Continuing Education and Outreach

• 10-Minute Kink Release
• 30-Minute All-Levels Energizing
• 45-Minute Vinyasa Flow (Beginner)
• 60-Minute Rejuvenating Flow (All Levels)
  

Building a Culture of Mental Health

Keynote: Lorenzo Lewis, Visionary and CEO, The Confess Project, Little Rock, Ark.

Boys and men of color are systematically oppressed by white supremacy and toxic masculinity. Most marginalized communities are not equipped to provide mental health support to Black and Brown boys and men. Against this context, minority boys face an elevated risk of suffering the consequences of untreated trauma. Mental health is a social justice issue that needs more attention. It is long overdue that a culture of mental health exists to empower and uplift Black and Brown boys and men.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Examine how existing mental health models inadequately support minority mental health across Black and Brown communities. 
2. Discuss The Confess Project and how innovative approaches like it are necessary to build a culture of mental health in minority communities.
3. Identify obstacles to building a culture of mental health and possible ways to overcome these obstacles.
   

Born in jail to an incarcerated mother, Lorenzo struggled with depression, anxiety, and anger throughout his youth, to the point of being at-risk for re-entering the system. From this, Lorenzo grew The Confess Project, an initiative that confronts the stigma around mental health for men of color. Lorenzo’s project takes a two-sided approach, researching the issues within the individual and within society. Lorenzo’s life story and his life’s work give him a unique perspective on behavioral health and the social science issues surrounding the black male identity.

#1  Ethics, Boundaries, and the Law - Part 1 of 3

Presenter: David Mays, M.D., Ph.D., Forensic Psychiatrist, Mount Horeb, Wis.

This three-part workshop will present aspects of ethics and boundaries that are particularly relevant to mental health/substance abuse professionals. The focus will be how the law, professional standards, and thinking on ethics complement and contradict each other.

*This is a three-part workshop.  You must also attend Sessions 22 and 35 to receive credit.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the basic components of informed consent, confidentiality, and the right to refuse treatment.
2. Be able to discuss how conscience clauses may conflict with professional codes of ethics.
3. Know the history of the duty to protect and Wisconsin law regarding a Tarasoff duty.
4. Be able to assess themselves for risk of boundary crossing.
5. Be able to ask clearly for consultation when an ethical dilemma arises at work.

#2  Cancelled

#3  SPF Up Your Prevention Planning: Successful Approaches From Virginia and Colorado

Presenters: Kate Rifken, M.S., Research Manager, OMNI Institute, Denver, Colo.; Jason Wheeler, Ph.D., Researcher, OMNI Institute, Ridgefield, Wash.; and T. Schweimler, M.A., Researcher, OMNI Institute, Denver, Colo.

Prevention specialists do important work in our communities – and evaluation can strengthen those efforts by being intentional and thoughtful. Utilizing SAMHSA's Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) can increase the success of prevention services and help organizations adapt to changing environments and communities.  The SPF helps us to understand what issues are important in the community and, more importantly, what issues the community is ready to address. This helps to move our prevention planning and implementation work forward. Focusing on the SPF steps of assessment, capacity, planning, and evaluation, staff will provide real-life examples from their work with Virginia and Colorado. This will include discussing how organizations and coalitions assessed their communities' needs and readiness, strengthened core supports, and told the story of their impact through evaluation. Implementing the SPF also allowed for many agencies to better serve traditionally marginalized communities and approach their prevention work from an equity lens.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will receive tangible, adaptable tools for planning and evaluating community work, for example, coalition capacity assessment.
2. Participants will learn how to create evaluation roadmaps and implement the SPF model.
3. Participants will learn the importance of getting different stakeholders involved (ex. directors, community members, policymakers, etc.).

#4  Supervision of Peer Specialist by Non-Peers

Presenter: Jason Chapman, Program Coordinator, Cognitive Behavioral, Trauma-Informed, and Peer Support Programming, JusticePoint, Milwaukee, Wis.

Supervision of Peer Support Specialists presents unique challenges to both the supervisor and the organization. These challenges are often made more difficult because of frequent disconnects and misunderstandings between peer staff and non-peer staff. This workshop will examine the role of peer support staff within an agency and review best practices for supervising peer staff.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will understand the implications of philosophical differences between the traditional helping professions the professional peer movement.
2. Participants will identify which roles are appropriate for a peer support specialist.
3. Participants will review best practices for both supervision and quality assurance of peer support staff.

#5  Language Challenges in Mental Health and Substance Use

Presenter: Denise Johnson, BSW,  Wisconsin Statewide Project Coordinator SUD/MH Services for people who are Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing, Independence First, Milwaukee, Wis. 

Learn about the latest research on language deprivation and the lasting impact it can have on mental health and substance use in adults. Gain Tools and information on how to identify consumers who may fall in the gap, lacking access to effective services. Find out how you can help stem the ever-widening disparity in services for people who are Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be exposed to different dynamic language issues and the impact of language deprivation for individuals who are deaf/deaf-blind/hard of hearing with mental health and substance use disorder.
2. Participants will be exposed to diagnostic assessment for individuals who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing and who are experiencing mental health and/or substance use disorders.
3. Participants will develop a deeper understanding of the complex communication issues involved when working with this population. 

#6  T-SBIRT: Improving Mental Health Among Recipients of W2 Employment Services

Presenters: James "Dimitri" Topitzes, Ph.D., LCSW  Professor, Helen Bader School of Social Welfare Director of Clinical Services, Institute for Child and Family Well-being University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Tanya Potter, BSW, T-SBIRT Project Coordinator, Workforce Resource, Inc., Menomonie, Wis.; Leslie Ruffalo, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Center for Healthy Communities and Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis.; Courtney Barry, Psy.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis.; and Christian Blaisdell, CEO, Workforce Resource, Inc., Chippewa Falls, Wis.

This presentation will discuss the implementation of the trauma screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (T-SBIRT) protocol within a Wisconsin Works or W2 program operated by Wisconsin Resource, Inc. Presenters will provide an in-depth description of T-SBIRT, which is a one-session interview that helps human service agencies address the mental health effects of trauma among high-risk service recipients. Subsequently, presenters will report on the progress of the T-SBIRT initiative at Wisconsin Resource, Inc. with the help of data related to mental health service referrals. The presentation will close with an exploration of the policy implications of this work.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will learn the working definition of trauma-responsive services.
2. Participants will learn the structure, elements, and purpose of Trauma Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment or T-SBIRT.
3. Participants will learn about the acceptability, feasibility, and initial efficacy (i.e., mental health referrals) associated with implementing the T-SBIRT protocol within a W2 program in rural northwest Wisconsin operated by Workforce Resource, Inc.

#7  The Role of Work in Recovery

Presenters: Stacey Teegardin, MS, CRC, CIPS, Individual Placement and Support (IPS) State Trainer, Department of Health Services- Division of Care and Treatment Services/University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychiatry, Madison, Wis., Beth Lohmann, MSW, APSW, Integrated Service Coordinator, Milwaukee County Behavioral Health, Milwaukee, Wis., and Krissy Neyrinck, LPC-IT, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development 

This workshop will describe the benefits work has in recovery. A typical role for a "successful" person in today's society is based on work status and that can start as early as age 14. International research, evidence, and personal experiences from people who have gone back to work will be shared. Presenters will walk through the eight practice principles of Individual Placement and Support (IPS).  Each principle can be applied to the work providers do with consumers and how recovery and wellness are intrinsically tied to meaningful work. Participants will have an opportunity to experience engaging consumers in vocational conversations. Presenters will share tools providers can use as they support work as part of recovery.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Participants will explore the link between work and wellness.
2. Participants will understand the eight practice principles for the evidence-based practice of Individual Placement and Support (IPS).
3. Participants will come away with tools to discuss education and work with consumers.
   

Presenters Biography: Stacey Teegardin has been working in the behavioral health field for over 13 years. During this time she has held a variety of positions including job trainer, line therapist, community support specialist, clubhouse generalist, employment specialist, and rehabilitation counselor. Stacey is also a Combat Medic Army Veteran and a former Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). She has served on many boards and advisory committees for initiatives including behavioral health, employment and education, and youth, and is very passionate about recovery, early intervention, and improving the quality of life for all people.

Beth Lohman spent 20 plus years working for Community Rehabilitation Programs developing and growing programs that focus on increasing inclusive opportunities for individuals with disabilities. As part of the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) State leadership team, she has experience in training, technical assistance, and fidelity related to the evidence-based practice of supported education and employment (IPS).  Her current focus is on the expansion of employment programs for individuals that receive services through Milwaukee County Community Access to Recovery Services (CARS) programs. 

Krissy Neyrinck, LPC-IT, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, has worked with DVR, as well as IPS for nearly four years. She earned her Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with Substance Abuse. Krissy is very passionate about working with those who struggle not only with mental illness, but also substance abuse. 

#8  Best Practices in Clinical Supervision - Part 1 of 2

Presenter: Kenneth Ginlack, LCSW, CSAC, ICS, Director of Outpatient Programs, Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division, Milwaukee, Wis.

Clinical supervision is a mutual endeavor enhanced by a trusting-bidirectional relationship that leads to professional development and enhanced client care through mentoring, guidance, and clinical oversight (Durham, 2019). The training will provide current trends and research, technology-based and evidence-based practices, and the overall structure of effective clinical supervision.

*This is a two-part workshop.  You must also attend Session 15 to receive credit.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Discuss the importance of collaboration in the development of an effective supervisory relationship.
2. Define ethical issues in supervision including dual relationships and confidentiality.
3. Define legal considerations in clinical supervision including vicarious liability and duty to warn.  

#9  Black Men, Barbershops, and Pathways to Healing 

Presenter: Lorenzo Lewis, Visionary and CEO, The Confess Project, Little Rock, Ark. 

The barbershop played a vital role during the Civil Rights Movement because it was one of the few safe spaces Black men could meet and freely express themselves. The legacy of the Black barbershop as a safe haven for Black and Brown boys and men continues today. The Confess Project trains barbers across America to serve as mental health advocates in Black and Brown communities. Research shows that barber advocates are an effective way to reach men of color and provide pathways to healing.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Discuss the unique obstacles Black and Brown men face in receiving mental health support in America.
2. Explain why the barbershop is an exceptional space for Black and Brown men to heal from trauma.
3. Identify ways to expand the reach of barbershops to Black and Brown men in an effort to increase healing in marginalized communities.  

Presenter Biography: Born in jail to an incarcerated mother, Lorenzo struggled with depression, anxiety, and anger throughout his youth, to the point of being at-risk for re-entering the system. From this, Lorenzo grew The Confess Project, an initiative that confronts the stigma around mental health for men of color. Lorenzo’s project takes a two-sided approach, researching the issues within the individual and within society. Lorenzo’s life story and his life’s work give him a unique perspective on behavioral health and the social science issues surrounding the black male identity.

#10  Narratives of Recovery, Trauma Healing, and Hope from Refugee and Communities of Color

Presenter: Sebastian Ssempijja, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist, CEO/Clinical Manager, Sebastian Family Psychology Practice, LLC, Glendale, Wis.

Cognizant of the unique circumstances of refugees and Communities of Color, we propose to solicit direct input from our patients and their Ethnic communities. We learn of their conceptualization of mental health struggles and the role of substance use. The lifestyle changes forced upon them derive meaning and guidance on how best to aim towards recovery. With courage, they trust their providers to guide them and give consent, in faith, to unknown pathways. Hence, their narratives on their journeys to recovery are truly personal, yet also very family energized! We will have prerecorded conversations with patients, their families, and communities supports. The intended audience at the conference will include clinicians, social workers, administrators, faith leaders, educators, and policymakers, families, and service users. Our interventions include evidence and experience-based care, medications, plus alternative treatments.

Learning Objectives:  

1. Participants will grasp the unique life journeys that our refugee clients experience.
2. Participants will appreciate factors driving mental health and substance use concerns.
3. Participants will appreciate the testimony and trials from patients, family, and community members.
4. Participants will discuss concurrent medical complexities.

#11 Coping Chaos: The Truth Behind Hoarding Disorder

Presenters: Carla Alejo, Director of Catholic Charities in Home Support Program and Hoarding Intervention and Treatment Program, Milwaukee, Wis. and Melissa Mangenello, Behavioral Therapist, Catholic Charities Hoarding Intervention and Treatment Program, Milwaukee, Wis.

This workshop will address the value of having a community-based approach and integrated response to those with Hoarding Disorder. We will discuss how hoarding conceals deeply rooted mental health concerns and what successful treatment should include. This workshop will prepare the audience with ways to alleviate the stress Hoarding Disorder places on individuals and the community.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Provide knowledge of Hoarding Disorder that the audience can use in their communities and field of work to decrease the amount of negative stigma surrounding Hoarding Disorder.
2. Provide hope for those who are suffering from hoarding disorder through providing a screening tool and information on successful multidisciplinary treatment plans.
3. Provide ways to help those who are suffering build strength within their households, families, and community.  
   

Presenter Biographies: Carla Alejo has been in the Long Term Care and Social Service field for over 20 years. Since 2013, Carla has been Chair of the Milwaukee Hoarding Task Force. Her passion is advocating for those who are underserved and forgotten in the community. She feels the responsibility to share her knowledge and experiences with others, with the purpose to instill hope in the hopeless. Carla's passion was ignited after seeing many social service professionals being quick to avoid working with and even dismissing "difficult" clients and situations. Working at Catholic Charities has provided Carla the opportunity to identify, advocate and help the underserved Hoarding population by creating the Hoarding Intervention and Treatment Program in 2016.  

Melissa Manganello is the behavioral therapist for the Catholic Charities Hoarding Intervention and Treatment Program. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work (UW-Milwaukee) and a Master's Degree in Social Work, with an emphasis on mental and behavioral health (UW-Milwaukee). Melissa brings over eight years of social work experience, during which she has served an array of populations, ages, and settings. Melissa's internship with Aurora Psychiatric Hospital amplified her strong desire to bring more awareness to mental health, including Hoarding Disorder. Melissa's focus is to educate the community of Hoarding Disorder, including the prevalence, treatment methods, and how family and friends can step in to help.  

#12  Values-Driven Evaluation: How to Meaningfully Demonstrate the Unique Impact of Peer Recovery Services

Presenters: Jenna Lee Mathews, LCSW, Behavioral Health Researcher, OMNI Institute, Denver, Colo. and Angela Weight, State Opioid Response Grant Recovery Services Coordinator, Virginia Department of Behavioral Health Developmental Services, Richmond, Va.

Demonstrating the value of peer recovery services can be challenging but when a values-driven process is used, it is possible to evaluate the impact of peer recovery services without jeopardizing the individualized elements that make these services so powerful. In this workshop, attendees will explore values-driven evaluation of peer-supported recovery, including recommended outcomes to measure. The presenters will reflect on their first-hand experience implementing peer-specific outcomes evaluation and share successes and lessons learned to support attendees in taking steps toward demonstrating the impact of their own peer recovery programs and services.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Participants will understand the benefits and common challenges of measuring the impact of peer recovery services.
2. Participants will have a realistic understanding of the steps in the evaluation process based on the experiences of an administrator and a Peer Recovery Specialist who have implemented a values-driven evaluation of peer recovery services.
3. Participants will be able to identify tools to begin to demonstrate the impact of peer recovery services in their specific program or agency. 

Presenters Biographies: Jenna Lee Mathews is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and behavioral health researcher with the OMNI Institute, a nonprofit social science research and evaluation consultancy based in Denver, Colorado. As OMNI's lead researcher for Virginia's State Opioid Response Grant recovery work, she supports the evaluation of peer recovery services implementation across a broad range of settings, including community mental health, emergency departments, collegiate recovery, and justice system programs and facilities. Her background as a trauma-focused therapist informs her current work developing practical evaluation strategies that demonstrate the impact of behavioral health interventions. Jenna believes in the power of inquiry, authenticity, and connection to move individuals and communities towards healing and wellness.   

Angela Weight is the State Opioid Response Grant Recovery Services Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. In this role, she is instrumental in expanding peer recovery services in settings such as medication-assisted treatment programs, hospital emergency departments, college campuses, drug/recovery courts, and other justice-related environments. As a person in long-term recovery from substance use disorder, Angela is passionate about promoting authentic person-to-person connections to eliminate barriers to recovery.  Jenna and Angela collaborate closely in the monitoring and evaluation of substance use disorder recovery activities provided as part of Virginia's State Opioid Response grant. Their shared passion for demonstrating the powerful impact of peer recovery services inspires them to share their experience and lessons learned in order to support conference attendees in similar efforts.

#13  Writing for Recovery: How to Restore and Re-Story Through Narrative

Presenter: Joanne Nelson, MSSW, MFA, Educator, Wake Up the Writer Within, llc, Hartland, Wis.

Writing, primarily expressive writing, has been shown to increase psychological well-being as well as result in reductions of physician visits. It can also be a valuable tool for supporting recovery as well as self-care for counselors, program providers, social workers, and family members. Through freewriting, we explore, review, and reconsider our pasts. Journaling, as well as other forms of writing, helps us to organize our experience, shift perspective, and gain clarity. Writing for Recovery: How to Restore and Re-story Through Narrative is an interactive workshop that encourages participants to experiment with narrative prompts. Expressive writing is an act of self-determination as participants explore their history and gain control over their own futures. Utilizing techniques based on the research of James Pennebaker (as well as others) participants will learn to gently address their own traumas in an atmosphere of self-acceptance over which they have control. The ability to create a narrative as a tool towards healing and recovery is one of many pathways recognizing each individual's unique capacity for growth. This experiential workshop is intended for a general audience.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss how writing creates change for those struggling with emotional upheaval.
2. Define research-based best practices for expressive writing and the narrative styles most likely to create change.
3. List a variety of written exercises and prompts useful for those wishing to create change through expressive writing.

Presenter Biography: Joanne Nelson is a psychotherapist with over 30 years of clinical experience in social work settings. Currently, she combines her clinical background with her love of teaching to create community programs that are research based, practical, and enjoyable. As a writer, Joanne explored her own family history of dysfunction, resilience, and recovery in her memoir, This is How We Leave, published by Vine Leaves Press in 2020 and in other published writings. Joanne has an MSSW from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars, and is certified by the McLean Meditation Institute as a meditation and mindfulness teacher.

#14  Camp Reunite: Offering Hope for Children with Incarcerated Parents

Presenters: Rachel Fryda-Gehde, MSW, Taycheedah Correctional Institution, Fond du Lac, Wis.; Jaime Gyr, MSW, Taycheedah Correctional Institution, Fond du Lac, Wis.; Kenzie Gonzalez, MS, Co-Founder, Camp Reunite, Grafton, Wis.; Andrew Gappa, Co-Founder, Camp Reunite and Executive Director, Turning Rivers, Grafton, Wis.; Lana Wilson, Warden’s Secretary, Kettle Moraine Correctional Institution, Plymouth, Wis.; and Tim Gessner, Corrections Program Supervisor, Kettle Moraine Correctional Institution, Plymouth, Wis.

Camp Reunite was launched in 2018 as a partnership between Hometown Heroes, Inc. (a Wisconsin non-profit organization) and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections to help serve some of the estimated 88,000 children in Wisconsin who are navigating life with an incarcerated parent. Camp Reunite is a week-long trauma-informed summer camp provided at no cost to youth ages 8-16 who have a parent currently incarcerated in the Wisconsin Correctional System. In partnership with the WI Department of Corrections, children also have the opportunity to visit and reconnect with their incarcerated parent twice throughout each camp session through group visits at the correctional facility. This presentation will discuss some of the known adverse effects that incarceration of a parent has on a child and the impact of the program on campers, as well as their incarcerated parents and their caregivers. Many of the parents who participate are recovering from substance use, and we will show how this program can be used in combination with other services at the correctional facility to promote mental wellness in parents and help prepare them for reentry and reunification with their children.

Learning Objectives:  

1. Participants will understand the effects, stigma, and trauma of arrested and incarceration of parents, and learn how a trauma informed program like Camp Reunite is one way to address these challenges.
2. Participants will learn about the Camp Reunite Program and our model for hosting Child Friendly Visits at correctional facilities.
3. Participants will learn about program outcomes, such as fostering mental wellbeing, improving relationships and behavior, etc.   

Welcome and Day 2 Announcements

#15  Best Practices in Clinical Supervision - Part 2 of 2

Presenter: Kenneth Ginlack, LCSW, CSAC, ICS, Director of Outpatient Programs, Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division, Milwaukee, Wis.

Clinical supervision is a mutual endeavor enhanced by a trusting-bidirectional relationship that leads to professional development and enhanced client care through mentoring, guidance, and clinical oversight (Durham, 2019). The training will provide current trends and research, technology-based and evidence-based practices, and the overall structure of effective clinical supervision.

*This is a two-part workshop.  You must also attend Session 8 to receive credit.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Explore three levels of stages of supervisee development.
2. Participants will learn how they can use technology to facilitate clinical supervision.
3. Understand why it is vital to maintain consistency and structure in clinical supervision.

#16  How to Thrive in a Generational Historical Pandemic

Presenter: Clem L Richardson, MS, LPC-IT, CSAC, MAC, CEO and Executive Director, Manna Behavioral Services, Milwaukee, WI

This workshop will compare and contrast how the pandemic and epidemic in the Black community is relates to our communities and in the fiber of the U.S.  Also, share how this society still impacts them mentally, spiritually and physically.  This workshop will talk about how to navigating through this pandemic in order to thrive for success mentally, spiritually to prevent drug use and crime. This work shop will offer solutions to this horrendous generational pandemic. The content is relevant for all ages, ethnic groups or social or economic status.

Learning Objectives:  

1. Participants will learn from historical context about how systemic barriers influence some individuals to turn to drugs.
2. Participants will learn how to build a rapport with clients and feel more comfortable talking about historical trauma.
3. Participants will have a broad prospective on how to learn from their clients as well having a sense of awareness of positive regard.  

Presenter Biography: Clem Richardson has 20 years of professional and lived experiences.  Mr. Richardson provides workshops, group facilitation, prevention education at Alternative Schools, church groups, drug treatment facilities to adults or youth. Mr. Richardson is a recipient of many prestigious awards including the Outstanding Leadership, 2001 Certificate of Appreciation Prison –Reentry Department of Corrections (DOC), 2009 Community Impact Award Rising Star 2009, and in 2018 he received the “Black Excellence Awards” by the Milwaukee Times, just to name a few.

#17  Seven Times Down, Eight Times Up

Presenters: Deborah Mejchar, M.Div., Certified Peer Specialist, Recovery Support Specialist, Chaplain, Wisconsin Women's Resource Center, Winnebago, Wis.; Tamra Oman, Certified Peer Specialist and Trainer, AODA Counselor, Director of the Free Campaign under EXPO, Madison, Wis.; Byran Bartow, Former Director, Wisconsin Resource Center, Winnebago, Wis.; and Demell Glenn, Certified Peer Specialist, Recovery Support Specialist, Wisconsin Resource Center, Winnebago, Wis. 

Panel memebers are all formerly incarcerated individuals with a history of mental health and/or substance abuse recovery.  This panel will share personal recovery stories and allow time and space for questions.  

Learning Objectives:  

1. Participants will hear success stories of formerly incarcerated panelists.
2. Participants will learn how the panelists were all embraced by State of Wisconsin in being allowed to give back.
3. Participants will learn how to incorporate trauma informed care into peer support.

#18 Tailoring Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Treatment to the Elder Client

Presenter: Lindy Lewis, Ph.D., Federalsburg, Md.

Cognitive Behavioral Treatment has been recognized as an effective approach for treating substance use disorders and in treating a variety of conditions among the elderly.  Effective treatment, however, is based on recognizing developmental characteristics and needs of the population. This presentation will illuminate social and psychological developmental factors as it relates to the elderly, including challenges associated with polypharmacy with prescription and over the counter medications.  This will be followed by a discussion on specific adaptations used with effective techniques in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing in working with elders with substance use disorders. Use of the problem-solving approach and strategies from Reminiscence Therapy will also be introduced.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Describe the principles of CBT.
2. Identify key social and psychological characteristics of elders.
3. Identify three strategies for effective CBT intervention. 
4. Identify four adaptations to CBT intervention to be effective with elders.
5. Identify two adaptations to MI to be effective with elders.
   

Presenter Biography: Lindy Lewis received her BASW from Salisbury University, M.S.W. and Ph.D. at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. She has worked in the field of substance abuse treatment for over 30 years in a variety of settings including outpatient, inpatient and correctional settings with both adolescent and adult populations--serving in many roles from clinician to supervisor and administrator. Currently, she provides substance abuse and mental health consultation, brief therapy and clinical hypnosis for patients in primary care facility and an outpatient mental health clinic.  Additionally, as time permits, she serves as a grant review panelist for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Lindy has taught courses in addictions; addictions treatment, psychopharmacology for 28 years at the undergraduate and graduate levels at various institutions. 

#19  Therapy That Empowers Intimate Partner Abuse Survivors

Presenter: Jennifer Parker, MSSW, LCSW, Clinical Social Worker, Harmonia: Madison Center for Psychotherapy, Madison, Wis.

This workshop combines the art of listening with evidence-based therapy approaches to encourage post-traumatic growth in survivors of intimate partner abuse. Jennifer's approach emphasizes the role of the therapy relationship in helping victims feel safe in therapy. She leads participants to recognize and support their courage and strength. Jennifer will identify things to listen for when providing therapy. She will name six therapeutic components that empower victims of abuse and give examples of their usage.   

Learning Objectives: 

1. Participants will understand what is involved in being a "safe" witness to victims' experiences.
2. Participants will learn key issues to listen for that affect the provision of therapy.
3. Participants will be able to identify six therapy components that benefit intimate partner abuse survivors. 
   

Presenter Biography: Jennifer's interest in intimate partner abuse began with her practicum at a battered women's shelter and continued through graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Graduate practicum experiences included training in working with victims, abusers, and child witnesses as well as in alcohol/drug treatment. Jennifer specializes in individual and group therapy with survivors. She developed a group curriculum in 1991 for women survivors. In addition, Jennifer occasionally provides expert witness testimony and evaluations for intimate partner abuse. Her book, Coercive Relationships: Find the Answers You Seek, published in March 2021, addresses questions survivors and those who work with them often have. She has received state and local awards for her work with survivors. Jennifer publishes a regular blog focused on intimate partner abuse through her website at www.jennifercparkermssw.com/blog.

#20  A System Level Perspective on Implementing Evidence-Based Practice

Presenters: Scott Caldwell, MS, CSAC, MI Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Madison, Wis. and Katie Martinez, MSW, Section Chief, Forensic Mental Health Section, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Madison, Wis.  

Although many evidence-based practices exist for uptake and delivery in human services, the reality is that few provider agencies actually achieve implementation. This presentation offers a system-level perspective on the challenges, barriers, and possibilities of supporting provider agencies to achieve implementation success. After a brief description of the multi-year Motivational Interviewing Implementation Project in community forensics, this presentation will identify several lessons learned including the following: evolution from train-and-hope to an implementation approach; the critical importance of having a model to guide the implementation process; creation of implementation teams at the system and agency levels to do the work of implementation; cross-system collaboration; assessing, monitoring, and improving implementation "drivers" at the system and agency levels; contracting for evidence-based practice; creative allocation of existing resources to support ongoing provider learning; and adaptive versus technical leadership. This presentation is for policy makers, leaders, and champions of change. 

Learning Objectives: 

1. Be able to identify two system-level barriers to implementing evidence-based practice.
2. Be able to identify two system-level facilitators of implementation.
3. Be able to identify two results of successful implementation.
   

Presenter Biography: Scott Caldwell consults on implementation and is the motivational interviewing lead in the Bureau of Prevention Treatment and Recovery at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Since 2016, Scott has worked with Katie to develop the MI Implementation Project with contracted case management agencies in Conditional Release and Opening Avenues to Reentry Success programs in community forensics. As a recent recipient of a master’s degree, (Edgewood College, Organizational Development), Scott is a lifelong learner with passion for getting innovation (evidence-based practice) into routine service delivery in order to improve people’s lives. 

Katie Martinez is the section chief in the Forensic Mental Health Section within the Bureau of Community Forensic Services at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Since 2016, Katie has worked with Scott to develop the MI Implementation Project with contracted case management agencies in Conditional Release and Opening Avenues to Reentry Success programs in community forensics. As a recent recipient of a master’s degree (Case Western Reserve University, Social Work), Katie is a lifelong learner with passion for getting innovation (evidence-based practice) into routine service delivery in order to improve people’s lives.

#21 Developmentally-Informed Support and Services for Children and  Families Work!  

Presenters: Sally Raschick, Coordinated Services Team Consultant and Contract Administrator, Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Ann Kelley-Kuehmichel, MBA, Wisconsin Department of Health Services

There is a national recognition that the increasing incidence of mental health challenges and substance use among children and young adults must be addressed.  Frequently, though not always, these challenges are tied to identified trauma or other disruptive experiences that have negatively impacted typical developmental processes. The Covid pandemic has disproportionately interrupted the lives of children and youth, in ways that negatively impact their lives—resulting in many reports of increased mental health and substance use challenges for young people. Though this presentation focuses on addressing underlying needs of children and youth with serious mental health and co-occurring challenges, it has applicability for those whose mental health challenges have arisen as part of the Covid pandemic. This presentation will provide a foundation for understanding how nature and nurture typically work together to promote healthy development. This will include a review of typical developmental progression, stimulating and restarting positive development, and understanding the impact of stress upon the natural progression of development and the capacity to function effectively.  Based on this content, a significant focus of the presentation is on evidence-supported practices, including Wraparound principles and practices, Positive Youth Development and experiential learning, developmental relationships and, the Wisconsin Engage, Equip and Empower.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Participants will gain new knowledge and skills that will enhance their relationships with youth and young adults.
2. Participants will learn how the principles of Wraparound influence relationships and provide a foundation for courage, hope, and empowerment.
3. Participants will learn how knowledge of developmental processes can be used to identify further strengths and increase more favorable outcomes.   
   

Presenters Biographies: Sally Raschick is currently a Coordinated Services Team consultant and contract administrator at the Department of Health Services.  Her interest in the interaction between mental health and developmental processes goes back many to her direct service and statewide consultation experiences. In the past 11 years, Sally has been the lead on grants to improve and expand services to youth and young adults with serious mental health and substance use. The work done in these grants has been developmentally focused and has focused on youth and family driven support and service, a strength-based approach to focusing on future goals, and the importance of understanding the impact of trauma, SED, and other disruptive experiences on development.  

 Ann Kelley-Kuehmichel has an undergraduate degree in Social Work from Winona State University and received her Master’s in Business Administration with an emphasis of Corporate Communication from Concordia University. Ann joined DHS in July of 2020 following her service to children and families within Wraparound Milwaukee for 23 years in a number of capacities. Ann’s role within DHS is the System of Care Coordinator and is a part of the Children, Youth, and Family Section with Sally, Karen and others.

#22  Ethics, Boundaries, and the Law – Part 2 of 3

Presenter: David Mays, M.D., Ph.D., Forensic Psychiatrist, Mount Horeb, Wis.

This three-part workshop will present aspects of ethics and boundaries that are particularly relevant to mental health/substance abuse professionals. The focus will be how the law, professional standards, and thinking on ethics complement and contradict each other.

*This is a three-part workshop.  You must also attend Sessions 1 and 35 to receive credit.

Learning Objectives:  

1. Understand the basic components of informed consent, confidentiality, and the right to refuse treatment.
2. Be able to discuss how conscience clauses may conflict with professional codes of ethics.
3. Know the history of the duty to protect and Wisconsin law regarding a Tarasoff duty.
4. Be able to assess themselves for risk of boundary crossing.
5. Be able to ask clearly for consultation when an ethical dilemma arises at work. 

#23  Social Aspects of Prescribing Psychiatric Medication

Presenter: Ronald Diamond, Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychiatry - University of Wisconsin Department of Psychiatry and Consultant, Wisconsin Bureau of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Madison, Wis.

Psychiatric medication is often thought of as the core issue of treatment, without thinking clearly about the goals of the medication.  Medication is neither “good” nor “bad.”  Rather it is a tool that may, or may not, be useful.  This workshop will discuss the social and psychological issues connected to the use of psychiatric medication and suggest ways that medication can be used to help people be more effective in working towards their own goals.  

Learning Objectives:  

1. Learn to engage clients more in medication decisions.
2. Discover how to target medication towards client's own life goals.
3. Learn to increase the effectiveness of prescribed medications. 
   

Presenter Biography: For more than 45 years, Ronald Diamond has been involved in the community-based treatment of persons with severe and persistent mental illness. For more than three decades, he has been interested in how to integrate concepts of recovery and cultural competence into day-to-day clinical practice. He retired from Journey Mental Health in Feb 2013 after 35 years, first as staff psychiatrist and then Medical Director. He retired from the UW Department of Psychiatry in 2018 after 39 years on the faculty. He is now back working at the University on a very part time basis teaching and working in the collaborative mental health-primary care project.  

#24  Using Emotional Intelligence Coaching to Support Long-Term Sobriety with Clients

Presenter: Nicholas Dillon, MA, MS, Addiction Counselor and Professional Life Coach, Milwaukee Counseling Services, LLC, Pewaukee, WI

Describe how Life Coaching tools can be used to help with relapse prevention and securing long-term success in the Sobriety Lifestyle. This session will bring in the core components of emotional Intelligence coaching, in particular Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, Motivation, Empathy, and Social Skills/Relationships.   

Learning Objectives: 

1. Participants will learn to assisting clients to assess their strengths and weaknesses, and understand their triggers.
2. Participants will learn to provide direction in mindfulness and self-calming techniques as alternative coping skills that will benefit decision making.
3. Participants will assessing the client's motivation by encouraging the client to face challenges directly and celebrate even the small steps and milestones along the journey.  

Presenter Biography: Nicholas Dillon is a Master Level  Addiction Counselor and Professional Life Coach who has been working with clients of substance abuse for over 10 years. Mr. Dillon holds a MA in Adult Education and a MS in Counseling and is the founder and CEO of Milwaukee Counseling Services LLC. Nicholas believes in the holistic approach to counseling and sobriety, which means taking care of the whole person  He infuses Life coaching and Clinical approach to treatment as an effort to help the client achieve the highest level of expression and success.

#25 Rewriting Your Story: Creating a Future With Hope

Presenters: Rachel Frederick, LCSW, Behavioral Health and AODA Counselor, Ringle, Wis. and Lashawnda Maulson, Prevention Program Director, Woodruff, Wis.

Rewriting Your Story: Creating a Future With Hope is an interactive presentation geared to teach the audience basic technics on mental health, recovery, behavioral health, and inclusive cultural revitalization. The presentation will show learning to collaborate the mind and brain is simple, although not easy, and to give hope that recovery is attainable and sustainable. Rachael and Lashawnda look forward to introducing technics such as Reiki, smudging, mindful breathing, Qui Gong, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Our content is comprehensible across all learning stages but with focus more on practice and implementation than theory and introduction of mental health and AODA modalities. 

Learning Objectives: 

1. Attendees will have an understanding and abilities to create and implement a medicine wheel in conjunction with setting SMART goals for long term success.
2. Attendees will learn immediate practices utilizing breath, cultural activities, and energy movement for mood stabilization and stress management. 
3. Attendees will gain a new introspective outlook on mindfulness, basic brain functioning, recovery and hope.
   

Presenters Biography: Rachael Frederick, LCSW, has been a Behavioral Health and AODA Counselor since 2015. Rachael has worked in Tribal and non-tribal health settings with and emphasis in recovery from trauma. Rachael incorporates and focuses on blending western and eastern approaches including but not limiting to EMDR, reiki, CBT, mindfulness, and cultural practices. Rachael and Lashawnda hope to share their knowledge with the community to increase courage, hope, and understanding so that we can learn to heal and grow together.

Lashawnda Maulson, Prevention Program Director, has worked in prevention since 2009 and is a former CADCA Ambassador. Lashawnda is passionate about working in communities focusing on AODA, Suicide prevention, youth leadership, cultural preservation and education. Rachael and Lashawnda hope to share their knowledge with the community to increase courage, hope, and understanding so that we can learn to heal and grow together.

#26  Building Rapport: It Starts Before "Hi"

Presenter: Chardé Hollins, LCSW, Executive Director, Relevant Connections, LLC, Cleveland, Ohio

Building rapport is a difficult skill to master.  Working in professions that cater to marginalized populations often have us feeling vulnerable and wondering how we can connect.  

Learning Objectives: 

#27  Embodiment and the Frontiers of Healing Informed Care and Cultures

Presenter: Karen Laing, IBCLC, AMT,  Founder of Birthways, Inc. and WisdomWay Institute, Madison, WI 

Trauma-informed principles establish that qualities such as trust, respect, compassion, and self-regulation on the part of the practitioner are essential to creating the conditions that would translate into 'safety,' 'trustworthiness,' 'mutuality,' and 'choice.'  ​But how do we develop these qualities? We'll explore the 'why' and the 'how' of embodiment practices that inform our delivery of care and hold the potential to build cultures of care.

Learning Objectives:  

1. Identify key themes in the emerging intersections of somatic studies, trauma healing, and social justice that support the relevance of embodiment as a skill.
2. Recognize the ability to deepen the regulation of attention, emotion, and the body with simple awareness practices.
3. Establish a roadmap that begins with 1) personal mindful awareness, compassion and embodiment practices, 2) that builds the qualities needed to strengthen the therapeutic alliance as healing and recovery allies and 3) that extends into culture shifts within organizations and communities.
   

Presenter Biography: Karen Laing is a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher with a background in reproductive health and a passion for finding ways for us all to take better care of one another. She is the creator of the Compass of Mindful Caregiving, 6 Qualities of Embodied Mindfulness, and 40 – second Compassion Initiatives, toolkits such as the Cup of Kindness for family caregivers and various publications and guides for care models and collaboration.  For more than 25 years, she has played a role in creating innovative maternal/child service models and training and mentoring providers in mindful caregiving. WisdomWay Institute was established to support all helping professionals achieve improved connections and communication, greater trust, compassion, and equity in care delivery, resulting in better outcomes both for those receiving care as well as those providing it. Her teaching methods rely on skill acquisition, self-awareness, and mindfulness-based tools aimed at preventing burnout and sustaining change through connecting with our common humanity. 

#28 Lived Experience Leadership: Where to Begin  

Presenters: Andrea Turtenwald, MA, Family Relations Coordinator, Office of Children's Mental Health, WI Department of Health Services, Madison, Wis. and Panel Participants Kimberlee Coronado, Jared Heesch, and Brooks Griffin

The Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health (OCMH) has prioritized leadership from people with lived experience in its statewide, cross-sector, system change work. Sharing power with caregivers and youth allows for responsive programming and creates opportunity to engage more deeply with families. In this practical application session, OCMH staff and Lived Experience Partners will share how to begin engaging parents, caregivers, and youth in decision-making groups. Topics covered include agency preparedness, organizing opportunities, and engaging to sustain leadership. Attendees will leave this interactive session with resources and an initial plan for replicating the OCMH model for supporting parent leadership in coalitions and workgroups.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Participants will understand the benefits to engaging people with lived experience to promote equity, responsive programming, and family engagement.
2. Participants will understand preliminary organizational practices and leadership commitment necessary to create effective partnerships with lived experience leaders.
3. Participants will consider family engagement challenges and how to move beyond them to success.
4. Participants will experiment with initial planning tools designed to involve people with lived experience.
   

Presenters Biography: Andrea Tutenwald joined OCMH in 2018 having served Wisconsin youth, parents and families for over ten years. Andrea's early professional experiences include youth development and service-learning for Military families, as well as providing child welfare case management in Milwaukee. More recently, Andrea facilitated parent leadership development through a school-based parent-empowerment program and managed a Social-Emotional Learning program in four Milwaukee schools. Andrea's leadership style is characterized by building cohesion, demonstrating vulnerability, and empowering partners through emotional and tangible support. Andrea earned her Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and her Master's Degree in Public Service from Marquette University. She is passionate about the work of the OCMH, in part, because of her personal journey with self-harm, depression, anxiety, and an adult diagnosis of ADHD. Her path in life has shown her that increasing positive relationships in people's lives can make all the difference. Andrea is honored to raise up the voices of those with lived experiences as the Family Relations Coordinator with the Office of Children's Mental Health.

Leaders from the DHS Division of Care and Treatment Services will host three listening sessions. Each session will follow a question-and-answer format. Share your thoughts about current programs and service needs.

Leaders from the DHS Division of Care and Treatment Services will host three listening sessions. Each session will follow a question-and-answer format. Share your thoughts about current programs and service needs.

This meeting is for anyone in recovery and will be chaired by a person in recovery to offer and provide the opportunity for support. This meeting is an informal gathering of all forms of recovery and not specific to any single support or fellowship group. Out of respect to everyone’s anonymity this meeting is not open for observation from individuals not in recovery.

Day 3 Welcome and Announcements

#29  Recovery and Repair: Art Therapy and Somatic Interventions to Address Addiction and Trauma

Presenter: Jennifer Albright, DAT, ATRL-BC, LPC/AODA, CCTP, RYT 200, Albright Art Therapy and Counseling, South Milwaukee, Wis. 

In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to complete an art therapy/somatic experiential that demonstrates the need to oscillate between a resource and a difficult experience. Through this experiential, participants will be able to understand the importance of introducing a safe place/feeling in order to help clients be able to regulate and self-soothe while encountering difficult emotions. The presenter will begin with an introduction regarding the importance of self-soothing and regulation to be able to move into relational aspects and metaphor (higher level executive functioning) in order to begin to work with trauma repair. Trauma repair and abstinence from substances/ process addictions are closely related. Discussing this pairing and how to integrate treatment approaches will be a focus of the presentation. The second portion of the presentation will be the experiential and then the processing of the experiential component. Participants will need basic art supplies (markers/colored pencils/pen and paper....whatever is readily available). The experiential is also applicable for across the life span.

Learning Objectives:  

1. Participants will understand the vulnerability created by trauma for substance addiction/ process addiction.
2. Participants will experience an intervention for sensory integration/ regulation in conjunction with trauma responses that can contribute to relapse potential.
3. Participants will obtain a sense of the importance of metaphor in the healing process. 

#30  Equity and Inclusion in Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment and Recovery 

Presenters: Denise Johnson, BSW,  Wisconsin Statewide Project Coordinator SUD/MH Services for people who are Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing, Independence First, Milwaukee, Wis. and Judy Bertoni, License Professional Counselor (LPC), Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC), Intermediate Clinical Supervisor (ICS), Red Oak Counseling, Elm Grove, Wis.

Mental health and substance use professionals will learn to gain a better understanding of how to work with diverse population. Mental health and substance use professional will also learn how to include and actively listen to diverse consumers/clients and to include a difficult conversation. The goal of this workshop is to empower service providers in effectively working with diverse population using a culturally and linguistically sensitive approach.  

Learning Objectives:     

1. Participants will increase their knowledge on how to work with diverse populations.
2. Participants will be able to identify some of the barriers to the underserved populations.
3. Participants will learn a few strategies on how to include diversity to their services. 

Presenters Biography: Denise Johnson, BSW, is a Deaf professional working in collaboration with the eight Independent Living Centers (ILCs) in Wisconsin. The project is funded by the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services; the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. Denise has dedicated her career to advocating for and with persons with disabilities and who live with a substance use and mental health illness concerns especially those who are Deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind. Denise has more than 23 years of experience working in the field. She serves on the Wisconsin State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (SCAODA) Diversity Sub-Committee, is the Treasurer of American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association (ADARA), and is the Chair of Independence First's group; Deaf Access Consumer Advocacy Team. Denise is one of the co-founding members and currently Board President of Deaf Unity in Wisconsin.  

Judy Bertoni is a Hmong Clinical Therapist at Red Oak Counseling in Elm Grove, Wis. She provides outpatient individual and group therapy for individuals with mental health and substance abuse issues. She has worked with children, adolescents, and adults to address anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma, school challenges, relationship problems, family issues, and life adjustments. She continues to work with children (6 years old and older), adolescents, and adults. She has more than 13 years of counseling experience, has provided therapy in both English and Hmong, and worked with diverse populations. She serves on the Wisconsin State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (SCAODA) Diversity Sub-Committee.   

#31  CANCELLED 

Due to unforeseen circumstances, this session has been cancelled. We apologize for the inconvenience.

#32 Motivational Interviewing: RAKE Up a Big Pile of Change Talk, Don't FALL into Sustain Talk!

Presenters: Laura A. Saunders, MSSW, University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Engineering, Independent Consultant, Madison, Wis. and Kris Kelly, Project Manager, Peer Recovery Center of Excellence, Great Lakes Addiction, Mental Health, and Prevention Technology Transfer Centers, Madison, Wis.

In this highly interactive workshop, we'll explore the concepts of change talk and sustain talk. Hearing and responding to change talk and sustain talk is key to the intentional use of the evidence based practice of Motivational interviewing. Encouraging change talk in others translates to increased likelihood the person will change.  Therefore, helper effectiveness is measured, at least partially, in their ability to maintain movement in the direction of change. Unfortunately, it is all too common practice for helpers to do deep dives into sustain language in hopes that those things can be uncovered and then fixed. This does not help people change. Instead, it is the helper who can who sit alongside a person and genuinely listen to and hear expressions of change talk. Once you hear the change talk, helpers must clearly and deliberately encourage it and continue to draw it out. Participants in this workshop will discuss and practice replacement thoughts and behaviors to put in place of our tendency to talk about stuck. You'll learn some tried and true strategies for helping people talk more about change and less about barriers.  

Learning Objectives: 

1. Participants will recognize person change talk versus sustain talk.
2. Participants will discuss strategies for eliciting change and minimizing sustain talk in people.
3. Participants will select a few strategies to add to your helping tools to encourage change talk in people. 

Presenters Biography: Laura A. Saunders, MSSW, is with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Engineering and an independent consultant. Since 2001, Laura has designed, facilitated, and delivered MI training and coaching in person, online, and via distance learning in the fields of health care, human services, public health, and criminal justice. She has provided feedback and coaching to hundreds of learners who are interested in using evidence based practices to fidelity.  Laura has also conducted train the trainer events. She joined the International group of Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) in 2006 and is an active Member of Wisconsin Motivational interviewing group.

Kris Kelly is the Project Manager Peer Recovery Center of Excellence for the Great Lakes Addiction, Mental Health, and Prevention Technology Transfer Centers and subject matter expert on Peer-Based Recovery Support Services. She's worked with state and local government organizations, recovery community organizations, recovery high schools, treatment courts, withdrawal management/detoxification centers, and clinical treatment facilities developing best practices for integrating recovery supports into systems and services. As a former ED and Director of Programs of a Minnesota based Recovery Community Organization, Ms. Kelly was a leader in the peer support movement in Minnesota. Ms. Kelly has presented at state and national conferences on topics ranging from supervision in peer-based recovery support services, integrating peer support services into behavioral health organizations, and recovery-oriented systems of care. As a woman in long-term recovery, Kris was drawn to integrative wellness, exploring recovery through mindfulness, yoga, and meditation. She finds deep alignment between a person-centered approach to recovery and her personal values.  

#33  Veterans and Suicide: Why Are We Not Getting This?

Presenters: Cynthia Rasmussen, RN, MSN, CANP, Primary Medicine, Veterans Administration, Retired and LTC, United States Army Reserves, Retired and Chris Zaglifa, MSW, LCSW, SAC, Department of Veterans Affairs, Retired

The Veteran suicide rate continues at 20-22 suicides per day with increasing incidence of younger Veterans taking their lives. It is time to re-evaluate this travesty in a different light. The emotional, psychological, and spiritual influences, military experiences, and processes of DOD and VA are taking their toll. The interplay of these will be reviewed and discussed. 

Learning Objectives: 

1. Describe the dynamics of the interplay of military experiences with pre and post career emotional, psychological, and spiritual perspectives and the potential effect on suicidal ideation.
2. List potential system changes to support decreased suicides in the Veteran populations.
3. Identify underlying changes and struggles experienced by a Veteran that contribute to feelings of hopelessness, disconnectedness, and alienation.   

Presenters Biography: LTC Rasmussen served as a Mental Health Nurse in the Army Reserves for 23 years. Completed 6.5 years of being mobilized to support the Global War on Terror. She is an Adult Nurse Practitioner retired after 18 years of providing primary care for Veterans at the Veteran’s Administration. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Nursing from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wis. She was the Psychological Director, Combat Stress Officer and Sexual Assault Response Coordinator for the Army Reserves caring for geographically dispersed soldiers and families in 19 states. She has spoken, and continues to speak and provide support for military and civilian organizations nationally, on issues affecting military personnel, families and communities. She testified before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. She received the MOPH Honorary Service Award from the Military Order of the Purple Heart National Service Officer Training and has had an essay published in the book Hidden Battles on Unseen Fronts by Patricia P. Driscoll and Celia Straus, for the Armed Forces  Foundation, she is co-author on two chapters in the book War Trauma and its Wake, Expanding the Circle of Healing published by Routledge in 2012.

Chris Zaglifa is a Licensed Clinical Social Work and Substance Abuse Counselor. He has worked as a child, adolescent, and family therapist in inpatient, outpatient, residential and hospital settings. His background includes work in a Victim Assistance Program, assistance in the development of a domestic violence shelter, and group work with children from violent homes. He later worked in the Crisis Intervention Services Program of the City of Chicago Department of Human Services. After moving to Wausau Wis., he worked as a clinical social worker at North Central Health Care Facilities on the inpatient unit and on both the Behavioral Health Unit and Emergency Department of Wausau Hospital. He was a member of the North Central Wisconsin Critical Incident Stress Management Team. He joined the staff at Family Counseling Services where mental health services were provided to families and to Veterans. Chris joined the Department of Veterans Affairs and worked full time with individuals and groups of veterans for 11 years through November 2020. He completed Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Levels I, II, and III through the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute.

#34  The Benefit of Online Recovery Communities

Presenter: Adi Jaffe, Ph.D., Founder and CEO, IGNTD, Los Angeles, Calif.

The rise of Telehealth technology has led to the emergence of many online recovery communities (ORCs). Despite the sudden shift from in person to online, opting to convene remotely has provided numerous immediate benefits, including eliminating transportation needs, allowing individuals to meet from the comfort of their home, providing additional options for relative anonymity, and facilitating involvement among those who are otherwise unable to meet in person due to other limiting logistical factors. In this session, attendees will learn about how the emergence of a more robust "online recovery community" can change the future of self-help for the better and allow millions who have avoided receiving help in the past become more engaged.

Learning Objectives:   

1. Participants will define Online Recovery Communities (ORCs).
2. Participants will specify technologies used for and useful in Online Recovery Community support.
3. Participants will identify opportunities for growth and expansions for ORCs. 

Presenter Biography: Adi Jaffe, Ph.D. is a world-renowned expert on mental health, addiction, relationships, and shame. He was a UCLA lecturer in the Psychology department at UCLA for the better part of a decade and was the Executive-Director and Co-Founder of one of the most progressive mental health treatment facilities in the country - until he started IGNTD. Adi Jaffe's work and research focus on changing the way people think about and deal with mental health issues. He is passionate about the role of shame in destroying lives and aims to greatly reduce the stigma of mental health in this country. In this context, he has used his personal experience as an incredibly effective inspirational and motivational tool.

#35  Ethics, Boundaries, and the Law – Part 3 of 3

Presenter: David Mays, MD, PhD, Forensic Psychiatrist, Mount Horeb, Wis.

This three-part workshop will present aspects of ethics and boundaries that are particularly relevant to mental health/substance abuse professionals. The focus will be how the law, professional standards, and thinking on ethics complement and contradict each other.

*This is a three-part workshop.  You must also attend Sessions 1 and 22 to receive credit.

Learning Objectives:  

1. Understand the basic components of informed consent, confidentiality, and the right to refuse treatment.
2. Be able to discuss how conscience clauses may conflict with professional codes of ethics.
3. Know the history of the duty to protect and Wisconsin law regarding a Tarasoff duty.
4. Be able to assess themselves for risk of boundary crossing.
5. Be able to ask clearly for consultation when an ethical dilemma arises at work.

#36  The Importance of Hope 

Presenter: Debbie Merkel, CSW, CCS Service Facilitator/ Crisis Social Worker  Taylor County Human Services  Medford, Wis.

Mental health and substance use professionals will learn to gain a better understanding of how to work with diverse population. Mental health and substance use professional will also learn how to include and actively listen to diverse consumers/clients and to include a difficult conversation. The goal of this workshop is to empower service providers in effectively working with diverse population using a culturally and linguistically sensitive approach.  

Learning Objectives:   

1. Participants will empathize and identify similarities between themselves and those with lived experience.
2. Participants will identify how disclosure of lived experience benefits the listeners.
3. Participants will understand how sharing personal stories of struggle and recovery help to reduce stigma and increase hope. 

Presenter Biography: Debbie Merkel is a wife, mother, social worker- having worked in the mental health field for over twenty years.  Additionally, she is an individual with lived experience.  In 2013, Debbie left her job in mental health and immediately went on disability.  It took five years, and a lot of hard work, to get off disability and return to working in mental health full-time. 

#37  Culture as a Therapeutic Alliance Issue: Applying Cultural Humility in Treatment

Presenters: R. Keith Ramsey, MS, LPC, Retired, Venice, Fla. and Oshkosh, Wis., Retired and Deborah McCulloch, MSSW, LCSW, Retired, Venice, Fla. and Oshkosh, Wis., Retired 

Events during the past few years-especially in 2020-have brought cultural, racial, gender, religious, economic, and ethnic diversity, disparity, and disadvantage into clearer focus on a local, national, and international level. Over twenty years ago, Tervalon and Murray-Garcia (1998) introduced the term "Cultural Humility" as a means to educate and help physicians in their interactions with patients. Cultural humility has since been adopted and used by many healthcare organizations including the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This presentation demonstrates how applying cultural humility in treatment processes can enhance therapeutic alliance with clients, providing benefits to clients and providers.

Learning Objectives:    

1. Participants will understand what "Cultural Humility" means and personal, professional and systemic barriers and challenges.
2. Participants will identify key areas in which cultural humility can enhance therapeutic alliance and treatment effectiveness.
3. Participants will describe specific ways to practice and strengthen cultural humility in treatment processes.

Presenters Biography: R. Keith Ramsey, MS, LPC, ATSAF, is retired after over 30 years in helping professions with a wide range of experience in mental health, substance-related disorders, corrections, and civil commitment fields in the states of New York, Wisconsin, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina. He has worked with diverse populations including adults with mental illness, serious mental illness (SMI), intellectual disability (ID) and other significant cognitive impairments, children with emotional disturbance and their families, adults with substance-related disorders, female and male victims of trauma, adolescent and adult males that committed sexual offenses, and men that committed domestic abuse. He has developed programs, facilitated trainings, and provided supervision and clinical care in multiple settings including community mental health and substance use disorder facilities, corrections facilities, civil commitment centers, psychiatric hospitals, forensic hospitals, community therapeutic group homes for juveniles, and a managed care company providing mental health and substance-related services to plan members. He has provided trainings in Trauma Informed Care (TIC), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness Training, sexual offense specific assessment and treatment, and assessment and treatment of men with disabilities and sexual offenses. He has served as a consultant for community care organizations treating people with disabilities.       

Deborah McCulloch recently retired after thirty years serving with and providing services for diverse people in the field of forensic mental health. Most recently, Ms. McCulloch served as Executive Director of Central New York Psychiatric, a statewide Office of Mental Health organization that provides a breadth of mental health services for over 11,000 inmate patients in correctional facilities; specialized sexual abuser treatment for civilly confined men and inpatient psychiatric treatment for justice involved men and women. Ms. McCulloch previously served as Director of Wisconsin's sexual offender civil commitment program at Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center; Deputy Director at Winnebago Mental Health Institute and served in other clinical and administrative positions in State of Wisconsin and private entities. She has served as an expert witness in federal and state courts and legislative bodies. She has been committed to servant leadership and organizational change that assumes responsibility for equality in justice, trauma-informed care and treating all people equally with respect, dignity and compassion.

#38 You Want Me To Do WHAT? Utilizing ERP To Effectively Treat Anxiety Disorders

Presenter: Stephanie Crane, MSW, CAPSW, SAC-IT, New Directions Counseling Center, Waupaca, Wis.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concern in the US, and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy is considered among the best tools to support these clients in their healing. This workshop is intended to serve participants who will be treating or are currently treating anxiety disorders in adolescents and adults and who wish to build their repertoire of evidence-based practices. Participants will be guided through the use of client-friendly psychoeducational material, strategies for monitoring anxiety and fostering a shared language, identifying and reducing safety behaviors that perpetuate the cycle of anxiety, and step-by-step protocols for completing exposures effectively. Throughout the workshop, participants will receive information, handouts, and case examples to illustrate the process.  

Learning Objectives:  

1. Participants will receive information and handouts designed to increase their ability to accurately screen, conceptualize, and provide effective psychoeducation to clients with anxiety disorders in order to increase their adherence to treatment protocols and improve chances of recovery.
2. Participants will receive a "recovery roadmap" to assist them with treatment planning for clients with whom Exposure and Prevention Therapy may be effective.
3. Participants will receive preemptive problem-solving guidance for common stumbling blocks that occur throughout and may interfere with effective Exposure and Response Prevention therapy. 

Presenter Biography: Stephanie Crane is a master's level clinical social worker with over a decade of experience in the field of human services. In her current capacity, she serves clients as a therapist in a group practice in Waupaca, Wisconsin. Having had the opportunity to train under some of the leading experts in the field of anxiety treatment, Stephanie is passionate about helping clients become the best possible version of themselves.

#39  Body and Heart: Non-Judgmental Treatment of Eating Disorders and Body Image Issues in Patients who Identify as LGBTQIA+

Presenter: Leora Mirkin, LCSW, Pride Counseling Services of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis. 

This workshop will be intended for clinicians who would like to work with the LGBTQIA+ community. The workshop will provide information about the unique needs of members of the LGBTQIA+ community in treating eating disorders and/or body image issues. Time will be spent discussing the unique needs of trans folks and gender minorities, as differentiating between gender dysphoria and body image issues can be difficult at times. Having worked with many patients who struggle with body image issues and/or eating disorders and gender dysphoria, I hope to share my approach and skills so that more clinicians will be better equipped to serve these communities.

Learning Objectives:  

1. Participants will understand why LGBTQIA+ individuals experience a higher rate of eating disorder diagnoses and body image issues.
2. Participants will learn how to compassionately assess for eating disorders and body image issues, and how to differentiate between these and gender dysphoria.
3. Participants will learn how to implement effective treatment strategies for LGBTQIA+ individuals who are suffering from eating disorders and/or body image issues. 

Presenter Biography: Leora Mirkin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who owns her own practice in Madison, Wisconsin. Leora earned her undergraduate degree in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota in 2012. After working in disability services for a few years, Leora attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received her Master’s in Social Work in 2017. Leora completed her supervised clinical hours at Foundations Counseling Center, working primarily with older adults and adults with disabilities. After becoming an LCSW, Leora saw a need for therapy services that were openly supportive of marginalized communities, both inside and outside of the therapy room. As a result, Leora founded Leora Mirkin Therapy LLC with the hopes of providing this inclusive therapeutic space. Leora made the decision to disclose her own status as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community as a business owner and clinician. Leora’s practice quickly grew into a treatment space that primarily serves LGBTQIA+ folks, specifically gender minorities, many of whom also suffer from eating and body image issues. It is now Leora’s professional and personal goal to advocate for these individuals within the mental health community and in the broader political landscape. 

#40  The Power of Connection to Self:  Helping Others Through Connected Regulation

Presenters: Tami Bahr, LCSW, CSAC, ICS, Natural Lifemanship Trained, Founder, Triquestrian, LLC, Madison, Wis. and Gretchen Arndt Hoernke, Natural Lifemanship Trained, Triquestrian, LLC, Madison, Wis.

This workshop will explore the power of connection and the myth of self-regulation. We are biologically driven to connect and it is in connection that we learn to regulate ourselves. Join us for an interactive workshop designed to explore our own nervous systems where we'll develop tools to use our selves more effectively in relationships.

Learning Objectives:    

1. Participants will be able to identify ways in which their nervous system responds to others as well as ways others respond to them. 
2. Participants will develop strategies for safe, connected relationships through central nervous system regulation.
3. Participants will explore the arousal continuum and be able to identify the state someone is in as well as effective strategies for connected regulation.   

Presenters Biography: Tami Bahr has 25+ years of experience providing both mental health and substance use disorder treatment to individuals and families in a variety of settings. Her work with individuals experiencing trauma related issues highlighted the need for more experiential based therapies. Tami founded Triquestrian, LLC in 2012 to provide Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Learning services where participants have an opportunity to heal trauma through safe, connected relationships.  

Gretchen Arndt Hoernke has 30+ years of experience working with horses and has been with Triquestrian since its inception providing Trauma Focused Equine Assisted Psychotherapy as part of a team approach. Through their work at Triquestrian, Tami and Gretchen have recognized the importance of connection and regulation of our own nervous systems as critical to the therapeutic process.   

Sarah Thompson, MPH, is an Outreach Specialist for UW-Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention and serves the Northeast region of Wisconsin. She serves on the Wisconsin Nicotine Treatment Integration Project (WiNTiP) that is funded by the Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. The WiNTiP mission is to save lives by integrating the treatment of tobacco dependence into the behavioral health care system. Ms. Thompson has provided technical assistance and support regarding addressing tobacco to mental health and addiction treatment programs as well as to recovery coaches. 

Dave Macmaster, CADC, PTTS, has decades of experience as a substance abuse counselor and addiction treatment administrator. He has worked to integrate tobacco into the behavioral health treatment system for the past fifteen years so that the treatment of tobacco dependence is equivalent to that provided to the other addictions. He has drawn upon his experience and expertise as both an addiction professional and a tobacco treatment specialist as well as his own recovery story at countless integration presentations and trainings.

This Affects Us All?

Keynote: Angela Ibrahaim-Olin, M.Ed., Assistant Dean and Director of Student Accountability, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

The pandemic, while a unique situation that has had an impact on all of us, has, in many ways, highlighted the differences that have always existed. Although an illness that has affected the bodies of so many, how do we strive to heal from this traumatic experience, both in body and mind? In this keynote, we’ll center participants’ experiences, the impact the pandemic has had on marginalized communities, and lastly, how we can strive for healing, both personally and professionally.

Learning Objectives:  

1. Participants will center their own experiences in the pandemic, with an eye towards the future.
2. Participants will gain a greater understanding of the ways in which the pandemic has impacted marginalized communities.
3. Participants will gain an understanding of what healing looks like in the context of a collective traumatic experience. 

Angela Ibrahim-Olin is an Assistant Dean and Director of Student Accountability at the University of Iowa and often engages in work that seeks to educate young people about a variety of topics, but most importantly, about their behavior. These conversations typically focus on gaining a better understanding of their goals and aspirations to help them become the best versions of themselves. Prior to this role at the University of Iowa, Angela has worked at a number of universities in the Midwest, upstate New York, and western Massachusetts where she pursued her Master’s degree in Social Justice Education. Angela’s academic focus in social justice and informal resolution techniques such as dialogue have combined for a skill-set rooted in compassion and grounded in her day-to-day work in accountability.

2022 Information Coming Soon!

​The 17th Annual Conference in 2021 featured a VIRTUAL exhibit hall available to conference participants before, during, and after the conference!   

 Promoter-$2,000 | Advocate-$1,500 | Supporter-$1,000 | Friend of Recovery-$175

To become a vital contributor to this important conference, contact Susan Barrett at sbarrett@uwsp.edu.

The 17th Annual Mental Health and Substance Use Recovery Training Conference reserves the right to deny sponsorship, exhibit booth content, Virtual Goodie Bag content, and/or donations for any company, organization, or individual it deems unsuitable for the conference.

 

The 2022 Mental Health and Substance Use Recovery Training Conference is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, October 20-21, 2022.  The 2022 theme is Care for Self, Care for Others: Building Resilient Communities."  It is anticipated that this event will take place in-person at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. 

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) and the conference planning committee are accepting proposals for 90-minute workshops.

Proposals that demonstrate evidence-based practices, promote strength-based approaches, include the voice of lived experience, address diverse populations, enhance skills, support recovery, and energize participants are encouraged. Proposals are due Friday, February 25, 2022.

UW-Stevens Point Continuing Education staff and the conference planning committee review all proposals. Selection criteria includes:

• Demand for the topic
  
• Presenter(s) experience and qualifications
  
• Demonstration of diverse perspective or application
  
• Relevancy (new or advanced level information) and best practices
  
• Alignment with conference objectives
  
• Achieving balanced recovery-oriented content related to mental health and/or substance use prevention, treatment, and wellness
  
• History of the topic at the conference including frequency of similar offerings
  
• Previous conference evaluation feedback (if applicable)
  

The Mental Health and Substance Use Recovery Training Conference is committed to equity and inclusion. UWSP and the conference planning committee recognize that people come from different contexts and circumstances. This means that on a structural level, some individuals have fewer barriers preventing them from speaking at events like conferences and some individuals have significantly more. These systemic barriers are often a function of racial background, class, gender, and ability. The barriers themselves could be financial, physical, geographical, or social. Each presenter is initially offered the same compensation of complimentary conference registration and one night of lodging.  Individual requests for additional compensation to alleviate financial barriers are welcome. Indicate your compensation need later in this proposal.

Selected workshop presenters were be notified by email by Friday, April 29, 2022. 

Email questions to UWSP Continuing Education.