RESPOND: Partnering for Campus Mental Health

Mental health problems affect each of us. You can take action to RESPOND effectively. About 1 in 5 of us will experience a diagnosable mental illness this year, and all of us experience emotional pain or distress at times in our lives. Most of us want to help, yet often feel uncertain about what to do or say. RESPOND will empower you to offer effective support and useful referrals to a student or colleague. The course provides a basic overview of symptoms often associated with mental health problems and offers an action plan to help you RESPOND effectively. The course will address campus policies such as FERPA, as well as mental health resources.

Who should attend?

Any Idaho State University faculty, staff, or administrators who wish to learn more about how to RESPOND to students or colleagues who are in distress. Graduate and undergraduate students who work in student-assistance roles are also welcome to attend these trainings.

What is the cost?

In our commitment to improving campus mental health, the RESPOND training is offered free of charge to participants at this time. 

The Counseling and Mental Health Center is happy to facilitate a RESPOND training for an established group. We also offer a 90-minute "refresher" course for past participants in the full-day RESPOND training. Please contact Amber Greening at ambergreening@isu.edu to request a RESPOND or refresher training. 

Upcoming Training Dates

Wednesday, March 11, and Thursday, March 12, 2026

8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Salmon River Suites, South Fork, POND Student Union Building

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Talk Saves Lives is American Foundation for Suicide Preventions' standardized, 90 minute program that provides participants with a clear understanding of this leading cause of death, including the most up-to-date research on suicide prevention, and what they can do in their communities to save lives.

Participants will learn common risk factors and warning signs associated with suicide and how to keep themselves and others safe.

Topics covered include:

• Scope of the Problem: The latest data on suicide in the U.S., worldwide, and at ISU.
• Research: Information from research on what causes people to consider suicide, as well as health, historical, and environmental factors that put individuals at risk.
• Prevention: An understanding of the protective factors that lower suicide risk, and strategies for managing mental health and being proactive about self-care.
• What You Can Do: Guidance on warning signs and behaviors to look for, and how to get help for someone in a suicidal crisis.

Upcoming Training Dates

Check back soon for upcoming dates!

Losing a loved one to suicide can be a profoundly painful and isolating experience. The complexity of the emotions can feel overwhelming and often survivors struggle to know who to talk to for fear others won't understand. In this presentation we will discuss some of these factors, normalize reactions, and engage in a discussion designed to help participants gain greater understanding and support.

Upcoming Workshops

Check back soon for upcoming dates!

Check back soon for upcoming dates!

CMHC Connections brings individuals together who may benefit from learning and supporting others with similar aspects of identity. Meetings are held weekly for one hour and are facilitated by a staff member from ISU's Counseling and Mental Health Center. 

Check back soon for available CMHC Connections groups!

SUMMARY AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

1:00 – 4:00 pm

Holding Grief with Compassion: Integrative Models for Healing and Regulation

Kristin Stewart Yates, PhD., LCPC and Jill Adams, LCSW

This 3-hour presentation provides an overview of key models of grief, including the dual-process model and polyvagal theory, illustrating how individuals navigate loss through shifts in emotional, cognitive, and nervous-system states, and how they naturally move between loss-focused and restoration-focused coping. It also introduces attachment theory as a lens for understanding grief, emphasizing how early relational patterns influence responses to loss. Participants will also learn practical strategies to cultivate internal resources through mindful self-compassion, supporting resilience, emotion regulation, and healing throughout the grieving process.

Learning Objectives

• Identify core grief frameworks, including the dual-process model, polyvagal theory, and attachment theory, and their relevance to understanding responses to loss.
• Describe how emotional, cognitive, and nervous-system states influence grief experiences and the natural oscillation between loss-focused and restoration-focused coping.
• Apply mindful self-compassion strategies to support emotion regulation, resilience, and the development of internal resources in individuals experiencing grief.

Thursday, May 14, 2026

8:30 – 11:30 am

Suicidality: Assessment and Intervention in Context

Amber Greening, LMSW and Makenzie Atwood, PhD.

This training will guide participants to explore beyond checklist-based approaches to risk assessment and actively engage them in the use of informed clinical judgment grounded in the dynamic and contextual nature of individual experience. Participants will build upon their understanding of suicidality, the categorizations of risk and capacity for harm, and the uncertainty and ethical challenges inherent in risk assessments. The training will provide emphasis on interventions that consider safety, autonomy, and shared decision-making and their applicability across different clinical settings.

Learning Objectives

• Understand and be able to explain the utility and limitations of checklist-based approaches to risk assessment and the role of informed clinical judgment in dynamic, context-specific clinical situations.
• Understand and describe key concepts related to suicidality, including categorizations of risk and capacity for harm.
• Recognize sources of uncertainty and ethical challenges inherent in suicide risk assessment and management.
• Apply intervention strategies that balance safety, autonomy, and shared decision-making across diverse clinical settings.

1:00 – 4:00 pm

Overview of EMDR Therapy: Clinical Applications in Individual and Group Settings

Kira Adams, LCSW; Yaneth Orellana Anderson, LCSW

This 3-hour workshop will offer an educational overview of EMDR Therapy designed for licensed clinicians seeking to increase their understanding of EMDR-informed practice. The training introduces the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, the eight phases of EMDR Therapy, and core treatment considerations. Participants will explore how EMDR Therapy is applied in individual treatment and review clinical considerations related to group applications of EMDR Therapy, including an overview of selected group protocols and adaptations. Emphasis is placed on appropriate scope of practice, client selection, and ethical considerations. This course is for educational purposes only and does not constitute EMDRIA-approved EMDR Basic Training or authorize independent practice of EMDR Therapy.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model and its role in EMDR Therapy.
• Identify the eight phases of EMDR Therapy and their purpose within the treatment framework.
• Explain clinical applications of EMDR Therapy in individual treatment settings.
• Recognize key clinical considerations and limitations related to group applications of EMDR Therapy, including commonly referenced group protocols.
• Differentiate between an educational overview of EMDR Therapy and EMDRIA-approved EMDR Basic Training, including scope of practice implications.

Friday, May 15, 2026

8:30 – 10:30 am

“But ChatGPT Said…” Ethics of AI in Mental Health Service Provision

Liva Rigney, PhD

This two-hour workshop will present evidence-based information on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its implementation in mental health service provision, as well as addressing ethical guidelines from scientific and professional organizations on best practices, benefits, and ethical issues arising with such use. It will also explore ways to enhance mental health treatment and work with clients who may be regularly using AI “therapy bots” for support outside treatment.

Learning Objectives

• Describe current models of AI and their uses in mental health
• Identify best-practice standards for ethics in use of AI in mental health from organizations such as the American Psychological Association and American Counseling Association
• Describe benefits and ethical considerations associated with the use of AI in mental health service provision
• Identify ways to respond to clients interacting with mental health AI in their daily lives

10:45 am – 12:45 pm

Ethical Collaboration with Stakeholders, Interdisciplinary Teams, and Systems

Dallen Bills, LCPC; Cassandra Bills, LCPC

This 2-hour workshop will explore the complexities of collaboration between mental health professionals and client stakeholders—such as schools, probation departments, and multidisciplinary wraparound teams. This continuing education presentation examines ethical principles relevant to cross-system collaboration, including confidentiality, informed consent, professional boundaries, role clarification, and dual accountability. Upon completion, participants will be better equipped to navigate ethical challenges, uphold professional standards, and engage in collaborative practices that protect client welfare while fostering effective partnerships.

Learning Objectives

• Identify systems that mental health professionals might work within and define stakeholders and their roles.
• Explore the benefits and potential risks for mental health professionals and clients when collaborating in systems. 
• Understand the legal and ethical issues associated with collaboration. 
• Consider ways to navigate effective and protected collaboration.

2:00 – 4:00 pm

Outdoor Nature Therapy

Rick Pongratz, Ph.D.

This will be an outdoor “rain or shine” workshop. Join us for an experiential implementation of nature-based therapy practices with a focus on establishing a therapeutic relationship with the natural world. Please come prepared to walk and sit outside. Depending on the weather, this may necessitate sunscreen, heavy jackets, or rain gear. Please wear shoes for walking in the grass. We will initially meet in the Wood River room and venture outside from there.

 Learning Objectives

• Develop an understanding of how nature-based therapeutic practices are implemented.
• Learn how to assist clients in preparing for an outdoor experience.
• Learn about the value of having a relationship with the natural environment as well as how metaphor can promote client change.

REGISTRATION COMING SOON!