Products and Resources Catalog

On July 11th, we held a psychopharmacology consultation line with Dr. Matcheri Keshavan, where he addressed specific psychosis-related psychopharmacology questions. 

Northwest MHTTC's Training Director, Sarah Kopelovich, PhD, presented a didactic to the UW Psychiatry and Addictions Case Conference (PACC) on June 20, 2019. This was one of two sessions which focused on the diagnosis and medical management of psychosis in primary care settings. The goal of these two sessions is to build understanding among primary care providers about the treatment and management of psychosis and how the medical management of psychosis can impact the physical health of those receiving treatment. In this session, Dr. Sarah Kopelovich reviews updated facts and figures concerning psychosis outcomes to enable primary care providers to provide more accurate psychoeducation, key considerations relevant to differential diagnosis in a primary care setting, and core practical skills for a clinical encounter of any nature. Dr. Kopelovich also provides information about high-yield behavioral interventions and skill building techniques that can be incorporated into primary care sessions. The UW Psychiatry and Addictions Case Conference (UW PACC) series is a CME-accredited program designed to expand the mental health and addictions care capacity of health care professionals in remote, underserved areas of Washington. The goal of UW PACC is to develop a regional peer learning and support network for treating mental health and addictions that will ultimately result in better patient care. Modeled after the University of New Mexico's Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), UW PACC offers telehealth resource support to build the confidence and skills of providers who care for patients with mental and behavioral health conditions. The series is appropriate for primary care providers, mental health or addictions providers, and psychiatrists willing to engage in a proven model of distance learning. Using interactive video, each session includes a 20-minute educational presentation from a year-long curriculum, followed by in-depth case consultations between community providers and a panel of UW Medicine psychiatrists. New attendees are welcome at any time and weekly attendance is not required.

Recording of the webinar titled Integrated Care Needs of Older Adults with Serious Mental Illness & Implications for Effective Care Transitions, originally held on July 10, 2019.   Slide Presentation  Older Adult Fact Sheet

Northwest MHTTC's Co-Director, Lydia Chwastiak, MD, MPH presented a didactic to the UW Psychiatry and Addictions Case Conference (PACC) on June 13, 2019. This was one of two sessions which focused on the diagnosis and medical management of psychosis in primary care settings. The goal of these two sessions is to build understanding among primary care providers about the treatment and management of psychosis and how the medical management of psychosis can impact the physical health of those receiving treatment. In this session Dr. Lydia Chwastiak reviews the five principles that guide evidence-based safe anti-psychotic prescribing, provides an overview of the recommended first-line medications for treatment of psychosis and their side effects, and identifies changes that can be made to current primary care practice to mitigate metabolic risk among patients treated with anti-psychotic medications. The UW Psychiatry and Addictions Case Conference (UW PACC) series is a CME-accredited program designed to expand the mental health and addictions care capacity of health care professionals in remote, under-served areas of Washington. The goal of UW PACC is to develop a regional peer learning and support network for treating mental health and addictions that will ultimately result in better patient care. Modeled after the University of New Mexico's Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), UW PACC offers telehealth resource support to build the confidence and skills of providers who care for patients with mental and behavioral health conditions. The series is appropriate for primary care providers, mental health or addictions providers, and psychiatrists willing to engage in a proven model of distance learning. Using interactive video, each session includes a 20-minute educational presentation from a year-long curriculum, followed by in-depth case consultations between community providers and a panel of UW Medicine psychiatrists. New attendees are welcome at any time and weekly attendance is not required.

Aging is a fact of life and it is frequently accompanied by declining health, but it does not always have to be that way. The aging adult is frequently expected to manifest deficits in cognition, and these deficits can be part of a primary brain degenerative process, a psychiatric illness, or physical disease. These conditions either individually or combined interact with each other, meaning that the presence of one can make the other one worse. Any of these conditions along with other social factors, such as the environment where one is born, lives or works, ethnicity, income, support system, level of acculturation, and the degree of health literacy can facilitate or obstruct access to care and eventually influence health outcomes. This presentation will explain the interaction of these conditions in the Latino elderly, and the known barriers coming from the health system and health disparities perspective. The presentation will close with ideas of what you can do at home while working with the Latino elderly, and with a short video of an older Latino woman who will explain her desire to live in spite of her illnesses. With the Latino aging population growing in the US, it is our turn to promote health messages that resonate with their needs and preferences, such as optimism and acceptance, connectedness, independence, and self-worth.

Dr. Anthony Zazzarino, PhD, LPC, ACS, CPRP is a full-time faculty member at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions. He currently provides instruction for professional education courses for New Jersey’s Supported Housing agencies implementing Community Support Services (CSS), the Master’s program in Rehabilitation Counseling, and the Doctoral program in Counselor Education and Supervision. Dr. Zazzarino is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), and Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP). He completed his PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision at Walden University where he focused on improving the lives of sexual minorities with serious mental illnesses and enhancing individual’s knowledge of multicultural competence. Dr. Zazzarino is actively presenting at local, state, and national conferences related to psychiatric rehabilitation methods, counseling services, and supervision practices. In addition to his work at Rutgers, Dr. Zazzarino is a suicide prevention trainer for the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, facilitates group therapy for adolescents and adults at an intensive outpatient program, provides outpatient counseling services at his private practice, and provides clinical supervision for counselors who need supervised clinical hours in New Jersey.    Webinar Description and Objectives: Participants will become familiar with the unique needs facing individuals who identify as a sexual minority, enhance awareness of increased rates of mental health symptoms, substance use, and suicidality within this population, and explore effective services for sexual minority individuals. A sexual minority is an individual who identifies with a sexual identity other than heterosexuality.    Define the term sexual minority Identify different sexual orientations Distinguish between sexual and gender identity Explain the importance of the minority stress model Discuss the increase in mental health needs of sexual minorities Illustrate the reasons for an underutilization of services   Access webinar slides. Access webinar recording. 

On June 26th, we held our webinar "Financial Health and Mental Health: Making the Connection". Annie Harper, Ph.D, from Yale Program and Recovery and Community Health, addressed the connection between mental illness and poverty, focusing particularly on money management and access to financial services. 

Emerging Factors: Impact on an Aging Population fact sheet from the first webinar in the Improving Services for Older Americans series.

Housing for all in Rural Communities June 24, 2019 Jennifer Lopez discussed housing for all in rural communities with a focus on housing solutions for persons with mental health concerns in rural settings. Slide deck Recording

Together with Veterans: A Rural Veteran Suicide Prevention Program June 20, 2019 Gina Brimner spoke to the Together With Veterans Program. Together With Veterans targets rural populations and empowers Veterans to lead community-based and evidence-informed planning efforts to address Veteran suicide locally and discuss implementation strategies. Slide deck

We are excited to introduce ourselves and the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (Northwest MHTTC). When we received news that our proposal was funded late last year, it felt like a dream come true. Now we have the opportunity to move the needle on improving behavioral health outcomes for persons with or at risk of developing serious mental illness across Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington).

On June 19th, we held our third Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) Series webinar on "Trauma-Informed Care in the Context of Recovery-Oriented Approaches". Rebecca Miller discussed the principles of trauma-informed care and those of a recovery orientation complement one another well. She also described both models, discussed the overlap between the two, and highlighted examples of how recovery-oriented, trauma-informed approaches look in programs/practice. 

On June 19th,we held the second part of the webinar series "Person-centered Recovery Planning (PCRP) Implementation Series". Janis Tondora, PsyD. from Yale University's Program and Recovery and Community Health, and Dan Wartenberg, Psy.D, M.P.H., Chief Clinical Officer, Newport Mental Health reviewed the key indicators of PCRP from both a process and a documentation perspective.

Webinar by Kate Hardy, Clin.Psych.D Dr. Kate Hardy, an international expert in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for psychosis (CBTp), gives a didactic on incorporating natural supports into therapy for a group of CBTp trainees. She covers the utility of involving natural supports like family members or friends into a course of CBTp and illustrates through case examples how to do so skillfully and therapeutically.

Farm Crisis and Behavioral Health June 19, 2019 Charles Griffin provided a backdrop to the recurrence of the farm crisis, new legislation to address the crisis, as well as strategies for addressing the needs of farming communities. Slide deck Recording

This 45-minute video interview presentation created by Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC), representing HHS Region VIII, is a professional learning tool to explore how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) affect the human population. Director of Mountain Plains MHTTC, Professor Thomasine Heitkamp, interviews a national expert on Adverse Childhood Experiences, Dr. Donald Warne, who offers insight to providers and educators interested in gaining a deeper understanding of ACEs, including content on historical trauma and addressing stigma. WHAT ARE ACEs? Adverse Childhood Experiences ACEs are experiences in childhood that are unhappy, unpleasant, and/or hurtful. They are sometimes referred to as toxic stress or childhood trauma. ACEs are categorized into three groups: abuse, neglect, and household challenges. Each category is further divided into multiple subcategories. The prevalence of ACEs is organized by category. All ACE questions refer to the respondent’s first 18 years of life. Abuse Emotional abuse: A parent, stepparent, or adult living in your home swore at you, insulted you, put you down, or acted in a way that made you afraid that you might be physically hurt. Physical abuse: A parent, stepparent, or adult living in your home pushed, grabbed, slapped, threw something at you, or hit you so hard that you had marks or were injured. Sexual abuse: An adult, relative, family friend, or stranger who was at least 5 years older than you ever touched or fondled your body in a sexual way, made you touch his/her body in a sexual way, attempted to have any type of sexual intercourse with you.   Household Challenges Mother is treated violently: Your mother or stepmother was pushed, grabbed, slapped, had something thrown at her, kicked, bitten, hit with a fist, hit with something hard, repeatedly hit for over at least a few minutes, or ever threatened or hurt by a knife or gun by your father (or stepfather) or mother’s boyfriend. Substance abuse in the household: A household member was a problem drinker or alcoholic or a household member used street drugs. Mental illness in the household: A household member was depressed or mentally ill or a household member attempted suicide. Parental separation or divorce: Your parents were ever separated or divorced. Incarcerated household member: A household member went to prison.   Neglect Emotional neglect: Someone in your family helped you feel important or special, you felt loved, people in your family looked out for each other and felt close to each other, and your family was a source of strength and support. Physical neglect: There was someone to take care of you, protect you, and take you to the doctor if you needed it, you didn’t have enough to eat, your parents were too drunk or too high to take care of you, and you had to wear dirty clothes.   Research Findings The Center for Disease Control-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study is one of the largest investigations of childhood abuse and neglect and household challenges and later-life health and well-being. The original ACE Study was conducted at Kaiser Permanente from 1995 to 1997 with two waves of data collection. More than 17,000 Health Maintenance Organization members from Southern California receiving physical exams completed confidential surveys regarding their childhood experiences and current health status and behaviors. The CDC-Kaiser Permanente ACE Study uncovered how ACEs are strongly related to development of risk factors for disease, and well-being throughout the life course. More detailed information about the study can be found in this article, “Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults External.”

On June 5th, we held the first part of the webinar series "Person-centered Recovery Planning (PCRP) Implementation Series". Janis Tondora, PsyD. from Yale University's Program and Recovery and Community Health, and Dan Wartenberg, Psy.D, M.P.H., Chief Clinical Officer, Newport Mental Health reviewed the key indicators of PCRP from both a process and a documentation perspective. 

on June 5th, Dr. Rivers Murphy, with Kate Retzel, Principal, Lee Elementary School (Lee, MA), shares strategies and activities used during the implementation of a year-long mindfulness program in a prek-6 school. They also shared strategies for introducing mindfulness in high schools, including some of the unique opportunities and challenges associated with this work at the secondary level. To download the slides, click here. Presenter(s): Michele Rivers Murphy, Ed.D., CEI Associate Director, Heart Centered Learning

On June 5th, we held our second Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) Series webinar on "What Is Trauma-Informed Care and Why Does It Matter?" Katie Volk discussed principles of trauma-informed care, ways to implement it in your organization, and how it aligns with and promotes recovery-oriented practice. To watch Nadine Burke Harris's TED Talk mentioned during the webinar, click here. 

PowerPoint presentation that provides an overview of the Central East MHTTC's work.

Violence Risk Assessment & Management is a three-hour self-paced course that provides the necessary tools for clinicians to assess, manage, and stabilize threats of violence, hosted on the HealtheKnowledge platform. Concerns about violence risk frequently arise in clinical settings. There is often confusion among providers about the boundaries of confidentiality, when and how to invoke their professional obligation to protect or warn third parties, and how to balance therapeutics and public safety. This course addresses: Boundaries of confidentiality Clinicians’ duty to warn or protect potential victims Proven methods to assess and manage the risk of violence   Each module of the course includes: Real case vignettes A 3-item assessment to guide your learning Interactive practical exercises with feedback In addition, a 3.0 hour certificate of completion is available. Course Flyer Download the course flyer here. Trainers Dr. Sarah Kopelovich, a forensic clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine based at Harborview Medical Center  Dr. Katherine Michaelsen, a forensic psychiatrist at the Puget Sound Veterans Administration and Acting Assistant Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine Dr. Tobias Wasser, a forensic psychiatrist at Whiting Forensic Hospital and Assistant Professor at Yale University School of Medicine   Registration and Technical Support How to register for a course at HealtheKnowledge and how to get technical support   This online course was created by the Northwest Region 10 Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) with support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Want more information? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's Resource Library and Websites by Topic  and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.  

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.  

On May 23rd, Center for Educational Improvement (CEI) in collaboration with New England -MHTTC, presented the second webinar of the Childhood-Trauma Learning Collaborative (C-TLC) Webinar Series on Parents and Compassion. This webinar explained how schools can be engaged with families that are steeped in trauma. They discussed how trauma can impact children and how the family can assist, and how to increase compassionate interactions between school and families. To download the slides, click here.