Past Events

Home Life, Clinical Care, and Work Relationships: Causes of Stress and Resiliency Building for Providers; HHS Region 8 Building Resilience among Providers during a Global Health Pandemic (4-Part Series)   Providing physical or behavioral healthcare to others during the global health pandemic can lead to increased levels of stress, fear, anxiety, burnout, frustration, and other strong emotions. It is imperative that physical and behavioral healthcare providers recognize personal signs of mental fatigue, are given supports in their organization to ensure continued productivity and quality care, and are provided with tools to learn how to cope and build resilience. Providers residing in rural areas often face additional challenges unique to their setting. This training series has been developed to encourage self-care and to assist in building resilience among physical and behavioral healthcare providers amidst the global health pandemic.   Access the free toolkit: Building Resilience Among Physical and Behavioral Healthcare Providers During a Global Health Pandemic   Register Registration is free and required. Register for any/all sessions of this series by using the purple "REGISTER" button at the top of the page. The series is available for individuals residing in Heath and Human Services (HHS) Region 8 (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, and WY).   Session One Understanding the Impact of a Public Health Crisis on Medical and Behavioral Healthcare Providers; HHS Region 8 June 16, 2021 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM MST | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CST   This session will outline common terms, introduce compassion fatigue, and discuss the impact of moral injury and traumatic stress. Speakers will also present a toolkit that has been developed to assist providers and their organizations in building resiliency.   Trainers: Andrew J. McLean, MD, MPH & Shawnda Schroeder PhD, MA   Session Two Home Life, Clinical Care, and Work Relationships: Causes of Stress and Resiliency Building for Providers; HHS Region 8 June 23, 2021 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM MST | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CST   Presenters will discuss home life stressors, challenges of managing work relationships during a time of crisis, and the current issues facing providers as they work to provide quality care during a public health emergency. This session will also offer specific solutions and key resources for fostering resilience and balancing demands of home life, clinical care, and professional relationships during a pandemic.   Trainers: Robin Landwehr, DBH, LPCC, NCC & Per Ostmo, BA   Session Three Preventing and Responding to Grief, Loss, and Secondary Traumatic Stress among Providers; HHS Region 8 June 30, 2021 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM MST | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CST   Providers are experiencing loss of normalcy, loss of routine, and other ambiguous loss. Many may also be dealing with grief over the loss of a loved one, or the loss of numerous patients. Compounding this sense of loss and grief, providers commonly carry their patients’ stories with them. It is important that providers connect with their patients. If providers feel nothing, then they cannot connect as strongly and may not be able to optimize patient care. However, this connection, especially during a pandemic, can lead to secondary traumatic stress (STS). This session will address signs and symptoms of grief and loss among providers that have been present during the pandemic, and will describe secondary traumatic stress. Presenters will also offer ways to prevent and respond to these experiences at both an organizational and individual level.   Trainers: Robin Landwehr, DBH, LPCC, NCC & Shawnda Schroeder PhD, MA   Session Four Promoting Resiliency at an Organizational Level; HHS Region 8 July 7, 2021 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM MST | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CST   Research indicates that, although efforts to promote resilience at an individual level are important, addressing characteristics of the external environment are at least as important. Absence of organizational and leadership support for provider distress during COVID-19 may adversely impact organizational resilience, patient safety, and staff retention. Providers cannot sustain their own well-being without the support of their leadership. Targets for improvement at the organizational level include ensuring:   Organizational efficiency through identifying inefficient workplace processes. A transformational work culture. Correction of any negative leadership behaviors.   Trainers:  Andrew J. McLean, MD, MPH & Per Ostmo, BA

Description: Stigma – which involves labeling, stereotyping, and discriminating – is a major barrier to mental health help-seeking, psychiatric service engagement, and full inclusion in society. Unfortunately, mental health stigma is on the rise in the United States toward people who experience psychosis (e.g., hallucinations, delusions). Young people at risk for psychosis or in the early stages of psychosis are just forming their identities and may be particularly vulnerable to the deleterious effects of this stigma. This webinar will define early-stage psychosis and stigma, describe the most recent research in this area, and discuss ways to combat this stigma via a multipronged effort, which involves focusing on community members' attitudes and working clinically to help people living with mental illness cope with and combat this stigma. Download Flyer   Presenter: Joseph DeLuca, Ph.D., is an NIMH-T32 Postdoctoral Fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, specializing in psychosis-risk and the early stages of psychosis. He earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the City University of New York Graduate Center and completed his predoctoral internship at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. DeLuca’s research and clinical interests include screening and treatment for psychosis-spectrum symptoms, particularly with youth and families, as well as stigma, the role of culture and context in psychosis, and the intersection of mental illness and the criminal justice system.   Learning Objectives: Define psychosis, early-stage psychosis, and stigma   Understand the unique impact of stigma on psychosis Discuss efforts to combat stigma on societal and individual levels   Who Should Attend? Mental health professionals, mental health advocates, mental health graduate students, and others who work with/on behalf of youth diagnosed with mental illness   Certificates of attendance will be available to viewers of 50% (45 minutes) or more of the live webinar (via email within 30 business days post-event). CEUs are not offered for this session. The webinar slide presentation and recording will be posted to the website.

Educator Well-Being Strategic Planning and Preparation is a half-day training session convening 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wednesday, June 23. This training is intended for school, district, educational agency, and state-level leaders who are interested in learning about educator well-being and determining how to make educator well-being fit into their schools' plans for the 2021-2022 school year. Participants will learn the importance of educator well-being and its impact on school and student success; complete an organizational well-being assessment tool to evaluate their organizations; and learn about the Tier 1/universal strategy utilized by the Mid-America MHTTC: the Adult Resilience Curriculum (ARC) for Educators. The MHTTC team will conclude the session with an introduction to data-collection strategies and guidance with strategic planning around integrating educator well-being into school success plans for the 2021-2022 year.   ARC for Educators  

The Region 6 Peer Support Conference 2021, hosted by the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center and led by our Peer Support Advisory Committee and Peer Conference Planning Committee, will provide invaluable professional development and networking for peer support professionals. The free virtual three-day agenda will include nationally-recognized plenary speakers, interactive panel discussions, and opportunities to learn from and network with peer support professionals from across the region. This no-cost conference is being hosted on Zoom. Information for Zoom links to access conference presentations will be sent to all registrants closer to the event. For grant tracking purposes, it is important that each participant registers individually. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be available for Peer Recovery Specialists (PRS), Mental Health Peer Specialists (MHPS), Recovery Support Peer Specialists (RSPS) and Qualified Peer Supervisors (QPS) through the Texas Certification Board. Visit the conference website here for more information.

The Great Lakes MHTTC offers this training for behavioral health professionals in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI.  This training is offered in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.   SCHEDULE FOR THE 6-PART SERIES June 22, 12:00-1:00pm CST June 29, 12:00-1:00pm CST ****SKIPPING July 6, 2021 due to the holiday**** July 13, 12:00-1:00pm CST July 20, 12:00-1:00pm CST July 27, 12:00-1:00pm CST August 3,12:00-1:00pm CST   Leaders today are faced with a difficult task of leading their “business” while continuing to care for their staffs’ emotional well-being.  This six-part learning collaborative will apply NIATx, an evidence-based implementation model, with other organizational tools to help leaders cultivate well-being practices within their organizations. Leaders will be able to zero in on the current temperature of staff well-being while learning how to redirect and support to reduce burnout and compassion fatigue. This experiential multi-session learning collaborative will focus on building well-being within your organization through six unique sessions. Each session will identify areas of growth and offer suggestions on how to implement well-being strategies.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES Define well-being, burnout, empathy/compassion fatigue. Assess your current individual and collective wellbeing within your organization. Create your own call to well-being within your mission, vision, and values. Develop your well-being goal(s) and apply NIATx tools & strategies to implement change with your team. Develop a plan for well-being sustainability.     PRESENTER Mat Roosa was a founding member of NIATx and has been a NIATx coach for a wide range of projects. He works as a consultant in quality improvement, organizational development and planning, and implementing evidence-based practices. Mat also serves as a local government planner in behavioral health in New York State. His experience includes direct clinical practice in mental health and substance use services, teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and human service agency administration. Certificates of attendance will be available to all who attend all sessions in full.        

The Great Lakes MHTTC offers this training for behavioral health professionals in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI. This training is offered in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders. This training will address the issues surrounding the anxiety and stress of people returning to work and or school after over a year of isolation and social distancing. Dr. Siquilla Liebetrau will examine the effects of social isolation and how people can better cope with face-to-face interactions. By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to: 1. Normalize level of distress 2. Implement self-care 3. Become self-advocates 4. Make value-based decisions 5. Lean into discomfort/fear and let go of the need for control 6. Strengthen resilience 7. Learn when to ask for help   Presenter Dr. Siquilla Liebetrau is Clinical Director and a licensed Clinical Psychologist at Bowen Center, the largest Community Mental Health Center in Indiana. Dr. Liebetrau completed her undergraduate studies in psychology at DePaul University in Chicago and her graduate studies at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in Chicago. She has dedicated her training and career to serving in community mental health and is passionate about serving those in greatest need of care and support. She enjoys the variety of doing therapy with children, teenagers and adults across a broad spectrum of diagnoses. Areas of special interest include trauma, integrating behavioral health into primary care, and suicide prevention. She also enjoys doing psychological testing including autism evaluations, bonding and attachment assessments, and child hearsay evaluations.

Seeking Safety: An Evidence-Based Model for Trauma and/or Substance Abuse with Adolescents; HHS Region 8  June 22, 2021 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM MST | 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM CST Registration is free and required. This session is available to individuals residing in HHS Region 8 (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, and WY). Certificates of Attendance will be available.   The goal of this presentation is to describe Seeking Safety, an evidence-based model for trauma and/or substance abuse (clients do not have to have both issues). Anyone who attends can implement Seeking Safety in their setting if they choose to. Seeking Safety teaches present-focused coping skills to help clients attain safety in their lives. It is highly flexible and can be conducted in any setting by a wide range of clinicians and also peers. There are up to 25 treatment topics, each representing a safe coping skill relevant to trauma and/or substance abuse, such as “Asking for Help”, “Creating Meaning”, “Compassion”, and “Healing from Anger”. Topics can be done in any order and the treatment can be done in few or many sessions as time allows. Seeking Safety strives to increase hope through emphasis on ideals; it offers exercises, emotionally-evocative language, and quotations to engage patients; attends to clinician processes; and provide concrete strategies to build recovery skills. In this training we cover (a) an overview of Seeking Safety; and (b) key points on clinical implementation with adolescents. Resources are also provided. Learning methods include powerpoint, video, exercises, and discussion. For more information on Seeking Safety see www.seekingsafety.org.     Attendee Learning Objectives:   To increase empathy and understanding of trauma/substance abuse among youth To describe Seeking Safety counseling strategies for youth To provide treatment resources and steps for getting started with the model   Trainer Summer Krause, LPC, LADCIII  Summer Krause, LPC, CADCIII is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor III, with a clinical practice in Oregon that includes adolescent and adult Seeking Safety, in both individual and group modality. She has worked with Treatment Innovations since 2011. She counsels children, adolescents and adults and has spent the majority of her career working with adolescents. Her specialities are grief, trauma and addiction. She has worked in nonprofit, group home, juvenile justice, residential and outpatient settings. After being trained by Lisa Najavits in Seeking Sagety, Summer implemented Seeking Safety groups for adolescent boys and girls in a residential treatment program. 

Description: This webinar will discuss the promise and potential of digital technologies in behavioral health. Attendees will learn of ethical obligations in using technologies in behavioral health practice and learn of a guide to facilitate ethical-decision making in selecting technologies aligned with clients/service users values and privacy and compliance standards.   Download Flyer   Presenter: Karen L. Fortuna, PhD, LICSW, holds a doctorate in Social Welfare and a master’s degree in Social Work. Dr. Fortuna is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College. Dr. Fortuna is co-producing digital peer support programs with peer support specialists as equal partners in development, research, and ownership. Her team has developed a commercially viable smartphone app, PeerTECH, in which they are currently testing its impact in a real-world environment. Dr. Fortuna was awarded an NIMH K01 award (K01MH117496), a NARSAD Young Investigator Grants from the Brain and Behavior Foundation and the Alvin R. Tarlov & John E. Ware Jr. Award in Patient Reported Outcomes for her work, and the Association of Gerontological Education Social Work Faculty Achievement Award. Dr. Fortuna’s work can be seen in numerous book chapters on digital peer support, in Nature, Psychiatric Services, and Forbes Magazine. She currently serves as editor of the JMIR: Journal of Participatory Medicine. She is a board member of the International Association of Peer Supporters. She currently serves on the International Editorial Board for the British Journal of Social Work. She was invited to serve as a member of the American Psychiatric Association’s Smartphone App Expert Advisory Panel.   Learning Objectives: Describe emerging technologies and analytical techniques in behavioral health practice Understand how to use decision-support tools to guide ethical decision-making in selecting technologies with clients/service users Develop knowledge of ethical obligations of service providers    Who Should Attend? Behavioral health care professionals and support workers, licensed social workers, psychologists, case managers, and peer support specialists    Certificates of attendance will be available to viewers of 50% (45 minutes) or more of the live webinar (via email within 30 business days post-event). CEUs are not offered for this session. The webinar slide presentation and recording will be posted to the website.

  The Needs and Joys of our (Im)migrant Students, Families, and Community Partners: Exploring and Expanding Our School Mental Health Practice Session 3: School Mental Health Strategies to Support Newcomers: CBITS and Community Building Circles   Join the Pacific Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center for a special three-part series followed by a four-part learning community focused on (im)migrant student mental health. Through this program, we hope to:  Deepen our understanding and awareness of the unique gifts, strengths, and challenges students with (im)migration stories hold Explore practical strategies to apply and deepen our work  Examine the What + How—what are the issues + how do we then take the what and impact our school mental health practice?   Together, we discuss and unpack nuances of students who are (im)migrants, newcomers, undocumented, transborder learners so that we can strengthen our school mental health systems, services, practices, and policies.    Please note that while this program has a special focus on students who identify as Latino/a/x,  Chican@, and Mexican-American, all are welcome and much can be related to other student identities with shared experiences.    Invited learners: school mental health professional associations (school psychology, counselors, psychiatry, teacher education programs, school social workers), community-based mental health providers who partner with schools in our Center’s region (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and U.S. Pacific Islands of American Samoa, Guam, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau).  For more information about the series, visit the series page.   Session 3: School Mental Health Strategies to Support Newcomers: CBITS and Community Building Circles   When:  Monday, June 21, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. PT (view your time zone) (Mon.) 6-8 p.m. ET / 3-5 p.m. PT / 12-2 p.m. HT / 11 a.m.-1 p.m. American Samoa (Tues.) 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Marshall Islands / 9-11 a.m. Pohnpei, Kosrae / 8-10 a.m. Guam, Chuuk, Yap, Northern Mariana Islands /  7-9 a.m. Palau Faculty: Claudia Rojas and Angela Castellanos   The plight of newcomers (students who have recently arrived to the United States) continues to be an issue that impacts their educational journey and is even more exacerbated during the pandemic. Students' experiences vary, but they may include feelings of isolation, integration, and adapting to new cultural norms. This session will highlight a student’s experience and what school systems can offer to support students in traditional and distance learning settings.  The session examines shared risk and protective factors for vulnerable populations and outlines school programs like CBITS and restorative justice Community Building Circles, highlighting cultural adaptations of both models.    To deepen our awareness about (im)migrant student experiences, we:    Build understanding of: the impact of mental health on newcomer students and its relation to their learning, adapting to the American school system, and resources to support their growth. Explore myths and misconceptions about newcomer students and build empathetic partnerships for their academic and social emotional growth. Examine the risk factors and increase support systems to enhance protective factors such as CBITS and restorative justice Community Building Circles.

The Northeast and Caribbean MHTTC wants to continue to support you and your work during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Many of you have developed unique strategies for meeting the needs of service participants over the course of the year, but you may still be struggling with maintaining your own wellness and self-care. To help facilitate support and the sharing of wellness strategies and resources, we will be facilitating Mutual Support Calls for Thriving at Work During COVID-19.  Who: Community Mental Health Service Providers What: One-hour virtual support group sessions to share experiences, exchange resources, develop skills, and provide and receive mutual support When: The third Monday of each month, February through September Schedule: 2/15; 3/15; 4/19; 5/17; 6/21; 7/19; 8/16; 9/20 We look forward to connecting with you!   Facilitator: Bill Burns-Lynch, MA, LPC, has a 30+ year history of engagement in the psychiatric rehabilitation and mental health treatment community. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Throughout his career, he has worked extensively in community mental health developing and supporting the implementation of innovative, effective, and evidence-based psychiatric rehabilitation practices and service delivery programs. He has been a direct service provider, program developer, supervisor, administrator, trainer, consultant, researcher, and educator.  Currently, Bill is in practice in Bordentown, New Jersey, where he provides psychotherapy and counseling services geared toward helping people identify, address, and overcome the distress associated with a number of lifestyle and life-changing events, including depression and anxiety, substance misuse and substance use disorder, and living with grief and loss (through death, divorce, loss of relationships). Bill's work focuses on the impact of trauma across the lifespan for men and women; exploring life challenges and choices related to transitioning to adulthood; and adults living with serious mental health conditions, helping to manage systems and develop recovery and wellness plans.

Expect the Unexpected: Preparing for Crises in Schools is a webinar series geared toward education professionals, administrators, and stakeholders who are working together to create a school climate that aims to prevent crisis events. However, we know that not all crises can be prevented. How does your school respond to crisis events and encourage student and educator resilience? In this webinar, attendees will learn best practices in school-based suicide prevention and intervention. Attendees will gain knowledge on conducting skillful assessment in their buildings, as well as consultation, communication, and safety planning for suicide intervention. 

Our staff will be presenting a workshop and/or poster as a part of this event. For more information, visit the CPDD website: https://cpdd.org/

Registration for the Regional Peer Worker Support Circle is closed.   What: The Regional Peer Worker Support Circle (RPWSC) is a virtual gathering of peer workers from several U.S. states and territories that will meet every other week. The RPWSC is a safe and welcoming forum for mutual support, story sharing, discussion, and networking that unites peers from different professional and personal backgrounds. Meetings will focus on a variety of topics and issues central to peers, such as compassion fatigue, role clarity, systemic racism, self-care, and doing peer work amidst the pandemic. When: The Regional Peer Worker Support Circle will meet every other Friday from 4:00 to 5:00 pm ET. The first session will begin on Friday, February 12, 2021, and continue every other Friday through the end of August 2021. Where: The RPWSC will meet virtually via Zoom. Who Can Participate: People serving in peer worker roles are welcome to participate. Priority will be given to peer workers in the Northeast and Caribbean Region (i.e., New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands), but is not limited to individuals within the region. Schedule: 2/12; 2/26; 3/12; 3/26; 4/9; 4/23; 5/7; 5/21; 6/4; 6/18; 7/2; 7/16; 7/30; 8/6; 8/20   Facilitators: Stephanie Colon is a Bilingual Peer Specialist at the Institute for Family Health at the Center for Counseling at Walton, OnTrackNY, in the Bronx. She has been in this position since November 2017. Stephanie works with young people between the ages of 16 and 30 who have first-time altered state experiences. It is one of the most rewarding jobs that she has had in her lifetime. Stephanie is excited about being a co-facilitator of the Regional Peer Worker Support Circle. She says, “It gives me an opportunity to provide a safe/brave environment where peers feel like they are not alone and that their contribution to peer work is valuable.” Michael DeVivo is a Peer Specialist based in Syracuse, New York. He uses his lived experience with psychiatric labels to support young adults with first-episode psychosis. As a non-clinical member of a clinical team, he enjoys the challenge of improving the mental healthcare system “from the inside.” Mike is also passionate about developing the peer profession. To this end, he serves on a peer networking committee in his home region that links peer workers to foster a culture of support and solidarity, which he also hopes to promote as a co-facilitator of the Regional Peer Worker Support Circle. Outside of the peer world Mike teaches philosophy and writes music.

The UT at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social and National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center is hosting a 3-part webinar series Addressing our bias when working with the LGBTQ+ Community. This webinars series is a basic level educational event for school mental health providers, teachers, school personnel, and school administrators.   LGBTQ communities face health disparities linked to stigma, discrimination, and denial of their civil and human rights. LGBTQ individuals have higher rates of psychiatric disorders, substance use, violence, and suicide and may encounter lack of acceptance by their family members and the society which. affects their mental health and personal safety. This webinar series will be served to explore how bias impact our worldview and the work with the LGBTQ population, to identify health disparities among LGTBQ population, and to explore interventions to create a safe space and minimize the impact of implicit bias.   Learning Objectives: Understanding implicit bias concepts and implications. Reflect on our social identities and worldview. Recognize how bias impacts daily life when interacting with social identities. Apply strategies to minimize the impact of biases.   Who should attend? This is a basic level workshop designed for mental health providers, school mental health providers, and school administrators.   About the presenter: Jesús Ortega, LMSW –Director, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - Dell Medical School at UT Austin- is originally from Venezuela. Jesús has worked for economic, social and environmental justice almost all his professional life. Mr. Ortega moved his organizing and advocacy efforts working with marginalized immigrants communities of color from NY to Texas over 15 years ago. Mr. Ortega, hold the position of Executive Director at Out Youth, an LGBTQ youth organization in Austin. Jesús later started working with the Austin Stress Clinic’s Batters Intervention Program, as a facilitator of psycho-educational interventions for violence prevention. Mr. Ortega as the Assistant Director at the ASC concentrated on studying the efficacy of BIPPs interventions and developed innovated curriculum that focused on deconstructing masculinity and its impact on violence against women. This work took Mr. Ortega to Recife Brazil, where he spent half a year working with and evaluating a violence prevention program for youth at the PAPAI Institute. Jesús, previous to his new position at DMS, hold the position of Deputy Director at The Alamo Area Resource Center, a not-for-profit organization working with people living with HIV/AIDS and medical services to the LGBT community in San Antonio. He also worked as adjunct faculty of UTSA College of Public Policy in the Department of social work where he teaches cultural competency and global social work. He holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from UTSA, and a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from the City University of New York. He is also a graduate of Columbia University School of Business on Non-profit Management.    

Our director, Anne Helene Skinstad, PhD, PsyD, will be presenting, "20 years of PRIDE: Celebrating our history of substance abuse treatment for LGBTQ individuals," as a part of this NAADAC webinar.  The need for specialized treatment for LGBTQ+ individuals was first addressed in 1979 at the Rutgers Summer School on Alcoholism, which led to the founding of NALGAP: The Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Addiction Professionals and Their Allies. The co-founders of NALGAP will discuss those origins along with landmarks that followed NALGAP’s establishment, including how SAMHSA eventually published A Provider's Guide for Working with LGBT Individuals and a curriculum for training all professionals on the specific issues of LGBT clients. Click here to register!

The UT at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social and National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center is hosting a 3-part webinar series Addressing our bias when working with the LGBTQ+ Community. This webinars series is a basic level educational event for school mental health providers, teachers, school personnel, and school administrators.   LGBTQ communities face health disparities linked to stigma, discrimination, and denial of their civil and human rights. LGBTQ individuals have higher rates of psychiatric disorders, substance use, violence, and suicide and may encounter lack of acceptance by their family members and the society which. affects their mental health and personal safety. This webinar series will be served to explore how bias impact our worldview and the work with the LGBTQ population, to identify health disparities among LGTBQ population, and to explore interventions to create a safe space and minimize the impact of implicit bias.   Learning Objectives: Understanding implicit bias concepts and implications. Reflect on our social identities and worldview. Recognize how bias impacts daily life when interacting with social identities. Apply strategies to minimize the impact of biases.   Who should attend? This is a basic level workshop designed for mental health providers, school mental health providers, and school administrators.   About the presenter: Jesús Ortega, LMSW –Director, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - Dell Medical School at UT Austin- is originally from Venezuela. Jesús has worked for economic, social and environmental justice almost all his professional life. Mr. Ortega moved his organizing and advocacy efforts working with marginalized immigrants communities of color from NY to Texas over 15 years ago. Mr. Ortega, hold the position of Executive Director at Out Youth, an LGBTQ youth organization in Austin. Jesús later started working with the Austin Stress Clinic’s Batters Intervention Program, as a facilitator of psycho-educational interventions for violence prevention. Mr. Ortega as the Assistant Director at the ASC concentrated on studying the efficacy of BIPPs interventions and developed innovated curriculum that focused on deconstructing masculinity and its impact on violence against women. This work took Mr. Ortega to Recife Brazil, where he spent half a year working with and evaluating a violence prevention program for youth at the PAPAI Institute. Jesús, previous to his new position at DMS, hold the position of Deputy Director at The Alamo Area Resource Center, a not-for-profit organization working with people living with HIV/AIDS and medical services to the LGBT community in San Antonio. He also worked as adjunct faculty of UTSA College of Public Policy in the Department of social work where he teaches cultural competency and global social work. He holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from UTSA, and a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from the City University of New York. He is also a graduate of Columbia University School of Business on Non-profit Management.    

Please consider joining this event, which will feature Dr. Dan Foster, a member of our Advisory Council and regular presenter:  About this event How do historically marginalized communities currently address mental health issues and access mental health care services? What disparities exist, and what needs to change to achieve true equity within the mental health space? Inspired by “Decolonizing Mental Health,” a new digital series from WORLD Channel and PBS, a wide-ranging panel of industry experts and advocates will come together to discuss the unique mental health care challenges faced by underrepresented communities and those that have been historically marginalized. This virtual panel discussion will stream live on WORLD Channel's Facebook and YouTube channels at 7pm Eastern Daylight Time on Thursday, June 17. The conversation will be moderated by Tina Martin, Host of WORLD Channel's "Local, USA" series and Associate Professor of Journalism at Boston University. The conversation will feature: Dr. Sidney Hankerson Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. His research is focused on reducing stigma and increasing access to treatment in underserved communities, with a particular focus on partnering with Black churches to improve access to mental health care Dr. Dan Foster Psychologist at Fort Belknap. He is the only psychologist at the Fort Belknap reservation which is shared by two Native American tribes: the A'aninin and the Nakoda. He brings his first-hand perspective as a Native American to provide culturally competent care to his community, utilizing a "person-centered" approach Paul Hoang LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California. Known by some as the "Vietnamese Dr. Phil," he founded a nonprofit organization, Viet-C.A.R.E., and a private community behavioral health institute, Moving Forward Psychological Institute, to combat stigma, mental health disparities and increase access to quality and culturally responsive mental health care within the Vietnamese American community Shawna Murray-Browne LCSW-C, Psychotherapist in Baltimore. A fierce advocate for racial equity in mental health care, her liberation-focused healing framework deepens the responsibility of practitioners, not only to examine what biases and historical blind spots they have, but also to engage with community-led organizations as resources for their patients to continue to receive culturally competent care. With an introduction by: Joe Brewster Filmmaker, Psychiatrist, and Co-Producer of “Decolonizing Mental Health.” Michèle Stephenson Filmmaker, Artist, Author, and Co-Producer of “Decolonizing Mental Health.” “Decolonizing Mental Health” is part of a multi-platform initiative from GBH that includes the four-hour “Mysteries of Mental Illness” docuseries (premiering nationwide on PBS on June 22 & 23) tracing the evolution of the complex topic of mental health from its earliest days to present times.

Presenter: Dr. Erin Richardson, LCPC-S is a certified Life Coach, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Supervisor, and National Certified Counselor with more than 10 years of experience in providing counseling and therapeutic services to adults, adolescents, children, and families that represent various cultures and ethnicities. She specializes in the integration of mental health and spirituality and focuses on healing the mind, body, and spirit.   Learning Objectives: Identify when is the right time to find a therapist Identify what qualities of a therapist are important to them  Explore resources to help them find the right therapist    The Central East MHTTC is supporting this Baltimore Faith Based Commission for Behavioral Health-sponsored event.

Description: Autism has gained increased awareness especially in people of color, but is still underrecognized. Effective treatment approaches have improved outcomes and quality of life for many but a multiplicity of factors reduce availability of care. This webinar will discuss common characteristics of persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It will also review helping them with social interaction and communication challenges. Download Flyer   Presenter: William B. Lawson, M.D., Ph.D., D.L.F.A.P.A. is Founder and Director of the Institute to Reduce Disparities LLC, Director of Psychiatric Research for the Emerson Clinical Research Institute and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is emeritus professor of psychiatry, at the Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, and emeritus professor and formerly chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Howard University School of Medicine. He received a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of New Hampshire and M.D. from the Pritzker School of Medicine University of Chicago, did his residency at Stanford University and a fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health. He has held faculty positions at the University of Illinois, Urbana, University of California, Irvine, Vanderbilt University, University of Arkansas, and Howard University. He has held numerous senior positions and received national recognition including past President of the DC Chapter of Mental Health America, Past President of the Washington Psychiatric Society, past Chair of the Section of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences of the National Medical Association, and past president of the Black Psychiatrists of America. He has received several honors, including the American Psychiatric Foundation Award for Advancing Minority Mental Health, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness Exemplary Psychiatrist Award. He has over 200 publications, and is the former editor in chief of the Journal of the National Medical Association.   Learning Objectives: Describe the presentation of autism spectrum disorder Detail the many ways that autism can present in adults Describe how to help individuals with autism spectrum disorder interact with the general society Identify skills required to develop communication linkages   Who Should Attend? Mental health professionals, behavioral health professionals, general public, educational professionals, speech therapists   Certificates of attendance will be available to viewers of 50% (30 minutes) or more of the live webinar (via email within 30 business days post-event). CEUs are not offered for this session. The webinar slide presentation and recording will be posted to the website.

Topics: * Evidence Base for Application of Yoga in Mental Health Disorders: Focus on work done by NIMHANS during the COVID-19 Pandemic * Panel Discussion/ Brief Q&A Session * Practice of Cyclic Meditation Technique for Stress Management Bios: Dr. B N Gangadhar, MD (Psychiatry), D.Sc. (Yoga), is currently the President of Ethics & Medical Registration Board, National Medical Commission, Government of India. Dr. Shivarama Varambally, MD (Psychiatry), MAMS, D.Sc. (Yoga), is a Professor of Psychiatry and current Head of the Department of Integrative Medicine at NIMHANS. Dr. Hemant Bhargav, MD (Yoga and Rehabilitation), PhD (Yoga), is a conventional medicine doctor with MD and PhD in Yoga therapy. He is currently working as Assistant Professor of Yoga, Department of Integrative Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.

/*--> Join Dana Asby, MA, MEd, New England MHTTC's Education Coordinator, for this interactive webinar. You will not only learn about actions to take to weave evidence-based self-care practices into your daily routines; you'll practice them, too! Come prepared to be fully present in this hour of self-care, including: Breathwork Meditation Trauma-informed chair yoga Mindful habit formation Other self-care practices If you are not able to resist multi-tasking during this hour, we encourage you to register for the event so that you receive the recording to use during an hour without distraction.

During The Storm   Leadership during chaos requires mental health providers to reflect and learn about existing challenges, find solutions collaboratively with other professionals and team members, and determine new solutions.  The unpredictability and severity of the challenges influences the strategies that mental health providers, organizations, and systems must put in place.  In this workshop, we will apply new strategies and adaptive leadership principles to continue to “weather the storm,” and lead effectively, while addressing our own well-being. This webinar is part two of three in the series titled, "Weathering the Storm: Adaptive Leadership for Resilient Mental Health Organizations in the Pacific Southwest." Please see a description of the series below and additionally, you can view the full schedule on the main event page.   Innovative Leadership Strategies for Mental Health Professionals Leading mental health organizations, programs and initiatives can prove challenging in the best of times. Meeting the needs of clients in the diverse Pacific Southwest, while effectively navigating the field’s evolving best practices, policies, and funding requires innovative, resilient, and adaptable leadership at all levels. COVID-19’s impact on both our personal and professional lives exacerbates the need for these skills.  The Adaptive Leadership Framework facilitates evolution and growth in response to change and challenge. Join us as we explore the principles of Adaptive Leadership, and how you can apply the framework to lead more effectively. During this three-part series, participants will: Learn the principles of Adaptive Leadership and how to implement them in mental health work Identify strategies for engaging others to initiate, make, and sustain change Apply Adaptive Leadership principles to “weather the storm,” lead effectively, and prioritize well-being during challenging times.