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Author: Megan Finnegan

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West, Damon

The only athlete in the history of the NCAA to receive a life sentence and parole out of prison with enough life left to tell the story, Damon West has made the most of his second chance. As an addict in long-term recovery, with a lifetime of parole, this former college quarterback has learned from his own mistakes, and the examples of others, that his program of recovery is paramount to everything else. He has dedicated his life to Servant Leadership and his “Coffee Bean” analogy, learned in prison, has become a mantra for kids, college athletes, addicts, and corporations alike.

“Rescued” by a Dallas SWAT team on July 30, 2008, he was finally forced into sobriety through incarceration. Behind bars, in an alien-world, he faced a terrible new reality and severe consequences for his criminal-addictive behavior. Stripped of everything in life, Damon was a blank slate. Sentenced to 65 years (Life) for Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity for dozens of burglaries he committed while hooked on meth, prison life began with a violent baptism-by-fire. Nothing in his privileged background, working in both Washington politics and at one of the largest Wall Street banks in the world, could have prepared him for the nightmares of a Texas maximum-security prison. It would be the wisdom of an elderly convict, the love of his family, a program of recovery and his faith that guided his path.

His acclimation to prison life and tales of survival on the life-sentence building in a maximum-security hell captivates audiences of all ages, genders, races, socio-economic classes and everyone in between.

Since his parole from that Texas maximum-security prison in November of 2015, he has shared his story with audiences ranging from the incarnated to students to the corporate world. His goal in every room is to reach that “one person” and find those who may be struggling with substance abuse or any other life-restricting obstacles. His story is sure to inspire and motivate those who hear it.

Damon’s message connects with audiences on a level rarely before seen, as evidenced by the lengthy and thought-provoking Q&A following each presentation. His ability to articulate his story is proof that sometimes they lock-up the right person.

He has appeared on nationally and globally televised shows. His memoir out in March of 2019, The Change Agent, is a true story about his turbulent childhood, becoming a star athlete, going from addiction to recovery and finding redemption.

“It is my hope that my story, my example, can show others they are capable of way more than they think. In order to stem the flow of pain in society, it is incumbent upon each of us, whether in life, in school or in business, to be like the coffee bean from my story.” – Damon West

Presentation(s): 

The Coffee Bean

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Keynote Address: The Coffee Bean

Speaker(s):

Damon West

Presentation Description: West’s presentation will center upon the theme that the ability to change our environments is within each of us; and, that for true progress to be made in this country, attitudes towards mental health and recovery must change.

Objectives:

  1. Describe The Coffee Bean (back story and applications)
  2. Share lessons learned in recovery
  3. Discuss ways to improve mental health and substance use in corrections (which is where many mental health and substance use patients reside, unfortunately)

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Schmidt, Nick, MA, MS

Nick Schmidt has an MA in Clinical Psychology and an MS in Gerontology, and is currently an advanced doctoral student in clinical psychology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.  He is a clinician at Community Psychological Service and teaches undergraduate courses in psychopathology and the psychology of death & dying.  His clinical and research interests are in mental health and aging, with special interests in issues related to cognitive impairment, caregiver mental health, and treatment for late-life depression.

Presentation(s): 

Psychotherapy and Behavioral Health Interventions with Older Adults

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Hanks, Rachel, MSW, LCSW, RPT

Rachel Hanks is a clinical social worker and therapist at the Therapeutic Preschool at FamilyForward. She previously had a career in performing and in writing. However, while living the “gig life”, she ended up doing support work at the St. Louis Arc, working closely with teenagers of all abilities. As Rachel continued on in her first careers, she found that she could not stay away from working directly with people to help navigate personal and system barriers towards success. In 2013, she was accepted to the graduate program at the School of Social Work at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. While at UMSL, Rachel was a graduate research assistant with Creating Whole Communities, looking at community-wide initiatives and policies that helped or hindered a neighborhood’s ability to thrive. She did practicums at Casa de Salud and the Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis. She also worked as a paraprofessional for Special School District of St. Louis County.

Upon graduating in 2016, Rachel came to work at the Therapeutic Preschool at Family Resource Center (now FamilyForward). The Therapeutic Preschool is an intensive program that provides holistic, non-medicated interventions for children with histories of complex, chronic trauma and aggressive, maladaptive behaviors. Using play therapy and guided by the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, Rachel provides individual and family therapy services. She advocates extensively for children in the foster care system and frequently provides psychoeducation to the children’s teams in order to help provide the best circumstances in which the child may thrive. She has received extensive play therapy training from the St. Louis Play Therapy Institute. She has also trained at the Theraplay Institute. Rachel believes that every child deserves to be understood, supported, and surrounded by unconditional positive regard.

Presentation(s): 

Lessons Learned: Effective Interventions & Support for Young Children with Trauma

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Lessons Learned: Effective Interventions & Support for Young Children with Trauma

Speaker(s):

Rachel Hanks, MSW, LCSW

Presentation: In 2016, the National Survey of Children’s Health reported that 46% of children under the age of 17 have experienced at least one traumatic event. A single traumatic event is understood to be inherently complex in the most stable of children. However, chronic stress and trauma during those crucial early years of brain development may adversely impact a child’s ability to function and self-regulate. Presenting behaviors of developmental trauma may include aggression, intolerable feelings of distress, attachment issues, developmental delays, dissociation, depression, and sensory processing issues. These issues increase a child’s risk factors for mental illness, poor health outcomes, lowered educational attainment, involvement in the criminal justice system, and can even lower their life expectancy.

When working with young children, it is important to understand the pervasiveness and complexities of these presenting issues in a variety of settings. The principles of play therapy, attachment, and brain development can help a child’s team and family better understand a child’s behavior. From the case management team to home to school, developmentally-appropriate interventions and support can help increase a young child’s ability to self-regulate, attach, heal, and even thrive.

Objectives:

  1. Identify the effects of chronic trauma and maltreatment on a young child’s development
  2. Explain the role attachment plays in self-regulation and development
  3. Identify and describe appropriate interventions for young children with high levels of dysregulation
  4. Discuss how to best support young children with trauma and their caregivers in a variety of settings

 

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Verble, Kelli, MSW, LMSW

Kelli Verble is a Unit Manager at Northwest Missouri Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center; she has been with the agency since fall 2016. Ms. Verble graduated with a Master of Social Work Administration and Advocacy in 2010, and has since been working in the mental health field, with specialty in crisis intervention. Ms. Verble is now beginning her clinical licensure with supervised practice that includes group and individual treatment in Dialectical Behavioral, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy treatment modalities, including Superhero Therapy. This year, Ms. Verble has obtained her RYT 200 Registered Yoga Teacher training certificate through the national Yoga Alliance. She teaches yoga to both employees and patients at NMPRC, health club members at a local gym, and a bi-monthly, collaborative themed Transformative Movement class taught to a darker, heavy metal soundtrack. Ms. Verble is an active member of the Kansas City Horror Club and the St. Joseph Astronomy Club; she dances and rides a vintage motorcycle.

Presentation(s): 

Superhero Therapy: Using ACT & Pop Culture in a Forensic Hospital

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Herrington, Gage, MA, LPC

Gage Herrington is a counselor at Northwest Missouri Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center, where he has been for over two years. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a master’s degree in mental health counseling. At NMPRC, he is a group facilitator for various evidence-based treatments, including DBT, Michael’s Game, Safe Offender Strategies, and Superhero Therapy, as well as providing individual therapy and offering staff trainings on trauma-informed care, LGBTQ+ competencies, and therapeutic communication. Mr. Herrington also moonlights as a photographer and a curler.

Presentation(s): 

Superhero Therapy: Using ACT & Pop Culture in a Forensic Hospital

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Superhero Therapy: Using ACT & Pop Culture in a Forensic Hospital

Speaker(s):

Gage Herrington, MA, LPC

Kelli Verble, MSW, LMSW

Presentation: This presentation will cover our experience of implementing a Superhero Therapy group in a forensic hospital setting. Superhero Therapy, created by Janina Scarlet, PhD., uses pop culture figures such as Superman or Harry Potter as a means of exploring concepts central to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy such as mindfulness and thought diffusion. It has been found to be effective in treating both trauma-related symptoms as well as an array of emotional disorders. We will also explore patient perceptions on this treatment, challenges faced, and our outcomes.

Objectives:

  1. Identify ways to incorporate heroic archetypes and pop-culture references in therapy
  2. Describe benefits of using cultural references to describe psychological concepts in therapy
  3. Discuss how creating an origin story can assist clients in identifying personal vulnerabilities and strengths.

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Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia

Speaker(s):

Umang Shah, MD

Presentation: Clozapine has been widely accepted as the most effective treatment for schizophrenia, refractory to other anti-psychotic drugs, which comprise of about 25% to 30% of patient population. However, a significant portion, 45 to 70%, of Clozapine-treated patients show a partial or inadequate response to treatment. There is scarcity of established evidence to guide clozapine-resistant psychosis in patients with schizophrenia. Several augmentation strategies including addition of another antipsychotic, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, antidepressants, and glutamatergic agents, have failed to demonstrate convincing efficacy. Some data suggested promising efficacy of adjunctive ECT, however its clinical application cannot be generalized. The treatment of this subgroup of patients remains a major challenge, with increased health care costs and poor quality of life for affected individuals. Loxapine, a mid-potency first generation anti-psychotic, which has serotonin antagonism at lower doses, could be an effective adjunctive treatment for such patients, based upon literature. This presentation cites one of such patients who showed significant clinical improvement on combination of Clozapine and Loxapine, as evident by Global Clinical Impression, BPRS scores, group attendance, and self-care.

Objectives:

  1. Identify treatment resistant schizophrenia
  2. Define the role of Clozapine in treatment resistant schizophrenia
  3. Provide current data on alternative treatments for the Clozapine resistant schizophrenia
  4. Describe efficacy of adjunctive Loxapine in Clozapine resistant schizophrenia

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Shah, Umang, MD

Umang Shah is a second-year psychiatry resident at University of Missouri Kansas City program. Shah was born and raised in Western part of India in multi-ethnic environment. Soon after graduation from medical school, Shah came to United States to purse a Master of Public Health, following a strong interest in the prevention aspect of medicine. Shah graduated from University of North Texas, Fort Worth, majoring in Epidemiology. Shah has worked at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and New York University Advanced Dementia Research Center, which provided an opportunity to flourish and strengthen Shah’s interest in psychiatry field. During this period, Shah was fortunate to collaborate with many experts for publications and presentations.

Presentation(s): 

Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia