The following are descriptions of NNEDLearn training tracks and the trainers since 2011.
Achieving Whole Health for Asian Americans
Policymakers and researchers are discovering what Asian Pacific Islander communities have always known, that you cannot separate the mind, body and spirit. Data now shows a direct correlation between depression, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stress disorders, cancer and other health problems and that failure to address underlying mental health conditions can have adverse effect on a person’s overall health. Recent studies have found that individuals with serious mental health conditions die 25 years earlier than the general population (NASHMPD, 2006).
The training track, Achieving Whole Health: Balancing Body, Mind and Spirit, recognizes the important relationship between mental health and physical health, and seeks to train Asian Pacific Islanders to become Wellness Coaches who can fill an important gap in services. Wellness Coaches work with community members, who are often isolated due to cultural and language barriers, to take an active role in improving their health by reducing stress, improving diet and exercise, learning important self-care skills, and building personal resiliency by addressing not only physical needs, but also the needs of one’s mind and spirit. The Whole Health sessions can be delivered by Wellness Coaches through group sessions and one-on-one peer support that help individuals prioritize and focus on achieving their health goals.
Training mental health consumers, along with professionals and bilingual paraprofessionals, adds an additional depth to the treatment team by engaging individuals who can draw upon their lived experience to help others recognize their symptoms before they reach a crisis, role model strength-based approaches and most importantly, know that recovery is possible.
Trainers:
- Janet SooHoo, MSW, Training Director, National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association
- DJ Ida, PhD, Executive Director, National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association
- Pata Suyemoto, PhD, Director of Training, National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association
- Can Truong, Consumer Coordinator, National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association
Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT™)
BSFT™ is an evidence-based intervention that treats youth drug abuse, conduct problems, associations with antisocial peers and maladaptive family functioning. In other words, BSFT™ helps troubled youth and their families grow through strengthening relationships, building connections and creating long-lasting change. BSFT™ targets the family environment of the adolescent, so changes are sustained long after the treatment ends. BSFT™ is implemented in 12 to 16 sessions, depending on problem severity. BSFT™ is manualized, with training and sustainability programs for therapists. BSFT™ is implemented internationally (over 40 states and overseas) in community substance abuse and mental health agencies, health clinics and school settings. BSFT™ was developed over 38 years of research at the University of Miami’s Center for Family Studies, the nation’s preeminent center for development and testing of minority family therapy interventions. BSFT™ a culturally-sensitive, ethnically diverse family therapy treatment model for drug using, behavior problem adolescents. As residential services are being downsized, BSFT can help youth and their families transition back to their community. BSFT™ is an effective family-focused intervention which improves family interaction, treats conduct problems and reduces delinquency and drug use.
Trainer:
- Ruban Roberts, MSW, Sr. Research Associate/BSFT Consultant, Brief Strategic Family Therapy® Institute, University of Miami
Celebrating Families!
Celebrating Families! is a
Trainers:
- Steve Hornberger, MSW, Program Director, Celebrating Families, National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA)
- Toni Welch, CADC II, Manager, Addiction Prevention Services
Committing to Authentic Peer Support Services
New practices are being implemented to identify and engage a diverse group of consumers as authentic partners with clinicians and administrators in the design, evaluation and implementation of recovery oriented, person centered mental health services. One widely-recognized practice is implementation of peer support services, delivered by trained and certified peer specialists. Peers use the power of their recovery experiences to support, encourage, and model recovery from mental illness in ways that are specific to the needs of each individual – and from the perspective of someone who has been there. This is particularly of value when considering the culturally, ethnically, and racially diverse populations served by NNED members. Utilizing individuals with these experiences to deliver services is empowering for all parties, and research demonstrates its effectiveness. Peer support services are now widely recognized as effective and evidence-based. But implementing these services is not easy and often results in confusion and even strong conflict within organizations. Even those who clearly want to “do peer support right” find themselves questioning just what “right” is, as the new peer provider profession quickly grows. Lack of a widely-accepted model for quality implementation and supervision of peer support providers creates both conflict and opportunities for all those involved. This session will acquaint NNED members and participants with the elements of effective peer services and offer a framework for team-based implementation based on lessons from the field.
Trainers:
- Lisa Goodale, ACSW, LSW, Vice President, Training, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
- Olga Wuerz, Peer Support Specialist, Dallas VA Medical Center
Culturally Adapted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
This training program is designed to present a detailed account of how to culturally adapt an evidence-based practice for Hispanics in an outpatient mental health setting. A model for culturally adapting cognitive behavioral therapy at the administrative, service delivery and clinical levels will be provided. Practitioners will learn how to provide cognitive behavioral therapy using a 10-session structured protocol that has been culturally adapted to provide culturally competent mental health services to Hispanics.
Trainers:
- Richard Salcido, LPC, Executive Director, Family Service of El Paso
- Griselda Villalobos, PhD, LCSW, Therapist, Family Service of El Paso
Empowering Our Spirits Tribal Suicide Prevention
The Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) workshop is for caregivers who want to feel more comfortable, confident and competent in helping to prevent the immediate risk of suicide. Over 950,000 caregivers have received this training. Just as “CPR” skills make physical first aid possible, training in suicide intervention develops the skills needed for suicide first aid. ASIST is an intensive, interactive and practice-dominated course designed to help caregivers recognize risk and learn how to intervene to prevent the immediate risk of suicide.
Trainers:
- Mary Cwik, Assistant Scientist, Johns Hopkins
- Novalene Goklish, Field Program Coordinator, Johns Hopkins
- Francene Larzelere-Hinton, WMAT/JHU NARCH Director, Johns Hopkins
Familia Adelante: Multi-risk Reduction Behavioral Health Prevention for Latino/Hispanic Youth and Families (FA)
Latinos are expected to reach one quarter of the U.S population by the year 2050, and are at a disproportionate risk for negative behavioral health outcomes such as substance use and alcoholism (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2007), sexually transmitted illnesses such as HIV (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007), and mental health concerns (Prado et al., 2006). With this knowledge, researchers have developed a behavioral health intervention that focuses on culturally based risk factors within the Latino community.
The training track Familia Adelante: Multi-risk Reduction Behavioral Health Prevention for Latino/Hispanic Youth and Families (FA) addresses the impact of acculturative stress on Latino communities and equips Latino-serving organizations with a psycho-educational curriculum that helps Latino families manage negative behavioral outcomes associated with stress exposure. The curriculum, 12 sessions in length, educates high-risk Latino youth, ages 10-14 and their families in family and peer communication, substance abuse prevention, HIV knowledge and perceptions of harm about high-risk behavior, and positive school bonding and behavior. This is not a treatment program, but rather a family development model for youth who have early signs of either behavioral or emotional problems. The Familia Adelante intervention is administered to youth and parents concurrently but separately in a group format.
- Richard Cervantes, Ph.D., Director, Behavioral Assessment, Inc.
- Fred Sandoval, MPA (Co-trainer)
The Four Cs: Culture, Communication, Conflict & Collaboration
As members of a variety of groups, we are expected to work together to achieve shared outcomes. While at times we experience the full benefits of working collaboratively, too often we are frustrated in our ability to pursue a mutual purpose and mutual goals. This training is designed to build organizational capacity for community leaders. Combining best practices in collaboration, organizational development, team building, and conflict management, this interactive training offers strategies that will enhance performance and improve relationships and explore the impact of culture on collaboration and conflict and provide a framework to promote cross-cultural dialogue.
Trainers:
- Elizabeth Waetzig, CFO Change Matrix, LLC
- Suganya Sockalingam, CEO Change Matrix, LLC
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
You are more likely to encounter a person in an emotional or mental crisis than someone having a heart attack. Mental disorders are more common than heart disease and cancer combined. The stigma surrounding mental illness often prevents people from acknowledging that they need help. And if they do want help, they don’t know where to turn. Mental Health First Aid equips you to help persons with mental illness connect to care.
Mental Health First Aid is a groundbreaking public education program, which introduces participants to the risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments. Those who take the 12-hour course to certify as Mental Health First Aiders learn a 5-step action plan encompassing the skills, resources, and knowledge to help an individual in crisis connect with appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help care. This program can reduce the damaging effects of mental and emotional disorders such as job loss, school dropouts, relationship issues, and drug and alcohol problems.
The evidence behind Mental Health First Aid demonstrates that it makes people feel more comfortable managing a crisis situation and builds mental health literacy — helping the public identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness. Specifically, studies found that those who trained in Mental Health First Aid have greater confidence in providing help to others, greater likelihood of advising people to seek professional
Trainer:
- Brian V. Gybb, Director of Public Education, National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based practice in the treatment of individuals with behavioral health issues. MI works across a range of culturally diverse populations, and behaviors including problematic substance use, health-promotion, medical adherence, and mental health issues. MI is a collaborative, person-centered counseling method for addressing the common problem of ambivalence about change. The method supports change in a manner congruent with the person’s own values and concerns and is thus an effective practice for culturally diverse populations and communities. The primary goals of the MI training, coaching, and feedback opportunity are for participants to:
- Understand what MI is and practice using it as an engagement strategy in your work as
a NNED member working with culturally diverse populations. - Work together with
trainer and other participants to practice applying MI in your work empowering others to reach their goals. - Create and implement plans for developing personal MI proficiency and shifting program practices to be even more consistent with MI foundational concepts.
Trainer:
- Jennifer Frey, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist, Motivational Interviewing Consultant
Motivational Interviewing – Adapted for Native Americans
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidenced-based practice in the treatment of individuals with behavioral health issues. MI is a collaborative, person-centered counseling method for addressing the common problem of ambivalence about change. The primary goals for this training are to provide a Native American view of the use of motivational interviewing (MI) as a best practice in Native programs and services. The training will focus on the skills presented in the 3rd edition of Motivational Interviewing, along with the trainers’ own experiences implementing this practice within their own agencies over several years. Training participants will be provided with ideas and suggestions to begin the practice implementation process during and after on-site training through ongoing participation in webinar-based consultation with the trainer.
Trainers:
- Kathyleen Tomlin, Trainer & Consultant, Cheyenne River Sioux Training and Consulting
- Phyllis Stewart, CADCII, Director of Outpatient Services, Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest, Inc. (NARA NW)
Preventing Long-term Anger and Aggression in Youth (PLAAY)
PLAAY (Preventing Long-term Anger and Aggression in Youth) is a culturally relevant intervention that relies upon Recast theory (Racial Encounter Coping Appraisal and Socialization Theory) to promote the development of healthy coping skills for Black male youth. Recast theory suggests that the more racial socialization (the more youth receive feedback and skills in navigating racially stressful encounters) one receives, the better prepared and confident one is to engage rather than avoid these encounters and use better decision making toward positive health outcomes. This training will teach participants how to see the impact of racial and gender stress, conflict, and literacy on youth who must cope daily with rejection from teachers, peers, police, and neighbors.
Several cognitive behavioral strategies are embedded in the PLAAY physical activity and group therapy intervention components. PLAAY teaches stress management during face-to-face encounters in basketball, classroom, and peer social activities. Participants will learn to read and resolve racial and gender conflicts and reduce the effects of trauma for youth and parents. A key theme is that racial and gender-related conflicts are resolvable through stress management and can improved youth achievement and persistence in schooling. The more individuals identify their stress reactions to racial and gender conflicts, can practice and manage those stressful encounters, the more confident they will be in engaging racial and gender rejections that they face. Authority figure-youth relationships constitute powerful influences on children’s learning and safety. This training will examine how racial and gender threat undermine many authority-youth relationships and teach how to resolve conflicts within these relationships to promote healthier outcomes for youth.
Based on a recent book, Promoting Racial Literacy in Schools: Differences that Make a Difference, Dr. Stevenson will use five strategies to teach participants how to work more effectively with Black male youth who are struggling with relationship and life rejection challenges. The five core intervention strategies include the use of storytelling, journaling, relaxation, debating, and role-playing. These five strategies are designed to assist youth in developing skills in racial self-awareness, self-appraisal, self-care, self-control, and self-expression.
Trainers:
- Howard Stevenson, Ph.D., Professor of Education and Africana Studies, University of Pennsylvania
Prime Time Sister Circles®
African American women are dying at rates that are greater than all other women in this country. They face major emotional and physical health disparities. Prime Time Sister Circles® (PTSC): A Model for Reducing Emotional and Psychical Health Disparities and Promoting Positive Health Habits in Mid-Life African American Women is designed to be a culture, gender and age specific, curriculum-based, 12 week, facilitated, interactive support group intervention for African American women between 40-75 years of age. The Circles meet for 2 hours a week and are designed to meet in community-based setting (e.g., churches, libraries, community and health centers). The facilitators can be community members and are not required to be licensed clinicians. However, facilitators will benefit from having prior experience with running groups.
The NNEDLearn training will provide participants with an opportunity to learn effective strategies to help women improve their health outcomes by increasing positive behaviors and reducing risk factors. Experienced facilitators will be able to implement a PTSC in their community, with agency support, upon completion of the full NNEDLearn training model.
Trainer:
- Gayle K. Porter, Psy.D.Co-DirectorThe Gaston & Porter Health Improvement Center, Inc.
Project Venture: Positive Youth Development for American Indian and Alaska Native Youth (PV)
“By adopting Project Venture you are joining a new community of youth workers willing to implement a program that is not ‘canned’, but requires creativity and dedication not usually found in other models.”
– Founder, Mac Hall
Substance misuse has been identified as one of the most troubling health issues facing American Indian (AI) communities. Herman-Stahl and Chong (2002) reported that 17% to 19% of all American Indians’ deaths are related to alcohol. Some epidemiological studies among adolescents indicate that American Indian youth initiate substance use at earlier ages, have more frequent rates or problem use among those who do use, are more likely to have tried multiple substances, and experience more negative social consequences from substance use (Beauvais, Jumper-Thurman, Helm, Plested & Burnside, 2004; May & Moran, 1995; Plunkett & Mitchell, 2000; Oetting, Edwards & Beauvais, 1989; Wallace et al., 2003). Despite reported higher rates of use overall, patterns of drug use for American Indian youth across time parallel patterns seen in the general population of youth (Beauvais et al., 2004; Wallace et al., 2003). Rates, patterns of use and associated mortality rates underscore compelling need for innovation, funding, and implementation of effective prevention efforts focusing on American Indian/ Alaska Native youth.
The training track Project Venture: Positive Youth Development for American Indian and Alaska Native Youth (PV) is an outdoors experiential youth development program designed for American Indian/ Alaska Native youth at high risk for substance use and related problems. Project Venture was developed by the National Indian Youth Leadership Project (NIYLP), an American Indian-owned and -operated, community-based, nonprofit organization with nearly 30 years of experience in youth development. NIYLP has conducted summer youth leadership camps since 1982, from which grew the year-round Project Venture model. In 1990, NIYLP received its first SAMHSA/CSAP grant to implement Project Venture. The program has operated continuously since that time in Native and other communities, regionally, and nationally, with nearly 70 implementations in 25 States.
Project Venture aims to prevent substance use and related problems through:
- Classroom-based problem-solving and skill-building activities
- Outdoor adventure-based experiential activities
- Adventure camps and treks
- Community-oriented service learning
The program relies on American Indian traditional values to help youth develop positive self-concept, effective social skills, community service ethic, internal locus of control, and increased decision making and problem solving skills. Project Venture was designed for and tested with early adolescents in grades 5 through 9 in American Indian school and community settings (approximately 75 percent American Indian) in rural and low socioeconomic areas.
Trainer:
- McClellan Hall, M.A., Executive Director, National Indian Youth Leadership Project
Seeking Safety
Seeking Safety is an evidence-based coping skills approach to help people attain safety from trauma and/or substance abuse. It is present-focused and designed to help clients work on trauma and/or substance abuse in a way that is very safe, optimistic, and engaging. The treatment is available as a book, providing both client handouts and guidance for clinicians. The treatment is highly flexible. It can be conducted in group or individual format; open or closed groups; for women, men, or mixed-gender; for any length of time available (using all topics or fewer topics); all levels of care (such as outpatient, inpatient, residential); and for any type of trauma and any type of substance misuse. Seeking Safety has been successfully implemented for over 18 years by all types of programs, including community-based, criminal justice, veteran/military, adolescent, schools, and medical settings.
Trainers:
- Summer Krause, LPC, CADCIII, Trainer/Consultant, Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor III, working directly with Lisa Najavits,
PhD , Seeking Safety developer (NNEDLearn 2014 trainer) - Amy Smith, Training Coordinator, Treatment Innovations (NNEDLearn 2011 Trainer)
Strengthening Families Program (SFP 10-14)
The Strengthening Families Program (SFP 10-14) is a parent, youth, and family skills-building curriculum designed to prevent teen substance abuse and other behavior problems, strengthen parenting skills, and build family strengths. The program is delivered with seven sessions for parents, youth (10-14 years old), and families using realistic videos, role-playing, discussions, learning games, and family projects. In addition to schools and prevention agencies, other groups have successfully used the program, including churches, Native American groups, Asian families (Hmong), Hispanic groups, including non-English speaking parents, and families with mental health problems.
SFP 10-14 has been proven effective in:
- delaying the onset of adolescent substance use,
- lowering levels of aggression
- increasing the resistance to peer pressure in youth
- increasing the ability of parents/caregivers to set appropriate limits and show affection to and support of their children
Special features:
- designed and used with ethnically diverse families in rural and urban settings
- scientifically evaluated and shown to be effective
Trainers:
- Janet Brown, Master Trainer, Iowa State University
- Rebecca Each, Program Coordinator, Iowa State University
Strengthening Intergenerational/ Inter-cultural Ties in Immigrant Families (SITIF)
The overall goal of the Strengthening Intergenerational/Inter-cultural Ties in Immigrant Families (SITIF) Program is to improve the intergenerational relationship of families by increasing parents’ sense of self-efficacy and effective parenting of their children. The populations engaged in the SITIF Program are immigrant parents and/or primary caregivers seeking to improve parenting skills to effectively discipline and nurture their children. The curriculum has been applied to immigrant parents of various ethnic
Cultural and linguistic barriers as well as acculturation stress leave many immigrant parents feeling overwhelmed and stressed by conflicts with their children. Parents often feel helpless and hopeless in terms of their parenting ability while their children often feel “trapped” between two cultures and perceive their parents as unnecessarily strict, unfair, or not understanding of their struggles. Without timely and culturally competent intervention, family ties and parenting relationships are strained and the risk of developing emotional and/or behavioral problems increases for the children.
The three core components of the SITIF Program, each of which has incorporated Asian cultural and parenting values and approaches, are:
- Community Education/ Outreach Workshops: These are one-time workshops (about two hours each) on effective bicultural parenting and family management for education and outreach. This is an important program component in demystifying the stigma associated with the parenting class series offered by the SITIF Program.
- Bicultural Parenting Class Series: This is a 10-week, culturally competent, skill-based, interactive, and manualized parenting and family management curriculum for parents and/or primary caregivers. These once-a-week class sessions last for 2 to 3 hours per week in a group format. Topics include parenting skills to help promote the bicultural identity of immigrant children, manage stress, enhance parent-child understanding, and effectively utilize reinforcement, rule, and consequences in this country.
- Family Support Service Linkage: Case management linkage to linguistically and culturally competent community services is offered as part of the SITIF Program when parents and/or primary caregivers need additional assistance to access mental health and/or other social services to address the biopsychosocial needs of their families.
Trainer:
- C. Rocco Cheng, Ph.D., President, Rocco Cheng and Associates