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Millar, Kirsti, M.S.


Kirsti Millar is the Suicide Prevention Liaison at ReDiscover where she coordinates the Show Me Zero Youth Suicide Grant which serves clients ages 10-24. She has dynamic experience in crisis work and has utilized her creativity in program expansion and client engagement at ReDiscover for three years. She has five years in the field working with both adults and youth alike in therapeutic, case management and crisis like settings. She completed her master’s degree in counseling from Missouri State University with an emphasis in Play Therapy. Kirsti enjoys working with youth and has a passion for community engagement. Kirsti has extensive training across multiple modalities including: motivational interviewing, positive youth development, harm reduction, assessing and managing suicide risk, trauma informed care, vicarious trauma, EMDR and play therapy.


Presentation(s): 

Preventing Youth Suicide in Missouri: Effectiveness of a Hospital, School and Community Mental Health Center Collaboration in Kansas City




 

 

By

Smith, Ron, Ph.D., J.D.

A.B. – Biology/Philosophy, Drury College 1976 
M.S. – Guidance and Counseling, Southwest Missouri State University 1981 
Ph.D. – Counseling, Kansas State University 1989 
J.D. – University of Missouri School of Law 2001 

Employed as clinician at the Southwest Missouri State University counseling and testing center, and taught developmental and educational psychology courses after completing Ph.D. until entering law school in 1998. Upon graduation from law school, employed as an assistant attorney general for the State of Missouri until retirement in March 2020. Provided general counsel and litigation services to Missouri Department of Mental Health, Missouri Board of Pharmacy, State Committee of Psychologists, State Committee for Social Workers and State Committee for Professional Counselors. From 2006 until retirement, served as manager of Governmental Affairs Division mental health unit.

Presentation(s): 

When Your Consumer Needs A Guardian: Practical, Ethical, and Legal Aspects of Seeking Guardianship









 

 

By

White, Heather, BS


Heather White is a Case Manager with the Zero Youth Suicide Program working with adolescents and young adults ages 10-24. She has been working with the ZYS program since May of 2018. Heather has worked with at-risk youth and young adults in the Kansas City Metro area for over 20 years and is dedicated to building, supporting and encouraging her clients to obtain and maintain skills that allow them to create a healthy outlook on life and the future. Heather holds dual Bachelor’s Degrees in Psychology and Sociology (with an emphasis in Human Development and Family Studies) from the University of Missouri- Columbia.

Heather is very passionate about helping our society’s youth and young adults and believes as their lives are ever changing, the challenges that her clients face have become one of the most needed areas to provide mental health education and services.  She believes her greatest skill is to be a cheerleader to her clients as they navigate life, grow and develop into healthy adults.


Fun Facts: Heather is also an AFAA certified Group Fitness and Yoga Instructor and holds a CLC in lactation services. She is also an active member of her church as a Deacon and holds positions on multiple committees.

Presentation(s): 

Preventing Youth Suicide in Missouri: Effectiveness of a Hospital, School and Community Mental Health Center Collaboration in Kansas City






 

 

By

Morelan, Rachel, BA, MPA


Rachel Morelan works as the Team Lead for Rediscover’s Youth Suicide Prevention Team. She has over 10 years of experience in law enforcement, probation, victim advocacy and mental health. Rachel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology and a Master’s degree in Public Administration/Human Resources Management. In addition, she is currently working on a second Master’s degree in Social Work to eventually reach her goal of becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. 
Presentation(s): 
Preventing Youth Suicide in Missouri: Effectiveness of a Hospital, School and Community Mental Health Center Collaboration in Kansas City






 

 

By

Alvarado, Michelle, BSW

Michelle works as an Outreach Case Manager for the Suicide Prevention Team. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work at the University of Missouri, and additionally holds a minor in Spanish. Michelle is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Social Work at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Michelle has previous experience as an Investigator for the Department for Children and Families, and has volunteered for a domestic violence shelter, the Missouri Crisis Line, and the University of Kansas Medical Center as an interpreter.

Michelle is passionate about advocating for individuals in vulnerable populations. She is constantly learning about local resources to help provide a complete and well-rounded service to her clients. Michelle’s work in mental health has been very rewarding for her, as she has witnessed the positive impact Suicide Prevention has had on the families who need us most.



Presentation(s): 

Preventing Youth Suicide in Missouri: Effectiveness of a Hospital, School and Community Mental Health Center Collaboration in Kansas City


 

 

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Conquering the Generational Challenge: Creating a Harmonious and Productive Workplace

Speaker(s):

Keith Neuber, M.S.

Presentation:

Generational diversity is more pronounced in the workplace than at any other time in history. The challenge is in blending the distinct talents and potentials of Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z to create a productive, harmonious workplace.    The presentation examines factors which contribute to generational ideology and the potentials each generation bring to a work environment. The presentation will also explore the similarities in human dynamics which exist across generations and how these similarities can facilitate a common collaborative focus. With a refinement of standard business practices to accentuate individual strengths a diverse work force can become an inclusive, thriving enterprise.    


Objectives:

  1. Provide a framework for understanding generational differences and ideology
  2. Examine the impact of generational difference has on workplace productivity
  3. Identify human characteristics that are common to all generations and how they can be used to create collaboration   
  4. Provide a model that re-structures common business practices to maximize productivity through a shared perspective

Slides and Handouts:

NEUBER_Conquering the Generational Challenge

By

Best Practices for Working with Urban Girls with Challenging Attitudes

Speaker(s):

Angela Gray, MSW, EdS

Presentation:

Teen girls from urban backgrounds often display challenging attitudes as defense mechanisms to hide the pain or trauma that has impacted their lives. Girls in pain are often misunderstood as simply “trouble makers,” without unpacking the root causes of the behaviors.

This interactive workshop will provide a lens to better understand teen girls’ urban experience. We discuss both internal and external factors-including low self-esteem, depression and anxiety, bullying, and the pressures they absorb from social media, music videos, and explicit songs. The workshop includes lecture, role play, and group sharing to enhance participants’ skills to empower teen girls. 


Objectives:

1.   Define attitude and how it relates to teen girls from urban backgrounds   

2.   Explore how self-esteem impacts teen girls   

3.   Explore the correlation of stress and poverty affects teen girls   

4.   Explore negative self-talk and negative thinking of teen girls   

5.   Examine internal and external factors in today’s society  

6.   Explore the attitudes of professionals and how they could impact teen girls   

7.   Discuss strategies that administrators, social workers, and counselors can use to help teen girls

Slides and Handouts:

Click here to download program slides or copy and paste the link below.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uiWXOEfcD-s9jK0BbZxN_dmumw-HJAqJ/view?usp=sharing

Heart-of-the-MatterDownload

Ashley-Jessica-Monica-storyDownload

Download the slides as a PDF by Clicking Here, this is a very large file and may take some time to download depending on your connection speed.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18pGlAuJyXXL8O_DDYzXcpQusJfxzkicP/view?usp=sharing

By

Evans, Rhiannon, MS, BCBA, LBA

Rhiannon Evans is the Statewide Targeted Prevention Coordinator for the Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH). Rhiannon works on developing programs, systems, assessments, and trainings to help reduce crisis situations and support a better quality of life both for people served by DMH and for the staff working with them. Her areas of expertise are in effective supervision, data analysis, performance management, and behavior analysis. Rhiannon started with DMH in 2013 at Fulton State Hospital (FSH) as a Behavior Technician also working as a Behavior Analyst practicum student. She successfully worked both on individual behavior support plans as well as whole-systems approaches to reducing crisis situations and promoting positive behavior across the entire hospital. In 2018 Rhiannon began work as the Statewide Tiered Supports Coordinator for DMH where she further developed the Tiered Supports system by leading the ATSCs and collaborating with providers across the state. In 2019 Rhiannon was promoted to her current role. Rhiannon graduated from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology with an MS in Applied Behavior Analysis. She has over 14 years of supervisory experience and her research has centered on ways to sustain implementation of programs. 

Presentation(s): 

How to Increase Sustainability Without Magic in Psychiatric Facilities & Community Settings 

 

 

By

Ouellette, Brian, MA, LPC


 I’ve got 17 years total counseling experience, having started my counseling journey as a Missouri DYS Youth Specialist. I currently work for the Department of Veterans Affairs at the Springfield Vet Center in Springfield Missouri. I have been working with veterans with PTSD, as well as other dual disordered veterans since January of 2007, when I started working for the Veterans Administration as an Addictions Therapist. I began working for the vet center side of the VA in August of 2012, working as a Readjustment Counseling Therapist.

I received a Masters of Arts in Professional Counseling from Lindenwood University May of 2006, and I am currently working a doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision.  I am a Missouri Licensed Professional Counselor, a National Certified Counselor, and a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor. I’m in the process of becoming a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. In addition to my work with the Department of Veterans Affairs, I also worked as an after hours crisis counselor for Community Support Services for two years. 

Presentation(s): 

Moral Injury and The Development of PTSD




 

 

By

Reynolds, James, MD


Dr. Reynolds graduated a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Tennessee in 1986. He was a general and aerospace medicine physician in the Air Force before training in Psychiatry at Wright State University, and Forensic Psychiatry at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He trained in threat analysis and criminal profiling at the FBI Behavioral Sciences Unit. Board certified in General and Forensic Psychiatry, and a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, he has testified as an expert witness on more than 190 occasions in Military, Federal, and State courts. He joined Missouri DMH and the Northwest Missouri Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center in 1999, and has been the Medical Director of that facility since 2002. Dr. Reynolds has presented at forensic conferences in the U.S. and Europe, and teaches medical students and resident physicians from several universities in the U.S. and the United Kingdom.



Presentation(s): 

When Your Consumer Needs A Guardian: Practical, Ethical, and Legal Aspects of Seeking Guardianship