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Learn about the mental health content specialist’s role in assisting system of care communities, background and experience, and contact information; frequently asked questions, requested information, and other technical assistance available from the TA Partnership.
- About the Mental Health Content Specialist
- Common Questions for the Mental Health Content Specialist
- Other Technical Assistance Available
About the Mental Health Content Specialist
Ken Martinez serves as the mental health content specialist for the Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health. He supports system of care grantee communities funded by the Center for Mental Health Services by sharing strategies and resources for addressing the mental health needs of children, youth, and families. In this role, Ken facilitates peer-to-peer networking, coordinates conference presentations and Webinars, and provides technical assistance and training. Ken is the lead for the Cultural Competence Action Team (CCAT) with the Technical Assistance Partnership.
Background and Experience
Ken has been a licensed clinical psychologist for 30 years and has worked in the behavioral health field in a variety of capacities, including: clinician, university faculty, state administrator, consultant, technical assistance provider, and volunteer. He is lead for the TA Partnership’s Cultural Competence Action Team, which published the Web-based document The Cultural and Linguistic Competence Implementation Guide, and several other cultural and linguistic competence-related products. Ken was the State Children’s Behavioral Health Director in New Mexico and has extensive experience in policy, administration, and program development. He is also Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. He was Chair of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), Children, Youth and Families Division, and is currently on the Board of Directors of the National Latino Behavioral Health Association and the National Alliance of Multi-Ethnic Behavioral Health Associations. He is a founding member of the National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health, a member of the Advisory Board for the Research and Training Center for Children’s Mental Health at the Florida Mental Health Institute, and a panelist on the Expert Advisory Panel for the Cultural Competence Center of Excellence at Nathan Kline Research Institute in New York State, as well being a member of several other advisory groups. He was on the 2004 and the 2008 planning committees for the Rosalynn Carter Annual Symposium on Mental Health at the Carter Center and is a member of the SAMHSA-sponsored Outcomes Roundtable for Children and Families.
Common questions for the Mental Health Content Specialist
- Evidence-Based Practices, Practice-Based Evidence, Community-Defined Evidence
- Screening vs. Assessment
- The Role of the Clinical Director
- Outreach and Engagement
- Answers to Frequently Asked Questions