Past Events

What is necessary and essential for you? Discuss what coping and self-care look like for you in the face of trauma and secondary trauma. Explore how to create a web of support for yourself. Reflect on the boundaries and trauma workshops. Journaling and pandemic poetry will be explored as time allows.

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!

QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention is an educational program designed for the average individual/professional (non-clinically trained) to recognize the warning signs of a suicidal individual and how to respond. Gatekeepers can be anyone who are strategically positioned to recognize someone at risk of suicide, and work with them to receive help (e.g. parents, friends, neighbors, teachers, coaches, coworkers, etc.).   Learning Objectives   This presentation will eliminate the myth that only someone who is clinically trained can prevent someone from completing suicide.   Speakers: Jeremy Studebaker, Chestnut Health Systems

Healing School Communities in the Context of Racial Violence: Where do we go from here? is a two-part learning series intended for students, families, educators and school mental health professionals who are navigating the ongoing impact of racial violence in all forms on student mental health. Each 1.5 hour learning session will feature a moderator who will engage advocates, leaders and the school mental health workforce in a conversation that focuses on:   Navigating discussions which are grounded in advancing racial equity and inclusion both in and out of school; Elevating strategies for communicating and engaging in the ongoing work to support the mental health of students and school mental health professionals which are grounded in community wisdom and build upon protective factors, both in and out of school;  Developing spaces which engender opportunities for the field to improve its commitment to fostering a workforce ready, able and willing to hold racial violence as a mental health issue in a way that is founded in community strengths and wisdom while supporting and building protective factors. Download Flyer   Certificates of completion will be made available to viewers of 50% (45 minutes) or more of each live webinar. CEUs are not available for these sessions. If you do not receive a certificate of completion by March 18, 2021, please email Ricardo Canelo at [email protected].   Session 1 Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 11am PT / 2pm ET | REGISTER HERE! Session 2 Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 11am PT / 2pm ET | REGISTER HERE!  

Dr. Sarah Kopelovich will present at the UW Psychiatry and Addictions Case Conference series (UW PACC). Learning Objectives: 1. Review updated facts and figures concerning psychosis outcomes to enable more accurate psychoeducation. 2. Review key considerations relevant to differential diagnosis in a primary care setting. 3. Review core practical skills for a clinical encounter of any nature. 4. Learn high-yield behavioral interventions and the steps to skill building. About the UW PACC Series The UW Psychiatry and Addictions Case Conference series (UW PACC) is a free, weekly teleconference that connects Washington community providers with UW Medicine psychiatrists and addictions experts. Any community providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and mental health professionals) in Washington State are welcome to join the weekly teleconference. This series includes both an educational presentation on an addictions or psychiatry topic and case presentations where providers who participate receive feedback and recommendations for their patients. UW PACC sessions take place Thursdays from 12:00 to 1:30 PM Pacific. Modeled after the University of New Mexico's Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), the three main aims of UW PACC are: Train the fellows to deliver a regional peer learning and support network for treating mental health and addictions across the state of Washington Expand the mental health and addictions care capacity of health care professionals in remote, underserved areas of Washington Offer telehealth resource support to build the confidence and skills of providers who care for patients with mental and behavioral health conditions   Presenter Sarah Kopelovich, PhD, is a forensically-trained, licensed clinical psychologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine, based at Harborview Medical Center. Dr. Kopelovich is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and holds a Professorship in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis. Her research aims to enhance implementation and dissemination strategies for psychosocial interventions indicated for individuals with Psychotic Spectrum Disorders. She leads the only CBT for psychosis Provider Network in the country, which has received continual state funding since 2015. She regularly conducts workshops, seminars, and professional consultation across the country for mental health practitioners in CBT for psychosis (CBTp) and CBTp-informed care; Coordinated Specialty Care for First Episode Psychosis and Assertive Community Treatment; and diagnostic, suicide, and violence risk assessment. Dr. Kopelovich is one of the founding faculty with the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. 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.

This is the second session in the series Healing School Communities in the Context of Racial Violence: Where do we go from here?, intended for students, families, educators and school mental health professionals who are navigating the ongoing impact of racial violence in all forms on student mental health. This 1.5 hour learning session will feature a moderator who will engage advocates, leaders and the school mental health workforce in a conversation that focuses on:    Navigating discussions which are grounded in advancing racial equity and inclusion both in and out of school; Elevating strategies for communicating and engaging in the ongoing work to support the mental health of students and school mental health professionals which are grounded in community wisdom and build upon protective factors, both in and out of school;  Developing spaces which engender opportunities for the field to improve its commitment to fostering a workforce ready, able and willing to hold racial violence as a mental health issue in a way that is founded in community strengths and wisdom while supporting and building protective factors.   Note: A recording of the learning session will be made available in the MHTTC Products and Resource Catalog. Certificates of completion are available to viewers of 50% (45 minutes) or more of the live webinar. CEUs are not available for this session.    

Description:  Over 30 million people in the US struggle with disordered eating. It is important that clinical providers and community leaders be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of eating disorders to get more individuals the support they need and help reduce the stigma around eating disorders. Experts from Rock Recovery, a DC Metro area-based nonprofit that supports the journey to freedom from disordered eating through affordable clinical recovery and community empowerment programs, will lead this webinar series. Download Flyer   Presenters: Meredith Riddick, LPC, CEDS-S is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Eating Disorders Specialist-Supervisor who primarily treats eating disorders, trauma, anxiety, and relationship issues. With over a decade of experience as a therapist, Meredith has accrued an impressive resume of specialties, presentations and a variety of highly individualized services to her clientele. In addition to her clinical work, she provides supervision for therapists seeking certification as eating disorder specialists. Meredith completed her undergraduate work at Baylor University and went on to receive her Master’s degree through Texas Tech University. Christie Dondero Bettwy is the Executive Director of Rock Recovery. Prior to becoming a Rock team staff member in 2013, she worked for Habitat for Humanity in Charlotte, NC and as a consultant with PwC in Washington, D.C. Having gone through recovery herself, Christie understands the depth of support needed to recover and is passionate about spreading the message that complete freedom from an eating disorder is possible.    Series Learning Objectives: Provide an introduction to understanding the presentation and process of diagnosing eating disorders as well as information about the prevalence of eating disorders in minority communities Identify the role of trauma, anxiety, and cultural messages in the development of eating disorders, and outline various trauma-informed interventions used in the treatment of eating disorders Provide illustrations and an overview of how shame surrounding eating disorders presents in faith-based settings and outline strategies and best practices for removing mental health stigma and caring for congregants - mind, body and spirit   Who Should Attend? Behavioral health care professionals, medical professionals, faith leaders and clergy, and community advocates.   Eating Disorders Series February 25, 2021 Part 1: Marginalized Voices - Understanding the Presentation and Prevalence of Eating Disorders  11:00am—12:00pm EST March 4, 2021 Part 2: Symptom Substitution, Trauma and the Hidden Addiction of Eating Disorders  11:00am—12:00pm EST REGISTER March 11, 2021 Part 3: Breaking through Shame - How Faith Communities Can Remove Mental Health Stigma and Support those with Eating Disorders 11:00am—12:00pm EST REGISTER     Certificates of attendance will be available to viewers of 50% (30 minutes) or more of each live webinar (via email within 30 business days post-event). CEUs are not offered for this session. Webinar slide presentations and recordings will be posted to the website.

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. Overview In this interactive two-part training, you will learn about and practice using screening tools, administering and interpreting assessments, giving feedback and making recommendations, including recommending treatment.  Participants will need to attend both sessions:  March 4, 2021 March 5, 2021 Both sessions are from 8:00am–12:00pm CST (Please note time zone and adjust your calendar accordingly.)    Prerequisite   Participants in the SBIRT training are required to complete two prior training series:  Motivational Interviewing Foundation: Relational Skills (Jan. 21, 28, and Feb. 4, 2020)  Motivational Interviewing Foundation: Technical Skills  (Feb. 18, 11, and 25, 2021) If you have had extensive training in Motivational Interviewing and wish to be considered for an exemption, please contact the course instructor: [email protected]      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 and how to overcome them   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.

Building Capacity of School Personnel to Promote Positive Mental Health in Native American Children and Youth - Spring 2021 Part 3 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.

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

Intended Audience: This session is designed for SEA and LEA team members who need to navigate the complexities of school mental health with educators and administrators. It is ideal for those with a role in developing communications content about school mental health for audiences who do not have a mental health background, such as educators, school staff, and school administrators.  Note that this session does not focus on modes of communication (e.g., social media), but rather on how to develop content that effectively communicates school mental health concepts and issues to lay stakeholders.  Learning Objectives Participants who join this session will be able to: Recognize the utility and limitations of existing school mental health graphic designs. Strategically integrate graphic designs to support communication about school mental health. Review and have input on a new graphic design intended to synthesize the layers of school mental health. Session overview Why are there so many shapes, colors, and, levels of school mental health? Where do I fit into the model? What does this have to do with me (a teacher, vice principal, campus monitor)? This topical learning forum is dedicated to building capacity for Project AWARE teams invested in a shared understanding of our collective role in supporting student mental health and wellness at school. In this virtual learning session, you will learn to effectively use the many styles of visual aides and graphic designs that illustrate key aspects of school mental health. The session includes a participatory discussion, to review a new graphic design drafted to help you show adults on campus where they fit in the landscape student wellness. Together we will advance our ability effectively portray the facets of school mental health as independent but interconnected dimensions. This session is part of a two-part series. A separate registration is required for the other session in this series, which will take place on Thursday, February 18 3:30-5:30pm ET. Register at this link.

The Great Lakes MHTTC offers this presentation for behavioral health providers in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI. March 3, 2021 10:00AM-11:30 AM CST 11:00AM-12:30PM EST Norman Cousins was in pain 24 hours per day and doctors predicted that he would die soon. Cousins self-prescribed comedy tapes as his medicine. He discovered that for every 10 minutes he laughed, he had two hours of pain free sleep. He lived 16 years longer than his doctored predicted. This presentation focuses on the therapeutic benefits of humor for mental health and medical professionals and promises to be a fun learning experience. Learning Objectives How to use humor to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue. The use of humor to increase organizational morale. The positive impact of humor on physical and mental health. How humor can reduce stigma. How to use humor to increase rapport with clients and patients.   Speaker:  Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC is the Illinois project manager for the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. Mark is an international speaker in the behavioral health field whose presentations have reached thousands throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Caribbean and British Islands. He is the author of 5 books and has had two stories published in the New York Times bestselling book series, Chicken Soup For The Soul. He has lectured at the University of Chicago and Loyola University of Chicago Schools of Social Work. Certificates of attendance will be provided to all who attend the session in full.      

  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, March 3rd from 8:30 - 9:45am for a presentation by Dr. Anne Gregory who will present:  "Strengthening relationships and repairing harm: A paradigm shift in school discipline practice and research"   In her presentation, Dr. Gregory will discuss school and district efforts to reduce punitive approaches to discipline, decrease racial disparities in suspensions, and increase access to social emotional learning and restorative practices. Drawing from interviews with educational leaders engaged in discipline reform, she will describe their challenges with school staff buy-in and their strategies for changing mindsets. Dr. Gregory will further discuss researcher social positionality and ways of conducting equity-oriented research from the stance of strengthening relationships and repairing harm.   Objectives: Participants will learn about research on school-based Restorative Practice initiatives. Participants will learn about ways to center equity in school discipline reform. Participants will learn about 12 indicators of RP implementation and strategic considerations for roll-out. *Clock Hours are Available!*   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: Dr. Anne Gregory, Ph.D., is a professor in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. Dr. Gregory is a researcher in the area of racial and gender disparities in discipline and is currently examining school-wide restorative practices and equity-oriented social and emotional learning. She has authored over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles and numerous book chapters. Publications include The promise of restorative practices to transform teacher-student relationships and achieve equity in school discipline, and Social-emotional learning and equity in school discipline. Dr. Gregory recently received the Joseph E. Zins Early Career Contributions Award from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). 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.

About the Event:  This webinar will provide a snapshot of CCBHCs across the country, describe the changes and investments that clinics made to become CCBHCs for the national demonstration program, and discuss the various funding avenues available to states and clinics to support the CCBHC model. CCBHCs are designed to increase access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment, expand states' capacity to address the overdose crisis, promote partnerships with law enforcement, schools, and hospitals to improve care, reduce recidivism and prevent hospital readmissions. Today, 340 CCBHCs are operating in 40 states, plus Washington, DC and Guam. Congress has expanded the demonstration and authorized grants to support the model. A growing number of states are moving to implement the model independently via a state plan amendment or Medicaid waiver.  What opportunities do states and clinics have to move toward CCBHC adoption, and what does it take to be successful? Join this discussion to explore the CCBHC model and lessons learned from other states and clinics.    Learning Objectives 1. Describe the core components of CCBHC services 2.Describe different funding mechanisms that support CCBHCs 3. Identify steps a clinic would need to take to become a CCBHC   About the Presenters:  Rebecca Farley David is Senior Director of Public Policy and Special Initiatives at the National Council for Behavioral Health. She has worked to advance and support the CCBHC model for more than 10 years, from introduction of the original authorizing legislation through implementation of the demonstration and expansion grants. She currently oversees the National Council's CCBHC Success Center, an initiative to support states, clinics and other stakeholders throughout CCBHC implementation and ongoing operations.      Jonathan Brown is a Senior Fellow and Director of Behavioral Health at Mathematica where his work focuses on improving the quality and outcomes of behavioral health services. He directs an ongoing national evaluation of the CCBHC demonstration for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation and recently completed a national evaluation of the Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration program for SAMHSA. He provides evaluation-related technical assistance for state Medicaid demonstrations and has worked with states, health plans, consumer organizations, and community mental health centers to develop and use behavioral health quality measures. Dr. Brown is a native of Alabama and currently lives in Atlanta.    

The Great Lakes MHTTC offers this training in partnership with WAFCA, the Wisconsin Association of Family and Children’s Agencies. March 2, 2021 10:00am–12:00pm CST 11:00am–1:00pm EST It’s time to refuel, re-energize, and beam up motivation, resiliency, and heal our collective trauma from the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic! Our lives have been altered, our work has had to adapt; we feel less connected, isolated, and lost in space…but now is the time to recognize the signs of burnout and begin motivating you and your peers to re-fuel and re-energize for 2021. Let’s boldly go where no other professionals have gone before!      Learning Objectives 1. Gain an understanding of collective trauma via connection of societal effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. 2. Explore professional burnout to develop strategies to professionally heal and recognize burnout. 3. Improve professional self-reflection to enhance professional resilience in the helping professions. 4. Learn strategies of emotional first aid to improve resilience, reduce burnout, and motivate in the helping professions.   Presenter Dana Johnson, MSW, holds a Master of Social Work degree and is a practicing social worker in the State of Wisconsin. He has over 10 years of direct practice and senior level management, experience in county human services, also holding positions as an educator and professional trainer. His areas of expertise include leadership development, innovation theory, ethics and boundaries, and motivating teams. Over the course of a decade he has delivered high energy, audience engaging, and impactful training. Join us and see how Dana will motivate and inspire you!  WAFCA will provide two NBCC continuing education hours to those who attend the entire two-hour event. Partial credit will be provided to those who choose to attend part of the event.

What do we understand about interventions to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in access to mental health care? Join us for a look at integrated care and policy interventions that support equity in mental health care delivery.  This will illustrate an historical perspective on mental health policy and race-based inequities, and how to reduce these disparities.  Clinicians will learn deeply why they need to understand why and how systemic racism influences decisions to seek care or avoid care. Presenter Pamela Collins, MD, MPH, is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Professor of Global Health at the University of Washington, where she is Executive Director of I-TECH and director of the UW Global Mental Health Program, a joint effort of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and the Department of Global Health. She is a psychiatrist and mixed methods researcher with 25 years of experience in global public health and global mental health research, education, training and capacity-building, and science policy leadership. Prior to her current role she directed the Office for Research on Disparities & Global Mental Health and the Office of Rural Mental Health Research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (USA). She has served the field in diverse leadership roles, most recently as a commissioner for the Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health and Sustainable Development, a leader of the Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health initiative, co-lead of the NIMH-PEPFAR initiative on mental health and HIV, a member of the World Economic Forum’s Agenda Council on Mental Health, and the director of the RISING SUN initiative on suicide prevention in Arctic Indigenous communities. Her research has focused on social stigma related to mental illness and its relationship to HIV risk among women of color with severe mental illness; the intersections of mental health with HIV prevention, care, and treatment; and the mental health needs of diverse groups in the US, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. She is currently the Principal Investigator of EQUIP Nairobi: a pilot implementation of Trauma-Focused CBT in Nairobi, Kenya, part of a more comprehensive effort to meet the mental health needs of children and adolescents in Nairobi.

This month's national ACT Team meeting topic is Establishing a Digital Crisis Plan and Psychiatric Advance Directive with Amy N. Cohen, PhD, Associate Director; Implementation Scientist and SMI Psychological Treatment Expert, American Psychiatric Association, and Zhuoyin Yang, American Psychiatric Association, Project Manager, SMI Adviser.  The app "My Mental Health Crisis Plan" will be featured in the March 1 National ACT Team Meeting. The app offers an easy way for individuals to create and share a psychiatric advance directive (PAD). Prior to the January 4 national ACT team meeting, we suggest downloading the app and trying it out— no information is stored outside the app. Try creating a PAD for a character in popular media (e.g., Darth Vader). This will allow the presenters to go beyond an introduction but also answer questions and troubleshoot with you. Get the app in the Apple App Store and at Google Play. These videos are recommended viewing before the presentation: What is a PAD?  How to Use the App. Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is a multidisciplinary, team-based model that provides intensive community-based and outreach-oriented services to people who experience the most severe and persistent mental illness. The vast majority also have a co-occurring substance use disorder and many experience comorbid medical illnesses as well as homelessness. This is a vulnerable population and their providers – ACT teams – are at elevated risk themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Northwest MHTTC is partnering with the Institute for Best Practices at the University of North Carolina to host and facilitate regular meetings for ACT teams. Learn more about the meetings here. Goals of the meetings are to: connect with one another share strategies and resources for adapting team practices and communications    facilitate connection to the most up-to-date resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.   For more information or questions, contact: Maria Monroe-DeVita or Lorna Moser, PhD, Director of the UNC ACT Technical Assistance Center in the UNC Department of Psychiatry’s Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health; and Coordinator of the North Carolina ACT Coalition.  

School Mental Health Professionals Learning Series Winter 2021 Part 2 March 1, 2021 9:00am - 10:00am MST 10:00am - 11:00am CST The School Mental Health Professionals Learning Series is a free, professional development training series that addresses the pressing needs of mental health professionals from Region 8 (ND, SD, MT, UT WY, and CO). Each session will begin with a short presentation by an expert in the field, followed by discussion and review of topical case studies. Each participant is expected to present one case study. The group will meet once a month via Zoom.    This series is a continuation of our Fall 2020 School Mental Health Professional Learning Series. Previous attendance of the Fall series is not required, and we encourage new participants to sign up!   Attendance is limited to 30 individuals. To register, please contact Stefanie Winfield at [email protected]. Dates February 1, 2021 - 9:00am MST - Part 1 March 1, 2021 - 9:00am MST - Part 2 April 5, 2021 - 9:00am MST - Part 3 May 3, 2021 - 9:00am MST - Part 4 Facilitator Stefanie Winfield, MSW

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.