Elizabeth Sale, Ph.D is the Director of Evaluation and a research associate professor at the Missouri Institute of Mental Health at the University of Missouri – St. Louis. Dr. Sale has over twenty-five years of experience in evaluation with specific expertise in suicide and substance use prevention.   She has been the lead evaluator for four Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Youth Suicide Prevention Initiatives and has researched the effectiveness of several suicide prevention programs, including Question Persuade Refer (QPR) and Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM). She has led evaluations of several other SAMHSA grants including Systems of Care, Project LAUNCH, and Prescription Drug Overdose initiatives. She is published in several peer-reviewed journals including the American Journal of Community Psychology , the Journal of Primary Prevention, the American Journal on Drug and Alcohol Abuse and the Journal of Drug Education.

Presentation(s):

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

Leslie Wiss is the Director of Trauma Informed Services at Great Circle. Ms. Wiss is a compassionate therapist dedicated to the healing process of children and families and has taken that dedication to helping the helper become better equipped to serve their clients. Leslie has a Master of Arts in rehabilitation counseling from Maryville University, where she received the Faculty Award for Student Excellence. Leslie has over 10 years of experience in the social services field working with children and families of diverse backgrounds seeking support for a range of needs. Leading the efforts of Trauma Informed Care for Great Circle and having completed NMT Phase 2 of The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics as the Site Certification Coordinator, she brings a wealth of lessons learned around implementation in a large behavioral health agency.

Presentation(s):

The Neuroscience of Trauma and the 6 R’s of Effective Therapeutic Interventions

Keith Bishop MS, LCSW has over 35 years of experience working with youth in difficult circumstances. Mr. Bishop received his BA in psychology from Fort Lewis College in Durango Colorado and his MS in Psychology from Central Missouri State University. Mr. Bishop has been employed by Butterfield Youth Services, now Great Circle after a merger in 2015 for the past 30 years. He has held the positions of Clinical Therapist, Clinical Supervisor, Director of Treatment Services Director of Home and Community Based Services and Executive Director. He currently serves as a Clinical Training Specialist. Mr. Bishop has extensive experience as a trainer for direct care staff and clinical staff. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor for Missouri Valley College teaching the subjects of General Psychology and Human Sexuality. Mr. Bishop also has presented programs to various organizations, public schools and conferences. Mr. Bishop is trained as a Train the Trainer in The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics and has extensive experience working with traumatized children.

Presentation(s):

The Neuroscience of Trauma and the 6 R’s of Effective Therapeutic Interventions

After earning a bachelor’s, master’s, and specialist degree in school psychology from Northeast Louisiana University, Mardis “Marty” Dunham worked for several years as a school psychologist before enrolling at the University of Missouri-Columbia where he graduated in 1996 with a Ph.D. in school psychology. He is currently a professor, coordinator of the CoEHS assessment clinic, and the coordinator of the school psychology program at Murray State University where he has been employed since 1997. He is a certified school psychologist and a licensed psychologist and works with local schools, family court, and the department of vocational rehabilitation where he consults and provides evaluation services. He served on the GED disabilities advisory board in Washington DC for many years and is an accommodation application reviewer for Pearson. He is the associate editor for Psychology in the Schools and regularly conducts and publishes research in school psychology, education, and rehabilitation journals.

Presentation(s):

Best Practices in Providing Psychological Feedback to Consumers

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 holds Masters and Doctorate degrees from the University of Missouri.

Presentation(s):

Best Practices in Providing Psychological Feedback to Consumers