...or rather,
split
things up!
As we continue to provide you with valuable information and resources for the mental health workforce and school mental health workforce, we aim to do so in a way that is readily accessible and easily digestible.
Starting this month, we are splitting our monthly newsletter into two: the
Pacific Southwest Monthly Bulletin,
on all things mental health in our region (including our focus population of youth and young adults); and the
Pacific Southwest School Mental Health Monthly
, giving you the latest resources and events for the school mental health workforce.
Our hope is that this change will better serve you and your work in the field. Be sure to stay tuned on Thursday for our School Mental Health Newsletter!
-The Pacific Southwest MHTTC Team
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The
Pacific Southwest MHTTC
is a SAMHSA-funded center serving American Samoa, Arizona, California, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii, Marshall Islands, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, and Palau.
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GET IN TOUCH:
Contact us
for technical assistance and support on mental health topics.
SPREAD THE WORD:
CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
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Dr. Suganya Sockalingam is a Founding Partner at Change Matrix, LLC, which supports agencies in addressing equity, leadership development, and culturally responsive evaluation. Suganya focuses on supporting individuals, organizations, and systems to motivate, manage, and measure systems change. Currently, she serves as a training and technical assistance provider for several national technical assistance centers, and for other federal, national, state, territorial, and community agencies.
As a TA Specialist for the PS MHTTC, Suganya is committed to ensuring that the Pacific Jurisdictions receive appropriate and relevant TA. She is equally passionate in ensuring that the technical assistance provided consistently addresses equity and cultural considerations of the populations served. She earned her doctorate at Washington State University and has worked in many capacities in public and behavioral health, both nationally and internationally, for over 25 years.
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In honor of Black History Month, this issue of the Pacific Southwest MHTTC Monthly Bulletin is focused on
Black mental health
resources. PSMHTTC joins the celebration of Black strength, resilience, and excellence, while also holding space for the distinct mental health needs facing the community. We are committed to supporting mental health services to best meet the needs of Black communities.
We know that in spite of higher rates of psychological distress, and greater exposure to risk factors such as poverty and violence
(
source: Mental Health America
)
, African Americans are less likely to receive mental health care. When they do access treatment, Black people often experience microaggressions, misdiagnosis, and inadequate or culturally incompetent treatment
(
source: American Psychiatric Association
)
.
Below, we’ve included some
excellent resources for providers, community leaders, and community members to help us recognize, destigmatize, and uplift Black mental health
. Several of the resources listed below speak to a more complete representation of Black communities and wellness. We’ve also highlighted several online directories for finding culturally competent therapists and providers of color.
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RESOURCES FOR -
COMMUNITY LEADERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ALLIES:
These are some of our favorite resources this month – we’d love to hear yours! Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
(@psmhttc)
with resources and news about Black mental health and we’ll share with our followers!
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• • • • •
This excellent article from Threads of Solidarity: WOC Against Racism (@SolidarityWOC) includes resources for destigmatizing mental health, accessing culturally competent mental health services, practicing self-care, and endorsing multicultural and social justice counseling competencies.
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“In this moment, it is so necessary for us to take our time to commit to our healing, to our well-being, even as we are vigorously fighting against the oppression and against the forces that are trying to dehumanize us. But it has to happen simultaneously.”
– Yolo Akili Robinson, Founder & CEO (BEAM)
• • • • •
Each Mind Matters, “California’s Mental Health Movement,” created a collection of resources to support African American community leaders and faith-based leaders outreach about mental health.
• • • • •
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) created this educational booklet for members of the Black community to recognize mental health conditions, understand types of treatment and supports available, and find help.
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The Safe Place is a mental health app specifically geared towards the Black community. It includes self-care tips, self-assessment questions, inspirational quotes, descriptions of mental illness, and more. Mental health providers are also encouraged to access the app to better understand their Black patients. Also available on the
App Store
for iPhone/iPad.
• • • • •
Mental Health America (MHA) celebrates the contributions of current and past African American researchers, practitioners, and advocates to the mental health field. For even more influential leaders, check out the
Profiles in Black
series from Ourselves Black.
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This episode of “Black Folk Don’t…” from Black Public Media uses interviews to explore experiences and stigma around therapy within the African American community.
• • • • •
Release date: May 1, 2020. Psychologist and African American mental health expert Rheeda Walker addresses how to combat stigma, spot potential mental illness, practice emotional wellness, and get the best care possible despite systemic racial bias.
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RESOURCES FOR -
PROVIDERS, PRACTITIONERS, & POLICYMAKERS:
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This post from Ourselves Black, a magazine promoting Black mental health, responds to the APA’s
Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men
, providing additional considerations for working with Black men and boys.
Ourselves Black has a number of great resources for Black mental health practitioners and community members
, including an informational
Mental Illness Library
and a section
For Parents
.
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The National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) created this report to focus on ways to build on the strength of Black children, families, and communities to improve outcomes for Black children. Topics include research on positive development, reimagining family support, early childhood education, and more.
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Researchers Jessica Graham-LoPresti, PhD, Tahirah Abdullah, PhD, Amber Calloway, MA, and Lindsey West, PhD, explore the ways that racism affects stress and anxiety, and suggest strategies for coping (valued-living, attending to our emotions, and self-compassion).
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Five reproductive therapists describe ways that clinicians can support pregnant and postpartum Black people, from the mental health system level to the provider level. This article is part of SELF magazine’s ongoing series on the public health crisis of
Black Maternal Mortality
.
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DIRECTORIES OF
THERAPISTS:
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This online directory from BEAM features licensed Black therapists who are certified to provide telemental health services.
• • • • •
Melanin & Mental Health was born out of a desire to connect individuals with culturally competent clinicians committed to serving the mental health needs of Black and Latinx communities.
Melanin & Mental Health also hosts a
podcast series featuring conversations with other therapists of color,
Between Sessions. Check out all the episodes on
Stitcher
or
Apple Podcasts
.
• • • • •
Therapy for Black Girls is an online space dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls. In addition to the directory, Therapy for Black Girls also hosts a popular
weekly podcast
of the same name.
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Therapy for Black Men is a directory to help men of color find a therapist. The website also features personal stories and other resources to support Black men’s mental health.
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TODAY!
Thursday, February 20
Mental health organizations and providers—like you—are seeing the value of employing diverse staff that reflect the people they serve. But how do you do this? What are strategies for recruiting and retaining a diverse staff? The Pacific Southwest MHTTC's
self-assessment tool
helps mental health organizations implement workforce diversity strategies in six critical areas.
This webinar will provide specific, actionable
strategies to increase workforce diversity to advance health equity
. Presenters will outline the six areas to strengthen workforce diversity, and together we will explore the different aspects of each area. This is an interactive session –
we are excited to hear your ideas and strategies
, which we will add to a tip sheet that will be shared after the webinar. If you work in a mental health organization and are interested in taking action to increase diversity, then this workshop is for you!
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Wednesday, May 13
Implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. Everyone has them, and becoming mindful of how implicit and explicit biases impact our work with others is important. Implicit biases can lead to unfair differences in the expectations we hold for those we serve, how we interact with them, and the learning opportunities we provide.
This workshop explores the dynamics of implicit bias and its impact on decision-making in behavioral health spaces. This webinar will challenge you to reflect on your own implicit biases. You will also have an opportunity for initiating conversations around what we bring to the work of supporting mental health and wellness among the diverse populations we serve.
**Prior to the webinar, participants are encouraged to take the a free, online Implicit Association Test through Project Implicit
(
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html
)
which measures attitudes and beliefs to support continued discussion and learning.
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Webinars
Wednesday, February 26
This four-webinar series from Central East MHTTC will discuss tools to engage individuals with serious mental illness and/or substance use disorders in person-centered treatment and services. Part 1 will explore how shared decision making (SDM) can be effective with individuals who are challenging to engage, including how to use SDM when a person is in acute crisis.
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Thursday, February 27
This SAMHSA Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale TA Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) webinar is designed to help organizations with best practices and practical application strategies for supervising and supporting peer support workers.
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This Central East MHTTC webinar will discuss the advancing role of peers in implementing digital mental health interventions. Hosted by Karen Fortuna, PhD, MSW, who co-produces digital peer support programs, including PeerTECH.
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Conferences & Onsite Events
February 21 | San Francisco, CA
This conference will focus on improving the mental health treatment and care that mothers receive during pregnancy and postpartum. Hosted by UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.
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February 26 | Sacramento, CA
California recently launched the ACEs Aware Initiative to give Medi-Cal providers training, clinical protocols, and payment for screening children and adults for ACEs. HOPE is a complementary evidence-based framework that can provide health and social service professionals with additional, actionable tools to promote resilience and wellbeing.
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March 11-12 | Los Angeles, CA
Echo’s 2020 conference will celebrate survivor resilience and empowerment. Presenters are trauma survivors who bring survivor wisdom in addition to their professional talent and expertise.
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March 26-27 | Mesa, AZ
This training is for all first responders, police, fire, military/veterans, corrections, dispatchers, chaplains, retired first responders, spouses, professional staff, clinicians, and all who work in the public safety field. Topics include post-traumatic growth, trauma, resilience, and more.
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March 27-28 | Oahu, HI
The VETS HEAL Summit is open to veterans and active duty military, their families, and providers who work with them. Topics will include special considerations for female veterans, suicide prevention, homelessness, and community care.
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March 30 | Glendale, AZ
The theme of this year’s conference from the Arizona State University (ASU) Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy is “Inspiring Inclusion.” The event will explore topics of inclusivity in the treatment of youth and young adults, refugees and immigrants, and elderly populations. The no-charge conference provides Continuing Education for behavioral health and medical professionals.
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April 5-
7
| Austin, TX
NatCon is the annual convening from the National Council for Behavioral Health. Join more than 6,000 attendees to hear from speakers that include Gary M. Blau, The Hackett Center for Mental Health; Brene Brown, The Daring Way; Vincent Felitti, Co-Principal Investigator of The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Study; and many others.
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April 14-17 | Honolulu, HI
The 17th Hawai`i International Summit is a multidisciplinary gathering of professionals working together to tackle the major issues in fields dealing with violence, abuse, and trauma. Topics include intimate partner violence, child maltreatment, trauma among special populations (military personnel, older adults, etc.), and more.
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April 17-19 | Las
Vegas, NV
The Synapse examines breakthroughs in mental health care and treatment advances. This conference for clinicians will explore bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, ADHD, opioid use disorder, and more.
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April 24-25 | Peoria, AZ
This conference is intended to bridge the gap between faith and mental health to help leaders, laity, and mental health providers learn strategies, tools, and resources that will impact their homes, communities, and churches.
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April 25-29 | Philadelphia, PA
The theme of this year’s APA Annual Meeting is “Advancing Quality: Challenges & Opportunities.” This four-day event features more than 500 educational sessions.
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April 30-May 3 | San Francisco, CA
The Western Psychological Association was founded in 1921 for the purpose of stimulating the exchange of scientific and professional ideas and, in so doing, to enhance interest in research and scholarship in the behavioral sciences.
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May 13-15 | Pacific Grove, CA
The theme of this year’s CMHACY Conference is “Changing Tides: Voices for Equity, Inclusion & Access.” This event is for all who are interested in promoting policies, programs, and practices for California’s vulnerable children, youth, and families. Early bird pricing available until March 15.
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May 19-22 | San Diego, CA
This event, the nation's largest rural health conference, is created for anyone with an interest in rural health care, including rural health practitioners, social workers, state and federal health employees, academics, community members and more. The annual Rural Medical Education Conference and Health Equity Conference (formerly the Rural Multiracial and Multicultural Health Conference) will both be held May 19, directly prior to the Annual Rural Health Conference.
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June 14-17 | Washington, DC
Join more than 2,000 social workers and similar professionals for professional development, continuing education, and networking. Sample topics include foster youth transitions, social work advocacy, and the impact of the 2020 election on social work.
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Welcome to the Pacific Southwest MHTTC
Youth & Young Adult Section
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The Center for the Study of Social Policy’s (CSSP) Youth Thrive™ initiative is both a research-informed framework and the name of a national initiative aimed at improving the well-being outcomes of
all
youth (ages 9-26), with a particular focus on youth involved in the child welfare systems (e.g., in or transitioning out of foster care) and other public systems (e.g., juvenile justice).
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The Youth Thrive Protective and Promotive Factors Framework is based on a synthesis of research across fields, specifically: neuroscience, resilience, positive youth development, stress and the impact of trauma on brain development. When adopted by public systems, the Framework functions as a “lens” for assessing current efforts in addressing the well-being needs of youth and for making changes to the policies, programs, training, services, partnerships, and systems that impact young people.
New research suggests that the brain undergoes significant growth during adolescence and that experiences and life circumstances play a key role in determining a young person’s ability to overcome challenges and thrive. Established research on how to promote positive youth development and help youth grow into mature, successful adults, combined with insights from emerging research in neuroscience and brain development, provide an opportunity for fresh thinking on how to support improved adult outcomes for at-risk youth.
CSSP's research synthesis identified
five protective and promotive factors
that increase the likelihood that adolescents can develop into healthy, thriving adults. The protective and promotive factors are (click the links to learn more about each factor):
- Youth Resilience: Managing stress and functioning well when faced with stressors, challenges, or adversity.
- Social Connections: Having healthy, sustained relationships with people, institutions, the community, and a force greater than oneself that promote a sense of trust, belonging and feeling that s/he matters.
- Knowledge of Adolescent Development: Understanding one's behavior and stage of maturation in the context of the unique aspects of adolescent development (e.g., brain development, the impact of trauma); and interacting with parents, caregivers and professionals that are attuned to adolescent development.
- Concrete Support in Times of Need: Understanding the importance of asking for help and advocating for oneself. Receiving quality services that are developmentally and contextually appropriate and that preserve youth's dignity, provide opportunities for skill development, and promote healthy development.
- Cognitive and Social-Emotional Competence: Acquiring skills and attitudes that are essential for forming an independent identity and having a productive, responsible, and satisfying adulthood (e.g., self-regulation, executive functioning and character strengths).
CSSP is partnering with community organizations and public agencies around the country to advance understanding of the skills and supportive environments all youth need to develop into healthy and productive adults. To date, Youth Thrive has been adopted in six sites across the country: Georgia, Nebraska, New Jersey, Vermont, New York City, and Florida. CSSP has trained thousands of people who work closely with youth on the Youth Thrive Framework and how to build protective and promotive factors. In addition to advocating for national and state policies that are based on research, CSSP provides technical assistance, training, and resources for improving youth outcomes.
CSSP has also recently released the
Youth Thrive Survey
, a field-tested and validated survey instrument to measure the presence, strength, and growth of the Protective and Promotive factors. This free, web-based tool has multiple uses: to inform case planning, measure and monitor a young person’s progress over time, and, most unique to the field, highlight a young person’s strengths.
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Upcoming Pacific Southwest YYA Event
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Third Wednesday of Each Month
Next Session:
Wednesday, March 18
Do you work with youth and young adults of transition age in California? If so, we hope you will join us for the California TAY Professional Learning Community (PLC). The goal of this series is to provide
monthly community learning forums on topics that are relevant to TAY-serving providers, advocates, champions, and allies.
As we continue to work together, we hope to transition to a peer-led model that encourages active participation and maximizes the exchange of ideas and strategies for better serving youth and young adults.
We want the CA TAY PLC to bring together diverse expertise from across sectors. Please feel free to share this opportunity with other colleagues and champions!
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Featured Black YYA Mental Health Event
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Tuesday, March 3
The suicide rates for Black children ages 5 to 11 has exceeded that of any other ethnic group, according to new research by Dr. Michael Lindsey. In this Central East MHTTC webinar, Dr. Lindsey will present this data along with the disparate health outcomes between Black and white individuals that are tied to socioeconomic issues, poverty, nutrition, violence, and racism.
This webinar will review signs and symptoms of depression, suicide, and anxiety in Black children.
It will also explore the importance of access to care, particularly school mental health services, as well as preventive measures.
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Black YYA Mental Health Resources
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In December 2019, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Emergency Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health released their landmark report. This report provides detailed policy and practice recommendations based on review of the research as well as months of listening sessions.
“This report is dedicated to the families of Black youth, and to the children who have called our attention to this urgent matter. We know that suicide is a difficult topic to discuss; and while there are some very technical aspects to what is contained in this report, we have included the glossary in recognition that this report must be as accessible to everyone.” – CBC Taskforce
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The Black Youth Project highlights the voices and ideas of Black millennials and amplifies the voices and perspectives of young, urban, Black millennials. The Mental Health articles address a wide range of topics impacting the mental health of young Black Americans, such as trauma, self-harm, gender, and more.
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The new Research Brief from Transitions ACR explores why Black young adults with disabilities, including serious mental health conditions, experience disparities in vocational rehabilitation program services and outcomes.
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This Human Rights Campaign (HRC) report explores data and responses from more than 1,600 Black LGBTQ youth survey respondents. The report includes key takeaways for supporting Black LGBTQ youth, addressing the harmful impacts of both homophobia and white supremacy.
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More Upcoming YYA Events
& Opportunities
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This completely online course from the Center for Adolescent Studies (CAS) is designed to teach educators, mental health providers, probation staff, and other professionals working with young people the basics of a trauma-informed approach: what trauma is, how to identify it, and some basic action steps to engage trauma skillfully.
Visit the CAS website for additional free and paid online courses and resources related to trauma, mindfulness, and youth.
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March 2-3 | City of Industry, CA
The Transition Age Youth Conference (TAY Con) will bring together TAY and TAY-serving professionals for collaboration and learning. The theme this year is "Creating a Web of Self-Sufficiency, Stability, and Support." The conference will cover a range of topics such as youth homelessness, foster youth, work and college readiness, and more.
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March 12-13 | San Diego, CA
The theme of this year's CICAMH is "Managing Change in a Changing World." Sample topics include family separation and reunification, sleep disorders, play therapy, gender-affirming care, impact of military service on families, and more.
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March 15-18 | Tampa, FL
The "Tampa Conference" is an annual gathering of more than 700 researchers, evaluators, policymakers, administrators, parents, and advocates working to improve systems for children and youth with mental health challenges and their families.
We’ll see you there!
YYA Co-Lead Kristin Thorp will present on “Career Pathways for the Young Adult Workforce – Lessons from Stakeholders.”
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April 22-24 | Las Vegas, NV
Join colleagues for a premier conference addressing cutting-edge issues and clinical skill-building for working with YYA whose lives have been impacted by addictive disorders, behavioral issues, and mental health challenges.
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June 29-July 3 | Orlando, FL
The 2020 Training Institutes theme, "What Could Be: Bolder Systems and Brighter Futures for Children, Youth, Young Adults, and Their Families,” challenges us to build on existing delivery systems for children’s services with new ideas to meet the future.
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In this article on The Mighty, Juliette Virzi describes the four responses to trauma: fight, flight, freeze, and fawn, which involves appeasing and people-pleasing.
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Mind Share Partners describes the importance of a workplace culture that helps employers and employees name, normalize, and navigate mental health.
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This document from the MHTTC Network Coordinating Office at Stanford University provides a brief overview of national stakeholders and key resources to improve services, interventions, and outcomes for people experiencing First Episode Psychosis (FEP) and Clinical High Risk (CHR).
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Contact the Pacific Southwest MHTTC
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