Products and Resources Catalog

The state of affairs in the United States and globally currently places policies over people. The intersection of international territories and human rights is most salient in our discourse on immigration. The impact systemic policies have on families, particularly children, is profound and deeply troubling. This webinar will address the challenges immigrant children face, including unaccompanied minors, and how school-based systems can create supportive contexts for children and their families.

Prepared by Lydia Chwastiak, MD, MPH Older adults with serious mental illnesses (SMI), such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, have more hospitalizations and 4 times greater risk of death at any given age than those without SMI. They are also 3.5 times more likely to live in a nursing home. Despite higher acute and long-term healthcare costs, adults with SMI experience greater barriers to preventive and routine health care, and often receive care that is fragmented and inadequate. These disparities highlight a need for effective and sustainable integrated care models designed specifically to support the special health care needs among older adults with SMI. This research brief provides a summary of evidence-based integrated models of care that address the mental and physical health needs of adults with SMI.  

Though the practice of civil commitment and involuntary hospitalization has markedly changed since the middle of the 20th century, it remains one of the most controversial procedures in behavioral healthcare.   This webinar explores civil commitment law through the lens of civil liberties for young adults of transition age. We consider the ethical tensions between a provider or family member's desire to help a young person experiencing serious mental illness and the young person's autonomy. Presenters will discuss the importance of shared decision making and will provide strategies for improving the process of civil commitments for youth and their families.   Learning Objectives: Understand the history of civil commitment in the US. Consider justifications for civil commitment and involuntary mental health treatment. Identify best practices and practical strategies for shared decision making with youth and families through a civil commitment process. Identify key questions for policy and agency decision makers to consider when establishing processes which may lead to civil commitment.  

Assertive Community Treatment Fidelity and Rural Considerations May 28, 2019 Dr. Hannah Koch discussed how to tweak the Assertive Community Treatment model to make it work in a rural setting. Slide deck

About this Resource: This webinar will provide an overview of clinical suicidology, including the prevailing theories, assessment, interventions, and treatments. Dr. David Jobes walks participants through several suicide risk assessment tools and provides additional information about ethics and systems of care issues. Finally, Dr. Jobes provides an overview of empirically-supported treatments for managing and treating suicidality, and illustrates the use of the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicide (CAMS).   About the Presenter: David A. Jobes, Ph.D., ABPP, is a Professor of Psychology, Director of the Suicide Prevention Laboratory, and Associate Director of Clinical Training at The Catholic University of America. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, at Uniformed Services University. He has published six books and numerous peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Jobes is a past President of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and he is the recipient of various awards for his scientific work including the 1995 AAS “Shneidman Award” (early career contribution to suicidology), the 2012 AAS “Dublin Award” (for career contributions in suicidology), and the 2016 AAS “Linehan Award” (for suicide treatment research). He has been a consultant to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Defense, and Veterans Affairs. Dr. Jobes is member of the Scientific Council and the Public Policy Council of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and is Board certified in clinical psychology (American Board of Professional Psychology). Dr. Jobes maintains a private clinical, consulting, and forensic practice in Washington DC.   Additional Resources Ask Suicide Screening Questionnaire Patient Health Questionnaire 9 Columbia Suicide Screening Rating Scale

Hispanics and Latinos' cultural values are essential for a competent mental health services, assessment and treatment.

  The Great Lakes MHTTC Suicide Prevention Guide provides local and state specific resources for school personnel in the Great Lakes MHTTC Region (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI). The resources in this guide highlight intervention services available for immediate support. All states have access to 24/7 free, confidential support via telephone and text. Many areas have mobile crisis response units available for immediate in-person assessment and intervention.

We're looking forward to a summer of learning in our region! Next month is Summer 2019 Learning Institute in Sacramento, CA, and we are excited to announce our new Adaptive Leadership trainings in Phoenix, AZ. We have more onsite sessions and communities of practice coming up soon. We hope you will join us.

Join The Teaching Well and Camino Nuevo Charter Academy leadership as we bring together diverse school site roles to share ways they have collaborated to create healthy and sustainable school climate for students, teachers and staff. Learning directly from teachers, school site personnel, and school leaders, together we consider the possibilities of integrating wellness into whole school staff development, leadership approaches, collaborative conversations, and support spaces for both teachers and students. Participants hear firsthand accounts of the personal and professional benefits when school staff make wellness a central focus in their work plans, relational strategies, and overall school culture. This webinar uplifts the concept that whole school wellness is best as a multi-year collaborative and iterative process between all members of a campus community. Participants: Define personal sustainability in the context of schools Explore the relationship between personal sustainability and professional sustainability Learn how specific school site roles can lead sustainably Learn best practices and practical strategies for integrating a wellness focus into school culture Explore the links between school leader wellness, teacher wellness, and student outcomes This webinar is most helpful for new and veteran teachers; administrators who seek to lead sustainably; and school site wellness staff such as social workers, inclusion specialists, counselors, and paraeducators or teachers on special assignment.   This is the third session in the Mental Health Literacy & Student Learning Outcomes webinar series.  

This is the first issue of the bimonthly Southeast MHTTC eNewsletter, Mental Health in the Southeast.

This presentation by Southeast MHTTC Director, Dr. Ben Druss, and Deputy Director, Dr. Janet Cummings gives an overview of the center's scope of work, areas of focus, and activities. 

Are you in a position to guide policies and practice for treatment of Co-occurring Disorders (COD)? Do you have questions or ideas about how to achieve this effectively? Watch this interactive, guided discussion intended for director or leadership level staff at mental health service agencies in the Pacific Southwest. The purpose of this peer learning forum is to build collective awareness regarding the region's needs and opportunities related to effectively identifying and addressing COD. This forum is part of a COD learning series offered through the PS MHTTC.   Please join our discussion leader, Dr. Heather Gotham of Stanford University School of Medicine's MHTTC Network Coordinating Office, as she engages participants on the following aspects of our work: What's the problem we're trying to address? What's the impetus for building capacity? Patients are struggling in treatment Patients have difficulty access services across systems What needs to be different? Practices Policies Research What training and technical assistance would be helpful to achieve that change? Resources Training Advocacy   ABOUT THE PRESENTER Heather J. Gotham, PhD, is the Director of the SAMHSA-funded Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network Coordinating Office, and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Gotham's research focuses on implementation of evidence-based substance use and mental health treatments for adolescents and adults, including treatment fidelity for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. She provides technical assistance to states and treatment agencies on implementing evidence-based practices and assessments. Dr. Gotham assisted in the development of the Dual Diagnosis Capability in Addiction Treatment (DDCAT) index with Mark McGovern, and led the development of the Dual Diagnosis Capability in Mental Health Treatment (DDCMHT) index. She co-authored practice guidelines for co-occurring disorders treatment in the State of Missouri, and led the evaluation for Missouri's COSIG (Co-occurring State Infrastructure Grant) grant as well as another foundation-funded multi-site co-occurring disorders initiative.

This resource highlights key suicide statistics per state in the South Southwest Region 6, along with best practices and resources.

To address the educational and vocational needs young people experiencing psychosis, the CEDAR Individualized Vocational and Educational Support and Training (CEDAR InVEST) is an approach that helps clients get back on track with educational and vocational goals. CEDAR INVEST coaches are Bachelor’s level clinicians or college student volunteers that are supervised by a licensed clinician. In this brief, we describe some of the strategies that INVEST coaches use to help clients meet their education and vocational goals. Many of these strategies can be implemented by providers outside of a coordinated specialty program (CSC) like CEDAR – such as therapeutic mentors, vocational specialists, peer advocates, or other undergraduate or Bachelor’s level program staff.

      Hard copies of the toolkit are also available. If you'd prefer a hard copy, please reach out to us at [email protected]. This toolkit is a blueprint for school mental health services and will guide community members, schools, local leaders, and districts through 10 best practices, including strategies for implementing, funding, and sustaining mental health services in both rural and urban schools.

Working can be vitally important for the recovery and well-being of people with mental illness. Their employers -- and the workforce as a whole -- also benefit from their lived experience. But people with mental health challenges who are new or returning to the workforce can experience difficulty finding a job. And both employees and employers can struggle with how to approach workplace accommodations.   The Pacific Southwest MHTTC's new video tip series is designed to support the full engagement of people with mental health challenges in the workforce. Each short, 3-minute video is loaded with practical tips and key considerations to make the workforce work for everyone.   For Employees & Job Seekers: Dealing with Mental Health Part 1: Finding a Job & Job Resources What are the benefits of working if you have a mental health challenge? Who can help you find a job or employment services? Dealing with Mental Health Part 2: Getting What You Need to Do Your Job Should I disclose my mental illness at work? How do I request accommodations to be successful at my job?   For Employers: Mental Health on the Job Part 1: Tips and Strategies for Employers How do we recruit and interview staff with mental health lived experience? How do we create a safe workplace for everyone? Mental Health on the Job Part 2: Providing Accommodations What kinds of job accommodations should I provide? How do I talk to staff members about mental health?

Training and Technical Assistance Needs Findings from a Survey of Professionals Who Serve Individuals with Mental Illness in Region 8 The Mountain Plains MHTTC team conducted an electronic survey in March 2019 to identify the mental health technical assistance and trainings needs of Region 8. The survey was distributed electronically to individuals in Region 8 who serve persons with mental illness. Results presented in this report will help the Mountain Plains MHTTC staff better collaborate with providers and stakeholders throughout the region. Additionally, the survey results will inform the development of new products, training materials, and technical assistance requests. The report identifies aggregate training needs as well as state specific requests and variation between rural and urban respondents. Authors Shawnda Schroeder Thomasine Heitkamp

This webinar explores low-barrier services for young adults of transition age experiencing or at risk for behavioral health challenges. Presenters discuss how low-barrier services can improve engagement and will identify strategies for integrating low-barrier policies and practices into organizational standards. Throughout the discussion, presenters provide examples of promising approaches that have been adopted by local communities, including the development of drop-in centers and peer-to-peer programs. Learning Objectives: Define low-barrier access in the context of behavioral health services. Explore the links between access to services and engagement in behavioral health treatment for young adults of transition age. Identify examples of model low-barrier access programs. Learn best practices and practical strategies for integrating low-barrier services into agencies serving young adults.  

Crisis and loss are common in the lives of students, whether due to a death or crisis involving a student's individual family or one that affects the entire school community. Major events have the potential to cause short- and long-term effects on the psychological functioning, academic achievement, emotional adjustment, health, and developmental trajectory of students. Classroom educators and other school professionals can play a vital role in providing important support to students to promote their understanding of the event, minimize the academic impact through academic accommodations, help them learn coping strategies to accelerate their adjustment and minimize their distress, and minimize maladaptive coping mechanisms and behavioral difficulties. Yet most educators and other school professionals have had limited to no professional training in how to support students in the aftermath of crisis and loss. This workshop helps school professionals learn basic skills in how to talk with and support individual students or the entire class/school as they struggle to understand and cope with a crisis or loss in their lives. Dr. Schonfeld draws on over 30 years' experience in school crisis response and pediatric bereavement to illustrate key points.  

As we launch into Spring 2019, we are excited to share several learning events with you. We're hosting upcoming webinars on co-occurring disorder, school crisis, and low-barrier mental health services. We hope you will join us and your peers for communities of practice on cultural and linguistic competence. And we're attending upcoming conferences in the region -- we look forward to the chance to meet you there.

Expanding workforce diversity is a critical strategy to support improved access to health and health care for communities of color. To support this work, the PS MHTTC created a self-assessment tool to help mental health organizations explore their implementation of workforce diversity strategies: Assessing Workforce Diversity: A Tool for Mental Health Organizations on the Path to Health Equity. This workshop explores each of the tool's six key domains to build workforce diversity: Leadership and Governance Recruitment Orientation, Onboarding, and Ongoing Training Retention and Professional Development Communication Partnership and Community Goals This workshop outlines the purpose of these areas in strengthening workforce diversity and explore the different issues that require attention.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Explore the importance of a diverse workforce in effectively addressing mental health disparities for the populations in your community. Identify the critical components needed to assess the successes and challenges of your mental health organization in building a diverse workforce. Identify areas in which your organization excels and also areas in which you may want to focus attention. Identify action steps to address areas where your organization is more limited and incorporate these action steps into an existing organizational plan (e.g., strategic, cultural competency, or diversity plan).   INTENDED AUDIENCE: Policy makers Mental health leaders Service providers Human resource officers Community partners Mental health advocates  

All health service systems are undergoing fundamental changes in order to embrace the diversity of populations in the U.S. today. Many health systems continue to grapple with the numerous challenges of implementing systemic change to respond effectively to the multiple needs of diverse cultural and linguistic groups. Organizations working together as part of a broader system often do not know where to start the work of integrating cultural and linguistic competence. To do this work, organizations first need to come to a common understanding of culture and cultural competence and adopt a systemic framework for its integration into services and supports. This presentation provides a conceptual framework for cultural competence in health. Participants not only define and identify the framework and underlying principles of cultural competence, they begin to explore how these principles will influence their roles and functions. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Identify the components of a conceptual framework for cultural competence. Differentiate characteristics of culturally competent organizations and systems. Describe the implications for cultural competence in services and support systems. Determine steps to provide leadership in becoming more culturally and linguistically competent.   INTENDED AUDIENCE: Policy makers Mental health leaders Service providers Human resource officers Community partners Mental health advocates    

This resource, developed by a workgroup across the MHTTC Network, is designed to help schools better support students and families in the aftermath of violence and trauma. It provides strategies to assist schools with readiness, response, and recovery to help a school community support resilience in the event of a tragedy. It offers places to turn for more resources and discusses terminology and concepts related to suicide and grief. Finally, it highlights the importance of providing culturally responsive services, with example cultural considerations for schools to help Hispanic/Latino students struggling with grief and trauma.

Access for resources and learning sessions about how to navigate the intersections of school violence, trauma, and suicide.