Past Events

Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) is the non-punitive, non-adversarial, trauma-informed model of care originated by Dr. Ross Greene and described in his various books, including The Explosive Child, Lost at School, Lost & Found, and Raising Human Beings. The CPS model is recognized as an empirically-supported, evidence-based treatment by the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC).     The CPS model provides a compassionate understanding of kids’ behavioral challenges and a non-adversarial, effective approach for reducing challenging behavior, improving communication, and repairing relationships. This model has been implemented in schools, inpatient units, residential facilities, treatment programs, and juvenile detention facilities.     For more about CPS, please see this list of FAQ’s and the Walking Tour for Educators from Dr. Greene's Lives in the Balance website (please note videos in the walking tour will not play on Chrome).

Discover the history, strengths and challenges related to gender diversity in the behavioral health field in this webinar.   Examine research addressing disparities in this area and improving services.  

​​​​​​In this webinar, we will discuss the distinction between sex and gender, and develop a better understanding of the range of gender identities that exist. Additionally, we will review strategies for providing an open and affirming stance for clients and families to talk about their gender identity, and to help clients to advocate for their needs. This webinar will run from 12-1 PM EST.    Presenter (s): Megan Graham, LMHC

This event will cover the continuum of care for providers addressing mental health and substance use needs of mothers during pregnancy.  The focus of the training will be on addressing co-occurring disorders from a multi-disciplinary perspective. This is a closed event, but individuals from Region 8 who are interested in similar trainings may contact Dr. Maridee Shogren at [email protected].

The Northeast and Caribbean MHTTC is proud to offer a free Behavioral Health Workforce Development Training program in Illness Management and Recovery. Join us this summer! Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) is a structured program that helps individuals with mental health conditions seek meaningful goals for themselves, acquire information and skills to develop more control over their psychiatric illness, and make progress towards their own personal goals.  In this training, participants will learn how illness management relates to recovery, become familiar with the IMR program's core values and content, and review motivational, educational and cognitive behavioral strategies for IMR clinicians. PISCATAWAY, NJ Wednesday July 31, 2019 10:00am – 3:00pm Rutgers University (Room Location TBD) 675 Hoes Lane West Piscataway, NJ 08854    Who Should Attend This training is appropriate for behavioral health direct service providers and supervisors. Positions such as, case managers, residential counselors, mental health counselors/clinicians, peer providers, ICMS/(P)ACT team members, supported employment and supported education coaches, vocational rehabilitation specialists, and team leaders should attend.   Trainer: Jennifer Sperduto is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers University. She has over 25 years of experience in the mental health field in a variety of community settings, including a Clubhouse model psychiatric rehabilitation program, a vocational rehabilitation program, several community housing programs and a residential program for people with co-occurring disorders. She currently provides technical assistance, consultation, and training to state psychiatric hospitals. Ms. Sperduto has participated in both quantitative and qualitative studies related to the effectiveness of inpatient treatment interventions and has been involved in several evaluation projects which examine the implementation and fidelity of Evidence Based Practices, including Illness Management and Recovery, in a hospital setting. Most recently, Ms. Sperduto’s work has focused on developing a recovery-based curricula to improve discharge readiness and tenancy skills and facilitate community reintegration for persons served in the state hospital system.      Looking forward to seeing you there!  Please contact us at [email protected] or 908-889-2552 with any questions. 

A free training opportunity intended for services providers and allies to increase awareness and knowledge on a range of unique challenges for Native LGBTQ/Two-Spirited individuals with regard to accessing behavioral health services.  Participants will learn strategies to engage Native LGBTQ/Two-Spirit people in affirming, supportive, and culturally-responsive behavioral health care.   Click the green download button above to download our flyer.

Time: 9:00am-12:00pm This pre-conference session is hosted by the Pacific Southwest MHTTC at the 46th Annual Arizona Rural Health Conference. During this workshop, presenters will explore strategies to build workforce diversity from recruitment to training to retention, with special attention to the unique needs of diverse, rural communities and the professionals that serve them. During this capacity-building workshop, participants will (1) explore the importance and benefits of a diverse workforce in effectively addressing mental health disparities for community populations; (2) learn the critical components needed to assess the opportunities and challenges for mental health organizations in building a diverse workforce; and (3) assess how their organization is performing in each area and overall to identify areas of focus for improvement. Participants will be offered the opportunity to identify action steps to address areas where their organization is more limited and ways to incorporate action steps into existing organizational plans and structures.

The role of the peer support worker has been defined as “offering and receiving help, based on shared understanding, respect and mutual empowerment between people in similar situations.” The growth of peer support specialists in the behavioral health workforce is bringing opportunities to organizations and institutions serving people living with mental health conditions. This three-part webinar series, titled Peer Workforce and Mental Health System Change: Promise and Practice, will provide an overview of the evolution and significance of peer services from a recovery-focused perspective, critical factors of organizational leadership, and system transformations.   Webinar series: Is the Past Prologue? From Insane Asylums to Peer Support Workforce DATE: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 TIME: 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (ET)   The Logic of Scientific Revolutions: Peer Support Workforce and Mental Health System Transformation DATE: Tuesday, July 16, 2019 TIME: 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (ET) You may register for this event by clicking here.   Chop Wood and Carry Water: Key Elements in Progressive Peer Workforce Practice DATE: Tuesday, July 30, 2019 TIME: 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (ET) You may register for this event by clicking here.

Featuring keynote Luis H. Zayas, PhD, Dean of the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin, and two expert practitioners, Marisol Acosta, M.Ed., LPC-S, Director of Clinical Services at Any Baby Can, and Gabriela Hurtado, PhD, co-owner of Prickly Pear Therapy & Training. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, many refugees, especially children, have experienced trauma related to violence, persecution, and other unsafe conditions in their country of origin, during displacement, or in the resettlement process in the U.S. that may impact their mental and physical health long after these experiences have occurred. During this 3-hour webcast, presenters will identify the factors contributing to adverse mental health outcomes among Hispanic and/or Latino communities that have recently immigrated or sought asylum in the U.S. and will offer providers meaningful intervention strategies for supporting individuals with these experiences.

Research has shown that resilience is ordinary, not extraordinary.  It is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, significant sources of stress. This webinar will review resiliency factors and present strategies for enhancing  personal resilience. Karen McGrellis, LPC, CTTS, DRCC, ACS, MPA Sr. Training Specialist,  System of Care,  Rutgers University

National and local experts convene to share resources and opportunities for School Mental Health programming in New Jersey schools.  Don't miss this unique gathering.  Participation in the Summit is free, but registration is limited. Presentations and Discussions Experts from the National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine and local experts will present on: What is comprehensive school mental health? What is the value of school mental health? How does school mental health connect with your other initiatives (e.g., school safety)? How to set strategic planning priorities around school mental health. What resources are available to support school mental health? How the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center can support you in your efforts. How do I fund school mental health initiatives? Audience County Superintendents District Superintendents and Other District Representatives Department of Education Representatives New Jersey State Legislators Participation in the Summit is free, but registration is limited. Please only send one representative from your District. For questions, please contact us at [email protected] or 908-889-2552 with any questions.

Suicide Risk Assessment is an interactive training targeted towards 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. After completing the training, participants should be able to 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 response plan, and Identify appropriate agency, professional, clinical, and social resources to engage during a crisis or risk assessment.

The Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) program is a school-based, group and individual intervention. It is designed to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and behavioral problems, and to improve functioning, grades and attendance, peer and parent support, and coping skills. In this 2-day workshop, participants will receive an overview of the mental, health and academic consequences of childhood trauma and PTSD, an introduction to the history and evidence base of CBITS, thorough session by session demonstrations and supervised practice of each core concept for both group and individual sessions, and guidance on implementation and site planning. Following the workshop, each cohort will be invited to participate in phone-based clinical coaching support to enhance their competency and problem-solve barriers to implementation of CBITS.

Texas schools have never been more interested in supporting students’ mental health. Community mental health centers are a critical partner for schools seeking to provide comprehensive school mental health; however, creating healthy partnerships can be challenging. Join us for the fourth webinar in the series to hear from Jill Bohnenkamp and Kristin Scardamalia from the National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland. The presenters will discuss some of the common challenges to creating strong partnerships between schools and community providers and share lessons learned from states and districts across the country about creative approaches to overcoming barriers.

A Childhood-Trauma Learning Collaborative (C-TLC) Webinar Series presented by Center for Educational Improvement (CEI) and NE-MHTTC.  This session will share mindfulness habits that can be modeled and cultivated in students. The webinar will focus on the benefits of intentionally adopting mindful habits as a school/classroom community with a focus on early childhood settings.  Presenter(s): Dana Asby, M.A., M.Ed., CEI Director, Innovation and Research Support

Time: 6:00-7:00 p.m. ET / 3:00-4:00 p.m. PT / 12:00-1:00 p.m. HT Join other mental and behavioral health organizations as we engage in peer learning around Building a Diverse Workforce From the Ground Up. Register for one or more of the following Community of Practice sessions, held the 4th Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. HT: May 22, June 26, July 24, August 28.

Discover the history, strengths and challenges related to gender diversity in the behavioral health field in this webinar.   Examine research addressing disparities in this area and improving services. 

Dr. Andrew J. McLean is hosting a workshop 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.

John Nicoletti, PhD, ABPP, will host a training session on best practices for supporting patients in crisis. Dr. Nicoletti's session will focus on practical strategies to aid in crisis de-escalation, and services that can support people in crisis. Dr Nicoletti will also provide examples from his practice in working with first reponders, law enforcement, and mental health personnel.

North Dakota Children and Family Services Conference This discussion will include an overview of classes of medications used for mood and anxiety problems, ADHD and psychosis, among others illnesses. Information relating to both benefits and adverse effects will be provided.

The National CLAS Standards are intended to advance health equity, improve quality, and help to eliminate health care disparities for individuals, organizations, and communities. The presentation offers concise, practical information on how to implement the 15 Standards throughout an agency/organization or program, including ways to advance and sustain CLAS-related principles through policies and practices. Key areas of focus include the workforce, language assistance, and community engagement. Interactive exercises are incorporated in the presentation to enhance participants' knowledge, awareness, and sensitivity to improve cross-cultural interactions in health, healthcare, and other service organizations.

Training Description This second webinar will discuss a mental health response to human-created disasters. The phases of response to a human-created disaster will be described as well as the factors that lead to resilience. Case studies on recent human-created disasters will be discussed. It will also discuss the relationship between the mental health and public health sectors and how these two groups work together during a human-created disaster.   Learning Objectives By the end of this training, participants will be able to: Describe the phases of a disaster mental health response during a human-created disaster. Define the factors that lead to resilience during a human-created disaster. Assess the behavioral health needs of a community after a human-created disaster. Explain the relationship between the mental health and public health sectors during a mental health disaster response during a human-created disaster.

This workshop hosted by the Pacific Southwest MHTTC at the 20th Annual Summer Institute, which is held July 16-19, 2019. (Part I) Building a Diverse Workforce from the Ground Up July 18th, 2019 — 2:00-3:15pm Part One of this workshop will highlight the importance of increasing workforce diversity as a critical part of achieving health equity. Presenters will outline the purpose of the above mentioned areas in strengthening workforce diversity, offer participants the opportunity to complete the tool, and explore the different aspects of each area. This session is geared towards leaders, providers, human resource officers in mental health organizations who are interested in assessing, reflecting on the importance of a culturally responsive workforce, and taking action. (Part II) Building a Diverse Workforce from the Ground Up July 18th, 2019 — 3:30-4:45pm Part Two will offer participants the opportunity to identify action steps to address areas where their organization is more limited and ways to incorporate action steps into existing organizational plans and structures.

This workshop hosted by the Pacific Southwest MHTTC at the 20th Annual Summer Institute, which is held July 16-19, 2019.   (Part I) Implicit Bias and its Impact in the Mental Health Service Space: Exploring Concepts and Experiences (Part I) July 18th, 2019 — 9:00-10:15am Part One of this workshop will provide an overview of implicit bias - its definition, key characteristics, and examples of how implicit bias predict behavior in the real world. Presenters will highlight challenges of individuals and those of our organizations and systems that often get in the way of creating inclusive, respectful, and supportive environments for individuals seeking services. (Part II) What Can Individual and Organizations Do? July 18th, 2019 — 10:30-11:45am Part Two will allow space for participants to share their experiences of taking the Implicit Association Test and further examine the ways implicit bias show up in organizations. Presenters will share self-reflection tools that participants can use to become more self-aware regarding their own biases.