In this issue, you'll find an invitation to the newly released CMHIS Learning Lab, featured resources, new learning opportunities, the Midwest Hub staff spotlight, and additional content supporting our core topics and the intensive technical assistance we can provide for your organization. Read on to learn more! | | New Online Learning Platform: CMHIS Learning Lab | | We are excited to launch the CMHIS Learning Lab! The Learning Lab provides expert access at your fingertips through self-paced online courses and recorded learning sessions developed by CMHIS and our five bi-regional Hubs. Our content covers the whole process of preparing for, implementing, and sustaining effective mental health services, from engaging community partners through sustaining services long-term. Find courses and learning sessions based on title, description, type of activity, duration, target audience, and experience level. Read below for more information. | | | |
We are excited to launch the CMHIS Learning Lab! The Learning Lab provides expert access at your fingertips through self-paced online courses and recorded learning sessions developed by CMHIS and our five bi-regional Hubs. Our content covers the whole process of preparing for, implementing, and sustaining effective mental health services, from engaging community partners through sustaining services long-term. Find courses and learning sessions based on title, description, type of activity, duration, target audience, and experience level. Read below for more information.
Is there any cost?
No! Since we are federally-funded, you can access all of our courses, events, and resources for free, including certificates and continuing education credits.
How will I access certificates or continuing education credit?
- Complete an online course or participate in a live support activity.
- Complete a brief (5–10 minute) survey to provide anonymous feedback.
- Follow the instructions provided after the survey to claim your certificate or continuing education credits.
Will there be other features?
Yes! We will update the CMHIS Learning Lab over time so that you can get the most out of our support. One feature we'll be launching in the coming months is discussion boards to engage in conversations and share with peers and course faculty.
| |
New Self-paced Online Learning Course:
NIATx Change Leader Academy
| | |
Ready to improve your organization’s processes and lead effective change? Based on over 20 years of research at the University of Wisconsin, the NIATx Change Model "is simple process improvement that gets teams engaged and delivers results quickly." This 90-minute, self-paced NIATx eLearning Course is based on the NIATx Change Leader Academy. It includes one introductory module and 11 learning modules that will give you the tools and knowledge you need to implement change effectively using the NIATx Change Model. The NIATx model is based on over 20 years of research at the University of Wisconsin.
| | |
Evidence-Based Results
Treatment organizations participating in the original NIATx projects made dramatic improvements in treatment admissions and continuation while reducing no-shows and waiting time.
Rapid-Cycle Change
The premise of gradual improvement over time guides the NIATx model. Improvement isn’t usually accomplished by one big change; it’s a series of smaller changes, tested and implemented one at a time, that add up to a big impact.
Customer-Focused
The original NIATx projects concentrated on basic customer service areas that were affecting access to and retention in treatment. That focus on the customer continues to make a difference in the way NIATx helps organizations in diverse fields improve their services today.
Accreditation
In support of improving patient care, Stanford Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. Click here for more information on continuing education provided for this online course.
| |
Access the CMHIS resource library for free, evidence-based resources to support your organization's implementation goals!
| | We invite you to peruse the many resources available in CMHIS's resource library, including the featured items linked below! | | | | |
Program Evaluation Infographic
This infographic provides an overview of program evaluation, its key components, and why it matters when implementing a new effective mental health practice. The infographic also contains resources you can use to incorporate program evaluation in your work.
| | | |
|
School Mental Health Quality Guide: Needs Assessment and Resource Mapping
School Mental Health Quality Guide: Needs Assessment & Resource Mapping is part of a collection of resources developed by the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The Quality Guides provide information to help school mental health systems advance the quality of their services and supports. This guide contains background information on needs assessment and resource mapping, best practices, possible action steps, examples from the field, and resources.
Strategies Timeline, Activities & Resources (STAR) Log
Implementation strategies must be clearly documented to help organizations or others replicate their successes, understand challenges to implementation (e.g., training is offered but only some of those invited attend), and track costs of implementation. Careful documentation of implementation strategies is also essential when analyzing results of program evaluation. The Strategies Timeline, Activities, & Resources (STAR) Log provides a simplified, centralized method for research teams to track implementation strategies.
Financing Measurement-Based Care in Community Behavioral Health Settings
Overview of strategies for reimbursing and financing MBC in behavioral health.
| | Get To Know The Midwest Hub Team | | The Midwest Hub is excited to share our passion for effective and sustainable mental health implementation with everyone we serve! We'll be highlighting one of our team members' bios in each of our upcoming bimonthly newsletters, and we look forward to learning about and working with the mental health service providers of HHS Regions 5 and 7. | | | |
Isa I. Vélez-Echevarría, PsyD
Program Manager, Midwest Hub
Isa Vélez, PsyD, is a Puerto Rican licensed clinical psychologist and project manager for the Midwest Hub of the Center for Mental Health Implementation and Support (CMHIS). She also serves as the Ohio State Project Manager for the Great Lakes Addiction Technology Transfer Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dr. Vélez completed her pre-doctoral internship in Los Angeles, CA, where she became a certified Interpersonal Psychotherapy Clinician and trained in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and family therapy. She later pursued a post-doctoral fellowship in Boston, MA, providing home-based psychotherapy to underserved communities. Currently, she offers virtual and in-person psychotherapy through her private practice in Puerto Rico. Her clinical work focuses on culturally tailored, trauma-informed services for Latinx and other communities.
| | |
We’d love to hear from you! Is there something you want us to cover in an upcoming newsletter? Send us your thoughts, stories, or feedback.
What to Expect Next Month
We’ll be back in February 2026 with more Midwest Hub news, stories, and insights. In the meantime, feel free to visit our website, send us an email, or follow us on LinkedIn.
Request Support
As part of the Center for Mental Health Implementation Support (CMHIS), the Midwest Hub offers assistance to grantees funded by SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services and mental health service providers in HHS Regions 5 and 7 (IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, and WI). We can help you strengthen your mental health programs through community engagement, implementation planning, data use, outcome evaluation, and more. Please review our guidelines and submit a request.
| | | | |
