Department of Mental Health
E. Douglas Varney, Commissioner

February 16-18, 2012
State Spring Conference
Tennessee Association for Marriage & Family Therapy
Airport-Mariott Hotel
600 Marriott Drive
Nashville, TN 37214

ACCOMMODATION DEADLINE: Hotel reservations are being accepted now. Call 800-228-9290 and mention Group Code TAMFT to receive the conference rate of @129 + tax per night. The hotel room block will close on Monday, January 23, 2012.

The preliminary Program and Outline Registraiton form will be available soon online at http://www.tnamft.org. For exhibition space or sponsoring opportunities, contact Sharon Barkmeier at (615) 250-7776 or email sbarkmeier@xmi-amc.com. Featured Speaker will be Robert Weiss LCSW, CSAT-S, founding director of The Sexual Recovery Institute of Los Angeles and director of Sexual Disorders Services at The Ranch Treatment Center in Nunnelly, Tennessee. He is the co-author (with Dr. Jennifer Schneider) of the just released, Untangling the Web: Sex, Porn and Fantasy Addiction in the Internet Age and is the author of numerous peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters.

February 8, 2012
Mental Health Academy: Women's Issues
Mental Health Association Conference Center
293 Plus Park Blvd.
Nashville, Tn 37217
8:30 a.m.

Finding balance in today's hectic and fast-paced society is challenging enough, but women often face additional dilemmas that can create a difficult juggling act. Many neglect their unique mental, emotional, and physical needs. This seminar will address many issues that hinder some women from finding personal and professional peace, security, and overall wellness. It will also provide new insights into prevention and treatments for your clients.

Sponsored by Mental Health America of Middle Tennessee (formerly known as the Mental Health Association of Middle Tennessee), a non-profit organization that has provided services for 65 years. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m., and the seminar continues until 4:30 p.m. For more details on the course events and to downloard a seminar brochure, visit http://womensissues-zvents.eventbrite.com. Certificate of attendance will be provided for professionals needing contact hours and 6 CEUs with preapproval for nurses thanks to UT Martin College of Nursing, and with preapproval for LPCs thanks to TLPCA. Registration includes CEUs and lunch. Tickets are $99 by February 3. Late Registration will be $110.00.

February 16, 2012
Second Annual Phoenix Art Gala, Dinner, Art Auction and Awards Ceremony
The Healing Arts Project, Inc.
Millennium Maxwell House Hotel
2025 Rosa parks Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37228
5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS - Deadline January 26: The Healing Arts Project, Inc. (HAPI) Awards Committee announces a call for nominations to be presented at the Gala. Award winners deserve recognition for making possible the opportunity for artistic creativity among persons in recovery from mental illness and addiction disorders. There are four levels of awards. Click Here for more details and the form to nominate.

This years annual Gala dinner and awards ceremony includes an art auction. Ten artists who participated in HAPI during 2011 will have art for sale through the silent auction and a few pieces will be sold by live auction. The Phoenix bird was chosen to represent the spirit of recovery and triumph over adversity. With the Phoenix imagery of rising from ashes, HAPI promotes consumer artists and the importance of art as one aspect of recovery from mental illness or substance abuse.
Sponsorships are available at the Gold, Silver and Bronze level. Click Here for Sponsorship Information.

For more information, contact Kubra Snow or Jane Baxter at kubra_e_snow@uhc.com or janebaxter@comcast.net or call (615) 594-4642. The Healing Arts Project, Inc. was formerly known as Middle Tennessee Mental Health and Substance Abuse Coalition.

March 6, 2012
Mental Health Day on the Hill
Legislative Plaza and
The Tennessee State Capitol
6th Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37243

SAVE THE DATE!
TAMHO (Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations) has announced the 2012 Day on the Hill. On March 6th, 2012 you are asked to come to Nashville and advocate for yourselves to your state representatives and senators.
More information to follow. Visit http://www.tamho.org/ for more information about TAMHO.

March 6, 2012
7th Annual Arts for Awareness
1st Floor Conference Room
Andrew Johnson Tower
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Details can be found at http://www.tn.gov/mental/. The date has been changed from May to March. Registration form will be online soon and more details will come on the TDMH website about parking and free shuttle service from the Legislative Plaza to the Andrew Johnson Tower for participants. Questions? Call Lorene Lambert at (615) 253-4812 or email Lorene.Lambert@tn.gov.

March 22-23, 2012
Grants Training In Nashville
11th Floor, Media Room
Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD)
Snodgrass/Tennessee Tower
312 Rosa L. Parks Ave.
Nashville, TN 37243

The Grant Writing Workshop is hosted by Grant Writing USA and the Tennessee Department of ECD. The training is applicable to grant seekers across all disciplines and will help you learn how to find grants and write winning grant proposals. Click Here for full details and to register.

Beginning and experienced grant writers from city, county and state agencies as well as nonprofits, K-12, colleges and universities are encouraged to attend.

Multi-enrollment discounts and discounts for Grant Writing USA returning alumni are available. Tuition payment is not required at the time of enrollment.

Payment at time of enrollment by credit card is preferred, however, you may pay later by check. An auto-generated invoice will be made immediately after you enroll online and our online resources will guide you through purchasing channels. Government purchase orders are also accepted and details about these are also available at the Web site.

Tuition is $425 and includes all materials: workbook and accompanying 420MB resource CD that's packed full of tools and more than 200 sample grant proposals. Seating is limited, online reservations are necessary.

May 5, 2012
Whole Kid Festival
Tennessee Voices for Children
701 Bradford Avenue
Nashville, TN 37204

SAVE THE DATE!

More details to come, so check back, and we will post them as soon as we get them. For more information about Tennessee Voices for Children, visit http://tnvoices.org or call (615) 269-7751.

May 9, 2012
National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day

This day of awareness, sponsored by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is a key strategy of the Caring for Every Child's Mental Health Campaign, which is part of the Public Awareness and Support Strategic Inititiative of SAMHSA, under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services umbrella.

The focus on a national day seeks to raise awareness of the importance of children's mental health as essential to healthy development from birth. Communities around the country are encouraged to hold their own awareness day events, focusing either on the national theme, or adapting the theme to the populations they serve. Visit http://www.samhsa.gov/children/national.asp and download more information about the benefits of collaboration year-round and ways to help children and youth who have experienced traumatic events.

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) Chattanooga Pendulums
Support group meets each Thursday, 7:30 pm, at
AIM Center
472 W M L King Boulevard
Chattanooga, TN 37402
Main Number: 423-624-4800
Contact person: Marilou Coats Family and/or friends are also welcome to attend.

American Association of Suicidology (AAS) Training and Accreditation
Course Offered Online July-October

An AAS Webinar 90-minute training program. Registration is open for "Recognizing and Responding to Suicide Risk in Primary Care" for primary care physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and any staff members who work with potentially at-risk patients. Webinar offers 1.5 CME credits and provided downloadable tools you can put to immediate use. Cost is $40.00. The Webinar is facilitated by Matthew B. Wintersteen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Director of Research in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry for Thomas Jefferson University, Medical College.

Dates & Times:
Thurs., July 22, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Thurs., Sept. 23, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 6, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Thurs., Oct. 21, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Click Here for more information and link to the AAS Web site.

Year-Round Depression screening
Mental Health Association of East Tennessee
9050 Executive Park Drive, Suite 104-A
Knoxville, Tennessee 37923
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
(865) 584-9125

Mental Health Training for Foreign and Sign Language Interpreters
Various dates. Call for more information and registration.
No charge for training.
Contact: Mental Health Association of Middle Tennessee
2416 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212
Office Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
615-269-5355
email: forinfo@mnamt.org

IChope Campaign
Public Information Programs
are available for all ages and are appropriate
for school and community settings.
Visit www.ichope.com
Contact: Mental Health Association of Middle Tennessee
2416 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212
Office Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
615-269-5355

Council on Children's Mental Health
Upcoming Meetings

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) of Southeastern Tennessee
Two new support groups to chose from on
Mondays at 7:30 p.m. or Thursdays at Noon
East Ridge United Methodist Church
1601 Prater Road
East Ridge, Tennessee 37412
The Mission:"Improve the lives of those living with mood disorders" because Wellness and Recovery are possible! Confidential, easy-going, no pressure, share-and-care style meetings; tons of resources available FREE. Friends and Family are always welcome. "We've Been There. We Can Help; You're Not Alone" Call or email for more information Dennis Dodson, DBSA Southeastern Tennessee, (423) 653-2177.

SAMHSA's Suicide Prevention Resource Center Adds
At-Risk for High School Educators to Best Practice Registry for suicide prevention programs.

Released March 4, 2011, At-Risk for High School Educators added to SAMHSA's Best Practice Registry for suicide prevention programs. At-Risk is an online interactive training simulation designed to prepare teachers to identify, approach, and refer students exhibiting signs psychological distress including depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide. Texas and New York have already adopted this program to train over 70,000 educators in their states. You can read more about this announcement at http://bit.ly/fMROgx. You can also view a demo of this type of simulation at www.kognito.com/atrisk. Contact Jennifer Spiegler at jennifer@kognito.com if you have any questions or would like more information on this new training simulation.

Year-round for 2012

TAMHO Training Opportunities

Online Training for Behavioral Health Professionals

TAMHO's partnership with Essential Learning: The Essential Learning curriculum catalog provides access to 1,000's of training courses to meet your behavioral health (mental health and addictions) training needs. The TAMHO Training Matrix highlights numerous suggested courses from the Essential Learning catalog that have been pre-approved by the Bureau of TennCare and the Managed Care Companies to meet the training requirements reflected in the "TDMH/TennCare Specialized Training Requirements for Behavioral Health Professionals" manual. A link to the TAMHO Training Matrix is provided in the "PDF Downloads" box to the right of this screen.

Visit http://www.essentiallearning.com to learn more about Essential Learning, arrange a free demonstration, or to view their curriculum catalog. Be sure to reference your connection with TAMHO to gain access to any special offers or considerations that may apply.

TDMH, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services and TAADAS Partner with TAMHO and Essential Learning for Online Training Initiative for Addiction Treatment and Prevention Service Contractors

Partnership Strengthens Access to Training for Addictions Services

TAMHO and Essential Learning are excited to announce a unique partnership between the Tennessee Department of Mental Health, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services (DADAS) and the Tennessee Association of Alcohol, Drug and Other Addictions Services (TAADAS) to expand and strengthen access to behavioral health training.

Through the Tennessee Online Training Enterprise, agencies will have access to online courses and training management tools to assist in preparing their staff for mandated training, certification, on-going continuing education requirements, and, implementing and sustaining evidence-based practices.

Powered by Essential Learning's state-of-the-art Learning Management System -- ELEVATE -- staff will be able to take online courses that have been designed to meet regulatory and compliance training for national accreditation organizations such as CARF, Joint Commission, and many others, including state specific requirements.

To take advantage of this partnership, contact: Anita Menon, Training Coordinator, TAADAS, at 615-780-5901 ext. 12.