The Northwest MHTTC which was part of a national Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network ended on September 29, 2024. The MHTTC network, funded by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), aimed to accelerate the dissemination and implementation of effective interventions for mental health prevention, treatment, and recovery. Since 2018, 10 regional centers and a network coordinating office developed resources, disseminated implementation projects, and provided training and technical assistance to the mental health workforce nationally.  

Learners from across the country emailed reactions to the news, including this: “Thank you for all the learning opportunities for honoring and improving professional approaches to mental health services. I wholeheartedly appreciated your skills-based and culturally appropriate teachings that strengthened my practice and connected us as people. I will truly miss you all and your resources very much!” 

Co-led by Lydia Chwastiak MD, MPH and Christina Clayton LICSW, SUDP, the Northwest MHTTC was based in the UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and focused on Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, while virtual platforms reached learners all around the county. The Northwest MHTTC focused on Evidence-Based Practices for Psychosis supported by SPIRIT Center faculty, and a School Mental Health supplement was led by the SMART Center. “We are grateful for our workforce engagement, the wisdom of our advisory board, and the expertise of our diverse partners including colleagues in this department,” Lydia and Christina reflected. “Thanks to your support, we continuously evolved to meet the ever-changing demands of the behavioral health field.” 

Over six years, they trained nearly 75,000 people through 850 live events and several online courses. They produced hundreds of webinar recordings, launched a podcast, had weekly resource newsletters, and helped publish a nation-wide spotlight of training and technical assistance needs. Their products, materials, and online courses continue to be freely available. You can find these and other learning opportunities in a recently released training guide and resource archive.