Neal DeSha was raised in Quincy, Illinois, but has lived in Missouri for over 37 years. He has worked in Social Work for over 8 years and Corrections for over 13.  During these 13 years, he has spoken to thousands of incarcerated offenders about their relationships with their fathers.  He and his wife have been married for over 23 years and together have 2 adult sons and 1 teenage daughter.  He loves being a husband and father, and loves to hike/camp, canoe, hunt and shoot guns.

Presentation(s)

The High Costs of Fatherlessness

Brenden Christensen, MSW.-After earning his Masters in Social Work From St. Louis University, Brenden served as a Teen Outreach Program Specialist at Wyman Center Saint Louis. He has joined the team at MIMH as the Project Coordinator for Mental Health First Aid where he utilizes his expertise in community education to create awareness about mental health in the community.

Presentation(s)

Watch Your Language! Reducing Stigma by Recognizing the Power of Language

Rachel Taube, MSW, is the Project Director for Mental Health First Aid at the Missouri Institute of Mental Health at the University of Missouri- St. Louis. Rachel’s background in program evaluation and consultation coupled with her enthusiasm for teaching and public speaking pair nicely in the Mental Health First Aid program. Rachel is passionate about the impact of Mental Health First Aid and hopes that you will join the movement and help us to reach our goal of training one million people in Mental Health First Aid. Rachel has her Masters in Social Work from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis and has worked at MIMH for over 6 years.

Presentation(s)

Watch Your Language! Reducing Stigma by Recognizing the Power of Language

Rachel Winograd, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor at the Missouri Institute of Mental Health (MIMH) – University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL). Her clinical, research, and program development interests have revolved around alcohol and drug use, consequences, and treatment. Dr. Winograd is the Project Director of Missouri’s State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grant and the MIMH Principal Investigator of the Missouri Heroin-Opioid Prevention and Education (MO-HOPE) Project. Her primary focus is on expanding access to medication assisted treatment and harm reduction strategies for those most in need of evidence-based care for opioid use disorders in Missouri.

Presentation(s)

Missouri’s State Targeted Opiod Crisis Grant:  What We’re Doing and Why

Dr. Ehrke is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner who has been treating trauma survivors for over 20 years. Dr. Ehrke has worked extensively in residential treatment centers, intensive outpatient programs and private practice in Chicago and St. Louis. She specializes in treating trauma survivors with co-occuring substance abuse disorders, dissociative disorders, and eating disorders. She has also completed a post-graduate 3-year training program in Somatic Experiencing and is currently coordinating the Somatic Experiencing Professional Training in St. Louis.

Presentation(s)

Introduction to Somatic Experiencing: A Psychophysiological Approach to Resolving Trauma

Dr. David Tate is a clinical neuropsychologist trained at Brigham Young University (academic training) and Brown Medical School (clinical internship and post-doctoral training). He is heavily involved in medical imaging research used to examine a number of developmental, clinical, and medical disorders including traumatic brain injury and HIV. Dr. Tate has held faculty appointments at Brown University, Boston University, Harvard Medical School, and University of Texas Health Science Center. Dr. Tate has an active funded research program that explores the biological and cognitive benefits of cognitive rehabilitation treatments for service members with a traumatic brain injury. He also supports the Neuroimaging Core for the Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (CENC) which is a multicenter DoD/VA funded collaborative effort to study the long-term effects of mild traumatic brain injury among US service members and veterans. In addition, he has also begun working with researchers examining the imaging and cognitive effects that high altitude flying has on pilots working in decompressed environments. Specialties: Neuropsychology, Traumatic Brain Injury, Concussion, MRI Research Methods, HIV Infection, Neuropsychological Assessment

Presentation(s)

 Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans and Service Members

Robert is a counselor in Liberty, MO specializing in the treatment of Trauma, Addictions and Autism. Robert integrates mindfulness training into his treatment models in these areas to provide patients with the tools necessary for emotional regulation. Robert also produces the podcast, “Mindful Recovery”, available on all major podcasting platforms including iTunes. It provides psychoeducation about trauma and the brain in addition to teaching mindfulness techniques directed at helping individuals to self-regulate between therapy sessions. Robert lectures throughout the Kansas City area, Regionally and even nationally on autism and trauma.

Presentation(s)

The Integration of Mindfulness in the Treatment of Addictions, Trauma and Anxiety Disorders

Dr. Lee Ann McVay received her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in 2008. She is currently a licensed clinical psychologist at Fulton State Hospital, serving clients with serious mental illness, personality disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities who have a history of violent or sexual offending behaviors. Her research and clinical practice experiences include treatment evaluation for sex offenders with serious mental illness, applications of Dialectical Behavior Therapy to psychiatric patients with intellectual disabilities and co-morbid personality disorder, and assessing sexual risk and self-regulation.

Presentation(s)

Treating People with Intellectual Disabilities and Sex Offending Behavior

Dr. Sharon Robbins is the Director of Psychology at Fulton State Hospital. She is a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician™ and is a licensed psychologist. Dr. Robbins has a faculty appointment as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, at the University of Missouri – Columbia. She is a Board member of the Missouri Chapter of the American Association on Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities and a member of the NADD. She has presented nationally and published articles in the areas of intellectual disabilities, challenging behaviors, and sex offending behaviors.

Presentation(s)

Treating People with Intellectual Disabilities and Sex Offending Behavior

Lori Burk is the District 5 Probation and Parole Administrator. She has worked for the Board of Probation and Parole since 1991 and previously worked for three years with the Department of Social Services. Lori has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Missouri. She has been instrumental in securing services for offenders through close collaboration with community partners including treatment and recovery support providers. Her involvement with local coalitions resulted in strengthening of a unified reentry and recovery support coalition which meets monthly and organizes an annual conference with statewide reach.

Presentation(s)

Counselors and Probation Officers: Dancing or Wrestling? Tips for Collaborative Practice