Products and Resources Catalog

This recording is from Workshop 3 of 6 in the "Trauma-Informed, In School Sessions" Workshop Series.  This video recording 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 guided participants 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. Viewers 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 shared 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.

Northwest MHTTC is proud to present its Year 5 Annual Report Summary, which captures a brief snapshot of the Center's reach from September 2022 - September 2023. This includes the main "core" grant as well as a continued School Mental Health supplement. Every year Northwest MHTTC provides training and technical assistance to the behavioral health workforce in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. In Year 5 of our operations, we reached over 14,000 people through 150 free trainings, webinars, implementations, and other events. The result? Almost 97% of participants would recommend our trainings! Here's just some of what you'll discover in our Annual Report Summary: Core Grant Activities Learn about our work in Evidence-Based Practices for Psychosis, Intensive Training and Technical Assistance, and Responding to Regional Needs & Fostering Diverse Alliances School Mental Health Supplement Activities Discover our work in Building Systems to Support the Mental Health and Well-Being of Educators, our Alaska Workshops, and Trainings. Here are other reports concerning the Northwest MHTTC's recent work: Northwest MHTTC Year 5 Summary Northwest MHTTC School Mental Health Year 1-5 Supplement Summary  

About this Resource: Given the large geographic area and diverse population of the Southeast region, the Southeast MHTTC recognizes that mental health priorities and training needs vary across providers, centers, communities, and states. With this context in mind, we assessed the mental health priorities of our region to inform our future TTA offerings. This infographic briefly outlines key findings from our assessment report that will guide the enhancement of our TTA offerings. For additional information, the full assessment report can be found here.

To view resources from this training, click ATTACHMENT links Click here to watch the recording 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.

The Great Lakes Current is the e-newsletter of the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC. The March 2024 issue spotlights content celebrating Women's History Month and National Social Work Month. It also features updated versions of the Sustainability Planning in Prevention Guidebook and Sustainability Planning in Prevention Toolkit, as well as upcoming trainings focused on provider well-being and culturally responsive services for Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) clients. As always, you will also find links to all scheduled events and trainings hosted by the Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC! Make sure you're subscribed to our email contact list so you never miss a month of The Great Lakes Current newsletter, and thank you for reading!

    Session 1 - March 11 To view resources from this training, please click ATTACHMENT links Click here to view the recording Session 2 - March 25 To view resources from this training, please click ATTACHMENT links Recording coming soon! Session 3 - April 15 Resources coming soon! Recording coming soon! Session 4 - April 22 Resources coming soon! Recording coming soon! Session 5 - May 6 Resources coming soon! Recording coming soon! Session 6 - May 20 Resources coming soon! Recording coming soon! Series 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 

About this Resource: This is the on-demand recording from part 1 of our 4-part series that introduces participants to the tenets of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and guides them from the introductory stage to applied practice with different mental health conditions and scenarios. Participants learn and practice strategies from each tenet of ACT ranging from brief interventions to more in-depth processes. The first session introduces the complete ACT framework and ACT hexaflex and provides an overarching discussion of the goals of this psychotherapy orientation. Similarities and differences with other orientations are discussed to contextualize the ACT perspective. This session also introduces the area of Creative Hopelessness and begins the discussion around case conceptualization. Resources for ongoing learning are shared.

To view resources from this training, click ATTACHMENT link Click here to watch the recording Event Description This didactic lecture will review the conceptual basis and empiric evidence linking firearm access to suicide risk and provide clinicians with basic knowledge, language, and strategies to facilitate secure firearm storage solutions among patients identified as having elevated suicide risk. Trainer Joe Simonetti Joe Simonetti is a clinician investigator with the VA Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention and Director of Mentorship and Education for the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine. His research focuses on developing patient-centered firearm injury prevention interventions for individuals at risk of suicide. As an educator, he works locally and nationally to support VA and community-based clinicians in delivering evidence-based and culturally informed counseling interventions.

About this Resource:  This on-demand recording is from the 2nd session in our 4-part series "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): From Introduction to Applied Practice." Throughout the series, participants are introduced to the tenets of ACT and guided from the introductory stage to applied practice with different mental health conditions and scenarios. Participants learn and practice strategies from each tenet of ACT ranging from brief interventions to more in-depth processes. The second session focuses on Values and Committed Action in the ACT framework. Rationale, underlying processes, and strategies for practice are discussed with an opportunity for experiential practice.

About this Resource:  This on-demand recording is from the 3rd session in our 4-part series "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): From Introduction to Applied Practice." Throughout the series, participants are introduced to the tenets of ACT and guided from the introductory stage to applied practice with different mental health conditions and scenarios. Participants learn and practice strategies from each tenet of ACT ranging from brief interventions to more in-depth processes. The third session focuses on Present Moment Awareness and Self as Context in the ACT framework. Rationale, underlying processes, and strategies for practice are discussed.

About this Resource:  This on-demand recording is from the final session in our 4-part series "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): From Introduction to Applied Practice." Throughout the series, participants are introduced to the tenets of ACT and guided from the introductory stage to applied practice with different mental health conditions and scenarios. Participants learn and practice strategies from each tenet of ACT ranging from brief interventions to more in-depth processes. The final session focuses on Acceptance and Defusion in the ACT framework. Rationale, underlying processes, and strategies for practice are discussed.

  To view resources from this training, click DOWNLOAD Click here to watch the recording   Event Description As part of our ongoing efforts to support the mental health needs of college students, we are proud to present a workshop focused on understanding how to effectively support young people as they move from high school into young adulthood. This workshop will provide information about anxiety in children, adolescents, and emerging adults. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of psychosocial developmental milestones (e.g., independence, emotion regulation, identity formation) and the ways in which anxiety, stress, and sociocultural factors can interfere with the successful transition to young adulthood. Practical strategies for assessment and tools to support youth independence and college or workforce readiness will be reviewed. Dr. Lauren Hoffman will lead this training.  She is a clinical psychologist in New York City, who previously worked at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD).  She has an extensive background and a passion for working with children and young adults. Please note:  This Workshop Wednesday training was moved due to scheduling conflicts.  This training will be recorded for later viewing. Trainer Lauren Hoffman, Psy.D. Clinical Psychologist Dr. Hoffman is a New York City-based licensed clinical psychologist specializing in treating anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and related challenges, including perfectionism, stress, sleep issues, and school or work problems. I have expertise in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ExRP), as well as mindfulness and acceptance-based techniques. I work with children, teens, and adults, with a particular emphasis on young adults navigating developmental transitions and challenges. Dr. Hoffman received her B.A. with honors in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. Dr. Hoffman completed her predoctoral clinical internship at NYU Child Study Center/Bellevue Hospital Center and her postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Hoffman has advanced training and expertise in evidence-based treatment approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ExRP), and Behavioral Activation. She regularly integrates mindfulness, acceptance techniques, and values-based approaches into her practice. For more information, click here.

Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) is an evidence-based, recovery-oriented, multidisciplinary treatment program tailored for individuals experiencing Early Psychosis. CSC involves joint treatment planning (or shared decision-making) between the people in treatment and recovery and their care team, which can include mental health providers such as peer specialists, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and case managers. CSC can provide individual and family counseling, medication management, case coordination and assistance with educational and career objectives, as well as other services. Learn more in this brief and check out our free online course for more information.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. To achieve its mission, SAMHSA identifies priority areas to better meet the behavioral health needs of individuals, communities, and service providers.   Through its regional network— designed to improve the delivery of behavioral health services in each of the 10 HHS regions—SAMSHA develops collaborations that emphasize equity, trauma-informed approaches, and recovery. The collaboration between the SAMHSA Region One and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Region One offices, is an example of an intentional outreach effort developed to empower housing professionals with resources, tools, and practices that help them support and enhance the lives of public housing residents.

Series Description We are excited to announce that Christina Ruggiero, RP is returning to lead our fall Mindful Monday series entitled, Mindful Monday – Experiential Mental Health Practice. The Mindful Monday series continues to be extremely popular as we explore different mindfulness practices, related to overall well-being, resilience, and mental health. According to studies conducted by the National Institute of Health (NIH), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, mindfulness practices may help people manage stress, cope better with serious illness, and reduce anxiety and depression.  Many people who practice mindfulness report an increased ability to relax, a greater enthusiasm for life and improved self-esteem. 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.” This is a 30-minute interactive training that begins on October 9th and will run every other week through December 4th, 2023. This series of Mindful Monday sessions features a wide range of evidence-based practices from different disciplines and topics, including, sound healing, self-compassion, creativity, and setting boundaries. 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. Dates October 9th - Sound Healing To view resources from this session, click DOWNLOAD Click here to watch the recording October 23th - Grounding To view resources from this session, click DOWNLOAD Click here to watch the recording November 6 - Creativity and the Inner Critic To view resources from this session, click DOWNLOAD Click here to watch the recording November 20 - Self-Compassion HEAL Acronym To view resources from this session, click DOWNLOAD Click here to watch the recording December 4 - Boundary Meditation To view resources from this session, click DOWNLOAD Click here to watch the recording Trainer Christina Ruggiero, RP

  ABOUT THIS RESOURCE This two-page document presents a summary of the Northwest MHTTC's accomplishments during our fifth year of operations, 2022 - 2023. Highlights include: Quantifying our reach through tallies of events offered, people trained, products created, and more The Mental Health Institute for Washington State Providers  Spotlight on Idaho ACT Start Up Crisis workforce support efforts in Year 5   ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Here is information on other reports from the Northwest MHTTC: Northwest MHTTC summaries of annual activities   Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

Rates of behavioral health needs are higher for people living with HIV (PLWH) and those at risk of acquiring HIV than the general population. Current research indicates PLWH are twice as likely to have a behavioral health condition than the general population. For this reason, our partners at Vivent Health have created this new infographic highlighting some basic information about integrated care for PLWH that providers need to know.

This is a recording of the webinar, “Talking with Children About War and Other Humanitarian Crises,” that took place on November 20, 2023. The Pacific Southwest MHTTC offered this session during a season in which many families are gathering and discussing challenging, charged issues with current and ongoing wars coupled with a wide range of humanitarian and other major crises in the U.S. and abroad. In this special session, our center's School Mental Health Field Director, Leora Wolf-Prusan moderated a presentation and workshop with Dr. David Schonfeld, Director of the National Center for School Crisis & Bereavement. After Dr. Schonfeld's presentation, participants debriefed and processed in the question-and-answer segment of the program, and a discussion emerged, centered on how children understand – and misunderstand – crises and how best to explain it to them in order to promote their understanding and adjustment. Viewers of this recording can benefit from the following learning objectives:    Approaches for how to talk with children about wars and other humanitarian crises Some of the causes of ineffective communication, whether due to the source (e.g., media) or recipient (i.e., the child) of the information Strategies to address anger and blame during group discussions with children in the aftermath of a humanitarian crisis This session was designed for mental health and school mental health professionals, including counselors, psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and mental health program administrators

In this evidence-based presentation, we discussed the powerful healing properties of nature. We also discussed realistic and accessible ways to engage with nature. We explored how humans are hard-wired to see beauty in nature and why teaching our children to love nature is more important than ever.   Presenters: Catherine Haines, OT, OTR (she, her) is a community based occupational therapist and consultant for the Cambridge Health Alliance Center for Mindfulness and Compassion. She is a member of the stakeholder committee for Project SUCCESS, comparing evidence-based interventions for improving functioning of people with schizophrenia-spectrum illnesses. Through UMASS Memorial Medical Center, she leads support groups for siblings of children with severe behavioral and developmental challenges. She has developed nature-based presentations for The Somerville Community Growing Center and the Earthspirit Community. She is a coordinator for a community garden in her neighborhood in Somerville, MA.   Frannie Marin (she/her) is a clinical research coordinator with the Cambridge Health Alliance Center for Mindfulness and Compassion (CMC). With CMC, she researches the impact of stress reduction training and vagus nerve stimulation for patients with chronic pain. During her time on the CBS reality competition show Survivor, Frannie spent nearly one month on the islands of Fiji with few resources and no contact with the outside world. During that time, she experienced first-hand the potent healing power of nature, even within the high-stress environment of competing against 17 other people for one million dollars. Spurred by her personal experiences, she hopes to pursue a PhD program in psychology to explore new methods to reduce stress and improve the lives of others.

Prolonged delays from psychosis onset to care (or Duration of Untreated Psychosis-DUP) can imperil the benefits even of evidence-based Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) clinics. Early detection efforts to shorten DUP are thus a necessary component of modern early intervention  services for schizophrenia. The NIMH-funded Mindmap campaign reported the first successful demonstration of DUP reduction in a U.S. region. Details of the design and implementation of Mindmap will be presented with lessons for future early intervention efforts.   Presenter: Vinod Srihari, MD is a staff psychiatrist at the Connecticut Mental Health Center, Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University, and the founding Director of the Program for Specialized Treatment Early in Psychosis (STEP). STEP completed the first U.S. based RCT of specialty team based care for early psychosis and followed this with the first successful replication of the Scandinavian TIPS study of DUP reduction. The Program delivers a care pathway that integrates early detection with CSC and within a population health framework that targets geographically defined populations. This webinar was co-hosted by the Massachusetts Psychosis Network for Early Treatment (MAPNET, www.mapnet.online).   View a recording of this 11/3/23 session here. 

This is a recording of, “Session 3 of October Rising Practices Series - Interrupting Bullying & Fostering Belonging for the School Mental Health Workforce,” on October 26, 2023. In our final session in this three-part series, Region 9 School Mental Health Field Director Leora Wolf-Prusan moderated a panel discussion that offered learnings about the power of bias reduction curricula in elementary schools, and the ways in which school district and county systems can shift internal cultures to be welcoming drivers of equitable compassion. Among other themes, the session uplifted new practices of how to respond to and interrupt xenophobia and anti-immigrant hate in our classrooms.    This workshop recording features guest speakers including Drs. Carrie Langner and Linda Lee with California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Dr. Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj with the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Santa Barbara and Valerie White, LCSW, M.Ed, a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Magical Minds.    The session's guiding questions were: What might the school mental health workforce need to know about the difference and similarities between abuse, harassment, and bullying in k-12 contexts? What might be new or pressing phenomena related to bullying (e.g., anti-LGBTQIA+ bullying or the intersection of bullying and suicidality) for which we need to raise awareness? What challenges do we foresee at the workforce level, and what training, resources, or other support would help resolve these challenges? What might be some rising practices, policies and successful strategies for anti-bullying policies and practices?   This session was designed school administration, site and systems leaders, school social workers, school counselors, school psychologists, educators, instructional coaches, school climate personnel, after school program providers, child advocates, and whoever else is interested!

Download the presentation slides here Are you feeling supported at work? Is there synergy amongst your staff? Is your school on the same page with your community partners and parents? With the importance of focusing on our students’ success, it’s easy to put off attending to ourselves and our colleagues. In this session, we review practical recommendations and resources that put a campus culture of resilience within reach. Creating a climate of respect and compassion and sustaining a culture that values adults as allies in the shared mission of the school does not have to be an after-thought. Together, we will identify practices that are practical, accessible, and impactful for your school community’s well-being.  This is part of a learning series intended to help you reset and restore your own sense of wellness, and to help inform the way districts and schools promote cultures of care that benefit staff and partners. This session is for school and district staff including administrators, coordinators, school mental health and health staff, community partners, and other champions of staff well-being – with a role in influencing the engagement of staff, school community partners, and students' families.

Person-Centered Recovery Planning (PCRP) is increasingly required by both state behavioral health authorities and funders such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The implementation of PCRP requires attention to multiple aspects of the change process including overall agency culture, stakeholder competencies in PCRP, and organizational business practices. This report presents key findings from a multi-agency learning collaborative offering intensive training and technical assistance to support the uptake of PCRP across the New England Region.    by Milena Stanojlović, Maria O’Connell, Dana Asby, Stephanie Lanteri, Larry Davidson & Janis Tondora  

School violence, including school-based gun violence, is a major public health issue that has negative consequences for students, families, schools, and communities (Basile et al., 2020; Peterson et al., 2021). One approach that schools have adopted to address school violence is behavioral threat assessment (BTA). Based on a request from our funder, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), we developed a report on behavioral threat assessment and its intersection with youth mental health. This report aims to: Describe the problem of school violence and how BTA became a widely implemented school violence prevention strategy; Report on the current state of BTA implementation and its effectiveness; Discuss considerations for the fit and appropriateness of using BTA in schools; and Offer recommendations for schools, policymakers, funders, researchers, and SAMHSA on addressing BTA use in schools.