Mark Shields is a licensed professional counselor and certified reciprocal advanced alcohol and drug counselor with 30 years of experience in the behavioral health field. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in counseling from the University of Missouri in 1981 and 1984, respectively. His post-graduate professional work experience includes: Inpatient psychiatric hospital-based substance use disorder treatment; Prison-based substance use disorder treatment; Halfway house services for offenders; Psychiatric day treatment; and Community-based outpatient substance use disorder and mental health counseling. For the past 15 years, Mr. Shields has served in various roles related to the statewide administration and oversight of community-based substance use disorder treatment and recovery services as a staff member of the Missouri Division of Behavioral Health. He is currently the project director for Missouri’s Access to Recovery (ATR) grant.

Presentation(s)

Humans of Behavioral Health: Real People – Real Ethics

Rajeev John has been working at Affinia healthcare, formerly Grace Hill Health Centers for the last 25 years. Rajeev currently heads the Adult Behavioral Health department and is a Behavioral Health Consultant. Rajeev played an integral role in the implementation of the primary care-behavioral health integration at Affinia. His career began at Grace Hill as a Medical Social Worker and moved on to directing the Homeless department and Special Populations. He has received extensive training in Mind-Body Medicine through the Center for Mind-Body Medicine and is a certified practitioner of Mind-Body Medicine. He has been applying these techniques for his patients for the last three years at Affinia Healthcare.  Rajeev together with Dr. Kernan, runs Mind-Body Skills Groups at Affinia on a regular basis.  Rajeev also volunteers at a Salvation Army homeless veteran’s facility, conducting Mind-Body Skills groups. He is a ‘trauma awareness ambassador’ for Alive and Well St. Louis and is also a Trauma informed care trainer.

Presentation(s)

Mind-Body Medicine in Behavioral Health and Primary Care Settings

Dr. Thomas Kuciejczyk-Kernan, a physician who has been working at Affinia Healthcare, formerly Grace Hill Health Centers for the past 27 years is board certified in both family and integrative medicine, with training in functional medicine.  He has worked for 30 years providing primary care in St. Louis’ urban core.  For the past 15 years, he has involved mind-body medicine in his care of patients, and serves on the faculty of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, which trains healthcare professionals around the country.  He teaches people mind-body self-care skills in individual as well as group visits in his community health center practice at Affinia Healthcare.

Presentation(s)

Mind-Body Medicine in Behavioral Health and Primary Care Settings

In her book, Sentenced to Life, you will see how Joan Becker’s family experience served as the catalyst for her to become an advocate and public speaker for individuals with mental illness. Her focus is to open the doors and promote change in our mental health system. Joan’s speaking includes colleges, churches, NAMI groups, high schools, communities, law enforcement, and mental health professionals. Joan’s story about Mark and their family experience of coping with Paranoid Schizophrenia will help all faces of mental health understand how they can make a difference in moving forward and improving our mental health system.

Presentation(s)

Mental Health Advocacy in the Community

Amanda Gregory, NCC, LPC specializes in adolescent mental health treatment. She has provided treatment for adolescents in residential and outpatient settings for over ten years. She is a published author who has appeared in Adoption Today, New Therapist, Psychology Tomorrow, and Better Mental Health Magazine. She has published Roll with Resistance: How One Therapist Connects with Teens which appeared in Holistic Parenting Magazine and Tackle Teen’s Resistance to Group Engagement which appeared in Addiction Professional Magazine. You can review her portfolio at amandagregorylpc.wordpress.com.

Presentation(s)

Strategic Interventions for Engaging Resistant Adolescents

Dr. Stearns is currently the Director of Assessment, Eligibility and Utilization Review for the Division of Developmental Disabilities for the state of Missouri. He is a licensed psychologist with over twenty-five years of professional experience in the fields of psychology and disability services, including service in private practice, private insurance and state government.  He hold Masters and Doctorate degrees from the University of Missouri.

Presentation(s)

Past, Present and Future Supports for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

Dr. Shelly Farnan is a licensed psychologist at Northwest Missouri Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center and the owner of Cultivate Psychological Services, LLC in Saint Joseph, Missouri. She is a 2009 graduate of The School of Professional Psychology at Forest Institute in Springfield, Missouri where she earned her Doctorate of Psychology in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Farnan began working with the LGBTQ population in 2007 and continues to specialize in working with, and on behalf of, LGBTQ people in the form of therapy, teaching, advocacy, becoming a trainer for the Missouri LGBT Health Access Training Network, and offering specialized trainings to organizations across the state. She remains up-to-date with literature and leaders in the field, acquires ongoing LGBTQ Continuing Education, and is working towards a specialty certification in Transgender Health through the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

Presentation(s)

Welcoming the LGBTQ population into your Professional Scope

Dr. Felix Vincenz is the Associate Director of the Missouri Institute of Mental Health at the University of Missouri. He also serves as the Chief Operating Officer of St. Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center, a state operated, long-term inpatient forensic hospital.  Dr. Vincenz worked in the Department of Mental Health for over 30 years, serving in various capacities, including Chief Executive of the State’s only Maximum Security Hospital, the Department’s Director of Facility Operations, and as the Chief Operating Officer of the Division of Behavioral Health.  He is a clinical psychologist by training.

Presentation(s)

Excellence Algorithm – Bringing Mental Health and Recovery Skills/Values into Key HR Decisions

Nina Chastain, MSW, LCSW provides services for emotionally dysregulated inpatient clients at St. Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center as a team leader in the New Outlook Program. Clients have numerous mental health diagnosis, but share a common difficulty: learning emotional regulation skills. Prior to working for the State, Nina was with St. Louis Center for Family Development as their Director of Outpatient Services where she assisted in developing and implementing treatment for clients using a variety of approaching including a comprehensive DBT program.  Nina has a private practice in St. Louis providing DBT and other therapy.

Presentation(s)

Report on Implementation of the Emotion Regulation Skills System for Cognitively Challenged Clients

Ms. Terri Cooley- Bennett is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (MO), a Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker (KS), and a Co-occurring Disorders Professional-Diplomate (MO). She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. She is experienced in homelessness, mental illness, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, trauma and poverty.  Ms. Cooley-Bennett is the Outreach Supervisor at Swope Health Services.  She has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of Kansas.  She speaks and has served on the board of the National Association of Social Workers (Missouri) and trained with the National NASW Office of Ethics and Professional Review.

Presentation(s)

Supervision and the Code of Ethics