Events and Opportunities

What you will find on this Page...

  • Training Opportunities
  • Opportunities for Stakeholder Engagement
  • Previous Events and Contributions

Training Opportunities

The outcomes of this work will include online training modules available through Trainlink and DirectCourse. In addition, twelve one-day training events will be scheduled across the state to support MH-TCM providers and others in implementing transformational change in person and family-centered practices. 

Next Steps in Person and Family-Centered Approaches in Mental Health and Co-Occurring Disorders - Free Training Events

These one day seminars are for people who are interested in continuing the journey toward enhancing person and family-centered practices in mental health at an individual, organizational, and/or systems/community level. This seminar is a chance to pause, reflect, and refresh. It will be an enjoyable and challenging day of celebration, discussion, reflection, visioning, and skill-building. Participants do not need previous training in person or family-centered practices. This training is primarily for professionals and practitioners who work with people living with mental illnesses. However, all from the community who are interested in forwarding person and family-centered practices are welcome to join.

Goals and Outcomes of the Training

  • Participants will be able to describe why person and family-center approaches are beneficial to a professional’s work practices, organizational cultures, and communities.
  • An opportunity to energize and focus on the next phase of positive development and maintenance of what is working in this area.
  • Increased participant confidence to support ongoing development of these approaches within organizations and communities.
  • Enhanced skills/practice with:
  • Culturally relevant discovery & assessment
  • Coaching, supporting, and co-creating with each other
  • Balancing needs of individuals with those of their families
  • Working within the context of civil commitment or other choice restrictions.

Webinars

March 6, 2019 - Webinar

March 14, 2019 - Webinar

Opportunities for Stakeholder Engagement

The Minnesota Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Mental Health Division is committed to stakeholder engagement in all their work. They regularly communicate with stakeholders in a variety of ways. The process of defining person and family-centered practices in the mental health and behavioral health community is another opportunity to hear from stakeholders and work together to co-create definitions and practice approaches that align well with the hopes for recovery and community inclusion for each person. Through this work, there will be multiple opportunities to be involved in developing the context of these practices. We’re especially interested in ensuring that diverse voices of services users, families, and professionals are included in this process. As specific opportunities become available this section of the website will be updated. If you are interested in participating in this process, please email Darrin Helt at [email protected].

Community Partners help to Co-Create Training Materials 

Community members (including professionals) helped co-create and will help deliver training on line and to twelve Minnesota locations. There were two roles: 1) Community Training Reviewers (develop the content) and 2) Community Co-Facilitators (deliver the content). Information about these roles is described in the application packet. All review work has been completed and Community Co-Facilitators have been interviewed and chosen.   

Reviews and Community Co-Facilitators had to have experiences in developing training and/or facilitating group processes in order to be suitable for these roles. Others candidates who meet that basic criteria and also have the following experiences were strongly urged to apply:

  • Mental Health-Targeted Case Managers, their Supervisors or Trainers or others with interest from Lead Agencies
  • Services users, family members, and advocates
  • Individuals who specialize in training for mental health professionals in how to work in community groups who are underserved (rural communities, immigrant communities, veterans, LGBTQA community, heritage groups, etc.)
  • Individuals who live in greater Minnesota

A small number of stipends available as described in the application.  Applications are not longer being accepted.  

Past Events

The project team for Person and Family-Centered Practices in Mental Health & Co-Occurring Disorders has been active in reaching out to Minnesota communities to hear about their views of mental health practices in the context of the effect on service users and their families and current challenges professionals and community face. Below is a list of previous activities project staff have participated in and some key outcomes that are influencing this work.  

Community Co-facilitator training - at the St Anthony Library, St Anthony, MN.

On November 2, 2018 Susan O'Nell facilitator a "Meet & Greet", session for the Community Co-facilitators, with Darrin Helt of DHS, and three UMN/ICI staff. During this session, the group was able to learn about each other and as well preparation work for the Pilot training on Dec. 13 and twelve trainings that will be held around MN in January/February of 2019 as mentioned above.

Susan O'Nell leading a Community Co-facilitator training

 

 

ASPE (MN Association of People Supporting Employment First) Conference  Oct 2, 2018, at Brooklyn Park, MN

 

Jody Van Ness and Chet Tschetter gave a presentation to an audience of 24 people regarding the work that we have been doing with Co-creation groups, writing on-line training with        the support of community reviewers, and preparing for twelve in person trainings that will occur in January and February 2019.  Van Ness spoke about how positive employment can        influence individuals with mental health and other conditions.

4th International African Mental Health Summit July 12-14, 2018 at Metropolitan State Univeristy, 700 E 7th Street, St. Paul, MN 55106 

Mental Health and Well-Being of Africans in Diaspora: Issues, Challenges, and Prospects​ 

This Summit promises to address the "Mental Health and Well-being of Africans in Diaspora: Issues, Challenges and Prospects". This theme is important for the current climate when "Xenophobia and Islamophobia are on the rise and all the Africans in Diaspora are undergoing stressful encounters every day. The summit presenters will help in mapping out practical and realistic pathways for the management and treatment of mental illness among the Africans in Diaspora without prejudice.  www.africanmhs.com

3rd Annual African Mental Health Summit, St Paul, MN. July 8th, 2017.

Project staff were honored to be invited to have a session at this summit. They and participants at the summit engaged in a lively conversation around person and family-centered practices in a session called: Promoting Person-Centered Practices: A Holistic Perspective in Wellness and Recovery. In addition, staff were able to benefit from hearing from a variety of engaging speakers and presenters on culturally specific approaches that work for a variety of underserved communities that include people of African heritage, immigrants, and indigenous people in Minnesota.

 

Coffee and Conversation: Parenting Children with Mental Health Challenges, Richfield MN. August 12, 2017

This interactive information session was hosted and lead by the Hennepin County Parent Catalyst Leadership Group (PCLG). Members of the PCLG who are parent advocates and leaders in the mental health community shared aspects of their family’s stories of recovery and resilience in the context of current mental health services and supports. New participants were able to ask questions and share their experiences with each other. Several themes regarding the current state or practice and how it works for children and families emerged from this group. A project staff attended and shared about the work of this project.

 

American Indian Mental Health Conference, Black Bear Casino Resort in Carlton, MN. August 31st, 2017

Project staff were honored to be accepted to participate in this conference that consisted of high quality presentations relating to American Indian mental health. We hosted an interactive session in which draft materials and a project vision statement were shared. Participants reflected on what was working and not working from their view in the materials. In addition, the project staff were able to continue to learn from the many participants and speakers present at this conference.

 

Regional Co-Creation Sessions Update

We held co-creation sessions for the materials and training products being developed through this project.  We traveled to various regions around the state from December through February. In the metro region, four groups occurred. Sessions were also held in Duluth, Mahnomen and Rochester. 

Summaries of ideas shared in co-creation sessions are below: