Training and Events Calendar

About this Event: The National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification” is the first substantive document on peer support published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration since the 2015 landmark publication of “SAMHSA’s Core Competencies for Peer Workers in Behavioral Health Services.” A lot has changed (as evidenced by the depth and breadth of the content areas packed into the 35 pages of the Standards); and all but one state now have state-run or state-endorsed peer certification programs. For those without an extensive formal training in behavioral health or experience reading federal policy, the Standards, while exciting as movement forward, can be nonetheless confusing, intimidating, and challenging. In this 3-part series we plan to make the Standards more understandable to the people and organizations providing peer support on both the macro level (What is a national standard, and does it impact me and my work?) and the micro level (What are the five Pillars of Peer Support Supervision and what happens if my state only adopts four of them as certification requirements?). Subject knowledge experts will be joining us throughout the series, but the focus will remain on the peer perspective. The first session, held on July 29 (1-2:30pm ET), will be an overview of the 11 standards and introduction to a matrix that groups can use to determine their compliance with the standards and whether or not the standards apply to their state/organization. Then we will do a deep dive into the two standards that have generated the most discussion among the stakeholders we have been in contact with since the release of the standards in 2023. The second session, held on August 5 (1-2:30pm ET), will review Standard 7: Recovery. For the third session, held on August 12 (1-2:30pm ET) facilitators will discuss Standard 11: Peer Supervision. At the end of Session 1, participants will be able to: Define what National Model Standards are generally, including whether they are mandated under federal law, can states tie funding to them, is there a timeline for their implementation, etc. Describe the purpose and/or goal of each of the 11 standards Describe the purpose of the matrix, and when and how it should be used. To learn more or register for additional sessions in the series, please visit here.

About this Event: Session Two: Model Standard 7, What is Recovery? This is a deep dive into Standard 7 of “The National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification,” and how organizations and communities with different understandings of what “abstinent recovery” is can thrive while aligning themselves with the national standards. At the end of this session, participants will be able to: Define what “recovery” means according to Standard 7. Describe how the standards address Medication Assisted Recovery, and the purpose and/or goal of each of the 11 standards Explain the role of recovery-pathway-specific requirements in state-level certification requirements. To learn more or register for additional sessions in this series, please visit here.

About this Event:  Model Standard 11, What is Supervision? Discussions around peer supervision can be especially confusing because of the different backgrounds and lived experience of peer support stakeholders. In this deep dive into Standard 11 of “The National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification,” we will share basic definitions of the terminology used in this model standard, and how that language fits into the larger concepts addressed directly and indirectly in this standard, including ensuring that the emerging profession of peer support thrives as part of the continuum of care in behavioral health without eliminating the unique characteristics of peer support, such as the active use of lived experience, that are essential to its success. At the end of this session, participants will be able to: Define what “supervision” means according to Standard 11. List and describe the five Pillars of Peer Support Supervision. Explain how other model standards (especially including 2, 4, 8, and 9) are incorporated into this standard.

About this Event: The Southeast MHTTC is pleased to host this event in collaboration with the Hispanic/Latino Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (COE). Culture is an enduring element, a tradition that is embedded in every human thought, emotion,  and behavior. It is also a key factor that upholds normed belief patterns that maintain physical and psychological health and contributes to the tenacity of mental health and substance use disorders (SUD). This webinar is developed for behavioral health care providers interested in learning about the impact of cultural factors as they relate to behavioral health domains of Hispanic and Latine clients. The approach taken in this webinar session includes highlighting key cultural beliefs, attitudes, and practices that potentially influence responsiveness to treatment among Latine persons with mental health conditions and SUDs. The webinar also addresses culturally informed therapeutic strategies that can facilitate effective engagement and therapeutic relationships with Hispanic and Latine patients. Webinar will cover: An overview of trends and demographics among Hispanic/Latine populations in the Southeast Principles of cultural humility and the multicultural framework. Common cultural values, beliefs and gender norms among Hispanic and Latine populations. Common idioms of distress, and expressions of grief, sorrow, joy, anger, fatalism and resilience among Latine populations Culturally responsive approaches and strategies for adapting mental health interventions to be culturally centered. About the Speaker: Diane Arms, MA  Diane Arms currently serves as the Director for The Center for Co-occurring Disorders at The Council on Recovery. She has dedicated her career to serving the Latino population in the Health Field, including Mental Health and Substance Use. She received both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Texas at El Paso. Diane has served as Director of Health Integration at Avenue 360 Health and Wellness, Director of Prevention and Counseling at the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans and with the Harris County Health Care Alliance as Program Manager facilitating leadership meetings amongst local FQHCs to proactively identify, address, and resolve systemic issues. Ms. Arms has also served as an Operations Administrator for the children’s division unit at Emergence Health Network, El Paso’s Local Mental Health Authority. She has successfully implemented programs such as Multisystemic Therapy in a Mental Health Setting and Transition Age Youth, assisting transitioning clients from children’ services to adult services in the mental health system. She spearheaded the transition of in person clinical and behavioral health services of the agency to telehealth services to accommodate social distancing and stay at home orders due to COVID 19. Previously funded projects consist of identifying relationships between stress, depression and anxiety to substance use and parenting styles in young adult Latinos, investigating the effects of chronic illnesses on children’s health-related quality of life in the Colonias, an underserved and impoverished neighborhood along the Texas-Mexico border, and exploring effective decision-making aids on colorectal cancer for the aging Latino population. She sits on the Houston BARC Foundation’s board, the City of Houston’s Animal Shelter and Adoption Facility. She is also a fellow of the American Leadership Forum, Class 44.