Past Events

Join us to connect with others who share concern and passion for developmentally appropriate and appealing systems and supports for youth and young adults. Maybe you're a peer support provider or a new professional with lived experience. Whatever your role, if you are a young adult professional seeking to make peer-to-peer connections and develop your professional capacity, this learning community serves as a forum to learn and build skills with other mental health workforce professionals. In May, we’ll have a guest presenter, Victoria Eckert from Youth MOVE National, talking about suicide prevention! Victoria will be offering the training “Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention.” This community-based presentation covers the general scope of suicide, the research on prevention, and what people can do to fight suicide.  This is an evidence-based training from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Attendees will learn the risk and warning signs of suicide, and how together, we can help prevent it. Audience: The target audience for this learning community is young professionals in the Pacific Southwest working with youth and young adults of transition age. As a community, we encourage members to serve as peer facilitators and be engaged to maximize the exchange of ideas and strategies for better serving youth and young adults.

The Great Lakes MHTTC offers this training in partnership with the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health for mental 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. Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES Learn how to help an experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis.   TRAINERS Riley Blythe, MSW, Prevention Program Coordinator for the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health (IABH), works to develop, implement and evaluate the Association’s prevention, wellness and leadership programs: Operation Snowball (OS) and the Cebrin Goodman Teen Institute (CGTI). She supports OS chapters and CGTI Community Action Teams through trainings, technical assistance, outreach, and fundraising, and work with community members to increase prevention programming throughout Illinois. Prior to joining IABH, Riley worked with individuals in recovery from substance abuse, members of the HIV community, and provided individual and group therapy to at-risk youth in the greater Chicago area. Riley holds a Master’s degree in Social Work with a specialization in Children and Family from Loyola University Chicago. Natalie Maggiore, first attended Snowball and CGTI in the 2006-2007 school year and has since grown through both programs. She has held a number of positions on the CGTI Leadership Team, including Conference Advisor, Care Team member, Youth Staff Advisor, PALS Advisor and Media Coordinator as well as serving as a workshop presenter. She also served as a member of the Operation Snowball Board of Directors from 2019-2020. Prior to joining IABH, Natalie worked as a Special Education instructor for high school students and a freelance journalist. Natalie holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and continues to pursue expanding mental health education and awareness through that avenue. CEUs This training will provide 6.5 CE units from IAODAPCA Continuing Education. There will be a $30.00 charge for the CEUs For more information, please Riley Blythe at IABH: [email protected]

Join our podcast club for mental health and school mental health providers on topics related to COVID-19 and its impact on our mental health and holistic wellness.  After listening to selected podcasts on your own, we will engage together in collective exploration related to the social constructs and internalized notions that impact our emotional wellbeing and the way we engage in our work as mental health providers. Oriana Ides, Pacific Southwest MHTTC School Mental Health Training Specialist, will guide our conversations Tuesday, May 25: Burnout and the biopsychosocial impact of stress for women-bodied people Listen: Burnout and How to Complete the Stress Cycle | Brene Brown Read: America's Mothers are in Crisis or What Does Feminist Leadership Look Like in a Pandemic? This podcast is part of a larger series titled "We are the Pillars: A Podcast Club for Providers." You can view the full podcast description and schedule on the main event page.

About the Event:  This webinar will examine two ramifications of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. The first centers on individuals who directly contracted the virus and how it affects their own mental health. Preliminary data suggest that between 20% and 30% of all people infected with Covid-19 will develop some mental illness within 90 days of infection. Such additional demand will place an even-greater burden on an already-stressed mental health care system. The experience of addressing demand for evidence-based, timely and respectful mental health care at a private, non-profit residential and intensive out-patient treatment facility will serve as a case example of the second, indirect impact of the pandemic. Efforts to continue serving patients in a safe way while managing personal lifestyle upheaval has taken its toll on many health care workers including mental health clinicians. Strategies to help create a safe and resilient workforce will be offered and scrutinized.    Learning Objectives 1. Describe the association of global, uncontrolled inflammation with some mental illness including treatment-resistant depression and anxiety disorders.  2. Quantify the mental health epidemiological impacts of Covid-19 infection in populations of individuals who have been infected with the virus.  3. Describe lifestyle changes in the lives of people who were not infected with Covid-19 that often contributed to poorer overall health during the pandemic, including poorer mental health. Related factors include physical distancing, ill-defined boundaries, abandonment of community-based health behaviors, and increased access to mood-altering substances while quarantining at home like alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs.  4. Offer suggestions for organizational strategies to mitigate "burnout" within health care workers who had to continue providing daily care to patients during the pandemic. Know the American Psychiatric Association's "Top Ten List" of associated contributors to global, uncontrolled inflammation and potential strategies to combat them.    About the Presenter:  Dr. Ray Kotwicki is the Charles B. West Chief Medical Officer at Skyland Trail, a nationally acclaimed private, nonprofit residential and day treatment organization for adults and adolescents with mental illnesses in Atlanta, Georgia. In this role, Dr. Kotwicki oversees all the clinical, educational, quality, and research activities within the organization. Dr. Kotwicki trained as a Department of Energy Fellow, and was a Medical Scholar at the University of Wisconsin Medical School. He had post-graduate training at Harvard Medical School, the Boston University School of Medicine, and Emory University, where he earned a Master in Public Health degree in Health Policy and Management. He remains an adjunctive Associate Professor at the Emory University School of Medicine.   Over his career, Dr. Kotwicki has presented over 350 invited lectures, symposia, and seminars to tens of thousands of attendees. He regularly appears on television, radio and in newspaper articles discussing issues related to mental health and integrated medical care. 

As part of our series focused on “Addressing Stress-Related Mental Health Consequences of the Pandemic in Health Care Workers”, this workshop introduces healthcare workers to Mindfulness and Acceptance Practices, which have a growing evidence base for helping people to live richer, fuller, and more meaningful and productive lives. These practices help people to identify their personal values and to overcome obstacles that can get in the way of acting in ways that are consistent with those values. This workshop will provide an introduction to these practices and will involve taking part in brief activities and exercises within the workshop aimed at starting to apply these practices in their own lives. We will also share information about free and low-cost resources for learning more!   Speaker bio: Dr. Friedman-Yakoobian has almost 20 years of experience treating teens, young adults and families and practices from an acceptance and commitment therapy and self-compassion perspective. Dr. Friedman-Yakoobian is the director of a clinic for youth at risk for psychosis and has conducted research on the development of effective treatments for youth and families. She is an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and has supervised dozens of clinicians in training at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center Public Psychiatry Division of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Friedman-Yakoobian earned her undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Studies at Cornell University and her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Boston.​

About the Learning Session: The MHTTC Network is hosting an 8-part training series using the National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules for States, Districts, and Schools. This resource was developed by the MHTTC Network in partnership with the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) and aims to help states, districts and schools advance comprehensive school mental health and engage in a planning process for implementation.  Module 8: Impact explains the purpose and value of documenting and sharing information about the impact of your comprehensive school mental health system.        Each session in the series includes a pre-session video, live panel session, and post-session regional breakout. Access the pre-session video for Module 8: Impact HERE. Please watch the video PRIOR to the live session. The purpose of watching the pre-session video is to familiarize yourself with the content for Module 8. Live sessions consist of a discussion with a small panel of education and mental health leaders from across the country (including a member from the National Center for School Mental Health team) who will provide an “always and now” application of the module and innovative ideas for implementation, considering the current COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on school mental health. The post-session Regional Breakout sessions are intended for participants to have an informal discussion regarding content from the live session, contextualized for their specific region. Access to the Regional Breakout sessions will be provided to all participants during the live sessions.   To learn more about the National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules and gain access to the COMPLETE resource, click HERE. PLEASE NOTE: As of April 2021, the MHTTC Network and National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) changed the title of the National School Mental Health Curriculum: Guidance and Best Practices for States, Districts, and Schools to the new title 'National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules for States, Districts, and Schools.' Session Panelists: Amber Fox has been a member of the Kent School Services Network Administrative team in Kent County, Michigan since 2014. She has a Master's in Social Work and more than 20 years of experience in the fields of Youth Development, Education and Social Work. Previously, she served as the Kent ISD program coordinator for Michigan’s Project AWARE (2014-2018).  In her current role of Director of Integrated Supports and Team Lead Supervisor, she co-coaches and co-develops a team of 40 community school coordinators and 5 team leads, serving 45 schools in 9 school districts. She is a certified Youth Mental Health First Aid trainer and Youth Program Quality External Assessor.       Dr. Louis Laffitte, Jr., is an instructional trailblazer who partners with thought leaders across the country to improve outcomes for learners of all ages and demographics. With more than two decades dedicated to the field of education, Dr. Laffitte’s critical insight into what drives teaching and learning has benefited students and colleagues alike. With a career path focused on empowering the disenfranchised, Laffitte has been a voice and advocate for change, which has benefited the many leadership roles he’s undertaken as an educator. These roles have included principal, special education director, human resources director and assistant superintendent.        

One-hour regional first-episode psychosis (FEP) peer specialist support call. Learn more about our series of calls for FEP peer specialists here. Presenters: Lorrin Gehring, CPC Lorrin Gehring is a passionate leader who began advocating for youth rights and voice to be heard within the systems that serve them at the age of 15. In her career, Lorrin has been fortunate to serve as an Advocate, a Program Director, a Case Manager, a Resource Specialist, a Social Marketer, a Teacher and a Peer. In each of these positions she has advocated for young people to have voice and choice in their lives and the systems that serve them. She has authored numerous articles on youth involvement and is the 2011 Voice Award recipient for excellence in the field of youth advocacy, as well as the 2012 Marlene Matarese Advocate for Youth Rockstar awardee. Lorrin is currently a trainer and consultant specializing in workforce and program development, peer support and implementation, coaching and mentoring, and adaptive leadership. Her favorite color is green and she is an award winning karaoke singer holding a first place award for best worst karaoke performance- she’s got passion. Michelle Owens Michelle Owens is a peer support specialist and the Young Adult Engagement Specialist at the EASA (Early Assessment and Support Alliance) Center for Excellence at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, where she does program development and research on peer support and youth voice. She grew up in Chicago before moving to Portland, where she attended Reed College until 2018. When not working she is knitting, sewing, or generally making some sort of crafty mess.

The Great Lakes MHTTC offers this training in partnership with WAFCA to behaviorl 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.   As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and intensifies, clinicians and youth are confronted with social distancing and other infection control requirements that generally preclude in-person psychotherapy. In this workshop, the presenters outline the benefits and challenges of providing trauma therapy to adolescents over the internet, describe specific trauma-focused tools and interventions, discuss strategies and concerns regarding caretaker and family involvement, and make a series of concrete suggestions regarding best practices for teletherapy.   Learning Objectives: Attendees will be able to: Describe the need for trauma teletherapy interventions in the COVID era  List three potential problems associated with delivering teletherapy to traumatized youth  Describe how to integrate caretakers into trauma teletherapy for youth  Define safety planning as it relates to teletherapy for traumatized adolescents Describe the importance of HIPAA compliance in teletherapy   John Briere, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, and Center Director of the USC Adolescent Trauma Training Center of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Read more about Dr. Briere.     Cheryl Lanktree, Ph.D., is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in private practice andAssistant Professor of Research Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and BehavioralSciences, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. She hasbeen Project Director and Co-PI of the University of Southern California Adolescent Trauma Training Center (USC-ATTC), a Category II site of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) since 2012. She is the developer of Integrative Treatment of Complex Trauma for Children (ITCT-C) and co-developer of IntegrativeTreatment of Complex Trauma for Adolescents (ITCT-A). Read Dr. Landtree’s complete bio at www.cblanktree.com   Certificates of attendance will be issued for all who attend the full session.  

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 Great Lakes MHTTC Provider Well-Being Supplement offers these trainings to behavioral health providers in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI. This series is offered in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders. Microlearnings are 15-minute “TED-Talk” style workshops—join by phone or Zoom!  Microlearnings are intended to reach a large audience with a low time commitment. Topics focus on aspects of individual and organizational health and wellbeing. All are welcome! Dates: (note all times are 11:00–11:15am CT/12:00–12:15pm ET) May 21: Transitions: They’re going to happen, so let’s embrace them Jun 11: The Power of Intentional Joy Jun 25: Always Choose Joy: Making Joy a Habit There is no need to register.  Use the phone number or link below to join all or any you can. Call in # +1 646-876-9923 Zoom: Meeting ID: 335-268-657 Passcode: 754991

The National Hispanic & Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center in partnership with Mary’s Center and the University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work the will be hosting a free webinar series for non-clinicians, case managers, clinical supervisors, health providers, program directors, administrators, and personnel who provide post-release services to unaccompanied minors. Understanding culture-specific risk and protective factors associated with mental health among Latinos is essential. Unaccompanied children and youths are a particularly significant risk for psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress and are less likely to access culturally responsive mental health services and continue to be undiagnosed or untreated. This can lead to negative outcomes such as negative interactions at school and with authorities, increased disconnection from family and society, and exposure to the criminal justice system. Even when released to the community, Latino unaccompanied children (UC) and youths often struggle to find a safe haven and are susceptible to abuse, crime victimization, difficulties adjusting to a new language and culture, and lack of needed educational, medical, mental health, and legal resources. Also, the provision of psychoeducation services to unaccompanied minors and their families about the stressors faced during the pre-migration, in-journey, and post-migration can serve to validate their experiences and help them navigate obstacles over time. Challenges that can be encountered during engagement with the client and their family will be discussed as well as resources and recommendations.   Learning objectives: 1. Recognize the effects of immigration detention and family separation on the attachment reactions of Hispanic unaccompanied children and youths. 2. Discuss Hispanic and Latino culture-specific risk and protective factors associated with mental health. 3. Consider the use of psychoeducation interventions to engage Hispanic unaccompanied children and youths and their parents into mental health and community services.

The Great Lakes MHTTC offers this series for behavioral health providers in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI.  The final module in a seven-part series on DBT DBT: Adolescent Adaption Part II will continue to demonstrate how to adapt the DBT model to an adolescent population.  Both Parts I and II will cover the inclusion of caregivers and applying biosocial theory to adolescents and their families. Learning Objectives Participants will learn: -The basic components of Adolescent DBT and how it differs from regular DBT -How to orient adolescent clients and caregivers to treatment -How to run a multi-family skills training group -The new Walking the Middle Path skills module and other skills additions to Adolescent DBT -How to run a stage 2 graduate group. Speaker Henry Boeh is a certified DBT clinician through the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification (DBT-LBC), and a licensed psychologist. He works with both adult and adolescent clients and is the team leader of the Center for Behavioral Medicine Adolescent DBT Program, which is a certified DBT program through the DBT-LBC. Henry is passionate about delivering adherent and comprehensive DBT treatment, and teaching others to do the same.

In this presentation, Mid-America MHTTC specialists and partners with Omaha-based Community Alliance will demonstrate ways in which family peer support empowers families to support their loved one’s desire to live independently. In particular, participants will learn how recipients of family peer support: Learn to engage their loved ones in conversations about housing and independent living; Learn to support their loved ones with finding housing and housing supports; Learn to help their loved ones be successful with independent living.   Family Peer Support: An Emerging Workforce  

Clinical Supervision Practices for Mental Health and Substance Use Providers; HHS Region 8 Mental Health and Substance Use Co-Occurring Disorders – An Overview of Skills and Best Practices (5-Part Series)   Join the Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (Mountain Plains MHTTC) and the Mountain Plains Addiction Technology Transfer Center (Mountain Plains ATTC) for a five-part training series on skills and best practices for supporting individuals experiencing co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Only 7.4% of individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders receive treatment for both disorders and approximately 55% are receiving no treatment at all (Priester, et al 2016). Access, availability, and affordability to behavioral health treatment is even more difficult when residing in rural areas.     This series will offer strategies and interventions to address the challenges faced by providers working in rural and remote communities and explore skills and practices that can help support interventions for this population. This series will build on the previous work of the Mountain Plains MHTTC and ATTC developed product Depression, Alcohol and Farm Stress: Addressing Co-Occurring Disorders in Rural America.    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 Mental Health and Substance Use Prevalence in Populations and Key Barriers; HHS Region 8 April 22, 2021 12:00pm - 1:00pm MST | 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST   Co-occurring disorders (individuals with both mental health concerns and substance use disorders) have a large societal impact on people living in rural communities where access to resources may be limited. This session will provide a review of key prevalence rates of mental health and substance use disorders with particular attention given to understanding the barriers to care that exist in rural communities.   Trainers: Andrew J. McLean, MD, MPH & Robin Landwehr, DBH, LPCC, NCC Session Two Case Management Practices for Supporting Substance Use and Mental Health Treatment; HHS Region 8 April 29, 2021 12:00pm - 1:00pm MST | 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST   Effectively accessing care and leveraging case management services ensures positive outcomes for patients experiencing co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. This session will explore crucial case management skills that minimize duplication of services, support access to care, and ensure a client-centered approach is maintained throughout interventions.    Trainer: Thomasine Heitkamp, LCSW Session Three Contingency Management with Serious Mental Illness; HHS Region 8 May 13, 2021 12:00pm - 1:00pm MST | 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST   Contingency management is an evidence-based treatment approach focused on the principles of behavior management and cognitive-behavioral therapy that provides incentives for meeting treatment goals. This session will describe how contingency management can be utilized when working with individuals with serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders to improve treatment outcomes.   Trainer: Michael McDonnell, PhD Session Four Clinical Supervision Practices for Mental Health and Substance Use Providers; HHS Region 8 May 20, 2021 12:00pm - 1:00pm MST | 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST   Clinical supervision is critical in achieving a well-functioning clinical community. This training will focus on assessment and treatment planning (looking at the client/patient holistically) when conducting supervision sessions. In addition, this session will address the importance of expanding counselors/therapists’ clinical capacity with patients who present with complex diagnoses utilizing clinical supervision strategies.   Trainer: Mita Johnson, EdD, LPC, MAC, SAP Session Five Providing Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment in an Integrated Care Setting; HHS Region 8 May 27, 2021 12:00pm - 1:00pm MST | 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST   Integrated physical, mental health, and substance use care is effective in supporting the needs of individuals experiencing co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. This session will describe effective integrated care models that promote long-term interventions for individuals experiencing co-occurring disorders.   Trainers: Andrew J. McLean, MD, MPH & Robin Landwehr, DBH, LPCC, NCC    

Description: This session will explore how implicit bias may influence and impact one’s expectations and interactions with others, and the communities served by Mental Health First Aid/the Mental Health Association of Maryland.   Presenters: Nicole Cammack, Ph.D. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in the state of Maryland. She received her bachelor’s degree from Howard University and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The George Washington University. Throughout her career, Dr. Cammack has focused on identifying ways to address the cultural and systemic issues that impact Black mental health and wellness. This passion led to the development of Black Mental Wellness, Corp. of which she is the President and CEO. In addition, she serves as the Program Director of a Primary Care-Mental Health Integration clinic, where she provides mental health services to veterans. Danielle Busby, Ph.D. was born in Detroit, Michigan and raised in the Detroit metropolitan area. She received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan, and her Master’s and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The George Washington University. Currently, Dr. Busby is an Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas. Dr. Busby’s expertise is in trauma-informed assessment and intervention; evidence-based clinical practices; and suicide risk assessment and intervention. She is passionate about decreasing barriers to mental health service use for underserved patient populations and is committed to continuously bridging the gap between research and clinical practice.   Learning Objectives: Learn how implicit biases are embedded into policies, structures, and norms and impacts one's expectations and interactions with others Identify how implicit bias impacts the health and mental health of individuals in the Black and Brown communities Identify at least two strategies to address implicit bias   Who Should Attend? Mental Health First Aid Instructors   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). The webinar slide presentation and recording will be posted to the website.   This is a closed registration event.

About the Session: In this first 90-minute session of the Culturally Responsive Evidence-Based and Community-Defined Practices for Mental Health Series, we will: Discuss what evidence-based and community-defined practices are Define the terms culturally responsive and culturally inclusive Discuss the strengths and challenges of the term “EBP” Provide a CLAS Standards overview Discuss cultural values EBPs should take into consideration Gather information from the participants regarding EBPs being implemented and/or adapted in their communities Highlight additional practices that may not be defined officially as EBPs, but are being utilized in the community (i.e. home-grown/ community defined) Certificate of Completion: This session will be recorded and available on the series landing page here within a week of each live event. CEUs are not available for these sessions; however, certificates of completion for each learning session are available to viewers of 50% (45 minutes) or more of the live session. Questions? Contact Jessica Gonzalez, MHTTC School Mental Health Coordinator, at [email protected]. Session Facilitators and Panelists:        Christina N. Clayton, LICSW, CDP has been working in the behavioral health field since 1993. She has primarily served adults who live with severe mental health issues, substance use, experience chronic homelessness, suffer from poor physical health, trauma and any number of co-occurring issues. Christina has education and licenses/credentials in clinical social work, mental health and substance use, and highly values her direct service experience. She has spent 25 years working in and managing numerous clinical programs including: HIV/AIDS housing and health care, school-based mental health, substance use outreach and treatment, homeless mental health outreach, intensive case management, assertive community treatment, crisis respite, integrated care, housing first and other Evidence-Based Practices. She currently serves as the Co-Director of the Northwest MHTTC.        Maria E. Restrepo-Toro, BNS, M.S. is an Educator at Yale University, Department of Psychiatry, Program for Recovery and Community Health. She is a nationally recognized leader, trainer and facilitator in the fields of Latino behavioral health recovery, psychiatric rehabilitation and cultural competence. She brings her expertise in 1) workforce development in recovery-oriented practices such us person-centered, trauma-informed care and psychiatric rehabilitation interventions; 2) development of peer-run initiatives, training and technical assistance on peer integration practices; and 3) development of culturally appropriate curriculums and web-based training tools. She currently serves as the Co-Director of the New England MHTTC.     Jessica Gonzalez, MSW, is the School Mental Health Coordinator for the MHTTC Network Coordinating Office at Stanford University School of Medicine. Jessica coordinates the work of 12 centers that provide training and technical assistance to the mental health and school mental health workforce to increase the use of evidence-based mental health prevention, treatment, and recovery support services for students across the United States. Jessica has worked in the community as a social worker providing mental health services in school and outpatient clinic settings to children and adolescents of diverse socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds.    Shannon Wiltsey-Stirman, PhD Shannon Wiltsey Stirman is a clinical psychologist and implementation researcher in the Dissemination and Training Division, and an Associate Professor at Stanford University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Her clinical work and research focus on training, implementation, and adaptation of cognitive behavioral therapies for individuals with PTSD, depression, suicidality, and anxiety. She regularly provides CBT and Cognitive Processing therapy training and consultation to therapists in the community and in the VA.     Alfredo Cerrato is the Senior Cultural and Workforce Development Officer for the Great Lakes Technology Transfer Centers, managed by the Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also a nationally certified trainer on Culture: An Integral Part of Mental Health Services, Clinical Application of Cultural Elements in Mental Health Treatment for Hispanic and Latino Populations by the National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center in Puerto Rico, and a national trainer for the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) on cultural topics. Mr. Cerrato has 25 years of international relations experience and specializes in cross-cultural communications, conflict resolution, and process improvement topics. He has conducted advocacy, policy, and disaster relief work in Northern Ireland, Honduras, Peru, Brazil, Japan, Sri Lanka, and other locations across the globe.   Diana Padilla is a Research Project Manager at New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, and Senior Staff Trainer and the SBIRT, (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) Intensive Technical Assistance program manager for the Northeast & Caribbean Addiction Transfer Technology Center Network (NeCATTC),  Ms. Padilla managed and trained nationally on Cultural Proficiency in Drug Court Practice, statewide Cultural Competency in HIV Prevention, and Culturally Informed Practice in addiction treatment and recovery services. She is a faculty/trainer for the National Association for Drug Court Professionals providing expert trainings on the Hispanic, Latino, Latinx communities.      

The Great Lakes MHTTC offers this event for school mental health personnel and behavioral health professionals in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is estimated that 6.4 million children in the United States ages 4-19 have been diagnosed with ADHD. Without early identification, treatment and support, children with ADHD can have significant impairments in school, home, and other aspects of life including interpersonal and social skills. For children from racial and ethnic minority groups with ADHD, barriers to ADHD diagnosis and treatment can place them at greater risk of poor health and educational outcomes than their white peers. Teachers play a critical role in understanding these disparities and the impact of ADHD on learning and academic performance of all children.   Learning Objectives: 1. Describe ADHD symptoms, causes, and how ADHD affects children in the classroom. 2. Explain racial and ethnic disparities in the identification, diagnosis, and treatment of ADHD in children. 3. Outline best-practice classroom strategies to support the success of all students. 4. Highlight the importance of school-home collaboration to foster ongoing communication and support for children and their families.   Presenter:  Tandra Rutledge is the Director of Business Development at Riveredge Hospital, a free-standing psychiatric facility in Illinois. Tandra is a mental health advocate and suicide prevention educator. She promotes wellness and resilience through a social justice and racial equity lens. Tandra serves on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and is a member of the Illinois Suicide Prevention Alliance. She is an AMSR trainer (Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk), a certified suicide prevention educator for the QPR Institute, an adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) instructor, and a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) instructor with the Chicago Police Department.  

Session 4 introduces the idea of nourishing your thoughts and body. Taking in good nutrients and focusing on positive thoughts both help to nourish us. Good food, plenty of water, and positive thoughts can be very helpful to our overall well-being Facilitators: Michelle Zechner, Ph.D., LSW, CPRP is an Assistant Professor at Rutgers-SHP, Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Programs and has focused her career on helping people and their families recover from mental illness for over 25 years, with special expertise in health promotion initiatives. She has worked in a variety of community and inpatient settings, including nursing homes, outpatient mental health services, state psychiatric hospitals, and community services for older adults. In her current role, she has focused on the implementation of evidence-based psychosocial practices in psychiatric hospitals, developing and testing health and wellness promotion interventions in community settings, teaching students, training diverse mental health staff on best practice interventions for older persons with mental health conditions, and conducting research. Dr. Zechner’s research includes the development of programs focused on multi-domain wellness for people with mental health conditions, promotion of and adherence to physical activity in persons with mental illness, use of peer health coaching strategies, and identifying best practices for use with older adults with mental health conditions. She has co-authored peer-reviewed and technical publications on health promotion for persons with mental illness and has presented her work at local, national, and international conferences. She is passionate about supporting older people with mental health conditions to improve their mental and physical health.   Peggy Swarbrick, Ph.D., FAOTA, is the Associate Director of the Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies and a Research Professor in the Applied Department of Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers. She developed a strength-based 8-dimensional wellness model to promote recovery from mental health and substance use and has created self-care wellness programs for people in recovery, caregivers, families, youth, and professionals. As a co-investigator, consultant, and collaborator on Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) grants as well as the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) grants, she has contributed to research and been a lead for developing training and intervention manuals for many of these projects. Dr. Swarbrick was a co-investigator on Perspectives on the International Classification of Diseases (11th revision); Using lived experience to improve mental health diagnoses in the United States: INCLUDE – US Study. She worked for many years at the Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey Wellness Institute.

/*-->*/ /*--> Join us on a journey toward racial equity and advancing cultural humility. We is a culturally responsive organization committed to advancing health equity so that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. The COVID-19 pandemic, economic crisis, and widespread racially-focused protests highlight the glaring inequities that exist for racial and ethnic minority communities. These crises have had significant implications for mental health and exacerbate already poor access to behavioral health services in communities of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). With this as our Call to Action, the New England MHTTC invites you to join us on a journey toward culturally responsive and humble practices with diverse individuals and communities in New England through our Racial Equity and Advancing Cultural Humility (REACH) for Organizational Change Learning Community. Our series is designed for individuals and/or teams of colleagues who are a part of the workforce supporting behavioral health needs in New England.   Presenter(s):  /*-->*/ /*-->*/ /*-->*/ /*--> Larry Davidson, PhD, & Maria E. Restrepo-Toro, MS

This is the second session belonging to a three-part virtual roundtable to address the impact of historical and present day trauma and social injustice on their mental health, provides self-care strategies, and identifies long term community engagement strategies to address the mental health of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

/*--> Join us on a journey toward racial equity and advancing cultural humility. We is a culturally responsive organization committed to advancing health equity so that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. The COVID-19 pandemic, economic crisis, and widespread racially-focused protests highlight the glaring inequities that exist for racial and ethnic minority communities. These crises have had significant implications for mental health and exacerbate already poor access to behavioral health services in communities of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). With this as our Call to Action, the New England MHTTC invites you to join us on a journey toward culturally responsive and humble practices with diverse individuals and communities in New England through our Racial Equity and Advancing Cultural Humility (REACH) for Organizational Change Learning Community. Our series is designed for individuals and/or teams of colleagues who are a part of the workforce supporting behavioral health needs in New England.   Presenter(s):  /*-->*/ /*-->*/ /*--> Larry Davidson, PhD, & Maria E. Restrepo-Toro, MS