The Center for Mental Health Implementation Support (CMHIS) and our 5 bi-regional Hubs provide support for organizations and systems on how to implement effective practices to deliver the best mental health care. | | Updates From the Pacific West | |
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to our April 2026 newsletter! We’re grateful, as always, for the opportunity to share resources, learning opportunities, and ways to stay connected in support of your work.
As spring gets underway, it can be a useful time to reset and refocus. Growth in this work is ongoing and often requires steady effort over time. We know the demands are significant, and we want to emphasize that we’re here to support you along the way.
In this issue you’ll find:
- Highlights from our recent travels to Juneau, AK, Vancouver, WA, and Boise, ID
- Upcoming events hosted by the Pacific West Hub and CMHIS nationally
- New recorded resources on the CMHIS Learning Lab
| On the Road: Connecting in Juneau, Vancouver, and Boise | |
We recently traveled to Juneau for the Alaska Behavioral Health Association 2026 Spring Members’ and Affiliates’ Conference, where Co-Directors Dr. Lydia Chwastiak and Christina Clayton introduced the Hub and discussed opportunities to support Rural Health Transformation across the state (see photo at right).
We also joined colleagues in Vancouver, Washington for the National Association for Social Workers (NASW) Washington Chapter 2026 Statewide Conference, and colleagues in Idaho for the Idaho Integrated Behavioral Health Network (IIBHN) Conference, where our team led sessions on practical approaches to implementing and sustaining practices in real-world behavioral health settings.
These conversations help shape the free trainings and support we offer throughout the year. If you're interested in learning more or getting involved, we invite you to explore our upcoming events on our website or get in touch with us at pacificwest@cmhisupport.org!
| | Christina Clayton and Denna Vandersloot presenting at the NASW WA Conference (left). Pacific West Team tabling at NASW WA: Payton Messersmith, Erin Wright, Christina Clayton, and Denna Vandersloot (right). | |
If you have questions, want to talk about partnership opportunities, or need support, don't hesitate to reach out to us via email or through our website. We’re here to talk through your ideas and challenges, whether by email or a quick video call, to explore how we can support you and your priorities.
Warm regards,
Co-Directors Christina Clayton & Lydia Chwastiak
| | Upcoming Learning Opportunities | | You can find upcoming learning opportunities held by each Hub and national events on the CMHIS events calendar. Learn more about new events and register below. | | National Spotlight! Navigating the Now with Jessica Schleider, PhD | | Advancing Access to Mental Health Services
through Single Session Interventions | Thursdays, May 21 & 28 ~ 9-10:00 am Pacific | |
What if therapy worked in one visit? Most evidence-based mental health treatments include 8–20 sessions, yet the average number of visits people receive is one. This mismatch has sparked interest in single-session interventions (SSIs)—structured, evidence-based programs designed to deliver meaningful benefit in one encounter.
Join the Pacific West Hub for a three-part series that will help leaders of behavioral health organizations and systems understand the potential impact of single-session interventions (SSIs) as an efficient, evidence-based approach to increasing access to mental health services and improving clinical outcomes. A third application-based workshop session will be held June 18, 9-10:00 AM Pacific.
This event is open to all states and territories.
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Dr. Jessica L. Schleider (she/her) is the Founding Director of the Lab for Scalable Mental Health and Associate Professor of Medical Social Sciences, Pediatrics, and Psychology at Northwestern University. She also serves as Director of Digital Services at Northwestern’s Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies. In support of her research, she has secured >$13 million in federal, foundation, and industry funding. She has been recognized via numerous national awards for research excellence and innovation, including the NIH Director’s Early Independence Award. Her work has been featured in media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and she was previously chosen as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Healthcare. To support SSI scale-up efforts, Dr. Schleider regularly consults for national and state-level health care organizations, digital health and social media companies, and providers across the globe.
| | | Pacific West Hub Bi-Regional Events | | Eligibility: These events are designed for our bi-region and are open to individuals working in HHS Regions 9 or 10: AZ, CA, HI, NV, AS, MP, FM, GU, MH, PW, AK, ID, OR, or WA. | | Beyond the Numbers: Data Storytelling for Continuous Quality Improvement | |
Tues. April 28th ~ 2-3:30 p.m. Pacific AND
Thurs. April 30th ~ 2-3:00 p.m. Pacific
| | Grief and Crisis Management: Building a Grief-Ready Workforce | |
Tues. May 26th ~ 2-3:30 p.m. Pacific AND
Thurs. May 28th ~ 2-3:00 p.m. Pacific
| | Cross-Systems Collaboration for Crisis Continuum of Care | |
Tues. June 23rd ~ 2-3:30 p.m. Pacific AND
Thurs. June 25th ~ 2-3:00 p.m. Pacific
| | Peer Integration for Implementation Readiness Learning Collaborative | Thursdays, June 11th, 18th, & 25th
2-3:00 p.m. Pacific ~ 3 free CEs available! | | New Resources on the CMHIS Learning Lab | | |
CMHIS has launched the CMHIS Learning Lab, a new online collection of self-paced courses and recorded learning sessions developed by CMHIS and our bi-regional Hubs.
If you missed the March event on Peer Integration for Implementation Readiness, the recording and slides are now live on our website!
Don't miss other new self-paced learning topics including:
- Creating Space for EBPs Amid Workforce Burnout
- Implementing CBT in Real World Settings
- Getting Started with Implementing MBC
- And more!
| | | We serve HHS Regions 9 and 10, which include Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. These regions are home to over 430 federally recognized Tribes including the Navajo Nation, the largest Tribe in the U.S. | | | | |
