Children's mental health: training and conferences

Join us for the first Minnesota Children’s Summit, a four-day event that will take place virtually Jan. 11 through Jan. 14, 2022. The Summit will bring together experts from across Minnesota to create solutions for issues facing the state’s behavioral health system for youth.

The Children’s Summit will:

• Explore gaps in Minnesota’s current continuum of care
• Identify new approaches to build the road to health and resiliency for children
• Create immediate, actionable solutions for the urgent problems facing the mental health system of care for Minnesota’s youth
• Find solutions that will assure all children have access to behavioral health care at level of care appropriate for their needs.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services and the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet invite the public to attend Summit presentations and participate in its work sessions. The plan for the event is as follows:

• On Jan. 11, presentations will focus on equity, breaking down silos between systems, and the vision forward for children’s behavioral health care in Minnesota, among other topics. In addition, youth presenters will share their perspectives on supports that their peers need.
• On Jan. 12, behavioral health experts, leaders, and members of the public will participate in working sessions to identify the most pressing needs in our children’s behavioral health system.
• On Jan. 13, participants from the previous day’s working sessions will present their groups’ findings on the most pressing needs of the children’s behavioral health system. There will also be presentations on integrated care through an equity lens and behavioral health through the eyes of an advocate. Participants will then head back into working sessions to develop solutions to the identified issues.
• On Jan. 14, participants from each working session will share their detailed plans to remove barriers, build infrastructure, and ensure equitable access to behavioral health services for all Minnesota youth.

If you would like to attend any of the Children’s Summit presentations or participate in one of the event’s working sessions, please register on Webex by Jan. 4, 2022.

 Upon registering, you will be asked to which days you plan to attend, and if you plan to participate in a working session. You may only choose one working session to participate in, as the working sessions are all-day events. Descriptions of the working sessions are available in this one-pager.

 Minnesota Department of Human Services and the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet are hosting the Children’s Summit. Participants in the Summit’s working sessions will include experts and leaders from a variety of children-serving servings across Minnesota, including leaders in the fields of health, education, child protection, child development, corrections, and more.

 If you need to request reasonable accommodations to attend the summit, please contact Carol Anthony at carol.anthony@state.mn.us by Jan. 4, 2022.

Children’s Mental Health staff also regularly participate in presentations at the annual conferences of the following organizations:

• AspireMN
• Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health (MACMH)
• Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs (MACMHP)
• NAMI Minnesota (NAMI-MN)

This course is three full days. The Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood (DC:-05™) is an age-appropriate approach for assessing infants, toddlers and preschool children. This tool classifies mental health and developmental disorders in children from birth through five years old considered in relationship to their families, culture and communities.
The training objectives include:

1. Understand the basics of early childhood development.
2. Understand the importance of using a multigenerational approach when assessing young children.
3. Understand the advantages and disadvantages of making diagnoses of infants and young children.
4. Become familiar with the five axis-diagnostic system for infants and toddlers.
5. Become familiar with the similarities and the differences between the current diagnostic system (DSM-5) and the new diagnostic framework (DC:0-5™).
6. Learn the relationship disorder axis and be able to apply it to clinical practice.
7. Understand the Medicaid Rules in Minnesota authorizing the use of the DC:0-5™ for diagnosing young children.
8. Be able to understand the stressors of young children from a developmental perspective.

This course is open to all licensed mental health professionals and clinical trainees who provide diagnostic assessments to children ages birth through 72 months of age.

This is a six-hour webinar on the administration and interpretation of the Child & Adolescent Service Intensity Instrument (CASII). The CASII is a service intensity instrument required to be used with all children, ages six to eighteen, receiving a diagnostic assessment paid for through Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP). 

The course is open to all Minnesota licensed clinicians and clinical trainees who provide diagnostic assessments to children ages six to eighteen who are insured through Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP).

Important Information: 

1. All potential trainees will be vetted prior to being granted the code for the training, as they must meet criteria for a mental health clinical trainee as described in Minnesota Statute 245I.04, subdivision 6, or a licensed mental health professional as described in Minnesota Statute 245I.04, subdivisions 1 and 2.

2. All selected trainees will receive a code and directions for how to access the training and the training materials within 30 days of signing up for the training.

3. It is strictly prohibited for trainees to share the entry code for the training or the materials offered in the training with others. 

4. The training is fully transcribed with voice-overs throughout. 

How to register for the training: 

If you have a TrainLink Unique Key you may register for the class as follows:

1. Go to DHS TrainLink: http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/TrainLink

2. Click the Behavioral Health link.

3. Sign On with your Unique Key in the upper RIGHT corner and click OK!

4. Click Upcoming Webinars/Live Training

5. Scroll down to Children’s MH Classes, highlight and click GO!

6. Select ESCII Training class of your choice and follow the directions on the screen.

No TrainLink Unique Key? You will need to fill out a Unique Key Request found at: http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/TrainLink. Your Unique Key will be emailed to you.

The Early Childhood Service Intensity Instrument (ECSII) is a tool for providers and others involved in the care of young children with emotional, behavioral, and/or developmental needs—including children who are experiencing environmental stressors that may put them at risk for such problems—and their families. The ECSII provides a common language for these diverse individuals and offers guidance in selecting appropriate services at the appropriate intensity for the youngest and most vulnerable children.

This is a six-hour webinar training on the administration and interpretation of the Early Childhood Service Intensity Instrument (ECSII). The ECSII is a required service intensity instrument to be used during a diagnostic assessment with all children under the age of 6 receiving mental health services paid for through Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP).

Objective of training: Participants will master the administration of the ECSII but will not be able to train additional staff in the use of the ECSII.

The course is open to all licensed clinicians and clinical trainees who are trained in the DC:0-3R/DC:-05™and provide diagnostic assessments and treatment to young children birth through five years old and their families.

Important Information: 

1. All potential trainees will be vetted prior to being granted the code for the training, as they must meet criteria as a mental health clinical trainee as described in Minnesota Statute 245I.04, subdivision 6. or a licensed mental health professional described in Minnesota Statute 2451.04 subdivisions 1 and 2.

2. All selected trainees will receive a code and directions for how to access the training and the training materials within 30 days of signing up for the training.

3. It is strictly prohibited for trainees to share the entry code for the training or the materials offered in the training with others. 

4. The training is fully transcribed with voice overs throughout. 

How to register for the training: If you have a TrainLink Unique Key you may register for the class as follows:

1. Go to DHS TrainLink: http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/TrainLink

2. Click the Behavioral Health link.

3. Sign On with your Unique Key in the upper RIGHT corner and click OK!

4. Click Upcoming Webinars/Live Training

5. Scroll down to Children’s MH Classes, highlight and click GO!

6. Select ESCII Training class of your choice and follow the directions on the screen.

No TrainLink Unique Key? You will need to fill out a Unique Key Request found at: http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/TrainLink. Your Unique Key will be emailed to you.

The advanced seminar focuses on diagnosis during infancy and early childhood. This seminar is designed to allow clinicians to deepen understanding and skills involved in diagnosing mental health and developmental difficulty in very young children.

Clinicians will discuss their own clinical cases involving infants and very young children; use all 5 axis of the DC:0-3R/DC:-05™ to consider the diagnosis of the children involved in the case presentation: and discuss treatment plans based on the child’s diagnosis. Clinicians interested in presenting a case to the Great Start group can sign up with Catherine Wright, PsyD, LP, LPCC at catherine.wright@state.mn.us.

All clinicians who present a case will submit de-identified DC:0-3R through a secure link to the Minnesota Department of Human Services 1 week prior to the training. The de-identified DC:-05™ will be shared only with the facilitators and destroyed immediately after the training. Clinicians who attend the course six times and present a case during one of those six sessions will be invited to join a list of clinicians with verified competency in the DC:0-3R/DC:-05™.

The objective of the course for those who attend six times and present a case include: obtain competency in the delivery of the DC:-05™ for children birth through 72 months of age.

The course is open to all licensed clinicians and clinical trainees who are trained in the DC:0-3R/DC:-05™ and provide diagnostic assessments to children ages birth through five.

A Mental Health Behavioral Aide (MHBA) is mandated to receive 30 hours of training prior to the delivery of MHBA services. Eight of the 30 hours focus on understanding families they will be serving and learning to partner effectively with parents. MHBA Parent Teaming Training is a training for all MHBAs employed by Children’s Therapeutic Services and Supports (CTSS) agencies.

The trainings have been approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Human Services to meet the legal content requirements for adult targeted case managers.

All potential Children’s Therapeutic Services and Supports (CTSS) provider applicants are required to attend a CTSS applicant provider information seminar prior to submission of the CTSS certification application. Potential CTSS providers should register the qualified clinical supervisor/clinical consultant, as well as the agency’s administrative representative in both sessions (CMH170 & CMH210).

These seminars are scheduled quarterly using Webex.

CTSS Registration Information

MNCAMH invites experts in various fields to provide free one-hour lectures in an area of interest with an emphasis on application to practice. Upcoming webinars are only available online and past webinars are available from our video archive. All webinars take place between 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. CST, every second Friday of the month. 

Participants may receive one CEU after completing an evaluation and post-test shortly after the conclusion of the webinar. 

For online delivery, MNCAMH uses WebEx. Webinars can be viewed on a smartphone or tablet by downloading the WebEx app from the Apple Store or the Android app.

The following list contains the basic system requirements recommended in order to best view our online trainings:

• Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7. [NOTE: May work on Mac OS, but not tested]
• Internet Connection: 256 kbps or better.
• Screen Resolution: 1024x768 or better.
• Browser: Internet Explorer (version 6 or higher), Firefox, Chrome. NOTE: Safari is currently NOT supported, and our trainings do not work in this browser at this time.
• Accessibility: Users with accessibility requirements should use Internet Explorer (version 7 or higher). Window-Eyes screen reader recommended for best compatibility.
• Please disable all browser pop-up blockers.
• Adobe Flash Player version 9 or higher.
• Adobe Reader version 7 or higher.

• Go to the Behavioral Health Learning Center.
• If you DO NOT have a unique Key ID, please go through the “Unique Key Request” process.
• Click ‘Sign On’ in the upper right corner and enter your Unique Key and Click ‘GO’!
• Click “Course Catalog Information”
• Enter nothing and click “Search” – this will bring up all of our courses.
• Sort on Delivery Method to find the Web Based Trainings. Find your course and choose the “Select” button to launch the class.
• Check the prerequisite tab to see if you meet the prerequisites.
• You can either choose the “Course Content” tab and click “Start”, or you can click the “Start Course” icon in the upper right corner.
• Your course will now launch in a separate window – please remember to shut off your pop-up blockers.

This interactive online training experience is for individual and provider agencies of outpatient mental health services. The training is designed to provide a basic understanding of the purpose of the diagnostic assessment (DA) as well as the opportunity to learn the skills needed to complete a DA.

This eLearning training is available on screening for staff providing children’s mental health screening and follow-up navigation services to the children’s mental health system. This training is composed of three modules that must be completed in order.

Because children with mental health needs are often involved with multiple services systems, it makes sense to find ways to connect systems to coordinate care for children with mental health diagnoses. This means coordinating children’s mental health services with substance abuse treatment, primary care, juvenile corrections, education, child welfare, and other services.

Integrating or coordinating services among providers or programs serving the same children reduces duplication, fragmentation and gaps in services. It can also improve service access, delivery and family satisfaction. Successful service integration requires commitment to collaboration and coordination within and across various settings in both the public and private sectors. Providers partner at the both the system and service levels to plan, develop and deliver services to children with interrelated challenges.

• Interagency activities
• Primary care
• Systems of care
• Wraparound

Credentialing mental health providers and setting standards for service delivery help ensure the quality of mental health care for children and youth. DHS oversees application and approval processes that require mental health providers to meet certain criteria to provide services and receive reimbursement for Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP).

The goal is to make sure that mental health providers have the capacity and competency to deliver the right services in the right settings to best meet the mental health needs of children. DHS supports maintaining and expanding a culturally diverse, credentialed workforce prepared to respond to the needs of children and their families.

• Clinical supervision
• Individual treatment plans
• MHCP clinical care consultation: frequently asked questions (FAQs)
• MHCP family psychoeducation: frequently asked questions (FAQs)
• Provider credentialing and standards

A major priority of DHS is to develop an effective and accountable mental and chemical health system by encouraging and supporting research-informed practices, monitoring outcomes and expanding the use of successful treatment models. As a result, Minnesota children with mental health diagnoses will experience improving outcomes. A growing proportion of children and youth will function at their best in school and at home, stay out of the juvenile justice system and graduate from high school.

These efforts include standardizing assessment tools to identify the right care at the right time for all children. All these efforts strive to improve the quality of care and effectiveness of services to help children improve.

• Early childhood mental health evidence-based practices 
• Evidence-based practices 
• Level of care determination
• Outcome measures

DHS works to ensure that mental health services will respectfully consider and effectively meet the mental health needs of all children. This means developing the mental health system’s capacity to respond to children and youth from all cultures. DHS is also committed to reducing disparities and ensuring that children and youth with mental health needs are able to reach and receive the right services at the right time in the right setting.

Culturally responsive services are those that reach, engage and deliver children’s mental health services to correspond to the concerns of children in the context of their communities. Minnesota has many diverse cultures characterized by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, rural/small town/urban community, refugee/immigration/citizen status, religion, primary language, family structure, and disability. Services tend to be more successful when mental health providers can connect the assessment and treatment process with a child and family’s cultural community. Culturally competent providers recognize the influence and significance of cultural differences when choosing the most appropriate ways to address mental health needs.

• Cultural competency
• Rural or frontier areas
• Youth and transition services