Pathways Transition Video Brief Series

Video Brief Descriptions and Resource Files

Here you can access the the video briefs, as well as discussion questions and resource lists for each video brief.

Video Brief 1
Trauma Informed Care

Trauma Informed Care: Creating a Safe Space for Working with Youth Affected by Trauma

Video length: 6:10

In this Pathways Transition Video Brief, Dr. Julie Rosenzweig, a nationally recognized expert on the effects of trauma on youth development talks about how to create a safe space for working with young people who have been affected by trauma. Applying principles of trauma informed care, Dr. Rosenzweig recommends using the "universal precaution," assuming that every young person may be affected by traumatic events in their history. She describes principles to guide relationship building through creating a sense of trust and offering opportunities for collaboration, choices, and empowerment.

Video Brief 2
Understanding Youth Culture

Engaging Young People Through Understanding Youth Cultures

Video length: 5:33

Youth cultures are distinct sets of interests, values, language, and behaviors that have been adopted by young people as a way of claiming their identity and domain, and marking themselves as separate from adults. Youth culture is shaped by gender, race, class, and local conditions. Youth advocates Martin Rafferty of Youth ERA and Lacy Kendrick Burk Dicharry formerly of Youth MOVE National make the case in this Pathways Transition Training Video Brief for the importance of understanding youth culture in order to engage young people in mental health services. This brief training offers strategies for creating a youth-friendly environment and ideas for working with young people to uncover their potential and discover their views of the youth culture that informs their daily lives. This training acknowledges that communication patterns are shaped by technology and social media.

Video Brief 3
Engaging Youth in Treatment

Engaging Youth in Treatment: Advice for Mental Health Service Providers

Video length: 6:40

As youth enter and move through the transition years, they typically prefer to exercise their autonomy, identify with peers, and reduce their reliance on guidance from parents, teachers, and other adults. As a result, if a mental health issue emerges or is present, they may be less willing to engage in needed services. In this Pathways Transition Training Video Brief, Dr. Ajit Jetmalani, Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Oregon Health and Science University and young adult advocate and leader, Martin Rafferty of Youth ERA provide tips for service providers in engaging young people in mental health services. This brief training offers strategies for engaging youth by treating them with respect, tuning in to youth messages, and facilitating shared exploration of youth challenges, strengths, and options. Finally, the presenters suggest allowing young people's hopes and dreams to guide your work together.

Video Brief 4
Promoting Family Support

Promoting Family Support for Youth with Mental Health Needs

Video length: 6:30

Youth activities and relationships with family members evolve during the transition to adulthood. While youth assert their autonomy and gradually become more independent, parents can continue to be an important source of support, particularly if a youth is struggling with mental health difficulties. In this Pathways Transition Training Video Brief, Corinne Spiegel formerly of Jewish Child and Family Services and Dr. Ajit Jetmalani, Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Oregon Health and Science University offer suggestions for promoting family support. Ms. Spiegel encourages service providers to help families to understand their youth's diagnosis and to access needed support for themselves. Dr. Jetmalani reminds viewers to increase their understanding of legal requirements for youth privacy, with view to strengthening families' support for their youth.

Video Brief 5
Shared Decision Making

Supporting Youth Empowerment through Shared Decision Making

Video length: 6:59

Youth empowerment is a concept that has gained widespread appreciation in youth mental health services, but strategies for supporting youth empowerment are not always practiced. In this Pathways Transition Training Video Brief, Dr. Ajit Jetmalani, Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Oregon Health and Science University shares concrete strategies for supporting youth empowerment through shared decision making in mental health services. Specifically, Dr. Jetmalani proposes that empowering youth requires considering a broad array of options in health care decisions, consulting with youth about treatment choices, and disentangling youth wishes for autonomy and their best interests in order to assure that there is informed consent in shared decision making.

Video Brief 6
Working with Native American Youth

Working with Native American Youth

Video length: 6:25

In this Pathways Transition Training Video Brief, Terry Cross, founder, former executive director, and currently senior advisor to the National Indian Child Welfare Association provides guidance for service providers on working with Native American youth. Mr. Cross reminds viewers of the need to support youth to develop a positive cultural identity that incorporates healthy interdependence with others. Mr. Cross introduces the Relational World View, a traditional Indigenous framework for understanding the interconnectedness of Mind, Body, Spirit, and Context and focuses on the importance of striving for balance between these elements. Finally, he urges non-Native service providers to seek cultural guides to assist Native American youth to connect with their heritage.

Video Brief 7
Working with LGBTQ Youth

Working with LGBTQ Youth: Supporting Their Identity Exploration and Becoming an Ally

Video length: 6:38

How can service providers best support young people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and/or Queer and who are experiencing mental health difficulties? This video brief, which is part of the Pathways Transition Training Video Brief series, encourages service providers to adopt inclusive language and practices and describes ways service providers can support youth in their identity exploration. Dr. Kris Gowen of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) discusses how to communicate that you are an ally with LGBTQ youth and willing to provide a safe space and support. Clinical social worker Andre Pruitt of OHSU considers the ways that youth who are perceived as LGBTQ encounter systematic oppression that can lead to mental health difficulties, and also confirms their strengths. Andre Pruitt encourages service providers to educate themselves about the experiences of youth identifying as LGBTQ, use appropriate language, and listen to, and learn from these young people.

Video Brief 8
Supporting Healthy Relationships

Supporting Young People as They Form Healthy Adult Relationships

Video length: 7:16

One of the challenges of young adulthood is to form healthy relationships with peers and other adults, including intimate relationships. When a young person is experiencing mental health difficulties, these processes can be filled with opportunities for growth but may result in experiences of stigma, and challenges for their safety. Dr. Kris Gowen, of Oregon Health & Science University describes the ways in which service providers can support young people with mental health needs as they form adult relationships. The brief training emphasizes supporting young people's emotional and physical health, identifying ways to promote safety in relationships, and helping young people to find local resources.

Video Brief 9
Collaborating with Peer Providers

Collaborating with Peer Support Providers

Video length: 5:49

Peer support is increasingly incorporated into service systems as an important element for serving youth and young adults with mental health challenges. In this Pathways Transition Training Video Brief, Dr. Ajit Jetmalani, Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University, Martin Rafferty, CEO of Youth ERA, and Lacy Kendrick Burk Dicharry former Executive Director of YouthMOVE National provide guidance to service providers on collaborating with peer support providers in mental health services. They also discuss how peer support providers can also benefit from collaborating with other service providers. The presenters suggest that peer support can enhance the wellness of young people and can be a bridge to services for those who are hesitant to engage with the mental health system. Finally, they describe their observations of the benefits of peer relationships and encourage providers to identify positive peer relationships in the lives of young people.

Video Brief 10
Supporting Youth Advocacy

Supporting Young People in Their Advocacy

Video length: 6:07

Young adult and youth advocacy is increasingly driving improvements in programs for young people. In this Pathways Transition Training Video Brief, Lacy Kendrick Burk Dicharry formerly Executive Director of YouthMOVE National, Dr. Don Schweitzer, associate professor of social work at Pacific University, and Martin Rafferty, CEO of Youth ERA provide guidance for service providers in supporting young people as they advocate for changes in mental health services. The presenters highlight the importance of engaging youth voice and encouraging young people's involvement to assure youth-friendly program improvements. Recognizing that youth may have had traumatic experiences in services, Ms. Dicharry describes the trauma-informed method of engagement and the benefits of peer support in effective youth advocacy. To address the disempowerment inherent in many systems, the presenters offer ideas about how to engage young people in change activities.