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Welcome to the October Edition of the Southwestern Plains Hub Newsletter!
October offers an opportunity to build on the progress made throughout the year, explore new ideas, and strengthen the work happening across our communities.
In this issue, you'll find upcoming learning opportunities, practical tools, and resources to support your continued efforts and help you prepare for the months ahead.
| | UPCOMING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES | | |
Nov 11, 2026
3:00 - 3:30 pm CT
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Design with a Purpose: Creating Marketing Materials that Drive Impact
Designed for behavioral health providers, organizational leaders, peer organizations, and community partners, this series will help participants improve how they communicate information about their programs, services, and resources. want practical design tools they can apply right away. Each 30-minute session will focus on a different aspect of effective design, providing beginner-friendly tips and examples that participants can apply to their own materials without formal design training or dedicated communications support.
Following each session, participants are invited to a 15-minute office hours session led by Communications experts Kendall Bledsoe and Victoria Kelley to discuss their organization’s communications material.
Register Now
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Fidelity in Peer Support Programming
Are you interested in learning more about how to strengthen the role peer support services in your organization? This event will use guided discussions, scenario analysis, and collaborative planning to explore the distinct role of peer support, internal team dynamics, and develop strategies to maintain the integrity and effectiveness of peer support services.
The series will also include breakout sessions for deeper dialogue and policy planning, ensuring that peer support remains true to its values while aligning with organizational goals.
Learn More
| | Featured Blog: How to Use the World Cafe Model for Community Engagement | | |
How to Use the World Cafe Model for Community Engagement
Community engagement requires thoughtful planning, an understanding of the community’s context, history, assets, and challenges, and opportunities for people with different perspectives to contribute. When engagement activities involve a large or diverse group, organizations also need a structured process for facilitating discussion, documenting contributions, and identifying themes that can inform action.
The World Café model is a facilitated discussion method that organizes participants into small-group conversations and allows ideas to build across multiple rounds of dialogue. This article explains when the model may be useful, how to plan and facilitate a World Café, and how to evaluate and apply the information participants provide. Continue reading
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| Team Member Spotlight: Rachel L. Navarro, PhD | | |
Meet Rachel L. Navarro, PhD, a licensed psychologist and Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor in the Department of Education, Health, and Behavior Studies within the College of Education and Human Development at the University of North Dakota.
Dr. Navarro is dedicated to training healthcare providers and other allied health professionals in the provision of culturally sensitive and empirically supported practices. This work serves as a key strategy for reducing health disparities, especially in rural, Tribal, and other underserved communities.
Dr. Navarro served as the past editor for the Journal of Career Development and is the principal investigator (PI) for the NSF-funded research grant, Should I Stay or Should I Go? Understanding the Retention of Latinx in Engineering Jobs.
She is also the PI and training specialist for the Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention Program, ND THRIVES, and a co-PI on the USDA-funded Substance Use Prevention in the WIC Program.
When asked what drives her approach to implementation support, LaVonne shared:
"As a counseling psychologist who has spent the majority of my career in rural North Dakota, I am driven by a commitment to closing the gap between what research shows works and what rural, frontier, and Tribal communities can actually access. I approach implementation support as a collaborative partnership, adapting evidence-based practices to local realities with cultural humility and data-informed decisions so providers and communities can sustain the work long after we step back."
Our hub is so glad to have Rachel on our team and is grateful for all of the amazing work she does.
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Get to Know the Southwestern Plains Hub of CMHIS
The Southwestern Plains Hub of the Center for Mental Health Implementation Support (CMHIS) serves 11 states across HHS Regions 6 and 8, helping strengthen mental health services through implementation support. Housed within the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health at The University of Texas at Austin, the Hub works to support communities across the region.
Watch this short video to learn more about the Southwestern Plains Hub and the communities it serves.
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Strengthening Peer Support in Your Organization
Successfully integrating peer support into behavioral health services takes thoughtful planning and ongoing support. The Center for Mental Health Implementation Support (CMHIS) has developed a quick, 5-minute self-check to help organizations reflect on their readiness, identify potential gaps, and consider opportunities to strengthen their peer support workforce.
Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve existing practices, this resource offers a practical starting point for reflection. View the resource here
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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
In November, you’ll receive the newsletter from CMHIS, with nationwide updates and highlights.
We’ll be back in December with more 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 Southwestern Plains Hub offers assistance to grantees funded by SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services and mental health service providers in HHS Regions 6 & 8 which includes Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. 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.
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