Past Events

Millard Public Schools (MPS) is participating in a four part professional development series designed for Behavior Coaches and Coaches of Coaches throughout their district. The series will include content on the roles and competencies of behavior coaches, data-based decision making, tiered problem-solving, and team collaboration. The goals of the series include helping all coaches to (1) Develop behavior coaching competencies; (2) Be able to identify, interpret, and use data across MTSS-B tiers of support; (3) Unify around a common behavioral problem-solving model; and (4) Develop the needed interpersonal and collaborative skills to guide the problem solving process. 

Dr. Andrew McLean, MD, MPH Clinical Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Science at the University of North Dakota is presenting on Shared Decision Making at the 2019 North Dakota Behavioral Health Conference. Often, patients or surrogate decision-makers will simply go along with a practitioner's recommendation of treatment. Or, they will struggle with how to have a conversation about treatment options. This presentation will provide information and tools regarding Shared Decision-Making as it pertains to psychiatric care.

Dr. Andrew McLean, MD, MPH Clinical Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Science at University of North Dakota is presenting on Shared Decision Making. Often, patients or surrogate decision-makers will simply go along with a practitioner's recommendation of treatment. Or, they will struggle with how to have a conversation about treatment options. This presentation will provide information and tools regarding Shared Decision-Making as it pertains to psychiatric care.

Pat Siebert, a nationally recognized expert in Psychiatric Advance Directives (PAD) will be in Denver to help train peer specialists to do PAD training across Colorado. The limited event will only be open to selected peer specialists and will focus on Colorado-specific aspects of the PAD law.

Pat Siebert, a nationally recognized expert in Psychiatric Advance Directives (PAD) will have a conversation with some of the people who helped craft the Colorado legislation. The conversation will allow everyone to gain a deeper understanding of the PAD law, thoughts behind it, and comparison to other states.

The mission of University of Nebraska Omaha's Topics in Education Symposium is to foster discussion, inspire innovation, and provide educators with a regional forum to disseminate research findings, share best practices, discuss current educational topics, and provide other innovative thinking and creative activities across all areas of education. As a co-sponsor, the Mid-America MHTTC will facilitate eight breakout sessions covering the National School Mental Health Curriculum developed in partnership with the MHTTC Network Coordinating Office and the National Center for School Mental Health. Special topics on school mental health will include: teaming, needs assessment and resource mapping, screening, mental health promotion for all, early intervention and treatment, and impact.

This is Part II of the two-part distance learning series on mental health workforce recruitment and retention, presented by Dr. Michael Hoge.

Time: 1:00pm - 4:00pm The Pacific Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) is proud to present a series of upcoming, NO-COST trainings in collaboration with the California School-Based Health Alliance for educators, clinicians, school-based health providers, and other professionals working with young people. Optional CEUs are available for a fee. Many educators have expressed concern that not all students who need mental health-related supports in their schools are receiving them, and often mental health needs become severe before supports are provided.  This workshop will introduce educators to practical tools and strategies to improve students’ early access to care for mental health needs. Presented within a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework, topics will include: establishing effective referral management systems, establishing a problem-solving team, mapping school- and community-based mental health resources across MTSS tiers, performing universal screening, tracking mental health referrals and monitoring intervention progress within and across youth-serving systems, and monitoring mental health intervention effectiveness for individuals.  This training is provided at no cost; however, space is limited.

Our topics will be identified as we listen to the needs of the state teams participating in our region. *This is a Virtual Learning Session for the team members in Southeast School Based Mental Health Learning Community.

If it can’t be measured, is it real? Utilizing the Hocoka Wakan, the Sacred Circle, to sustain balance as Indigenous Peoples belonging to a greater Oyate (Whole). Providing meaningful psychological and health care services when world views (paradigms) “clash”. Daniel V. Foster, Psy.D., MSCP 1-2 EST   12-1 CST   11-12 MST   10-11 PST   9-10 AST

The Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, in partnership with the Treatment and Services Adaptation Center for Resiliency, Hope, and Wellness in Schools at the University of Southern California, present the: 2019-2020 Webinar Series: Creating Trauma-Responsive Schools The first 100 registrants can attend the live webinar. Webinars will be recorded and posted on the Northwest MHTTC website within a few days and links will be sent out through our mailing list. Each webinar requires separate registration. Register only if you plan to attend the live webinar and consider joining in a central location if multiple people from your school, district or organization plan to attend.   Webinar #1: Trauma-Informed Skills for Educator (TISE) - Part 1 (of 2): Trauma 101 Times: 11-12:30 p.m. PT / 10-11:30 a.m. AK / 12-1:30pm MT The webinar is designed to enhance educators’ knowledge about trauma and its impact on students, as well as enhance educators’ ability to engage with youth who’ve been exposed to trauma. Experts will provide information about the definition of trauma, the neurological impact of trauma on students, the signs and symptoms of trauma, and an explanation of how trauma can manifest in the classroom. Learn more about the six-part series and register for all six webinars here.   Presenter Bios Vivien Villaverde, MS SW, PPSC, LCSW is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Field Education Department of the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and a member of the Treatment and Services Adaptation Center for Schools. She is a trained School Social Worker who was affiliated with the Los Angeles Unified School District for about 10 years. Prof. Villaverde has expertise in trauma-informed intervention, disaster/crisis response and trauma-responsive program development. She has extensive background in collaboration and education systems change. Her expertise includes training and consultation with school districts in trauma-responsive transformation including program development, EBP training, and policy development. Prof. Villaverde collaborates with the California Department of Education and has partnered internationally with South Korea and the Republic of the Philippines. In addition, she uses the “Social Responses to the Human Impacts of Climate Change” Grand Challenge in her disaster response planning work in Asia. She is also the Teaching Institution (TI) Coordinator at the School of Social Work. As the Coordinator, she engages in different innovation to promote university-community partnership for quality MSW internship and for community capacity-building.   Pamela Vona, MA, MPH, is currently the Program Manager for the Treatment and Services Adaptation Center for Resilience, Hope and Wellness in Schools. Her interests include understanding how to support the implementation of trauma practices in the school setting. Specifically, her work has focused on how web-based platforms can support training in and implementation of evidence-based practices in schools. Ms. Vona served as a lead developer of the Trauma Responsive School Implementation Assessment—an online assessment designed to help schools improve their trauma-responsiveness.  She is also leading the development of the Trauma Informed Skills for Developers (TISE) curriculum designed to enhance educators’ trauma knowledge and skills. Ms. Vona serves on the School Committee Workgroup for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) and previously was a member of the NCTSN Policy Task Force.     Webinar Materials: Webinar #1 Recording   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.

Anticipating disruptive or violent behavior is important for preparedness. De-escalation is a first-line response to defusing an aggressive situation, which could potentially unfold when someone is experiencing a crisis. This webinar will provide an overview of best-practice techniques for de-escalating emotionally agitated individuals.

This session covers symptoms of stress and anxiety and the impact on learning, etc.; the purpose of Calm Moments Cards program; development of plans for using Calm Moments Cards. This training is a private event. If you are interested in similar training for your school, please contact Sarah Nielsen at [email protected]. This training is being provided to Anaconda School District, Anaconda, MT; Century Elementary, Grafton, ND; Prairie Rose Elementary, Dickinson, ND; Lennox School District, Lennox, SD; West Central Middle School, Hartford, SD; Boulder Elementary, Boulder, MT.

By the end of the webinar series, participants will be able to: Define criminalization and trans-institutionalization. Understand the nature and extent of the over-representation of persons with serious mental illnesses in the criminal justice system. Understand the criminal justice system process and multiple points of contact that people with serious mental illnesses have across the criminal justice system. Describe models to serve individuals with serious mental illnesses who come in contact with the criminal justice system.

Part I of this two-part webinar series will provide an overview of recruitment and retention. This includes a discussion of core concepts, findings from national surveys, and information on the causes of vacancies and turnover. Examples of innovative approaches to addressing recruitment and retention will be provided. This webinar event will be led by Dr. Michael Hoge, a Professor Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine and Director of Yale Behavioral Health

Stefanie Winfield will present on the School Mental Health Toolkit at the 2019 Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health in Austin Texas.

Rural schools face unique challenges when addressing the mental health of students. This presentation will describe a Communities of Practice (CoP) Model pilot project targeting implementation of a multi-tiered approach to address school mental health in six rural schools across three states.  Presenters will describe: a) unique features of rural schools; b) CoP practice approach utilized; c) strengths and weaknesses of the CoP process, and d) identified strengths and barriers to implementing a multi-tiered approach in rural settings.

          The Northwest MHTTC school mental health staff, Kelcey Schmitz and Megan Lucy, attended the 2019 Advancing School Mental Health conference and helped staff the MHTTC table throughout the event with the SMH leads from the other regional centers.  About the Conference: The 2019 Advancing School Mental Health conference, November 7-9, 2019, at the Downtown Hilton Hotel, in Austin, Texas is the nation’s premier interdisciplinary conference on school mental health!  The conference brings together local, state, national, and international experts to advance knowledge and skills related to school mental health practice, research, training and policy.  Conference attendees include educators, administrators, student instructional support personnel, health and mental health practitioners, family members, youth, policymakers, researchers, advocates, child-serving agency and organization staff. 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.

The Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health, hosted by the National Center for School Mental Health provides stakeholders in school mental health the opportunity to further develop their knowledge and skills. The Mid-America MHTTC will collaborate with the MHTTC Network Coordinating Office, South Southwest MHTTC, and the National Hispanic & Latino MHTTC to present "Implementation Science Based Technical Assistance: The Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network." This joint presentation will introduce the MHTTC Network, highlight the implementation of science-based school mental health technical assistance activities, and include a group discussion. Mid-America MHTTC Co-Project Director Brandy Clarke, Ph.D., will speak about the Mid-America MHTTC's school mental health efforts in a segment titled "Mid-America MHTTC: Meeting School Mental Health Needs in Urban and Rural Communities."

Youth peer support is an increasingly popular intervention for youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions. However, many agencies face difficulty when it comes to hiring this new role. In this webinar we will address appropriate qualifications for youth peer support specialists, drafting a job description, addressing barriers related to confidentiality, and out-of-the-box recruitment methods. We will also briefly tough on retention once you start growing your youth peer workforce.   Trainers: Caitlin Baird Caitlin Baird is a Project Manager and Trainer with Pathways RTC at Portland State University. Caitlin has experience working directly with transition aged youth and young adults as a peer support specialist and as a supervisor for peer support specialists in wraparound and other mental health settings.        Maria Hermsen-Kritz Maria Hermsen is a Research Assistant with Pathways RTC at Portland State University. She has experience providing peer support for transition age youth, supervising youth peer support specialists,and managing a youth drop-in center program.        

Motivational Interviewing and Matching Vocational Interventions to Stage of Change (closed event) - ACCESVR - Queens District Office This training will provide attendees with the foundational elements of motivational interviewing and the stages of change model; demonstration and practice of skills and strategies to implement motivational interviewing in your work; and approaches to match your interventions to your participant’s stage of change. This training will be informational and interactive.   CRC CEUs are provided by New York ACCES-VR.   Who Should Attend: This training is appropriate for vocational rehabilitation counselors, supervisors, and managers of vocational rehabilitation services.    Trainers:   Ken Kinter, MA, LPC is an Assistant Professor at Rutgers University providing trainings and facilitating the implementation of evidence-based practices at state psychiatric hospitals. He is currently enrolled in the Ed.D. program at Rowan University. His past work experience includes positions at screening centers, partial care programs, and a county jail. Mr. Kinter was formerly a part of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers.    Joni N. Dolce, MS, CRC, CPRP, is an Assistant Professor at Rutgers University where she provides training and technical assistance to improve career services for people with mental health conditions. Ms. Dolce has several years of experience working in Supported Employment services, providing both direct employment services and supervising staff. She speaks and provides workshops and trainings locally and nationally on a variety of employment related topics.

A Texas-specific preconference event at the 2019 Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health Click here to learn more!

Implementing comprehensive school mental health policies and practices is a complex task that has the potential to positively affect the lives of many students. To help states, districts, and schools across the United States understand the core components of comprehensive school mental health, as well as engage in a planning process, the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network Coordinating Office and National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) developed a national school mental health curricula, including a train-the-trainer for school district leadership. The Mountain Plains School Mental Health Program is bringing this exciting new Curriculum to schools and districts in our region.