Tara Niendam (she/her/hers) Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Research Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the University of California, Davis   Dr. Niendam is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Research in Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the University of California, Davis. She completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is the Executive Director of the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs (EDAPT and SacEDAPT Clinics) and has developed 4 early psychosis programs in Northern California based on the coordinated specialty care model of early psychosis. Her research focuses on improving clinical and functional outcomes for youth with serious mental illness, with a focus on mobile health technology. She is the Principal Investigator for the Early Psychosis Intervention Network of California, or EPI-CAL, which is part of the new NIMH-funding EPI-NET program. EPI-CAL links multiple county-and university-based EP programs to bring client-level data to the clinician’s fingertips, and enable large scale data-driven approaches to improve outcomes for EP care. She also directs the EPI-CAL affiliated Training and Technical Assistance Center, which seeks to bring evidence based early psychosis care to all Californians. Within both clinical and research contexts, Dr. Niendam has worked to amplify the need for high-quality suicide risk assessment and management protocols, as this is critical to reducing high suicide rates for individuals with serious mental illness.   Positionality Statement: I come to this work from both personal and family experiences. Within the psychosis space, my family supported loved ones who experienced psychotic symptoms as part of bipolar disorder. I was raised by a single mom in a small, rural town in Kentucky, where mental health services were nonexistent for lower-middle class families like mine, and the stigma against mental health prevented us from seeking help anyway. In the realm of suicide, I have lost friends and consumers in my clinics to suicide and experienced the unbearable pain and unrelenting “what-if” questions. I believe we can do better, hence my passion for speaking about suicide and pushing our field toward incorporating high-quality approaches. I identify as a white, cisgender, heterosexual woman, a mother, a wife and a clinician-scientist. I am a consumer of mental health services. I am strongly committed to DEIA and seek to amplify the voices of marginalized communities in all areas of my work. Consumer and support person voices are present in both my research and clinical work.

Panel Presentation Recording Panel Presentation Summary This panel presentation occurred during the 2022 South Southwest MHTTC First Episode Psychosis conference on June 2nd. Dr. Molly Lopez was the panel moderator and the panel members were Angie Tyler, Clayton Carrier, and Hiram Cortes. Presentation Summary: Coordinated specialty care (CSC) for early psychosis offers a range of multidisciplinary services, including medication management, recovery coaching, family support, peer support, supported employment and education, and psychotherapy. Growing research and lived experience highlights the integral nature of peer and family support roles within these teams. However, peer support specialists have identified the importance of role clarity and teamwork to be effective in their roles. This panel explored strategies for effective multidisciplinary collaboration that centers peer and family support roles. Panelists discussed peer and family support roles, role clarity and collaboration, and overcoming barriers to effective centering of these roles. About the Panelists Moderator   Dr. Molly Lopez (she/her/hers) Director Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health   Molly Lopez is the Director of the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health, a licensed clinical psychologist, and a research associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin, Steve Hicks School of Social Work. Her research interests include child and adolescent service systems, implementation of evidence-based practices, and mental health systems development and policy. She has led a number of initiatives focused on enhancing the effectiveness of systems that interact with children, youth, and adults with significant mental health challenges and their families. Dr. Lopez currently serves as a director of the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) and principal investigator on the Early Psychosis Intervention Network in Texas (EPINET-TX). Panelists     Angie Tyler (she/her/hers) Certified Bilingual Family Partner Integral Care   Angie Tyler has been working with Integral Care RA1SE Team for 5 years and 7 months. She is part of a team in Austin, TX. As a Certified Bilingual Family Partner, she is able to share her lived experience with families and help them navigate through community resources. Her work background includes working with Travis County Juvenile Probation, Caseworker at Lifeworks for Homeless foster Youth, and Arc of the Capital Area working with IDD services as well as with the Juvenile Justice Program. The work she feels most proud of is with Integral Care RA1SE team because it has allowed her the honor to walk with so many families through their own journey and to give them hope and encouragement in their most challenging moments.     Clayton Carrier (he/him/his) Peer Support Specialist Integral Care   Clayton Carrier works with young people in a First Episode Psychosis program in Austin.             Hiram Cortes (he/him/his) Program Manager Integral Care   Hiram Cortes is currently working with Austin/Travis County integral Care with the RA1SE FEP program. He has training in CBT, CBTp, and CPT, trainings that help inform services for RA1SE clients. Part of his experience is collaborating with the multidisciplinary team including PEERS and Family Partner to deliver comprehensive and person-centered care to our population. He has previously worked at The Harris Center, in Houston, Tx where he first came to know about FEP programs via their Early Onset team.   Positionality Statement: The population served by RA1SE limits participants to range of 15-30, making it a very young population. The age of the population I serve is definitely something I keep in mind as I am very close to this age group myself. I am oh Hispanic culture (Mexican) and have interacted with some of those we serve as well as their families who have a similar cultural background. Being bi-lingual (Spanish) has also helped to facilitate rapport building and buy-in to the RA1SE program for some of these individuals. I am also aware that I am a first generation in my family to attend higher education and join the mental health field, giving me a unique perspective to families and individuals we serve as the majority come from low SES circumstances. My experience as a LPC and working specifically with trauma and CBT has allowed me to connect with a variety of populations, but working with the population served by RA1SE gives me an opportunity to work with individuals who have time to alter their lie course and increase their chances at “normalizing” their life trajectory. Alternatives to early intervention have been demonstrated to include homelessness, severe substance use, and/or being involved with the justice system. While there are many community relations and systems in place to help out the community at large, the programs currently available for the FEP population is minimal and not well known but for those in the mental health field. I see it as a great honor to also include in my work the duty of being an ambassador to our work and raise awareness of the services we provide and the results we have seen including individuals getting their GED’s/higher education, becoming employed, establishing careers, sobriety, and establishing a support system.

Panel Presentation Recording Panel Presentation Summary This panel presentation occurred during the 2022 South Southwest MHTTC First Episode Psychosis conference on June 1st. This panel was moderated by Cecilia McGough and the panelists were representatives from Students with Psychosis including Cecilia Joyce, Rei, Daniel Nepveux, Deanna, Katie Sanford, Maddie Jiles, and Vera Muñiz-Saurré Presentation Summary: There is no one-size-fits-all experience for a student living with psychosis. This session had a panel moderator and seven Students With Psychosis members from the student lived experience perspective. Students With Psychosis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that empowers student leaders and advocates worldwide through community building and collaboration. The panel included a mix of storytelling and discussion followed by Q&A. The discussion and storytelling highlighted intersectionality, academic accommodations, and action points on how to transform community, workplace, and educational environments to support and empower students living with psychosis.   About the Panelists Moderator   Cecilia McGough (they/them/theirs/she/her/hers) Founder and Executive Director Students with Psychosis   Cecilia McGough is a New York City-based mental health activist, nonprofit executive director, consultant, and former radio astronomer. McGough is autistic who also happens to have schizophrenia but does not let her diagnoses define her. McGough is the founder and executive director of the global nonprofit Students With Psychosis. As a TEDx speaker, twice Special Books by Special Kids interviewee, Anthony Padilla interviewee, CBS This Morning national news feature, and PBS Documentary “Mysteries of Mental Illness” feature, McGough’s story has been viewed over 30 million times across multiple platforms. McGough has been featured in Glamour UK, The Boston Globe, Women’s Health Magazine, twice in Forbes, USA Today College, Healthline, Daily Mail, The Indian Express, MTV University, WGBH, Mental Health America, and more! McGough currently serves as a curator and social committee member for the Global Shapers Brooklyn Hub and a task force member through the World Economic Forum. McGough finds it important to connect with health advocates across a wide range of diagnoses and currently is a Lightbulb ambassador and severed as a 2020 conference advisor for Healthevoices. McGough collaborates with industry leads and mental health researchers and clinicians; for example, McGough was a 2020-2021 think tank participant organized by One Mind to focus on early screening for psychosis in youth. McGough is an UNLEASH talent who traveled to Denmark in August of 2017 to be an active voice to attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and make sure people with psychosis are represented. Also, McGough has been selected as the keynote speaker for the 2022 Congress of the Schizophrenia International Research Society to take place in Florence, Italy. At the age of 17, McGough co-discovered PSR J1930-1852 leading to opportunities such as helping represent the United States in the International Space Olympics in Russia and being a Virginia Aerospace Science And Technology Scholar through the NASA Langley Research Center. McGough’s story as a radio astronomer through the Pulsar Search Collaboratory can be seen in the documentary Little Green Men.   Panelists     Cecilia Joyce (she/her/hers) Executive Board Member Students with Psychosis   Cecilia Joyce joined @studentswithpsychosis because she was looking for a place where she could feel safe to express herself. Her search led me to @cecilia_mcgough’s TEDx Talk and this fantastic Students With Psychosis (SWP) community. Growing up, she felt lonely, isolated and embarrassed by her symptoms. She was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder as a teen and spent the majority of her high school career in a therapeutic treatment center. Even in that environment, surrounded by people with mental health diagnoses, she felt the stigma of being psychotic and having delusions. Becoming a part of SWP has cured the loneliness and isolation that she continued to experience. Before, she lacked a community, now she has built lasting friendships and has been a part of events that she will always cherish with pride. Since joining the organization she has become happier and has found herself more eager to stick to her treatment plan. She enjoys going to meetings and finds it easy to attend several a week, even as a busy college student, working on her bachelor’s degree. She feels truly blessed to have met and become a part of the SWP family. There are many ways to get involved with SWP. This is a welcoming space where you are able to participate or not, as much as you want. She encourages everyone to see what they have to offer because she believes SWP can change your life for the better. She hopes you can join her on this journey.     Daniel Nepveux (he/him/his) Advocate Students with Psychosis   Daniel Nepveux says that you may call him Daniel, Dan, Dano, Danny boy, or Judd. He currently reside in Texas, USA. Daniel was featured on the Special Books By Special Kids Youtube channel, and Instagram page, for an interview he did with its wonderful and kind creator, Mr. Chris. Daniel is diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder/Depressive Type, CPTSD, BPD, and Multiple Traumatic Brain Injuries. He am an AVID reader of almost every genre, but his favorite is horror; and his favorite author is (of course) the great and hilarious Stephen King. He owns fifty two of King's books and is always on the lookout for anything new by him. Daniel loves singer songwriter music with lyrics that contain emotional depth and moving melodies. But his heart truly lies with reading and writing.   Positionality Statement: Daniel Nepveux is a 36 year old combat veteran currently working on being an advocate in the mental health community. Recently he has begun work on his second published book of poetry and is happy to be doing something he loves. He is the first and only member of his immediate family to have joined the military and he did so at the age of 17. Daniel is diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder Depressive Type, CPTSD, anxiety, and deals with chronic lung health issues. Having not experienced the difficulties of dealing with mental health while in school, he wants to better understand the trials that the younger generation goes through when navigating the upper education system.     Deanna (she/her/hers) Live Chat Moderator & Outreach Coordinator Students With Psychosis   Deanna is a college student studying audio engineering and film production. Deanna is from the suburbs of Austin, Texas and still resides in the area. Deanna is living with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. She has a strong passion for art, film, and music, and is currently working on several projects. Deanna is a Live Chat Moderator and Outreach Coordinator at Students With Psychosis.   Positionality Statement: Deanna is from Austin, Texas. She makes it a point to help others when they are in need. Deanna is atheist, but doesn’t push her ideology on others and is respectful of others beliefs. Deanna has a libertarian political view; believing in full autonomy and limiting the states violation of one’s individual liberties.     Katie Sanford (she/her/hers) Advocate Students with Psychosis   When Katie was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at 17, she thought her life was over. But when she went to college and began to prove all of my stereotype-based ideas wrong, she wanted to share that with everyone - that people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders are capable of so much more than people think. And when she spoke publicly about it for the first time, she realized that my story had a bigger impact than she had thought when it came to changing other people's minds. Katie is always looking for new ways to expand my advocacy and meet others who live with similar disorders. Everyone's story is so different, and she love that Student's With Psychosis amplifies all these different voices, showing not just others, but also each other, that our stories are powerful and important no matter what they are and she wants to use the skills she has gained in her advocacy experience to support the efforts of Students With Psychosis and expand her network and capabilities as an advocate as well.   Positionality Statement: Katie Sanford is a 31-year-old legal assistant and mental health advocate residing in a small town in Illinois an hour outside of Chicago. Katie grew up in “wine country” in northern California, living in both rural and suburban areas after her parents divorced when she was four years old. She attended small, often under-funded public schools that provided opportunities like small-group advanced classes and agricultural and viticultural exposure. She grew up in non-religious, middle class households and identifies as an agnostic heterosexual woman with a liberal-leaning bias. She recognizes the privilege that comes with these things as well as with being a white, college-educated female in the United States. She earned her degree in psychology at Northwestern University, which provided opportunities others may not have had, like working on psychiatric research. Her professional experience includes assisting with schizophrenia research, retail management, food service, finance, and estate planning law. She has lived with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder from a very young age that went undiagnosed until she began treatment at 17 when she was also diagnosed with depressive-type schizoaffective disorder. She also lives with an eating disorder, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Her experiences with schizoaffective disorder inspired her decision to pursue a degree in psychology.     Maddie Jiles (they/them/theirs) Executive Board Member Students with Psychosis   Maddie has had schizophrenia since early childhood, and until the middle of their undergrad career it went undiagnosed, unnoticed, and untreated. It taught them a special way of living with themself and dealing with all that entailed. Maddie's family’s motto always has been, “Once you lose your sense of humor you die.” Maddie took that and ran with it through every mental health huddle and struggle in life. No matter how hard things got, they found some kind of way to laugh and find joy in even the smallest thing. They believe that’s their purpose in life, to spread that same joy. Maddie is the voice of the MadHaus Podcast and the founder of Powered by the Haus, a tabletop group on Twitch. Outside of that, they are an elementary educator and a street performer. And wherever they go, doing whatever they're doing, they make sure that they keep their family’s motto in mind. It’s important to live loudly as yourself, in every aspect that you are yourself. And they find no place where they embody that more than in @studentswithpsychosis.     Rei (he/him/his/xe/xem/xir) Executive Board Member Students with Psychosis   Rei is a non-binary, autistic, Jewish social work student who is also living with psychosis among other disabilities. He is very active on campus as the President of Columbus State's Pride Club as well as an officer for several other groups, including his college's branch of Phi Theta Kappa. He has been nominated for quite a few awards and scholarships during his time at CSCC. Rei currently works 2 part-time jobs, including a work study job as a Student Resource Educator and another job as an artist at Transit Arts. His art will soon be featured in local community gardens. In his free time, he likes to cross-stitch, spend time with his cats, read, and play video games. He hopes that one day he can help better the lives of people living with disabilities, including but not limited to psychosis, on both a micro and macro level. He is extremely passionate about the ableism and abuse that exists within the medical system and strives to do all he can to fix this system.     Vera Muñiz-Saurré (they/them/theirs) Executive Board Member Students With Psychosis   Vera Muñiz-Saurré is a nonbinary, queer, Peruvian-American public health professional currently working as an HIV Prevention Specialist at a mental health agency in Boston and now also as part of the Executive Board of Students with Psychosis! They have Schizoaffective disorder and are a survivor of gay conversion therapy. Starting in 2017, Vera helped found and admin the Psychosis Spectrum Server on Discord and they're still a strong community! Vera is currently seeking their Master of Public Health from Boston University focusing on Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation. They joined Students with Psychosis to find more community and to be more involved with psychosis advocacy! They want to use what they are learning and have learned through their time working in public health to serve our community and to help fight the systemic barriers that keep those of us most affected by health inequities from accessing quality care.   Positionality Statement: Vera Muñiz-Saurré is a 25-year old first generation Peruvian-American of mixed indigenous Andean and Spanish descent studying Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation at Boston University’s School of Public Health living with Schizoaffective Disorder. Vera is a queer nonbinary person who uses they/them pronouns and who has done work in Boston’s community as an HIV Prevention Specialist with Casa Esperanza, a Latin American focused mental health agency, since 2019. Vera centers decolonization, liberation, and community-based participatory research in their approach to Public Health and is currently doing their practicum through Students with Psychosis in which they will conduct a Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan for the community of people in Boston who experience psychosis. Vera was raised in a conservative Catholic environment and is a survivor of conversion therapy. They plan on applying for a Clinical Psych PhD program in the fall and hope to help reduce the harms of colonization while working towards the goal of decolonizing the mental health system and broader recognition of indigenous sovereignty.

Presentation Slides Presentation Summary This presentation occurred during the 2022 South Southwest MHTTC First Episode Psychosis Conference on June 1st. Dr. Eleanor Longden was the keynote speaker for this session. Presentation Summary: Although traditionally understood as a medical condition, an increasing amount of evidence shows powerful links between painful events in people’s lives (particularly, but not exclusively, childhood abuse) and the likelihood of experiencing psychosis. This lecture drew on the presenter’s own lived experience of trauma and psychosis, as well as recent research and clinical findings, to explore how a greater emphasis on trauma-focused care may help to promote healing and recovery within mental health services. About the Speaker   Dr. Eleanor Longden (she/her/hers) Postdoctoral Service User Research Manager Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust Dr. Eleanor Longden is a Postdoctoral Service User Research Manager at the Psychosis Research Unit at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH), honorary research fellow at the University of Manchester, and co-director of GMMH’s Complex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit. Throughout her career, Dr Longden has drawn on her own experiences of recovery from trauma and psychosis to promote person-centered approaches to complex mental health problems that emphasize the lived experience and expertise of service-users. Her research focuses on the relationship between dissociation, trauma, and voice-hearing, and she has lectured and published internationally on these issues, including numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, contributions to the British Psychological Society’s landmark reports Understanding Psychosis & Schizophrenia and The Power Threat Meaning Framework, and reviewing materials for the World Health Organizations’ Quality Rights Initiative. Her 2013 TED talk on voice-hearing was named by the Guardian newspaper as one of the ‘20 Online Talks That Could Change Your Life’ and in its first year online was viewed 2.5m times and translated into 33 languages. In 2015, Dr Longden received a commendation for her work from the Deputy Prime Minister’s Mental Health Hero Awards. Along with Dr Charlie Heriot-Maitland, she is co-author of the forthcoming book Relating to Voices Using Compassion Focused Therapy: A Self-Help Companion.   Positionality Statement: I am a Postdoctoral Service User Research Manager employed by the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), predominantly working with colleagues who share my own identity as White British, cisgender, and college educated. My work is mainly focused on designing and conducting studies and, while I have experience of peer-support, am not clinically qualified and lack any formal therapeutic expertise. I am strongly influenced by my own lived experience of trauma and mental distress, which has led me to favour approaches to understanding and treating psychosis which emphasizes the impact of psychosocial factors in the origins of peoples’ difficulties. This includes, for example, the effects of interpersonal violence, such as abuse and assault, as well as systemic injustices, such as economic inequality and identity-based discrimination. However, working with research participants, fellow survivors, and/or professional colleagues has encouraged me to be more considerate of alternative understandingsfor psychosis; for example, by recognising the high value manyservice-users place in biomedical models,by developing more nuanced definitions ofwhat constitutes ‘trauma’ or ‘adversity’, and by expanding my awareness of more culturally diverse explanationsfor people’s experiences, including religious or spiritual frameworks.I receive speaking fees from both government and private sector organisations for the provision of lectures and trainingand my research is currently funded by a Development and Skills Enhancement Award from the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR). I am also a co-applicant on two projects funded by grants from the NIHR’s Health Technology Assessment Programme; however, the views expressed in my presentation are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of the NHS, the NIHR, or the Department of Health and Social Care.

Motivational Interviewing is a directive, client centered counseling style to assist clients with facilitating behavior change by empowering the clients and collaborate with them to create an actionable plan. It enhances the client’s motivation to change by helping to explore and resolve ambivalence. In this training you will learn to: Assess readiness to change using the stages of change Assess client’s barriers to implementing health recommendations by using MI skills Change your language to empower your clients and build collaboration into an actionable plan Learn more about Implementing Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) in Kansas.

Recording of the event Caring for the Caregiver, originally held on June 8, 2022.   Slide Presentation

  ABOUT THIS RESOURCE In the United States, almost half of all people with substance use disorders also meet criteria for a mental health disorder, and vice versa. Understanding how each disorder impacts the other is imperative to providing effective interventions. In this session, participants will learn about common psychiatric disorders, their symptoms, and treatment, and will analyze how they impact and interact with substance use disorders. Content will explore best practices in supporting people living with co-occurring conditions to promote long term recovery and successful reintegration into their community of choice. Learning Objectives: Identify common psychiatric disorders, prevalent symptoms, and effective treatment interventions Identify the 3 major components of effective treatment for substance use disorders Explain the relationship between mental health and substance use disorders and how they can impact one another Describe risk factors that make a person vulnerable to the development of co-occurring disorders Discuss person-centered care and how it works to supports recovery in persons with co-occurring disorders   ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Presentation slides Highlights & Key Concepts Document Whole-Person Care for People Experiencing Homelessness and Opioid Use Disorder Toolkit: Part I, from SAMHSA Power of the Language We Use with People We Serve podcast episode from C4 Innovations with Elizabeth Black "Nuggets" video from Filmbilder.de illustrating the progression of substance use disorders: view on YouTube here and on the creators' website here Infographic on comorbidity Felitti VJ, Anda RF, Nordenberg D, Williamson DF, Spitz AM, Edwards V, Koss MP, Marks JS. Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. Am J Prev Med. 1998 May;14(4):245-58. doi: 10.1016/s0749-3797(98)00017-8. PMID: 9635069. NIDA. 2018, August 1. Comorbidity: Substance Use Disorders and Other Mental Illnesses DrugFacts. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/comorbidity-substance-use-disorders-other-mental-illnesses on 2022, May 13. TIP 42: Substance Use Treatment for Persons With Co-Occurring Disorders. This updated (March 2020) TIP is intended to provide addiction counselors and other providers, supervisors, and administrators with the latest science in the screening, assessment, diagnosis, and management of co-occurring disorders (CODs).   FACILITATOR  Elizabeth Black, LADC Elizabeth Black has worked with and on behalf of marginalized populations for more than 15 years. She holds a master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and is a Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselor. Ms. Black serves as subject matter expert, trainer, and technical assistance provider for substance use, mental health, and recovery initiatives. Her areas of interest and expertise include harm reduction, medication-assisted treatment, and health and wellness in recovery.   Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

The ACT Fidelity Scale is a tool that is used to assess how well an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team is implementing critical elements. In this webinar, each segment of the ACT fidelity scale is reviewed and discussed how to implement an assessment. A brief history of ACT and how ACT services impacts the social determinants of health How to accurately conduct a fidelity assessment of an ACT program Understand what your role is as a fidelity assessor and how to make recommendations This training, led by Bill Baerentzen, PhD, CRC, LMHP, and Marla Smith, MS, LMHP, LMHC, is a part of the Mid-America Mental Health Technology Transfer Center's series "Implementing Assertive Community (ACT) Treatment in Kansas." Learn more about Implementing Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) in Kansas.  

  The ACT Fidelity Scale is a tool that is used to assess how well an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team is implementing critical elements.  In this webinar, each segment of the ACT fidelity scale is reviewed and discussed how to implement an assessment.  You will learn:   A brief history of ACT and how ACT services impacts the social determinants of health How to accurately conduct a fidelity assessment of an ACT program Understand what your role is as a fidelity assessor and how to make recommendations   This training, led by Bill Baerentzen, PhD, CRC, LMHP, and Marla Smith, MS, LMHP, LMHC, is a part of the Mid-America Mental Health Technology Transfer Center's series "Implementing Assertive Community (ACT) Treatment in Kansas."      

Recording of Trauma Informed Approaches: Returning Adult Citizens Part 2, originally held on May 17, 2022.   Slide Presentation

Recording of the event Black Youth Suicide Prevention, originally held on May 19, 2022.     Slide Presentation

Hosted by the MHTTC Network, in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the Early Psychosis Intervention Network (EPINET), PEPPNET, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), this webinar was for providers who support individuals in coordinated specialty care clinics and environments. The Early Psychosis Intervention Network (EPINET) is a collaboration of over 100 early psychosis programs across the U.S.  All EPINET programs collect client data using the Core Assessment Battery (CAB), which is an evidence-based set of measures that are sensitive to change over time and are relevant to individuals with early psychosis. The CAB measures are publicly available and the WebCAB, a new online data collection tool, makes it easier for clinicians to adopt these measures and use these data as part of their clinical practice. This webinar introduced clinicians to the CAB, and WebCAB, and discussed how even a subset of these measures can help enhance clinical interactions with clients and foster shared decision making. Staff from early psychosis programs in Texas discussed their experience with collecting CAB measures, how to incorporate evidence-based measures into routine clinical practice, and use of these measures as a part of quality improvement initiatives among early psychosis teams. This was the first session of a 2-part series. View the slides and recording for the second session, WebCAB: A New Online Outcomes Monitoring Tool for States and Agency Administrators Working with Early Psychosis Clinics, here.  Download the presentation slides by clicking the "download" button above. Watch the video recording by clicking the play button down below. Using Evidence-Based Tools to Improve Clinical Care of Early Psychosis Clients

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE Peer specialists are not clinicians, yet work as members of clinical teams. What are the role responsibilities that colleagues can expect peer specialists to fulfill? What are signs of drift from the role of peer specialist and what does assimilation into clinical look like? In this webinar Pat Deegan discusses the unique and unduplicated contribution of peer specialists working as members of clinical teams. This webinar is relevant to, not just peer specialists, but to all members of the clinical team. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Presentation slides Highlights & Key Concepts Document My Power Statement handout My Power Statement handout in Spanish: Mi Power Statement (en español)   FACILITATOR Pat Deegan, PhD Patricia E. Deegan, PhD's mission is to help activate and empower mental health services users in their own recovery and to provide peer supporters and clinicians with the know-how to support people in their recovery journey. She is uniquely positioned to fulfill her vocation because she was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager, went on to get her doctorate in clinical psychology and today leads a company run by and for people in recovery. She is a thought-leader in the field of mental health recovery, has numerous peer-reviewed publications, has held a number of academic appointments, and has carried a message of hope for recovery to audiences around the world. In addition to her work on the CommonGround Program, she consults with OnTrackNY and has helped the team at the Center for Practice Innovations develop an innovative model for engaging young people under the NIMH RAISE Study. The model is now being adopted nationally. Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

Recording of the event Coping with Grief and Loss, originally held on April 28, 2022.   Slide Presentation

Overview  This training series is for all employees working on an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team. Participants will learn foundational skills for their specific role, how to work on a multi-disciplinary team, and how to advance the lives of persons with serious mental illness.   Target Audience  Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHCs) that are implementing Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) in Kansas.   About the Presentation:  The Orientation to Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) provides an overview of the evidence-based practice. We will discuss the principles and practices of an effective ACT team, review the ACT Fidelity Assessment and highlight the feasibility of implementing the model. Learn more about this series by visiting the Implementing Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) in Kansas webpage.