Craghead, Levi, MD, MPH

Levi Craghead is a 4th-year Psychiatry resident physician at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). He received a Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health before completing medical school at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Throughout his graduate medical education training with UMKC Psychiatry, Dr. Craghead has worked with a variety of patients at the Center for Behavioral Medicine and University Health – Truman Medical Center. Academic works encompass management of substance use disorders and public health policy.

Presentation(s):

The State of Cannabis – 2025 

 

 

Theison, Larissa, MSW, LCSW, LSCSW

Larissa Theison, MSW, LCSW, LSCSW, holds a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Over the years, Larissa has received extensive training and experience in evidence-based therapies such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Larissa has worked in both long- and short-term treatment environments.
Drawing on both lived and professional experiences, Larissa wrote and published a workbook titled Securing Serenity: Surviving a Loved One’s Addiction, aimed at helping those who love someone struggling with addiction.

Presentation(s):

Supporting Clients Impacted by Loved One’s Addiction: Developing Clinical Skills, Strategies, and Compassionate Care 

 

 

Cannon, Valerie, BS, MS

Valerie Cannon is currently in the Human Development and Family Sciences M.S. program at the University of Central Missouri. She previously obtained her B.S. degree in HDFS from UCM as well and spent a semester studying abroad in Denmark. Valerie has a background in early childhood education and was previously an early childhood program director in Overland Park, Kansas. At the moment, Valerie is a social worker for KVC Health Systems and thoroughly enjoys her work. Additionally, Valerie has experience with CITI training and has research interests pertaining to the social work field.

Presentation(s):

PACEs: How Protective and Compensatory Experiences Influence ACEs 

 

 

Rongey, Kori, BSCS, MSWc

Kori Rongey holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies and is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work at Park University. She is interning at the Samaritan Counseling Center in St. Joseph, Missouri, where she works with clients of all ages and facilitates a monthly grief support group for teenagers. With a passion for trauma-informed care and youth mental health, she focuses her work on helping children and adolescents navigate emotional regulation, grief, and behavioral challenges. Drawing from both clinical training and her lived experience as a mother of five daughters, Kori brings a unique blend of empathy, insight, and creativity to therapeutic work. Her approach emphasizes practical, compassionate strategies that meet young clients where they are and promote lasting resilience.
Kori joins Dr. Moran to co-present on the impact of trauma on the brain, how to foster trauma-informed practices that support emotional regulation, and how to implement tiered interventions to address disruptive behaviors in youth.

Presentation(s):

Navigating Trauma: Understanding the Brain and Building Supportive Strategies for Emotional and Behavioral Growth 

 

 

Moran, Ricki, DSW, LCSW

Ricki L. Moran, DSW, LCSW, is an Assistant Professor at Park University and a licensed mental health professional specializing in behavioral and therapeutic interventions for children and families through her private practice, Bright Solutions. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), a Certified Play Therapist, and is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Dr. Moran earned her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Park University, her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Missouri–Kansas City, and her Doctorate in Social Work from the University of St. Thomas. She is also the co-author of a chapter in The Art of Becoming Indispensable: What School Social Workers Need to Know in Their First Three Years of Practice, which was honored with the SSWAA 2022 Book Award.
Her professional focus includes supporting children who have experienced trauma, promoting self-care practices for professionals, and using Child-Centered Play Therapy to foster healing and resilience. Dr. Moran has delivered trainings and presentations on topics such as self-care, emotional and physical safety, suicide prevention, and cultivating compassion without fatigue.

Presentation(s):

Navigating Trauma: Understanding the Brain and Building Supportive Strategies for Emotional and Behavioral Growth 

 

 

Karim, Ahmed, MD

Dr. Ahmed Karim is a Psychiatry resident at UMKC, dedicated to advancing mental health care through evidence-based practices. His clinical interests include psychopharmacology, psychotherapy and innovative treatments like Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT).
Before residency, Dr. Karim worked with Medecins Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders), where he provided critical medical care to refugees and addressed complex mental health challenges, including PTSD and stress-related disorders.
Dr. Ahmed Karim presenting on “Schizotypal Disorder: Management Challenges with Clozapine-Induced Myocarditis,” highlighting the complexities of treating schizotypal disorder and addressing rare but serious medication-related complications.

Presentation(s):

Schizotypal Disorder: Management Challenges with “Clozapine-Induced Myocarditis” 

 

 

Doherty, Stephen, MEd, LPC, CRADC, CCJP

Steve Doherty is a Senior Regional Director for Gateway Foundation Inc., a national not-for profit, where he provides clinical and administrative oversight of substance use and reentry program operations contracted with state criminal justice and mental health agencies in the community and in correctional institutions in five states. Steve has worked in the field of Behavioral Health treatment for over 35 years, most of which providing oversight of behavioral health, reentry and community services to persons who are criminal justice involved. Steve has been an adjunct faculty member at Missouri Baptist University and Washington University’s Brown School of Social Work in St. Louis Missouri, teaching graduate and undergraduate counseling and substance use disordercourses. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Master of Education degree in Counseling from Stephen F. Austin State University. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Reciprocal Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor and Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Professional.

Presentation(s):

Strategies for Optimizing Client Relationships and Self-Management 

 

 

Throckmorton, Stacey, BS, MEd

Stacey is a physical education teacher at Hickman High School in Columbia, MO. Stacey teaches yoga & mindfulness as well as other elective physical education courses. She is a 200 level registered yoga instructor (RYT). She is currently pursuing her sound healer certificate and 300 level trauma informed yoga.

Presentation(s):

Tools for Trauma: Mindful Activities for Youth