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Author: Megan Finnegan

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Mallula, Kate, MPH, LMSW

Kate Mallula, MPH, LMSW is a Senior Project Manager with Mid-America Addiction Technology Transfer Center. She has over eight years of experience working with clients experiencing domestic violence, SUD, complex trauma, child welfare involvement, immigration, and homelessness. Mallula’s focus on improving maternal and child well-being across the life-course stems from her work as a hospital-based domestic violence program coordinator where she supported women and families recovering from the health impacts of DV/IPV. She has had numerous opportunities to use both data, and clients’ lived experiences, to design programs and deliver clinical services that are trauma-informed and culturally-responsive. This background continues to inform Mallula’s approach to program planning and evaluation in the SUD field.

Presentation(s): 

Considering Culture & Self: Provider Bias & Cultural Influences in Mental Health & SUD Setting

More than Physical: Substance Use & Mental Health Coercion in Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence

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Brown Girl T/Drauma: Women of Color & Trauma Today

Speaker(s):

Gladys Smith, PsyD, MEd, MHs

Presentation: The presentation will increase your knowledge and awareness about the link between historical and intergenerational trauma, and the current challenges for women of color. The presenter will discuss culturally-sensitive, trauma-informed practices you can use with your clients in individual and group sessions. The purpose is to have a transparent, informative discussion about the status of Women of Color in our offices, our treatment centers and in our communities.

Objectives:

  1. Describe the link between historical trauma and the challenges faced today by Women of Color
  2. Identify culturally-sensitive, trauma-informed practices with individuals and communities
  3. Recognize and discuss your own conscious and unconscious perceptions that could interfere with treatment
Smith_Gladys_Cultural TraumaDownload
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Understanding the Impact of Racial Trauma

Speaker(s):

Gladys Smith, PsyD, MEd, MHs

Presentation: This workshop explores the effects of racism and race-based traumatic stressors on the mental, emotional, and relational well-being of minority populations. The workshop will include clinical and community techniques to assess, address and treat symptoms of race-based trauma. The practices of selfcare, community circles, and emotional emancipation circles will be discussed and taught as a tool to address race-based trauma.

Objectives:

  1. Identify race-based traumatic stress injuries and trauma
  2. Identify the symptomology related to racism and racial trauma
  3. Develop three effective skills for addressing symptoms related to racial trauma
  4. Implement two strategies for revealing and addressing trauma
Smith_Gladys_Cultural TraumaDownload
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Smith, Gladys, PsyD, MEd, MHs

Dr. Smith is a Trauma therapist and Sexual Violence Advocate at Washington University School of Medicine. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Master Addiction Counselor, and Registered Yoga Teacher. She also teaches mindfulness, Thai Chi, and Compassion Fatigue. Gladys teaches yoga at the St. Louis, VA hospital, Sumner high School, and serves as a clinician on the St. Louis Gun De=escalation team. She has achieved a PsyD from Calsouthern University, Masters of Education from the University of Missouri, Master of Health Science from Washington University, St. Louis, and a B.S from SIU Carbondale in Healthcare Management. Dr. Smith retired from the United States Navy with 27 years of service as a Hospital Corpsman Chief Petty Officer.

Presentation(s): 

Understanding the Impact of Racial Trauma

Brown Girl T/Drauma: Women of Color & Trauma Today

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High Conflict Couples Therapy

Speaker(s):

Angela Skurtu, MEd, LMFT

Presentation: In this presentation, Skurtu offers specific tools clinicians can use when couples are in high crisis and high conflict. Many clinicians have never been given any tools for how to address conflict in the moment. Clients come in fighting about a variety of issues and clinicians can feel overwhelmed by their chaotic presentation. However, helpful couples therapy cannot take place if a couple is too emotionally dysregulated. If clinicians don’t find ways to bring the crisis down, they often lose the client and the potential to help. Skurtu will describe specific interventions that can be used to help couples calm down both in sessions and outside of sessions. Skurtu will also describe case by case scenarios for how to organize sessions. Finally, she will offer some best practices for worst case scenarios including cases where Intimate Partner Violence may be present. This will be presented from a systemic perspective but will also include some elements of emotion regulation from DBT. 

Objectives:

  1. Develop tools for reducing client conflict in sessions
  2. Understand how to use systemic models to address couples’ problems as a unit
  3. Identify at least 3 interventions clinicians can use the next day in therapy
  4. Evaluate when to incorporate a crisis plan for situations such as Intimate Partner Violence

Skurtu_Handout_15 Fair Fighting RulesDownload
Skurtu_Handout2_ValidationsDownload
Skurtu_Handout3_NegotiationConflictStylesDownload
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Skurtu, Angela, MEd, LMFT

Angela Skurtu is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist. She is also an approved AASECT CEU provider. Skurtu is a national and keynote speaker and author of 2 books, “Helping Couples Overcome Infidelity: A Therapist’s Manual,” and “Pre-Marital Counseling: A Guide for Clinicians.” She also has her own YouTube Channel and podcast at www.aboutsexpodcast.com where she offers free information about healthy relationships and sexuality. Finally, she offers webinars monthly on various sexual health issues for clinicians who would like to receive CEUs for their AASECT Certification.

Presentation(s): 

High Conflict Couples Therapy

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Darkness to Light; Stewards of Children, Part II

Speaker(s):

Tara Brace, BA

Annie Wilson, BS

Presentation: Stewards of Children is a prevention training that teaches adults how to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. The program is designed for organizations that serve youth and for individuals concerned about the safety of children. It is the only nationally distributed, evidence-informed program proven to increase knowledge, improve attitudes, and change child protective behaviors. The training is typically a 2-hour training; however, for the Spring Training Institute, the training will be broken in to two parts, a Part I, 60-minute Super Session and a Part II, 90-minute Breakout Session. This training will teach participants the five steps in preventing child sexual abuse. Participants also receive a free workbook.

Objectives:

  1. INCREASE AWARENESS of the prevalence, consequences, and circumstances of child sexual abuse
  2. Develop NEW SKILLS to help adults prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse
  3. Discuss POSITIVE CHANGE to organizational policies and procedures
  4. Describe INDIVIDUAL EMPOWERMENT through an understanding of personal responsibility and actionable ways to make a difference
  5. Discuss the Five Steps to Protecting Our Children

Brace_HandoutDownload
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Darkness to Light; Stewards of Children, Part I

Speaker(s):

Tara Brace, BA

Annie Wilson, BS

Presentation: Stewards of Children is a prevention training that teaches adults how to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. The program is designed for organizations that serve youth and for individuals concerned about the safety of children. It is the only nationally distributed, evidence-informed program proven to increase knowledge, improve attitudes, and change child protective behaviors. The training is typically a 2-hour training; however, for the Spring Training Institute, the training will be broken in to two parts, a Part I, 60-minute Super Session and a Part II, 90-minute Breakout Session. This training will teach participants the five steps in preventing child sexual abuse. Participants also receive a free workbook.

Objectives:

  1. INCREASE AWARENESS of the prevalence, consequences, and circumstances of child sexual abuse
  2. Develop NEW SKILLS to help adults prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse
  3. Discuss POSITIVE CHANGE to organizational policies and procedures
  4. Describe INDIVIDUAL EMPOWERMENT through an understanding of personal responsibility and actionable ways to make a difference
  5. Discuss the Five Steps to Protecting Our Children

Brace_HandoutDownload
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Wilson, Annie, BS

Annie Wilson is the Prevention Manager at Missouri KidsFirst, the state chapter for Missouri’s Child Advocacy Centers and the state chapter for Prevent Child Abuse America. Annie is an authorized Darkness to Light Instructor and Facilitator of the Stewards of Children child sexual abuse prevention training, and an experienced trainer on multiple topics related to child abuse and neglect. Annie also chairs the Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Abuse of Children and helps lead multiple state-wide efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect. Annie is a proud wife and Mom to three active boys, so you can most often catch her running from one sports activity to another!

Presentation(s): 

Darkness to Light; Stewards of Children, Part I

Darkness to Light; Stewards of Children, Part II

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Brace, Tara, BA

Tara Brace has worked with children and families for 20 years while teaching preschool in a private daycare and Head Start environment. Brace worked in Senior Management with families who have children with disabilities. She then moved her career to Social Services where she was an investigator that investigated child abuse and neglect hotlines. She also worked case management with Social Services, which included working with families whose children were placed in foster care and helping those families locate services and reach goals so they could be reunited with their children. She has had several successful adoption and guardianships. She currently works for Kids Harbor in Osage Beach. She started there in July 2018 when her and her husband moved to the lake area from Sedalia. Brace is the community outreach coordinator working with schools, churches, daycares and any other organizations that work with children. She promotes the prevention program, which educates adults on how to recognize the signs of child sexual abuse. In January 2019, Brace also started a curriculum that works with children in the classroom on how to keep their bodies safe and when to tell a trusted adult when they do not feel safe.

Presentation(s): 

Darkness to Light; Stewards of Children, Part I

Darkness to Light; Stewards of Children, Part II