Past Events

Families of persons with serious mental illness play an important role in the lives of their loved ones. In addition to being caring siblings, parents or spouses, they often function as caregivers and can be an asset to any mental health team to assure optimal benefit of treatment. A new workforce is emerging to support these families. Family peer support workers are persons with a lived experience trained to provide support to other family members who are caring for a person with a serious mental illness. Join us every month for our Family Peer Support: An Emerging Workforce webinar series, which will expand upon concepts outlined in our Aug. 4 webinar. Speakers will outline SAMHSA-published competencies in peer support and explore how persons with lived experience as a family member, friend or other caregiver of a person with a mental illness can support others in a similar situation, and discuss the training needs of this emerging workforce. Content is tailored to address needs within our four-state region — Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri — but all are welcome. Certificates of completion will be provided to viewers of 50% or more of the live webinars.

The Northwest MHTTC, in collaboration with the Great Lakes MHTTC present this 90-minute listening session for Washington State PACT and Idaho ACT Team Leaders. This is a closed event for ACT Team Leaders in Washington and Idaho as part of a larger implementation project. The purpose of this session is to gain a better understanding of Team Leader training needs, including barriers and facilitators of creating and sustaining a high fidelity ACT/PACT team. This listening session will be interactive, focusing on gaining direct input from Team Leaders, while also fostering regional connections among teams. This event is part of our series Team Leaders Making a Difference! Conversations on Leadership and Supervision in ACT. Presenters Lynette M. Studer, PhD, MSW, LCSW is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work. She teaches MSW students in a mental health field unit as well as classes on Mental Health Policies & Services and Advanced Practice Skills in Mental Health. Prior to joining the UW-Madison faculty, she held a position as both an Agency Policy Specialist and State Administrator with the State of Minnesota Department of Human Services, Chemical and Mental Health Administration overseeing and improving policy and the provision of technical assistance for the state’s 32 Assertive Community Treatment teams who serve individuals with serious mental illness. Dr. Studer holds clinical social work licenses in both Wisconsin and Minnesota and has been a practicing clinical social worker for over 20 years. Mimi Choy-Brown, PhD, MSW, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work. Informed by over a decade of practice and leadership in community mental health services, her research focuses on improving access to high quality mental health services for individuals who experience significant psychiatric disabilities and supervision-focused strategies to improve the implementation of recovery-oriented, evidence-based practices in routine care. She received her PhD from NYU and her MSW from Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. Maria Monroe-DeVita, PhD, is an Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington, School of Medicine, and the Director of the Washington State Center of Excellence in First Episode Psychosis. Her expertise is in implementation and services research related to evidence-based practices for adults with serious mental illness, particularly the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model. She has served as the Principal Investigator on several projects with the Washington State Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, including the development, implementation, and fidelity assessment of 10 new ACT teams, and several Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) and Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT) pilots across the state. She is also in the process of developing and testing novel approaches to better serving people with serious mental illness. She received a collaborative R34 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to develop and pilot-test the integration of IMR within ACT teams and is working to better define and implement integrated primary care services within ACT. She is also the lead author of the new ACT fidelity tool – the Tool for Measurement of Assertive Community Treatment (TMACT) – which has been disseminated and pilot-tested in several U.S. states and countries.

The Northwest MHTTC in partnership with Pathways Research and Training Center (RTC) is pleased to announce a series of monthly consultation calls focused on “Advanced Topics in Strengthening Youth/Young Adult Peer Support.” Each call will have its own topic, in an area such as skill building, supervision, coaching and training, organizational policies and procedures, hiring and onboarding, and more. This series is intended primarily for peer support specialists, their supervisors, and administrators charged with implementing youth/young adult peer support. Pathways RTC Consult Calls On January 21, our team will discuss “How Youth Partners Collaborate with Family Partners.” We will review how youth and family partners support youth, families, and wraparound teams individually and collectively. We will present different principles for how youth and family partners work together, and apply said principles to various scenarios. Here's what you can expect from each consultation call: Focus on one topic such as skill building, supervision, coaching and training, organizational policies and procedures, hiring and on-boarding, and more Sharing a practical resource related to the meeting's topic, such as  a strategy, tool, set of research findings, or template Time for focused discussion in which attendees can ask questions and share knowledge and ideas relevant to the day’s topic, followed by an open discussion of any topic related to youth/young adult peer support

Bounce Back is a school-based group intervention for elementary students exposed to stressful and traumatic events. With 20-50% of American children experiencing trauma within their families, at their schools, and in their communities, it's essential to help children heal. Bounce Back teaches students ways to cope with and recover from traumatic experiences, so they can get back to doing what they want to do and need to do. Designed to be administered by clinicians, Bounce Back is based on the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS).

Identify healthy practices that individual providers can adopt and recognize stressors through a trauma-informed lens. Resources Self-care Support for Providers slide deck from January 20, 2021 How to flourish in Social Work: Steps to Self-Care (University of Buffalo, School of Social Work) Standards of Self-Care (Traumatology Academy) Self-Care During the Coronavirus Pandemic (National Association of Social Workers)   The Northwest MHTTC is excited to collaborate with Aleks Martin, MSW, LSWAIC, SUDP, to deliver a webinar and podcast series as part of our Provider Well-Being activities. Find out more about the series here. Join Aleks Martin, MSW, LSWAIC, SUDP, live on the third Wednesday of the month at 11AM to 12PM Pacific Time on a variety of topics of related to provider well-being.  Webinar Dates: January 20 - “Self-care Support for Providers” February 17 -  “Mindfulness Practice for Providers” March 17 - "Mental Wellness vs. Mental Illness” April 21 - “Impostor Syndrome: Am I good enough?” May 19 - “Stigma, Shame and Self” June 16 - “Diversity and Difference” July 21 - Topic TBA August 11 - Topic TBA Presenter: Aleks Martin (S/he pronouns, but they is ok) has been in the health and social service field for over 20 years. Aleks was drawn to the LGBTQI2+ community in their mid-twenties working for a national HIV-prevention study with youth called, Young Asian Men’s Study (YAMS). This exposed them to the great work of HIV workers from other organizations and how community-based programs are critical in reaching out to the most vulnerable populations. During this time, they worked as a Disease Intervention Specialist with Public Health - Seattle & King County for 7 years, including working on the pilot study for the Rapid HIV Test Kit (then a 20-minute test). A big portion of their professional career was spent at Seattle Counseling Service, a behavioral health agency for the LGBTQ community. From 2003 to 2019, Aleks started as Database Manager, Health Educator, Program Coordinator to Chemical Dependency Counselor and Addictions Program Supervisor. This was the safe space where their yearning for higher education was cultivated so they could serve their community further. As a graduate of the University of Washington’s School of Social Work - Masters Program, Aleks developed their skills as a mental health clinician and social justice advocate. Aleks’ perspectives where shifted and allowed them to have a wider lens for diversity, inclusion and equity. Aleks was inspired to start a private practice to address the special needs of the LGBTQI2+ and BBIPOC (Black, Brown, Indigenous and People of Color), particularly Queer and Trans Asian and Pacific Islander people dealing with unique and special issues that intersect with race/culture and gender/sexuality like coming out, spiritual conflicts, cultural dissonance, gender transition, social navigation at work and other environments, interpersonal relationships from intimacy to friendships, understanding relationships with non-LGBTQI2+ partner(s), and so on. 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.

Facilitated by Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon, this was a series of open monthly consultation calls for Region 10 (Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho) supporting the Adult Peer workforce held in 2020-2021. MHAAO Consultation Calls & Webinars These calls are intended for peer support specialists, supervisors of peers, and administrators of peer-delivered services and programs. You may join any or all of these calls. While we use a recurring Zoom link, you are welcome to choose the sessions that work for your schedule and interests. Topics in future calls will include: increasing familiarity with peer-delivered services developing job descriptions designing peer programs hiring for peer positions documentation supervision workforce training and professional development and more!  January 20 Topic: Hiring for Peer Positions 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. 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 and PTTC offer this training for behavioral health professionals in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI.     All 45 minutes sessions will be from 12:30-1:15 PM CST. You will need to register for each session you want to attend.     The Great Lakes MHTTC and PTTC will host a series of interactive calls for people who want to broaden and enhance their use of Motivational Interviewing skills in their role of leader or supervisor. This learning opportunity provides supervisors with a no-cost, easy to access opportunity to continue to build their practice skills towards fidelity. All sessions will be geared towards multiple levels of learning.      Supervisors may choose to attend all sessions or select from the menu of options. Dates and topics are listed below.     Learning Objectives: Observe and practice fundamental skills: Listening, open-ended questions, affirmations, reflective listening, and summarization Describe Motivational Interviewing: purpose, benefits and limitations Prepare to apply the spirit of Motivational Interviewing to supervision interactions     Dates and Topics:  1/20/21: Motivational interviewing and supervision: The evidence base REGISTER 2/17/21: REALLY listening to understand REGISTER 3/17/21: The spirit of MI in supervision REGISTER 4/21/21: Let your employee know you’re working hard to understand them REGISTER 5/19/21: Guiding others towards change with your open mind REGISTER 6/16/21: Taming your inner cheerleader- Increasing confidence and importance to change in your staff REGISTER JULY: NO SESSION 8/18/21: Encouraging change while handling being stuck with care REGISTER 9/15/21: A big clue that you and the employee aren’t on the same page REGISTER 10/20/21: Growing and supporting change in your employee REGISTER 11/17/21: Planning for change REGISTER DECEMBER: NO SESSION

Everyone has mental health, which is an essential aspect of our overall health, wellness and success. Moreover, less than half of the youth who need mental health services and supports receive them, due to stigma or not knowing how to get help. This learning session will focus on evidence-based, practical strategies for schools to reduce stigma, increase awareness about the importance of mental health, and promote literacy about what mental health is and how to access supports when needed.

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.

Closed 3-day virtual training event in the Be Strong Families Parent Cafe model for select Texas Certified Family Partners.

Meeting Description: Region 10 Peer & Family Collaborative met on January 19th and was attended by Sandy Bumpus (OFSN), Adrienne Scavera (MHAAO), Janet Walker & Caitlin Baird (PSU).  The purpose of these regional meetings is to coordinate with family and adult peer support contacts to identify topics and workforce needs of mutual interest, and share resources. The group discussed possible topics to cover in future collaborative webinars/learning community call and relevant project updates in the peer and family workforce.  Topics mentioned included funding for peer support and implementation of peer support, as well as peer support fidelity measures. 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.

Este panel virtual de una hora proporcionará información sobre cómo los retos enfrentados a raíz de la pandemia han impactado a las minorías incluyendo las comunidades hispanas y latinas. Dentro de estas minorías, específicamente las mujeres hispanas y latinas han experimentado mayores niveles de estrés y ansiedad debido a la transición de roles tanto en el ámbito profesional, como personal. Este panel será conducido por profesionales latinas quienes a través de su trabajo impactan comunidades con condiciones de salud mental. Ellas compartirán sus historias de luchas, retos, transiciones, estrategias de autocuidado y recursos que utilizan para enfrentar la crisis de forma efectiva. Las personas que participen de este panel tendrán la oportunidad de reconocer el rol de los valores culturales de las personas hispanas y latinas al momento de enfrentar los retos a nivel personal, familiar y profesional.  ¿Quién debe asistir? Este panel esta diseñado para el público en general pero especialmente para hispanas y latinas, incluyendo promotoras comunitarias de la salud, trabajadoras sociales, psicólogas, consejeras, estudiantes graduados, otros proveedores de servicios salud mental y mujeres en general. Información sobre las panelistas: Darice Orobitg, PhD – Adiestradora y Consultora de Contenido Isa Vélez-Echevarría, PsyD – Adiestradora y Especialista en Contenido Christine Miranda, PhD – Adiestradora y Especialista en Contenido de Escuelas Carmen Andújar-Cantres, BA – Enlace de Logística y Asuntos Externos Lillibet Febres, MS – Evaluadora de Programa   Por favor, lea lo siguiente antes de registrarse: El National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center utiliza Zoom como nuestro sistema para eventos en línea. Se puede acceder al audio del evento a través de Internet. Para recibir audio, los asistentes deben unirse al evento utilizando computadoras equipadas con altavoces o marcar por teléfono. Después del registro, se generará un correo electrónico de confirmación con instrucciones para unirse al evento. Para evitar problemas con el inicio de sesión, utilice el correo electrónico de confirmación para unirse al evento.

"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts." -Eleanor Roosevelt The MHTTC K-12 program is offering free training sessions throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic to support education programs in Tribal Communities. Not only has the pandemic stressed our healthcare and educational systems, but it has exacerbated the effects of historical trauma. Our MHTTC K - 12 program hopes to offer support, resiliency tools, and connections that are relevant and supportive as Native American communities remain resilient. 2:00-3:30 pm Central Standard Time MHTTC K - 12 programs will continue to support our Native school communities throughout this pandemic. We will continue to offer training for the entire school community (students, parents, teachers, counselors, and principals). This training will be bi-monthly, covering topics important to you as we finish out this storm together. Each session will include a special guest speaker, key topic information, resources, and discussion with our participants. Examples of upcoming topics: Inequalities in Education Caused by Covid-19 Trauma-Related to Covid-19 The need for increased broadband infrastructure to endure access to technology in Native communities The need for family and community outreach because of Covid-19

*Please note, this series is full. Contact Megan Dotson if you have any questions. Telebehavioral health and recovery support can assist with the expansion of services and improve client outcomes. It is essential to ensure that professionals providing services using videoconferencing mediums obtain comprehensive and specific training and supervision to offer the best quality of care. This series offers a unique interactive experience that provides shared consultation to professionals delivering counseling in an online environment. The series is structured to provide online consultation, skill-based learning and practice, group and self-study activities, reading assignments, and discussion on topics essential to providing services using videoconferencing.   Skills-based Videoconferencing Every Thursday, Jan 14 - Feb 25, 2021  10:00 - 11:30 am Alaska  11:00 am - 12:30 pm Pacific  12:00 - 1:30 pm Mountain  1:00 - 2:30 pm Central  2:00 - 3:30 pm Eastern

About the Event:  Certified Peer Specialists have a unique and comprehensive perspective of our recovery communities, not only providing but also receiving support in diverse settings that frequently reflect the values, beliefs, and practices of the communities where we live and work.  This session will focus on the relationship between physical health and mental health, and how disparities impact recovery and wellness. Over the course of the past year, we have seen how health equity considerations, including social determinants, have negatively impacted communities of color during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have also seen data suggesting negative mental health impacts for COVID-19 survivors. Please join the Southeast Mental Health Technology Transfer Center and the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network as we continue our discussion about how Certified Peer Specialists can better understand and support peers facing complex barriers to recovery and wellness.  Key Learning Objectives:  1. Describe how race impacts recovery supports in the community and the behavioral health system.  2. Discuss how race creates barriers to recovery and wellness.  3. Identify actions peer support providers can take to improve recovery and wellness outcomes.    About the Facilitators:  The Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network believes in the ability of everyone living with mental health concerns to enjoy lives of purpose, meaning, productivity, and wellness. Since it was founded in 1991, this grassroots nonprofit organization has been led and run by mental health peers—people in mental health recovery. At its core, the basis of peer support—one person using their lived experience to support another—is not new; in fact, it is the basis of human growth and development. Mental health peers with special training are now able to use their lived recovery experience in clinical settings to provide something beyond a diagnosis or medication.     Roslind D. Hayes, BS, CPS-AD, CARES, WHWC is the Statewide Coordinator of the GMHCN's Peer Support, Wellness, and Respite Centers. She is a trainer/facilitator for the Certified Peer Specialist Project, Peer Zone, and Intentional Peer Support.  Chris Johnson, MFA, CPS, CPS-AD is GMHCN's Director of Communications. He is responsible for sharing information about recovery and wellness opportunities to behavioral health peers and providers across Georgia. 

The First Episode Psychosis (FEP) monthly mentoring call hosted by the South Southwest MHTTC provides technical assistance and an open discussion platform for mental health workers offering services for FEP and clinical high risk populations.

UPDATE 1/4/21: Registration for this event has now CLOSED.  Psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia, typically emerge in adolescence and early adulthood. Early detection and intervention is key to prevention and improved outcome. Its success depends on a widespread awareness of the early signs and symptoms of psychosis among the community. This workshop aims to provide Region 6 health/mental health professionals and clinical researchers who work with young people with hands-on skills to assess and diagnose Clinical High Risk (CHR) syndromes and early psychosis. This no cost, 2-day virtual workshop will be taught by Jason Schiffman, PhD, University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Dr. Schiffman is an experienced researcher and trainer of the Structured Interview of Psychosis-risk Syndromes (SIPS)—a validated and most used diagnostic instrument of CHR throughout the world. The goals of this workshop are for Region 6 participants to become familiar with the general signs and symptoms of people at CHR, to become familiar with the SIPS diagnostic and symptom severity measures, and to be able to rate reliably a SIPS interview. Participants will become certified users of the SIPS upon successful completion of the training requirements in the workshop, including being able to accurately rate a video. This training is for participants from Region 6 states: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be available. You must attend the entire session each day to receive CEUs.

Building Capacity of School Personnel to Promote Positive Mental Health in Native American Children and Youth - Spring 2021 Part 1 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.

We are so pleased that after a short pause, our School Mental Health Wellness Wednesdays are back. For the coming program year, we’ll offer 60-minute virtual sessions for the school mental health workforce to connect, reflect, and support each other. The Wellness Wednesdays will occur every 2nd Wednesday of each month, 2-3 p.m. PT, and will be led by Pacific Southwest MHTTC School Mental Health staff (Leora Wolf-Prusan and Oriana Ides). Please note that Wellness Wednesdays are not a sequence; you can join some or all.

  Description: The novel coronavirus pandemic has brought incredibly challenging working conditions to many in health and human services fields. Many workers are logging on remotely and struggling with simultaneous demands like homeschooling children or caring for a sick family member, while others may be grieving unfathomable losses or managing a personal mental health crisis while trying to carry on for the sake of the vulnerable populations they serve. Studies have diagrammed a predictable cascade of trauma-worker mental health difficulties, starting with burnout, progressing through compassion fatigue, and tumbling into a vicarious trauma condition. Vicarious trauma can leave helpers feeling helpless, struggling with the cumulative weight of the stories they’ve heard and seen. Some may develop trauma responses like hypervigilance, nightmares, clinical anxiety and depression that impact their personal functioning, work performance, and job retention. This webinar will introduce what we know about how vicarious trauma impacts individuals, examine how the current crisis exacerbates these conditions, and offer supportive attitudes, interventions, and policies for managers and supervisors to implement.   Presenter: Kate Bishop, MSSA, the Education Coordinator at the LGBT Health Resource Center of Chase Brexton, is a seasoned professional development trainer with expertise in working with LGBTQ populations, sexual and reproductive health care, adolescent development, intimate partner violence, and sexual trauma. She is certified as a trainer through GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) as well as SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders). Before joining the Chase Brexton team, she developed the capacity building program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s STAR TRACK Adolescent HIV program, providing cultural responsiveness trainings for agencies that serve sexual minority youth of color. Ms. Bishop holds a Bachelor of Arts in Gender Studies from Hiram College and a Masters in Social Work from Case Western Reserve University.   Learning Objectives: Describe the impact of witnessing and assisting trauma survivors on health and human service workers. Examine the effects of COVID-19 and lockdown measures on workers who staff the social safety net. Develop a toolbox of supervisory attitudes, skills, and interventions designed to support front line workers who are dealing with vicarious trauma. Explore best practices, policy guidance, and implementation considerations in becoming a trauma-informed workplace   Contact Hours: 1 NAADAC   This event is provided in collaboration by the Central East PTTC, the Central East MHTTC and the Central East ATTC.

Effective Supports for Students with Autism Participating in Remote Learning January 13, 2021 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm MST | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm CST In this free, one-hour training, participants will learn about effective accommodations, modifications, and interventions for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in remote learning environments. The training will address visual supports, methods to assist with emotional and/or behavioral regulation, strategies to promote socialization, behavioral principles, reinforcement systems that can be used by teachers and caregivers in the home, and considerations to aid the student in transitioning back to in-person learning at their school.   Participants will learn: Supports to assist their students with remote learning. Strategies to assist students to socialize remotely and in-person. Tips to manage and support behaviors. Ways to support and prepare students to transition back to in-person learning.   Trainer Erin Briley, MS, NCSP  Erin Briley is a Technical Trainer for the Mountain Plains MHTTC and works for WICHE’s Behavioral Health Program as a Research and Technical Assistant Associate. Ms. Briley’s primary role with the WICHE Behavioral Health Program involves assisting the creation and implementation of Psychology Internship Consortiums in rural western states and providing training and supports for school behavioral health. Ms. Briley has worked in schools for 20 years, serving primarily as a school psychologist and providing educational and behavioral health support for children ages 3 through 22. Erin earned her Bachelor’s in Human Development and Family Studies at Colorado State University, her Master’s in Counseling/School Psychology, and a Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis at California State University Los Angeles. She is currently earning her PhD (ABD) in Clinical Psychology.      

About the Event:  During this webinar, Dr. Teri Brister, Director of Information & Support at National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), will highlight the importance of engaging and involving family members in an individual's mental health care. She will focus on person and family centered care as well as discuss models to engage individuals and family members in the treatment process. Learning Objectives 1. Learn about person and family centered care. 2. Learn about shared decision making. 3. Understand the value of providing the person and the family with information about their condition and the treatment options available.  4. Understand models of engaging individuals and their family in the treatment process, including peer education and support. About the Presenter:  Teri Brister, Ph.D., serves as the Director of Information & Support at National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Dr. Brister is responsible for ensuring that all content created and disseminated by NAMI attains the highest possible standards of accuracy, relevance, value and academic rigor. She is the author of NAMI Basics and co-author of the NAMI Homefront program. Since July 2018 Dr. Brister has served as the SMI Patient and Family Engagement Expert for the APA SMI Adviser project. Prior to joining NAMI in 2005, Dr. Brister worked for twenty years in the community mental health system in Mississippi, working in both clinical and administrative roles, including Assistant Executive Director in two different centers. Dr. Brister received her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from Jackson State University, and her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Counseling Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Mississippi.

Please join us for this timely webinar featuring special guest speakers, Daniel V. Foster, Psy.D., MSCP; and Ken Winters, PhD.