Past Events

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.

FREE CEU TRAINING SPONSORED BY OPRE The State of New Mexico Office of Peer Recovery and Engagement and the National Hispanic & Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center will offer a peer focused webinar that considers cultural elements of the Hispanic and Latino populations with indigenous perspectives and approaches. The goal of this virtual training is to increase the awareness and abilities of peer workers in their use of cultural elements when working with Hispanic and Latino clients. This virtual training will provide a description of the development of an assessment and a cultural formulation using the DSM 5 Cultural Formulation Interview.   Who should attend? This is an intermediate level educational event designed for peer workers, coordinators, and administrators.     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.  

Clinical Strategies to Promote Emotional and Behavioral Health in College-aged Youth During COVID-19 September 16, 2020 11:00am - 12:00pm US Mountain Time 12:00pm - 1:00pm US Central Time In collaboration with the New York Presbyterian Youth Anxiety Center, we are proud to present a clinically based webinar training series designed primarily for campus based mental health providers. This training will focus on evidence based practices, strategies, and supports for use with college-aged youth as they return to campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. The introductory session will launch on September 16, to broadly address the context and needs of campus mental health during COVID-19. There will be a 45-minute presentation with a 15-minute Q&A session. Topics addressed in this session include:   Anticipating and addressing the psychological needs of students. Evidence-based strategies for young adults struggling with anxiety and mood symptoms. Models and strategies to assess stress and meet the psychological needs of students on campus. Strategies to promote long-term wellness on campus. Supporting students' academic, social, self-care, and behavioral independence goals as they transition into adulthood.   Following the introductory session, there will be a series of small, 90-minute intensive TA workshops on specific topics. Separate registration is required for each of the workshops. 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. As a researcher, Dr. Albano served as a Principal Investigator of a 6-site, National Institute of Mental Health-sponsored study entitled "Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Treatment Study" (CAMS) and the extended long-term follow up of CAMS (CAMELS) and was a Principle Investigator for the Treatments for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). Both trials examined the relative efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy, medication, combination treatment, and pill placebo in youth. Her book with Leslie Pepper, "You and Your Anxious Child: Free Your Child from Fears and Worries and Create a Joyful Family Life," was a 2014 ABCT Self-Help Book Award winner and 2014 Self-Help Book Award winner from the American Society of Journalists and Authors. In 2015, a new ABCT award was established in Dr. Albano's name, the "Anne Marie Albano Early Career Award for Excellence in the Integration of Science and Practice." Intensive Workshops Following the introductory session, there will be three small, 90-minutes intensive workshops that will focus on best practices for working with young adults. The workshop format will consist of one hour of training with 30 minutes of experiential activity and Q&A. These workshops will be limited to 25 participants.   Workshops Understanding and Supporting the Mental Health Needs of Faculty, Resident Assistants, and Staff September 30, 2020 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST | 12:00pm - 1:30pm CST | 11:00am - 12:30pm MST Register Learn More Assessment and Treatment Strategies for Mood and Anxiety Disorders October 14, 2020 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST | 12:00pm - 1:30pm CST | 11:00am - 12:30pm MST Register Learn More Strategies for Promoting Resilience, Wellness, and Coping Skills for the Campus Community October 28, 2020 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST | 12:00pm - 1:30pm CST | 11:00am - 12:30pm MST Register Learn More

Build your Motivational Interviewing (MI) skills through the free Motivational Interviewing Learning Collaborative! Third Wednesday each month, beginning February 19, 2020.  10:00-10:45am CST The Great Lakes MHTTC and PTTC will host a series of interactive calls via Zoom for people who want to enhance their MI skills. This learning opportunity provides practitioners 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. Attend all sessions or select from the menu (see list of dates and topics below). Calls last for 45 minutes You only need to register one time for the Zoom link to the calls  ​​​ Trainer: Laura Saunders State Project Manager, Wisconsin Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC 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. Topics by Date February 19 Your MI Spirit Is Showing March 18  Let Your Partner (Client, Consumer, Customer, Patient) Know You're Working Hard to Understand April 15 WHY Not Ask WHY And Other Things to Think About With Open Questions May 20 Taming Your Inner Cheerleader: Be Proud Of You and How Well You Can Use Affirmations June 17 Gold Star Things to Say (Genuinely!)  July 15 What To Do When the Client Says Something About Changing Their Behavior August 19 What to Do When The Client Seems Stuck About Changing Their Behavior September 16  Pay Attention to Discord October 21 Guess What Happens When You Ask for Change Talk? November 18:   TBD December 16:   TBD 

Whether you’re a counselor, teacher, or social worker, serving children is hard. You’re taking care of everyone, and often feel exhausted. This series of 12 self-compassion sessions teach you how to care for yourself in the moment that you most need it. Research has shown that those who are more self-compassionate experience less stress, anxiety, and depression, are more resilient, and better able to deal with emotional challenges. Drawn from the internationally-acclaimed Mindful Self-Compassion program, which was created by Dr. Kristin Neff (educational psychologist at University of Texas, Austin) and Dr. Chris Germer, (clinical psychologist, Harvard University), the sessions will be comprised of didactic presentations, guided practices, and discussions which will offer specific tools that you can use to give yourself the support you deserve.

Building Capacity of School Personnel to Promote Positive Mental Health in Native American Children and Youth This free series consists of five separate two-hour sessions from September 2020 to January 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.   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). 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 September 15, 2020 2:30pm - 4:30pm Mountain Time Part Two: Understanding Multi-Tiered Approaches to School Mental Health and Embedded Service Delivery October 6, 2020 2:30pm - 4:30pm Mountain Time Part Three: Culturally Relevant Embedded Programs that Support Social and Emotional Well-being November 3, 2020 2:30pm - 4:30pm Mountain Time Part Four: Mental Health Literacy December 8, 2020 2:30pm - 4:30pm Mountain Time Part Five: Indigenous Programs to Support Students and Final Reflections January 12, 2021 2:30pm - 4:30pm Mountain Time   Trainers LaVonne Fox, PhD, OTR/L  Dr. Fox was 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 for 26 years until December 31, 2019. She began a new position at the Turtle Mountain Community College in Belcourt, ND, in January 2020. LaVonne was born and raised on the Turtle Mountain Chippewa reservation. She has considerable experience researching Indigenous Youth programs for positive mental health and wellness connected to identity. She is currently developing a Master in Education program that focuses on decolonization/deconstructing the educational system and embedding indigenous values and beliefs. 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 19 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.

*Registration for this event has closed.  About the Event:  Please join the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network (GMHCN) and the Southeast Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (Southeast MHTTC) as we kick off a six-month exploration of racism's impacts in the recovery community on September 15th, 2020 at 1:00 PM. Certified Peer Specialists have a unique and comprehensive perspective of the behavioral health community, not only providing but receiving support in diverse settings that frequently reflect the values, beliefs, and practices of the communities where we live and work. In this listening session, we will gather data from the lived experience of Certified Peer Specialists to document where we are in our efforts to eliminate racism as a barrier to recovery, in preparation for our further discussions on what steps we need to take to improve recovery and wellness outcomes in our behavioral healthcare system.    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. We provide the evidence that we can and do recover from our mental health challenges. We provide skills, tools, and above all, hope.  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 National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center are hosting a 3-part webinar series on Supporting Hispanic and Latino Students Emotional and Mental Health Well-being during the COVID-19 Pandemic.    Part 1:  Social Distancing: dealing with the emotional aftermath of being away from others   This webinar will examine the difference between social distancing and social disconnection and will provide strategies to manage the emotional aftermath of being away from others among children, adolescents, and caregivers with special emphasis on those who identify as Latinx.    Part 2:  Strategies for managing emotions in children, adolescents, and caregivers during COVID-19 pandemic (Sept 22, 1pm Eastern) This webinar will discuss the main emotions experienced by children and adolescents and their manifestations and will provide strategies for managing those emotions in children, adolescents, and caregivers who identify as Latinx during the COVID-19 pandemic.    Part 3: Grieving process: Dealing with loss during the Pandemic (Sept 29, 1pm Eastern) This webinar will identify different types of grieving and will provide strategies for managing grief in children, adolescents, and caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Who should attend? This webinars series is an intermediate-level educational event for teachers and other school personnel including mental health providers.     About the presenter:    Patricia L. Landers  Santiago, MEd., PsyD.- Dr. Patricia L. Landers Santiago has a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in General Social Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. She completed courses leading to a certification as a Teacher of Elementary English. She obtained a Master of Education with a concentration in School Psychology from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico and completed a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the Ponce Health Sciences University. She worked for 16 years as an elementary English teacher for the Puerto Rico Department of Education. Currently, she is an Associate Professor of the School Psychology Program at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico. She also has her private practice as a School and Clinical Psychologist in Ponce, Puerto Rico. She is former president of the School Psychology Association of Puerto Rico and General Coordinator of the 2020 Convention of the Puerto Rico Psychology Association.    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.  

National ACT Virtual Meetings & Discussion Forum to Address Impact of COVID-19 Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is a multidisciplinary, team-based model that provides intensive community-based and outreach-oriented services to people who experience the most severe and persistent mental illness. The vast majority also have a co-occurring substance use disorder and many experience comorbid medical illnesses as well as homelessness. This is a vulnerable population and their providers – ACT teams – are at elevated risk themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual Meetings The Northwest MHTTC is partnering with the Institute for Best Practices at the University of North Carolina to host and facilitate regular meetings for ACT teams. Goals of the meetings are to: connect with one other share strategies and resources for adapting team practices and communications    facilitate connection to the most up-to-date resources during the COVID-19 outbreak.   Virtual Discussion Forum In addition to the meet-up, we have also created a Virtual Discussion Forum to help organize information, resources, and strategies used across teams. You can participate in the forum as a guest, or sign up as a member. Within the Discussion Forum are specific board topics: Support for ACT Service Recipients; Support for ACT Team Staff; Info and Updates: Federal Sources; Info and Updates: State and Local Sources; ACT Fidelity and COVID-19 Pandemic; and Words of Encouragement. Click on a board of interest to read existing threads, react to threads, or post new threads. Recordings of prior meetings are also posted at this forum.   Guest Speaker On September 14, our guest speaker will be Stacy L. Smith, M.Ed., LCMHC, member of MINT, Consultant & Clinical Instructor for the Institute for Best Practices, UNC CECMH. She will present "Leaning into Supervision (during a Pandemic)." We understand that providing regular, planned staff supervision can be a challenge. This brief presentation will introduce ideas about how to prepare yourself to supervise, what supervision theories you can draw upon and how to have difficult conversations with staff you supervise. There will be 10 minutes or so at the end for questions and conversation. For questions, please contact: Maria Monroe-DeVita or Lorna Moser, PhD, Director of the UNC ACT Technical Assistance Center in the UNC Department of Psychiatry’s Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health; and Coordinator of the North Carolina ACT Coalition.     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.  

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. among people ages 10-24 years old and has disproportionately increased Latinx and Hispanic adolescents and young adults, who have elevated rates of suicidal behaviors. This 1.5 hour online session will provide information about identifying suicide-related risk in Latinx and Hispanic youth and review evidence-based practices to screen for risk across various settings. • Recognize trends in suicide, suicidal thoughts and behaviors in Hispanic/Latinx adolescents and young adults in the U.S. • Identify risk and protective factors associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors • Highlight culture-specific risk and protector factors associated with suicide-related risk • Understand how some suicide prevention programs have integrated culture-specific experiences into their strategies • Resources to screen for suicide-related risk in youth   Presenter Lillian Polanco-Roman, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology, The New School for Social Research (NSSR) Lillian Polanco-Roman, PhD, joined the psychology department faculty at The New School for Social Research (NSSR) in fall 2020 as an Assistant Professor of Psychology. With a background as a clinical psychologist, Polanco-Roman studies how cultural experiences can impact psychopathology, especially in racial minorities and immigrant youth populations. Specifically, her research tackles demographic disparities in suicidal ideation and behaviors in youth.  

Pine Ridge Girls' School: Trauma Responsive Practices Part 1 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.

Presenters: Nancy Lever, Ph.D., Kris Scardamalia, Ph.D. University of Maryland School of Medicine, National Center for School Mental Health   Learning Objectives: Identify best practice strategies in school mental health consultation  Consider adaptations in school mental health consultation related to COVID-19  Share innovations, challenges, and successes in school mental health consultation   Who Should Attend? School Behavioral Health Coordinators from DC Public Schools and DC Public Charter Schools in Cohorts 1, 2, 3, and 4; School-Based Clinicians from participating Community-Based Organizations   Closed Registration

“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

This webinar series is a collaboration between the Northeast and Caribbean MHTTC, the Northeast and Caribbean ATTC, and the Northeast and Caribbean PTTC.   In the first two sessions, we define and describe the impact of unconscious bias on cognition and provider practice, as well as how it contributes to behavioral health disparities. This third session will offer practical tools and strategies for organizations and providers to identify and address unconscious bias and support the delivery of culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS). Discussion will present action steps that providers can take to explore and diffuse personal bias, and further inform on how integrating cultural humility in practice minimizes unconscious bias using a process-oriented approach to care consequently increasing behavioral health equity. 

**This is a private training not opened to our community** Experiencing or witnessing traumatic events can affect children's and adolescent's mental and emotional wellbeing. Hispanic and Latino children are particularly vulnerable to suffer or witness traumatic events. This one and half-hour online session will provide information on trauma-informed practices at the school setting that can help students manage their emotions and have positive academic and mental health outcomes.   Learning objectives: • Understand the high prevalence of trauma, specifically among Hispanic and Latino students and families. • Understand their role as teachers/migrant service providers when faced with mental health and trauma issues in the population they serve. • Have access to resources and strategies to ensure culturally competent efforts to offer quality mental health assistance to those students and families.   Who should attend?  This is an intermediate level workshop designed for mental health providers, school mental health providers, teachers, and school administrators.   About the presenter:    Sarah Howell, MSW, LMSW- Sarah Howell is a school social worker at Las Americas Newcomer School in the Houston Independent School District (HISD). Sarah has built her career working with immigrants and refugees and specializes in trauma and torture survivors within those populations. Additionally, Sarah is passionate about educating others about trauma and trauma-informed education. Sarah is an advocate for the immigrant and refugee community, as well as mental health services for youth. Sarah has written two chapters about refugee trauma and school-based interventions for immigrant and refugee youth published in Spring 2019.   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.  

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    

Suicide Prevention in Rural Primary Care: Intervention, Follow-up, and Telehealth Tips This 90 minute training is part two in a two-part series on suicide prevention in rural primary care offices. This session will cover intervention including medication, safety planning, documentation, and follow-up for patients expressing suicidal ideation as well as tips for helping patients via telehealth.  People who die by suicide are more likely to have been seen by a primary care provider in the 30 days prior to their death than any other health care discipline. In rural areas especially, where behavioral health resources are fewer and stigma around seeking mental health help may be greater, it is crucial that primary care providers have the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to help prevent suicide among their clients. This webinar series will introduce a simple toolkit to help put suicide prevention protocols into place in a practice or clinic, and will walk participants through the screening, assessment, and intervention phases of suicide prevention. Tips for addressing suicidal issues via telehealth will also be included.   Trainer Liza Tupa, Ph.D.      

Four weekly 90-minute online sessions:  September 10 September 17 September 24 October 1 10:30am–12:00pm CST   The NIATx Virtual Change Leader Academy is the new web-based version of the popular NIATx Change Leader Academy (CLA). The CLA has given thousands of behavioral health organizations the tools to make real changes that improve their systems of care. This interactive, expert-led program includes four weekly 90-minute learning sessions. An optional follow-up series consists of four monthly individual and group coaching sessions. This training is offered at no cost and is supported by funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Learning Objectives: Participants in the virtual CLA will learn the NIATx principles, tools, and how to conduct a change project to improve a specific process within their organization. Mat Roosa, LCSW-R, was a founding member of NIATx and has been a NIATx coach for a wide range of projects. He works as a consultant in the areas of quality improvement, organizational development, and planning, evidence-based practice implementation. He also serves as a local government planner in behavioral health in New York State. His experience includes direct clinical practice in mental health and substance use services, teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and human service agency administration. Earn 5.5. CEUs for attending the four weekly sessions, with an additional 3.5 CEUs for completing assignments and attending the optional monthly coaching sessions. You will receive a link to the Zoom sessions before the first training date. 

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.

Traumatic Brain Injury and Mental Health for the Mental/Behavioral Health Community This is an intensive, online, workshop focuses on issues around traumatic brain injury (TBI) and mental health that are most prevalent within the mental and behavioral health community. This workshop is limited to 20 participants. It will be 90 minutes and consist of a presentation, an interactive exercise, and Q & A. This format is designed to facilitate experiential learning and problem solving. This workshop will be led by a nationally recognized subject matter expert.   Registration for this workshop is full.   Certificates of Attendance will be issued for this workshop.   Trainer Kim Gorgens, Ph.D.   Dr. Kim Gorgens is a Professor of Psychophysiology, Clinical Neuropsychology and Psychology of Criminal Behavior at the University of Denver. She manages a large portfolio of traumatic brain injury (TBI) related research and has lectured extensively on those issues (including a 2010 TED talk on youth sports concussion, a 2018 TED talk on brain injuries in criminal justice, several NPR spots and an interview on CNN with Anderson Cooper). Her work has been featured in USNews, Newsweek, Salon.com and more. Her research studies the reported injury history, cognitive function and brain biomarkers of youth and college athletes, probationers and inmates. Her mission is to better understand the short and long-term impacts of injuring our most vital organ.     Intensive Workshops There is one additional intensive workshop directed towards specific populations. The series will conclude with a final general session, again open to anyone, focused on screening in primary health care. The intensive workshops are intended for individuals and providers who support the mental health, substance abuse, veterans, and school-age communities. The intensive workshops are limited to 20 participants each. Each workshop consist of a presentation, an interactive exercise, and Q & A. This format is designed to facilitate experiential learning and problem solving. Each workshop will be led by a nationally recognized subject matter expert.   Traumatic Brain Injury and Mental Health in the K-12 Education Community October 6, 2020 11:00 am - 12:30 pm MT Trainer: Dr. Karen McAvoy   This workshop is full but you can still Learn More about the topics and presenter. Open Session Webinar: Traumatic Brain Injury and Mental Health for the Primary Health Care Community October 27, 2020          1:00 pm - 2:30 pm MT Trainers: Caitlin Synovec, OTD, OTR/L and Amber Richert, BSN, MSN, DNP   This workshop is open to anyone. Learn more and register.       

Click here to access Zoom links for each session for the September GSVLI We invite you to join us for two, 2-day virtual learning institutes in September and November 2020 with leading grief experts across the country. The series is geared towards providing front-line workers with tools and strategies that can be used when addressing the needs of individuals experiencing grief and loss during COVID-19 and beyond. The Institutes include: Tracked Learning: Each Institute has four sessions that each have three learning tracks: Grief Sensitivity, Evidence-Based Practices for Clinicians, and School Mental Health. You are invited to join whichever track most fits your learning interests! Reflective Discussion: On both days of each Institute, we’ll host optional breakout discussions for participants to join, listen and learn from each other’s expertise and experience. Opening Keynote & Closing Activity: On Day 1, we open with a keynote to set the tone; on Day 2, we close with an integrated activity to support our learning outcomes. The Institutes are for Community Mental Health Practitioners, Social Workers, Psychologists, Therapists, School Mental Health Personnel, School Counselors, Educators, School Administrators, and anyone interested in enhancing their grief sensitivity. Note: This registration reserves your space for Part 1 (September 10 & 11) of the Grief Institute. Upon registering, we will follow up regarding sign-ups for specific sessions for both days. Although the Eventbrite registration will place a calendar hold for both days, you are not required to attend all sessions. Recordings for all sessions of the Learning Institutes will be made available on the MHTTC website here. Certificates of completion will be available. CEUs are not available for these Learning Institutes. Note: This is the first of two Grief Sensitivity Virtual Learning Institutes. For more information and the agenda for our Institutes, visit our Institute's landing page.

About the Webinar: Anxiety is one of the most common mental health concerns youth face. While it is a normal emotional experience, it can grow to become incredibly distressing and interfering, particularly as it comes to school. When anxiety is present in the school setting (whether in-person or remote), educators have an important role in encouraging and reinforcing brave vs. anxious behavior. Research supports the importance of youth moving from a cycle of avoiding to a cycle of approaching anxiety-provoking situations in order to overcome problematic anxiety. In this webinar, we will discuss how to identify, understand, and intervene for problematic anxiety for youth in your classroom.   Webinar Objectives: Identify common ways in which anxiety presents in school settings including in-person and online formats. Learn empirically supported strategies to reduce problematic anxiety. Describe school-based approaches for anxiety that encourage and reinforce empirically supported strategies (approach to anxious situations vs. avoidance).    >>> Register for Part 2: Anxiety in the Classroom - Managing Anxiety During COVID on October 7, 2020 here. <<< This webinar is part of 4-part series designed to highlight what anxiety looks like and walk through evidence-based interventions for anxiety in educational settings. Learn more about the series and access presentation materials here. *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 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. Our Presenters: Jennifer Blossom, PhD is a Clinical Child Psychologist with expertise in assessment and intervention for youth with anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Dr. Blossom has worked in some capacity in the field of clinical child psychology for over 10 years. Currently, Dr. Blossom is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Psychology and Human Development at the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF), teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Before joining UMF, Dr. Blossom completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Seattle Children’s/University of Washington where she conducted research and provided clinical services within the Mood and Anxiety Program and Crisis Care Clinic. Dr. Blossom maintains an active research program related to service delivery, efficiency, and access for youth with internalizing problems, with particular emphasis on expanding behavioral interventions within integrated healthcare settings.   Kendra Read, PhD is a clinical psychologist, the Director of the Mood & Anxiety Program and Director of Anxiety Programs at Seattle Children’s. She is also the Director of Psychotherapy Training through the University of Washington School of Medicine Child Psychiatry Fellowship. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA under the mentorship of Philip Kendall, Ph.D., completed her internship in pediatric psychology at Nemours/A. I. duPont Hospital for Children, and her postdoctoral fellowship at the Stanford University School of Medicine in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department. Dr. Read specializes in the treatment of youth with anxiety disorders and OCD from a cognitive behavioral therapy perspective. Her research interests include understanding factors that contribute to treatment outcome, and the dissemination and implementation of CBT for anxiety disorders.   Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

**This is a private training not opened to our community**   Goals and Objectives Section Goal: Provide an understanding of the current distribution of Hispanic and Latino populations throughout the US, characteristics, possible difficulties including disparities in mental health treatment and concepts that may be useful in the mental health treatment of Hispanics and Latinos in the US Section Objectives: 1. Provide an overview, including current statistics of the Hispanic and Latino populations in the U.S. 2. Define terms that are useful in the treatment of culturally diverse populations.   The Hispanic and Latino Population: Context and Needs This section includes data on Hispanic populations including prevalence rates in the US, prevalence of mental health disorders among Latino populations, distribution by country of origin and others. Terms that are relevant to understanding Latino populations such as acculturation and assimilation will be discussed. This section established a framework to understanding processes related to immigration and their possible impact on mental health.   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.