MHRT – Mental Health Resource Team – Contact

The MKP USA Mental Health Resource Team (MHRT)
Guide for Certified NWTA Leaders and Community Leaders

The Mental Health Resource Team (MHRT) has been serving the ManKind Project since 2008 and continuously looking to improve and deliver our services. This guide will share how certified NWTA Leaders (and Co-Leaders) and those in Community/Center/Area Leadership roles can make use of what the MHRT has to offer.  We believe that this will create a safer and more powerful NWTA, as well as other MKP USA activities.

We ask that you identify qualified mental health professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers) in your local Communities and put them in touch with us.  Our vision and our goal is to have an MHRT resource in every MKP USA Community and have an MHRT team member pre-assigned to every NWTA.

The MHRT welcomes your input, questions, and concerns.  Our effectiveness has grown through men coming to us with situations and concerns that had not been considered.  Contact David Rose at mhrt@mkp.org> or at 301-502-1777.

1. This guide for Reviewing Physicians should be shared with any and all Reviewing Physicians as soon as they agree to serve in that role.  We recommend that the Guide be included in the Safety Protocol, and that all Certified NWTA leaders review it to understand how the Reviewing Physicians interact with the MHRT and how MHRT Reviewers assesses the behavioral health section of NWTA Readiness.
2. The MHRT acts in an advisory capacity, and the final decision for a man’s participation on the NWTA lies with the Leader Team.  Because of the MHRT member’s experience with talking about psychological issues, many NWTA Leaders/Co-Leaders have delegated the task of giving a man the rare “not now” to the MHRT man.  The MHRT man will ask how the Leader Team wants this handled when MHRT gets the referral.
3. We URGENTLY ask that referrals to the MHRT be made as early as possible. The requirement is that all NWTA Readiness Forms be submitted by the Tuesday 7pm ET the week of the NWTA.  If the form arrives late the Reviewing Physician may not have a chance to look at till after work Wednesday evening, and may not get word to the MHRT till Thursday.  (Several men with significant psychiatric histories have been contacted by MHRT on the way to the NWTA!!! ) Please remember that the Leader Covenants and Area Agreements state that no man may attend the NWTA without his readiness being reviewed – this attends to the safety of the man and others around him as well as the liability of MKP USA, the Areas and their leadership, and Certified NWTA Leaders.
4. Registered Sex Offenders (RSOs): If a man discloses this status, the first question to be asked is if the training site has a prohibition against RSOs.  If so, that is final, and the man must be directed to a training at another site without the prohibition.  (This applies to participants, staff, and MOS)  If the site has no such prohibition, the man should be referred to the MHRT for evaluation per the established protocol (click here).  If a man has been previously cleared, he will be told to acknowledge his status on the Readiness and to note that he has been cleared by the MHRT.  Obviously, only men who have been cleared will know to do this, and this will relieve them of repeated review.
5. If pre-NWTA interviews go into Psycho-Social questions, the interviewers should be instructed to notify the NWTA Leader Team of any significant concerns arising.  This caveat comes from a recent event where an interviewer had serious concerns about a man and told the Weekend Coordinator, who decided on his own to do nothing about it and did not notify the Leader Team.  The man had a difficult NWTA, which could have been avoided if MHRT had been involved. Often the MHRT will let the Leader Team know of a man’s vulnerabilities and these can then be worked with on the training.
6. The Reviewing Physician is not the only man who can refer a man for MHRT review.
7. With men now sitting in Circles before attending the NWTA, we may be aware of a man’s issues early on and can review him as soon as he registers for the training.
8. The MHRT is available to assist in emergency and non-emergency situations.  The MHRT has consulted on a variety of situations that include:
   1. Helping an I-group in the aftermath of a man’s suicide;
   2. Helping a staff in the aftermath of the death of a participant on the NWTA;
   3. Providing suicide prevention resources and training;
   4. Advising I-groups and Communities on working with (or around) a difficult man (“container buster”); this has included how to use various resources to ask a man to leave an I-group;
   5. Helping men in need of professional services locate and connect with qualified resources, inside or outside of the Project.
   6. Helping manage situations involving Mandatory Reporting of perpetrators of child or elder abuse, or of threats of harm to others.

Again, we ask that you look for qualified mental health professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers) in your local MKP USA Communities and put them in touch with us.  Our vision and our goal is to have an MHRT resource in every MKP Community and have an MHRT man pre-assigned to every NWTA.

The MHRT welcomes your input, questions, and concerns.  Our effectiveness has grown through men coming to us with situations and concerns that had not been considered.  Contact David Rose
at mhrt@mkp.org> or at 301-502-1777.

Mental Health Resource Team (MHRT) Guide for Reviewing Physicians

This guide will help Reviewing Physicians in an initial assessment of the behavioral health section of the NWTA Readiness Form.  We believe these questions will increase our ability to identify men who may have bipolar disorder, major depression, personality disorders, and other problems so that we can speak with them further.  Specifically:

• Questions 6, 7 and 8 address history and general symptoms; also check 4 (prescriptions) for psychotropic medications;
• Question 14 address suicide risk and risk to others;
• Question 24 asks about the man’s status on Sex Offender registry.  This item is an automatic trigger for referral to the MHRT;
• Questions 9-13 and 16 includes a variety of questions addressing mood and thought disorders, bipolar disorder, and major depression
• Questions 15 & 17 addresses trauma, PTSD, and military service that may involve trauma
• Questions 18-22 address substance abuse

It is NOT our intention to diagnose psychiatric or emotional illness.  Moreover, the existence of mental illness, emotional problems, or a substance abuse history does NOT necessarily mean a man shouldn’t attend the training.  In fact, if a man identifies these problems on the NWTA Readiness Form and is already receiving professional care, he may be an excellent candidate for the training.  On the other hand, a man who reports symptoms or conditions, and is not under the care of a professional may be at risk.  While relatively few men have had problems during or after the NWTA, some have, and it is part of our commitment to powerful and safe trainings to be as sure as possible that men are in good place to participate safely.

Guide to Assessing the Items of the Psycho-Social Section

1. Questions 6, 7 and 8 address issues of history and conditions, and should be assessed with reference to the time frames involved.   For example, if a hospitalization or suicide attempt  is significantly in the past (3 or more years) and the man indicates that there has been significant treatment  or other resolution of the crisis,  this would be less likely to call for further inquiry.
2. Positive response to Question 14 is more necessary to call for further inquiry unless the man specifically states that there has been no intention to action.  If there is any doubt about this, the record should be referred to the MHRT for follow-up.
3. As noted above, any man who acknowledges being on a sex offender registry should be referred to the MHRT.
4. Questions 9-17 should be assessed with reference to the time frames involved and the Detailed Responses.  If all symptoms are more than a year in the past, this would be less likely to call for further review. There is some overlap for the items regarding trauma/PTSD, but our intention is to pay special attention to those who have served.
5. Questions 18-22 are specific diagnostic criteria for alcohol and substance abuse.  If any of these are endorsed and the man is not in recovery or otherwise indicates that the substance use is being effectively addressed,  MHRT follow-up is indicated.

IMPORTANT!!!: The NWTA Readiness Form should be assessed as a whole, and even if most or all symptoms are in the past, the presence of numerous symptoms, diagnoses, conditions, or major psychotropic medications are indications for referral to the MHRT.  If you are not sure, please call David Rose, MHRT Chair, at 301-502-1777 or email at mhrt@mkp.org

It is VERY important to make the referral to the MHRT as soon as the need is determined.  It takes time to make contact with the man, and even more time to contact his therapist or psychiatrist if needed.  .

WHEN IN DOUBT, REFER TO THE MHRT FOR FURTHER REVIEW.