Past Events

Using medication to support recovery is more than learning to swallow pills on schedule. In this webinar, Pat Deegan will begin presenting 8 challenges on the journey to use medications optimally to support recovery. She will also teach practical strategies for supporting folks on this journey. Learn more about the webinar series here. Presenter Patricia E. Deegan, PhD's mission is to help activate and empower mental health services users in their own recovery and to provide peer supporters and clinicians with the know-how to support people in their recovery journey. She is uniquely positioned to fulfill her vocation because she was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager, went on to get her doctorate in clinical psychology and today leads a company run by and for people in recovery. She is a thought-leader in the field of mental health recovery, has numerous peer-reviewed publications, has held a number of academic appointments, and has carried a message of hope for recovery to audiences around the world. In addition to her work on the CommonGround Program, she consults with OnTrackNY and has helped the team at the Center for Practice Innovations develop an innovative model for engaging young people under the NIMH RAISE Study. The model is now being adopted nationally.

Contingency Management with Serious Mental Illness; 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: COVID-19 is a novel virus. Over these months of the pandemic, examples of persistent central nervous system-mediated disease and disability have been identified. African Americans and other people of color will be disproportionately represented among this group, given the higher rates of infection and disease. Many of these individuals will find their way to behavioral health offices in need of medical care, emotional support and understanding of unusual syndromes weeks to months after “recovery” from COVID-19. This presentation will provide the tools necessary to offer comprehensive care to this population. Download Flyer   Presenter: Cynthia Turner-Graham, M.D., DFAPA, is a board-certified adult psychiatrist, who completed her undergraduate studies at Fisk University and residency training at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. She has practiced psychiatry in private and public settings, has served in several executive leadership positions, and currently maintains a private practice in Rockville, Maryland. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Washington Psychiatric Society, is President of the Suburban Maryland Psychiatric Society and is President-Elect of Black Psychiatrists of America. At her church, Dr. Turner-Graham provides leadership for their Mental Health Ministry. Pursuing a life of spiritual, emotional, and physical wellness is the organizing focus for her life, and she encourages others to do the same. Empowering individuals and groups to take control of their life and health is the mission of her business, ForSoundMind Enterprises, Inc.   Learning Objectives: Understand the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on African Americans and other people of color Describe the pathophysiologic effects of SARS-CoV-2 on central nervous system structure and function Identify the CNS-mediated symptoms of the COVID-19 prodrome, acute and convalescent phases of illness Considerations in providing clinical support, oversight, and treatment to persons with COVID-19 (appropriate to your discipline)   Who Should Attend? Mental health and primary care providers   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.

The First Episode Psychosis (FEP) monthly mentoring call hosted by the South Southwest MHTTC provides technical assistance and an open discussion platform for mental health workers offering services for FEP and clinical high risk populations. For more information on how to join us for this call, please email us at [email protected].

Meeting Description: This 90-minute learning community session was held on May 13, 2021; and included representation from the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, the Family-Run Executive Leadership Association, the National Association of State Mental Health Directors, the Georgia Health Authority and NAMI National, as well as the directors of family peer-run organizations in Maryland, Alaska and Oregon. The main focus of the discussion was the pros and cons of different funding arrangements--including Medicaid, block grants, per-member-per-month contracts and daily rate-- by which organizations are paid to provide peer support. Also discussed were challenges related to certification and infrastructure which are creating uncompensated expenses related to hiring peers; and the difficulties encountered by organizations that have to manage multiple contracts, each with its own funding arrangement. Want more information? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's Resource Library and Websites by Topic  and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

Session 3 focuses on the importance of moving mindfully. This session includes practicing a series of eight gentle stretches that can be done for a few moments during the day to help release stress tension and restore focus and balance 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.   Monica Townsend holds an MPA and BS in Public Health and currently works at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care - COPSA Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders as the Training and Consultation Specialist. She has been affiliated with Rutgers University since 2007 first becoming a course instructor with the Institute for Families – School of Social work, where for nine years she has taught the Family Development Credential (FDC) Course, a nationally recognized course based on foundational research on families out of Cornell University and in collaboration with Rutgers University’s Institute for Families – School of Social. She remains a part-time lecturer with the School of Social Work. She has extensive experience in course design and development, training facilitation, program development, and management across multiple disciplines.

Enhancing Schoolwide Social Emotional Learning from Distance to In-Person Learning: A Framework in Action; HHS Region 8 May 12, 2021 3:00pm - 4:15pm MST | 4:00pm - 5:15pm CST This training will provide a framework and tools for school-wide social-emotional learning (SEL) implementation, utilizing the School-wide SEL Rubric and other resources from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). The trainer will share examples of working with school teams to integrate and improve school-wide SEL implementation and provide models for distance and in-person learning. This training will include strategies and resources school staff can utilize to begin planning their schools' improvement efforts.   Learning objectives:   Describe the CASEL Rubric and Guide to Schoolwide SEL. Examine examples of school-wide SEL implementation efforts. Identify strategies and resources that multi-disciplinary school staff can utilize to begin planning their schools' improvement efforts.   Trainer Dr. Troy N. Loker Dr. Troy N. Loker currently works within Portland Public Schools as a school-based Qualified Mental Health Professional.  He earned his doctorate in school psychology from the University of South Florida with a specialization in child and adolescent mental health among diverse populations. In addition to working in various school-based roles, Dr. Loker has served as a district coordinator of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (Tampa, FL) and supervisor of a district's intensive behavioral coaching and training program (Classroom and Behavioral Support Services; Honolulu, HI).  A former President of both Hawaii and Florida Associations of School Psychologists (HASP & FASP), Dr. Loker has been a strong advocate for expanding social-emotional learning and supports in schools.  Dr. Loker has also written several research articles, including publications in the Journal of Applied School Psychology, Applied Quality of Life, and School Mental Health. 

Building Capacity of School Personnel to Promote Positive Mental Health in Native American Children and Youth - Spring 2021 Part 5 This free series consists of five separate two-hour sessions from January 2021 to May 2021. Attendance is critical, so please carefully consider your availability to attend all five sessions.   The goal of this multi-state initiative is to build capacity of school teams to promote positive mental health in children/youth throughout the school day using a multi-tiered approach. Specifically, the Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) will build capacity of school personnel to learn about and implement model programs, such as Every Moment Counts and Circle of Courage, and embedded strategies emphasizing mental health promotion and prevention.   Read about Turtle Mountain Elementary School's positive experience with this series!   Please think about the benefits of participating in this project and your availability to attend the five virtual sessions. Please contact LaVonne Fox at [email protected] or Sarah Nielsen at [email protected] or at 701 777-2208 to indicate your interest in participating no later than December 15, 2020.   Please note that enrollment in this training is open only to school teams in HHS Region 8 states (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming). Only applications by school teams will be accepted.    If you agree to participate, you will be expected to: Identify 3-6 interdisciplinary team members to be a part of a Community of Practice (CoP) at your school. The CoP should be an interdisciplinary team including any of the following: teacher, paraprofessional, occupational therapist, administrator/counselor, nurse, speech language pathologists, social workers or school psychologists. It is strongly recommended that the team include a classroom teacher and be interdisciplinary in nature as training emphasizes application in the classroom and interdisciplinary collaboration. The CoP will participate in all five, two-hour virtual training sessions (see schedule overview below). Attendance is critical. Each CoP will develop a strategic plan identifying gaps or opportunities to improve mental health promotion throughout the school day and identify strategies to implement change.     Mountain Plains MHTTC will: Provide the training described above and any technical assistance during development of the strategic plan and implementation. Provide continuing education credits to the CoP members (20 hours). If your state requires transcripted credit, the Mountain Plains MHTTC will have the training approved, but the transcripted fee is the responsibility of the teacher. Provide required readings and resources to the CoP. Follow up on the implementation plan.     Benefits to you include: Enhanced capacity of all school personnel through enhanced understanding of how to apply knowledge about children’s mental health in the school. Free resources for each CoP. Free educational sessions and online discussions regarding mental health promotion. Feeling connected to other schools implementing the projects. Continuing education credits (20 contact hours for CoP team members).   Sessions Part One: Introduction to Intergenerational Trauma, Historical Loss, and Communities of Practice Process January 13, 2021 4:00pm - 6:00pm CST | 3:00pm - 5:00pm MST Part Two: Understanding Multi-Tiered Approaches to School Mental Health and Embedded Service Delivery February 10, 2021 4:00pm - 6:00pm CST | 3:00pm - 5:00pm MST Part Three: Culturally Relevant Embedded Programs that Support Social and Emotional Well-being March 3, 2021 4:00pm - 6:00pm CST | 3:00pm - 5:00pm MST Part Four: Mental Health Literacy April 14, 2021 4:00pm - 6:00pm CST | 3:00pm - 5:00pm MST Part Five: Indigenous Programs to Support Students and Final Reflections May 12, 2021 4:00pm - 6:00pm CST | 3:00pm - 5:00pm MST   Trainers LaVonne Fox, PhD, OTR/L  Dr. LaVonne (Poitra) Fox was born and raised on the Turtle Mountain Chippewa reservation. She taught for over 26 years at the University of North Dakota and is currently employed at the Turtle Mountain Community College in Belcourt, ND. She is currently developing a Master in Education program that will emphasize the decolonization of the educational institutions and related educational processes both at school and in the community. The Mission is to prepare reflective leaders, as change agents, who will promote the development of Indigneous culture-based education within the school, home and community.  She has considerable experience researching Indigenous Youth programs for positive mental health and wellness connected to identity. Sarah Nielsen, PhD, OTR/L Dr. Nielsen is an associate professor at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND, in the Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Sarah has over 20 years of experience working with children, youth, and young adults with mental health issues in communities and schools. Her clinical practice included developing and implementing trauma-informed approaches in mental health care. She assisted students transitioning from mental health programs back to public schools where she trained and assisted schools in this effort.

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 web panel for non-clinicians, case managers, clinical supervisors, health providers, program directors, administrators, and personnel who provide post-release services to unaccompanied minors. This webinar focuses on key aspects of mental health assessment strategies for unaccompanied minors in the United States (US). The webinar will introduce participants to a definition of assessment, provide an overview of best practices for cross-cultural assessment, and introduce participants to the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) as one measure of psychosocial wellbeing that can be implemented in multiple clinical settings.   Learning objectives: 1. Participants will learn how mental health assessment has been used in research to understand the complex psychosocial needs of unaccompanied minors. 2. Participants will learn about assessment strategies that can help identify complex mental health needs of unaccompanied minors. 3. Participants will learn how the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire can help identify symptoms of psychosocial distress as well as prosocial behavior that unaccompanied minors may experience.   Presenter:   Robert G. Hasson III, Ph.D., LICSW is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Providence College. He holds a BA in Psychology from Saint Michael’s College, and a MSW and Ph.D. in Social Work from the Boston College School of Social Work. Robert’s research focuses on the intersection of child welfare and immigration. He is particularly interested in examining risk and protective factors for unaccompanied children who experience forced migration. In addition, a goal of Robert’s research is to inform the development of clinical interventions and policies that serve children and adolescents exposed to trauma as a result of forced migration.  

Well-Being Wednesdays is a webinar series geared toward education professionals, administrators, and stakeholders, who are working together to create a culture of well-being that supports not only the students in their buildings, but the educators too! Each monthly session will outline each of the 10 ARC practice modules and follow a tell-show-do approach. Content will focus on one skill per session, outlining the skills, providing examples, and encouraging use of the skill. During the last session of the series, participants will be encouraged to identify and practice strategies that align with their personal and professional values, resulting in a “personal recipe for well-being.” In this session, attendees will learn of an acronym—the Three R’s--as it relates to wellbeing. The Three R’s represent recreation, relaxation, and routines—three vital and flexible strategies and practices to thrive in the modern world. Attendees will identify ways they can incorporate these into their daily lives.  

Please join us for session 4 of the MHTTC webinar series: Trauma Informed Therapy. We will be featuring our special guest speaker: Avis Garcia, PhD, LAT, LPC, NCC, Northern Arapaho. May 12, 2021 1:00-2:30 EST . 12:00-1:30 CST . 11:00-12:30 MST . 10:00-11:30 PST . 9:00-10:30 AKST

Join us for this 75-minute webinar, where we will engage in critical dialogue around equity, recovery, and resilience. ABOUT THIS EVENT This webinar session focuses on defining equity and examining actionable steps toward inclusive practices. The presenter will briefly review relationships between equity and recovery and facilitate a space for open and productive dialogue that honors the narratives of people experiencing marginalization in recovery spaces. Throughout the session, participants will discuss the barriers to talking about equity and recovery and will have the opportunity to lean into and practice authentic equity-focused conversations. In this session, we acknowledge that systemically marginalized communities continue to demonstrate their strength and resilience and we take accountability to make the critical culture shift necessary to reduce harm, starting with identifying the sources of oppression. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS SERIES FACILITATOR Ashley Stewart, MSW, PhD Ashley Stewart, PhD, MSW, LSW, received her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University, College of Social Work, and her master’s at Columbia University. Dr. Stewart is Race-Equity Subject Matter Expert, Trainer & Curriculum Development Specialist at C4 Innovations. In this role, she provides technical assistance, training, and organizational support to national organizations, boards of directors, and behavioral health organizations on implementing anti-racist practices. She utilizes an equity-centered approach to ensure that diversity and inclusion efforts move forward and reduce harm to people marginalized by systems. Her work includes assessing the intersections of identity, structural oppression, wellness, and policy. In addition to the advanced study of the consequence and causes of identity-based oppression, Dr. Stewart supports implementing anti-oppressive practices in organizational, structural, programmatic, and interpersonal interventions.  

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. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors can be experienced by anyone, but are more likely by people with mental health concerns. People who work with or care for vulnerable populations will likely encounter individuals talking about suicide and suicidal ideation, and it is important to project confidence and calm at these times. This class aims to improve comfort and skill levels with this difficult and emotional topic by exploring and practicing assessment protocols and conversation dynamics.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Identify common signs of suicidal thoughts in adults, adolescents, and children Approach a conversation about suicide in a calm, focused manner Discuss the 4-point protocol questions Look at the mental health disorders most likely to be associated with high suicide risk Explain how suicide risk assessment tools work and when mental health professionals use them   Intended Audience: Social workers, case managers, outreach workers, mental health practitioners and professionals, addiction counselors and professionals, nurses Speaker:  Russ Turner, MA, MS, is the Director of the People Incorporated Training Institute. During his 14-year tenure he has developed and taught a curriculum of training classes and workshops in a wide variety of subjects related to behavioral health from crisis de-escalation to motivational interviewing. His audience includes mental health professionals, social workers, case managers, addiction professionals, law enforcement, healthcare professionals, and organizational leaders. He trains trainers, works with management, and has consulted and coached on numerous mental health related training projects. He has worked as a teacher or trainer for over 25 years in a variety of countries and settings including Japan, the Czech Republic and the UK. His teaching philosophy is that adults learn best when they are challenged, the material is applicable to work situations, and sessions are interactive and engaging. Certificates of attendance will be available to all who complete the session in full.

Join Exhale to Inhale Lead Trainer Julie Fernandez for a discussion with Martha Staeheli, Director of the New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center's School Mental Health Initiative about the significance of trauma-informed yoga practice. This past year has been pivotal for most of us with life changes and added pressures brought on by the pandemic and work-from-home situations. As educators, school mental health professionals, health care workers, parents, and caregivers our roles have not stayed singular through COVID-19 and we have all experienced a strain on our capacities to support those we serve. Based on curriculum that was developed for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, Exhale to Inhale has been bringing trauma-informed yoga and education to a wider population for the past seven years. Acknowledging that we have all had lived experiences of trauma, we know that this modality can support us all to lead nourished lives. Exhale to Inhale's dedicated teachers and trainers have been bringing this healing practice via classes and workshops, to individuals and teams at universities, hospitals, nonprofits and companies alike with the intention of sharing these tools widely so that they can be adapted to a variety of settings. Registrants are encouraged to submit questions prior to this listening session via email to [email protected].

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. May 11: How to honor vulnerability and discomfort surfaced by the pandemic and the dangers of ignoring them Listen: Is Coronavirus Showing Us Who We Really Are? | Dr. Chatterjee and Gabor Mate Watch: Pandemic & Infodemics - Wisdom in the Time of Covid-19 | Russell Brand & Dr. Gabor Mate

Individuals often believe that their pain is unchangeable and that leads to poor self-efficacy and conflict in treatment. New understanding about pain is beginning to shift pain care itself. Evidence indicates that patient and clinician knowledge of pain science can move those receiving services toward self-care and supports a more positive conversation about opioid tapers as well. This presentation will explore the use of Oregon State tools and resources for clinician and patient pain education to develop a biopsychosocial-oriented pain care treatment plan. The Oregon Pain Guidance toolkit has videos, written material and shared decision making tools that allow clients and patients to pace their own learning and care plan based on their readiness to change.   The tools can be used in self-study, or guided by anyone on the care team and can create a consistent message that decreases the burden on each team member.    Come learn a bit more about pain science and use of  state tools to easily share the information with your clients or peers. These tools are  based on principles of trauma-informed care and motivational interviewing and strive to be more inclusive of diversity.  Hosted by the Northwest MHTTC in partnership with the Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon. Facilitators Nora Stern, PT, MS PT, is a pain educator and physical therapist with 30+ years of experience in complex pain. Nora is director of Know About Pain Consultation and Educational Products and is chair of the Oregon State Pain Management Commission. With Know About Pain, Nora provides consultation and develops pain education content for inpatient and outpatient care, with a current emphasis on the acute care arena. With OPMC, she was a primary author of the popular “Changing the Conversation about Pain” module, and authored portions of the new pain toolkit for Oregon Pain Guidance. During 25 years of work at Providence Health and Services, she developed pain education innovation for the primary care continuum in her role as pain educator for Providence Oregon, and guided the Persistent Pain team within Providence Oregon Rehab Services as the Pain Program lead. Nora was an initial developer of the Providence Comprehensive Pain Services clinic, using cost-effective group treatment to serve Medicaid and Medicare, as well as conventional fee-for-service care. Nora is committed to improving clinical understanding of pain across disciplines and to helping the public to rethink pain. Michelle Marikos is a Certified Peer Support Specialist that has lived with chronic pain since 2003; she attended the Mayo Clinic’s Pain Rehabilitation Clinic (PRC) in 2012. Though the PRC program she was able to taper off of high dose opioids and benzodiazepines. Michelle then became an Oregon Pain Guidance (OPG) Steering Committee member in the Fall of 2012, worked on the Southern Oregon Pain Conference planning team 2014-2017, and became a Certified Peer Support Specialist (PSS) in May, 2013. She started and ran a Chronic Pain Support Group that was hosted at the YMCA and at Jackson County Health and Human Services, including working as a PSS at Pain Resiliency Program from 2013-2014. Additionally, Michelle is certified and worked as a Living Well educator. She has served as an Oregon Pain Guidance media campaign advisor and participant in a media campaign that won an EMMY. Michelle has also participated in Jackson Care Connects (JCC) Performance Improvement Project (PIP) call center support video, advised on the Stay Safe Oregon Campaign, participated in HealtInsight’s Medicare and chronic pain video series, and met with and worked with various public officials, including Greg Walden, U.S. Representative for Oregon, and Ron Wyden, U.S. Senator for Oregon. Want more information? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's Resource Library and Websites by Topic  and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

Description: Evidence has shown that loneliness has enormous impact on the physical and emotional wellbeing of older adults. These concerns may be more pronounced for LGBT Elders, who faced isolation at higher levels as well as marked physical and behavioral health disparities prior to the pandemic. As the world begins to emerge from mandated social distancing, what kind of supports can assist older LGBT adults in developing life-saving connections to care providers and social networks? This webinar will describe the effects of isolation for LGBT Elders, self-care strategies to improve connectedness, and supportive therapeutic interventions to increase wellness, interdependence, self-efficacy, and the essential sense of mattering that makes life meaningful. Download Flyer   Presenter: Kate Bishop, MSSA, the Education Coordinator at the LGBT Health Resource Center of Chase Brexton, is a seasoned professional development trainer with expertise in working with LGBTQ populations, sexual and reproductive health care, adolescent development, intimate partner violence, and sexual trauma. She is certified as a trainer through GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) as well as SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders). Before joining the Chase Brexton team, she developed the capacity building program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s STAR TRACK Adolescent HIV program, providing cultural responsiveness trainings for agencies that serve sexual minority youth of color. Ms. Bishop holds a Bachelor of Arts in Gender Studies from Hiram College and a Masters in Social Work from Case Western Reserve University.   Learning Objectives: Examine the impacts of social distancing, isolation, and loneliness on the health and psychosocial needs of LGBT Elders Identify strategies older adults can put in place to increase their wellbeing through personal, familial, and community connections as pandemic restrictions fall away Explore effective treatment practices to assist LGBT Elders in creating a robust social support systems that can help them age with grace wherever they are   Who Should Attend? Clinicians and other health and human service workers who serve older adult populations.   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.  

View the recording here A national three-digit 988 behavioral health and suicide prevention crisis hotline is probably the most significant public policy initiative impacting behavioral healthcare since Medicaid expansion. Behavioral health crisis services have never had a moment like this, where the policy forces are aligning at federal state and local levels and are driving positive change.  The implementation of 988 provides us with the opportunity to build-out and finance a statewide behavioral health crisis response system that is on par with the 911 emergency medical management system.    There are many questions that this webinar will address as an initial forum to learn about best practices to apply to 988 crisis response system optimization. Increasing our collective knowledge is best achieved by engaging with subject-matter experts, rather than expending time, energy, or other resources extracting or researching for answers in disconnected and fragmented ways. Session outcomes include new learning and insights to more effectively respond to a rapid 988 implementation trajectory.  Participants will find that the content and interchange of this session is both pragmatic and enriching.   About the Presenter Wayne W. Lindstrom, Ph.D., serves as the VP of Business Development and Consulting for RI International, Inc. Prior to this, he served for five years as the Director of the New Mexico Behavioral Health Services Division and as the CEO of the New Mexico Behavioral Health Collaborative. During a portion of this time, he also was President of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. Before coming to NM, he was the president and CEO of Mental Health America (MHA), formerly known as the National Mental Health Association. Dr. Lindstrom has almost 50 years of behavioral health experience. His doctoral degree is from Case Western Reserve University and his MSW is from the University of Pittsburgh, with a BA from Bowling Green State University. Before joining Mental Health America, he was the CEO for six years of a behavioral health provider organization in Ohio that served children, youth, and families. For the previous eight years he managed an organizational development consulting practice where he specialized in the management turnaround of provider organizations in crisis. His organizational clients included public authorities, service providers, health systems, pharma, and private companies. In the 1980s, he directed addiction services for the State of Ohio and subsequently spent the next seven years working to build a private group psychotherapy practice into a thriving managed behavioral health care business. This led to managing behavioral health for over 600,000 commercial, Medicaid, and Medicare enrollees in OH and IN for United Health Care. He went on to perform nationally as the Director of Public Sector Operations for United Behavioral Health (UBH) which included overseeing the implementation of public sector contracts. His career began in the 1970s when he served in the United States Air Force, where he implemented and managed a drug treatment program during the Vietnam War. He has worked in community mental health, hospitals, emergency departments, corporate environments, and private practice while also teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

The Great Lakes MHTTC offers this training to 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 stakeholders in our region. This course has limited enrollment–sign up early! When: Tuesdays from May 11–June 8 at  10am–12pm CST 11am–1pm EST The Healthy Minds MasterClass is a science-based engaging exploration into the topic of emotional well-being – designed to help employees and teams develop skills to enhance resilience, focus, interpersonal skills, and a deeper sense of purpose. This online, five-week course includes access to the Healthy Minds Program app to supplement the live training sessions and a well-being assessment to measure important elements of personal well-being. Please plan to attend all five sessions of the course. Live sessions each week will include a presentation, experiential activities and opportunities to connect with your cohort of learners. These sessions will explore the four pillars of a healthy mind: Awareness, Connection, Insight, and Purpose (ACIP).   LEARNING OBJECTIVES The four pillars of a healthy mind: awareness, connection, insight, and purpose Skills to bolster resilience and flourishing High level scientific foundations for well-being Habit formation strategies to try post-workshop   PRESENTER   Stephanie Wagner, M.A., M.M., NBC-HWC: Stephanie’s passion for holistic well-being started with an interest in meditation, after years of work in corporate professional development, that led her to study with some of the world’s most renowned teachers like Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Sharon Salzberg, and Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche. Stephanie is inspired to bring mindfulness practice to as many people as possible and does this through her work as a trainer with Healthy Minds Innovations and as a facilitator with a global meditation community. Stephanie is an accredited health and well-being coach (NBC-HWC), meditation teacher, group fitness instructor (NETA-CGEI), and wellness educator with a master’s degree in Integrative Health and Well-Being Coaching from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality and Healing Certificates of attendance will be available to all who attend all sessions in full.

The Northwest MHTTC, in collaboration with the Great Lakes MHTTC present this listening session for Alaska and Oregon PACT and ACT Team Leaders. This is a closed event for ACT Team Leaders in these two states as part of a larger implementation project. The purpose of this session is to gain a better understanding of Team Leader training needs, including barriers and facilitators of creating and sustaining a high fidelity ACT/PACT team. This listening session will be interactive, focusing on gaining direct input from Team Leaders, while also fostering regional connections among teams. This event is part of our series Team Leaders Making a Difference! Conversations on Leadership and Supervision in ACT. Presenters Lynette M. Studer, PhD, MSW, LCSW is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work. She teaches MSW students in a mental health field unit as well as classes on Mental Health Policies & Services and Advanced Practice Skills in Mental Health. Prior to joining the UW-Madison faculty, she held a position as both an Agency Policy Specialist and State Administrator with the State of Minnesota Department of Human Services, Chemical and Mental Health Administration overseeing and improving policy and the provision of technical assistance for the state’s 32 Assertive Community Treatment teams who serve individuals with serious mental illness. Dr. Studer holds clinical social work licenses in both Wisconsin and Minnesota and has been a practicing clinical social worker for over 20 years.   Mimi Choy-Brown, PhD, MSW, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work. Informed by over a decade of practice and leadership in community mental health services, her research focuses on improving access to high quality mental health services for individuals who experience significant psychiatric disabilities and supervision-focused strategies to improve the implementation of recovery-oriented, evidence-based practices in routine care. She received her PhD from NYU and her MSW from Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College.     Maria Monroe-DeVita, PhD, is an Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington, School of Medicine, and the Director of the Washington State Center of Excellence in First Episode Psychosis. Her expertise is in implementation and services research related to evidence-based practices for adults with serious mental illness, particularly the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model. She has served as the Principal Investigator on several projects with the Washington State Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, including the development, implementation, and fidelity assessment of 10 new ACT teams, and several Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) and Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT) pilots across the state. She is also in the process of developing and testing novel approaches to better serving people with serious mental illness. She received a collaborative R34 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to develop and pilot-test the integration of IMR within ACT teams and is working to better define and implement integrated primary care services within ACT. She is also the lead author of the new ACT fidelity tool – the Tool for Measurement of Assertive Community Treatment (TMACT) – which has been disseminated and pilot-tested in several U.S. states and countries.   Want more information? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's Resource Library and Websites by Topic  and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

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 7: Funding and Sustainability includes the definition of school mental health funding and sustainability and opportunities to secure and leverage diverse funding sources and to sustain successful school mental health systems.   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 7: Funding and Sustainability 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 7. 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: Dr. Lynn Beshear graduated from the North Carolina Baptist Hospital School of Nursing in Winston Salem, N.C. She has worked with groups of students and adults in prejudice reduction and diversity, having received training from the National Coalition Building Institute. She previously served on the Initiating Committee for Envision 2020: the community-driven strategic planning effort involving citizens and leaders in the central Alabama counties for the purpose of developing and implementing shared goals to improve the quality of life in the River Region through the use of active partnerships. She served as the Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Mental Health from 2017-2020.     Ashley Harris (she/her) is the Georgia Department of Education’s Director of Whole Child Supports and Strategic Partnerships, a role created to cement the Department’s shift toward a common framework of improvement with the whole child at the center. Harris leads the Department’s efforts to address students’ wellbeing in the learning process, address the non-academic factors that impact student achievement, and maximize educational opportunities for students. Prior to her current role, Harris served as Director of Partnerships and Community Education for Georgia’s Chief Turnaround Office, and as an Accountability Specialist for the Technical College System of Georgia, overseeing program evaluation for twenty-two state technical colleges. She has more than 15 years of experience in education administration, beginning in higher education and progressing to her current work in K-12.   Dr. Wilk is a health economist and a health policy researcher at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health in the Health Policy and Management Department. He has 15 years of experience in Medicaid consulting, technical assistance, and research. Dr. Wilk's research focuses on access to care for low-income and underserved populations, particularly those with chronic illnesses, and state financing and policy related to providers’ operations and care.       

This is the first 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.

Description: Although there has been a variety of in-person, virtual, and hybrid learning occurring throughout the Southeast and the United States this school year, many schools are still shifting between learning models and/or starting to return to in-person learning. This Virtual Listening and Learning Session is designed to support school and district leaders, educators, student support personnel and other professionals to promote safe, supporting learning environments during these transitions. Following brief didactic information on best practices for school programming during COVID and other community-wide adversities, we will facilitate open discussion of strategies being put into place right now in the Southeast. Please come prepared to share your local innovations or goals on the horizon as well as challenges or concerns your teams are facing. An additional Learning Session will follow with tailored content to address challenges and concerns raised during the listening session portion of this event. Join us for connection and shared learning about how to strengthen Southeastern school communities during this complex and dynamic time!  Objectives: Increase understanding of strategies and best practices for school systems to promote student, family and staff resilience, wellbeing and success following COVID-related school closures. Increase understanding of strategies and best practices for school staff working directly with students to promote student resilience, wellbeing and success following COVID-related school closures. Promote cross-state networking and shared learning about best practices, successes and challenges of supporting student resilience and wellbeing during learning modality transitions. About the speaker: Dr. Elizabeth Connors is an Assistant Professor at Yale University, Division of Prevention and Community Research and at the Child Study Center. She is also a faculty member with the University of Maryland National Center for School Mental Health, where she is the Director of Quality Improvement and a developer of The SHAPE System. Dr. Connors received her Ph.D. in Clinical Child and Community Psychology and her work focuses on improving access to high-quality mental health promotion, prevention and intervention services and supports for underserved children, adolescents, young adults and their families in critical access points such as schools and community settings.