Past Events

WEDNESDAY, April 3, 2024 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. PT [Find your local time zone here] Workshop 3 of 6 in the "Trauma-Informed, In School Sessions" Workshop Series (view series page for full details) The Power of a Witness: Using Narrative Exposure Therapy (an Evidence Based Approach) to Support Students' Trauma Recovery Trauma Informed Principle to Practice: Empowerment, Collaboration This workshop provides an exploration of Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), an evidence-based approach tailored for adults or children, particularly refugees and immigrants, with multiple traumatic experiences. Kids Narrative Exposure Therapy (KIDNET) is a therapy designed for children and adolescents who have experienced trauma, especially in conflict zones. KIDNET therapy focuses on reprocessing traumatic memories by contrasting the memories with the present feelings through narration. It focuses on helping them process their traumatic memories by creating a "lifeline" and uses techniques like storytelling, art, and role-play to aid in healing and recovery.   Led by Dr. Alejandra Acuña, this workshop guides us towards a comprehensive understanding of NET's principles and techniques, learning how to utilize storytelling to help students process and integrate traumatic memories resulting in reduced PTSD symptoms. Attendees will walk away equipped with practical strategies and insights to provide culturally responsive support to students, fostering resilience and facilitating healing within diverse educational settings (e.g., green lights, yellow lights, and red lights of NET implementation!).   Importantly, Dr. Acuña will share not only about the evidence based approach, but how the implementation of it in itself can and should be trauma-informed and culturally responsive so that students and their families experience their recovery through the trauma-informed principles of empowerment and collaboration     Audience: School mental health professionals (school social workers, school psychologists, school counselors), student support services administrators and supervisors, and anyone interested.   Faculty   Alejandra Acuña, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW, PPSC (she/hers) Alejandra Acuña's career focus has been in academia, research, and practice, notably in school social work. With a Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), LCSW licensure and a PPS credential in California, she has studied stress, trauma, and resilience, particularly among adolescents and marginalized communities. Dr. Acuña has taught at UCLA and earned tenure at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). She is currently the Executive Director of Valley Nonprofit Resources, a program in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at CSUN.   Priming Materials   Robjant, K., & Fazel, M. (2010). The emerging evidence for narrative exposure therapy: A review. Clinical psychology review, 30(8), 1030-1039. DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2010.07.004 Schauer, M., Neuner, F., & Elbert, T. (2017). Narrative exposure therapy for children and adolescents (KIDNET). Evidence-based treatments for trauma related disorders in children and adolescents, 227-250. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-46138-0_11 Schauer, M., Neuner, F., & Elbert, T. (2011). Narrative exposure therapy: A short-term treatment for traumatic stress disorders. Hogrefe Publishing GmbH. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.21058-1    

The transfer of work from a leader to their direct reports increases the efficiency of a team because now the leader can work on the things only they can do. This approach has the benefit of helping employees grow by giving them increasingly demanding and complex work. This session describes how to start delegating effectively right away.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Describe common barriers to delegation with solutions Determine what to delegate to whom Describe three levels of delegation with examples   CONTINUING EDUCATION: Registrants who fully attend this training will be eligible to receive 1 continuing education (CE) hour certified by the Minnesota Board of Social Work. CE certificates are provided by People Incorporated Training Institute.   PRESENTER: Russ Turner, MA, Director of the People Incorporated Training Institute During Russ’s 16-year tenure, he has written and taught thousands of hours of person-centered curriculum to help people become more effective helpers, communicators, and leaders. His audience includes workers and leaders across a wide range of organizations from human services, healthcare, and libraries, to law enforcement and corrections. He trains trainers, works with management, and has consulted and coached on training projects across multiple sectors of the economy. He has worked as an educator for three decades in a variety of countries and settings including Japan, the Czech Republic, and the UK. His teaching philosophy is that adults learn best when they are challenged, the material is applicable to work situations, and sessions are interactive and engaging.     This training is provided by our valued partners at the People Incorporated Training Institute. The Great Lakes MHTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.

Event Description Statistics reveal a concerning trend: a significant number of men who have died by suicide had visited a healthcare provider within 30 days prior to their death. This alarming fact underscores the urgent need for more effective mental health interventions and support systems within rural settings. This session aims to shed light on the critical intersection of masculinity, mental health, and rural life, and explore how everyday places—such as doctors' offices, churches, workplaces, and community gatherings—can become gateways to meaningful conversations and interventions. Key topics will include: Understanding the barriers to mental health support for rural men, including stigma, limited resources, and cultural norms. Strategies for healthcare providers to initiate mental health conversations and recognize warning signs during routine visits. The role of churches and faith-based organizations in providing support and breaking down the stigma associated with mental health issues. Integrating mental health awareness and support into workplaces, especially in industries predominant in rural areas. The importance of Integrated Behavioral Health positions in creating a holistic approach to health care in rural settings. Trainer Andrew Jordan Thayer, PhD, LP

The South Southwest MHTTC is co-facilitating this training with Texas Health and Human Services. This is a closed training. AS+K About Suicide to Save a Life is a 3 workshop for adults who interact with youth or adults at risk for suicide. The program provides participants with an overview of the basic epidemiology of suicide and suicidal behavior, including risk and protective factors. Participants are trained to recognize warning signs—behaviors and characteristics that might indicate elevated risk for suicidal behavior—and how to intervene with a person they think might be at risk for suicide.

  About this Event: Georgia has had a reputation for being a standard bearer of peer support for many years, and that reputation has been on display over the past 36 months with the launch of the new national 988 and 988lifeline.org. In this series, '988 in Every State', presenters will do a deep dive into what 988 is—its purpose, history, goals, and mechanics, taking micro and macro views of the system by speaking with front line Certified Peer Specialists answering calls and administrators behind the scenes who helped envision and build out Georgia’s response. Throughout the 988 buildup and rollout, Georgia—who already had connected statewide crisis, resource, and warmline telephone support — provided guidance and insight to other states and national leaders. Join staff from the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network as they share their insight and experience throughout this three-part series. Learning Objectives: Identify which number to call in different crisis and non-crisis situations Identify different ways 988 can be built to scale Describe the benefits of calling 988 ***Registration info for upcoming sessions of '988 In Every State': The People Who Show (April 15) & The Places We Go (April 29) coming soon!

This 90-minute webinar will discuss effective clinical supervision for behavioral health providers. ABOUT THIS EVENT This webinar will highlight key points from the “Supervising Clinical Mental Health Providers” guide published by the University of Washington’s CoLab for Community & Behavioral Health Policy and informed by both the research literature and experiences of community providers, behavioral health leaders, and systems partners. Quality supervision is paramount to quality mental health care. Clinical supervision for behavioral health providers has three primary aims: to develop competent clinicians, to support clinicians in their own experience of the work, and to promote safe and effective therapy, thereby ensuring client welfare. Clinical supervisors are ethically responsible for evaluating and ensuring clinicians are competent and do not pose risk of harm to the clients they are serving. This webinar and the referenced guide lead from the perspective that regardless of one’s supervision style or approach, all aspects of competent and ethical supervision are inherently trauma informed, intersectional, culturally responsive, and rooted in equity. FACILITATORS Minu Ranna-Stewart, LICSW Minu Ranna-Stewart, LICSW has provided leadership and clinical oversight in multiple settings including an educational service district, accredited child advocacy center, community sexual assault program, and crime victim service center. She has provided training to mental health providers across Washington State on evidence based mental health treatment models for children and adults, participated in clinical research projects, delivered trauma and trauma informed trainings to the community, and provided direct clinical therapy services to children and adults. Minu is the co-founder of Milestone Behavioral Health Consulting where she proudly provide consultation to programs and organizations and direct services in the form of therapy services to children, adults, and families with a keen interest in treating race-based traumatic stress and ensuring race and identity are included as essential and necessary aspects of prevention, intervention, and therapeutic services. She is a certified TF-CBT therapist and supervisor.   Naomi Leong, LMHC Naomi Leong, LMHC, is a registered yoga instructor, licensed Yoga Calm instructor, and a Certified Member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). Naomi also holds certifications in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Sports and Fitness Psychology, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and is a Child Mental Health Specialist. Naomi has a long history working in community mental health and is in private practice at Browne's Addition Wellness Center in Spokane, WA.      

SMI Adviser is a 6-year initiative funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and administered by the American Psychiatric Association. SMI Adviser’s vision is to transform care for people who have serious mental illness so that they can live their best lives. To date, the website has been accessed over 1.9 million times and has been a resource for over 70,000 interdisciplinary learners.  In this presentation, we will provide clinicians a guide to the resources at SMI Adviser, with a focus on resources for working with individuals with early psychosis. We will also highlight resources that are found in our Centers of Excellence section, focusing on tools in the Clozapine and Long-Acting Injectable areas. We will also guide clinicians through our consultation service and share insights from the types of questions our users most commonly ask.   At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to: Demonstrate knowledge of the available resources on SMI Adviser’s educational catalog and knowledge base. List and describe three tools in SMI Adviser’s Clozapine or Long-Acting Injectable Center of Excellence. Outline the process of accessing SMI Adviser’s consultation service, demonstrating the ability to effectively seek guidance to help make evidence-based treatment decisions. Presenters: Robert O. Cotes, MD, is an Associate Professor at Emory University School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He serves as Physician Expert for SMI Adviser (www.smiadviser.org), which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and administered by the American Psychiatric Association. SMI Adviser provides evidence-based resources to clinicians, individuals with serious mental illness, and their families. Sherin Khan, LCSW is Vice President of Operations and Strategy for Thresholds, Illinois’ oldest and largest provider of mental health services. Sherin also serves as the social work consultant as part of SMI Adviser, a SAMHSA funded clinical support system for people living with serious mental illness. She has over 10 years of experience in the non-profit sector with a focus on serving those who are disempowered. This webinar will be co-hosted by the Massachusetts Psychosis Network for Early Treatment (MAPNET, www.mapnet.online).   If you would like accommodations to participate in any of our events, please contact us at [email protected] ahead of the event date. For example, if you would like an ASL interpreter, please let us know 3 weeks ahead of the event date so we have sufficient time to secure the services.  

Event Description We are excited to welcome back Alison Malmon, Founder and Executive Director of Active Minds, the nation’s premier nonprofit organization supporting mental health awareness and education for young adults, for a training that presents new insights about college mental health in 2024. While many people view the pandemic as something that has come and gone, college campuses across the country, particularly community colleges, are continuing to grapple with the ongoing, and in some cases accelerating, student mental health needs. Recent studies conducted on college campuses found that of the students interviewed, 60% of college students meet the criteria for at least one mental health condition, and 81% of students indicate that their mental health negatively impacted their academic performance in the past four weeks. Alison will present insights gathered from activities Active Minds hosts and coordinates with students on college campuses. These insights don’t necessarily dispute the statistics presented in the last paragraph but instead provide a clear picture of how effective mental health education, advocacy, and awareness are in changing the conversation around mental health, which in turn can positively impact statistics. In addition to the data Active Minds has collected, Alison will share some of the most innovative and effective approaches that Active Minds chapters use to support young adult well-being, particularly on college campuses. This training is for anyone who works with young adults and college-age youth. Trainer Alison Malmon Active Minds Founder & Executive Director

DESCRIPTION Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder, affecting 3x the number of adults diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia combined! Despite its prevalence, the experiences of clients with BED and how to address them are all too often misunderstood. This 90-minute webinar will help clinicians better understand BED and how to properly treat clients who struggle. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of what BED is (and what it’s not), and will dismantle common stereotypes that can prevent individuals from getting proper care. Additionally, clinicians will gain tools to implement weight-inclusive, trauma-informed treatment practices with their own clients at all levels of care. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Define binge eating disorder (BED), with an emphasis on addressing common misunderstandings Identify and respond to stigma in the research, framing, and treatment of BED Cite five evidence-based treatment approaches for mental health care for BED Define recovery and identify ways to measure client progress in treatment   PRESENTER Heather Clark, LCPC, LPC, MA is a licensed counselor, focusing on disordered eating, including binge eating disorder, bulimia, anorexia, orthorexia, body dissatisfaction, and diet culture. She is the Clinical Director for Rock Recovery, an eating disorder nonprofit based in Arlington, Virginia. She blends several approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, the Internal Family Systems Model, and Relational-Cultural Therapy, and always centers weight-inclusivity and trauma-informed care. She also enjoys counseling those dealing with anxiety, shame, self-compassion, and Christian spirituality/spiritual trauma. Heather is currently working towards becoming a Certified Body Trust® Provider, which helps equip her to support folks journeying toward freedom with food and a deep sense of being at home in their bodies. Heather earned her B.A. in Mass Communications in 2007, and her M.A. in Professional Counseling in 2015.          

***This series is only open to HHS Region 5 Project AWARE grantees. Email Sarah Parker McMinn for the meeting link.***   The Midwest Center for School Mental Health and the Great Lakes MHTTC will be hosting a series of three interactive learning sessions for Project AWARE grantees. The sessions will focus on working towards sustainability of Project AWARE initiatives, with a focus on strategic planning, communication, partnerships and engagement, and organizational capacity. Each session will combine presentation, peer learning, and discussion.     TRAINING SCHEDULE: All sessions will take place virtually from 9:00 AM–10:30 AM CT/10:00 AM–11:30 AM ET. February 22: Sustainability and Strategic Planning March 28: Organizational Capacity and Communications April 25: Partnerships and Engagement (including with youth and parents)     HOW TO ATTEND: HHS Region 5 Project AWARE grantees should email Sarah Parker McMinn ([email protected]) for the Zoom meeting link and registration details.     CERTIFICATES: Registrants who fully attend this event or training will receive a certificate of attendance via email within two weeks after the conclusion of the event or training.     PRESENTERS: Mark Sander, PsyD Dr. Sander is a Senior Clinical Psychologist for Hennepin County and the Director of School Mental Health for Hennepin County and the Minneapolis Public Schools. He is a Certified Master Trainer on the Adverse Childhood Experience Study and a Visiting Scholar at Wilder Research. He is also on the Advisory Board for the Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a Board Member for the Minnesota Trauma Project. Dr. Sander has published journal articles and book chapters on school mental health and has presented extensively on school mental health and ACEs and developing trauma sensitive schools at local, state and national conferences. He has a private practice is Minnetonka, Minnesota.   Cheryl Holm-Hansen, PhD Dr. Holm-Hansen is a community psychologist who brings 30 years of experience conducting community-based research related to children’s mental health. In addition to serving as the Co-Director of the Midwest Center for School Mental Health, she manages a consulting firm specializing in children’s mental health research and strategic planning.   Her portfolio includes many evaluation and research projects designed to help schools, mental health providers, and local/state governments understand community needs, develop effective services, build stronger systems, and demonstrate impact. Prior to establishing her consulting practice, Dr. Holm-Hansen spent 21 years as a Senior Research Manager at Wilder Research in Saint Paul, Minnesota.     This training is provided with our valued partners from the Midwest Center for School Mental Health. The Great Lakes MHTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2024 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. PT Session 2 of 4 in the "Rooting Young Adult Mental Health Services in Culturally Sustaining Values & Practices" Series (view series page for full details)   Challenging Oppression in Healing Work March 27, 2024: Session 2 This second session in the series asks: How might we create safe and brave spaces to uplift the wisdom and leadership of historically targeted identities in healing work? The learning objectives include: How to create brave and safe spaces for young people who are historically oppressed Teaching advocacy to young people to ensure they know their rights and how to heal through oppression Incorporate ways to implement healing-centered care within the workplace to work against oppression   Main Series Program Goals Counter the impacts of vicarious trauma and burn out by creating a safe and responsive learning community for the YYA workforce to be heard and seen in their efforts to support the holistic needs of their clientele. Build an understanding of healing centered engagement and approaches to youth development and case management that strengthens service provision for transition-aged youth. Expand our organizational and individual capacity to support young adult holistic wellness, critical consciousness development, and collective healing.     Audience All community-based organizations, institutions, and mental health professionals, including peer support specialists, therapists, psychologists, counselors, and others who support the mental health and wellness of transition-aged youth.   Meet the Co-Facilitators & Faculty   Oriana Ides, MA, APCC, PPS (she/hers) Oriana Ides is a School Mental Health Training Specialist at CARS (the Center for Applied Research Solutions) and approaches healing the wounds of trauma and oppression as core elements of social justice. She has worked with young people across the life course from elementary school to college, and has served as teacher-leader, school counselor, classroom educator and program director. She is committed to generating equity within school structures and policies by focusing on evidence-based mental health techniques and institutional design.   Falilah “Aisha” Bilal (she/her) Falilah “Aisha” Bilal has worked joyously for over 30 years creating innovative, relevant evidence-based strategies to transform, empower and develop individuals, systems, organizations and contemporary thought. Ms. Bilal’s work is centered in healing practices, empowering youth and families, and self-discovery.  Ms. Bilal specializes in the field of youth development, healing informed organizational development, and strategic fundraising consultation. Currently Ms. Bilal serves as the Chief of Staff for the Black Organizing Project as well as directs her own consulting company where she provides trainings, curriculum development, healing experiences, coaching, and executive leadership to local and national agencies, companies and programs. Previously, Ms. Bilal served as a Senior Trainer with the National Black Women’s Justice Institute and a Radical Healer with Flourish Agenda.  She served as the Executive Director for M.I.S.S.S.E.Y. raising over 2 million dollars in funds to support sexually exploited children and young adults.   She has worked for numerous Bay Area agencies including World Trust, Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, Oakland Bay Area CARES Mentoring Movement, GirlSource, Office of Family, Children and Youth, City of Oakland, and the Young Women’s Freedom Center. Ms. Bilal holds a M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and a B.A. in Theater Arts and Child Psychology from San Francisco State University.  

WEDNESDAY, March 27, 2024 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. PT [Find your local time zone here] Workshop 2 of 6 in the "Trauma-Informed, In School Sessions" Workshop Series (view series page for full details) Trauma-Informed Bullying Interventions Trauma Informed Principle to Practice: Safety, Cultural Humility We all want to intervene in bullying (both of students and staff), but how might we do so in a way that is trauma informed? Join us and Valerie White for a session aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to address bullying in a compassionate and trauma-sensitive way. Bullying can have profound and lasting effects, especially when individuals have experienced trauma. This session provides insights into understanding the intersection of bullying and trauma, offering practical strategies for prevention, intervention, and fostering a community of belonging.     Audience: Educators, school site leaders, school mental health professionals, youth advocates, teacher educators, school mental health graduate school educators, higher education administrators, and anyone interested.   Faculty     Valerie White, LCSW, M.Ed (she/hers) Valerie White is a licensed clinical social worker who has a passion for providing personalized and compassionate mental health care to individuals and families in Los Angeles. With over a decade of experience in community mental health and school settings, Valerie has developed an approach that is rooted in the belief that every human being has intrinsic value and the ability to overcome challenges with resilience.   Valerie's academic background is extensive, having earned two Master's Degrees in Social Work and Education. This training has equipped her to provide a wide range of services, including therapy for children and their families, experiential trainings and professional development, public speaking, and informing school community practices to positively shift their climate and culture. Valerie has a particular area of expertise in working with high-risk children and teens, using evidence-based treatments and culturally responsive practices.   Valerie's approach is collaborative and empowering, and she works with her clients to identify their strengths, build resilience, and develop skills to help them navigate life's challenges. She believes that her clients are the experts on their own lives and strives to create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone she serves. Her dedication to providing high-quality mental health services has made a positive impact on numerous individuals and families in the Los Angeles community. Valerie is intentional about providing culturally responsive and compassionate care, ensuring that every person she engages feels seen and valued.       Priming Materials   Rising Practices & Policies in our Workforce, Session 3: Interrupting Bullying & Fostering Belonging for the School Mental Health Workforce (Pacific Southwest MHTTC, 2023) Sticks and Stones Will Break My Bones, (and) Words CAN Hurt Me: A Trauma-Informed Understanding of Bullying | The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN, 2010) A Trauma-Informed Community Approach to Bullying - Behavioral Health News (Keigher, 2021) Lisa V. Blitz & Youjung Lee (2015) Trauma-Informed Methods to Enhance School-Based Bullying Prevention Initiatives: An Emerging Model, Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 24:1, 20-40, DOI: 10.1080/10926771.2015.982238    

The Person-Centered Recovery Planning (PCRP) Consultation Corner is a 6-month learning series featuring a monthly webinar on the “FAQs” of PCRP; offering practical tools and resources to support quality PCRP at the level of both individual service delivery and organizational systems change; and providing follow-up “office hours” through smaller-group technical assistance for webinar participants who wish to take a “deeper dive” on a given topic.   Participants will be able to: Define PCRP and its essential elements Increase familiarity with existing and emerging state and federal requirements regarding PCRP Articulate a minimum of three differences between traditional methods of treatment planning and best-practice PCRP Learn more about how the MHTTC PCRP Consultation Corner series can provide tools and resources to support the implementation of PCRP at your organization   While the Consultation Corner’s webinar series is open to a national audience, priority for technical assistance office hours following this webinar session on March 27 will be given to webinar participants from the New England (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, New Hampshire) and South Southwest (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas) regions.   Join us on for the first session on March 27 to learn more about the PCRP Consultation Corner series and how it can help you meet current and emerging program standards around collaborative recovery planning. Specific topics for each session after this session will be determined based on feedback we receive from participants on March 27. Have a burning question around PCRP that you’d like addressed? You can also email us so we can take your feedback into consideration as we design the Consultation Corner series.   Presenters: Janis Tondora and Amy Pierce   Janis Tondora, Psy.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine.  Her work involves supporting the implementation of person-centered practices that help people with behavioral health concerns and other disabilities to get more control over decisions about their services so they can live a good life as they define it. She has provided training and consultation to over 25 states seeking to implement Person-Centered Recovery Planning and has shared her work with the field in dozens of publications, including her 2014 book, Partnering for Recovery in Mental Health: A Practical Guide to Person-Centered Planning. Janis’ consultation and publications have been widely used by both public and private service systems to advance the implementation of recovery-oriented practices in the U.S. and abroad. She is a life-long resident of Connecticut where she lives with her husband and beloved labradoodles after recently becoming an empty-nester with two children in college.   Amy Pierce (she/her) is an international trainer and consultant has been working in the Peer Movement in the State of Texas for over two decades. She currently serves as Recovery Institute Associate Director at Via Hope by serving as a subject matter expert on the implementation of peer services and other recovery-oriented practices. She has extensive experience in the peer support sector, having started the first peer support program in the state hospitals in Texas, working as a peer support worker in a community mental health agency, and working as the Program Coordinator for a transitional peer residential housing project.   This series is co-sponsored by the New England and South Southwest MHTTCs. More information about the series.   Continuing Education Units for this event are offered by the Office of Professional Development, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin: · Social Work · Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) · Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)   Continuing Education Units for this event are offered by the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health/South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, The University of Texas at Austin as recognized by the Texas Certification Board: · Mental Health Peer Specialist (MHPS) · Recovery Support Peer Specialist (RSPS) · Re-Entry Peer Specialist (JI-RPS) · Peer Specialist Supervisor (PSS) · Certified Family Partner (CFP)   These entities are recognized as providers of continuing education credits, however, attendees are responsible for checking with their licensing or credentialing board to ensure acceptance of the CEUs issued. If you have questions about CEUs for a credential that you do not see listed here, contact [email protected].     If you would like accommodations to participate in any of our events, please contact us at [email protected] ahead of the event date. For example, if you would like an ASL interpreter, please let us know 3 weeks ahead of the event date so we have sufficient time to secure the services.    

The Community Resiliency Model (CRM) is a skill-based wellness and prevention program that provides a biological, non-stigmatizing perspective on normal human reactions to stress and trauma. In this webinar we will apply CRM to schools by teaching skills for educators, administrators, and the school mental health workforce to reduce burnout and promote staff retention. Attendees will gain knowledge of concepts to understand stress responses in themselves and others as well as learn skills to help regain emotional balance after experiencing strong negative emotions. The knowledge and skills gained will help attendees avoid burn-out and promote cultures of resiliency in schools to better support student mental health.   Learning objectives: 1. Describe how stress and trauma affect mental and physical health. 2. Describe how CRM can protect and heal via sensory-motor awareness. 3. Explain the 6 CRM skills. 4. Understand how CRM can help reduce burnout and promote resiliency.

Description: How did you learn about substance use, addiction, treatment and recovery? What are the sources of information that shaped your views? This workshop will discuss how news, entertainment, and social media, as well as personal experience, influence how people understand substance use disorders and different pathways to recovery. It will also address common beliefs like, “You have to hit rock bottom” and “Recovery is rare,” and explain how attitudes, practices, and data collection have evolved. Information from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and other sources will be presented, including prevalence of illicit substance use, substance use disorders, and co-occurring mental health challenges. Goals: Encourage participants to examine the sources of their attitudes and beliefs about substance use, addiction, treatment and recovery, reconsider any misperceptions, and expand their understanding of these topics by presenting current research and statistics. Workshop Outline: Discuss where participants learned about addiction, treatment and recovery (personal experience, news and entertainment media, etc.). Highlight themes that often appear in films, TV shows, books, music, and social media, including overview of research findings. Discuss critiques of media coverage of these topics. Address common beliefs and whether they’re supported by evidence (hitting rock bottom, enabling and co-dependency, tough love). Discuss how personal experience influences attitudes and beliefs. Present graphics illustrating types of substance use (experimental, social, risky, etc.). Discuss different reasons people use drugs, and how that varies for different substances over time. Present substance use and mental health statistics, using sources such as the 2022 NSDUH. Discuss criteria for diagnosing a substance use disorder (mild, moderate or severe). Trainer Bio: Susan Stellin, MPH is a writer, educator, and public health consultant focusing on health-centered responses to substance use and addiction. Since earning a master's in public health at Columbia University, she has worked on projects about ways to reduce overdose deaths, reform punitive drug policies, and expand access to harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support. Recent clients include NYU Langone’s Health x Housing Lab, the Northeast & Caribbean Addiction Technology Transfer Center, the Opioid Response Network, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Overdose Prevention Program at Vital Strategies, and the Vera Institute of Justice. She regularly leads training workshops for service providers working with people experiencing substance use, mental health, and housing challenges, and has also taught undergraduate courses about media ethics, collaborative storytelling, and the history of journalism.   Other Session in this Series: Session 2: Current Substance Use Trends and Evolving Risks Session 3: Harm Reduction Principles, Strategies and Limits Session 4: Understanding Addiction and Options for Care

Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET) is an evidence-based intervention focused on managing the distress that results from exposure to trauma. It is designed to be implemented by teachers or school counselors with small groups of students. In January we trained a cohort of 20. There are 4 following TA Calls to go in depth with case consultation and problem-solving. This SSET training is specifically for non-licensed educators, school counselors, or nurses. This is a closed training.

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2024 2:00 - 3:15 p.m. PT [Find your local time zone here] Part 4 of 4 in the "Fostering Grief-Readiness Starter Kit Study Session Series" (view series page for full details)   Part 4: Tuesday, March 26, 2024   Crafting Your Grief Readiness Plan Crafting Your Bereavement Leave Policy Where Do I Go From Here? Each session includes opportunities to engage in questions, discussion, and discourse with our faculty and each other.  About the Workshop Series   In the context of loss, this program explores how we as systems leaders, managers, and team members can support ourselves and each other through policy and practice.   Our workplaces experience loss, bereavement and grief: whether it is an employee who is anticipating or healing from the death of a family member or friend, staff mourning the loss of a colleague, or a team experiencing losses in clients and community, our workplace wellness is predicated on how grief ready we are.   Fostering Grief Ready Workplaces: A Starter Kit for Mental Health and School Mental Health Leadership (2023) aims to provide essential ingredients to guide you and your organization through the basics of supporting a grieving workforce.   The Pacific Southwest MHTTC welcomes you to this unique four-part “text study series” in which we dive into the starter kit and through dialogue, discourse, and discussion, explore ways in which we can become more grief ready. We’ll spend time with the practical activities and strategies you can employ as well as reflection questions to drive the work.   Session 1: March 5, 2024 Session 2: March 12, 2024 Session 3: March 19, 2024 Session 4: March 26, 2024 All workshops are from 2:00 - 3:15 p.m. PT   Notes:  Please aim to attend all sessions in the series; at minimum, Session 1 on March 5 is foundational for the rest of the sessions and text studies. We offer this series and the guide not to provide a copy-and-paste solution but instead to offer a framework that each individual school counselor or mental health professional would use to begin developing their team’s unique grief readiness plan, recognizing that each participant holds a distinct role and sphere of influence in their school or organization. This text and series are designed for adults in our workplaces navigating grief, rather than for the youth and children we serve; however, there will be a lot of transferable learnings! LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS TRAINING SERIES

United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. and New England MHTTC would like to invite you and your staff to attend "Reclaiming Native Psychological Brilliance: Wise Practices," a Tribal Behavioral Health ECHO webinar series. Native Psychological Brilliance refers to the intelligence, strengths, balance, innate resources, and resilience of Native people. The topic for March's session is "The Red Sox Foundation’s Home Base Treatment Program for Native Veterans." This no-cost telehealth series will be held on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 11:00 am Pacific/12:00 pm Mountain/1:00 pm Central/2:00 pm Eastern. Each session will be one hour in length and will provide an opportunity for participants to:   Gain skills on strength-based approaches in partnership with Native People to enhance Native behavioral health Discuss ways that Native brilliance is demonstrated and supports behavioral health Learn about Native brilliance examples to share with behavioral health and other health care staff, as well as with local Tribal Nation citizens   The concept of Native psychological brilliance will be celebrated through Native music video and Native spoken word performances as part of each session. Who should attend? Tribal health directors, clinic staff, counselors, social workers, physicians, nurses, Tribal Epidemiology Center staff, and anyone supporting Tribal communities through the health or behavioral health sector are welcome to join. Continuing education credits will be provided.   If you need accommodations to join this event, please contact us.

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2024 / el mártes, el 26 de marzo de 2024 10:00 - 11:15 a.m. HT / 12:00 - 1:15 p.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. MT / 2:00 - 3:15 p.m. CT / 3:00 - 4:15 p.m. ET Session 3 of 8 in the "Provider Plática Learning Collaborative" Series / Sesión 3 de la Serie "Una plática entre profesionales para colaboración de aprendizaje" (view series main page for full details / consulte la página principal de la serie para ver detalles) Provider Plática Learning Collaborative: Supporting the Training Needs of Practitioners of Spanish Language Mental Health Services Una plática entre profesionales: Una colaboración de aprendizaje para profesionales de salud mental que prestan servicios a las comunidades que hablan español March 26: Session 3 / el 26 de marzo: Sesión 3   Welcome to Session 3 in this series! / ¡Bienvenidos a la tercera sesión de la serie! Collaboratively held by the National Training & Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) and the Pacific Southwest MHTTC this Provider Platica program is a monthly collaborative space for peer learning and resourcing. This session and all that follow are an open, bilingual space for members of the mental health workforce to share common challenges and experiences when providing services to Spanish-speaking communities with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) as well as high-quality resources and innovative solutions. All levels of Spanish language proficiency and comfort are welcome. Este programa de Plática entre Profesionales, llevado a cabo colaborativamente por el Centro Nacional de Capacitación y Asistencia Técnica (NTTAC por sus siglas en inglés) y el Centro de Transferencia de Tecnología de Salud Mental del Sudoeste del Pacífico (MHTTC por sus siglas en inglés), es un espacio mensual de colaboración para el aprendizaje entre pares y la facilitación de recursos. Esta y todas las demás sesiones son un espacio abierto y bilingüe donde los miembros de la fuerza laboral de salud mental podrán compartir desafíos y experiencias en común a la hora de prestar servicios a las comunidades de habla hispana con un Dominio Limitado del Inglés (LEP por sus siglas en inglés), así como recursos de alta calidad y soluciones innovadoras. Son bienvenidas las personas con cualquier nivel de dominio del español y comodidad con el mismo.   Audience / Audiencia Mental health professionals across the country and U.S. territories, including clinicians, peer counselors and others who provide services to Spanish-speaking individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). We welcome providers in a wide range of professional settings, including clinical, community and government agencies, education, private practice, and more. Profesionales de la salud mental de todo Estados Unidos y sus territorios, incluidos médicos clínicos, consejeros entre pares y otras personas que prestan servicios a hablantes de español con un Dominio Limitado del Inglés (LEP por sus siglas en inglés). Les damos la bienvenida a profesionales provenientes de una amplia variedad de entornos, que incluye instituciones clínicas, comunitarias, gubernamentales, educativas, consultorios privados y demás.   Meet Our Guest Speaker / Conozca a nuestra invitada especial Monica Rodriguez is the Senior Program Manager in the Youth and Family Department at Tropical Texas Behavioral Health. Monica oversees projects that include First Episode Psychosis, Multisystemic Therapy, Mental Health First Aid, Texas Systems of Care, and the YES Wavier implementation. She is responsible for ensuring that high-quality, high-fidelity Wraparound services are delivered across three counties, including include Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy. Monica has been with Tropical Texas Behavioral Health for fourteen years and is dedicated to providing the highest quality services to families across the Rio Grande Valley on the Texas/Mexico border. Monica is a Wraparound Coach for the state of Texas and works with national trainers to ensure the Wraparound process exceeds standards throughout the state. Monica is most committed to ensuring families in her community are serviced with respect, dignity, and cultural sensitivity. Monica holds the following education and training credentials: Undergraduate- Psychology (University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) Graduate- MPA specializing in Federal Policies (University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) Graduate- Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling (Texas Tech University)   About the Facilitators / Conozcan a las Facilitadoras Lisa Teyechea (she/her) is highly skilled and experienced in technical assistance, training, and project developer in areas of public health, prevention, and behavioral health. Other skills include evaluation and grant writing. More than 20 years designing and implementing systems of care and programming at agency and community levels, while approaching work with a trauma-informed lens. Lisa Teyechea (ella) está altamente capacitada y posee una enorme experiencia en asistencia técnica, capacitación y desarrollo de proyectos en las áreas de salud pública, prevención y salud conductual. Entre otras habilidades suyas se incluyen la evaluación y redacción de solicitudes de subvenciones. Posee más de 20 años de experiencia diseñando e implementando sistemas de atención y programas a nivel institucional y comunitario, abordando su labor desde una perspectiva informada sobre el trauma.     Kristi Silva (she/her) has over 15 years’ experience providing culturally responsive training and technical assistance – especially for Latine and Native American communities – at the local, state, and national level. In addition to subject matter expertise in health equity and policy, Ms. Silva is an experienced researcher and evaluator, with specialization in community-developed best practices requiring an adapted evaluation methodology. She has worked in partnership with communities impacted by pan-generational trauma to develop strengths-based policies and practices that are sustainable and rooted in a social justice framework. As a professional who now serves communities like the one she comes from, Ms. Silva brings an essential lens of lived experience to the work. Kristi Silva (ella) tiene más de 15 años de experiencia brindando capacitación y asistencia técnica culturalmente receptiva —especialmente a comunidades latinas e indígenas norteamericanas— a nivel local, estatal y nacional. Además de ser experta en asuntos de equidad y políticas de salud, la Srta. Silva es una evaluadora e investigadora experimentada, especializada en mejores prácticas desarrolladas por la comunidad que requieran una metodología de evaluación adaptada. Ha trabajado junto con comunidades impactadas por el trauma pangeneracional para desarrollar prácticas y políticas basadas en las fortalezas que sean sostenibles y se fundamenten en un marco de justicia social. Como una profesional que ahora atiende a comunidades similares a aquellas de donde proviene, la Srta. Silva lleva a cabo su trabajo con una perspectiva fundamental de experiencias de vida.   (view series main page for full details / consultar la página principal de la serie para ver toda la información)  

  This event is closed to select participants. Learn more about this series: First Episode Psychosis Webinar Series & Learning Community    

  Event Description This training is designed to help leaders prevent and address burnout in the Mountain Plains behavioral health workforce. Participants will learn about holistic integration of their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being to help improve engagement and presence in their leadership. By providing a space for facilitated group learning, reflection, and support, the goal is to identify opportunities for self-management and personal development and improve performance outcomes. After this training, participants will learn the following, Describe how attention to holistic wellness can reduce Behavioral health workforce burnout and impact on the lives of their communities. Learn ways to apply resilience and compassion as a part of their leadership style to nurture, promote, and cultivate healthier work environments. Develop increased self-awareness to recognize how strengths, aptitudes, and potential areas of growth can impact day-to-day functioning and work outcomes Trainer Lamarr Lewis Lamarr Lewis, is a dedicated advocate, author, and agent of change. With a focus on community-based mental and public health, he works with diverse groups including individuals living with psychiatric disabilities, people in recovery from substance abuse, and at-hope youth (He does not use the term at-risk). He is an alumnus of Wittenberg University graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with minors in Africana Studies and Religion. He later received his master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Argosy University. His career spans over twenty years with experience as a therapist, consultant, public speaker, facilitator, trainer, and human service professional. He has been a featured expert for such organizations as; Boeing, Region IV Public Health Training Center, Fulton County Probate Court, Mississippi Department of Health, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and many more. His lifelong mission is to leave the world better than how he found it.

MONDAY, March 25, 2024 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. CT / 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. MT / 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. PT / 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. AKT / 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. HT (view in your timezone)   The Pacific Southwest MHTTC Team recognizes that the young people we serve experience injustice regularly and that far too often at the hands of institutions they turn to for support. This knowledge is amplified for us by the recent police shooting of Ryan Gainer in Applegate, CA. We collectively experience both new grief and persistent fears regarding the safety of our BIPOC and neurodivergent youth and families. Ryan Gainer was a 15 year old Black boy who loved long distance running, music, and video games. He hoped to be an engineer. Ryan was on the autism spectrum and was murdered while experiencing emotional dysregulation. Read more here to learn more about the incident that led to Ryan’s murder and what Disability Justice Advocates are calling for in response. Join us for an opportunity to process our pain, witness our grief, and radically imagine new ways of intervening. We will uplift our brother, son, student, client, Ryan Gainer and those with similar identities because when we gather in purpose, we heal. The world heals.  This is not a grief support circle or a training. It is a gathering to witness one another and validate the real and necessary feelings experienced when state violence, racial violence, and disability injustice cause irreversible harm in our communities.    Meet the Facilitators   Oriana Ides, MA, APCC, PPS (she/her) is a School Mental Health Training Specialist at CARS (the Center for Applied Research Solutions) and approaches healing the wounds of trauma and oppression as core elements of social justice. She has worked with young people across the life course from elementary school to college, and has served as teacher-leader, school counselor, classroom educator and program director. She is committed to generating equity within school structures and policies by focusing on evidence-based mental health techniques and institutional design.   Falilah “Aisha” Bilal (she/her) has worked joyously for over 30 years creating innovative, relevant evidence-based strategies to transform, empower and develop individuals, systems, organizations and contemporary thought. Ms. Bilal’s work is centered in healing practices, empowering youth and families, and self-discovery. Ms. Bilal specializes in the field of youth development, healing informed organizational development, and strategic fundraising consultation. Currently Ms. Bilal serves as the Chief of Staff for the Black Organizing Project as well as directs her own consulting company where she provides trainings, curriculum development, healing experiences, coaching, and executive leadership to local and national agencies, companies and programs. Previously, Ms. Bilal served as a Senior Trainer with the National Black Women’s Justice Institute and a Radical Healer with Flourish Agenda. She served as the Executive Director for M.I.S.S.S.E.Y. raising over 2 million dollars in funds to support sexually exploited children and young adults. She has worked for numerous Bay Area agencies including World Trust, Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, Oakland Bay Area CARES Mentoring Movement, GirlSource, Office of Family, Children and Youth, City of Oakland, and the Young Women’s Freedom Center. Ms. Bilal holds a M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and a B.A. in Theater Arts and Child Psychology from San Francisco State University.

  This is session 2 of the Mindful Monday series, running from March 11 to May 20. Event Description We are excited to announce that Christina Ruggiero, RP, is returning to lead our first Mindful Monday series, Mindful Monday – Experiential Mental Health Practice, for Spring 2024. Join us as we continue to explore and experience different mindfulness practices related to the topics of creativity, rest, and self-care. This series is for anyone who desires to improve their overall well-being, resilience, and mental health.  The practices that are presented in the training are designed for quick and effective implementation both personally and professionally.  For mental and behavioral health practitioners these techniques can be easily incorporate into their practice.  Mindfulness practices are varied and can last anywhere from a couple of minutes to an hour or more. Vishen Lakhiani, Meditation Expert and CEO of Mindvalley, states “You can take a one- to three-minute dip into peacefulness, and you can see remarkable results. The biggest benefits are going to happen in the first few minutes.” Attendees who have participated in past Mindful Monday series have the following to say about the training: “Incredibly validating experience”, “Love doing this- can we do it indefinitely”, “Thank you for this training. It is hard to recognize we also deserve to be heard, have needs/wants and slow down and breathe for a while.” This is a 30-minute interactive training that begins on March 11th and will run every other week through May 20th, 2024.  Each training will feature exercises from different mindfulness disciplines. At the beginning of each session, participants will spend a few minutes grounding and learning about the practice for that day and then spend approximately 15-20 minutes in experiential practice, leaving a few minutes at the end for reflection and discussion. Trainer Christina Ruggiero Master’s Counselling Psychology  Registered Psychotherapist

  Event Description This presentation will provide an overview of the Structural Competencies model, which was first articulated in the medical education literature and more recently has been proposed for a more culturally and structurally responsive approach of mental health. The five principles of structural competencies will be discussed, and examples provided of how the structural competencies approach differs from the multicultural competencies approach. Trainer Melanie Wilcox, PhD, ABPP Dr. Melanie Wilcox is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Public and Preventive Health, and Department of Psychiatry at Augusta University. She is also a licensed psychologist and board certified in counseling psychology and works part-time in private practice providing both therapy and assessment via telehealth. Her clinical areas of expertise include culturally responsive and trauma-informed care as well as substance abuse and addiction. Her research focuses on culturally response and antiracist psychotherapy and training, racial and socioeconomic inequity in higher education, and racial and social justice more broadly. She is in her final year as a member of the American Psychological Association’s Board of Educational Affairs, which she chaired in 2020, and is currently President Elect-Elect of APA Division 17, the Society of Counseling Psychology.