DMH UCLA Public Mental Health Partnership

Presented by Jennifer Wisdom, PhD, MPH, ABPP

Intergenerational Communication Challenges introduces generations (from boomers to Gen Z) and identifies how each generation has its own experiences, worldviews, and perspectives. Dr. Wisdom will solicit ideas from attendees on how intergenerational challenges show up in their workplace and describe how these challenges in the workplace can be associated with generational perspectives, such as different views on what it means to show respect or display loyalty. Dr. Wisdom will provide strategies for communicating across the generations, both for older generations (boomers and Gen X) to communicate with younger generations (millennials and Gen Z), and vice versa. This training is intended for field-based mental health and outreach workers in Los Angeles County.

Presented by Danielle Farmer, MSEd, LCSW. Studies show that 83% of U.S. workers suffer from work-related stress, with 25% naming their job as the number one stressor in their lives (The American Institute of Stress, 2022). These rates are even higher for individuals in social service settings due to factors such as emotional labor and the traumatic realities that clients may face. These factors place outreach workers at higher risk for work-related traumatic stress. Therefore, it is vital that field-based outreach workers are equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to understand how work-related stress develops and self-care practices to combat it. This training will define and explore concepts related to work-related stress such as burnout, vicarious trauma, and the physiological impacts of chronic and/or traumatic stress. Participants will discuss the history of self-care, its roots in radical community movements, and how it relates to field-based outreach workers. Participants will learn a plethora of self-care practices using a holistic approach and will have work time to create an individualized wellness plan for themselves using learned self-care practices. This training is intended for field-based mental health and outreach workers in Los Angeles County.

Presented by Elizabeth Mackey, LMSW and Chelsea Simms, LCSW, MSW. This training will focus on models of integrated care, including integrated, coordinated, and co-located care models, and related skills for practicing care coordination across systems. The importance of coordinated care will be explained through the social determinants of health (SDOH) framework, highlighting integrated care/care coordination as an intervention that mitigates the impacts of SDOH. This training will teach providers how to identify key care partners within systems, as well as advocacy and collaboration best practices. Attendees will be given an overview of chronic health conditions common within populations experiencing serious mental illness (SMI) and being unhoused, and how non-medically trained providers can support access to and continued engagement in primary and specialty medical care. This training is intended for field-based mental health and outreach workers in Los Angeles County.

Presented by Chelsea Simms, LCSW, MSW, Danielle Cameron, ACSW, MSW and Larry Fernandez, LCSW, MSW. Group therapy can be an effective and impactful therapeutic intervention for consumers of community mental health services, providing a space for processing, peer support, and social skills practice. This training will explore both the practicalities of starting and maintaining a group within a community mental health setting, as well as specific evidence-based interventions and modalities that can be used to ensure a group remains helpful and supportive to participants. This training is tailored for community mental health providers working in field-based settings in Los Angeles County.

Presented by Danielle Cameron, ACSW, MSW and Chelsea Simms, LCSW, MSW. Group therapy can be an effective and impactful therapeutic intervention for consumers of community mental health services, providing a space for processing, peer support, and social skills practice. This training will explore both the practicalities of starting and maintaining a group within a community mental health setting, as well as specific evidence-based interventions and modalities that can be used to ensure a group remains helpful and supportive to participants. This training is tailored for community mental health providers working in field-based settings in Los Angeles County.

Presented by Paul Brodwin, PhD. In this session, participants will review the recurring ethical issues faced by case managers who work with people with severe mental illness, learn the definitions of "ethical dilemma" and "moral distress," and how to distinguish between them in practice, and lastly, through interactive case studies, gain experience in recognizing and resolving ethical concerns about boundaries, equity, and the gap between personal ideals and workplace realities.

Presented by Julie Cohen, LMFT and Danielle Farmer MSEd, LCSW. This training will provide Full Service Partnership (FSP) team members with a foundational understanding of assertive engagement principles and strategies when working with parents and caregivers. Participants will learn the core concepts of assertive engagement, including active listening, empathy, and effective communication techniques. The training will focus on building rapport, establishing trust, and collaborating with parents and caregivers to support their child's progress and wellbeing within the FSP program. By the end of the training, participants will have gained essential knowledge and skills to begin implementing assertive engagement strategies in their interactions with parents and caregivers.

Presented by Stacy D. Goldsholl, MA. This training will give field-based mental health service providers an overview of the prevalence of smoking among persons living with serious mental illness (SMI), and review its implications on health. Stacy D. Goldsholl will review the effectiveness of evidence-based practices for smoking cessation for persons with SMI. Goldsholl will also discuss how providers can assess an individual’s smoking status and their willingness to quit. She will do this by providing information on behavioral counseling for individuals who are interested in quitting through a motivational interviewing approach, and offering guidance on how to choose an approach to help someone quit smoking. She will then recommend adaptations for individuals who have cognitive deficits. Additionally, Goldsholl will review smoking cessation pharmacotherapy options, their safety and efficacy for individuals with SMI, and recommendations on treatment duration. She will also discuss treatment recommendations for individuals who are not interested in quitting smoking, and provide treatment options for active smokers.

Presented by Emily C. Dossett, MD, MTS. Pregnancy and postpartum can be joyful, but they can also be full of stress, physical changes, and worsened psychiatric symptoms for people with serious mental illness (SMI). At the same time, reproductive needs in the SMI population have historically been overlooked or ignored. This training will discuss how the perinatal period affects psychiatric symptoms and how providers can address these changes. We will also use a reproductive justice lens to think about pre-pregnancy psychiatric consultation as well as family planning for people with SMI. The target audience for this training is field-based intensive mental health services providers who work with individuals impacted by severe mental health disorders.

Presented by Chelsea Simms, LCSW, MSW. Outreach and Engagement (O&E) is a key phase of treatment across Full Service Partnership (FSP) and Homeless Outreach Mobile Engagement (HOME) teams within Los Angeles County. During this time, it is crucial to begin building a solid therapeutic relationship with clients. We will discuss techniques to reinforce this relationship, including shared decision making and other collaborative strategies. This training will also facilitate a space for reflection on engagement practices from both a clinical and practical lens. Utilizing evidence-based practices from trauma informed care to motivational interviewing, this brief training aims to strengthen providers' skillsets overall. Time will be taken to engage in dialogue and role play for the unique challenges that O&E can present providers and the teams they work within across multiple systems of care.

Presented by Chelsea Simms, LCSW, MSW and Larry Fernandez, LCSW, MSW. Mental illness and co-occurring disorders can influence the length of time in establishing a trusting therapeutic relationship. Assertive engagement involves the use of interpersonal skills and inventiveness to engage clients and interest them in subsequent care. It entails taking multidisciplinary services directly to the people in encampments, streets, sidewalks, alleyways, schools, and other public spaces, followed by the provision of ongoing support. This training will cover assertive engagement strategies that are most helpful with adult clients with mental illnesses that may include co-occurring substance use disorders. Strategies will include evidence-informed modalities (motivational interviewing, harm reduction, strengths-based), informal/creative approaches, as well as opportunities for learners to apply these strategies using case vignettes. The intended audience for this training is field-based community mental health providers and outreach workers.

Presented by Sam Tsemberis, PhD and Ana Stefancic, PhD. This training will describe the concept of program fidelity, how the principles and practices of Full Service Partnership (FSP) programs are operationalized to measure FSP model fidelity, and how to use fidelity assessments as part of quality improvement. We use narratives and vignettes to illustrate how to apply FSP fidelity principles and practices in real-world programs to enhance service delivery for individuals experiencing mental illness as well as homelessness, substance use, and/or physical health challenges.

Presented by Chelsea Simms, LCSW, MSW. This training discusses the concepts of uncertainty, rumination, and self-care. The presenter discusses how uncertainty and rumination contribute to an increase in anxiety and stress.

This training serves as a follow-up to the previous training, Working with Justice-Involved Clients: Part 1, which took place on May 17, 2023. This training will more closely examine how the justice system interacts with individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). Participants will review statistics regarding individuals with SMI in the justice system and the best practices for discussing mental health in the courtroom setting. This training will highlight important practice points for clinicians, such as strategies for coordinating and advocating on behalf of clients in the justice system, as well as ethical considerations. Recorded on June 7, 2023.

This is an overview of the criminal justice system, including alternatives to incarceration for clients with serious mental illness (SMI), and a discussion of the roles and responsibilities of the clinician while working with clients. The training will include information related to the Los Angeles County jail and court systems, practice points related to working with clients with SMI, navigating the case and the courtroom, and discussion of some of the related ethical considerations and the impact on the clinician's work. This training is tailored for community mental health providers working in field-based settings in Los Angeles County. Recorded on May 17, 2023.

Presented by Shayan Rab, MD. This presentation will outline key principles in field-based psychiatric services through a model developed by the HOME Team. Psychiatrists will learn how to adapt traditional psychiatric services for service delivery in the field and gain a better understanding of the DMH innovations available to support field-based psychiatry. The presentation will outline how to utilize a team-based approach in supporting community reintegration and the role of a psychiatrist in critical psychosocial interventions, including housing support. Internal and external DMH clinical resources will also be shared to enhance collaboration and care-coordination efforts. This training is tailored for community mental health providers working in field-based settings in Los Angeles County.

Presented by Elizabeth Mackey, LMSW and Chelsea Simms, LCSW, MSW. This training focuses on expanding the practice, knowledge, and skills of social workers, case managers, peers, psychologists, and psychiatrists who work in Full Service Partnership (FSP) programs in Los Angeles County. The training builds on the prior FSP Training Collaborative series topics (recovery-oriented and trauma informed care) to provide education on harm reduction principles and practice.

• Part 3: Focuses on harm reduction’s practical application. Topics will include safer substance use strategies and resources, overdose prevention, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and COVID-19 considerations.

Presented by Elizabeth Mackey, LMSW and Chelsea Simms, LCSW, MSW. This training focuses on expanding the practice, knowledge, and skills of social workers, case managers, peers, psychologists, and psychiatrists who work in Full Service Partnership (FSP) programs in Los Angeles County. The training builds on the prior FSP Training Collaborative series topics (recovery-oriented and trauma informed care) to provide education on harm reduction principles and practice.

• Part 2: Begins with a review of the stages of change model and motivational interviewing (MI) as critical for continued engagement and goal setting with clients around substance use. 

Presented by Elizabeth Mackey, LMSW and Chelsea Simms, LCSW, MSW. This training focuses on expanding the practice, knowledge, and skills of social workers, case managers, peers, psychologists, and psychiatrists who work in Full Service Partnership (FSP) programs in Los Angeles County. The training builds on the prior FSP Training Collaborative series topics (recovery-oriented and trauma informed care) to provide education on harm reduction principles and practice.

• Part 1: Defines harm reduction and describes its historical, cultural, and political context in the HIV/AIDS crisis and the evolution of the criminalization of drugs in the United States, with a particular emphasis on the War on Drugs’ role in exacerbating systemic racism and stigma. 

Effective care coordination is essential for supporting positive outcomes in clients with complex medical and mental health needs. This is especially true for child and adolescent clients involved with multiple agencies or systems. This training will examine the best practices for engaging in professional collaboration on behalf of youth clients. Participants will explore theoretical approaches to care coordination and case management activities, review the various systems with which youth clients may be involved (e.g., schools, the juvenile justice system, DCFS, etc.), discuss care coordination techniques to use within these systems, and finally, troubleshoot barriers to successful collaboration. Staff of all roles on mental health or outreach teams that engage in any case management or therapeutic activities with youth clients are encouraged to listen.

Presented by Danielle Farmer, MSEd, LCSW. WARNING: This video contains discussions about suicide and may be triggering for some individuals. Numerous studies have highlighted a concerning surge in the mental health challenges facing youth in recent years. As part of this growing concern, rates of suicide risk and completed suicides in children and adolescents have also increased. As of 2020, suicide was the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-14 and the third leading cause of death for youth ages 15-24 (CDC, 2020). It is vital that providers working with children and adolescents are equipped with tools for assessing and preventing suicide. In this 2-hour training, participants will learn the current scope of youth suicide in the United States through statistical analysis. Participants will learn tools for identifying warning signs and risk factors for suicidal ideation. Participants will be introduced to multiple age-appropriate tools for assessing suicide risk and ways to leverage protective factors and preventative interventions. Finally, participants will learn de-escalation strategies to minimize traumatic stress while conducting risk assessments. This training is open to all providers and clinicians who work with youth of all age groups.

Presented by Chelsea Simms, LCSW, MSW. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy’s utilization for treatment of psychosis is becoming more integrated into mental health care. This training will focus on symptomatology associated with the experience of psychosis, interventions that emphasize the core practices of CBT, and also third wave CBT techniques for those with severe and persistent mental illness.

This is a bi-monthly info session on Naloxone (Narcan), an opiate overdose reversal medication that can be used by providers and laypersons to intervene on opiate overdose. Each session will cover what Naloxone is, how it works, general opiate information, how to administer, where to access training and supply, as well as addressing misinformation and overdose prevention strategies from a harm reduction approach. These sessions are intended for field-based mental health providers working in Los Angeles County, particularly FSP.

Presented by Maggie Mullen, LCSW. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) has often been utilized to help those who struggle with intense experiences of emotion dysregulation. Yet, when one thinks of psychosis, an experience that can greatly disrupt a person’s ability to engage in emotional regulation, DBT is not commonly thought of as a therapeutic intervention. By examining the four modules of DBT (distress tolerance, emotional regulation, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness), we will learn why DBT-informed concepts and principles can benefit clients with Psychotic Spectrum Disorders and how to apply these concepts and principles in practice. There will be an emphasis on skill-building interventions derived from DBT, rather than a strict adherence to DBT treatment protocol that is customary for DBT programs. This interactive two-part presentation will introduce participants to DBT skills adapted for psychotic experiences through discussion, case examples, and practical tools. Recorded on October 28, 2022.

Presented by Maggie Mullen, LCSW. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) has often been utilized to help those who struggle with intense experiences of emotion dysregulation. Yet, when one thinks of psychosis, an experience that can greatly disrupt a person’s ability to engage in emotional regulation, DBT is not commonly thought of as a therapeutic intervention. By examining the four modules of DBT (distress tolerance, emotional regulation, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness), we will learn why DBT-informed concepts and principles can benefit clients with Psychotic Spectrum Disorders and how to apply these concepts and principles in practice. There will be an emphasis on skill-building interventions derived from DBT, rather than a strict adherence to DBT treatment protocol that is customary for DBT programs. This interactive two-part presentation will introduce participants to DBT skills adapted for psychotic experiences through discussion, case examples, and practical tools. Recorded on October 27, 2022.

“Too Close or Too Far: Setting Best Boundaries with Clients” will be provided over four days in 2-hour segments via distance learning due to the COVID-19 context. This training focuses on expanding the practice, knowledge, and skill of outreach workers, social workers, case managers, peers, and psychologists who work in Homeless Outreach services in Los Angeles County. The format of each day will include 1 hour of didactic training on concepts, theory, and research related to interpersonal boundaries in client-outreach worker relationships followed by 1 hour of vignette-based activities and facilitated discussion.

The didactic portion will begin with an overview of key terms related to interpersonal closeness in therapeutic work including boundaries, boundary clarification, boundary-setting, transference, counter-transference, empathy, and autonomy, with an emphasis on building self-reflection skills around these concepts. The trainers will explore with participants how to recognize when boundary clarification is needed, as well as consider implications of client-provider power dynamics, culture, and professional background/training on their experience and management of boundaries with clients.

Additionally, this training will employ a trauma informed lens, to help providers best understand how past experiences may shape their clients’ approach to boundaries, as well as their own (Levenson. 2017). Participants will be taught to reflect on internal and interpersonal client experiences utilizing concepts such as the neglect-overprotect continuum and moral distress (Mänttäri-van der Kuip, 2019; Marsh & Kelley, 2018). Trainers will also guide participants in identifying personal values and characteristics that impact their experiences of setting boundaries with clients. Finally, provider wellbeing will be discussed, with a review of strategies to prevent burnout including radical acceptance and eliciting or providing quality supervision (Begic et al., 2019; Linehan, 2015).

The vignette-based activities and discussion will focus on four types of common boundary situations that can come up in work with unsheltered individuals: avoidance, over-identification, sexualized transference, and countertransference. Participants will be encouraged to apply concepts from didactic portion of each day’s training to the vignettes, including identifying boundary-setting skills for each scenario. Recorded on October 27, 2022.

“Too Close or Too Far: Setting Best Boundaries with Clients” will be provided over four days in 2-hour segments via distance learning due to the COVID-19 context. This training focuses on expanding the practice, knowledge, and skill of outreach workers, social workers, case managers, peers, and psychologists who work in Homeless Outreach services in Los Angeles County. The format of each day will include 1 hour of didactic training on concepts, theory, and research related to interpersonal boundaries in client-outreach worker relationships followed by 1 hour of vignette-based activities and facilitated discussion.

The didactic portion will begin with an overview of key terms related to interpersonal closeness in therapeutic work including boundaries, boundary clarification, boundary-setting, transference, counter-transference, empathy, and autonomy, with an emphasis on building self-reflection skills around these concepts. The trainers will explore with participants how to recognize when boundary clarification is needed, as well as consider implications of client-provider power dynamics, culture, and professional background/training on their experience and management of boundaries with clients.

Additionally, this training will employ a trauma informed lens, to help providers best understand how past experiences may shape their clients’ approach to boundaries, as well as their own (Levenson. 2017). Participants will be taught to reflect on internal and interpersonal client experiences utilizing concepts such as the neglect-overprotect continuum and moral distress (Mänttäri-van der Kuip, 2019; Marsh & Kelley, 2018). Trainers will also guide participants in identifying personal values and characteristics that impact their experiences of setting boundaries with clients. Finally, provider wellbeing will be discussed, with a review of strategies to prevent burnout including radical acceptance and eliciting or providing quality supervision (Begic et al., 2019; Linehan, 2015).

The vignette-based activities and discussion will focus on four types of common boundary situations that can come up in work with unsheltered individuals: avoidance, over-identification, sexualized transference, and countertransference. Participants will be encouraged to apply concepts from didactic portion of each day’s training to the vignettes, including identifying boundary-setting skills for each scenario. Recorded on October 13, 2022.

“Too Close or Too Far: Setting Best Boundaries with Clients” will be provided over four days in 2-hour segments via distance learning due to the COVID-19 context. This training focuses on expanding the practice, knowledge, and skill of outreach workers, social workers, case managers, peers, and psychologists who work in Homeless Outreach services in Los Angeles County. The format of each day will include 1 hour of didactic training on concepts, theory, and research related to interpersonal boundaries in client-outreach worker relationships followed by 1 hour of vignette-based activities and facilitated discussion.

The didactic portion will begin with an overview of key terms related to interpersonal closeness in therapeutic work including boundaries, boundary clarification, boundary-setting, transference, counter-transference, empathy, and autonomy, with an emphasis on building self-reflection skills around these concepts. The trainers will explore with participants how to recognize when boundary clarification is needed, as well as consider implications of client-provider power dynamics, culture, and professional background/training on their experience and management of boundaries with clients.

Additionally, this training will employ a trauma informed lens, to help providers best understand how past experiences may shape their clients’ approach to boundaries, as well as their own (Levenson. 2017). Participants will be taught to reflect on internal and interpersonal client experiences utilizing concepts such as the neglect-overprotect continuum and moral distress (Mänttäri-van der Kuip, 2019; Marsh & Kelley, 2018). Trainers will also guide participants in identifying personal values and characteristics that impact their experiences of setting boundaries with clients. Finally, provider wellbeing will be discussed, with a review of strategies to prevent burnout including radical acceptance and eliciting or providing quality supervision (Begic et al., 2019; Linehan, 2015).

The vignette-based activities and discussion will focus on four types of common boundary situations that can come up in work with unsheltered individuals: avoidance, over-identification, sexualized transference, and countertransference. Participants will be encouraged to apply concepts from didactic portion of each day’s training to the vignettes, including identifying boundary-setting skills for each scenario. Recorded on September 29, 2022.

“Too Close or Too Far: Setting Best Boundaries with Clients” will be provided over four days in 2-hour segments via distance learning due to the COVID-19 context. This training focuses on expanding the practice, knowledge, and skill of outreach workers, social workers, case managers, peers, and psychologists who work in Homeless Outreach services in Los Angeles County. The format of each day will include 1 hour of didactic training on concepts, theory, and research related to interpersonal boundaries in client-outreach worker relationships followed by 1 hour of vignette-based activities and facilitated discussion.

The didactic portion will begin with an overview of key terms related to interpersonal closeness in therapeutic work including boundaries, boundary clarification, boundary-setting, transference, counter-transference, empathy, and autonomy, with an emphasis on building self-reflection skills around these concepts. The trainers will explore with participants how to recognize when boundary clarification is needed, as well as consider implications of client-provider power dynamics, culture, and professional background/training on their experience and management of boundaries with clients.

Additionally, this training will employ a trauma informed lens, to help providers best understand how past experiences may shape their clients’ approach to boundaries, as well as their own (Levenson. 2017). Participants will be taught to reflect on internal and interpersonal client experiences utilizing concepts such as the neglect-overprotect continuum and moral distress (Mänttäri-van der Kuip, 2019; Marsh & Kelley, 2018). Trainers will also guide participants in identifying personal values and characteristics that impact their experiences of setting boundaries with clients. Finally, provider wellbeing will be discussed, with a review of strategies to prevent burnout including radical acceptance and eliciting or providing quality supervision (Begic et al., 2019; Linehan, 2015).

The vignette-based activities and discussion will focus on four types of common boundary situations that can come up in work with unsheltered individuals: avoidance, over-identification, sexualized transference, and countertransference. Participants will be encouraged to apply concepts from didactic portion of each day’s training to the vignettes, including identifying boundary-setting skills for each scenario. Recorded on September 15, 2022.

Presented by Danielle Cameron, ACSW, MSW. Problem-Solving Therapy (PST) is a flexible and adaptable approach to assist individuals in coping with a wide-range of problems. There is increasing evidence to demonstrate its effectiveness for a variety of populations and settings. This course will provide participants with an overview of the evidence and then focus on how it is delivered to service recipients in the Full Service Partnership (FSP) programs across LA County. The training will walk through the treatment strategy to include assessment, application of PST, psycho-education, use of PST Toolkits, and tips for adaptation. The training will provide participants with opportunities to apply PST through the use of clinical vignettes and problem-solving scenarios. The focus is on practical tools that practitioners can use in the field with those who struggle to solve simple and complex problems. The tools discussed and provided can be used as part of a larger PST structured treatment plan or on an as-needed basis. Participants can expect to understand the core tenets of PST and be able to apply PST skills upon completion of the training. Part 2 of 2.

Presented by Danielle Cameron, ACSW, MSW. Problem-Solving Therapy (PST) is a flexible and adaptable approach to assist individuals in coping with a wide-range of problems. There is increasing evidence to demonstrate its effectiveness for a variety of populations and settings. This course will provide participants with an overview of the evidence and then focus on how it is delivered to service recipients in the Full Service Partnership (FSP) programs across LA County. The training will walk through the treatment strategy to include assessment, application of PST, psycho-education, use of PST Toolkits, and tips for adaptation. The training will provide participants with opportunities to apply PST through the use of clinical vignettes and problem-solving scenarios. The focus is on practical tools that practitioners can use in the field with those who struggle to solve simple and complex problems. The tools discussed and provided can be used as part of a larger PST structured treatment plan or on an as-needed basis. Participants can expect to understand the core tenets of PST and be able to apply PST skills upon completion of the training. Part 1 of 2.

Presented by Scott Fairhurst, PhD. Client escalation can put the safety of clients who are agitated and others around them at risk of harm and lead to both short- and long-term consequences. This training is designed for participants to learn about the phenomenon of escalation and to learn strategies for prevention, intervention, and resolving conflict. This training will address the cognitions, emotions, and actions of clients who are escalating and the cognitions of intervening professionals, particularly around the assessing of dangerousness. We will look at diversity issues and how these may contribute to escalation. Prevention strategies will be covered. Skill-building will be demonstrated using case examples and case conceptualization to facilitate conflict resolution. This training will address intervention strategies to de-escalate clients as well as techniques to address others who may have become escalated, including other professionals. Finally, we will practice an intervention to address mitigating the risk of ongoing resentment within the client’s support system.

This training will provide an overview of what culturally competent care is and how to promote it in practice. Participants will understand the need for and aspects of culturally competent care. The presenter will review the assessment and application of culturally competent care as well as working with language interpreters.

In this training attendees will learn about the ways in which they strengthen and ways in which they hinder productive communication. Attendees will learn about how their feelings and their identity influence how they communicate. Lastly, we will review communication strategies that will help attendees communicate clearly and effectively while also learning how to be a good listener.

As a follow up to Recovery Oriented Transitions from FSP, this training will utilize principles rooted in Critical Time Intervention (CTI), an evidence-based practice that supports vulnerable populations through challenging times of transition. Participants can expect to learn about the CTI model and develop skills to help clients transition out of intensive clinical programs like FSP. Through case scenarios and discussion, participants will be led in engagement opportunities and activities rooted in CTI to proactively evaluate and plan for client success after FSP.

This training includes a panel that will enhance providers’ understanding of South Asian clients in order to better serve their unique needs. Topics of discussion will include an overview of the South Asian population, family structure, and cultural perspectives that impact mental health treatment. Barriers and stigma regarding mental health care will also be discussed. Participants will be able to understand cultural sensitivity in relation to South Asian clients’ mental health needs. This panel will also focus on South Asian immigration to the United States and its impact on immigrant’s mental health and wellbeing. In addition, this panel will detail how acculturation and its barriers, causes, and levels impacts clients mental health overall.

This training focuses on how clients transition out of intensive clinical programs like FSP. It examines the layered issues underlying transitions out of intensive programs, from a graduation when a client’s goals have been achieved to a disengagement in which a client may have an ambivalent separation from the program. It will review the scientific literature on transitions from Assertive Community Treatment and Intensive Case Management programs, discuss strategies for decision-making about transitions, and identify what is known and unknown about transitions. Then the training will review a best practice approach – a so-called Mock Discharge -- for exploring transition as a team and for an individual client. The aim of the training is to prepare clinicians to use a high-quality strategy for transitioning clients to a lower level of care when this is clinically appropriate.

This training will provide an overview of the common experiences felt during grief and loss. What is often referred to as the “stages” of grief will be discussed, as well as research on the “stages” of grief. Various grief trajectories will be presented, including those more likely to be associated with a healthier progression versus those associated with complications in the grieving process. Discussion will emphasize grief and loss during the COVID pandemic, as well as among persons experiencing homelessness. The presentation will highlight “common” reactions to loss, reactions which are more consistent with complicated or unresolved grief, and grieving rituals specific to various ethnic and religious cultures. Approaches to grief therapy will be presented, including those from J. William Worden and Robert Neimeyer, amongst others. Techniques on working with clients’ emotional reactions such as “numbing,” intractable grief, and feeling intensely overwhelmed by loss will also be examined. Helping professionals through vicarious grief will also be addressed. Part 3. 

This training will provide an overview of the common experiences felt during grief and loss. What is often referred to as the “stages” of grief will be discussed, as well as research on the “stages” of grief. Various grief trajectories will be presented, including those more likely to be associated with a healthier progression versus those associated with complications in the grieving process. Discussion will emphasize grief and loss during the COVID pandemic, as well as among persons experiencing homelessness. The presentation will highlight “common” reactions to loss, reactions which are more consistent with complicated or unresolved grief, and grieving rituals specific to various ethnic and religious cultures. Approaches to grief therapy will be presented, including those from J. William Worden and Robert Neimeyer, amongst others. Techniques on working with clients’ emotional reactions such as “numbing,” intractable grief, and feeling intensely overwhelmed by loss will also be examined. Helping professionals through vicarious grief will also be addressed. Part 2. 

This training will provide an overview of the common experiences felt during grief and loss. What is often referred to as the “stages” of grief will be discussed, as well as research on the “stages” of grief. Various grief trajectories will be presented, including those more likely to be associated with a healthier progression versus those associated with complications in the grieving process. Discussion will emphasize grief and loss during the COVID pandemic, as well as among persons experiencing homelessness. The presentation will highlight “common” reactions to loss, reactions which are more consistent with complicated or unresolved grief, and grieving rituals specific to various ethnic and religious cultures. Approaches to grief therapy will be presented, including those from J. William Worden and Robert Neimeyer, amongst others. Techniques on working with clients’ emotional reactions such as “numbing,” intractable grief, and feeling intensely overwhelmed by loss will also be examined. Helping professionals through vicarious grief will also be addressed. Part 1.

Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a psychotherapy modality that can be used to both support meaningful growth in clients as well as to enhance provider wellbeing and reduce symptoms of burnout.

ACT, like its predecessor Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), takes into account the relationship between thoughts (cognition) and behaviors. ACT differs from traditional CBT in its approach to coping with challenging thoughts and activating preferred behaviors by its focus on values, mindfulness, and acceptance.

The goal of ACT is to increase “psychological flexibility” using six specific core processes: contact with the present moment, values, committed action, self-as-context, defusion, and acceptance. This training will include an introductory overview of the ACT model (including core processes), opportunities for experiential learning, and resources for additional education.

The target audience for this training are field-based intensive mental health services providers who work with individuals impacted by severe mental health disorders.

Human Trafficking can be described as the unlawful act of transporting or coercing people in order to benefit from their work or service, typically in the form of forced labor or sexual exploitation. This panel will be emphasizing the experiences of human trafficking within the AAPI community. The impact of these unconscionable acts of servitude on one’s mental health will be a key framework for this panel, especially in regards to the long-term effects of trauma. Ways to be culturally responsive and informed when working with AAPI clients that have experienced human trafficking will be highlighted as well. As such, there will be discussion of sensitive subjects and experiences related to human trafficking, which may resonate on a personal level to some attendees. Please take note and take care of yourself accordingly.

Behavioral tailoring is a cognitive-behavioral, recovery-oriented set of strategies that helps individuals with mental illnesses, substance use disorders, and co-occurring disorders meet personal goals. While it’s widely used to enhance recovery for medication management, behavioral tailoring can be used for so much more! Join us as we explore the wide array of uses for behavioral tailoring and develop skills to use this strategy effectively. With behavioral tailoring's focus on developing a routing and modifying of one’s environment to promote and support change, it is a particularly helpful in supporting recovery progress and maintenance.

We all need skills to effectively navigate and manage life’s challenges. When we don’t have effective coping skills, however, we can feel overwhelmed, anxious, dysregulated, and stressed. Behavioral rehearsal strategies are incredibly effective in supporting a person as they develop new coping skills to help manage stress and stressful situations. When we go beyond simply discussing new skills to practicing them, we are setting clients up for success by teaching them how to use the tools in their lives. During this workshop, we highlight the importance of skills training, explore how to engage clients in skills rehearsal, review the steps of effective skills practice and develop strategies to individualize rehearsal practice to suit the unique needs of each client.

This presentation will outline the basics of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), an evidence-based psychotherapy for emotion dysregulation that helps people become more mindful as they simultaneously work on improving interpersonal relationships, tolerating distress, and regulating intense emotions. This presentation will introduce you to practical applications of DBT through discussion, vignettes, video clips, and opportunities to practice. The intended audience is clinicians working with individuals with severe mental illness including those on FSP or other multidisciplinary teams in Los Angeles County.

This presentation will outline the basics of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), an evidence-based psychotherapy for emotion dysregulation that helps people become more mindful as they simultaneously work on improving interpersonal relationships, tolerating distress, and regulating intense emotions. This presentation will introduce you to practical applications of DBT through discussion, vignettes, video clips, and opportunities to practice. The intended audience is clinicians working with individuals with severe mental illness including those on FSP or other multidisciplinary teams in Los Angeles County.

Stigma and cultural practices in Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities play a significant role in help seeking behavior in the face of mental health crises. This training will help mental health providers better recognize the various factors that may give rise to the challenges in crisis intervention work, with consideration to some of the complexities between age, inter-generational differences, and ethnic groups. Providers will be able to identify and share resources and practices that may better serve the needs of AAPI clients and families, while reflecting on the impact of crises on both the client and the provider.

This training draws from anthropological theory and methods to inform a recovery-oriented approach for clients experiencing homelessness. We define important aspects of moral agency (e.g., autobiographical power, peopled opportunities, social bases of self-respect) that matter for both homeless outreach specialists and for the clients they serve. Using ethnographic data, this training discusses how moral agency is built and practiced in different contexts. Focusing on 4 different contexts of homeless engagement across North America (i.e., Los Angeles, Bay Area, Montreal, Houston), this presentation shows how different homeless service providers set different expectations for clients to prove themselves “worthy” of care. For each context, we show how people become moral agents and how important moral agency can be for building recovery and transformation. By recognizing how moral agency is defined and practiced in various settings, this training will help homeless outreach specialists and other service providers reflect on the moral aspects of their work, the importance of building agency and community, and how outreach practices can enact a person-centered model of care.

This panel is designed especially for LA County providers working with individuals experiencing (or at risk for) homelessness and experiencing mental illness. Care coordination requires a level of understanding of community partners, navigation amongst multiple systems, and persistence for client care needs. Our experts, Dr. Trang Hoang, Dr. Glenn Masuda, and Yvonne Sun, LCSW, will be taking Q&A and facilitating discussion regarding the nuances for care coordination across diverse populations and the varying considerations and community resources to incorporate for AAPI clients.

This two-part training will help generate an understanding of why the housing landscape in Los Angeles looks the way it does while offering up strategies that providers can use to navigate it. Day 1 will examine the histories and policies that have shaped LA’s housing supply and will outline where we are going in the future. It will also help providers identify what housing is currently available, including tips on how to locate appropriate options for clients who are unhoused or have unstable housing. Day 2 will dive deeper into clinical tactics relevant to keeping clients housed and safe by focusing on specific types of housing (e.g., motels, sober living, board and cares, supportive housing, and in independent or family situations) and the relevant considerations and strategies that can be used in each. The training will end with a brief primer on tenant protections and will supply legal resources you or your clients can use, if ever necessary. Recording updated on January 26, 2023.