Past Events

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 work that PACT Teams do can be stressful and overwhelming at times. This can lead to burnout and job dissatisfaction. Having tools at your disposal to help both yourself, your team members, and the people you serve can make a difference in your well-being. These two trainings are part of our Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Overview. Target audience: This is an intermediate level workshop designed for PACT team members of all levels. Note: This training is for ACT teams in Region 10 only, who will receive a separate invitation to register for this two-part training and consultation series. For more information, contact Michelle McDonald-Lopez at [email protected]. Dates: Friday, May 7, 1-3 pm Pacific Time - Part 1 Friday, May 14, 1-3 pm Pacific Time - Part 2   Learning Objectives: Learn about mindfulness and how it connects to MBSR. Learn about mindfulness, its benefits, and its impact on the brain. Discuss impostor syndrome and how it can impact your emotional well-being. Discuss the effects of stress on the body. Presenter Michelle McDonald-Lopez is a licensed mental health counselor and has been working in the field for the past 12 years. She has provided licensure supervision and has worked in outpatient, inpatient, and in jail settings over the course of her career, mainly with those experiencing psychotic disorders, serious mental illnesses, and anxiety disorders. Most of her clinical work has involved use of cognitive behavioral therapies, and mindfulness. Between 2012-March 2020 she was a Team Leader of a PACT team and has served as a fidelity co-reviewer for several PACT teams across Washington state. Currently she works for the University of Washington and trains team leads and new team members in ACT basics, comprehensive assessment, and CBT-informed care, including mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR).  

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 7: Transitions Create Opportunities 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

OBJECTIVES: 1-The participants will receive an overview of the current concept of what is called Schizophrenia 2-The limitations of the current name Schizophrenia as an appropriate title for this illness will be reviewed 3-Several alternative names are Schizophrenia will be listed along with results of a recent survey by our group, followed by discussion Presenters: Raquelle Mesholam-Gately, PhD Matcheri Keshavan, MD

The second meeting for Cohort #1 takes place on 5/21/21 from 11 A.M.-1 P.M. SMART offers an innovative, modern, uplifting, and highly scalable approach to enhance individual resilience. SMART, developed by Dr. Amit Sood at Mayo Clinic, is offered as a four-module structured program. SMART has been tested and found efficacious in over 30 clinical trials for decreasing symptoms of stress, anxiety, and burnout, and increasing resilience, wellbeing, mindfulness, happiness, and positive health behaviors. The training addresses two aspects of human experience—attention and interpretation. Research shows that our brain’s attention, in its default state, incessantly wanders and instinctively focuses on the negative aspects of the day. This excessive ‘dwell time’ in the default mode correlates with symptoms of anxiety, depression, low engagement, and attention deficit. It also fatigues our brains. SMART offers a way out of this dilemma by engaging the brain’s focused mode—not only to experience more uplifting emotions, but also develop better focus, enhance creativity and productivity, improve engagement, deepen relationships, and find greater purpose in life. Each of the four modules of SMART is a combination of neuroscience and specific skills that are directly drawn from the science. The four modules will be covered in two sessions of two hours each.

Region 6 Peer Specialists and Family Partners working in First Episode Psychosis (FEP) and Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) teams! The South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC), in collaboration with PEPPNET, invites you to participate in our newly established monthly networking meetings. These no-cost, virtual meetings offer you the opportunity to collaborate with other FEP/CSC Team Peer Specialists and Family Partners in a supportive, mentoring environment. The goal is provide a space for resource sharing, support around ways to be most effective when working with FEP/CSC clients, options for self-care strategies, and more! For more information on how to join us for this call, please email us at [email protected].

This presentation on provider well-being took place at the 2021 Mental Health KC Conference.

This interactive presentation will describe the importance of linguistic responsiveness while providing multilingual behavioral health services. It will provide information around the interaction between language, identity and culture as well as resources and recommendations while working with Spanish speaking clients.   Learning Objectives: 1. Describe the interaction between language, identity and culture. 2. Describe the impact around interpretation and translation on Mental Health services. 3. Comprehend the importance of linguistic responsive services in Mental Health.   Who should attend? This is a basic level workshop designed for mental health providers, graduate students, community health workers, school mental health providers, and school administrators.   About the speaker: Ari Acosta, Behavioral Health Equity Specialist- is a bilingual mental health specialist currently working as a Behavioral Health Equity Specialist for the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health at the University of Texas in Austin. She provides trainings and technical assistance to behavioral health agencies around Cultural Humility, Equity and the CLAS Standards. Ari has a Licensure in Psychology and two masters’ degrees: Sexology Counseling and Women & Gender Studies. She was a former professor and clinical psychologist in Venezuela; with more than eight years of experience in the field. Also served as a National Board member of Amnesty International Venezuelan section, providing presentations internationally around Human Rights Education.   Please read the following before registering: • The National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center use GoToWebinar as our online event system. • Audio for the event is accessible via the internet. To receive audio, attendees must join the event by using computers equipped with speakers or dial in via telephone. • After registration, a confirmation email will be generated with instructions for joining the event. To avoid problems with log-in, please use the confirmation email to join the event.

Description: 800,000 new mothers are affected by a maternal mental health disorder each year in the United States. Black women are at an increased risk for developing these disorders due to chronic environmental stressors and lack of social support. This webinar will explore the unique experiences of Black pregnant and postpartum women who are facing mental health issues and address treatment options. Download Flyer   Presenter: Tiffani Bell MD, FAPA, Diplomate of ABOM, ABLM serves as the Eastern Trustee on the Executive Board for Black Psychiatrists of America (BPA). She is a Quadruple Board Certified Physician who specializes in Adult Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Lifestyle Medicine and Obesity Medicine. Dr. Bell received her Bachelor of Science from Norfolk State University. She earned her Medical Degree from Medical College of Virginia/VCU School of Medicine. Thereafter, she completed both residency and fellowship at Wake Forest School of Medicine. She will be attending Harvard T. H. Chan school of Public Health this fall to further her education and advocacy for obesity medicine and mental health. Dr. Bell has worked in academic medicine, where she received Outstanding Teaching Faculty of the Year in 2020 and has held leadership positions in several national organizations including currently serving as a Delegate from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to the American Medical Association (AMA), Young Physicians' Section. She previously served as the Residency Fellow Member representative for BPA, was selected to be an APA/SAMHSA Fellow and served on the AMA's Minority Affairs Section, Governing Council. Dr. Bell also received the National Medical Association’s Post-Graduate Section “Top Physician under 40” Emerging Leader award in 2020. Dr. Bell is an author and public speaker who is passionate about education, tackling stigma and implementing policies that promote improved access to care. Her special interests include minority mental health and the intersection between mental health, nutrition, and obesity prevention and treatment.   Learning Objectives: Identify the signs and symptoms of maternal mental health issues Discuss common mental health issues in childhood Discuss the importance of addressing the mother-child dyad during treatment Discuss available treatments to help heal the dyad when problems present   Who Should Attend? Mental health providers, advocates, and others who work on behalf of African American families, women, children and youth affected by mental illness   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.

Many community college students juggle competing work and family demands, and as many as half experience mental health conditions. At the same time, community colleges often have fewer resources than four-year institutions to support student wellbeing. According to the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice’s #Real College 2021: Basic Needs Insecurity During the Ongoing Pandemic report, growing numbers of students are living without adequate food or stable housing. Rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidality – particularly amongst BIPOC students – are also increasing. The Steve Fund’s Adapting and Innovating to Promote Mental Health and Emotional Well-being of Young People of Color: COVID-19 and Beyond report documents these and other challenges facing BIPOC students this year, including enormous stress related to COVID, racism, and social unrest.     As we move into the summer months and anticipate returning to in-person learning for most students in September, supporting BIPOC community college students is more critical than ever before. Please join us on May 6 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am EDT for Supporting BIPOC Community College Students through Summer & Beyond.    Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice will share findings and recommendations from their #Real College 2021: Basic Needs Insecurity During the Ongoing Pandemic report, and participants will connect with one another for facilitated discussions.    By taking part in this event, participants will:  Explore strategies for supporting BIPOC community college students in meeting their survival needs and accessing mental health care and support;  Identify shared challenges and priorities for supporting students;  Establish or deepen connections with others in similar roles; and  Help the New England MHTTC develop training and technical assistance activities that will address priority needs.

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.   Helping professionals are often deeply affected by their work, especially critical incidents that can cause unusually strong emotional reactions that have the potential to interfere with one’s ability to function normally. It is very common for staff to experience emotional aftershocks when they have experienced a difficult event. Sometimes the emotional aftershocks (or stress reactions) appear immediately after the traumatic event, and sometimes they may appear a few hours or days later. The signs and symptoms of a stress reaction may last a few days, a few weeks, a few months, or longer, depending on the severity of the incident. This class helps to normalize and understand this reaction and improves a person’s ability to manage it and know if/when to reach out for more help. We walk through the steps of a Critical Incident Debriefing as endorsed by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Define a critical Incident Typical stress reactions and their effects How and when to conduct a debriefing How and when to conduct a defusing   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.

Session 2 focuses on breathing. Taking time to focus on your breathing can change your mood and help decrease anxiety and stress. This strategy can be done at work before or after a shift, between patients, during a particularly difficult encounter, and more. 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.   Mary Catherine Lundquist has over 25 years of clinical and administrative experience in geriatrics specializing in dementia care, supporting family caregivers, training professionals, and providing community health education. She is currently the Program Coordinator of the COPSA (Comprehensive Services on Aging) Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders at Rutgers Health, University Behavioral Health Care. COPSA includes the Geriatric Assessment Center, The Memory Disorders Clinic, The Care2Caregivers Helpline, and COPSA Consultation and Education Services. Her expertise is in designing and implementing programs that enhance the quality of life for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers. She is the author of Circle of Harmony: A New Paradigm of Care for Managing Behavioral Disturbances, Bridges: A Toolkit for Family Caregivers and Foundations of Dementia Enabled Care.

The Great Lakes MHTTC offers this training to behavioral health professionals in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based method for reducing harm and improving outcomes for patients with substance use disorders. This SBIRT training will prepare participants to deliver SBIRT interventions in health care and other settings.   Training Dates Thursday, May 6, 2021 and Friday, May 7, 2021 8:00am–12:00pm CST. (Please note time zone and adjust your calendar accordingly.)  Participants must attend both sessions of this two-part series.   Prerequisite Participants in the SBIRT event are required to complete the two previous Great Lakes Motivational Interviewing trainings: Motivational Interviewing Foundation: Relational Skills (three-part series March 17, 24 and 31, 2021) and Motivational Interviewing Foundation: Technical Skills  (three-part series April 7, 14 and 21, 2021)  If participants have had extensive training in Motivational interviewing and wish to be considered for an exemption, please contact the course instructor.     In this interactive, instructor-led workshop, you will learn about and practice using screening tools, administering and interpreting assessments, giving feedback and making recommendations, including recommending treatment.  Learning Objectives Define the 5 categories of use on the substance use continuum  Explain the rationale for universal SBIRT  State how to conduct each step of the SBIRT process screening, brief assessment, and intervention/referral), incorporating aspects of motivational interviewing  Administer SBIRT to adult patients  Discuss how to conduct follow-up after initial SBIRT sessions  Describe indications, adverse effects, and dosing for FDA-approved medications for substance use disorders  Delineate common barriers to administering high-quality SBIRT systematically to all participants and how to overcome those barriers   Trainer Laura A. Saunders, MSSW, is the Wisconsin State Project Manager for the Great Lakes Addiction, Mental Health and Prevention Technology Transfer Centers. Her position is housed at the UW–Madison, where she’s worked since 1988. Since 2001, Laura has provided SBIRT and Motivational Interviewing training to physicians, nurses, medical students, psychologists, specialty addiction treatment providers, social workers, physical therapists, health educators, and staff who work in correctional settings. She has provided feedback and coaching to hundreds of social workers, correctional staff, and other human service providers who are interested in using evidence-based practices with fidelity. Laura joined the international group of Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) in 2006 (Sophia, Bulgaria) and is an active member of the Wisconsin MINT group.

The Great Lakes MHTTC School-Based Mental Health supplement offers this training for parents, school-based mental health professionals, and other behavioral health professionals in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI.   “My child has ADHD. Now what?”  Many parents of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have asked themselves that question. ADHD is one of the most common neurological disorders in childhood. Children with ADHD often have difficulty paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors, and can be overly active. For parents of children with ADHD, it can become frustrating to cope with some of the behaviors associated with their child’s ADHD, but there are ways to make life (and parenting) easier.  Along with behaviors such as hyperactivity and procrastination, there are positive aspects that often accompany ADHD including creativity, empathy, and passion. Learn the common dos and don’ts of parenting a child with ADHD and practical strategies to help your child tap into their “superpowers.”     Learning Objectives Identify common behavior challenges associated with ADHD Learn strategies to support positive behavior and build on your child’s strengths   Speaker:  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.

Addressing Farm Stress and Rural Mental Health  May 5, 2021 3:00pm - 4:15pm MST | 4:00pm - 5:15pm CST This session describes the definition of farm stress, contributing factors, the impact of farm stress on the family and community, barriers to utilization of mental health services in agricultural communities, and how farming demographics and associated stress vary by U.S. region. Presenters will also share resources and successful community models.     This training has been accepted for presentation at the National Rural Health Association’s Annual Conference. If you are interested in attending the conference, visit the conference registration page.    At the end of this session, attendees will be able to:   Provide a clear definition of farm stress, and explain how farm owners, ranchers, agricultural workers, and migrant farmers experience farm stress. Discuss the prevalence of mental illness (to include substance misuse), as well as barriers to mental health care access and utilization among rural and agricultural communities. Identify behavioral health care prevention and treatment models that have worked for rural agricultural communities as well as key community stakeholders who can help to address barriers to mental health care.   Trainer Shawnda Schroeder, PhD   Shawnda Schroeder is a Research Associate Professor, and the Associate Director of Research for the Center for Rural Health (CRH) at the University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine & Health Sciences in Grand Forks. Dr. Schroeder participates in rural health research, directs state program evaluation, and supervises graduate student internship and practicum experiences at the CRH. She serves as principal investigator of the Rural Health Research Gateway, a website that provides access to publications and projects funded through the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Under the Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, Shawnda provides training on rural mental health, leads web content development, and conducts research on stigma as well as mental health training needs. Dr. Schroeder is a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Rural Health, and is an elected member of the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences' Research Committee.   

SERIES DESCRIPTION The Central East MHTTC in collaboration with the National Center for School Mental Health is pleased to offer a school mental health webinar series with a focus on advancing high quality, sustainable school mental health from a multi-tiered system of support, trauma sensitive, and culturally responsive and equitable lens. To familiarize yourself with the foundations of school mental health, please review the school mental health guidance document. Download the Series flyer here.   OBJECTIVES Gain increased awareness of high quality, sustainable multi-tiered system of school mental health supports and services Support trauma-informed systems in schools Discover the impacts of social determinants of health on student academic and social-emotional-behavioral success Learn to provide more culturally responsive and equitable services and supports Hear perspectives on school mental health from school, district and state levels Obtain insight into how youth, families, schools and communities can best work together to address student mental health needs   WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Educators, Administrators, Health and Behavioral Health Care Professionals, Child-Serving Agency Staff, Policymakers and Advocates    Scheduled Webinars for January – June 2021 Wednesday, January 6, 2021, 3:00-4:00 PM ET Trauma Responsive Care for Younger Students Slides   Recording Wednesday, February 3, 2021, 3:00-4:00 PM ET Addressing Systemic Racism: Creating Safe and Equitable Schools Slides   Recording Wednesday, March 3, 2021, 3:00-4:00 PM ET Creating Safe and Equitable Schools: Tier II Interventions and Considerations Slides   Recording Wednesday, April 7, 2021, 3:00-4:00 PM ET National Association of School Psychologists: School-Community Partnerships Slides   Recording Wednesday, May 5, 2021, 3:00-4:00 PM ET Youth MOVE: Leveraging Youth Advocacy Slides   Recording Wednesday, June 2, 2021, 3:00-4:00 PM ET Supporting Students Impacted by Racial Stress and Trauma Slides   Recording   Registration questions, Dr. Sylvia McCree-Huntley, [email protected] 410-706-0981

Learn skills for dealing with Grief, Loss and Bereavement and coming to Terms with COVID-Related Losses in a small group training setting with breakout rooms and a facilitated learning environment.   This is part of Dr. Mauseth's Disaster Response and Behavioral Health series--click here for the full list of events Each topic is offered twice in the same week to allow more people to attend. You are welcome to attend any of the modules on any topic-- there is no prerequisite or attendance requirement to take part. Each module will teach skills and include break-out rooms. Since registration is limited, please check your schedule before registering. Presenter: Dr. Kira Mauseth is a practicing clinical psychologist who sees patients at Snohomish Psychology Associates, teaches as a Senior Instructor at Seattle University and serves as a co-lead for the Behavioral Health Strike Team for the WA State Department of Health. Her work and research interests focus on resilience, trauma and disaster behavioral health. She has worked extensively in Haiti with earthquake survivors, in Jordan with Syrian refugees and with first responders and health care workers throughout Puget Sound the United States. Dr. Mauseth also conducts trainings with organizations and educational groups about disaster preparedness and resilience building within local communities.   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.

Educating Providers and Community on Rural Mental Health May 5, 2021 1:30pm - 2:45pm MST | 2:30pm - 3:45pm CST The Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides training/technical assistance to individuals who serve persons with mental illness in rural communities. Learn about rural barriers to care, training and technical assistance needs identified by providers, and how needs shifted during COVID-19.    This training has been accepted for presentation at the National Rural Health Association’s Annual Conference. If you are interested in attending the conference, visit the conference registration page.     At the end of this session, attendees will be able to: Describe how the mental health needs, and barriers to behavioral health care prevention and treatment, are unique for person living in rural communities.   Identify and share where rural communities can find freely available training and technical assistance for individuals who serve persons with mental illness to include teachers, primary care providers, spiritual advisors, as well as licensed behavioral health professionals. Identify how the training needs of individuals serving rural persons with mental illness changed in response to COVID-19 to include new concerns for k-12 educators, new barriers to care related to tele-therapy, and an increased need to address heightened rates of anxiety and depression.     Trainer Shawnda Schroeder, PhD   Shawnda Schroeder is a Research Associate Professor, and the Associate Director of Research for the Center for Rural Health (CRH) at the University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine & Health Sciences in Grand Forks. Dr. Schroeder participates in rural health research, directs state program evaluation, and supervises graduate student internship and practicum experiences at the CRH. She serves as principal investigator of the Rural Health Research Gateway, a website that provides access to publications and projects funded through the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Under the Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, Shawnda provides training on rural mental health, leads web content development, and conducts research on stigma as well as mental health training needs. Dr. Schroeder is a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Rural Health, and is an elected member of the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences' Research Committee.     

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. Casework practices in connecting UAC to culturally relevant community resources including formal and informal mental health supports and school. The presentation will cover barriers and facilitators to community participation and making referrals that lead to positive engagement for UC and their families. We will address the benefits of community collaborations and building networks as well as strategies to reduce barriers including stigma and cultural preconceptions, with the goal of increasing service utilization. As education is one of the primary needs and also one of the main locations of connection to US-born people, we will specifically address school enrollment, orientation to US school systems, and ongoing well-being in the classroom.   Learning objectives: 1. Participants will understand barriers to community participation, school enrollment, and school well-being. 2. Participants will discuss strategies for improving barriers to community participation for immigrant children. 3. Participants will learn best practices in creating welcoming schools for immigrant children.   Presenter:   Kerri Evans, PhD, LCSW is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Dr. Evans earned her PhD from Boston College School of Social Work and her MSW from the University of Maryland Baltimore. Dr. Evans’ research stems from her eight years of social work experience at the intersection of immigration and child welfare. Using community partnerships, Dr. Evans works to answer the questions of service providers with the goal of improving service delivery and making policy recommendations. Topically, her research focuses on the well-being of unaccompanied and refugee children, and school welcome for immigrant students.

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. We are facing unprecedented levels of stress and hardship due to the ongoing pandemic. How can we stay balanced in the midst of so much change and uncertainty? Scientific research suggests that we can train our minds to be calm, focused, and resilient, and that it only takes a few minutes a day to learn simple skills that we can apply in everyday life and work. In this webinar, Stephanie Wagner, curriculum designer, trainer and health coach with Healthy Minds Innovations, will discuss scientific insights and practical tools that we can use to weather the storm of the evolving crisis. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: The Healthy Minds Framework of Well-being Well-being As a Skill Awareness: What it is and Why it Matters Healthy Connections and Well-being Insight: Opening to New Perspectives Purpose: Finding Meaning   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 the session in full.

This is the first session of the Perinatal Mental Health Learning Series. About the Series: Perinatal Mental Health Learning Series: Strategies and Considerations for Behavioral Health and Health Care Providers is a virtual learning series intended for health and behavioral health providers who work with individuals affected by mental health symptoms during the perinatal period. Expert speakers emphasize increasing awareness and screening methods in perinatal mental health and health care, as well as psychotherapeutic treatment.

  The school mental health supplement to the Northwest MHTTC is excited to co-sponsor the UW SMART Center's 2021 Virtual Speaker Series. Originally a series of in-person events, we have moved these presentations to a virtual format due to COVID-19.   Join us on Wednesday, May 5th from 8:30 - 9:45am for a presentation by Emma Elliott-Groves, Ph.D., MSW who will present:  "Indigenous Systems of Relationality: Designing for Transformative Agency in Indigenous Community Psychology"   In this session, Dr. Elliott-Groves will share several stories related to Indigenous trauma, healing, and relational restoration. By offering Indigenous understandings of relationality coupled with theories of social change, this talk uncovers strategies that can shift mainstream approaches to Indigenous mental health. This talk calls for a paradigm shift from the prevention model to a transformative model of understanding overall wellbeing. By shedding light on the interdependence of life, as understood through Indigenous systems of relationality, researchers and practitioners can cultivate spaces for healthy, equitable, democratic, diverse, beautiful, fun, and restorative healing practices for all living beings. Objectives: Participants will learn about Indigenous conceptions of well being, and consider how epistemic heterogeneity can inform collective health and wellness. Participants will learn about theories of social change, and consider how participatory design research can cultivate different states of being, thereby opening up different possible futures.   Please note: This event will be limited to 500 attendees. Access to the live event will be available to registered participants on a first come, first serve basis. To secure a spot, we invite you to log on 5 - 10 minutes prior to the event. About the Presenter: Emma Elliott-Groves, Ph.D., MSW Dr. Elliott-Groves is an assistant professor in the Department of Learning Sciences and Human Development in the College of Education at the University of Washington. She holds both a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and a Master of Social Work in Children, Youth and Families. A large part of her research centers on understanding the meanings and explanations of suicidal behavior from the perspective of Indigenous peoples’. By employing a strengths-based approach to recovery, Dr. Elliott-Groves rigorously engages youth, families, and communities in the development of integrated behavioral health interventions to address complex social issues. Her research centers on ethical frameworks generated by Indigenous and place-based knowledge and practices to create process-centered approaches that illuminate Indigenous pathways toward collective livelihood. Learn more and register for other events in the series here. Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.