Burnout Recovery

Applying Holistic Leadership to Support the Mountain Plains Behavioral Health Workforce
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Changing the Conversation Around Mental Health

Insights on College Mental Health in 2024
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Rural Resilience

Bridging Mental Health Support for Men in the Heartland
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How to Conduct Better Observations

A Practical Guide for Education Professionals
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Accelerating the reach of youth mental health innovations through implementation science

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Mindful Mondays

April 15-May 20
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Veteran Lethal Means Safety for Suicide Prevention

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Adverse Childhood Experiences

What Does the Evidence Say and What Can We Do?
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Not Otherwise Better Explained

Adequate Assessment of ADHD in a Culture of ACEs and Trauma
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Implementing MTSS to Expand Mental Health Services to Students

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A Trauma-Informed Approach to Psychological Assessment

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From the Bench to the Ranch

Register by June 14!

Understanding Power and Privilege: New Angles for a New Era

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Registration Coming Soon!

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What Are We Up To?

Stay up-to-date on new products, resources, and upcoming events by subscribing to our newsletter!
Subscribe Here

Burnout Recovery

Applying Holistic Leadership to Support the Mountain Plains Behavioral Health Workforce
Learn More

Changing the Conversation Around Mental Health

Insights on College Mental Health in 2024
Learn More

Rural Resilience

Bridging Mental Health Support for Men in the Heartland
Learn More

How to Conduct Better Observations

A Practical Guide for Education Professionals
Learn More

Accelerating the reach of youth mental health innovations through implementation science

Learn More

Mindful Mondays

April 15-May 20
Learn More

Veteran Lethal Means Safety for Suicide Prevention

Learn More

Adverse Childhood Experiences

What Does the Evidence Say and What Can We Do?
Learn More

Not Otherwise Better Explained

Adequate Assessment of ADHD in a Culture of ACEs and Trauma
Learn More

Implementing MTSS to Expand Mental Health Services to Students

Learn More

A Trauma-Informed Approach to Psychological Assessment

Learn More

From the Bench to the Ranch

Register by June 14!

Understanding Power and Privilege: New Angles for a New Era

Learn More

Registration Coming Soon!

Learn More

What Are We Up To?

Stay up-to-date on new products, resources, and upcoming events by subscribing to our newsletter!
Subscribe Here

Mountain Plains MHTTC

University of North Dakota
231 Centennial Drive, Stop 7189, Education Building Room 317
Grand Forks,
ND
58202
HHS Region 8
CO, MT, ND, SD, WY, UT
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The primary focus of the Mountain Plains MHTTC is to provide training, resources, and technical assistance to individuals serving persons with mental health disorders. Particular attention is given to serving providers with limited access to service delivery systems with attention paid to rural and agricultural communities. By providing free, innovative, and accessible learning opportunities on research-based practices in mental health services, we seek to help you better serve your communities, staff, and patients.The Mountain Plains MHTTC serves the states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.


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Recent News

From the Mountain Plains MHTTC
Aug. 11, 2023
The American Psychiatric Association's Health Minds Monthly Poll found that 86% of pet owners say their pets have a mostly positive impact on their mental health.   Click here to read the full article.
Aug. 11, 2023
CDC released the latest provisional estimates for suicide deaths in the United States in 2022. After declining in 2019 and 2020, suicide deaths increased approximately 5% in the United States in 2021. The provisional estimates released indicate that suicide deaths further increased in 2022, rising from 48,183 deaths in 2021 to an estimated 49,449 deaths in […]
Jun. 29, 2023
"About five minutes into his Montana Football Hall of Fame induction speech, Dane Fletcher took an unexpected turn. “Tonight, I’m going to talk about my dark times,” Fletcher told the Billings Hotel and Convention Center crowd on June 25, 2022.  “Everybody kind of went, ‘What?’” said Montana Football HOF chairman Rick Halmes. “It really got […]

Upcoming Events

Hosted by the Mountain Plains MHTTC
Online Course
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
Webinar/Virtual Training
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
Online Course
  Event Description Overview: The workshop places a special emphasis on combating deficit thinking by encouraging participants to recognize and rectify assumptions, biases, and evaluations in their observations. By adopting a strengths-based approach, educators can contribute to a positive learning environment and promote equity. This workshop aims to empower education professionals with practical tools to enhance their observation skills, particularly in recognizing and addressing deficit thinking. The observation protocol provided will guide participants in unpacking their observations of students, encouraging a deeper understanding and awareness of assumptions before making recommendations to support student learning. Purpose: The purpose of this 90-minute workshop is to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to conduct better observations by avoiding deficit thinking and fostering a strengths-based approach. By practicing objective description, participants will learn to recognize and challenge assumptions, leading to more informed and equitable observations. Why Training is Important: Training is crucial for education professionals to refine their observation skills, ensuring that the assessments made are fair, unbiased, and conducive to positive learning outcomes. This workshop provides participants with a comprehensive observation protocol, helping them understand the importance of describing behaviors objectively and be mindful of where assumptions may influence interpretation and evaluation of students learning. What Training will Provide Participants: Skillsets: Objective detailing of observable behaviors. Differentiation between description, interpretation, and evaluation. Checking assumptions and biases during the observation process. Analysis of behaviors, considering alternative explanations.   Types of Resources Observation and Analysis Form for systematic recording and reflection. Guidelines for Distinguishing Description, Interpretation, and Evaluation. Practical steps on using the observation protocol effectively.   Learning Objectives: Participants will understand the concept of deficit thinking and how it can show up in learning observations (overt and nuanced ways) Participants will practice distinguishing between objective description, interpretation, and evaluation in their observations Learn One Approach for Implementing Systematic Observation and Analysis Trainer Alyson Kaneshiro, EdD Alyson Kaneshiro, Ed.D, is an educator based in the Bay Area. Currently serving as the Bay Area Regional SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) Facilitator, she also holds the position of Associate Director of Learning Services at Urban School of San Francisco. Additionally, Alyson offers consulting and coaching services through her private practice, Learning Specialist LLC. Her extensive experience includes teaching as an adjunct professor in the Master of Arts Special Education Program at the University of San Francisco, conducting action research in Response to Intervention practices, and working in inclusive education and special education compliance at the Hawai’i Department of Education. With a rich educational background spanning 20 years, Alyson is passionate about designing equitable student support systems that prioritize relationships and compassionate care.

Products & Resources

Developed by the Mountain Plains MHTTC
Multimedia
  To view resources from this training, click ATTACHMENT links Recording coming soon!   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.
Multimedia
  To view resources from this training, click ATTACHMENT links Recording coming soon! 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.
Multimedia
  To view resources from this training, click DOWNLOAD above Recording coming soon!   Event Description Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or ADHD often experience areas of significant executive dysfunction, which can adversely impact their educational performance. In order for these students to meet with more success in school, they will likely require evidence-based intervention, specific to their areas of executive dysfunction, to be implemented. This presentation will help participants to gain a broad understanding of what executive functions are, and how areas of executive dysfunction can negatively impact a student in school if interventions are not in place to assist them. It will take a deeper look at the areas of executive dysfunction commonly associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD, and finally, it will discuss best practices (evidence-based interventions) to assist with the specific areas of executive dysfunction often found in students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD. After attending this session, participants will be able to: 1. Obtain a general understanding of what executive functions (EFs) are. 2. Be able to identify specific areas of executive dysfunction commonly associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD, and understand how they may adversely impact a student’s educational performance. 3. Gain an understanding of best practices (evidence-based interventions) to implement to assist students with Autism Spectrum Disorder or ADHD, specific to their areas of executive dysfunction. Trainer Amanda Garrett, Psy.D., NCSP Dr. Amanda Garrett is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist who has practiced School Psychology for the Department of Education (DOE) for over 16 years across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Hawaiʻi. After earning her Ed.S. in School Psychology at Rider University (NJ), she continued on to obtain her doctorate in School Psychology at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PA). Dr. Garrett’s doctoral program had an emphasis in School Neuropsychology, which became an area of passion for her. In addition to working for the DOE, Dr. Garrett spent three years as the Southeast Delegate on the executive board of the Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania (ASPP), and she is currently in her sixth year as an executive board member of the Hawaiʻi Association of School Psychologists (HASP), where she has served multiple positions, including Past President.
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