Past Events

The Peer Support Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (PS ECHO) is a movement to share knowledge, and amplify capacity to provide best practices. The PS ECHO is an online community for Peer Recovery Specialist and Mental Health Peers to: Share community and statewide resources Learn new skills and tools for doing peer work Meet and connect with other peers    

Indian Health Care Providers Series This series is specifically for WA State and Region 10 Indian Health Care Providers, Tribal and Urban Indian Behavioral Health Program Providers Please join the Northwest MHTTC and our organizing partners for the second of two webinars on telebehavioral health! This event, Session 2, features Dr. Chris Fore, Director, IHS TeleBehavioral Health Center of Excellence at Indian Health Service. Dr. Fore will present “Introduction to Telebehavioral Health for IHCPs”, covering topics such as defining telehealth, workflow considerations, configuring the space and privacy issues, billing and reimbursement and special considerations and more. The focus will be informed by the previous session’s discussion. Lucilla Mendoza, tribal behavioral health administrator with the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA), will attend as the HCA billing/IHCP expert to attend and help field questions.  This event is applicable to rural settings. Organizing partners include the Behavioral Health Training, Workforce and Policy Innovation Center of the University of Washington's Behavioral Health Institute in partnership with the WA State Health Care Authority (HCA).  Key Tribal Partners include the Indian Health Service's Telebehavioral Health Center of Excellence (TBHCE), the American Indian Health Commission (AIHC) of Washington State and others. Partners & Presenters Chris Fore, Ph.D, Director, IHS TeleBehavioral Health Center of Excellence at Indian Health Service                 Melody McKee, MS, SUDP, Program Director for the Behavioral Health Training, Workforce and Policy Innovation Center through Harborview Medical Center’s Behavioral Health Institute               Cara Towle, MSN, RN, MA, Associate Director for Telepsychiatry at the University of Washington                     Kathryn Akeah and Jen Olsen, American Indian Health Commission Mike Longnecker, Tribal Operations and Compliance Manager, WA HCA Kristi Woodard, LICSW, Behavioral Health Consultant, Portland Area Indian Health Service (IHS) Lucilla Mendoza, MSW, CPP Tribal Behavioral Health Administrator, Office of Tribal Affairs, WA HCA                                     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.

  For mental health professionals, mental health clinicians, and school-based program providers working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI.     The Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs (MACMHP) offers this presentation in partnership with the Great Lakes MHTTC. Space is limited to 98 participants—register today!    About the Live Q&A Dr. Bilek will answer questions about the new TRAILS program developed in response to the current public health crisis. TRAILS is offering special training for student support staff on delivery of this program focused on student self-care and effective coping strategies.  There is one seven-session manual for grades 3–5 and another manual for grades 6–12.     Prerequisite You are required to view a two-hour recorded webinar about the TRAILs program before the Q&A session.   The two-hour webinar will introduce the TRAILS session agendas and accompanying materials and equip attendees to teach students several self-care strategies grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness. Students can use these strategies to cope effectively with common difficulties during COVID-19 and other stressful and challenging times, such as anxiety, depression, social isolation, worried thoughts, poor sleep, and decreased energy.    About the Presenter Dr. Emily Bilek is a board-certified psychologist and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Miami and completed her pre-doctoral internship and postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan. She specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy for youth with anxiety and related disorders, and has a particular interest in training, treating, and researching best practice for treating youth anxiety. She is a co-author of manuals for the transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders in youth. She has given numerous presentations and published articles on these and related topics. Dr. Bilek lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with her husband and two children.

Description: Educators and school-based staff play important roles in supporting student mental health, often listening to students’ fears and helping them cope with stressful events. In addition, educators and staff report working long days and feeling overwhelmed by juggling many job responsibilities – including the abrupt shift to remote learning as a result of school closures. The cumulative effect of this stress can take the form of compassion fatigue, burnout, or secondary traumatic stress, which contribute to lower job satisfaction and educator turnover. This live webinar training will explore the differences between and strategies to counter fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. Participants will also learn strategies to enhance well-being and promote job satisfaction.    Presenter: Kristin Scardamalia, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine National Center for School Mental Health. Dr. Scardamalia has extensive experience working with high needs youth and their families as a school psychologist in both the public schools and juvenile services. Her research focuses on the intersection of the education, juvenile justice, and mental health systems including development and implementation of social emotional learning skills. Dr. Scardamalia has contributed to the development and dissemination of a national curriculum promoting comprehensive school mental health with an emphasis on educator well-being.   Learning Objectives Describe contributors to and symptoms of compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress Gain an understanding of experiences with compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress Learn strategies to improve well-being and to counter compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress   Who Should Attend? Elementary educators: Expanded School Mental Health program (Ohio County, West Virginia)   Closed Registration

For mental health professionals in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI.   The Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs (MACMHP) presents Scattering CJ Virtual Screening and Moderated Discussion in partnership with the Great Lakes MHTTC.  Space is limited to 98 participants—register today!     About Scattering CJ The newly-released documentary Scattering CJ follows one family's experience of a loved one's death by suicide. After reaching out for support, thousands of people answer a mother's call to be a part of carrying on her son's memory in an unexpected way.  Following the one-hour film,  Tanya Carter, Suicide Prevention Unit Supervisor from the Minnesota Department of Health, and Kate Erickson, Quality Improvement Director at MACMHP, will provide an opportunity for reflection and discussion. Tanya will provide concrete ideas about postvention–how to support families and communities following a death by suicide.   Learning Objectives  Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to: • Summarize the narrative of the documentary, Scattering CJ • List three strategies for postvention (following a death by suicide) • Name one action step they can take to play a part in suicide prevention   About the Facilitators Tanya Carter has 20 years of experience in community education programs, program development, and crisis intervention. She is passionate about suicide prevention and reducing the stigma related to mental illness. Prior to working at the Minnesota Department of Health, Tanya worked in tribal and county government agencies on coordinating mental health mobile crisis and suicide prevention efforts in rural Minnesota.  Kate Erickson is the Quality Improvement Director for the Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs (MACMHP).  Kate works with the 32 community mental health agencies across MN, focusing on analyzing data, population health management, quality improvement, and designing care pathways.  Prior to working with MACMHP, Kate worked in state government and community clinics on overdose prevention, harm reduction, clinic operations, integrated care, and anti-racist community organizing.  Kate has 20 years of experience in strategic planning, training, group facilitation, advocacy, teaching, program development, and quality improvement. Continuing Education Credits Participants will receive two CEUs (issued by MACMHP). 

School Community of Practice Connections and Conversations – Adapting to COVID-19 This meeting will be an informal facilitated gathering for the cohorts that have participated in the Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center’s Every Moment Counts Community of Practice (CoP) to gather and discuss the challenges, changes, and adaptations required by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Sarah Nielsen, Dr. Lavonne Fox, and Thomasine Heitkamp will facilitate discussion among CoP members about how schools are responding to student mental health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a brief session introduction, attendees will move into breakout groups to have focused discussion around specific topic areas.   This is a closed event. If you are interested in learning more about the Mountain Plains MHTTC’s Community of Practice learning opportunities please contact David Terry at [email protected].   Trainers Sarah Nielsen, PhD, OTR/L Lavonne Fox, PhD, OTR/L Thomasine Heitkamp, LCSW

Times: 6:00-7:30 p.m. ET / 3:00-4:30 p.m. PT / 12:00-1:30 p.m. HT (view your time zone)  Cultural competence is essential to achieve patient-centered or client-centered care. This workshop will continue the work of enhancing skills and knowledge to work more effectively in a multicultural setting. Participants will explore stereotypes and enhance skills for interrupting bias. Sometimes we hear others say demeaning, degrading, or hurtful comments and lack skills to interrupt and redirect the intentional or unintentional behavior. This workshop provides skills to interrupt bias in a healthcare setting using a video titled “Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts,” and will conclude with points on what it means to be culturally competent. CEUs are available.    Learning Objectives Define stereotypes, bias and oppression  Describe the Ladder of Oppression  Learn skills for interrupting bias, stereotypes and derogatory remarks or jokes    Intended Audience: Mental Health Professionals and Healthcare Professionals   Watch Recording of Part 1.   Optional Continuing Education Hours are available for a processing fee of $25 payable to the Center for Applied Research Solutions (CARS) following the event. 1.5 CE Hours are available for ASW, BRN, LCSW, LEP, LMFT, LPCC, and/or PPS as required by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) and CA Board of Registered Nurses. CARS is an approved provider for: CA Board of Registered Nurses #16303 and CAMFT #131736. CARS Continuing Education Refund Policy: No refunds will be issued after the certificate has been issued.   About the Presenter  Joel Jackson serves as a subject matter expert for several programs at the Chicago Center for HIV Elimination. Through Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation of Greater Chicago, Joel serves as a Racial Healing Practitioner. In this role, Joel co-facilitates Racial Healing Circles across Chicagoland, helping to provide space for healing and connection and to reaffirm the humanity in all of us. He is also the UChicago Medicine Assistant Director of Inclusion and Training for the Urban Health Initiative Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity. He coordinates the hospital’s cultural competence training strategy and is the lead facilitator of the UChicago Medicine Cultural Competence Course. Joel is also helping to coordinate the hospital’s Resilience Based Care training strategy, which will include a focus on compassion fatigue resilience and a focus on trauma-informed care. He is a Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional and the 2020 Staff Diversity Leadership Award recipient for the University of Chicago.

Time: 6-7 p.m. ET / 3-4 p.m. PT / 12-1 p.m. HT (view your time zone) Fourth Wednesday of Each Month   Come join us for a new opportunity 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 working in mental health advocacy. 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. In the past, 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 look forward to shaping this year's discussion topics together, and we hope you will join us in shared learning, engaging conversations, and young professional networking.  This September 23rd, at 3 p.m. PT, we will launch our first 60-minute monthly session using the Zoom platform. This kick-off call will be an opportunity to get acquainted with one another and determine what topics we’d like to explore over the coming year. We’ll also work on very important business--like voting on an official name for this learning community and developing a tentative schedule for future calls. Our call will allow for open discussions and will encourage peer-to-peer exchanges to identify best practices and strategies for working with youth and young adults of transition age.  We'll be using these questions as a framework for our kick-off discussion: Youth & Young Adults Learning Community Thought Questions  Facilitators Kristin Thorp and Gwen White Co-Facilitators Pacific Southwest MHTTC - Youth and Young Adult Area of Focus Audience The target audience for this learning community is young professionals working with youth and young adults of transition age. This is a great opportunity for young professionals to build their capacity to work with youth and young adults and connect to peers doing similar work. 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. We also host guest subject matter experts to support strengthening skills and professional development.  Please feel free to share this opportunity with other early career colleagues and champions from Region 9 who may want to be involved. We are looking forward to having you join us! 

**This is a private training not opened to our community**   Goals and Objectives Section Goal: This section will provide training on integrating cultural values and idioms of distress in mental health treatment Section Objectives: 1. Describe elements of cultural competence and responsiveness that enhance the provision of mental health services for Hispanic and Latino populations living in the United States. 2. Discuss the pertinence of Hispanics and Latinos cultural values and describe how they can influence the view of mental health conditions. 3. Explain Hispanic and Latino cultural idioms of distress, their utility in mental health treatment, and how to incorporate them as part of assessment and intervention.   This module describes cultural values among Latino populations and ways in which they may be incorporated into mental health treatment. During this section, participants will b able to discuss the ways in which culture and cultural values impact Latinos views on mental health and mental health services. The exploration of cultural idioms of distress and their meanings will be promoted and addressed in this section.   Who should attend? This is a basic level workshop designed for mental health providers including psychologists, clinical social workers, mental health counselors, and graduate level students in the mental health field.     About the presenter:      Haner Hernández, PhD, CPS, CADCII, LADCI - Dr. Hernández is originally from Puerto Rico, is bilingual and has worked for 32 years in the health and human service field developing, implementing, and evaluating culturally and linguistically intelligent youth and adult health prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support programs. Also, Dr. Hernández has many years of experience in delivering addiction counseling and clinical supervision to professionals in the field. Furthermore, he is a professional trainer and facilitator and provides individualized technical assistance and support to organizations that provide addiction prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery supports. Haner earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Services from Springfield College and a Master of Education with concentrations in Counseling Psychology and Addiction Studies from Cambridge College in Massachusetts. His doctoral degree was earned at the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His major was Community Health Education and his minor was Social Justice Education. In addition, Mr. Hernandez holds an advance Certification in Drug and Alcohol Counseling at the reciprocal level, is licensed in Massachusetts, and is a Certified Prevention Specialist.   Please read the following before registering:  The National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center use GoToWebinar as our online event system.  Audio for the event is accessible via the internet. To receive audio, attendees must join the event by using computers equipped with speakers or dial in via telephone.  After registration, a confirmation email will be generated with instructions for joining the event. To avoid problems with log-in, please use the confirmation email to join the event.  

Description: This training curriculum will further develop the skills of mental health providers working with Hispanic and Latino populations, thus reducing disparities in services and improving outcomes. Participants will also learn about promoting a strength-based approach to treatment, and using the Cultural Formulation Interview as part of an assessment when working with these populations.   Presenter: Haner Hernandez-Bonilla, PhD, CADAC II, LADC I, CPS has worked in the health and human service field for over 27 years developing, implementing, and evaluating culturally and linguistically competent prevention, intervention, recovery and support programs. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Services from Springfield College and a Master of Education degree from Cambridge College. Dr. Hernandez earned his doctoral degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences.   Download the Series Flyer   Learning Objectives:  Demonstrate the consideration and incorporation of cultural values when treating Hispanics and Latinos with mental health disorders and other mental health issues Distinguish culture-related symptoms and behaviors when diagnosing Hispanic and Latino clients Identify and address mental health risk and protective factors in Hispanic and Latino communities Effectively incorporate strategies to effectively engage and treat Hispanic and Latino clients, including the Cultural Formulation Interview   Who Should Attend? Mental health providers working with Hispanic and Latino populations.

Agenda: Summary of Year 2 & preliminary data Highlights of Year 3 work plan to date Feedback from December 2019 meeting TTC Racial Equity Tool questions Advisory Board Contact List As of September 2020

 “Strategies of Support for Mental Health Providers” - Empowering one another during times of crisis This is the 21st session of a weekly open forum to listen and share suggestions and resources. Special attention will be paid to resiliency, strength, overcoming challenges of social distancing, and supporting mental health professionals in their efforts to adapt their delivery of services. Times for next session: 11:00am – 12:00pm AKDT 12:00pm – 1:00pm PDT 1:00pm – 2:00pm MDT 2:00pm – 3:00pm CDT 3:00pm – 4:00pm EDT

Panel Discussion: How States are Addressing TBI and Mental Health September 21, 2020 9:00am - 10:30am US Mountain Time 10:00am - 11:30am US Central Time To address concerns around traumatic brain injury (TBI) and mental health, the Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center has partnered with the National Association of State Health Injury Administrators to host a series of workshops focused on the intersection of TBI and mental health. This panel will include state TBI leads from South Dakota, North Dakota, and Colorado. They will answer YOUR questions and engage in conversation around barriers they have experienced while addressing TBI and mental health, as well as promising practices and models that have worked well in their respective states.   This session is open to anyone, and certificates of attendance will be available.   View slide decks and recordings of previous sessions in this series on their product page. Panelists Rebeccah Wolfkiel, MPP, National Association of State Health Injury Administrators Rebeccah Wolfkiel, Executive Director National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) Rebeccah joined NASHIA as Executive Director in January 2018. She brings fifteen years of experience in promoting policies that provide resources for individuals with brain injury, and their families. In her role as Executive Director, Rebeccah is committed to representing the interests of State governments and supporting the unique and integral role they play within the service delivery system. Rebeccah has also worked with former Pennsylvania Governor, Tom Ridge, at the Ridge Policy Group, for ten years, where she formerly represented NASHIA as a government affairs advisor. She played an integral role in the successful reauthorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury in 2014, paving the way for the federal TBI program’s move to the Administration for Community Living. Prior to her time at the Ridge Policy Group, Rebeccah worked on Capitol Hill for over six years where she served as Legislative Director to Congressman Todd R. Platts, Co-Chair of the Traumatic Brain Injury Taskforce. Managing the Congressman’s legislative agenda, she learned how to effectively navigate the lawmaking process and develop successful strategies. During her tenure on the Hill, Rebeccah became keenly aware of the importance of bipartisanship and developed strong Congressional relationships with Republicans and Democrats alike. She often bridged partisan gaps and facilitated communication between contrasting viewpoints. In her free time, Rebeccah enjoys traveling and spending time with her family, husband Ryan, daughter Anna (11) and son Jack (4). Rebeccah received a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree from George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia. Rebecca Quinn, MSW, LMSW, North Dakota Traumatic Brain Injury Network Rebecca Quinn is a program director for the Center for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine & Health Sciences in Grand Forks. She manages the North Dakota Brain Injury Network providing brain injury education, outreach, and support across North Dakota.            Justine Ashokar, PhD, The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center at Black Hills Works Justine Ashokar, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist, is the Director of Clinical Services at the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center, Black Hills Works in Rapid City. Justine has a M.S. in Counseling, M.A. in Clinical Psychology and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, with Clinical Neuropsychology Concentration. Justine is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist and is a co-facilitator of the Brain Injury Support Group of the Black Hills. She has experience serving veterans, people with developmental disabilities, and people with brain injury. She is a member of the Mayo Clinic TBI Regional Advisory Council. She is a board member of the Brain Injury Alliance of South Dakota and is working to improve services for those with TBI in South Dakota. She is also an adjunct instructor at South Dakota State University.     Kate Kerkmans, LCSW, CBIS, The Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado Kate Kerkmans has a Master's degree in Social Work. Before working at BIAC she worked as a family therapist. As Director of Client Programs, Kate manages client programs, budgets, and finances; oversees and supervises department staff; provides oversight for clinical services; and champions strategic plan goals.            Liz Gerdeman, MA, CBIST, MINDSOURCE Brain Injury Network Liz has been in the brain injury field for over a decade, supporting individuals with brain injury, their family members, and professionals. Most recently, she worked as the Director of Professional Programs for the Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado (BIAC). Her role included training community organizations about brain injury, building capacity within systems to better serve clients, and ensuring clients are connected to valuable resources. Liz received a Master’s Degree in International Disaster Psychology from the University of Denver and is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer. She has run support groups for family members, developed educational materials, provided resource navigation to individuals with brain injury, served on committees and workgroups with the goal of improving access to care, and she has worked in brain injury research at Children’s Hospital Colorado.    Shawnda Schroeder, PhD, MA, Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Dr. Schroeder conducts rural health research, serves as lead on statewide program evaluation, and serves on several national and statewide rural and oral health work groups. She is the director of the Rural Health Research Gateway, a federally-funded program dedicated to the dissemination of rural health research, and serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Rural Health. Under the Mountain Plains MHTTC, Dr. Schroeder provides training on rural mental health, leads web content development, and conducts research on stigma as well as mental health training needs.                          

This three-day virtual event will bring together mental health trainers from Texas Educational Service Centers who will support districts and schools in implementing best practices for students, families, and school staff impacted by trauma and grief. The event will include preparation to be a trainer and coach in the trauma-sensitive schools framework and small team planning for effective implementation.

Pine Ridge Girls' School: Trauma Responsive Practices Part 2 This free series consists of two, 75-minute training sessions that provide technical assistance to the Pine Ridge Girls' School in South Dakota, in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Region 8. With a focus on trauma and healing within a cultural context, trainers will discuss stigma, resilience, trauma informed teaching approaches, and supporting families to support their students.   This is a closed event. If you are interested in similar technical assistance training, please contact Stefanie Winfield at [email protected]. Part One September 13, 2020 Primary points of interest include: The effects of trauma on behavior and learning. Trauma informed techniques in the classroom. Modifications for virtual learning environments. Teacher self care to avoid burnout.   Part Two September 20, 2020 Primary points of interest include: Partnering with families to support learning. Parent and family education to support students' mental wellness.   Trainers Stefanie Winfield MSW Stefanie Winfield is a Research and Technical Assistance Associate with the Behavioral Health Program. Her work at WICHE focuses on the Mental Health Technical Transfers Center’s work providing intensive technical assistance and training to elementary schools. Stefanie comes to WICHE with extensive experience working in schools promoting youth sexual health, conflict and angry management, behavioral health education, and school-based health care. With over 17 years of experience working with nonprofits and community organizations, Stefanie has done everything from grant management and implementation, to program and outcome evaluation, training and facilitation. Stefanie received her BSW from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY and her MSW from the University of Denver. She has also completed certificates in the Advanced Study of Program Evaluation, Accelerated Learning, E-learning Design and Organization Development.   Liza Tupa, PhD Dr. Liza Tupa is the Director of Education and Research for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, Behavioral Health Program (WICHE BHP) and a technical trainer for the Mountain Plains MHTTC. A licensed clinical psychologist, her work at the WICHE BHP has included expanding rural psychology internship development to seven western states, behavioral healthcare workforce training, service delivery system and clinical consultation, statewide behavioral health needs assessments, and developing toolkits for Suicide Prevention in Primary Care and School Behavioral Health Advocacy.

Mid-America MHTTC Project Director, Brandy Clarke, Ph.D. and Integrated Care Program Director, Rachel Valleley, Ph.D. will present on core features of integrated care, including business models of integrated care practice and how to utilize value-based care models. The interactive format will offer NABHO members the opportunity to discuss how they might establish integrated care practices using one of the various business models. It will also include information on the training and technical assistance resources offered to behavioral health providers on integrated primary care through the Mid-America MHTTC.

“Throughout their history, tribes have faced numerous and dark challenges, and they have always managed to overcome…It’s been a story of resilience and perseverance.” — Eric Henson With schools re-opening just around the corner and many complications still unknown, tribal schools and communities are faced with making very tough decisions about moving forward. The challenge posed by this crisis adds to existing issues present in some Native communities such as teacher shortages and the lack of infrastructure for high speed internet, which further impedes their ability to offer appropriate distance learning programs.   For teachers, who are held accountable for getting students ready for college or careers, COVID-19 has added to their already jam-packed workloads and responsibilities as we look to them to teach and practice preventative safety measures to avoid any exposure to COVID-19. Some of these added responsibilities will be to ensure and instruct students in effective social distancing, wearing face coverings, and practicing appropriate hygiene.  For students, school is their most sought-after place to socialize. As students return to school, they will be introduced to another form of socialization at a six-foot distance. Understandably, these changes can lead to confusion, anxiety, and other challenges.  The MHTTC K-12 program invites the entire school community (students, parents, teachers, counselors, and principals) to our special weekly listening sessions covering topics that are important for you as we go through this new school year together.  Examples of upcoming session topics:  Hear from other tribal schools as they re-open Is Your School Ready? COVID -19 Toolkit Best Practices in Teaching Hygiene  Self-Care for Teachers What Parents Have to Say Telehealth in Schools  Rise in Mental Outcomes and Crisis Intervention Serving Students with Disabilities Protecting the Health and Safety of Students and Teachers Best Ways to Handle Truancy Weekly on Thursdays, beginning August 20 3-4 EDT . 2-3 CDT . 1-2 MDT . 12-1 PDT . 11-12 ADT

The term institutional racism was first used with the intent of differentiating individual racist acts from policies or practices that are built into the structures of various social institutions and which continue to operate even without the active support and maintenance of individuals. Seen from this angle, discrimination, and racism more specifically, exists on a spectrum ranging from individual to the institutional to the structural. In the United States, 92% of Blacks, 78% of Latinxs, 75% of Native Americans, and 61% of Asian Americans have reported experiencing racial discrimination in the form of racial slurs, violence, threats, and harassment. Discrimination is associated with poor mental and physical health, unhealthy behaviors, declines in the utilization of care, and nonadherence to medical recommendations and treatment. This webinar will discuss terms related to racism, institutional racism, and prejudice and their impact on the mental health of communities of color. The presenter will address, practices, policies, and regulations that perpetuate an imbalance of power and opportunity in mental health systems for communities of color and will provide recommendations for practitioners.   Who should attend? This is a basic level workshop designed for mental health providers including psychologists, clinical social workers, mental health counselors, and graduate level students in the mental health field     About the presenter:      J Rocky Romero, PhD, LMSW - Dr. J Rocky Romero is the CEO and owner of JR Romero & Associates, a training and consultant company he started almost 20 years ago. In addition, Dr. Romero is a former Assistant Professor for New Mexico Highlands University School of Social Work in Albuquerque, NM. He served as the co-chair for Governor Richardson’s appointed NM Higher Education Department on Cultural Competency Task-Force. Dr. Romero has also served as an Executive Council member for the NM-Consortium for Behavioral Health Training and Research. In addition, Dr. Romero completed his doctoral studies at the University of New Mexico in Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Studies. Dr. Romero has been a trainer and consultant for the NHL-MHTTC for the last 10 years. He is focused on culturally appropriate treatment while focusing on reducing health disparities for people of color.   Please read the following before registering:  The National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center use GoToWebinar as our online event system.  Audio for the event is accessible via the internet. To receive audio, attendees must join the event by using computers equipped with speakers or dial in via telephone.  After registration, a confirmation email will be generated with instructions for joining the event. To avoid problems with log-in, please use the confirmation email to join the event.  

This webinar series is a collaboration between the Northeast and Caribbean MHTTC, the Northeast and Caribbean ATTC, and the Northeast and Caribbean PTTC.   This fourth session will bring together a panel of direct service providers who work closely with communities of color and are actively engaged in facilitating strategies that identify and mitigate unconscious bias to ensure delivery of culturally and linguistically appropriate services. Organizational leadership will speak to lessons learned in the implementation of effective protocols to help reduce racial and ethnic disparities and improve service outcomes for people of color. 

Trauma 101: An Introduction to Trauma in the Classroom September 17, 2020 This free, 90-minutes training provides an introduction to trauma in the classroom. This is a closed event, and direct technical assistance to Spring Creek School in Mission, SD, Region 8.   The objectives are to: Describe childhood trauma. Recognize the impact of trauma. Understand the impact of trauma and/or social emotional difficulties on school performance. Understand the role of self-awareness and self-care in building relationships. Explore several school level strategies.   This is a closed event. If you are interested in similar technical assistance training, please contact Lavonne Fox at [email protected]. Trainer LaVonne Fox, PhD, OTR/L LaVonne Fox is currently a program developer at the Turtle Mountain Community College in Belcourt, N.D. Her position is to develop and teach in a Master of Education Degree. This degree is designed to teach the deconstruction of colonized (decolonization) Indigenous K-12 education and using Indigenous cultural reconstruction It is a whole system approach to bring in the Indigenous voice and keep the student and culture at the center of learning. This is essential for Indigenous mental, phyiscal, spiritual and cultural health.  Prior to that, Graduate Director and faculty at the University of North Dakota Occupational Therapy Program.  

Meeting Objectives: Establish an integrated approach to identify the need for Behavioral Health Training and Technical Assistance in HHS Region 3 Inform the TTC work plans and activities _______________________________________________________________________________________________ This meeting will include all Central East TTCs: Central East ATTC, Central East MHTTC, and the Central East PTTC.

Indian Health Care Providers Series   This series is specifically for WA State and Region 10 Indian Health Care Providers, Tribal and Urban Indian Behavioral Health Program Providers Please join the Northwest MHTTC and our Organizing Partners to provide the first of two webinars on telebehavioral health This event, Session 1, is an open engagement/discussion among participants focused on addressing barriers and highlighting innovations in telebehavioral health, e.g., identify barriers with the delivery of telehealth such as access to technology, privacy, issues with physical location and comfort for providers and clients; highlight innovations being explored and discuss the positive outcomes rising to the surface during this rapid onset of telehealth.  This event is applicable to rural settings. Organizing Partners include the Behavioral Health Training, Workforce and Policy Innovation Center of the University of Washington's Behavioral Health Institute in partnership with the WA State Health Care Authority (HCA).  Key Tribal Partners include the Indian Health Service's Telebehavioral Health Center of Excellence (TBHCE), the American Indian Health Commission (AIHC) of Washington State and others.   Partners & Presenters   Chris Fore, Ph.D, Director, IHS TeleBehavioral Health Center of Excellence at Indian Health Service                 Melody McKee, MS, SUDP, Program Director for the Behavioral Health Training, Workforce and Policy Innovation Center through Harborview Medical Center’s Behavioral Health Institute               Cara Towle, MSN, RN, MA, Associate Director for Telepsychiatry at the University of Washington                     Kathryn Akeah and Jen Olsen, American Indian Health Commission Mike Longnecker, Tribal Operations and Compliance Manager, WA HCA Kristi Woodard, LICSW, Behavioral Health Consultant, Portland Area Indian Health Service (IHS) Lucilla Mendoza, MSW, CPP Tribal Behavioral Health Administrator, Office of Tribal Affairs, WA HCA                       Want more information? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's Resource Library and Websites by Topic  and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

About the Event:  As COVID-19 infections reach the 6 month and 6 million infected mark in the United States, behavioral health organizations are finding themselves having to move beyond rapid infectious disease preparations and on to a "next phase" of care. This webinar will explore the ongoing approaches to care and how they are evolving to best meet the needs. From telehealth to revenue cycle concerns, remote supervision to resuming in-person treatment, balancing staff resilience and second wave safety concerns, this is a transitional phase in what appears will be a lengthy pandemic experience for all of us.    Learning Objectives:  1) Describe where your organization is now in a COVID trajectory and planning process moving forward.  2) Identify best practice approaches to delivering telehealth services. 3) Identify methods to continue to maintain staff resilience as the pandemic progresses.    About the Presenter:  Dr. Lori Raney is a board-certified psychiatrist and Principal with Health Management Associates in Denver, Colorado. She is considered a leading authority on the collaborative care model and the bidirectional integration of primary care and behavioral health. Her work focuses on service evaluation, gap analysis, and design and training of multidisciplinary teams to implement evidence-based practices to improve the identification and treatment of mental illness in the primary care setting and improve the health status of patients with serious mental illness in behavioral health settings. Her current work also includes evaluating hospitals and clinics in recognizing and developing strategies to deal with the impact of behavioral health across health care systems, including the design and implementation of integrated care in primary care practices. 

**This is a private training not opened to our community**   Goals and Objectives Section Goal: This section will provide a description of cultural risk and protective factors that may impact mental health services for Hispanic and Latino populations Section Objectives: 1. Identify main mental health, risk and protective factors among Hispanic and Latino communities 2. Recognize risk and protective factors while providing mental health services for Hispanic and Latino populations   Mental health providers that serve Hispanic and Latino populations should take in consideration the mental health risk and protective factors that impact these communities in order to create a treatment plan that is culturally responsive to their needs. During the intake process, providers can assess the clients’ social determinants of health by immigrant generation. Risk and protective factors are influenced by social determinants of health which are defined as conditions in the environments in which people are born, grow, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. “These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels.   Who should attend? This is a basic level workshop designed for mental health providers including psychologists, clinical social workers, mental health counselors, and graduate level students in the mental health field.     About the presenter:      Haner Hernández, PhD, CPS, CADCII, LADCI - Dr. Hernández is originally from Puerto Rico, is bilingual and has worked for 32 years in the health and human service field developing, implementing, and evaluating culturally and linguistically intelligent youth and adult health prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support programs. Also, Dr. Hernández has many years of experience in delivering addiction counseling and clinical supervision to professionals in the field. Furthermore, he is a professional trainer and facilitator and provides individualized technical assistance and support to organizations that provide addiction prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery supports. Haner earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Services from Springfield College and a Master of Education with concentrations in Counseling Psychology and Addiction Studies from Cambridge College in Massachusetts. His doctoral degree was earned at the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His major was Community Health Education and his minor was Social Justice Education. In addition, Mr. Hernandez holds an advance Certification in Drug and Alcohol Counseling at the reciprocal level, is licensed in Massachusetts, and is a Certified Prevention Specialist.   Please read the following before registering:  The National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center use GoToWebinar as our online event system.  Audio for the event is accessible via the internet. To receive audio, attendees must join the event by using computers equipped with speakers or dial in via telephone.  After registration, a confirmation email will be generated with instructions for joining the event. To avoid problems with log-in, please use the confirmation email to join the event.