2025

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Recruiting Today – Creating Brand Promoters

Room: Windgate 62-63

Speaker(s): 

Spradling, Stacy, BBA

Description: 

For decades, the recruitment process has often been treated like an employer-centered transactions what I like to call an us vs. them mentality. Candidates are seen as commodities, as a means to an end, and the focus has been on finding the perfect fit for the job description. But in today’s rapidly evolving talent market, where the demand for skilled workers is at an all-time high, this approach just doesn’t cut it anymore.
We’re going to challenge the traditional mindset and begin to view candidates not as a separate entity or a “problem to solve,” but as partners in the success of our organizations people we want to build relationships with, just like we do with our customers or clients.

By doing so, we can begin making small, intentional changes that have a big impact not only on improving our hiring processes but on fostering loyalty and commitment from candidates who will one day become the very employees who help drive our companies forward.

Objectives

1. Identify areas in their recruiting process that do not serve to find the best candidates.
2. Identify areas in their recruiting process that are creating passive employees.
3. Utilize small changes to enhance a candidate’s brand loyalty.

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Upstream Youth Mapping

Room: Windgate 60-61

Speaker(s): 

Levely, Hannah, BS, MS

Description: 

Upstream Youth Mapping is a collaborative project between DMH, MBHC, the Office of State Courts Administrator, Children’s Division, the National Center for State Courts, and the Missouri Juvenile Justice Association. The project’s goals are to strengthen communities, prevent child maltreatment and out-of-home placement, reduce court involvement, and support safe and healthy families.

Whether your circuit has already held an Upstream Mapping or not, please join us to learn about the goals of Upstream, what Upstream data is showing so far, and how Upstream can help you engage with your local community.

Objectives

1. Define Upstream Youth Mapping and it’s goals.
2. Review Upstream Youth Mapping data (as of the time of presentation).
3. Describe how Upstream Youth Mapping helps engage the community in youth behavioral health.

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Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder Using a DBT Lens

Room: Paradise A

Speaker(s): 

Dreher, Emily, MEd, LPC, DBT-LBC

Description: 

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is often a misunderstood and stigmatized diagnosis.  This presentation will discuss symptoms and behaviors of BPD, explore the theories DBT clinicians use to understand the diagnosis, identify how DBT is an effective treatment for the diagnosis, and increase compassion and understanding for those who struggle with the diagnosis.

Objectives

1. Identify the symptoms and behaviors of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
2. Describe the theories and principles utilized in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) treatment to conceptualize BPD
3. Describe DBT and its effectiveness in treatment of BPD

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The Sequential Intercept Model – Keynote

Room: Paradise ABC

Speaker(s): 

Bader, Shannon, PhD, ABPP

Description: 

Dr. Bader will review the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) and its utility for understanding our complex mental health systems. She will also explain what occurs during a SIM mapping and the role that mental health professionals play in the larger system. Lastly, she will highlight the ways that all practitioners, from solo and small group practices to large mental health centers are integral to the stability and improvement of mental health treatment across Missouri.

Objectives

1. Identify the purpose of the Sequential Intercept Model
2. Describe the steps of a SIM mapping
3. List how a solo mental health practitioner could benefit and support a SIM mapping

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Keynote

Room

Speaker(s): 

Stanislaus, Angeline

Description: 

 

Objectives

 

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IECMH: Relational Foundations for Lifelong Health

Room: Windgate 62-63

Speaker(s): 

Hall, Alicia D, MEd, LPC, NCC, EdS, IECMH-E

Description: 

The foundation for lifelong health and well-being is centered around early relational health with safe, stable, and nurturing relationships they give rise to in an early childhood mental health early relational health emphasizes the importance of early relationships and child development. Early relational health (ERH) is a framework that emphasizes the importance of early relationships and experiences in a child’s healthy development.  By focusing on early relational health, providers and healthcare professionals can create a supportive environment that nurtures the growth and development of infants and young children, ultimately leading to healthier and more resilient individuals.

Objectives

1. Discuss early relationships are essential for building a strong foundation for lifelong growth and development
2. Use ERH principles to provide universal prevention strategies that promote healthy relationships
3. Offer targeted interventions to assess and support children’s development and protective factors

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Aggression, Violence, and Psychosis – Facts and Misconceptions

Room: Windgate 60-61

Speaker(s): 

Preston, Rebecca, PhD

Description: 

While most individuals with a psychotic disorder will never engage in aggressive or violent behavior, it is sometimes assumed individuals with a severe mental illness are likely to commit an aggressive or violent act. Aggressive behavior, defined as disruptive behavior that harms people physically and psychologically, can be manifested in multiple forms including physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility.
Although, violence risk is elevated in individuals experiencing first episode psychosis (FEP) compared to individuals in the later stages of psychotic illness and the general population, most individuals with psychotic disorder will not engage in aggressive or violent behavior. Myriad factors are implicated in the emergence of aggressive behavior in individuals experiencing psychosis such as personality traits, neurobiology, and the complex relationship with the surrounding environment (e.g., family, friends, socioeconomic status, parent’s economic and educational standing). Literature has shown that an interaction between temperament / personality traits (stable across time), increased family conflict, poor communication, low parental support, and early traumatic events negatively impacts overall development and leads to unfavorable outcomes such as externalizing behavior, delinquency/incarceration, depression, social anxiety, academic failure, and low quality of life.  Therefore, it is essential to understand the trajectories of behavior prior to, and following, the onset of FEP.  This understanding can help identify at-risk groups, inform treatment approaches, and reduce aggressive and violent behavior in individuals experiencing FEP.

Objectives

1. Identify the antecedents and risk factors associated with an increased risk for aggressive and violent behavior (e.g., neurobiological underpinnings/personality, environmental influences) in FEP
2. Discuss the constructs of irritability, anger, and aggression and how they relate to externalizing behaviors
3. Discuss short- and long-term outcomes associated with risk factors and maladaptive behaviors

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Realities of Guardianship and Conservatorship

Room: Paradise C

Speaker(s): 

Miller, Jaqueline, BSW

Boggs, Danielle, MSW

Madsen, Sam

Description: 

Being a Guardian and Conservator is not an easy task. We are faced with a lot of difficult decisions and situations on a daily basis for many individuals. We will discuss how we approach the individuals we serve regarding their situations, why we make the decisions we make, and the actions/consequences or our decisions. We will explain how other people’s roles in our individuals lives also impact how we make decisions.

In addition to the variety of decisions we make, we have other challenges and obstacles we face. We will unpack how we try to handle and possibly overcome some of these unique situations through some case studies. We will also dive into some of the amazing and rewarding experiences we have seen through the years of working with those in need and how we have been able to work on increasing independence and restoring rights of those we serve.

Objectives

1. Define the roles of Guardian and Conservator
2. Identify the struggles that Guardians and Conservators face
3. Describe ways of handling difficult decisions

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Show Me Peer Power: Missouri DMH’s Critical Incident Stress Management Network for the Workforce

Room: Paradise B

Speaker(s): 

Jones, Rachel, BS, MA, LPC

Adams, Alicia, MSW

Description: 

The interactive presentation gives an overview of the CISM Peer Network and engages participants in grounding techniques and a group debriefing simulation. The Missouri Department of Mental Health’s Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Peer Network program is made up of volunteer staff at each facility, satellite, and regional office across the state. CISM Peers have lived experience with critical incidents, trauma and personal or workplace stress. Peers provide employees emotional support, stress education, link to resources and help with adaptive functioning. This is achieved through confidential support, information, and resources. The presentation will model relaxation activity called grounding and simulate a 7-Phase CISM Debriefing technique designed to support employees after a shared traumatic incident with a goal of mitigation of the crisis response, assist in restoration of the group’s ability to function, and identify individuals who might need additional support.

Objectives

1. Discuss the structure, strategy and successes of the DMH CISM Peer Network to support co-workers experiencing trauma
2. Review self-care activities for caregivers
3. Discuss a 7-Phase CISM Debriefing simulation

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Public Health Approach to Firearm Suicide Prevention

Room

Speaker(s): 

Sorg, Shanna

Description: 

The Safer Homes Collaborative (SHC) is dedicated to tackling the urgent issue of firearm-related suicides through lethal means safety (LMS). Over the past seven years, SHC has navigated numerous challenges and achieved significant milestones in messaging, bridging research gaps, reducing stigma, fostering collaboration and partnerships, and securing ongoing funding. This workshop highlights the imperative for behavioral health professionals and community partners to integrate LMS strategies into their comprehensive suicide prevention efforts.

Objectives

1. Review the National and Missouri suicide prevention plans, including the focus on firearm suicide prevention

2. Discuss the four target audiences that Safer Homes Collaborative focuses on

3. Describe practical strategies and evidence-based approaches to integrate firearm suicide prevention into community health initiatives, ultimately contributing to a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention