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Schmitz, Sara, MEd, LPC

Sara Schmitz is the owner of Red Cardigan Counseling in Valley Park, MIssouri. Sara received her BA from Truman State University in 2003 and her M.Ed from the University of Missouri- St. Louis is 2009. Since that time she has worked in community mental health settings, including working with early intervention and substance abuse prevention, foster care, adoption, and out of home placements. After working in a group private practice for 5 years, Sara founded Red Cardigan Counseling in 2024. Sara has worked with children, adolescents, and young adults for her entire career. She has a focus on play therapy, and multiple trauma modalities, including EMDR and Trauma Informed Expressive Arts.

Presentation(s):

Why Are They Doing That? What Children Are Trying to Tell You 

 

 

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Special Considerations for Working with Children of Adoption

Speaker(s):

Sara Schmitz, MEd, LPC

Presentation:

Children who have been adopted face unique challenges. These challenges range from overcoming early life trauma to identity formation and logistical challenges regarding health history. Children adopted and brought to the United States from foreign countries can face even greater identity challenges and unanswered questions. Special considerations need to be given when treating a child of adoption. The child’s history of developmental trauma and early environment need to be considered when developing a framework, a treatment modality and/or a diagnosis. Identity development is an important stage of growth for all individuals. Children of adoption face these identity challenges, but with an added layer of uncertainty. This presentation will educate providers on the unique challenges faced by children of adoption, as well as provide a culturally competent lens through which to provide treatment.

Objectives:

  • Identify how trauma symptoms can mimic those of other psychiatric diagnoses
  • Identify the unique challenges faced by children who have been adopted
  • Describe the challenges that children adopted from other cultures can face

Slides and Handouts:

Schmitz_Adoption

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Cooper, Caroline, MS, CMPS

Caroline S. Cooper is a Certified Missouri Peer Specialist (CMPS). She has had many speaking opportunities to share her story on living with a mental illness including presenting at the Real Voices, Real Choices conference in August 2017. Caroline is also a published author. Her first book, “In This Corner: Battling Depression from Inside the Ring” is a faith-based workbook using the analogy of a boxing match. Caroline’s blog and video blog contain topics related to mental health. Caroline and her husband have been married for 34 years. They have four children and two grandchildren. For more information about Caroline and to access her blog and social media sites, please visit www.carolinescooper.com.

Presentation(s):

 

 

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Living with Mental Illness: Inspired by Life

Speaker(s):

Caroline Cooper, MS, CMPS

Presentation: “Living with Mental Illness: Inspired by Life” – Every person has the potential to inspire others. People who are challenged by the day-to-day effects of mental illness can impact others by demonstrating the importance of taking recovery seriously and persevering in difficult situations. This presentation includes the following elements: speaker testimony; resources for finding inspiration; and exercises to identify one’s strengths, challenges, and personal wellness/recovery activities. The presentation also includes tips for recognizing our ability to inspire and be inspired. Attendees will be given opportunities to practice tips and discuss presentation content in small groups.

Objectives:

  • Describe the positive contributions a mental health consumer can make to society and use this knowledge when providing services to consumers
  • Discuss how utilizing wellness/recovery tools can prepare an individual to inspire others
  • Present tips to inspire people to make better choices and live a full, productive life

Slides and Handouts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Kerby, Scott, MA, LPC

Scott Kerby, MA, LPC works full time as a Motivational Interviewing trainer, coder, and coach. Kerby is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) after completing the prestigious train the trainer program in Krakow, Poland in 2013. Kerby has over 8 years of experience as a dual diagnosis counselor and supervisor, as well as 12 years of previous experience working with students and their families as a student minister. He is a consultant for the Missouri Coalition for Behavioral Healthcare and the Mid-America Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC). Kerby has provided well over 500 hours of Motivational Interviewing training to a variety of helping professions and focuses on long-term skill development to fidelity. He does his best not to embarrass his wife while coaching their two sons.

Presentation(s):

 

 

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Motivational Interviewing in Groups

Speaker(s):

Scott Kerby, MA, LPC

Presentation: This presentation will provide an overview of Motivational Interviewing in treatment. Based on the book, “Motivational Interviewing in Groups” by Chris Wagner and Karen Ingersoll, this workshop will provide a brief overview of different ways MI is being incorporated into group sessions, from MI “infused” Cognitive Behavioral skills groups to those built entirely on the foundation of Motivational Interviewing skills. There will be demonstration and discussion of several specific MI group exercises so that participants can walk away with a few practical strategies to implement in their current practice.

Objectives:

  • Identify two primary ways that Motivational Interviewing is being utilized in group treatment
  • Discuss MI in a group role play scenario
  • Identify at least 3 ready-to-use MI strategies for group practice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Weghorst, Leasa, MEd, PLPC, RN

Leasa Weghorst, M. Ed., PLPC, RN, currently serves as Mental Wellness Counselor at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. She has experience working as a nurse in an acute surgical care setting and in hospice care with the terminally ill. She has also worked as a client services director for a non-profit maternity home. Leasa has a passion for preventative work and evidenced-based, non-pharmaceutical treatment strategies. She is married with 3 daughters and is an advocate for holistic wellness.

Presentation(s):

 

 

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Outside the Box: Incorporating evidence-based, non-pharmacological strategies in the clinical setting

Speaker(s):

Leasa Weghorst, MEd, PLPC, RN

Presentation: Since mental health is a vastly underfunded and often unsupported field of medicine, it is important for practitioners to be creative and think “outside the box,” when addressing clients’ mental health needs. This presentation focuses on alternative and supplemental strategies for treatment that are supported by evidenced-based research. Nutrition, physical activity, and other homeopathic remedies can have a significant impact on an individual’s well-being and can often be implemented affordably. Holistic strategies will be identified, examined, and considerations of implementation will be addressed.

Objectives:

  • Examine current challenges to the affordability of pharmacological interventions and briefly review some of the negative side effects
  • Increase awareness of alternative and supplemental strategies available for use, with mental health clients
  • Define strategies for implementing evidence-based holistic strategies into daily therapy sessions

Slides and Handouts: 

Weghorst_Outside the Box

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Effective Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment

Speaker(s):

Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC

Presentation: Addictions and mental illness overlap at the rate of 50 percent. Compared to clients with a single diagnosis, those with co-occurring disorders experience more relapses, arrests, hospitalizations, evictions, suicide attempts, and completed suicides. In this skill-building workshop, participants will be introduced to strategies to effectively work with clients with co-occurring disorders.

A partial list of topics includes: Challenges in Diagnosing a Dual Disorder; The 5 Hidden Psychiatric Disorders Common among Clients with Chemical Dependence; The New Person-centered Approach to Co-occurring Disorders Treatment; Evidence-based Approaches to Co-occurring Disorders Treatment; How to Address the 4 Psychiatric Disorders that Co-occur the Most Frequently with Chemical Dependence; and 10 Strategies for Helping Clients with Co-occurring Disorders Avoid Slipping through the Cracks.

Objectives:

  • List 7 challenges in assessing mental illness among chemically dependent clients and how to overcome them
  • Discuss 5 hidden psychiatric disorders common among clients with chemical dependence
  • Identify strategies for overcoming resistance when working with clients who have a co-occurring disorder
  • Reveal the 10 tenets of the new person-centered approach to co-occurring disorders treatment
  • Review 3 evidence-based approaches to co-occurring disorders treatment
  • Discuss treatment of 4 psychiatric disorders that co-occur with chemical dependent clients
  • Define 10 strategies to help clients with co-occurring disorders avoid slipping through the cracks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Effective Strategies, Tips and Considerations to Use When Providing Employment Services for People with Co-existing ID/DD and Mental Health Challenges

Speaker(s):

David Lynde, MSW, LICSW

Christine Powers, MSW, LICSW

Presentation: This session will provide an overview of some of the effective ways to provide employment services to people who have co-existing ID/DD and mental health challenges. Information regarding effective strategies and techniques for gathering and developing a working understanding of a person’s mental health challenges as they relate to e employment will be reviewed including ideas and considerations for working with staff who are providing mental health treatments to the person.

Objectives:

  • Describe some of the key areas to gather mental health information when working with people who have co-existing ID/DD and mental health challenges on employment
  • Identify different critical sources of mental health information regarding a person’s mental health symptoms and challenges when providing employment services
  • Identify strategic methods to understand and engage mental health treatment providers in supporting the person’s employment goals

Slides and Handouts:

Lynde_Sub_Use_employment.slides