Past Events

Times: 1:30-3:00pm ET / 10:30am-12:00pm PT / 7:30-9:00am HT (view your timezone)   This is the first of two webinar sessions. (View Session Two) The Pacific Southwest MHTTC is pleased to partner with The Catalyst Center, with sponsorship from the California Department of Education and Wellness Together, to offer two webinar sessions to support the California school mental health workforce, school site leaders, and systems leaders. These sessions are presented by community-based and youth-centered organizations and agencies from whom we can learn to guide our telehealth approaches, practices, and policies. The aim of both sessions is to lift up rising practices: stories of resilience as providers innovate ways to help youth access behavioral health amidst a worldwide pandemic. COVID-19 has forced us into conditions that challenge best practices for serving the mental health needs of youth we marginalize. The school behavioral and mental health workforce has the opportunity to learn from community-based service providers who have pivoted their models of care and engagement, implementing creative methods of virtual practice to ensure communities receive the care they direly need. Through these two sessions, we hope to support California school mental health advocates, educators, administrators, and other school systems leaders in managing stress and trauma in their communities. Each session will highlight voices of experience from community-based organizations that have been innovative and student-centered in their response and resilience to this moment. Their learnings will help us identify, adopt, and implement innovative, student-centered telehealth strategies for our students’ equitable mental health access.   Session 1: How might we partner with and listen to youth / students whom we marginalize, specifically in their telehealth experience during COVID-19? Date: Monday, August 3, 2020 Time: 10:30am - 12:00pm PT   Session 2: How might community-based organizations provide student support, and what can school systems learn from them, specifically related to COVID-19 telehealth? Date: Wednesday, August 5, 2020 Time: 10:30am - 12:00pm PT   Optional Continuing Education Hours are available for a processing fee of $25 payable to the Center for Applied Research Solutions (CARS) following the event. Up to 3 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.   Session 1 Presenters Anh Ta, Assistant Director, Trauma Transformed Anh/Jeks (pronounced “Ang” like Ang Lee), pronoun: Anh. Anh is a licensed marriage and family therapist and the Assistant Director of Trauma Transformed, a program of East Bay Agency for Children. As a consumer provider, Anh does not “think outside the box” but instead has a “think as if there is no box” approach to all aspects of life. Also known as Jeks, Anh is a gamer, bard main in tabletop games, a streamer coach, and digital community coach. Anh has worked with digital communities and youth communities for more than 15 years and has been implementing trauma-informed and healing systems digitally and locally for the last five years.     Marissa Snoddy, Clinical Director at RYSE Center Marissa is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the Clinical Director at RYSE Center in Richmond, CA, where she leads and provides trauma-informed, culturally relevant, youth- and healing-centered therapeutic and integrative supports and programs for young people. She believes healing is essential to liberation, therefore mental health systems must be transformed to be racially just, affirming, and accessible. In addition to her work at RYSE, Marissa is adjunct faculty at the California Institute of Integral Studies in the MA in Counseling Psychology-Drama Therapy program.       Click here to view bios for Session 2 Presenters

Times: 6:00-8:00pm ET / 3:00-5:00pm PT / 12:00-2:00pm HT (view your time zone) This webinar addresses evidence-based strategies for suicide prevention. Situated within the unique stressors of shelter-in-place orders, this webinar series is tailored to teletherapy and discusses the distinct factors related to suicidal crises among diverse populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn how to guide clients in creating Safety Plans tailored to their specific needs and cultural strengths with the limited resources available under social distancing orders. Audiences will be introduced to a curated list of free videos for clinicians and clients on suicide prevention-related topics including means restriction, emotion regulation techniques, Emotional First Aid, and normalizing messages of hope from people who have survived suicide. This webinar pays particular attention to social determinants of health related to elevated suicide rates among various populations including LGBTQ people, Veterans, Native Americans, and Latina youth and young adults. CEUs are available.    Learning Objectives Understand Linehan’s (1993) Theory of Emotion Regulation. Develop three skills clients can use to self-regulate their emotions to prevent or manage a suicidal crisis. Learn how to support diverse clients in creating culturally specific Safety Plans. Gain insight into COVID-19 specific suicide-related risks and identify available suicide prevention resources during the pandemic.   Intended Audience: Mental Health Clinicians and Peer Support Staff   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  Heliana Ramirez, PhD, LISW is a licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years of experience providing direct mental health services to individuals, groups, and communities; designing and facilitating evidence-informed trainings for clinicians and healthcare administrators; and publishing peer reviewed articles, book chapters, and documentary film. Dr. Ramirez has addressed a variety of clinical issues through individual and group-level interventions including suicide prevention and postvention, Veteran post-deployment health, psychosocial rehabilitation, LGBTQ minority stress and resilience, trauma-informed care with combat Veterans and survivors of sexual assault, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C prevention with injection drug users and sex workers, and substance abuse harm reduction efforts from abstinence to moderation management and overdose prevention. This work has spanned a variety of settings including community-based agencies, Universities, and federal health care systems such as Veteran Affairs (VA), LGBT Community Centers, and needle exchange programs. Dr. Ramirez’s suicide prevention work with clients at the individual level includes suicide assessments, developing Safety Plans, crisis intervention, and processing the impacts of suicide attempts through suicide post-ventions following hospitalization. At the group and community level, Dr. Ramirez has facilitated discussions about suicide prevention with an LGBT Veteran support group, homeless youth groups, incarcerated women, and Native American youth on a reservation; facilitating a suicide prevention focus group to develop a culturally a specific suicide prevention public health poster campaign; and providing family therapy sessions addressing suicide prevention and postvention. Further, Dr. Ramirez organized the nation’s first multi-state LGBT Veteran Suicide Prevention Conference, designed suicide prevention protocol for multidisciplinary teams, published a peer reviewed article regarding LGBT Veteran suicide prevention (Ramirez and Bloeser, 2019), and produced a documentary film about trauma and recovery among LGBT Veterans that addresses suicide from a strengths based and culturally-specific perspective (www.camouflagecloset.com). Reference Ramirez, H., & Bloeser, K. (2019). Queering the Warrior Archetype: LGBTQ Servicewomen. Invisible Veterans: What Happens When Military Women Become Civilians Again, 113.

/*--> Loss of life by suicide has been growing for the past 20 years in the United States. All of us have been impacted, yet innovation around addressing deaths of despair has been rare. What insights can be gleaned from the peer support and harm reduction communities about new ways forward? This Webinar will explore the key paradigm shifts of “Alternatives to Suicide”, an approach first utilized in the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community that has now spread across the globe and been featured in academic publications, as well as popular media outlets such as O magazine. We will explore concrete ways to shift the conversation around suicide by rooting dialogue in vulnerability, curiosity, meaning and collective healing. Presenters: Caroline Mazel-Carlton and Sean Donovan

This session will introduce the integration of behavioral health providers in primary care practices as well as the technical assistance the Mid-America MHTTC offers in this field. Speakers will demonstrate how integration efforts increase access to behavioral health, increase appointment attendance, and reduce stigma. Members of the Mid-America MHTTC Integrated Care Program will welcome requests to establish and/or enhance integration efforts in primary care. 

This learning session is one of two in the series Supporting School Mental Health in the Context of Racial Violence that is intended for students, families, educators and school mental health professionals who are navigating the impact of racial violence on student mental health. This 1.5 hour learning session will feature a moderator who will engage advocates, leaders and the school mental health workforce in a conversation that focuses on:   Strategies for supporting students’ mental health while navigating racial violence (in and out of school); Opportunities for the field to improve its commitment to fostering a workforce ready, able and willing to hold racial violence as a mental health issue; Steps we might take to advance school mental health supports for students experiencing racial violence.   Note: A recording of the learning session will be made available in the MHTTC Products and Resource Catalog. Certificates of completion are available to viewers of 50% (45 minutes) or more of the live webinar. CEUs are not available for this session.   Register for Learning Session 2 here.      

This webinar will examine the language we use to describe marginalized populations and how cultural bias, prejudice, historical trauma, and socialization can impact the words we use and how they impact our students.

An online presentation for the Texas HHSC Home and Community-Based Services Adult Mental Health (HCBS-AMH) Best practices training, describing the core concepts of cultural humility, explaining the importance of its practice in mental health services and providing recommendation of its use while applying the National CLAS Standards.

The Northeast and Caribbean MHTTC wants to support you and your work during this unprecedented public health crisis. And we know you want to support each other! Many of you have created unique strategies for meeting the needs of your service participants, but you may still also be grappling with questions or looking for better ways of doing things. To help facilitate support and the sharing of resources and ideas, we will be facilitating Mutual Support Calls for Thriving at Work During COVID-19. These calls will be facilitated by knowledgeable leaders in the field, but we also want to benefit from your experience and expertise. Participants will have the opportunity to submit questions or comments in advance, but we welcome all to join and share with each other or just listen and benefit from the community. What & Who: One-hour virtual learning discussions for Mental Health Service Providers who want to share experiences, exchange resources, and ask and answer questions of and for each other. When: You are welcome to join 1, 2, or all 3. Mental Health Providers: Every other Thursday at 12 noon ET, 6/18, 7/2, 7/16 and 7/30 Before joining each call, we invite you to submit a question or comment that you would like to see discussed during the call. We look forward to connecting with you!

Moving towards a trauma-informed and resilient organizations, agencies, and school systems involves intentional and equitable approaches to systemic and organizational change. This includes focusing on the well-being of all the adults within a system so that they can bring their whole, human selves to the important work they do to care for others. Join the Southeast MHTTC for a webinar on systems leadership approaches that embrace trauma-informed care at both the district and state levels. Highlighting local and regional leaders, this series offers both the theory and practical tips to support school workforces to implement trauma informed principles in our practices, programs and policies. Please note that the foundational content framing trauma informed practice will be the same for each session; the leadership spotlights will be different each session.   Main presenter: Leora Wolf-Prusan, EdD, Director of Learning at the Center for Applied Research Solutions Guest speakers: Project AWARE State Leaders (Janet Watkins, Project Coordinator, Tennessee AWARE; Miriam Silman, MSW, Project AWARE/ Trauma Informed Care Program Administrator, Kentucky; and Kathryn Tillett, MSSW, Project AWARE KY Coordinator)   By the end of this session participants will be able to: Understand the fundamentals of leading their organization towards becoming more trauma-informed and resilience-oriented, always and now through a pandemic Access conceptual foundations to brain & body science, principles for building a safe environment, and promising practices for trauma-informed systems. Identify 2-3 practices for implementing trauma informed workforce change at district and state levels, including how to collaborate across teams and with multiple stakeholders to make the work happen

  FACULTY FACILITATORS                       SERIES DESCRIPTION The Central East MHTTC in collaboration with the National ​Center for School Mental Health is pleased to offer a school mental health webinar series with a focus on advancing high quality, sustainable school mental health from a multi-tiered system of support, trauma sensitive, and culturally responsive and equitable lens. ​To familiarize yourself with the foundations of school mental health, please review the school mental health guidance document​. Download the Series flyer here.   OBJECTIVES Gain ​increased awareness of high quality, sustainable multi-tiered system of school mental health supports and services Support ​trauma-informed systems in schools Discover ​the impacts of social determinants of health on student academic and social-emotional-behavioral success Learn ​to provide more culturally responsive and equitable services and supports Hear ​perspectives on school mental health from school, district and state levels Obtain insight into how youth, families, schools and communities can best work together to address student mental health needs   WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Educators, ​Administrators, Health and Behavioral Health Care Professionals, Child-Serving Agency Staff, Policymakers and Advocates interested in improving high quality, sustainable school mental health across a multi-tiered system of support.   Scheduled Webinars for July and August Wednesday, July 29, 2020 / 12:00-1:00 PM ET Trauma Responsive Schools Implementation Assessment ​Register   Monday, August 3 / 12:00-1:30 PM ET  Youth Perspectives on COVID-19, Racism, and Returning to School Register   Wednesday, August 5 / 12:00-1:00 PM ET The School Health Assessment and Performance Evaluation System ​Register   Monday, August 10 / 11:00-12:30 PM ET  What Can Schools Do to Address Inequalities, Racism, and Social Injustices ​Register     Registration questions, Sylvia Huntley, [email protected] 410-706-0981

Lydia Chwastiak, MD, MPH, Northwest MHTTC Co-Director, AIMS Center, Professor at the University of Washington, will present at the workshop "Caring for People with Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders in Primary Care Settings" on July 29, hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The workshop will examine approaches to facilitate the delivery of essential components of care for people with mental health and substance use disorders in primary care settings using a small set of tracer conditions, such as depression, alcohol use disorders, and substance use disorders. Due to restrictions on travel and public gatherings as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the workshop hosted by the Forum on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders originally scheduled to be held in-person in Washington, DC, has been converted into a series of webinars on June 3, 2020, July 29, 2020, and August 26, 2020. The webinars will examine approaches to facilitate the delivery of essential components of care for people with mental health and substance use disorders in primary care settings, using three illustrative conditions (depression, alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder) as a framework. Part 2: Wednesday July 29, 2020 9:00 AM–12:30 PM Pacific The second webinar will highlight the essential components of care for depression, alcohol use disorders, and opioid use disorders in primary care settings.  Moderator Howard Goldman, MD, PhD, University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Medicine Speakers Frank deGruy, MD, MS, University of Colorado School of Medicine Sarah Wakeman, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, DFASAM, Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health Lydia Chwastiak, MD, MPH, University of Washington AIMS Center, Northwest MHTTC Co-Director The webinar will also discuss the key factors that support or impede implementation of these essential components of care. Moderator W. Perry Dickinson, University of Colorado Department of Family Medicine Speakers Laura K. Murray, PhD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health David Keller, MD, University of Colorado, School of Medicine Stacy Sterling, DrPH, MSW, MPH, Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research Suzanne Snyder LCSW, Access Community Health Network

Two half-day online trainings Wednesday, July 29, and  Thursday, July 30 8:00am–11:15am CST Earn 6 NAADAC CEUs The conceptual foundation of ethics represents an inherent and essential framework for behavioral health, including clinical social work. While assuming all ethical standards and professional codes of ethics represent identical approaches to care, however, significant differences exist. In this presentation, emphasis is given to examining personal values and ethical concepts, contrasting those personal beliefs to professional codes of ethics, and determining appropriate approaches to clientele. In addition, given the demands within behavioral health, boundary crossings as well as boundary violations receive prominent focus and attention. This presentation will engage participants in a multi-media, multi-sensory format, teaching to all styles of learning. Case study material and video clips from various health care disciplines will be presented along with didactic material that addresses both the conceptual and practical levels. "Ethics for Behavioral Health Professionals" meets the qualifications for the provision of six CE credits/contact hours. The Great Lakes ATTC is an approved provider of continuing education through the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC).  This training is for the behavioral health workforce. Presenter: Thomas L. Moore, LMSW, LLP, CAADC. Independent Consultant

  With the increase in traumatic backgrounds, coupled with continued experiences of discrimination, many affectional and gender minorities find the transition to parenthood to be difficult.  Affectional and gender minority parents find it tough to rely on social support.  Practitioners need to understand the current state of affectional and gender minority parenting and the various relationship dynamics that are affected. Once an affectional or gender minority couple have a child, it appears that they tend to experience more burdens associated with family life than heterosexual and cisgender couples. Many affectional and gender minority couples with children are twice as likely to be living in poverty as different-sex couples, despite their higher levels of education, as well as experience higher rates of unemployment. Furthermore, affectional and gender minority families face struggles when advocating for their children in the school setting, seeking appropriate medical care for their children, developing and defining their roles as parents, dividing childcare, and housework. This presentation will highlight the struggles of affectional and gender diverse families, as well as provide strategies and skills to support them.  Also, this presentation will provide resources to support practitioners in increasing their competence and providing ethical support to affectional and gender minority parents.               

 “Strategies of Support for Mental Health Providers” - Empowering one another during times of crisis This is the eighth 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. Discussion will be facilitated by Sean A. Bear, BA, Meskwaki; Matt Ignacio, PhC, MSSW, Tohono O’odham; and Anne Helene Skinstad, PhD. 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

This webinar will provide an overview of some the risks, consequences, and intervention strategies related to a child’s exposure to conflict and coercion in the home to support clinical efforts to address these situations, especially with the added challenges posed by COVID-19. A current case example in which telehealth is being used will illustrate some key assessment, monitoring, and treatment tools that might help practitioners minimize or prevent the impact of these exposures. Additional practical suggestions will be outlined to provide a context for encouraging family safety and well-being. Note: Certificates of attendance will be provided to all who attend at least 50% (30 minutes) of the live webinar. CEUs are not available for these sessions. Speakers: David J. Kolko, Ph.D., ABPP, is a Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, Pediatrics, and Clinical and Translational Science, at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He directs the Special Services Unit at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, a program devoted to promoting the implementation of evidence-based practices for children/adolescents who are victims and/or perpetrators of physical/sexual aggression being served in diverse community settings, such as juvenile justice, child welfare, pediatric primary care, and mental health. He is co-developer of Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT), an intervention to improve family relationships for those experiencing high conflict/coercion, harsh/punitive discipline, child physical abuse, and/or child behavior problems.   Ashley Fiore, MSW, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience treating childhood trauma in Children’s Advocacy Centers and Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault agencies. She provides evidence-based mental health trauma treatment to children and their families and disseminates evidence-based treatment practices. Ms. Fiore is endorsed as a master trainer by the developers of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and serves as clinical faculty for the NC Child Treatment Program at Duke University’s Center for Child and Family Health, a Category III center of the NCTSN. Ms. Fiore is also certified in Alternatives for Families Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT).   Note: This is the third session of the Preventing and Responding to Family Violence During COVID-19 Series, an online series brought to you by the MHTTC Network and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. For more information on the series and other upcoming sessions, please click here.

Rural but Reachable: How to Build Grief Support by Creating Community Session three of three: Rural Social Isolation and Loneliness Series What are the unique qualities of our rural environments which lend to us creating community surrounding our common denominator of grief? Come explore in this engaging and interactive webinar where we will discuss how you can start the thread of connection in your own community to support those in grief. How has COVID-19 changed this and where are we now as we create new avenues of support for each other and grief becomes even more of our common experience and language?   Trainer Cynthia Drake A native of Colorado, Cynthia Drake attended the College of Wooster in rural Ohio and earned a BA degree in Sociology with a Concentration in Anthropology. Post-graduation, she relocated to the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan to work at a non-profit, Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly, serving lonely and isolated elderly people with socialization programs.  During Cynthia’s 31-year career working and serving rural people, she has worked serving elderly people, at a local helpline, with sexual assault victims, as a volunteer with domestic violence victims, and with the local hospice program where she teamed in developing its first community grief support program. She is currently the Grief Counselor at Omega House, guiding a monthly support group and offering individual counseling. In addition she manages her business, Openings Life Coaching, working with people individually and in group retreats to reach their highest potential. Living in the UP, Cynthia is familiar with the challenges of rural living. She understands the importance of community building, one relationship at a time.               

Moving towards a trauma-informed and resilient organizations, agencies, and school systems involves intentional and equitable approaches to systemic and organizational change. This includes focusing on the well-being of all the adults within a system so that they can bring their whole, human selves to the important work they do to care for others. Join the Southeast MHTTC for a webinar on systems leadership approaches that embrace trauma-informed care at both the district and state levels. Highlighting local and regional leaders, this series offers both the theory and practical tips to support school workforces to implement trauma informed principles in our practices, programs and policies. Please note that the foundational content framing trauma informed practice will be the same for each session; the leadership spotlights will be different each session.   Main presenter: Leora Wolf-Prusan, EdD, Director of Learning at the Center for Applied Research Solutions Guest speakers: Metro Nashville Public Schools Department of Support Services, Tennessee   By the end of this session participants will be able to: Understand the fundamentals of leading their organization towards becoming more trauma-informed and resilience-oriented, always and now through a pandemic Access conceptual foundations to brain & body science, principles for building a safe environment, and promising practices for trauma-informed systems. Identify 2-3 practices for implementing trauma informed workforce change at district and state levels, including how to collaborate across teams and with multiple stakeholders to make the work happen

This symposium provides training on how clergy can recognize and respect individuals within their congregations who compose the LGBT community. The Central East MHTTC is supporting this Baltimore Faith Based Commission for Behavioral Health event.   Part 1: July 21, 2020, 10:00am – 11:30am Part 2: July 28, 2020, 10:00am – 11:30am   Presenter: Pastor Jeff Harris   Who Should Attend? Faith leaders and persons holding leadership positions in their respective houses of worship  

**This is a private training not opened to our community**   This four-hour online session, divided in two days, will discuss an evidence-based modular approach to help children, adolescents, adults, and families immediately after a disaster and terrorism. It is intended to provide tools and techniques for rapid response teams, service providers, healthcare professionals, and volunteers. Cultural alerts regarding main cultural values like; familismo, respeto, and personalismo will be provided to enhance providers' skills while serving Hispanic and Latino populations.    Second Part is on July 29, 1:30pm Eastern   Who should attend? This is a basic level webinar for  psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors, community health workers, and other behavioral health professionals.     About the presenters:  Myriam González Villanueva, PsyD - Dr. Myriam González obtained a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. Dr. Gonzalez doctoral dissertation was focused on the impact of sexual abuse in children from 8 to 18 years old. She is certified in substance abuse and a certification as a Hypnotherapist from the Ericksonian Institute of Guadalajara, Mexico. Also, Dr. Gonzalez has been in private practice for a space of 30 years, serving mostly the adult population, especially with people suffering from a Substance Use Disorder, Complex Trauma, and codependency relationships. She works for the Carlos Albizu University, in Puerto Rico, as a Clinical Supervisor in the area of clinical training with students at the doctoral level. At the Universidad Central del Caribe, she has collaborated with various programs, including IRESA and ATTC, conducting trainings, workshops, and conferences on multiple topics of interest. Isa I. Vélez Echevarría, PsyD - Dr. Isa Vélez is a clinical psychologist and a Certified Child and Adolescent Trauma Professional by the International Association of Trauma Professionals since 2018. She obtained a certification as Interpersonal Psychotherapy Clinician, was trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Family Therapy, and Neurofeedback. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Community Services Institute in Boston, MA., where she provided home-based and school-based psychotherapy for communities of color. She is currently working as a clinical psychologist aT A&R Behavioral Associates and as a Training and Content Specialist for the National Hispanic and Latino MHTTC, at the Universidad Central del Caribe, in Bayamon, PR.   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.  

Suicide Risk Assessment Part 2 is an interactive training targeted to Master's level and licensed mental health clinicians who provide counseling and/or assessment in a variety of settings. The training will highlight the importance of suicide risk assessment and demonstrate ways clinicians can recognize, assess, and intervene when working with at-risk clients. By the end of the webinar participants will be able to: Describe and implement the components of effective suicide risk assessment;  Discuss the elements of suicide risk assessment that have been determined to be "best practice;"  Discuss key elements in completing an effective crisis and safety plan; and   Identify appropriate agency, professional, clinical, and social resources to engage during a crisis or risk assessment. Key take-home skills that participants can apply in their work: Participants will be knowledgeable about personal views of suicide and increase sensitivity towards suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviors; Participants will be able to complete crisis and safety planning for clients; and Participants will be able to complete the C-SSRS tool for evaluation.

This presentation will help those who are caretakers maintain well-being and preserve their mental health during difficult times. The Central East MHTTC is supporting this Baltimore Faith Based Commission for Behavioral Health event.   Presenter:  Loretta Veney (Author of the book Being My Mom’s Mom)

This one and half-hour online session will provide information on third, sixth, and eighth-largest population of Hispanic origin living in the United States. The presenter will provide information about the languages, traditions, customs, values, spirituality, and the social, historical, and political context that led them to immigrate to the United States. Also, they will discuss migration trauma and its impact on mental health.   Who should attend? This is a basic level workshop designed for mental health providers, school mental health providers, and school administrators.       About the presenters:  Javier Ramirez, MA, MA- Javier Nahum Ramirez Elias is a Nawat from his father's side and Lenka from his mother's side, born in El Salvador. He has earned two master degrees: one in Latin American Studies with the focus in History and Political Science of the region, and the second one in Cultural Anthropology with an emphasis in the diaspora and immigration process of Central Americans. Works with various community organizations providing health and social services to diverse communities in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Currently, he is the Program Director of Teen Family Services at El Nido Family Centers, and a Lecturer on Latin American Studies and Chicano Studies at California State University Los Angeles. Mrs. Thelma Garcia- Mrs. Thelma Garcia is the Director of HIV Prevention Services for the East Los Angeles Women’s Center. Mrs. Garcia has worked for over twenty years addressing sexual, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS prevention needs, and violence against women issues in the Latino community. Mrs. Garcia established the Promotoras en Acción Program to improve access for Latino women at risk of HIV/AIDS. Mrs. Garcia has become a steadfast community activist promoting HIV/AIDS programs and policies that address women's issues. She serves on various community advisory boards, planning task forces and committees where she builds strong professional relationships with local and statewide organizations.   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.  

Persons living with HIV/AIDS face a number of social, psychological and biological stresses on an ongoing basis. It is important for providers to have an understanding and sensitivity to those issues when providing care. This session is part of a one-day workshop that will examine the major bio-psychosocial effects of HIV infection, in addition to the importance of adherence to HIV therapy.   Learning Objectives: Introduce participants to quality and compassionate care services for persons living with HIV (PLWHA) Discuss impact of health equity on the overall wellness of PLWHA Analyze the emotional, and bio psychosocial needs of PLWHA Address behavioral health care and related adherence for the sexual health needs of the Aging PLWHA Review screening of Long Term Survivors for Depression and Survivor Fatigue   Who Should Attend? New case managers and individuals involved in general HIV care giving.   This event is provided in collaboration by the University of Maryland AIDS Education Training Center, the Central East ATTC and the Central East MHTTC.

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 panel will discuss terms related to racism, institutional racism, and prejudice and their impact on the mental health of communities of color. Panelists 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 presenters:      Diana Parra Pérez, PhD - Physical Therapist from Rosario University in Bogota Colombia, Master in Public Health from St. Louis University, PhD in Social Work/Public Health from Washington University in St. Louis, Postdoctoral Fellow in Public Health Nutrition at Sao Paulo University School of Public Health.  200-HR Registered Yoga Teacher, 300-HR IMTA Certified Mindfulness Teacher Professional. Research Assistant Professor at the Brown School Washington University in St. Louis. Research Lead and Mindfulness and Meditation Instructor at Alma y Espiritu. Research on the promotion of health and wellness through community based programs for physical activity, nutrition, yoga, and mindfulness, geared towards marginalized, underrepresented, and oppressed minorities, particularly the Latinx immigrant population in the United States. Significant experience mentoring students from underrepresented backgrounds. Diverse background and training in non-traditional methodologies to assess physical activity and diets.     Oscar Morgan - Oscar Morgan has more than 35 years of experience in the mental health and substance use service fields, with expertise in providing evidence-based and culturally and linguistically competent services, trauma-informed programs, mental health, and substance use organizational systems design and service integration. He is currently the Project Director of the Central East Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. In this role, he directs the provision of training and technical assistance geared towards strengthening the skills and knowledge of the behavioral health and primary care workforce in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The training and technical assistance are focused on strengthening and accelerating the workforce’s capacity to provide evidence-best practices in prevention, treatment, and recovery support services for children, youth and adults who have and/or at risk of developing serious emotional disturbances/serious mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders. Mr. Morgan is a former mental health commissioner for the state of Maryland. He has held senior level positions in a variety of state and national organizations. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and Master's Degree in Health Care Services Administration from George Washington University, Washington DC.     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.     Sean Bear, BA - Sean A. Bear, 1st, earned his B.A. from Buena Vista University in 2002, majoring in psychology/human services. He also studied mental health counseling at Drake University for 2 years. He is a member of the Meskwaki Tribe, in Tama, Iowa, and has worked with Native Americans with substance abuse issues for many years. He is an Army Veteran of 9 years, and was honorary discharged from the 82nd Airborne. Mr. Bear has worked as an Administrator/Counselor in EAP, as a counselor in adolescent behavioral disorder programs, substance abuse, and in-home family therapy. He has experience in building holistic, Native American based curriculum, and implementing these curricula/programs in substance abuse treatment and prevention program.   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.