Past Events

Description: This is the final post-webinar Communities of Practice session of a three-part series examining how COVID and other traumatic ordeals impacts specific populations. This session will focus on first responders. Participants will discuss clinical applications of the information provided during the January 25, 2021 webinar (“COVID and Post-Trauma Care Part 3).” Webinar registration, which enables participants to enroll in this Communities of Practice session, is required to attend.   Presenter: Philip H. Rainer, M.S.W., LCSW-R, is a senior program associate at Advocates for Human Potential (AHP). He is highly skilled with more than 35 years of experience focused on clinical social work and demonstrated success in staff development; corporate training; program development and management based on promising and best practices; community education; public relations; and individual, group, and marital therapy. He has held leadership positions at several mental and community health organizations in the Albany, NY area. Mr. Rainer holds an M.S.W. from the State University of New York at Albany.    Learning Objectives: Identify personal values and other factors that heighten the need for behavioral health support to first responders and frontline medical workers Clarify specific stressors that present challenges for workers during the COVID-19 pandemic – now and in the future Describe resources and techniques to enhance timely and effective responses to address the needs of first responders and frontline healthcare providers   COVID and Post-Trauma Care Series December 7, 2020, 2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT Part 1: Supports for Transitioning Young Adults Impacted by COVID-19 and other Traumas January 11, 2021, 2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT Part 2: Supports for Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses and/or Co-Occurring Disorders Impacted by COVID-19 and other Traumas January 25, 2021, 2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT Part 3: Supports for First Responders Impacted by COVID-19 and other Traumas   Certificates of attendance will be available to viewers of 50% (30 minutes) or more of this Communities of Practice session (via email within 30 business days post-event). CEUs are not offered.  

January 28, 2021 8:45–11:00am CST 9:45–12:00pm EST The Great Lakes MHTTC offers this training in partnership with People Incorporated Mental Health Services Training Institute for behavioral health professional in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI More and more workers are being exposed to the distress and suffering of others as part of their work. Compassion fatigue is a natural and inevitable response to the toxic stress caused by this exposure, and left unchecked leads to exhaustion and burnout. An important role of a leader is to promote the health and wellbeing of their teams by deliberately emphasizing team care, resilience, and compassion satisfaction in the workplace. This class takes the learner through specific leadership strategies to do this. Learning Objectives Warning signs of compassion fatigue on your team Creating shared values to build resilience Developing leadership stories to answer the “why” Motivating staff through storytelling Building protective teams   Target 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.

Time: 6-7 p.m. ET / 3-4 p.m. PT / 12-1 p.m. HT (view your time zone)   Join us to connect with others who share concern and passion for developmentally appropriate and appealing systems and supports for youth and young adults. Maybe you're a peer support provider or a new professional with lived experience. Whatever your role, if you are a young adult professional seeking to make peer-to-peer connections and develop your professional capacity, this learning community serves as a forum to learn and build skills with other mental health workforce professionals.  In addition to the valuable expertise each participant brings, we host guest subject matter experts. We've hosted presenters from the Center for Law and Social Policy, Youth MOVE National, and the Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation to discuss topics ranging from structural racism to supporting LGBTQ youth to low-barrier services. We hope you will join us in shared learning, engaging conversations, and young professional networking. Audience The target audience for this learning community is young professionals in the Pacific Southwest working with youth and young adults of transition age. As a community, we encourage members to serve as peer facilitators and be engaged to maximize the exchange of ideas and strategies for better serving youth and young adults. 

Description: This webinar will explore what cultural awareness is and how it is developed. Participants will learn how they can increase their cultural awareness and sensitivity. They will also examine the impact that culture has on mental health, help-seeking, and coping strategies and identify their role in addressing these factors in their community. Download Flyer   Presenters: Dana Cunningham, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and Faculty Consultant at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Cunningham is the Program Director of the Prince George’s School Mental Health Initiative, which is a school-based mental health program designed to support the emotional and behavioral needs of students in special education. Dr. Cunningham is also the Vice President of Community Outreach and Engagement in Black Mental Wellness. Dr. Cunningham obtained her bachelor’s degree from Spelman College and completed her doctoral training in Clinical Psychology at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Dr. Cunningham’s clinical and research interests include trauma, children of incarcerated parents, and increasing access to care for underserved youth. Jessica Henry, Ph.D., Vice President of Program Development and Evaluation for Black Mental Wellness, Corp., and Founder and CEO of Community Impact: Consultation & Psychological Services, received her B.S. from Howard University, M.A. from Columbia University, and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The George Washington University. Also, she is currently the Clinical Director of a level-5 close security male prison. In essence, Dr. Henry is dedicated to reducing and eliminating barriers to receiving mental health treatment for African Americans and minorities and increasing access to mental health care for individuals and communities impacted by traumatic events.   Learning Objectives: Define cultural awareness and sensitivity Identify how cultural and structural racism impact mental health service utilization and access Increase understanding of how culture impacts expectations and interactions with others   Who Should Attend? Behavioral healthcare professionals, Educators   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. Webinar slide presentations and recordings will be posted to the website.  

Quarterly Adult Peer Workforce Calls Facilitated by Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon. Quarterly learning and discussion opportunities for peer-delivered service workers across Region 10 (Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho). The first call (November 20th) will be focused on self-advocacy and asking for what you need in the workplace, and subsequent topics will be developed in response to group need. Facilitated through Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon, and supported by the University of Washington's Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center.  MHAAO Consultation Calls & Webinars 2020-2021 OTHER DATES IN THIS QUARTERLY SERIES   November 20, 2020 at 1:00 PM Pacific April 9, 2021 at 1:00 PM Pacific   Facilitators: Adrienne Scavera is the Training and Outreach Department Director for Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO), one of Oregon's oldest and largest peer-run organizations. In her role as a department director, Adrienne works to support the peer workforce from initial entry and training to systems-level advocacy. Currently, Adrienne serves on several committees and boards, including the Oregon Health Authority’s Training Evaluation and Metrics Program Scoring Committee and the state Traditional Health Worker Commission. In her work, Adrienne prioritizes the experience of individuals as the experts on their own lives. Over the years, she has worked in research, direct service, program development, management, training, and with non-profits, educational institutions, and peer-run organizations. She enjoys writing about herself in third person, well-organized spaces, and friendly animals. Janie Gullickson is a person in long-term recovery and for her that means she has not used alcohol or other drugs in over 12 years. Janie is in recovery from both addiction and mental health challenges as well as homelessness, incarceration, and criminal justice involvement. She navigated all types of systems and institutions that can accompany such life experiences, from frequent hospitalizations to prison. Janie was released from Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in September of 2006. Janie first began her work as a Peer Support Specialist/Recovery Mentor for Yamhill County HHS in McMinnville, Oregon in 2011. Janie joined the peer-run organization Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO) as a project assistant in 2014. In May of 2017 Janie became MHAAO’s Executive Director. She also earned her Master of Public Administration: Health Administration (MPA: HA) degree from Portland State University in June of 2017. Janie is passionate about social justice issues with a focus on mental health and addiction recovery, peer programs and services and advocacy in these realms. 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 webinar will review evidence for the "illness identity model" which proposes that self-stigma has a profound impact on the recovery of people diagnosed with serious mental illness. It will also discuss intervention options for addressing self-stigma.    Presenter: Philip T. Yanos, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at John Jay College, City University of New York. He is an Associate Editor for the journal Stigma and Health, and the director of Clinical Training for the clinical psychology Ph.D. program at John Jay College and the Graduate Center. Yanos is the co-developer of 'Narrative Enhancement and Cognitive Therapy,' a group-based treatment that addresses the effects of self-stigma among people with mental illness. This treatment approach has been translated into seven languages. He is the author of over 100 articles and book chapters, the book Written Off: Mental Health Stigma and the Loss of Human Potential (Cambridge University Press, 2018), and was the principal investigator on two recent large, federally-funded projects. 

January 27, 2021 12:45–3:00pm CST 1:45–4:00pm EST The Great Lakes MHTTC offers this training in partnership with People Incorporated Mental Health Services Training Institute for behavioral health professional in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI. Resiliency refers to the ability to withstand the stresses and strains of life and work and have a strong capacity for adaptation. Resilient people tend to display certain personality traits, but in addition have robust daily practices that keep them mentally and physically strong. This class explores the problem of chronic unremitting stress on our overactive and distracted brains and offers a set of different skill sets for robust mental health that can be learned and practiced by anyone.   Learning Objectives Individual stress awareness Physical robustness and active relaxation skills Identifying and using strengths Increasing positive emotions and countering negative thinking Cultivating community, not isolation   Target 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.  

January 27, 2021 12:00pm–1:00pm EST 11:00am–12:00pm CST The Great Lakes MHTTC presents this workshop for providers in HHS Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI) in partnership with ASPIN This training will define compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma, discuss the brain response to stress and trauma, and review statistics regarding these issues. We will discuss the stages of compassion fatigue and look at the symptoms and risk factors.   Learning Objectives At the conclusion of this webinar, participants will be able to:    Define compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma Identify the brain’s response to stress and trauma Review compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma statistics Describe the stages of compassion fatigue Identify the symptoms of compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma Evaluate the risk factors and components of burnout Build provider resilience through self-care Understand the effects of vicarious trauma on people with serious mental illness and opioid use disorder and those who serve them. Target Audience: Mental health clinicians, community outreach workers, and SUD counselors   Speaker Dr. Siquilla Liebetrau is Clinical Director and a licensed Clinical Psychologist at Bowen Center, the largest Community Mental Health Center in Indiana. Dr. Liebetrau completed her undergraduate studies in psychology at DePaul University in Chicago and her graduate studies at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in Chicago. She has dedicated her training and career to serving in community mental health and is passionate about serving those in greatest need of care and support.  She enjoys the variety of doing therapy with children, teenagers and adults across a broad spectrum of diagnoses. Areas of special interest include trauma, integrating behavioral health into primary care, and suicide prevention.  She also enjoys doing psychological testing including autism evaluations, bonding and attachment assessments, and child hearsay evaluations. 

About the Event:  The first episode of psychosis is a crucial time to intervene and potentially change the trajectory of a schizophrenia-spectrum illness. With the number of coordinated specialty care (CSC) teams expanding rapidly across the US, there are more services available for people with first episode psychosis than ever before. This presentation will provide an update on the phenomenology, services, and treatments available for people with first episode psychosis. We will also present some clinical pearls from the perspective of someone who has worked on a CSC team.      Learning Objectives:  Define the key symptoms of the prodromal illness before the onset of a psychotic disorder. Describe three strategies that engage young people who experience a first episode of psychosis. Summarize the benefits of reducing the duration of untreated psychosis. List the key personnel of a Coordinated Specialty Care team. Explain one possible benefit of treating people with first episode psychosis with a long-acting injectable medication.    About the Presenter:  Robert O. Cotes, MD, is an Associate Professor at Emory University School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He attended West Virginia University School of Medicine then completed his psychiatry residency at Dartmouth. He serves as Co-Director of the PSTAR Clinic (Persistent Symptoms: Treatment, Assessment, and Recovery), Director of Project ARROW (Achieving Recovery through Resilience, Optimism, and Wellness), and Co-Director of Open Dialogue Atlanta at Grady's Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic. His research focuses on clozapine, cardiometabolic side effects of antipsychotic medications, digital biomarkers, and first episode psychosis. Dr. Cotes is the principal investigator for multiple clinical trials focused on treatment options for psychosis. Dr. Cotes serves as a Psychiatrist Expert for the American Psychiatric Association's SMI Adviser initiative.

January 27, 2021 8:45am-11:00am CST 9:45am-12:00am EST The Great Lakes MHTTC offers this training in partnership with People Incorporated Mental Health Services Training Institute for behavioral health professional in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI Caregiver fatigue is a general term that describes the chronic and cumulative effect of different stresses at work and how it negatively impacts one’s ability to be effective. This is especially important in the context of working in helping professions because the erosion of compassion and empathy affects a worker’s effectiveness in healing. This class explores this field, the nature of compassion satisfaction, and offers strategies for cultivating resilience and compassion satisfaction that are both self-care and team-care oriented. Learning Objectives: Recognize warning signs of compassion fatigue Addressing the “why” of caregiver work Building community not isolation Choosing a focus Finding a balance between work and other identities   Target 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.

/*--> Join us for this listening session with Ruth Ettenberg Freeman, LCSW about helping families navigate child therapy and helping clinicians understand how to communicate more effectively with families. The strategies Ruth will provide have been informed by her 30+ years as a parenting educator and as a clinician in private practice. Ruth is the founder of Peace at Home Parenting Solutions, co-founder of the CT Parenting Education Network and lead author on University of Connecticut parenting curriculum, "Building Family Futures." This session is ideal for families and mental health providers, but all educators will gain useful knowledge. You can submit questions for Ruth in advance that she will answer during the session.

Please note: These events 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 Webinar: The Northwest MHTTC and the Pacific Southwest MHTTC are continuing our partnership to provide and extend deeper technical assistance on the Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF). This year, we are offering programming to deepen your ISF work and contextualize ISF to this moment of COVID-19 and beyond. Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF) is a structure and process that maximizes effectiveness and efficiency by blending the strengths of school and community mental health with strengths of the multi-tiered framework of PBIS (Barrett, Eber, Weist, 2013). This webinar is part of our ISF West Coast Party Webinars: Enhancing MTSS - Integrating Student Mental Health and Wellness Through Systems, Data, and Practices. This series consists of four modules and ends with a town hall for you to be able to ask faculty your questions and resource one another. Each module includes teaching from Susan Barrett and field leaders on ISF systems and USC faculty on ISF practices.  Mental Health is Everyone’s Job. Come learn how the Interconnected Systems Framework approach supports students, staff and families. Learn more about our presenters and access all presentation materials & recordings here. Series Schedule:  You can register for multiple events using the registration button above. You are welcome to attend as much or little as desired, though we do recommend attending the systems sessions (in blue) before the practices sessions (in green).   Module 1: ISF in Virtual Conditions 10/20/20 - ISF Systems in Virtual Conditions w/Susan Barrett 10/22/20 - Secondary Traumatic Stress and Educator Well Being w/Steve Hydon   Module 2: ISF + Trauma Informed Approaches 10/27/20 - ISF Systems & Trauma-Informed Approaches w/Susan Barrett 11/5/20 - Virtual Adaptations of Psychological First Aid w/Pamela Vona 11/17/20 - Virtual Adaptations of Trauma Informed Skills for Educators w/Vivien Villaverde   Module 3: ISF + Tiers 2 & 3 12/1/20 - ISF Systems and Tiers 2 & 3 w/Susan Barrett 12/3/20 - Virtual adaptations of SSET/Bounce Back w/Beth Cooney   Module 4: ISF & Equity 1/19/21 -  Leadership, ISF, and Equity: Do Our Systems Harm or Help? with Susan Barrett, Kurt Hatch, and Jessica Swain-Bradway 1/21/21 - Understanding Racial Stress and Trauma and Schools: Responding by Addressing and Affirming Race with Farzana Saleem   ISF West Coast Town Hall 1/26/21 - Enhancing MTSS Town Hall: ISF Systems & Practices in this Moment *Our events are open to the public and attendees from any region. Due to limited capacity, however, we kindly ask that if you are not from Region 9 (AZ, CA, HI, NV, and U.S. Pacific Islands of American Samoa, Guam, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau) or Region 10 (AK, ID, OR, WA) to please consider waiting to register or not attending live and watching the recording in order to prioritize space for our Region 10 participants. We have an amazing team that will post a link to the recording within a week of event.

Quarterly Supervisors of Adult Peer Workforce Calls Facilitated by Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon. Quarterly learning and discussion opportunities for supervisors of peer staff in Region 10. The first call (December 1st) will be focused on supporting staff in times of crisis, and subsequent topics will be developed in response to group need. Facilitated through Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon, and supported by the University of Washington's Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center.  MHAAO Consultation Calls & Webinars 2020-2021 OTHER DATES IN THIS QUARTERLY SERIES   December 1, 2020 at 1:00 PM Pacific April 6, 2021 at 1:00 PM Pacific Facilitators: Adrienne Scavera is the Training and Outreach Department Director for Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO), one of Oregon's oldest and largest peer-run organizations. In her role as a department director, Adrienne works to support the peer workforce from initial entry and training to systems-level advocacy. Currently, Adrienne serves on several committees and boards, including the Oregon Health Authority’s Training Evaluation and Metrics Program Scoring Committee and the state Traditional Health Worker Commission. In her work, Adrienne prioritizes the experience of individuals as the experts on their own lives. Over the years, she has worked in research, direct service, program development, management, training, and with non-profits, educational institutions, and peer-run organizations. She enjoys writing about herself in third person, well-organized spaces, and friendly animals. Janie Gullickson is a person in long-term recovery and for her that means she has not used alcohol or other drugs in over 12 years. Janie is in recovery from both addiction and mental health challenges as well as homelessness, incarceration, and criminal justice involvement. She navigated all types of systems and institutions that can accompany such life experiences, from frequent hospitalizations to prison. Janie was released from Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in September of 2006. Janie first began her work as a Peer Support Specialist/Recovery Mentor for Yamhill County HHS in McMinnville, Oregon in 2011. Janie joined the peer-run organization Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO) as a project assistant in 2014. In May of 2017 Janie became MHAAO’s Executive Director. She also earned her Master of Public Administration: Health Administration (MPA: HA) degree from Portland State University in June of 2017. Janie is passionate about social justice issues with a focus on mental health and addiction recovery, peer programs and services and advocacy in these realms. 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.

Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury: Neurodiversity Among Youth January 26, 2021 12:00 - 1:30 pm MST | 1:00 - 2:30 pm CST The Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (Mountain Plains MHTTC) is pleased to partner with the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) to provide training related to traumatic brain injury and mental health. Karen McAvoy, PsyD will present a 90-minute session on Understanding Neurodiversity Among Youth. This session will provide an opportunity for school mental health professionals, and clinicians working with children and adolescents, to develop a better understanding of the implications of neurodiversity (traumatic brain injury, autism spectrum disorder, and trauma) in a youth population.   Learning Outcomes: Learn how to use the Building Blocks of Brain Development to understand typical neurodevelopment and neurodiversity among youth. Develop skills in applying the screening and assessment strategies of the Building Blocks of Brain Development to serve youth with co-occurring developmental, mental health, and substance use disorders. Examine the underlying skill deficits of "can'ts" (instead of "won'ts) which allows for antecedent management/interventions versus consequence-based management in serving youth.   Trainer Karen McAvoy, PsyD, Dr. McAvoy is dually credentialed as a clinical and school psychologist. She practiced as a Pediatric Psychologist at Seattle and Denver Children's Hospitals and as the Director of the Center for Concussion with Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children. She also practiced as a school psychologist for 20 years serving as Coordinator of Mental Health, Coordinator of Manifestation Determinations, and Coordinator of the Brain Injury Team at Cherry Creek School District. After 20 years on the frontlines in a school district, Dr. McAvoy then served as a consultant for an additional 10 years to the Colorado Department of Education - providing trainings to multi-disciplinary school teams across the state of Colorado on the impact of brain injury and neuro-diversity on learning and behavior.  

Have a training or technical assistance question regarding mental health service provision or school mental health in the Pacific Southwest MHTTC region of Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, or the Pacific Islands? Join us for monthly PS MHTTC Office Hours! Once a month, PS MHTTC staff will host a virtual meeting for the mental health and school mental health workforce to pose questions, access support, and share resources. Office Hours are held 3-4 p.m. PT on every 4th Monday of the month, October through January, and on the 3rd Monday in February. Please register at by 3 p.m. PT on the dates you would like to attend.

Description: This is the third and final component in a series examining challenges specific populations experience in response to COVID and other traumatic ordeals. A Community of Practice session will also be available to participants who would like to discuss clinical applications of the information provided during the initial webinar. The webinar presenter will draw on his subject matter expertise to facilitate the follow-up Community of Practice session.   Presenter: Philip H. Rainer, M.S.W., LCSW-R, is a senior program associate at Advocates for Human Potential (AHP). He is highly skilled with more than 35 years of experience focused on clinical social work and demonstrated success in staff development; corporate training; program development and management based on promising and best practices; community education; public relations; and individual, group, and marital therapy. He has held leadership positions at several mental and community health organizations in the Albany, NY area. Mr. Rainer holds an M.S.W. from the State University of New York at Albany.   Learning Objectives Identify personal values and other factors that heighten the need for behavioral health support to first responders and frontline medical workers. Clarify specific stressors that present challenges for workers during the COVID-19 pandemic – now and in the future.  Describe resources and techniques to enhance timely and effective responses to address the needs of first responders and frontline healthcare providers.   COVID and Post-Trauma Care Series December 7, 2020, 2:00 – 3:00 PM EST Part 1: Supports for Transitioning Young Adults Impacted by COVID-19 and other Traumas January 11, 2021, 2:00 – 3:00 PM EST Part 2: Supports for Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses and/or Co-Occurring Disorders Impacted by COVID-19 and other Traumas January 25, 2021, 2:00 – 3:00 PM EST Part 3: Supports for First Responders Impacted by COVID-19 and other Traumas REGISTER   When registering for these webinars, participants will have the option to enroll in the Community of Practice session which will occur on a separate day.   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.  

Registration has closed for this event. Conversations around bias, race, and equity can prove uncomfortable; however, open communication is critical for advancing principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion in your mental health organization. Meeting the needs of clients in the diverse Pacific Southwest requires attention to these principles and mental health providers must first build their personal capacity if they hope to deliver equitable services.    Mitigating bias and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion require personal skill-building. These sessions will provide you with tools to communicate, facilitate, and engage in conflict more effectively. Participants will learn the principles of engaging in courageous conversations to advance equity. Opportunities for practicing with peers and self-reflection are embedded in the sessions. Upon completion of the six-part, instructor-led series, participants will leave with a personal action plan and skills they need to advance equity in their work through courageous conversations.

College Mental Health Professionals Community of Practice (CoP): Self-Care and Wellness during COVID-19 Part 2 January 25, 2021 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm MST | 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm CST 2020 has brought about an increased level of stress and uncertainty for college students dealing with the impacts of COVID-19. As students' mental health needs continue to escalate, the people serving them; mental/behavioral health providers, campus mental health counselors and staff are finding themselves overwhelmed with the number and frequency of requests from both students and administrators. Without training and support, providers face increasing levels of burn-out, leaving students with the possibility of receiving even fewer critical mental health services.     This CoP is designed for mental health professionals looking to learn and implement effective self-care and wellness strategies in response to the increased workload caused by COVID-19. Participants will identify a self-change project and identify 1-2 things they want to incorporate into their daily routine to promote self-care. They will track their progress throughout the series. Members of the cohort will also learn and practice coping skills and relaxation techniques that can be implemented immediately.    Dates The cohort will be comprised of four 90-minute sessions and will be limited to 12 participants.  All sessions will begin at 1:00 pm MST – 2:30 pm MST.    Session 1: January 11, 2021 Session 2: January 25, 2021 Session 3: February 8, 2021 Session 4: February 22, 2021   Trainers Shannon M. Bennett, Ph.D.  Shannon Bennett is an Assistant Professor of Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and an Attending Psychologist at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Bennett is the Site Clinical Director for the New York Presbyterian Hospital Youth Anxiety Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. She also serves as the Director of the Tourette Association of America’s Center of Excellence for Tourette Syndrome at Weill Cornell. Dr. Bennett’s research interests include the development and evaluation of novel treatments for anxiety and related disorders, and understanding the mechanisms involved in symptom change. Dr. Bennett currently oversees multiple clinical research studies in the areas of anxiety and related disorders, and has written several papers, book chapters, and treatment manuals on these topics. Dr. Bennett received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Boston University where she contributed to several cognitive-behavioral treatment research programs at the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Boston University. She was the Co-Founder and Associate Director of the Pediatric Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Intensive Treatment Program at the University of California, Los Angeles before joining the faculty at Weill Cornell. Dr. Bennett also led a multi-disciplinary research team focused on the psychosocial needs of women who experience perinatal loss, and earned a National Research Service Award for this research effort.  Dr. Bennett was honored with a Career Development Leadership Award from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and serves on the Medical Advisory Board for the Tourette Association of America. Dr. Bennett was a Principal Investigator of the Treating Tourette Together project, which was a federally funded initiative to plan the next phase of behavioral therapy research for Tourette Syndrome.   Anne Marie Albano, PhD  Anne Marie Albano is a Professor of Medical Psychology in Psychiatry at Columbia University, founder of the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders, and Clinical Site Director of New York Presbyterian Hospital's Youth Anxiety Center. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Mississippi. Dr. Albano is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, a Beck Institute Scholar, and is Board Certified in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. Dr. Albano received the Herbert Pardes Faculty Fellowship (2017-2020) at Columbia University Medical Center, was the recipient of the 2015 ABCT Award for Outstanding Contributions by an Individual for Clinical Activities, and in 2008 the Rosenberry Award for service to children, adolescents and families from the University of Colorado at Denver. Dr. Albano is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, a past president of the Society for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology of the American Psychological Association, and past president of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT). She is a past editor of Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, past associate editor of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology and founding editor of the journal "Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health". She has published more than 200 articles and chapters and is the co-author of several cognitive behavioral treatment manuals and of the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for Children, all published by Oxford University Press.   Andrea Temkin, Psy.D. Andrea Temkin, Psy.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and an Assistant Attending Psychologist at New York Presbyterian Hospital. She is a licensed psychologist with expertise in cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety, depression, attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and related conditions. Dr.  Temkin earned her Psy.D. from The Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University where she received training at the Youth Anxiety and Depression Center. Her research focused on improving treatments for children and adolescents through technology and through the use of transdiagnostic interventions. Dr. Temkin also looked at ways to improve the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practices through collaboration with community-based clinicians. Dr. Temkin completed her clinical internship at Bellevue Hospital Center/New York University Child Study Center. During this time she earned specialized training in treatments for ADHD and disruptive behavior disorders. Following her intern year, she was a post-doctoral fellow at the Youth Anxiety Center at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York Presbyterian where she contributed to clinical and research efforts focused on youth and young adults.     Lauren Hoffman, Psy.D. Lauren Hoffman, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD) at Columbia University Medical Center, where she also completed her postdoctoral fellowship. Dr. Hoffman received her B.A. with honors in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and her doctorate in clinical psychology from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. She completed her predoctoral clinical internship at the NYU Child Study Center and Bellevue Hospital Center. Dr. Hoffman specializes in providing cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and depressive disorders in children, adolescents, and young adults. She also has clinical expertise in family and school-based interventions for youth with disruptive behavior disorders, as well as extensive clinical training in dialectical behavioral therapy for adolescent emotion dysregulation and nonsuicidal self-injury. Dr. Hoffman’s research has examined parent-child agreement on treatment goals, the relationship between bullying and emotional distress, and the development of novel assessments and interventions for bullied youth. Her current research interests also include the use of novel technology, such as virtual reality, to improve access to care for youth and young adults with anxiety. Dr. Hoffman has presented her work at national conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.

SAMHSA’s (2020) National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care- A Best Practice Toolkit highlights the critical roles Peer Specialists hold in providing services that promote wellness and recovery, including during crises. Peer Specialists bring distinct value in the engagement of people during and after suicide crisis in numerous ways, such as inspiring a sense of hope for recovery, personal understanding of barriers and solutions to mental health system navigation, and contributing to anti-stigma efforts with lived experience of mental health recovery. With a diverse panel of Peer Specialists (youth and adult) working across the crisis continuum of care from the Pacific Northwest and Southwest and New England regions of the United States, audiences will learn about the roles of Peer Specialists in promoting wellness and recovery within mobile crisis units, peer respite programs, creating self-help tools like Apps and documentary film, supporting our colleagues within the Peer workforce, and working on warm and hot lines for both youth, adults, and older populations. This panel is part of a 3-webinar series about Peer Specialists’ Roles in Behavioral Health Crisis including Suicide.

The Great Lakes MHTTC School-based Supplement offers this training for mental health and school-based mental health professionals in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI. January 25, 2021 11:30am–1:00pm CST 12:30pm–2:00pm EST Adolescence is a crucial period for developing and maintain social and emotional habits important for mental well-being. An estimated 10-20% of adolescents globally experience mental health conditions, yet these remain underdiagnosed and untreated This webinar series will provide learners with tools to assess mental health in young people, recognize common mental health disorders, and identify differences between typical adolescent behavior and the onset of mental illness. We will focus on identifying how students express common mental health challenges through remote learning. In addition, we will discuss the opportunities remote learning provides for identifying students’ mental health and responding with effective coping strategies. The presentation will also examine on the impact of COVID-19 social distancing on youth anxiety. Lastly, the webinar will include shared resources for developing meaningful conversations with youth about mental health and seeking professional help. Learning Objectives: Participants will learn: Key factors in assessing a young person with mental illness What the early stages of mental illness look like Guidance and tips for effective treatment   Target Audience:  School personnel, mental health providers for youth, parents Speaker:  Angela Begres is a licensed clinical social worker who trained and earned her MSW at the University of Chicago. She is an expert trainer and presenter with experience integrating mental health education programs into the curriculum for students and staff within the Chicago and West Cook County public schools. In Partnership with the National Alliance for Mental Health (NAMI) Metro Suburban, Angela also developed a program to help decrease student stress and implement mindfulness in the classrooms. She has also worked with Chicago Family Services (DCFS) providing parenting education, with efforts to get parents reunited with their children.

Join us as we challenge the “business as usual” mode of operating during a time of crisis, taking a deep dive into how we are coping with stress in our day-to-day lives. VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING PRODUCT PAGE   The Northwest MHTTC is excited to collaborate with Rebekah Demirel L.Ac. MPCC to deliver a webinar and podcast series as part of our Provider Well-Being activities. Find out more about the series here. Series Description: We Make The Path By Walking is an eight-part webinar series designed to help us reckon with our turbulent world, offering support and direction for a clearer path forward and featuring an open forum. Interactive sessions bring focus and connection through meaningful group discussion, opening opportunities for personal exploration, insight and the discovery of new ways to navigate life with resilience and hope. Psychotherapeutic modalities drawn from East Asian medicine equips participants with self-nurturance skills such as, meditation and breathing practices, voice-work and body awareness techniques for day to day well-being and sharing with others. Presenter: Rebekah Demirel L.Ac.  MPCC is the founder and director of Trauma Integration Programs, with more than a decade as an ambulance paramedic, twenty-two years as a paramedic trainer, eighteen years of mental health counseling experience, specializing in traumatic stress and she is a licensed East Asian medicine practitioner and acupuncturist. Rebekah’s unique skill set and experience are informed by her own traumatic childhood and teen years spent on the street and in the foster care system, giving her a special familiarity and empathy for trauma and loss.            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.

  The Great Lakes MHTTC presents this workshop for providers in HHS Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI) in partnership with WAFCA, the Wisconsin Association of Family and Children's Agencies.    January 22, 2021 8:30 am–12:30pm CST We all aspire to high levels of happiness, yet this is a goal that evades many of us. What should we know if we too aim to become a happy—or a happier—person? In this four-hour workshop, Dr. Pelin Kesebir will answer this question, relying on the latest findings from well-being research. At the conclusion of the workshop, participants will have a better sense of where well-being lies and how it can be cultivated through small, daily activities.   Learning Objectives By taking part in this workshop, the participants will: understand that well-being is a skill that can be developed, learn about the different causes and correlates of well-being, become familiar with the main qualities that make up a healthy mind, get a better sense of what a healthy sense of self involves, and learn about the importance of healthy relationships to well-being.   Audience: Behavioral health, human services, and other community-based providers CEUs: WAFCA offers four NBCC continuing education hours for this workshop.    Presenter   Pelin Kesebir, Ph.D. Fellow, Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin–Madison Dr. Pelin Kesebir received her doctoral degree in Social Psychology and Personality Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009. She is a fellow at the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dr. Kesebir studies happiness and character strengths, and the different ways in which we can cultivate well-being. She is originally from Istanbul, Turkey.      

Please note: These events 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 Webinar: The Northwest MHTTC and the Pacific Southwest MHTTC are continuing our partnership to provide and extend deeper technical assistance on the Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF). This year, we are offering programming to deepen your ISF work and contextualize ISF to this moment of COVID-19 and beyond. Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF) is a structure and process that maximizes effectiveness and efficiency by blending the strengths of school and community mental health with strengths of the multi-tiered framework of PBIS (Barrett, Eber, Weist, 2013). This webinar is part of our ISF West Coast Party Webinars: Enhancing MTSS - Integrating Student Mental Health and Wellness Through Systems, Data, and Practices. This series consists of four modules and ends with a town hall for you to be able to ask faculty your questions and resource one another. Each module includes teaching from Susan Barrett and field leaders on ISF systems and USC faculty on ISF practices.  Mental Health is Everyone’s Job. Come learn how the Interconnected Systems Framework approach supports students, staff and families. Learn more about our presenters and access all presentation materials & recordings here. Series Schedule:  You can register for multiple events using the registration button above. You are welcome to attend as much or little as desired, though we do recommend attending the systems sessions (in blue) before the practices sessions (in green).   Module 1: ISF in Virtual Conditions 10/20/20 - ISF Systems in Virtual Conditions w/Susan Barrett 10/22/20 - Secondary Traumatic Stress and Educator Well Being w/Steve Hydon   Module 2: ISF + Trauma Informed Approaches 10/27/20 - ISF Systems & Trauma-Informed Approaches w/Susan Barrett 11/5/20 - Virtual Adaptations of Psychological First Aid w/Marleen Wong 11/17/20 - Virtual Adaptations of Trauma Informed Skills for Educators w/Pamela Vona & Vivien Villaverde   Module 3: ISF + Tiers 2 & 3 12/1/20 - ISF Systems and Tiers 2 & 3 w/Susan Barrett 12/3/20 - Virtual adaptations of SSET/Bounce Back w/ Pamela Vona & Vivien Villaverde   Module 4: ISF & Equity 1/12/21 - Secondary Traumatic Stress & BIPOC Educator Well Being w/Steve Hydon & Guests 1/19/21 - ISF Systems & Equity w/Susan Barrett 1/21/21 - Racial Violence and Trauma and Schools w/USC faculty & Guests   ISF West Coast Town Hall 1/26/21 - ISF systems & practices in this moment with Susan Barrett & USC Faculty *Our events are open to the public and attendees from any region. Due to limited capacity, however, we kindly ask that if you are not from Region 9 (AZ, CA, HI, NV, and U.S. Pacific Islands of American Samoa, Guam, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau) or Region 10 (AK, ID, OR, WA) to please consider waiting to register or not attending live and watching the recording in order to prioritize space for our Region 10 participants. We have an amazing team that will post a link to the recording within a week of event.

The Great Lakes MHTTC offers this training to behavioral health professionals in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI. This event series is currently full.  You can register for the next series beginning on March 17, 2021 Motivational Interviewing is an evidence-based practice used to help people overcome their ambivalence about change. In this interactive, skills-based workshop, participants will have the opportunity to learn about and practice the spirit of MI and relational skills.  LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Describe Motivational Interviewing: purpose, benefits and limitations Summarize each of the four processes in Motivational Interviewing Recognize differences between engagement helps and harms Prepare to apply the spirit of Motivational Interviewing to patient interactions Observe and practice fundamental skills: Listening, open-ended questions, affirmations, reflective listening, and summarization. Training Dates: (Participants will need to attend all three sessions) Session times: 12:30–3:30 PM CST) January 21, 2021 January 28, 2021 February 4, 2021 CEUS: 9 NAADAC CEUs will be awarded to participants who attend all three sessions. Partial credit will not be awarded. 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.