REGISTER FOR YOUR COHORT

Behavioral Health Action Network

six one-hour monthly cohort sessions

Beginning September 2023, the Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities (COE-NF) will host six (6) one-hour monthly cohort sessions. Join us for the opportunity to learn industry best practices from other nursing facilities and behavioral health subject matter experts. With the support of COE-NF behavioral health specialists, you will be able to implement the learnings in your facility.

The format for each session will include a self-care acknowledgement, a twenty-minute didactic presentation, group discussion of a reality-based scenario and a quality improvement tip. The sessions are designed to be interactive and facilitate learning from peers and subject matter experts.

TARGET AUDIENCES:
Nurses, CNAs, social workers, direct care staff, and leadership who work in nursing facilities across the United States.

Key Objectives

As a result of this series, participants will be able to:
Develop an effective resident assessment, communication and care planning process in their facility.
Design an implementation plan for each element of the best practices presented during the session.
Implement and assess the effectiveness of best practices for assessing, communicating, and care planning with residents with behavioral health and substance use disorders.

Cohorts

Each cohort covers a multi-state region. Click on your state to learn more and register for the cohort in your area.

Cohort 1
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Cohort 2
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Cohort 3
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Cohort 4
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Cohort 5
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Cohort 1 – Upcoming Sessions

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Cohort 1

Mental Health Basics

Event Date: October 5, 2023

3 p.m. EST

SME: Stephanie Smith MSW, LCSW

Stephanie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and currently works as the Center of Excellence Regional Behavior Specialist for Region 8. Stephanie has experience in numerous settings including residential behavioral health, child welfare, the non-profit sector and medical social work.

In this second session, participants will improve their knowledge about serious mental illness and will improve their ability to care for residents with mental illness.

Participants will learn about:

  • The definitions of serious mental illness
  • The causes of serious mental illness
  • Prevalence of serious mental illness in nursing facilities
  • The impact of mental illness on health outcomes
  • The benefits of understand mental illness
Learn More
Register

Cohort 1

Screening for Mental Health & Substance Use in the Skilled Setting

Event Date: November 2, 2023

3 p.m. EST

SMEs: Melissa Cheng, MD, MOH, MHS, FACOEM & Sarah McCutcheon, MD, FAPA, BCPA

Dr. Melissa Cheng is the Medical Director for 3 occupational medicine clinics within the University of Utah Health System. She is also the Program Director for the Utah SBIRT program (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment).

Dr. Sarah McCutcheon is the Regional Medical Director for Comagine Health and is a board-certified Adult Psychiatrist in addition to a board-certified patient advocate. She currently works a psychiatrist and has completed fellowships in Neuoropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology with an emphasis on Age-Related Mood and Cognitive Disorders.

In this session, participants will be exposed to using several tools to help further their behavioral health program at their facilities.

Participants can expect to learn about:

  • Overview of Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR)
  • Recommended Mental Health Screening Tools for the Nursing Home (NH) Setting
  • Recommended Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Screening Tools for the NH Setting
Learn More
Register

Cohort 1

Engaging with Residents: Effective Communication Skills

Event Date: November 30, 2023

3 p.m. EST

SME: Jeannette Horton, LMHC, GMHS

Jeannette is a Behavioral Health Quality Improvement Consultant with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and currently provides detailed, resident specific consultation to nursing homes, adult family homes and assisted living facilities dealing with challenging behaviors. She is an experienced Chemical Dependency Professional and subject matter expert on the CMS State Operations Manual for nursing homes.

This session will focus on engaging residents by developing effective communication skills.

Participants will learn about:

  • The importance of active listening
  • Basic attending skills
  • Verbal and nonverbal communication
  • Adapting communication styles to meet the needs of residents
Learn More
Register

Cohort 2 – Upcoming Sessions

See All Sessions

Cohort 2

Mental Health Basics

Event Date: October 12, 2023

3 p.m. EST

SME: Stephanie Smith MSW, LCSW

Stephanie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and currently works as the Center of Excellence Regional Behavior Specialist for Region 8. Stephanie has experience in numerous settings including residential behavioral health, child welfare, the non-profit sector and medical social work.

In this second session, participants will improve their knowledge about serious mental illness and will improve their ability to care for residents with mental illness.

Participants will learn about:

  • The definitions of serious mental illness
  • The causes of serious mental illness
  • Prevalence of serious mental illness in nursing facilities
  • The impact of mental illness on health outcomes
  • The benefits of understand mental illness
Learn More
Register

Cohort 2

Screening for Mental Health & Substance Use in the Skilled Setting

Event Date: November 9, 2023

3 p.m. EST

SMEs: Melissa Cheng, MD, MOH, MHS, FACOEM & Sarah McCutcheon, MD, FAPA, BCPA

Dr. Melissa Cheng is the Medical Director for 3 occupational medicine clinics within the University of Utah Health System. She is also the Program Director for the Utah SBIRT program (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment).

Dr. Sarah McCutcheon is the Regional Medical Director for Comagine Health and is a board-certified Adult Psychiatrist in addition to a board-certified patient advocate. She currently works a psychiatrist and has completed fellowships in Neuoropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology with an emphasis on Age-Related Mood and Cognitive Disorders.

In this session, participants will be exposed to using several tools to help further their behavioral health program at their facilities.

Participants can expect to learn about:

  • Overview of Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR)
  • Recommended Mental Health Screening Tools for the Nursing Home (NH) Setting
  • Recommended Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Screening Tools for the NH Setting
Learn More
Register

Cohort 2

Engaging with Residents: Effective Communication Skills

Event Date: December 7, 2023

3 p.m. EST

SME: Jeannette Horton, LMHC, GMHS

Jeannette is a Behavioral Health Quality Improvement Consultant with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and currently provides detailed, resident specific consultation to nursing homes, adult family homes and assisted living facilities dealing with challenging behaviors. She is an experienced Chemical Dependency Professional and subject matter expert on the CMS State Operations Manual for nursing homes.

This session will focus on engaging residents by developing effective communication skills.

Participants will learn about:

  • The importance of active listening
  • Basic attending skills
  • Verbal and nonverbal communication
  • Adapting communication styles to meet the needs of residents
Learn More
Register

Cohort 3 – Upcoming Sessions

See All Sessions

Cohort 3

Mental Health Basics

Event Date: October 17, 2023

3 p.m. EST

SME: Stephanie Smith MSW, LCSW

Stephanie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and currently works as the Center of Excellence Regional Behavior Specialist for Region 8. Stephanie has experience in numerous settings including residential behavioral health, child welfare, the non-profit sector and medical social work.

In this second session, participants will improve their knowledge about serious mental illness and will improve their ability to care for residents with mental illness.

Participants will learn about:

  • The definitions of serious mental illness
  • The causes of serious mental illness
  • Prevalence of serious mental illness in nursing facilities
  • The impact of mental illness on health outcomes
  • The benefits of understand mental illness
Learn More
Register

Cohort 3

Screening for Mental Health & Substance Use in the Skilled Setting

Event Date: November 14, 2023

3 p.m. EST

SMEs: Melissa Cheng, MD, MOH, MHS, FACOEM & Sarah McCutcheon, MD, FAPA, BCPA

Dr. Melissa Cheng is the Medical Director for 3 occupational medicine clinics within the University of Utah Health System. She is also the Program Director for the Utah SBIRT program (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment).

Dr. Sarah McCutcheon is the Regional Medical Director for Comagine Health and is a board-certified Adult Psychiatrist in addition to a board-certified patient advocate. She currently works a psychiatrist and has completed fellowships in Neuoropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology with an emphasis on Age-Related Mood and Cognitive Disorders.

In this session, participants will be exposed to using several tools to help further their behavioral health program at their facilities.

Participants can expect to learn about:

  • Overview of Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR)
  • Recommended Mental Health Screening Tools for the Nursing Home (NH) Setting
  • Recommended Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Screening Tools for the NH Setting
Learn More
Register

Cohort 3

Engaging with Residents: Effective Communication Skills

Event Date: December 12, 2023

3 p.m. EST

SME: Jeannette Horton, LMHC, GMHS

Jeannette is a Behavioral Health Quality Improvement Consultant with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and currently provides detailed, resident specific consultation to nursing homes, adult family homes and assisted living facilities dealing with challenging behaviors. She is an experienced Chemical Dependency Professional and subject matter expert on the CMS State Operations Manual for nursing homes.

This session will focus on engaging residents by developing effective communication skills.

Participants will learn about:

  • The importance of active listening
  • Basic attending skills
  • Verbal and nonverbal communication
  • Adapting communication styles to meet the needs of residents
Learn More
Register

Cohort 4 – Upcoming Sessions

See All Sessions

Cohort 4

Mental Health Basics

Event Date: October 19, 2023

3 p.m. EST

SME: Stephanie Smith MSW, LCSW

Stephanie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and currently works as the Center of Excellence Regional Behavior Specialist for Region 8. Stephanie has experience in numerous settings including residential behavioral health, child welfare, the non-profit sector and medical social work.

In this second session, participants will improve their knowledge about serious mental illness and will improve their ability to care for residents with mental illness.

Participants will learn about:

  • The definitions of serious mental illness
  • The causes of serious mental illness
  • Prevalence of serious mental illness in nursing facilities
  • The impact of mental illness on health outcomes
  • The benefits of understand mental illness
Learn More
Register

Cohort 4

Screening for Mental Health & Substance Use in the Skilled Setting

Event Date: November 16, 2023

3 p.m. EST

SMEs: Melissa Cheng, MD, MOH, MHS, FACOEM & Sarah McCutcheon, MD, FAPA, BCPA

Dr. Melissa Cheng is the Medical Director for 3 occupational medicine clinics within the University of Utah Health System. She is also the Program Director for the Utah SBIRT program (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment).

Dr. Sarah McCutcheon is the Regional Medical Director for Comagine Health and is a board-certified Adult Psychiatrist in addition to a board-certified patient advocate. She currently works a psychiatrist and has completed fellowships in Neuoropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology with an emphasis on Age-Related Mood and Cognitive Disorders.

In this session, participants will be exposed to using several tools to help further their behavioral health program at their facilities.

Participants can expect to learn about:

  • Overview of Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR)
  • Recommended Mental Health Screening Tools for the Nursing Home (NH) Setting
  • Recommended Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Screening Tools for the NH Setting
Learn More
Register

Cohort 4

Engaging with Residents: Effective Communication Skills

Event Date: December 14, 2023

3 p.m. EST

SME: Jeannette Horton, LMHC, GMHS

Jeannette is a Behavioral Health Quality Improvement Consultant with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and currently provides detailed, resident specific consultation to nursing homes, adult family homes and assisted living facilities dealing with challenging behaviors. She is an experienced Chemical Dependency Professional and subject matter expert on the CMS State Operations Manual for nursing homes.

This session will focus on engaging residents by developing effective communication skills.

Participants will learn about:

  • The importance of active listening
  • Basic attending skills
  • Verbal and nonverbal communication
  • Adapting communication styles to meet the needs of residents
Learn More
Register

Cohort 5 – Upcoming Sessions

See All Sessions

Cohort 5

Mental Health Basics

Event Date: October 26, 2023

3 p.m. EST

SME: Stephanie Smith MSW, LCSW

Stephanie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and currently works as the Center of Excellence Regional Behavior Specialist for Region 8. Stephanie has experience in numerous settings including residential behavioral health, child welfare, the non-profit sector and medical social work.

In this second session, participants will improve their knowledge about serious mental illness and will improve their ability to care for residents with mental illness.

Participants will learn about:

  • The definitions of serious mental illness
  • The causes of serious mental illness
  • Prevalence of serious mental illness in nursing facilities
  • The impact of mental illness on health outcomes
  • The benefits of understand mental illness
Learn More
Register

Cohort 5

Screening for Mental Health & Substance Use in the Skilled Setting

Event Date: November 22, 2023

3 p.m. EST

SMEs: Melissa Cheng, MD, MOH, MHS, FACOEM & Sarah McCutcheon, MD, FAPA, BCPA

Dr. Melissa Cheng is the Medical Director for 3 occupational medicine clinics within the University of Utah Health System. She is also the Program Director for the Utah SBIRT program (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment).

Dr. Sarah McCutcheon is the Regional Medical Director for Comagine Health and is a board-certified Adult Psychiatrist in addition to a board-certified patient advocate. She currently works a psychiatrist and has completed fellowships in Neuoropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology with an emphasis on Age-Related Mood and Cognitive Disorders.

In this session, participants will be exposed to using several tools to help further their behavioral health program at their facilities.

Participants can expect to learn about:

  • Overview of Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR)
  • Recommended Mental Health Screening Tools for the Nursing Home (NH) Setting
  • Recommended Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Screening Tools for the NH Setting
Learn More
Register

Cohort 5

Engaging with Residents: Effective Communication Skills

Event Date: December 21, 2023

3 p.m. EST

SME: Jeannette Horton, LMHC, GMHS

Jeannette is a Behavioral Health Quality Improvement Consultant with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and currently provides detailed, resident specific consultation to nursing homes, adult family homes and assisted living facilities dealing with challenging behaviors. She is an experienced Chemical Dependency Professional and subject matter expert on the CMS State Operations Manual for nursing homes.

This session will focus on engaging residents by developing effective communication skills.

Participants will learn about:

  • The importance of active listening
  • Basic attending skills
  • Verbal and nonverbal communication
  • Adapting communication styles to meet the needs of residents
Learn More
Register

Our Partners

News & Events

See All News and events

News

COE-NF Newsletter – September 2023

This month’s newsletter will define recovery and provide key principles and approaches to supporting the recovery process. This approach will provide a higher quality of care to residents with behavioral health disorders and also help nursing facilities comply with regulatory guidance.

Learn More

News

COE-NF Newsletter – August 2023

In this month’s newsletter, we will recognize International Overdose Awareness Day and explore overdose prevention measures that can be taken to support residents who are prescribed an opioid.

Learn More

News

COE-NF Newsletter – July 2023

In this month’s newsletter, we will define trauma and learn how a trauma-informed model can address the unique needs of residents with a history of trauma and triggers. This approach will provide higher quality care to residents and be compliant with nursing facility regulatory guidance regarding trauma-informed care.

Learn More

the center of excellence for behavioral health in nursing facilities (COE-NF)

Established by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the COE-NF offers Certified Medicare and Medicaid Nursing Facility Staff a centralized resource hub with easy access to trainings, technical assistance and additional resources, at no cost.

Learn more about us

What We Do

We help nursing facilities to improve the quality of life and care provided for residents who are experiencing a variety of behavioral health disorders, with a focus on Serious Mental Illness (SMI), Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Co-Occurring Disorders (COD).

More About What We Do

Who We Help

We provide direct technical assistance, evidence-based training, and resources that are appropriate for every member of your long-term care facility — from those providing day-to-day direct care, to clinical and administrative staff.

More About Who We Help