No Talking, No Problem: Implementing Experiential Treatment for Children with Complex Trauma

Speaker(s)

Amanda Gregory, LPC, NCC

Objectives:

  • Identify children that have experienced complex trauma
  • Learn how complex trauma impacts brain development
  • Discover how children can benefit from experiential treatment
  • Learn a variety of specific simple experiential interventions to utilize with children with complex trauma.
  • Review four case studies of children with complex trauma who received experiential treatment.

 

 

Stigma: Its Impact on the Returning Veteran

Speaker(s)

Nathaniel Whiters, MS, LCMFT

Mark Johnson, MS

Lloyd Adams

Stigma: Its Impact on the Returning Veteran will have a Veteran’s personal experience, short videos and a power point presentation.

Objectives:

  • Understand the particular strategies used in the support of military personnel, persons experiencing trauma.
  • Understand Readjustment Counseling Services and its role in reintegrating Veterans back into society.
  • Understand experiences of combat and MST Veterans and their special needs for reintegration.
  • Understand the stigma associated with Veterans returning from combat.

Whiters Stigma Its Impact on the Veteran1D – Slides in PDF format

Why Individual Who Use Substances Have Increased Risk for Suicide

Speaker(s)

Rick Strait, MS, LPC, CRDAC

Heather Williams, BA, CCJP, MARS

Our presentation will cover: statistics associated with substance abuse/dependence and increased risk for suicide, factors that make this a high risk population.  We will also cover things that professionals, other staff, community members, family and friends can do to help recognize the warning signs of suicide and help provide appropriate support to help reduce the risk of suicide.

Impact of early life stress on brain structure and function

Speaker(s)

Rob Paul, PhD

The presentation will review the frequency of early life stress (adverse life events prior to age 18) among individuals from the general community and the impact of these experiences on brain integrity. Specific attention will be directed at dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) and the impact of HPA activity on systemic immune activation and the brain. Data will be presented that demonstrate an impact of ELS on brain structures that regulate emotion, and the impact of ELS on brain white matter microstructure. Variables that moderate the negative impact of ELS on brain integrity will be reviewed including age of onset, genetic predispositions, and environmental support. Treatment opportunities will be reviewed and key variables associated with long-term resiliency will be highlighted.
Learning Objectives:
1. Learn the biological foundation that links early life stress to suboptimal brain integrity.
2. Identify the brain networks impacted by early life stress, and the behavioral correlates related to these neurological alterations.
3. Learn the demographic and environmental factors that moderate outcomes and support resiliency

Slides in PDF format

Medical Imaging Research in Psychology and Psychiatry: A picture is worth a thousands words, but is it really telling you anything?

Speaker(s)

David Tate, PhD

Imaging studies meant to inform diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment utilize medical imaging methods that are often difficult to interpret and utilize in practical ways.  This training will improve the average clinicians ability to access this literature in an appropriately critical manner by providing clinical providers with basic skills and knowledge that will be useful in interpreting imaging research in psychological and psychiatric patient populations.  We will discuss types of imaging studies and basic imaging measures in the context of several important studies of psychiatric and psychological diagnosis such as PTSD, schizophrenia, traumatic brain injury, and drug addiction.
Learning Objectives:
1.  Attendees will understand and be able to define basic medical imaging methods and terms commonly used in the research literature.
2.  Attendees will be able to demonstrate these basic medical imaging methods and terms using current psychological and psychiatric research literature.
3.  Attendees will understand the basic biological information revealed with imaging methods in the context of depression, PTSD, schizophrenia, and drug addiction.

Slides in PDF format

The Impact of Parental Substance Use on Young Children and Teens

Speaker(s)

Megan Keller, MS

Substance use disorders have been found to affect the whole family, not just the person that is using or drinking. Children of an addicted parent are at much higher risk for addiction themselves. This presentation will bring more light onto how this is a family disease and, in particular, how young children and teens can be helped through their own recovery. Concepts that will be shared are Warning Signs, the 5 Cs, At-risk Kids, the Reaction Spiral, Effects of Stress, How Adults Can Help and the importance of a Safety Plan. This will be an interactive presentation utilizing worksheets, Power Point, and class participation.

Keller The Impact of Parental Substance Use on Young Children and Teens – Slides in PDF format

Evidence Based Intervention – Why Should I Bother?

Speaker(s)

Susan Depue, PhD

This presentation will begin with an overview of the various ways an intervention can be considered evidence based. It will also explore the benefits of choosing an evidenced based intervention (and a few challenges). Finally, we will review the NREPP list for things to consider when selecting an evidenced based program.

Expanding Behavioral Health Community Outreach: How Missouri’s Increased Collaboration with Law Enforcement, Courts and Emergency Departments Lead to a New Medicaid Waiver

Speaker(s)

Laura Heitmann, LCSW

Natalie Fornelli, MS

With the reduction in mental health inpatient bed-space, law enforcement and courts across the country have had to spend an increasingly large percentage of their time working with people who have complex mental health and/or substance use disorders, which law enforcement and courts are often ill-equipped to adequately serve. Emergency Departments (ED) have also become a revolving door for individuals with behavioral health disorders, whose inpatient stays could often be avoided with a connection to a treatment provider. In 2013, Governor Nixon’s initiative to Strengthen Missouri’s Mental Health System, created two programs (the Community Mental Health Liaisons (CMHL) and the Emergency Room Enhancement (ERE)) to address these problems. The CMHLs were created to be a “boundary spanner” between the mental health and the criminal justice systems. Likewise, ERE program was created to divert costly and unnecessary hospitalizations and to reduce ED use. These initiatives have led to stronger community partnerships, improved crisis systems, and more appropriate treatment for individuals with behavioral health disorders. This session will also explore how Missouri identified a care gap through these programs, and in turn, developed an application for an 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Waiver.

Active Listening Strategies in the Technology Age

Speaker(s)

Jeremy Lotz, LPC, NCC

Across professions, workers spend more time listening than reading, writing, & speaking combined. THIS, while the average untrained worker forgets more than 50% of what’s heard within 24 hours. Participants will discover why over 60% of Fortune 500 companies offer formal listening training to new employees. In this high energy & interactive seminar, participants will learn the 6 Strategies of Effective Listening, the 5 Barriers to Effective Listening, and will become able to take their work with mental health clients to a higher level!

Lotz Listening-MIMH-2016 – Slides in PDF format