Archived Webinars

Jamie Sellar MA, LPC presented on the relationship between Law Enforcement and Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams. He reviewed what makes strong and weak relationships. He identified the needs and culture of Law Enforcement in crisis intervention and reviewed ways to enhance current and future relationships. Mr. Sellar led session attendees in a collaborative discussion about the elements of successful Law Enforcement / Behavioral Health co-response in the field.

Jamie Sellar MA, LPC presented on the role of strong Policies and Procedures in Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams. He discussed what Policies and Procedures absolutely need to be included as well as the risks on not having strong operational plans. Following the brief presentation, Mr. Sellar led session attendees in a collaborative discussion about the elements of successful Policies and Procedures and answered questions related to Policies and Procedures development from the audience.

Jamie Sellar MA, LPC presented on how the elements of a successful Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT) intervention. Jamie reviewed the roles of Triage, Assessment, De-Escalation, Support, Crisis Planning and Care Coordination. Following the brief presentation, Mr. Sellar led session attendees in a collaborative discussion about the elements of successful intervention, how to improve the chances of a successful intervention, and how to manage staff to focus on these elements.

Participants in this virtual series identified systemic challenges youth with foster care experience face—such as aging out of the foster care system and the increased risk of crossover into the juvenile justice system—and explored best practices for addressing such challenges. They also developed concrete strategies for facilitating access to resources in the crisis care continuum.

Jamie Sellar MA, LPC highlighted the basic training components needed for the success of Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams (MCOT) in community service today. General crisis training was highlighted as well as MCOT specific training. Following the brief presentation, Mr. Sellar led session attendees in a collaborative discussion about training related issues to support those at the local and county-level across California to strengthen current training programs or create new training programs.

Jamie Sellar MA, LPC reviewed SAMSHA’s National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care (2020) in relation to Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT) metrics. He reviewed how to establish benchmarks for new programs as well as how to stretch current benchmarks to better meet community needs. As a writer for the guidelines, Jamie can help understand what your data means and how to improve outcomes. Following the brief presentation, Mr. Sellar led session attendees in a collaborative discussion about factors related to implementing moving the dial on MCOT outcomes at the local, county-level across California.

Jamie Sellar MA, LPC explained the staffing model for mobile Crisis Outreach Teams within SAMSHA’s National Standards. He explained the reasoning behind the recommendations and addressed ways to overcome some of the challenges in staffing these times in an era of workforce shortages nationally. Jamie identified ways to strengthen your current teams and support future expansion. Following the brief presentation, Mr. Sellar led session attendees in a collaborative discussion about factors related to staffing mobile teams at the local, county-level across California.

Jamie Sellar MA, LPC identified elements of SAMSHA’s National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care (2020) in relation to Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams. He reviewed what it takes to have full fidelity to this model. As a writer for the guidelines, Jamie can help illuminate on the history of the model and the reasoning behind the recommendations. Following the brief presentation, Mr. Sellar led session attendees in a collaborative discussion about factors related to implementing the Guidelines at the local, county-level across California.

This series built progressive implementation knowledge and action, bringing together faith communities and behavioral health county departments in response to behavioral health crisis care needs (e.g., suicide, overdose, domestic violence, psychiatric crisis). Success is measured by equitable, cost-saving, and life-saving outcomes.

The California Multi-County Justice Diversion Learning Collaborative series, hosted by the Crisis and Recovery Enhancement (CARE) Technical Assistance Center engaged participants in progressive knowledge development regarding diversion program implementation and evaluation. Sessions consisted of didactic presentations from subject-matter experts and collaborative cross-county sharing. Participants identified cross-cutting issues in justice diversion and strategized ways to reduce costs and reliance on justice systems as de facto behavioral health providers.

This series built progressive implementation knowledge and action, bringing together county behavioral health directors and managers to share best practices, challenges, and opportunities. Participants identified a focus area where systems improvement is needed within their county and action steps toward equitable, cost-saving, and life-saving outcomes.

Continuing the conversation from Part 1 of this series, resource families will share their perspectives on accessing crisis care services and discuss ways that the crisis care continuum can be more culturally responsive to families, especially those who are BIPOC. This includes a discussion on specific services and supports that have been helpful as well as approaches to improving safety plans.

Part one of a two-part series, this session focused on the three-legged stool of reentry and justice diversion: strengthening the role of communities, systems, and individuals. Each one plays a critical role and all must work together for successful reentry to be possible. Speakers discussed identifying, engaging, and supporting justice-involved individuals across a broad spectrum of needs, challenges, and opportunities, including crisis continuum services. Our speakers brought their own lived experience of the criminal justice system to share strategies and approaches to understanding the needs, providing support, and assisting the returning citizen.

This session discusses the significance of self-care, levels of functioning, and the meaning of “effective helpers” in the mental health field. We provide tips on how to prevent compassion fatigue and build resiliency by using self-care as a tool.

Meet the Trainers

Ragini Lal is a dedicated, compassionate, solution-driven mental health advocate and humanitarian for underserved populations. She is currently the Community Engagement Manager at NAMI California, with experience in qualitative and quantitative research, cultural competency and responsiveness trainings, family and peer support trainings, report writing, and executing mental health equity and advocacy through large events. She received a Bachelor’s in Psychology at California State University, Sacramento, and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Mental Health Clinical Counseling – Marriage, Family, and Children program to obtain a License in Professional Clinical Counseling (LPC- CA). Ragini is certified in Mental Health First Aid for Youth and Adults, Psychological First Aid, Cultural and Linguistic Competence Certification, and Peer & Family Support Specialist. Formerly a Behavior Health Therapist at Genesis Behavior Center and Peer Counselor at California State University, Sacramento, Ragini has direct clinical experience with diverse communities, families, and children with various mental health conditions. Ragini was also a Crisis Peer Counselor at California Coalition for Youth, specifically working with peer youth and family members in need of immediate crisis counseling. Her long-term goal is to earn a PhD in Clinical Psychology, specializing in holistic healing to provide whole health care for diverse populations world-wide. Her work’s devotion is to empower others to believe in their personal strengths in an all-inclusive clinical healing journey—moreover, to increase systemic changes for more sustainable access to care through education and social advocacy.

Angela Brand is the Vice President of Strategic Engagement at NAMI California. She has extensive experience in mental health programming focused on community engagement, advocacy, and training, having worked in both public and private sectors with consumers and family members. Prior to joining NAMI California, she worked for the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission and United Advocates for Children and Families. She is passionate about peer- and family-led system transformation and the inclusion of individuals in all aspects and levels of decision making. Her areas of special interest include advocacy, family and peer support, youth mental health and leadership development, prevention, early intervention, and education. Her work is driven by a passion to develop systems that improve access to care through community-based and recovery-focused programs that are reflective of and responsive to the needs of diverse populations. Ms. Brand holds a degree in Sociology from Arizona State University.

This session will cover the general code of ethics for mental health professionals, HIPAA rights, and the importance of medical records and mandated reporting. We will discuss in depth of the general professional ethics and boundaries as well as provide information of the laws for protection of both the professionals and clients.

Meet the Trainers

Ragini Lal is a dedicated, compassionate, solution-driven mental health advocate and humanitarian for underserved populations. She is currently the Community Engagement Manager at NAMI California, with experience in qualitative and quantitative research, cultural competency and responsiveness trainings, family and peer support trainings, report writing, and executing mental health equity and advocacy through large events. She received a Bachelor’s in Psychology at California State University, Sacramento, and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Mental Health Clinical Counseling – Marriage, Family, and Children program to obtain a License in Professional Clinical Counseling (LPC- CA). Ragini is certified in Mental Health First Aid for Youth and Adults, Psychological First Aid, Cultural and Linguistic Competence Certification, and Peer & Family Support Specialist. Formerly a Behavior Health Therapist at Genesis Behavior Center and Peer Counselor at California State University, Sacramento, Ragini has direct clinical experience with diverse communities, families, and children with various mental health conditions. Ragini was also a Crisis Peer Counselor at California Coalition for Youth, specifically working with peer youth and family members in need of immediate crisis counseling. Her long-term goal is to earn a PhD in Clinical Psychology, specializing in holistic healing to provide whole health care for diverse populations world-wide. Her work’s devotion is to empower others to believe in their personal strengths in an all-inclusive clinical healing journey—moreover, to increase systemic changes for more sustainable access to care through education and social advocacy.

Angela Brand is the Vice President of Strategic Engagement at NAMI California. She has extensive experience in mental health programming focused on community engagement, advocacy, and training, having worked in both public and private sectors with consumers and family members. Prior to joining NAMI California, she worked for the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission and United Advocates for Children and Families. She is passionate about peer- and family-led system transformation and the inclusion of individuals in all aspects and levels of decision making. Her areas of special interest include advocacy, family and peer support, youth mental health and leadership development, prevention, early intervention, and education. Her work is driven by a passion to develop systems that improve access to care through community-based and recovery-focused programs that are reflective of and responsive to the needs of diverse populations. Ms. Brand holds a degree in Sociology from Arizona State University.

Join us for a three-session series about mobile crisis outreach teams (MCOT) with CARE TA Center partner RI International. Building on the first presentation regarding Mobile Crisis Units 101, which provided an overview of MCOT models, this second presentation will explore the ways to operationalize MCOT services. Audiences will learn the staffing models, training needs, and infrastructure necessary to deploy Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams utilizing SAMSHA’s National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care.

Meet the Presenter

Jamie Sellar, MA, LPC, is a behavioral health executive with 25 years of successful experience in running crisis programs in multiple states. These programs have included both inpatient, sub-acute, residential, mobile crisis outreach teams, hospital rapid response, and mental health urgent care centers. Currently, Jamie specializes in crisis system development and operational management. In his current role as Chief Strategy Officer at RI International, he consults both nationally and internationally on topics such as crisis system optimization, peer use in the workforce and program design. Jamie has a long history of training professionals and paraprofessionals on practical client engagement strategies. A licensed clinician, Jamie strongly believes that the rapport between caregivers and those in need is a primary driver of success in crisis work.

This training addressed key elements of family-centered practice and provided overarching strategies for family-centered casework practice across service systems that focus on strengths, engaging families and involving them in decision-making, advocating for improving families’ conditions, and engaging communities to support families. Strategies for creating a family-centered agency culture and crisis continuum of care were also addressed. Specific examples of crisis care include the Family Urgent Response System (FURS) and family-centered engagement practices for general mobile crisis units, peer respite programs, and other brief psychiatric stabilization units.

Many counties are preparing to establish Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT). Join us to learn about the experiences of existing AOT programs with a panel discussion among experienced California counties. Representatives from Orange County, Los Angeles County, Nevada County, and Ventura County will share their expertise with AOT program implementation, including their successes, barriers, and lessons learned. Following the panel presentation, panelists will answer questions from the audience.

The CARE TA Center provides training and technical assistance regarding the crisis continuum of care and justice diversion in California. With the rapid release of people following high rates of COVID-19 in incarcerated facilities, mental health needs and gaps in service are amplified by reduced mental health services due to social distancing, the recession, and elevated COVID-19 rates in communities of color and low-income communities. This webinar will provide real-time insight into the emerging needs across the state and highlight challenges and opportunities to improve the system of crisis continuum of care and justice diversion.

This webinar reviews the role of Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams (MCOT) in crisis care systems. The presentation covers multiple models being used throughout the United States, with a deeper dive into the model endorsed by SAMSHA’s National Behavioral Health Crisis Care Guidelines. Also covered is the importance of a street-level response to crisis care that diverts away from uniformed law enforcement officers as the caregiver of last resort. The intended audience for this presentation includes behavioral health administrators, emergency response workers, and front-line behavioral health workers, including social workers, psychologists, and peer specialists.

Meet the Presenter

Jamie Sellar, MA, LPC, is a behavioral health executive with 25 years of successful experience in running crisis programs in multiple states. These programs have included both inpatient, sub-acute, residential, mobile crisis outreach teams, hospital rapid response, and mental health urgent care centers. Currently, Jamie specializes in crisis system development and operational management. In his current role as Chief Strategy Officer at RI International, he consults both nationally and internationally on topics such as crisis system optimization, peer use in the workforce and program design. Jamie has a long history of training professionals and paraprofessionals on practical client engagement strategies. A licensed clinician, Jamie strongly believes that the rapport between caregivers and those in need is a primary driver of success in crisis work.

Join Dr. Heliana Ramirez to discuss how to work with clients to create safety plans that are culturally responsive, strengths-based, and accessible in a COVID-19 world of social distancing and sheltering-in-place orders.

Meet the Trainer

Heliana Ramirez, PhD, LISW, is a licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years of experience. Dr. Ramirez has addressed a variety of clinical issues through individual and group interventions including suicide prevention and postvention, Veteran post-deployment health, psychosocial rehabilitation, LGBTQ minority stress and resilience, trauma-informed care with combat Veterans and survivors of sexual assault, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C prevention, and substance abuse harm reduction efforts. Dr. Ramirez’s suicide prevention work with clients includes suicide assessments, developing Safety Plans, crisis intervention, and processing the impacts of suicide attempts through suicide post-ventions following hospitalization. Dr. Ramirez organized the nation’s first multi-state LGBT Veteran Suicide Prevention Conference and produced a documentary about trauma and recovery among LGBT Veterans that addresses suicide from a strengths based and culturally-specific perspective (www.camouflagecloset.com).

This training provides skill building in the evidence-based practice of Suicide Prevention Safety Planning in alignment with the MHSAOC’s Suicide Prevention Strategic plan for California, Striving for Zero: California’s Strategic Plan for Suicide Prevention 2020 to 2025.

Meet the Trainer

Heliana Ramirez, PhD, LISW, is a licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years of experience. Dr. Ramirez has addressed a variety of clinical issues through individual and group interventions including suicide prevention and postvention, Veteran post-deployment health, psychosocial rehabilitation, LGBTQ minority stress and resilience, trauma-informed care with combat Veterans and survivors of sexual assault, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C prevention, and substance abuse harm reduction efforts. Dr. Ramirez’s suicide prevention work with clients includes suicide assessments, developing Safety Plans, crisis intervention, and processing the impacts of suicide attempts through suicide post-ventions following hospitalization. Dr. Ramirez organized the nation’s first multi-state LGBT Veteran Suicide Prevention Conference and produced a documentary about trauma and recovery among LGBT Veterans that addresses suicide from a strengths based and culturally-specific perspective (www.camouflagecloset.com).

Seeking Safety is an evidence-based counseling model used to help individuals work through challenges related to trauma and/or substance use. Seeking Safety is a highly flexible model, and it can be used across several populations at any level of care. This presentation will provide an overview of the model’s key principles, interventions, and safe coping skills. All are welcome, and this event is geared in particular toward mental health providers and systems serving populations who are justice-involved, utilizing services across the crisis care continuum, or engaged in outpatient therapy programs.

Meet the Presenter

Gloria B. Osborne, LCSW, is a bilingual and bicultural Spanish-speaking mental health clinician with more than 10 years of experience providing direct care in both inpatient and outpatient mental health settings. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Spanish from Loyola Marymount University and earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California. She currently works as a Psychiatric Social Worker for Kaiser Permanente while also running a virtual private practice called Glow In Therapy. Before joining Kaiser and starting a private practice, she worked for many years in directly operated and County-contracted facilities within Los Angeles County. She is certified in a variety of evidenced based practices, including Seeking Safety, TF-CBT, MAP, IPT, CPP, and she has received national certification in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy from the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. Her professional interests include destigmatizing mental health care, working with the Latinx community, relationships, depression, anxiety, trauma, life transitions, and substance use recovery.

Mind Over Mood is an evidence-based cognitive therapy developed by Dennis Greenberger, Ph.D and Christine A. Padesky, Ph.D. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy illustrates how automatic thoughts lead to emotions which influences our behaviors. Unhelpful automatic thoughts followed by intense emotions can cause depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and other behavioral issues, which affects our daily functioning, relationships with others, and ability to reach our goals and values.

Essentially, different thoughts or interpretations of an event or situation can lead to different moods in the same situation. Since moods or emotions can be distressing and may lead to behavior with consequences (such as isolation, sleep issues, interpersonal problems, avoidance, substance misuse), it is important to identify what you are thinking and to check the accuracy of your thoughts before being reactive. Cognitive therapy provides the opportunity for clients to evaluate their thoughts and situation and develop balanced helpful thoughts and perspective.

Meet the Presenter

Elizabeth Delgadillo, LCSW, is a Senior Clinical Mental Health Social Worker at the Veterans Administration Palo Alto Health Care System in California. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from University of California at Santa Cruz and earned Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Columbia University in New York, New York. Before joining the Veterans Health Care System, she worked at Mount Sinai Hospital as a clinician, treating rescue and recovery workers from the World Trade Center attacks who experienced PTSD. Her professional interests include grief, trauma, life transitions, working with Latino/Latina veterans, women’s issues, and implementation of evidence-based treatments including Cognitive Processing Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Seeking Safety.

The skills of good listening and accurate empathy are paramount to Motivational Interviewing. In this webinar session, we will break into small groups to apply MI principles and techniques that strengthen our empathic counseling skills. We will discuss real-life scenarios as related to the fundamental client language cues (change talk and resistance) that allow for ongoing feedback and learning in practice.

Meet the Trainer

Christina Wade, LCSW is certified in Motivational Interviewing/Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MI/MET), with a clinical range of experience including justice-involvement, addiction, suicide prevention, crisis management, and homelessness. Christina earned her MSW from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006 while working concurrently as the Graduate Research Assistant for the Center for Social Work Research. She began her career at the University of California, San Diego, working as the Senior Clinical Social Worker for pre-release services in various California State Prisons. In 2010, she accepted a position working directly for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), specifically San Quentin State Prison. Christina worked a total of 6 years in the California Penal System. While employed at San Quentin, Christina earned her LCSW. In 2012, she transitioned to the Veterans Affairs (VA) Palo Alto Healthcare System as the forensic expert for Addiction Treatment Services, working with Veterans suffering from addiction, PTSD, and mood disorders. In 2014, she transitioned to supervising within emergency services at the University of California (UC) working out of San Francisco General Hospital. Christina left the UC to work as the East Bay Suicide Prevention Coordinator for VA Northern California Healthcare System, before taking on her current role as Sr. Program Analyst for the Rocky Mountain MIRECC for VA Suicide Prevention

All too often, providers struggle with approach when trying to engage clients around meaningful change. This can leave providers feeling frustrated and clients feeling invalidated. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based method of collaborative communication to facilitate meaningful behavior change. In this webinar session, we will review the fundamentals of MI and discuss its core values, strategies, and skills. We will learn how to use MI techniques with clients to enhance engagement, motivation, and action towards reaching targeted behavior goals or changes. Additionally, we will explore the use of MI as it relates to the crisis continuum, especially in the context of behavior de-escalation and suicide prevention.

Meet the Trainer

Christina Wade, LCSW is certified in Motivational Interviewing/Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MI/MET), with a clinical range of experience including justice-involvement, addiction, suicide prevention, crisis management, and homelessness. Christina earned her MSW from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006 while working concurrently as the Graduate Research Assistant for the Center for Social Work Research. She began her career at the University of California, San Diego, working as the Senior Clinical Social Worker for pre-release services in various California State Prisons. In 2010, she accepted a position working directly for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), specifically San Quentin State Prison. Christina worked a total of 6 years in the California Penal System. While employed at San Quentin, Christina earned her LCSW. In 2012, she transitioned to the Veterans Affairs (VA) Palo Alto Healthcare System as the forensic expert for Addiction Treatment Services, working with Veterans suffering from addiction, PTSD, and mood disorders. In 2014, she transitioned to supervising within emergency services at the University of California (UC) working out of San Francisco General Hospital. Christina left the UC to work as the East Bay Suicide Prevention Coordinator for VA Northern California Healthcare System, before taking on her current role as Sr. Program Analyst for the Rocky Mountain MIRECC for VA Suicide Prevention