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Welcome to the first edition of the CMHIS Newsletter—your bimonthly update on tools, insights, and opportunities to help you implement effective mental health practices.
We open this issue with words from Heather Gotham, principal investigator and director of CMHIS. You’ll also find a new guide to using social marketing in communities, a virtual learning series on fidelity in peer support, a learning community for mental health leaders, and a set of infographics that bring core implementation concepts to life. These are just a few highlights. There’s much more, so read on.
You’re not alone in this work—you’re part of a connected community working toward accessible, effective care. As you navigate what’s next, CMHIS is here to help chart the course and keep you moving forward.
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Dear Colleagues,
We are honored and thrilled to introduce the national Center for Mental Health Implementation Support (CMHIS). Implementing effective practices and maintaining them with high quality over time is difficult. Implementation science is the study of how to successfully integrate effective practices in real-world settings. We bring a desire to meet you where you’re at and help you navigate roadblocks using implementation-science based tools and knowledge to sustainably implement effective mental health prevention, treatment, and recovery practices and programs.
By supporting mental health organizations with the process of preparing for, implementing, and sustaining services, CMHIS helps ensure that the best mental health care is not only available—but deliverable.
CMHIS is led by a team from the Stanford Center for Dissemination and Implementation, in collaboration with five amazing bi-regional Hubs and national experts in mental health services and implementation science.
Read more to find out about our great resources and services, and please reach out with questions or requests for support.
| | Welcome to our Resource Spotlight—a recurring feature that highlights practical tools and timely resources to support your work in implementing mental health services. | | Social Marketing in Communities | To kick things off, we’re featuring the "Social Marketing in Communities" flyer, developed by the CMHIS Communications and Social Marketing Solutions Workgroup. This resource is designed for community organizations and marketers working in both rural and urban settings who want to enhance their social marketing efforts. It draws on insights about the unique benefits and barriers these communities face when implementing social marketing plans. | | At CMHIS, all of our learning opportunities and resources are free. | | CMHIS Launches Learning Community for Mental Health Leaders | | |
CMHIS recently launched a learning community designed to support mental health managers, leaders, and supervisors in implementing and sustaining effective programs and practices. The inaugural cohort, selected through an application process, will participate in a three-month, six-session experience combining practical strategies from implementation science with expert insights and peer learning. Participants will develop a modest, impactful plan to prepare for change, overcome barriers, and implement effective programs.
Stay tuned for future opportunities to learn from the work of this first cohort.
| | Fidelity in Peer Support Programming | | The Southwestern Plains Hub is offering a virtual learning series for organizations in HHS Regions 6 and 8 (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX, CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY) focused on maintaining the integrity of peer support roles. | | | |
"Fidelity in Peer Support Programming" will help participants define peer support as a fidelity-sensitive intervention, recognize and address role drift, and develop actionable strategies to align organizational practices with peer support values.
This virtual three-session series is designed for system leaders, implementers, and frontline staff working in behavioral health, schools, health care, and public systems.
If you're in the Southwestern Plains bi-region and work with or support peer specialists, don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your program’s foundation.
Questions? Contact Jessi Davis at southwesternplains@cmhisupport.org.
When: Aug. 21 to Sept. 18, Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. CT
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East Coast Hub:
Building Sustainable School Mental Health Systems
| | The East Coast Hub is hosting a learning community, “Strategies to Develop and Enhance the Sustainability of School-Based Mental Health Systems,” for current and former Project AWARE grantees and school mental health leaders in states located in HHS Regions 3 and 4 (DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV, AL FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN). | | | |
The purpose of this learning community is to share research, tools, and best practices for sustaining school mental health programs and supports. Over the course of six sessions, participants are exploring these issues through insights from Project AWARE veterans, peer-to-peer learning, and dissemination of relevant resources. A central theme is that Project AWARE offers a foundation for building infrastructure and capacity that can extend beyond the life of the grant.
Topics covered in the first three sessions include:
- Creating sustainment plans based on current trends in the field
- Using SMART goals to develop shared agendas across agencies throughout the grant cycle
- Addressing workforce recruitment and retention challenges to support long-term success
Future sessions will build on these topics and be shaped by participant priorities. Although this opportunity is closed for new participants, check the East Coast Hub page for future options.
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Northeast Atlantic & Caribbean Team Represents CMHIS
at 2025 Training Institutes
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Our Rutgers-based Northeast Atlantic & Caribbean Hub team had a great time connecting with behavioral health professionals at the 2025 Training Institutes, hosted by the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. They shared resources, sparked conversations, and unveiled our brand-new CMHIS banner and conference materials.
The Training Institutes is a national gathering of nearly 2,000 leaders and experts working to transform health and human services for children, youth, young adults, and their families. Thank you to our Northeast Atlantic and Caribbean Hub for proudly representing CMHIS and helping expand our reach and impact.
| | We are proud to elevate resources from our technical assistance center colleagues that may be relevant to your work. | | Case-Based Discussion Series on Tobacco Use Treatment in Behavioral Health | | |
“Tobacco Use Treatment in Mental Health and Substance Use Settings: A Practical, Peer-Driven Case-Based Discussion Series” kicks off on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, with expert speaker Dr. Marc Manseau, MD, MPH. The series offers a highly interactive, real-world learning format to strengthen provider capacity to treat tobacco use disorder—one of the most overlooked and deadly addictions in behavioral health care.
Who should attend?
- Psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and prescribing providers
- Clinical leaders and program administrators in behavioral health settings
🕛 Two session times available:
| | The S.I.L.V.E.R. Portal for Healthy Aging | | The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University has launched the S.I.L.V.E.R. Portal—a new national resource hub dedicated to supporting healthy aging for people with mental health conditions. The portal includes free, accessible tools and educational resources designed to promote the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation (CPR) Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Aging Among Adults with Serious Mental Illnesses: Supporting Individuals to Live As Vibrant Elders in Recovery (RRTC–S.I.L.V.E.R.) across settings and populations. | | Implementation Science Corner | | Explore Our 8 Core Topic Infographics | |
Implementation science is the study of how to successfully integrate effective practices in real-world settings. To kick off our Implementation Science Corner, we're highlighting a set of resources that lay the foundation for understanding how implementation science supports real-world mental health practice change.
CMHIS has developed eight concise, visually engaging infographics that introduce the key concepts at the heart of our work. Perfect for team discussions, onboarding, or your own learning, each infographic includes links to additional tools and guidance to help you apply each core topic in your work. Whether you're new to implementation science or looking for a quick refresher, these infographics are a great place to start.
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We’d love to hear from you! Is there something you want us to cover in an upcoming CMHIS newsletter? Send us your thoughts, stories, or feedback.
What to Expect Next Month
In August, you’ll receive the newsletter from your local Hub, with updates and highlights from your bi-region.
We’ll be back in September with more CMHIS news, stories, and insights. In the meantime, feel free to visit our website, send us an email, or follow us on LinkedIn.
Request Support
The Center for Mental Health Implementation Support (CMHIS) and our bi-regional Hubs offer assistance to grantees funded by SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services and organizations that oversee or directly provide mental health services. We can help your organization or system improve the delivery of mental health care by supporting you in preparing, implementing, and sustaining effective prevention, treatment, and recovery programs and services.
Please review our guidelines and submit a request.
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