Every year on October 10, World Mental Health Day serves as a reminder that mental health is an essential part of overall health and well-being. It is also an opportunity to recognize the dedicated professionals who provide care, support, and advocacy for individuals facing mental health challenges.

Psychologists, counselors, social workers, psychiatrists, therapists, substance use professionals, and other behavioral health providers play a critical role in improving the lives of people in our communities. As mental health needs continue to grow, ongoing professional development is more important than ever to ensure providers have access to current evidence-based practices, emerging research, and practical strategies to better serve their patients and clients.

At Northwest Area Health Education Center (AHEC), we are committed to supporting the behavioral health workforce through high-quality continuing education opportunities designed to enhance knowledge, strengthen skills, and foster professional growth. Through live conferences, webinars, workshops, and online learning opportunities, we help mental health professionals stay informed about evolving best practices while earning the continuing education credits they need to maintain licensure and certification. 

Supporting the Behavioral Health Workforce

Behavioral health professionals face unique challenges, including increasing patient demand, workforce shortages, compassion fatigue, and rapidly changing treatment approaches. Continuing education offers an important pathway for providers to:

• Stay current on emerging mental health research and treatment interventions
• Enhance clinical skills and cultural responsiveness
• Improve patient outcomes through evidence-based care
• Address complex behavioral health and substance use concerns
• Meet professional licensure and certification requirements

Most importantly, professional development helps ensure that those caring for others have access to the resources and support they need to continue delivering high-quality care.

Explore Upcoming Mental Health Continuing Education Opportunities

Northwest AHEC offers a variety of educational programs focused on mental health and behavioral health topics throughout the year. Whether you are a psychologist, counselor, social worker, psychiatrist, marriage and family therapist, substance use professional, or another member of the behavioral health team, our programs are designed to provide practical, relevant information you can apply in your daily practice.

View the complete list of upcoming mental health and behavioral health continuing education programs on the Northwest AHEC website. 

A Commitment to Lifelong Learning

World Mental Health Day reminds us that building healthier communities requires investment not only in mental health services but also in the professionals who provide them. By supporting lifelong learning and professional development, we strengthen the behavioral health workforce and improve access to quality care throughout our region.

This October, we invite mental health professionals to take time to invest in themselves, explore new learning opportunities, and connect with colleagues who share a commitment to advancing mental health care.

Browse upcoming mental health continuing education programs:
https://northwestahec.wakehealth.edu/t3/courses-and-events?disciplines=11%7CMental+Health

Professionals working in domestic violence intervention programs play a critical role in promoting accountability, supporting behavior change, and helping create safer outcomes for families. This fall, join colleagues from across the field for an opportunity to explore practical tools and evidence-informed approaches for engaging fathers in meaningful and accountable ways.

Northwest AHEC and the NCPAT Conference - Tools and Strategies to Work with Fathers in DV Offender Programs invite professionals to participate in a live webinar on October 30, 2026, featuring nationally recognized expert Juan Carlos Areán, Ph.D.

Why Attend?

For many men who use intimate partner violence, fatherhood can be a powerful motivator for seeking help and making lasting changes. This workshop will examine how intervention programs can thoughtfully integrate parenting and fatherhood into their work while maintaining a strong focus on survivor safety, child well-being, and offender accountability.

Participants will gain practical strategies to:

• Describe the effects of domestic violence on children, parenting, co-parenting relationships, and fathers' ability to provide safe, nurturing care.             
• Explain how fatherhood can serve as a meaningful motivator for accountability and behavior change while maintaining a clear focus on survivor and child safety.              
• Identify opportunities to integrate parenting and fatherhood throughout DVIP’s curricula without minimizing abusive behavior or shifting responsibility onto survivors.        
• Apply practical engagement and facilitation strategies that help fathers examine the impact of their behavior on their children, strengthen empathy, and increase accountability.            
• Use child-centered and survivor-informed tools to support behavior change, including strategies that promote healthy parenting, emotional regulation, and repair where appropriate.     
• Develop approaches for collaborating with child welfare agencies, fatherhood programs, victim advocates, and other community partners to support coordinated, family-centered responses to domestic violence.

Learn from a National Leader

The conference presenter, Juan Carlos Areán, Ph.D., serves as Program Director with the Children and Youth Team at Futures Without Violence. For more than three decades, he has worked nationally and internationally to engage men in becoming better fathers, partners, and allies in efforts to end domestic violence and sexual assault.

His expertise brings a unique perspective on how fatherhood can be leveraged as a pathway to positive change without minimizing abuse or shifting responsibility away from those who have caused harm. 

Event Details

NCPAT Conference - Tools and Strategies to Work with Fathers in DV Offender Programs
📅 October 30, 2026
🕘 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET
💻 Live Webinar - REGISTER HERE

Whether you are a domestic violence intervention provider, counselor, social worker, advocate, or other professional working with individuals and families impacted by abuse, this workshop offers practical, actionable tools you can apply in your work immediately. 

Register Today

Join professionals from across North Carolina and beyond for this important learning opportunity and leave with new strategies to strengthen accountability, support safer families, and improve outcomes for children.

Register now: https://northwestahec.wakehealth.edu/courses-and-events/78973

MindBridge Behavioral Health Launches with Northwest AHEC Support

When pediatrician Dr. Gretchen Hoyle opened the doors of MindBridge Behavioral Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, it marked the culmination of a vision to improve access to behavioral health services for children, adolescents, and young adults in her community. Northwest Area Health Education Center (NWAHEC) leaders and staff joined community partners, healthcare professionals, and supporters at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, including Lara Dickerson, Practice Support Coach; Dr. Michael Lischke, Director of Northwest AHEC; and Brooke Kochanski, Marketing & Communications Specialist, celebrating an important milestone in expanding behavioral health care access across the region.

During her opening remarks, Dr. Hoyle described MindBridge as "the realization of a promise" she made to serve the community she has called home her entire life. A Winston-Salem native and pediatrician with more than two decades of experience caring for children and families, Dr. Hoyle has witnessed firsthand the challenges families face when trying to access behavioral health services.

As she explained:

"For me, this is not just the opening of a medical practice. It is the realization of a promise I made long ago to serve the community I call home. This community has given me so much. And now it is my turn to give back and help address a need that can no longer be ignored."

Throughout her career, Dr. Hoyle cared for children experiencing anxiety, ADHD, depression, trauma, behavioral concerns, and other mental health challenges. She repeatedly encountered parents searching for answers and support, often asking the same question:

"Where do we go for help?"

MindBridge Behavioral Health was created to answer that question by providing timely, family-centered behavioral health care that integrates medical care, behavioral health support, parent guidance, and school collaboration into one coordinated approach.

Turning Vision into Reality

To transform her vision into a sustainable practice model, Dr. Hoyle partnered with Northwest Area Health Education Center (NWAHEC) and Practice Support Coach Lara Dickerson during the planning and implementation of a Collaborative Care program.

Working alongside the MindBridge team, Northwest AHEC provided technical assistance and guidance in:

• Workflow design
• Documentation requirements
• Compliance and regulatory considerations
• Billing and reimbursement processes
• Quality improvement strategies
• Operational planning and implementation

The partnership helped establish a strong foundation for long-term success while ensuring the practice could effectively meet the growing behavioral health needs of children and families.

Reflecting on that support, Dr. Hoyle said:

"I truly don't believe we would have been able to build a successful Collaborative Care program without the guidance of the AHEC team. They were with us every step of the way, from workflow design and documentation to compliance, billing, quality improvement, and implementation. They didn't just teach us the model; they helped us build a sustainable program that works for our patients and our practice."

Transforming Care for Children and Families

The Collaborative Care model has fundamentally changed how behavioral health services are delivered within MindBridge.

According to Dr. Hoyle:

"Collaborative Care has completely changed the way I practice medicine. Families tell us they finally feel heard because we have the time and the team to truly understand what they're going through. Instead of trying to solve complex behavioral health challenges in a single office visit, we're able to provide ongoing support and follow-up that meets families where they are."

The model provides a structured, team-based approach that includes a Behavioral Health Care Manager, patient registry, measurement-based care, and psychiatric consultation. These resources allow providers to proactively support patients rather than simply responding to crises.

"As a pediatrician, one of the most rewarding aspects of Collaborative Care is having the resources to care for children the way they deserve. Our Behavioral Health Care Manager, patient registry, measurement-based care, and regular psychiatric consultation allow us to provide thoughtful, coordinated care instead of simply reacting to crises. It has transformed some of the most challenging visits into some of the most meaningful."

Improving the Family Experience

For families, the difference has been profound.

Rather than navigating a fragmented behavioral health system alone, parents and children receive continuous support from a coordinated care team.

As Dr. Hoyle explains:

"Our families frequently tell us that they feel like someone is finally walking alongside them instead of handing them a list of referrals and wishing them luck. That continuity and partnership are incredibly powerful, especially for children with anxiety, ADHD, depression, trauma, or other complex behavioral health needs."

The model also empowers providers to deliver the care they have long wanted to provide.

"Before Collaborative Care, many pediatric providers knew what our patients needed but simply didn't have the infrastructure to deliver it. Today, because of this model, we have extended visits, proactive follow-up, and a dedicated team working together on behalf of each child. It's made caring for children with behavioral health conditions not only more effective, but genuinely enjoyable."

Lasting Impact Through Partnership

Dr. Hoyle credits Northwest AHEC's ongoing support as a critical component of MindBridge's success.

"I'm incredibly grateful to the AHEC Collaborative Care team for believing in practices like ours. Their expertise, encouragement, and willingness to answer every question gave us the confidence to build something that has fundamentally improved the care we provide. The impact they've had extends far beyond our practice. It reaches every child and family we serve."

Today, MindBridge Behavioral Health stands as an example of how practice transformation, community partnership, and evidence-based care models can improve access to behavioral health services for children and adolescents.

Looking ahead, Dr. Hoyle believes Collaborative Care represents the future of pediatric behavioral health.

"Collaborative Care represents what pediatric behavioral health should look like: evidence-based, team-based, measurement-driven, and centered around families. Thanks to AHEC's leadership and mentorship, we've been able to create a program that is sustainable for our practice and life-changing for our patients."

Impact Summary

Through collaboration with Northwest AHEC, MindBridge Behavioral Health successfully:

• Implemented a sustainable Collaborative Care model
• Established integrated behavioral health services for children and adolescents
• Created coordinated workflows for behavioral health screening, treatment, and follow-up
• Improved access to behavioral health resources for families in the Winston-Salem community and surrounding areas
• Enhanced provider satisfaction and care team collaboration
• Strengthened long-term sustainability through quality improvement, compliance, and billing infrastructure

As Dr. Hoyle told attendees during the ribbon cutting, "The real work begins after the ribbon is cut." With a strong Collaborative Care foundation and ongoing community commitment, MindBridge Behavioral Health is helping ensure that children and families no longer have to ask where to go for help. Instead, they have a bridge to the care and support they need.

Learn more: MindBridge Behavioral Health was recently featured by WXLV ABC45 for its innovative approach to pediatric-led mental health care for youth: https://abc45.com/news/local/mindbridge-behavioral-health-opens-offering-pediatric-led-mental-health-care-for-youth

MindBridge Behavioral Health Launches with Northwest AHEC Support

When pediatrician Dr. Gretchen Hoyle opened the doors of MindBridge Behavioral Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, it marked the culmination of a vision to improve access to behavioral health services for children, adolescents, and young adults in her community. Northwest Area Health Education Center (NWAHEC) leaders and staff joined community partners, healthcare professionals, and supporters at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, including Lara Dickerson, Practice Support Coach; Dr. Michael Lischke, Director of Northwest AHEC; and Brooke Kochanski, Marketing & Communications Specialist, celebrating an important milestone in expanding behavioral health care access across the region.

During her opening remarks, Dr. Hoyle described MindBridge as "the realization of a promise" she made to serve the community she has called home her entire life. A Winston-Salem native and pediatrician with more than two decades of experience caring for children and families, Dr. Hoyle has witnessed firsthand the challenges families face when trying to access behavioral health services.

As she explained:

"For me, this is not just the opening of a medical practice. It is the realization of a promise I made long ago to serve the community I call home. This community has given me so much. And now it is my turn to give back and help address a need that can no longer be ignored."

Throughout her career, Dr. Hoyle cared for children experiencing anxiety, ADHD, depression, trauma, behavioral concerns, and other mental health challenges. She repeatedly encountered parents searching for answers and support, often asking the same question:

"Where do we go for help?"

MindBridge Behavioral Health was created to answer that question by providing timely, family-centered behavioral health care that integrates medical care, behavioral health support, parent guidance, and school collaboration into one coordinated approach.

Turning Vision into Reality

To transform her vision into a sustainable practice model, Dr. Hoyle partnered with Northwest Area Health Education Center (NWAHEC) and Practice Support Coach Lara Dickerson during the planning and implementation of a Collaborative Care program.

Working alongside the MindBridge team, Northwest AHEC provided technical assistance and guidance in:

• Workflow design
• Documentation requirements
• Compliance and regulatory considerations
• Billing and reimbursement processes
• Quality improvement strategies
• Operational planning and implementation

The partnership helped establish a strong foundation for long-term success while ensuring the practice could effectively meet the growing behavioral health needs of children and families.

Reflecting on that support, Dr. Hoyle said:

"I truly don't believe we would have been able to build a successful Collaborative Care program without the guidance of the AHEC team. They were with us every step of the way, from workflow design and documentation to compliance, billing, quality improvement, and implementation. They didn't just teach us the model; they helped us build a sustainable program that works for our patients and our practice."

Transforming Care for Children and Families

The Collaborative Care model has fundamentally changed how behavioral health services are delivered within MindBridge.

According to Dr. Hoyle:

"Collaborative Care has completely changed the way I practice medicine. Families tell us they finally feel heard because we have the time and the team to truly understand what they're going through. Instead of trying to solve complex behavioral health challenges in a single office visit, we're able to provide ongoing support and follow-up that meets families where they are."

The model provides a structured, team-based approach that includes a Behavioral Health Care Manager, patient registry, measurement-based care, and psychiatric consultation. These resources allow providers to proactively support patients rather than simply responding to crises.

"As a pediatrician, one of the most rewarding aspects of Collaborative Care is having the resources to care for children the way they deserve. Our Behavioral Health Care Manager, patient registry, measurement-based care, and regular psychiatric consultation allow us to provide thoughtful, coordinated care instead of simply reacting to crises. It has transformed some of the most challenging visits into some of the most meaningful."

Improving the Family Experience

For families, the difference has been profound.

Rather than navigating a fragmented behavioral health system alone, parents and children receive continuous support from a coordinated care team.

As Dr. Hoyle explains:

"Our families frequently tell us that they feel like someone is finally walking alongside them instead of handing them a list of referrals and wishing them luck. That continuity and partnership are incredibly powerful, especially for children with anxiety, ADHD, depression, trauma, or other complex behavioral health needs."

The model also empowers providers to deliver the care they have long wanted to provide.

"Before Collaborative Care, many pediatric providers knew what our patients needed but simply didn't have the infrastructure to deliver it. Today, because of this model, we have extended visits, proactive follow-up, and a dedicated team working together on behalf of each child. It's made caring for children with behavioral health conditions not only more effective, but genuinely enjoyable."

Lasting Impact Through Partnership

Dr. Hoyle credits Northwest AHEC's ongoing support as a critical component of MindBridge's success.

"I'm incredibly grateful to the AHEC Collaborative Care team for believing in practices like ours. Their expertise, encouragement, and willingness to answer every question gave us the confidence to build something that has fundamentally improved the care we provide. The impact they've had extends far beyond our practice. It reaches every child and family we serve."

Today, MindBridge Behavioral Health stands as an example of how practice transformation, community partnership, and evidence-based care models can improve access to behavioral health services for children and adolescents.

Looking ahead, Dr. Hoyle believes Collaborative Care represents the future of pediatric behavioral health.

"Collaborative Care represents what pediatric behavioral health should look like: evidence-based, team-based, measurement-driven, and centered around families. Thanks to AHEC's leadership and mentorship, we've been able to create a program that is sustainable for our practice and life-changing for our patients."

Impact Summary

Through collaboration with Northwest AHEC, MindBridge Behavioral Health successfully:

• Implemented a sustainable Collaborative Care model
• Established integrated behavioral health services for children and adolescents
• Created coordinated workflows for behavioral health screening, treatment, and follow-up
• Improved access to behavioral health resources for families in the Winston-Salem community and surrounding areas
• Enhanced provider satisfaction and care team collaboration
• Strengthened long-term sustainability through quality improvement, compliance, and billing infrastructure

As Dr. Hoyle told attendees during the ribbon cutting, "The real work begins after the ribbon is cut." With a strong Collaborative Care foundation and ongoing community commitment, MindBridge Behavioral Health is helping ensure that children and families no longer have to ask where to go for help. Instead, they have a bridge to the care and support they need.

Learn more: MindBridge Behavioral Health was recently featured by WXLV ABC45 for its innovative approach to pediatric-led mental health care for youth: https://abc45.com/news/local/mindbridge-behavioral-health-opens-offering-pediatric-led-mental-health-care-for-youth

From March 4–6, 2026, more than 200 participants came together to celebrate the conference’s 17th year under the theme “Rooted in Resilience: Reimagined through Change.” The event highlighted the strength, innovation, and collective voice of North Carolina’s recovery community.

Conference Highlights

This year’s conference featured a pre‑conference session on Emotional CPR (eCPR)—a public health education program designed to support individuals through emotional crises, strengthen community connections, and promote meaningful organizational change.

Participants also had the opportunity to engage in 16 breakout sessions, offering a wide range of perspectives, tools, and strategies to support recovery‑oriented systems of care across the state.

Keynote Speakers

Attendees were inspired by powerful keynote presentations from:

• Devin Lyall, Co‑Founding Executive Director of Wilkes Recovery Revolution, a peer‑run Recovery Community Organization serving Wilkes County, NC
• Robert Whitaker, acclaimed journalist and author of Mad in America and Anatomy of an Epidemic

Both speakers shared thought‑provoking insights that challenged participants to reimagine recovery through resilience, advocacy, and systems change.

Recovery Champion Award Recipients

The conference also honored outstanding leaders and advocates with the Recovery Champion Awards:

• Ulysses Banks – Eastern Region
• Jemm Eubanks – Central Region
• Brandi Greer – Western Region
• Emily Wall – Youth/Young Adult Voice Award

These individuals were recognized for their dedication, leadership, and lasting impact on recovery communities across North Carolina.

Save the Date

Please mark your calendars for the 18th Annual NC One Community in Recovery Conference, taking place March 10–12, 2027. We look forward to continuing this important work together.