The population with schizophrenia has a high rate of obesity and dies 25 years prematurely, most commonly because of cardiovascular disease.  Psychosocial weight control practices are effective in clinical trials, but rarely used in routine care.  These practices need to be tailored to the cognitive deficits found in the population with schizophrenia; to the capacity of the clinic; and to the preferences of the population.  This webinar presents a study that evaluated the implementation and effectiveness of a tailored in-person evidence-based weight management program delivered in four mental health clinics and including over 800 patients.  Results of the implementation of the weight intervention and the patient outcomes will be presented. Implementation of such a tailored weight management program in usual care clinics will be discussed including access to educational tools (for patients and clinicians) to help with uptake of this needed service.

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Cite direct ways that mental health care for those with schizophrenia can be improved, and move toward implementation
• Identify why and how weight interventions should be tailored for the population with schizophrenia
• Discuss the role of data in quality improvement and apply these principles in practice

Click the learn more button below to find out more.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for psychosis (CBTp) is an evidence-based psychotherapeutic intervention for psychotic symptoms that has been studied in more than 50 randomized clinical trials and more than 20 meta-analyses and systematic reviews. The intervention is a recommended psychosocial intervention in national treatment guidelines for schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Nevertheless, CBTp has failed to become the standard of care for individuals with psychosis in the United States.

This webinar will provide clinicians and clinicians-in-training with a brief orientation to the application of cognitive behavioral therapy to psychotic symptoms and disorders, its evidence base, and the core principles and techniques of the intervention. Resources for providers to obtain additional education and/or training in CBTp will also be provided.This webinar will provide clinicians and clinicians-in-training with a brief orientation to the application of cognitive behavioral therapy to psychotic symptoms and disorders, its evidence base, and the core principles and techniques of the intervention. Resources for providers to obtain additional education and/or training in CBTp will also be provided.

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Articulate the primary goals of a course of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for psychosis.
• Describe the theoretical principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for psychosis.
• List and describe the stages of CBTp treatment.

Register at SMIadviser.org/cbtbasics

Register at SMIadviser.org/REMS

The provision of peer support in behavioral health services has been an effective adjunct service for more than 35 years. In the context of this presentation “peer or peers” is used to describe individuals with personal experience of mental health disorders and their treatment. As peer support has professionalized and grown to meet the increasing needs of the field, so has the substantial body of evidence that details the efficacy of peer support and the wide variety of roles that certified peer specialists can assume in behavioral health. This webinar details the history behind this relatively new professional designation and outlines certification requirements that include training, supervised experience, ongoing education, and strict codes for ethical behavior.

Register at SMIadviser.org/peerprofession

The American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training’s Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium.

The underlying aim of this year’s meeting is “Teaching the 21st Century Learner” and creating a clinical learning environment where education or training is tailored to the individual learner within a participatory culture of fast and effective feedback. This allows students with different learning styles to find the best method for them and fosters an atmosphere of shared responsibility for learner outcomes. This is an essential part of training students and residents during the transition from medical school to residency to independent practice.

The National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference brings together over 1,500 elected and appointed county officials to focus on federal policy issues that impact counties and our residents. Attendees have the opportunity to engage in second-to-none policy and educational sessions, interact with federal officials and participate in congressional briefings and meetings.

Poor adherence to antipsychotics is a critical prognostic factor for patients with schizophrenia. Good illness insight, while helpful, is neither necessary nor sufficient for good antipsychotic adherence. Psychiatrists need to competently estimate the degree of adherence in order to devise appropriate interventions. A good adherence assessment inquires about attitude (towards drugs), barriers, and (actual) compliance behavior. “Drug attitude” can be viewed as a final common pathway that sums up a patient’s subjective risk-benefit assessment of a medication; it includes medication efficacy, particularly its ability to reduce perceived suffering. Adherence is unlikely if drug attitude is not good. Clinical adherence-enhancing interventions can be grouped into universal (for all patients), selected (for patients at high risk for non-adherence) or indicated interventions (for currently non-adherent patients). Among the various interventions, long-acting injectable antipsychotics are an underused first-line treatment for schizophrenia patients who require maintenance treatment.

This webinar will emphasize how to comprehensively assess adherence using the ABCs of adherence (i.e., drug attitude, barriers, and compliance behavior) and how to optimize adherence based on the reasons for non-adherence. The appropriate use of long-acting injectable antipsychotics will be highlighted.

Register at SMIadviser.org/adherence

This webinar examines peer support, a distinctly non-clinical role, which offers unique strengths that can supplement clinical environments. These specific strengths are part of what differentiates peer roles from clinical ones. Peers are able to build unique relationships with the people they serve because of their personal “lived” experience with mental health disorders. Consequently, peers are often able to activate self-management skills and a willingness in others to work more closely with clinical providers to make informed decisions about involvement in their treatment. The presentation provides concrete examples of effective ways of introducing peer support into clinical environments without compromising the core principles of “peerness” and non-clinical involvement.

Register at SMIadviser.org/peers-clinical

The AAPA Leadership and Advocacy Summit (LAS) provides a fantastic opportunity for PAs to network — with generous break times and a welcome reception, attendees will have ample time to meet old friends and emerging leaders, exchange ideas, and enjoy our nation’s capital.

We invite you to join us for the 2019 NABH Annual Meeting, where we will discuss some of the most important issues facing behavioral healthcare providers today, including the integration between behavioral healthcare and medical-surgical care, the nation’s opioid crisis, population health, telehealth, workforce, reimbursement, and more.

This webinar presents a public health, multilevel approach to addressing the epidemic of those with serious mental illnesses having higher rates of co-morbid medical problems, leading to reduced quality and length of life. It will address specific ways in which mental health clinicians can help improve the lives and lifespans of the individuals that they serve.

Register at SMIadviser.org/mortality

This webinar discusses dimensions of quality health care and explains evidence-based quality improvement methods and tools used to close quality gaps in care. There is considerable variation in the implementation and uptake of evidence-based practices in usual care clinics. Many patients do not receive evidence-based care, and this is especially true for the population with serious mental illness. A recent large-scale study using evidence-based quality improvement methods and tools to improve employment outcomes for those with serious mental illness will be described. Areas in need to quality improvement in the care of those with serious mental illness will be discussed with a focus on usual care clinics.

Register at SMIadviser.org/evbasedquality

This webinar focuses on social media, which is commonly used by billions of people around the world, including those with serious mental illnesses. While some evidence suggests that social media use may be associated with negative outcomes, like worsening mood and anxiety, other evidence claims it can help patients build stronger social networks and feel less isolated. This presentation will explore current evidence around social media and serious mental illness with the goal of providing practical tips to tell patients about use, warning signs of excessive use, and resources for helping patients who want to cut down their use. Positive use cases and support groups will also be covered.

Register at SMIadviser.org/socialmedia

#CPNP2019 is Where Pharmacy and Psychiatry Meet

This webinar underscores the subtleties of shared decision making and the important circumstances that must be available for it to succeed. Practitioners using evidence-based approaches to mental health treatment, and the people they serve, face a very real problem of translating medical evidence into a course of action that is best for the person receiving treatment. Experience has shown that it may not be enough to simply provide individuals with information and offer them a choice. What seemed to be missing was individuals and providers conversing and working out solutions, together. This tandem approach activates a need and a desire in the individual to become fully-vested in treatment decisions, making it more likely that they’ll participate fully.

Presenter: Patrick Hendry, Mental Health America

Register at SMIadviser.org/sharedecisions

This webinar will discuss the barriers to the use of clozapine and recommendations of a national workgroup seeking to overcome these barriers. Clozapine is a medication that exhibits unique efficacy and effective for those with serious mental illness. However, the risks of using clozapine, the monitoring required for its use, issues facing prescribers who may wish to employ it and a variety of administrative burdens have all proved to barriers to its more widespread use.

Presenters:

• Deanna Kelly, PharmD, BCPP, University of Maryland, School of Medicine
• Raymond Love, PharmD, BCPP, FASHP, University of Maryland, School of Pharmacy

Register at SMIadviser.org/clozapine-webinar

This webinar will provide participants an opportunity to learn more about the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the national’s largest grassroots mental health organization. NAMI is an association of hundreds of local affiliates, state organizations, and volunteers who work in communities across the United States to provide education and support to people affected by mental illness–the individual with the condition and the people who care about them. The services offered by NAMI are intended to complement the therapeutic services individuals receive from their treatment team. This webinar will provide an overview of the programs and services available through NAMI that can provide support to individuals and families as they cope with having mental illness in their life, and as they navigate the healthcare system to find the right services. It’s important for clinicians to know about all available resources so appropriate recommendations can be made to the individuals on their caseloads.

Presenter: Teri Brister, PhD, LPC, National Alliance on Mental Illness

Register at SMIadviser.org/meetnami

This webinar will explore the latest evidence about SMI, physical activity, and digital technology with the goal of informing learners of the current evidence for what technology can and cannot yet do towards helping patients become more active. Increasing physical activity levels offers many mental health as well as physical health benefits for patients with SMI. With cardiovascular disease as the single highest cause of mortality in patients with schizophrenia between ages 45-74, it is even more imperative to help patients stay active and fit. Recent evidence also suggests some types of physical activity can help improve often challenging to treat cognitive symptoms associated with schizophrenia. But despite these benefits, engaging the SMI community in exercise has traditionally been difficult. The recent rise of fitness trackers and health apps offers one potential solution through presenting patients and clinicians with new tools and resources to increase physical activity. Topics covered will include when to suggest such as part of the treatment plan, what to expect in terms of patient engagement and response, how to safely monitor physical activity, and finally how to incorporate such into treatment plans.

Presenter: John Torous, MD, MBI, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School

Register at SMIadviser.org/wearables

National Prevention Week is an annual health observance dedicated to increasing public awareness of, and action around, mental health and/or substance use disorders.

This webinar will provide a step-by-step guide to introducing peer support into provider service arrays as well as links to resources that will contribute to a successful transition. It is important that organizations that are not fully familiar with peer support and wish to introduce it into their services, orient their staff to maximize opportunities for success. Part of the process is to examine the culture of the organization. Is it oriented to a recovery or a medical approach? The introduction of peer support into a deeply entrenched medical model culture is problematic and requires important advance work with staff and policies. In order to achieve this goal it is necessary for senior leadership to communicate their commitment to the existing staff, and it is important to solicit the perspective of people in recovery, family members, and staff early in the process.

Presenter: Patrick Hendry, Mental Health America

Register at SMIadviser.org/introduce-peers

APA’s Annual Meeting is the premier psychiatry event of the year. With 650+ educational sessions, 38 courses, 8 tracks, 40 APA PRA Category 1 Credits™ available, and 15,000+ attendees, there’s no better event to learn, discover and experience the best educational content in psychiatry for the maximum value.

This session examines health disparities among individuals with serious mental illnesses and factors that influence wellness, physical health management, and health literacy. Discussion will include: a review of factors influencing physical wellness in this population, identifying opportunities for screening, a description of successful, evidence-informed health interventions specifically designed for people with serious mental illness (e.g., WRAP, NEW-R, health navigators), and examination of strategies to implement and sustain these services within diverse mental health settings. Information from a community-based health study focusing on health literacy, health practices, and recovery also will be presented, and strategies to improve workforce competencies will be described.

Presenter: Lisa Razzano, PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago

Register at SMIadviser.org/health-mgmt

Each year, MHA’s Annual Conference brings together affiliates, consumers, providers, family members and advocates from across the country to talk about important and emerging mental health issues. The 2019 Mental Health America Annual Conference, taking place in Washington, DC from June 13-15, 2019, is themed Dueling Diagnoses: Mental Health and Chronic Conditions in Children and Adults.

Join the nation’s largest gathering of mental health advocates as we share, learn and network around important mental health issues.

Launching at this year’s convention – NAMI’s new strategic plan! The convention’s theme, Our Movement, Our Moment captures the power and excitement of this moment as we mobilize the NAMI movement!”

During this webinar, you’ll hear an overview of the diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders and risky alcohol use. Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a prevalent problem among individuals in the U.S. Approximately 10 percent of the U.S. population is in recovery from a SUD, including those of both drugs and alcohol. Even among those receiving treatment for any SUD, quality of life scores are low and relapse rates are high. Over 25 percent of adults reported engaging in binge drinking in the past month. Those with a serious mental illness are at increased risk for a co-occurring substance use disorder and binge drinking as well as significant negative consequences of this dual-diagnosis. Treatment of these individuals can be challenging. The presentation will also address motivational interviewing techniques, which are particularly efficacious at improving change rate and sustaining change. And, medication management and other treatment strategies for providers from psychiatric specialties and primary care will also be discussed.

Presenters: 

• Donna Rolin, PhD, APRN, University of Texas at Austin
• Amanda Simonton, RN, PMHNP-BC, CARMAhealth

Register at SMIadviser.org/substance-use

This webinar introduces the concept of Psychiatric Advance Directives (PADS), which are legal documents that permit persons with mental illnesses to declare their preferences, instructions and consent for future mental health treatment, or appoint a surrogate decision maker in advance of an incapacitating psychiatric crisis. Twenty-seven states have enacted statutes supporting these directives since the 1990’s and implementation of these laws is a federal requirement for mental health facilities and clinics receiving federal funding. Despite this, education about PADs and resources to assist with implementation have been scarce. The presentation will also present information on their potential use and resources to aid in implementation.

Hosted in collaboration with the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network

Presenters:

• Marvin Swartz, MD, Duke University
• Bebe Smith, MSW, LCSW, Southern Regional AHEC

Register at SMIadviser.org/pads

Clinicians often have extensive experience treating individuals with chronic psychotic disorders but usually have very limited experience with treating individuals with first episode psychosis. This webinar will focus on how first episode schizophrenia-spectrum disorder are similar and also differ from the multi-episode versions of these disorders. Topics reviewed include the results of research studies of individuals with first episode schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and the clinical implications of the findings.

Presenter: Delbert G. Robinson, MD, Feintstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health

Register at SMIadviser.org/first-episode

A mental health crisis is a situation in which a person’s behavior puts them at risk of hurting themselves or others and/or prevents them from being able to care for themselves or function effectively in the community. This period of crisis can be stressful for the individual and their family members and/or caregivers but preparing for the possibility of a mental health crisis can help alleviate some of the uncertainty.

NAMI’s “Navigating a Mental Health Crisis” provides information and resources that help families and individuals living with mental illness, prepare for the possibility of a crisis. During this webinar, the presenters will discuss this crisis guide and how to prepare for a crisis. It will include information about what can contribute to a crisis, warning signs, strategies that can help de-escalate the situation, and how to engage with systems such as law enforcement and emergency healthcare services. The webinar will also discuss how to prepare for a crisis, including creating a portable treatment record or advanced medical directives, and how to use these tools during a crisis.

Topics and themes:
• Mental health crisis
• Signs and symptoms of crisis
• Portable treatment records and advance directives
• Support resources

Presenters:
Teri Brister, Ph.D., serves as the Director of Information & Support at NAMI. Dr. Brister is responsible for ensuring that all content created and disseminated by NAMI attains the highest possible standards of accuracy, relevance, value and academic rigor. She is the author of NAMI Basics and co-author of the NAMI Homefront program. Prior to joining NAMI in 2005, Dr. Brister worked for twenty years in the community mental health system in Mississippi, working in both clinical and administrative roles, including Assistant Executive Director in two different centers. Dr. Brister received her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from Jackson State University, and her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Counseling Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Mississippi.

Sue Abderholden has devoted her career to changing laws and attitudes that affect people with disabilities and their families. Since the fall of 2001, she has served as the executive director for NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) where she has grown the organization to be the largest provider of family and public education and support in the state and the state’s strongest advocacy organization. She has held leadership positions with Arc of Minnesota, U.S. Senator Paul D. Wellstone and PACER Center. Sue has a B.A. in political science from Macalester College and a master’s degree in public health administration from the University of Minnesota. Ms. Abderholden has received over 25 awards for her advocacy work including the 2018 Rona and Ken Purdy Award to End Discrimination from National NAMI, Excellence in Mental Health Advocacy and Policy Award from the International African Mental Health Providers, 2013 Gaylord Anderson Leadership Award from the U of M School of Public Health and the National Council for Behavioral Health 2013 Advocacy Leadership Award.

Large numbers of patients with serious mental illness (SMI) are not adherent to medications and treatment modalities, not only impacting their overall symptoms management but their also impairing quality of life. Less than 50% of patients with SMI continue to take their medications and adhere to their plan of care after 6 months. Non-adherence increases the risk of hospitalization, decreases recovery efforts, and extends the time in which a person will spend in inpatient facilities. It is estimated that hospitalizations due to non-adherence costs more than $100 billion a year in the United States. It is not unusual for many people with chronic SMI who do seek help to drop out from continued treatment after one or two visits. An estimated 70% of such individual stop receiving treatment due to poor interactions with their providers or lack of understanding about the need for their treatment. It is important that patients with SMI are active participants in their care with providers and the community supports in a process called shared decision making. Engaging patients in their care not only boosts adherence but also improves patients’ overall outcomes. Strategies to improve adherence to medications and treatment plans for patients with SMI will be explored in this webinar, including long-acting injectable medications (when indicated), medication strategies, and adjunctive supports.

Presenters:

• Donna Rolin, PhD, APRN, PMHCNS-BC, PMHNP-BC, University of Texas at Austin
• Amber Hoberg, MSN,  APRN, PMHNP-BC, WellBridge Hospital

Register at SMIadviser.org/success

Completing school or going back to school are common goals for people who might have dropped out or fell behind because of disruption caused by serious mental illness (SMI). Responding to the unique challenges of transition age youth and adults related to serious mental illness and education needs are best targeted through Supported Education.

This webinar will explore opportunities, challenges, and best practices in Supported Education for people with SMI. Researchers at the Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation and an Education Specialist at Mental Health America Los Angeles will share their experiences from research and practice about how supported education can support recovery and help ensure students with SMI can thrive.

During the webinar, individuals will learn:
• How supported education is best used to help people with serious mental illness.
• Guidance about supported education from research
• What supported education looks like in practice.
• Challenges and barriers to consider in supported education.
• Components of successful supported education practices or programs.

Speakers:
Dori Hutchinson, ScD, Director of Services and Associate Clinical Professor, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Services, Boston University
Carey White, Education Specialist at Mental Health America Los Angeles

The effective psychiatric care of older adults, especially those with serious mental illness and dementia remains a predominant challenge in current health care. This webinar will discuss how technology could advance clinical care in this those with serious mental illness and dementia, and explores issues around device ownership and access. Focusing on digital phenotyping in older adults with SMI, the talk will discuss how the latest research findings can be interpreted and applied for these patients. Case examples will focus on diagnostic use of new digital health tools to differentiate serious mental illnesses from dementia, with real world clinical examples. Finally use cases of apps and virtual reality for this population will be discussed.

Presenter: Ipsit Vahia, MD, McLean Hospital and McLean Institute for Technology in Psychiatry

Register at SMIadviser.org/older-adults

People living with serious mental illness (SMI) are at higher risk of dying by suicide, yet there is little research about unique considerations or interventions for treating suicidal thoughts and behaviors in those diagnosed with SMI. A comprehensive, systematic approach to managing suicide risk for patients seen in health and behavioral health (HBH) organizations should include specific clinical decisions, tailored interventions, and enhanced engagement for patients with SMI. This webinar will provide an overview of the relationship between SMI and suicide, highlight some of the resources available to support health and behavioral healthcare organizations in their care for individuals with serious mental illness, as well as how to assist their loved ones.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to (1) describe the importance of addressing suicide risk for those with SMI in HBH organizations, (2) identify resources that are available to support suicide prevention and care for individuals with SMI and how to access these resources, and (3) list the benefits of taking a patient-centered approach to treating suicide risk and SMI that includes community, peer, family, and other supports.

As Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) services for persons with First Episode Psychosis have expanded and matured, awareness of the challenges surrounding discharge planning and interest in step-down programming have grown substantially.  The webinar will address these issues by first providing an overview of the current findings regarding longer term outcomes for persons being discharged from FEP  programs, (Nev Jones); second a presentation of an important recent randomized trial evaluating alternative discharge strategies (2 year versus extended CSC services) (Ashok Malla); and finally discussion from two CSC programs regarding their experiences with a two year limit on FEP enrollment and the strategies that they have used to address concerns.  (Irene Hurford in Pennsylvania and Jill Dunstan in New York.

Presenters:

Nev Jones PhD is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of South Florida, as well as an affiliate assistant professor in the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute.

Ashok Malla MD is a professor and Tier 1 research chair in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University with a cross appointment in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

Jill Dunstan LMHC is the program director for BestSelf Behavioral Health which is the OnTrackNY CSC program in Buffalo, NY.

Irene Hurford MD is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, clinical director of the Psychosis Education, Assessment, Care, and Empowerment (PEACE) Program at Horizon House in Philadelphia, and Director of the Pennsylvania Early Intervention Center (PEIC).

Please join SAMHSA’s Homeless and Housing Resource Network (HHRN) for a 2-day national online conversation about the most effective approaches to ending homelessness for individuals with serious mental illness and/or substance use disorders. This 2-day national online event is presented free of charge by HHRN.

No travel required – attend directly from your own internet-connected computer. Join us for the whole summit or drop in to only those sessions that most appeal to you.

The program includes 30+ national experts, policy makers, and providers who will engage you in a variety of plenaries, roundtable discussions, and concurrent sessions.

Continuing education credits are available at no cost to registrants.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) and The Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), the designated local mental health and IDD authority for Harris County, are midway through a three phase implementation of their Clinician and Officer Remote Evaluation (CORE) program pilot. Their CORE program is a Telehealth Strategy of responding to mental health crisis calls utilizing a tablet and a HIPAA compliant technology platform to connect a law enforcement first responder in the community with a mental health clinician at the time of the 911 dispatch. This proposed webinar will highlight the experience and benefits of this collaborative effort between law enforcement and a large behavioral health system in utilizing technology to address the growing number of mental health calls in the nation’s fourth largest county.

This webinar will provide a discussion of the needs driving this innovative Telehealth approach, the goals of the project, and the recognized challenges and benefits of this strategy. This project has multi-stream funding model from Harris County Sheriff’s Office, The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD, and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Additionally, funding for evaluation to be completed by the University of Houston Downtown (UHD) and an implementation guide to be developed by HCSO, with input from UHD and The Harris Center, has been generously provided by Arnold Ventures.

Presenters:

Wayne Young, MBA, LPC, FACHE – Chief Executive Officer of The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD (The Harris Center).

Frank Webb, M.Ed., – Project Manager for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Mental Health and Jail Diversion where he oversees special projects.

This webinar will focus on practical aspects of prescribing clozapine, including initiation and titration, maintenance, management of side effects, and resources for the prescriber.  We will also discuss strategies for navigating clozapine-specific logistical challenges, such as how to streamline communication among the patient, prescriber, pharmacist, and laboratory.  Lastly, we will discuss how providers can increase their confidence and that of their patients with regards to treatment with clozapine.

Presenter: Yvonne Yang, MD, PhD, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior

Register at SMIadviser.org/cloz-guide

Please join us for this SAMHSA sponsored webinar, developed under contract by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors and presented by The Bazelon Center and the National Disability Rights Network.

Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Supported Employment is a widely known and extensively studied evidence-based practice that helps people with serious mental illness get and keep jobs. Speakers will provide a brief overview of Supported Employment services; how to create a culture of recovery and employment within existing employment support systems; provide an overview of Thinking Skills for Work Program (a set of cognitive enhancement services that can improve outcomes for people who are not responding to traditional IPS); and strategies for successfully navigating the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) process to achieve employment for individuals with serious mental illness.

Presenters:

• Katherine Burson, Independent Consultant
• Susan McGurk, PhD, Professor Occupational Therapy, Boston University
• Cheryl Bates-Harris; Senior Disability Advocacy Specialist, National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)

Behavioral health is undergoing a significant change with a focus on measurement-based care which can assist in better delivering treatments. Community behavioral health practices can apply screening and follow-up plans with treatment targets and then use validated measurement tools, assess treatment response, and adjust treatment according to outcomes. Commonly used tools include the PHQ9 for depression and GAD7 for anxiety and in these settings it will be important to look beyond these tools. Measurement must be applied in a systematic fashion by the care team requiring re-thinking workflows. Data is entered into the registry for tracking and treatment is adjusted to reach preset clinical targets. Advancing this approach in community behavioral health settings is a central tool for enhancing and informing approaches to population health and improving and positioning the field for value-based payment initiatives. This webinar will review measurement-based care approaches for behavioral and physical health in the SMI population as well as review examples of registry tracking and using aggregate data.

Presenter: Lori Raney, MD, Health Management Associates

For complete details visit: SMIadviser.org/measure-care

The Safety Planning Intervention (also known as the Stanley-Brown Safety Plan; SPI; Stanley & Brown, 2012) is a widely used brief intervention and has been shown to reduce suicidal behaviors and to increase treatment engagement when coupled with brief follow-up phone contact (Stanley et al, JAMA Psychiatry, 2018). It is widely used by organizations implementing the Zero Suicide model as well as the Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC).  The intent of SPI is to help individuals lower their imminent risk for suicidal behavior by employing a pre-determined set of potential coping strategies and a list of individuals or agencies whom they may contact.

In this webinar, Drs. Barbara Stanley and Gregory Brown will discuss the rationale for conducting a brief Safety Planning Intervention and how to set the stage for high quality safety planning, identify typical areas of safety planning that need improvement, and discuss how safety planning is implemented across care settings. Special issues and adaptations for doing safety planning in individuals with SMI will be discussed.

Presenters:

• Barbara Stanley, Ph.D., Professor of Medical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University and Director of the Suicide Prevention Training, Implementation and Evaluation (SP-TIE) program in the Center for Practice Innovations at New York State Psychiatric Institute.
• Gregory K. Brown, Ph.D., Principal Investigator/Co-Investigator on research grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense.

This webinar will provide an overview of the importance of including the patient in all levels of the assessment and treatment process, along with their family of choice as well as suggestions on how to incorporate this approach into practice.  The presenters will share the background of the engagement movement and the role that education of the patient and family members about the illness and treatment options plays in active engagement in the treatment process, specifically the importance of shared decision making. Best practices in proactive engagement of the person and the family including methods used in coordinated specialty care programs across the country, as well as peer-led education and support programs will also be discussed.

Presenters:

• Teri Brister, PhD, LPC, National Alliance on Mental Illness
• Ken Duckworth, MD, National Alliance on Mental Illness

For complete details visit:  SMIadviser.org/engage

Please join us for this SAMHSA sponsored webinar developed under contract by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors and presented by the National Council for Behavioral Health.

This webinar will explore how mental health and substance use treatment providers currently care for women with co-occurring first episode psychosis (FEP), serious mental illness (SMI), and substance use disorder (SUD); and, what questions remain in relation to treating this population of women with complex presentations. Also of note is the high prevalence of ACEs in women and the ways to address this in care. Specific observations from our treatment areas note that: (a) women are underrepresented (SAMHSA TEDS Report – April 3, 2014), (b) women leave treatment early, and (c) care environments can be experienced by some women as re-traumatizing. Understanding processes that contribute to gender biases within the contexts of access and treatment is essential. The speakers will identify specific knowledge gaps and potential areas for improvement from a research and clinical standpoint.

Presenters:

• Kirsten Bolton, MSW, McLean OnTrack Program Director
• Kelly Carlson, Professional Development Specialist and Research Associate at McLean Hospital
• Carolyn Chance, RN, BSN, works in the Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorders unit at McLean Hospital

Please join us for this SAMHSA sponsored webinar, developed under contract by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors and presented by the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

To achieve and sustain mental health, individuals with serious mental illness need access to an array of treatment options and need to be actively engaged in their own treatment and recovery support plan. Person and family centered care puts consumers at the center of the planning process. This method involves a collaborative and strengths-based approach that relies on understanding the preferences and abilities of the individual seeking treatment and their support systems in order to tailor a personal plan for success.

During this webinar, participants will learn more about person and family centered care. Presenters will share tips for engaging individuals and their family members in the treatment planning process, and stories of success. They will also share resources for implementing and encouraging the practice of person and family centered care.

Topics and themes:

• Mental health and recovery
• Peers
• Family and caregivers

Presenters:

• Teri Brister, PhD, Director of Information & Support at NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
• Ken Duckworth, M.D., NAMI Medical Director and Assistant Clinical Professor at Harvard University Medical School

Please join us for this SAMHSA sponsored webinar developed under contract by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors .

Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R) is a theoretically-driven, evidence-based approach that operationalizes recovery, resiliency, and empowerment for individuals who experience serious mental health challenges. Beck’s cognitive model guides the development of a positive and personal life-space — accessing and strengthening one’s best self, actively contributing and enjoying others, richly building aspirations to fill the future with hope and purpose — and provides insight into often complex challenges that get in the way of living a life of one’s choosing. Providers become powerful partners — meeting individuals where they are at, accessing adaptive modes of living, instilling daily living with purpose, and collaboratively developing resiliency in the face of life’s inevitable stress. CT-R assists in the successful integration of adaptive beliefs and confidence that enables individuals to thrive.

CT-R is readily teachable and has been successfully implemented across settings (hospital, residential, case management team, outpatient clinic, veterans’ administration) and formats (individual therapy, group therapy, team-based, milieu). The webinar will focus on the science supporting the model, the basic protocol, as well as successful implementation in mental health systems to promote culture change and continuity of care. The webinar will use examples from SAMHSA’s Transformation Transfer Initiative’s six projects in Georgia, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont.

Presenters:

• Paul M. Grant, Ph.D. – Research Assistant Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the Aaron T. Beck Psychopathology Research Center
• Ellen Inverso, Psy.D. – Director of Clinical Training and Education of the Beck Recovery Training Network at the Aaron T. Beck Psychopathology Research Center

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. All month, mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention awareness.

Every September, SAMHSA sponsors Recovery Month to increase awareness and understanding of mental and substance use disorders and celebrate the people who recover.

Please join us for this SAMHSA sponsored webinar developed under contract and presented by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD).

In this webinar we will continue our exploration of important issues related to successful transition from first episode programming.  In Part 1 of this series we identified concerns with the long term maintenance of the improved outcomes that are routinely found for clients served in FEP programs.  The longer term follow-up literature suggests that many of these gains may be lost over time.  We featured research that demonstrated the benefits of extending a program to 5 years and some step down or extension strategies that are being explored by two US FEP programs.  In Part 2 we’ll take another look at the follow-up literature, present some results from national evaluation of FEP programs regarding transition practices and consumer’s thoughts about leaving FEP programs. We will then lead a discussion of the many clinical, financing, research and policy issues that should be addressed in developing strategies to help assure long term benefits of FEP programming.

Presenters:

• David Shern, Ph.D. Senior Public Health Advisor, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
• Lisa Dixon, M.D. Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute
• Steven Dettwyler, Ph.D. Public Health Analyst, Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Telepsychiatry offers the ability to increase access to care for patients with SMI though remote, video, and virtual visits. Today it is increasingly easy to offer your patients telepsychiatry services, and this webinar will offer an introduction focusing on use cases for SMI. Topics covered will include the history and background of telepsychiatry, trainings available today, legal and reimbursement issues, technical considerations, as well as practice and clinical issues. Relevant research at the intersection of SMI and telepsychiatry will also be discussed as relevant to each of the topics.

Presenter: John Torous, MD, MBI, Harvard Medical School

A time to share resources and stories, as well as promote suicide prevention awareness.

A time to remember those affected by suicide, to raise awareness, and to focus efforts on directing treatment to those who need it most.

The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) Annual Meeting will be held in conjunction with the 2019 International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership (IIMHL) and the International Initiative for Disability Leadership (IIDL) Leadership Exchange from September 11 – 14 in Washington D.C.

Visit https://www.nasmhpd.org/content/nasmhpd-annual-2019-meeting-iimhl-iidl-sponsorship for information on Sponsor or Exhibit Opportunities.

Do the words “evidence-based practice” make you squirm with confusion or irritation? When someone describes their psychiatric rehabilitation services as “evidence-based” are you embarrassed to ask why? This webinar will empower participants to become more confident consumers of evidence. We will demystify the terms evidence-based practice, evidence-based medicine, and look under the hood to see how services are declared evidence-based. We will use real-world examples to help you think critically about evidence and to become more comfortable asking questions. We will also explore how recovery concepts intersect with the principles of evidence-based medicine and promote choice.

Presenter: Sandra Resnick, PhD, Yale University School of Medicine; Department of Veteran Affairs Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC), Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention

Many states utilize mobile crisis teams (MCTs), but the inclusion of peer support on teams is a relatively new addition. A MCT is committed to decreasing unnecessary incarceration as a result of a mental health crisis, decreasing unnecessary hospitalizations, providing safe, compassionate and effective responses to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, increasing their participation with mental health providers by problem solving barriers, increasing knowledge of local resources, and increasing public safety. It is frequently difficult to engage individuals living with serious psychiatric conditions in treatment and perhaps even more so during a brief encounter with a MCT. Peer support specialists have proven to be highly effective in providing a sense of safety, respect, and personal agency for people experiencing a crisis in the community. This webinar will review MCT peer support engagement techniques and their outcomes that can result in lowered rates of hospitalization and/or incarceration.

Presenter: Patrick Hendry, Mental Health America

For complete details visit: SMIadviser.org/crisisteam

Safe, stable, and affordable housing is increasingly recognized as a vital part of recovery. What role can substance use disorder treatment and recovery programs play in providing this essential need for their clients? Find out the basics of housing and how to get started in this 6-session virtual learning community beginning in August 2019! By the end of session 3, participants will be able to:

• Understand the history of inequality in the housing system.
• Discuss special considerations in supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness, veterans, people with severe mental health issues, and older adults.
• Determine key stakeholders to collaborate with in supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness, veterans, people with severe mental health issues, and older adults.

The Zero Suicide framework is an evidence-informed comprehensive set of practices and tools that aims to improve care and outcomes for all patients at risk of suicide within health and behavioral health care delivery systems. This webinar will provide an overview of the Zero Suicide framework and describe its core elements. This includes the key clinical, organizational, and continuous quality improvement components that comprise the Zero Suicide framework. Clinical components that are particularly relevant for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), such as special considerations for suicide risk identification and engagement in suicide prevention interventions will be discussed.

Presenters:

• Adam Chu, MPH, Education Development Center
• Kim Walton, MSN, APRN, Education Development Center

For complete details visit: SMIadviser.org/zero-suicide

A one-day, clinically focused pre-conference on innovative early psychosis care.

APA, NIMH, SAMHSA, and SMI Adviser are partnering with PEPPNET (Psychosis-Risk and Early Psychosis Program Network) to bring the second National Conference on Advancing Early Psychosis Care in the United States to IPS with the theme, “The Complexities of Real-World Care.”

This event will pull together a diverse group of speakers, including national experts in coordinated specialty care implementation comprised of:

• clinical experts,
• mental health policy leaders, and
• people who themselves have experienced psychosis and recovery.

Keynote speakers, workshops and panel presentations will cover a wide range of topics and provide clinicians with quality tools that can be implemented in the care of individuals with clinical high risk (CHR) or early psychosis.

Get jazzed for #PMHNCon this October 2-5! Set in the heart of the Birthplace of Jazz, the conference will deliver dynamic presentations and fun connecting with fellow psychiatric-mental health nurses.

IPS highlights innovations in clinical services to better meet the needs of all populations–and vulnerable communities in particular–through an interactive program with engaging topics and session formats.

Safe, stable, and affordable housing is increasingly recognized as a vital part of recovery. What role can substance use disorder treatment and recovery programs play in providing this essential need for their clients? Find out the basics of housing and how to get started in this 6-session virtual learning community beginning in August 2019! By the end of session 4, participants will be able to:

• Identify at least three alternative housing types.
• Compare the pros and cons of different alternative housing types.
• Describe how alternative housing types benefit clients and the community.

While medications and psychotherapy are pillars of psychiatric care, they are being joined by modern neuromodulation therapies. These treatments use electrical, magnetic, or other kinds of energy to stimulate brain tissue. An important 21st century neuromodulation technique is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS uses strong, focal magnetic pulses to stimulate specific brain networks, to induce neuroplastic changes that lead to symptom relief, relying on the neuroscience principle that “neurons that fire together, wire together.” As a targeted brain treatment, it does not have the systemic side effects of medication, and most patients’ response is durable. The FDA has permitted its use for over a decade, yet it remains relatively underutilized. This webinar will review the mechanism of action of TMS, principles of administration, the evidence of efficacy and safety, how to select patients for TMS, and areas where research may soon lead to new and expanded clinical uses.

Presenter: Ian A. Cook, MD, Los Angeles TMS Institute Inc.

The Treatment Advocacy Center will be hosting the first ever National Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Symposium on October 10-11 in Columbus, Ohio. The free event will be open to teams from communities throughout the country interested in developing a new program or improving one already in existence.

The symposium will:

• Showcase model Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) programs;
• Highlight the core elements of effective programs;
• Emphasize the importance of treatment engagement using the “black robe effect” and support and encouragement by the treatment team;
• Offer a road map on how to implement an AOT program and improve and sustain existing programs; and
• Provide an opportunity for judges, mental health professionals, attorneys, advocates, family members and individuals living with mental illness, to hear from and discuss concerns, challenges and successes with their counterparts.

World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.

Online registration for the 66th Annual Meeting will open August 1, 2019 for AACAP members and August 8, 2019 for non-members. Be sure to register early to attend all your preferred events.

This webinar will discuss how healthcare organizations can ensure that awareness, adoption, and implementation of the National CLAS Standards incorporate this more inclusive definition of culture in order to better serve persons in the recovery community.

Objectives:

• Define the CLAS standards, themes, and recommendations
• Understand strategies for decreasing health disparities for people in recovery
• Learn types of peer support and value of services delivered by peer-led experts
• Explore key cultural and structural drivers of peer recovery (homelessness, poverty and other factors)

Persons with serious mental illness (SMI) have the potential to live full and successful lives. Yet, unfortunately there is the risk that some will end up with poor outcomes including involvement in the criminal justice system. In fact, persons with SMI are over-represented in the criminal justice system. Two primary models have been espoused to help decrease the population of people with SMI in the criminal justice system. The Sequential Intercept Model examines various points of potential interception as criminal justice system decisions are made, such as at arrest, at court, at incarceration and reentry. The Stepping Up framework asks leaders at a county level to join to make shifts that can reduce the numbers of people with SMI in jails. This webinar will review basics regarding the criminal justice system, provide basic data on the prevalence of people with SMI in the justice system, and offer an overview of models looking at reform to help individual patients and systems.

Presenter: Debra Pinals, MD, University of Michigan

Safe, stable, and affordable housing is increasingly recognized as a vital part of recovery. What role can substance use disorder treatment and recovery programs play in providing this essential need for their clients? Find out the basics of housing and how to get started in this 6-session virtual learning community beginning in August 2019! By the end of session 5, participants will be able to:

• Understand the economic argument for housing as an intervention.
• Describe landlord law and its relevance to housing development.
• Identify the breadth of funding sources available for housing.

Safe, stable, and affordable housing is increasingly recognized as a vital part of recovery. What role can substance use disorder treatment and recovery programs play in providing this essential need for their clients? Find out the basics of housing and how to get started in this 6-session virtual learning community beginning in August 2019! By the end of session 6, participants will be able to:

• Describe the importance of beginning with the end in mind in housing development.
• Identify how the impact of housing development can be measured.
• Evaluate the first steps your agency can take toward housing development.

Counties across the country have committed to creating data-driven, systems-level plans to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in their jails. As part of these efforts, many communities are focusing on the small number of people who frequently cycle in and out of emergency rooms, shelters, crisis services and the justice system, a population that disproportionately contributes to the high utilization of these resources. People who come into frequent contact with these systems have some of the highest mental health and substance abuse treatment needs and utilize significant county resources, often without positive outcomes due to a lack of collaboration between the various systems.

In Part 2 of a series on collecting and using data, Stepping Up and the Data-Driven Justice project will host a webinar that features counties that have implemented policies and practices that identify frequent utilizers of these systems and use this information to connect people with appropriate treatment and services.

This webinar explores the benefits of peer support in combating loneliness and social exclusion, two factors that destroy health and happiness. Research has shown that the lack of “connectedness” to friends and community worsens psychiatric problems and leads to chronic illness and early mortality. Adults with mental health problems are one of the most excluded groups in society. People living with thought disorders, like schizophrenia, have the most difficulties in forming personal relationships of all disabilities. Social inclusion offers opportunities to re-engage with the community and form positive relationships. Mental Health America’s Social Self-Directed Care program and work compiled by the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion emphasize the value of peer support in assisting individuals with serious psychiatric disorders form social connections and personal relationships.

Presenter: Patrick Hendry, Mental Health America

For complete details visit: SMIadviser.org/endexclusion

Individuals with SMI who have been involved in the criminal justice system face numerous challenges including additional stigma. They may also exhibit behaviors that were adaptive in correctional settings, but become maladaptive in other settings. Many of these persons have histories of trauma and their exposure to criminal justice processes can be further traumatizing. Many will have antisocial personality features that the mental health treatment provider may feel ill-equipped to support and may even not enjoy the work of working with these individuals, which can lead to personal burn out and difficulty with compassion. This can be especially true for patients with histories of aggression or even violence. In addition, individuals with SMI in the criminal justice system often have co-occurring substance use disorders and medical conditions that compound their complexity. The criminal justice system utilizes a rubric called the Risk-Need-Responsivity paradigm to identify individual risk of criminal recidivism. Interventions such as specific cognitive behavioral strategies are often used in criminal justice contexts to address some of the criminogenic thinking associated with such recidivism. This framework has been applied to broad populations even while more research is needed to determine how these methods can best fit for persons with SMI. This webinar will review these various topics to assist mental health professionals in supporting their patients who have had criminal justice involvement.

Presenter: Debra Pinals, MD, University of Michigan

Over 60% of people with serious mental illness express an interest in employment yet less than 20% are employed, and only 2% have access to effective employment services. The evidence-based approach to supported employment, also known as Individual Placement and Support (IPS), includes 27 randomized controlled trials demonstrating that two to three times more people gain employment with IPS support when compared to usual stepwise employment services. In addition, many people and especially young adults want further education or training to advance their work lives. This webinar includes a description of supported employment and supported education principles and practices, a brief overview of the research, and identification of the roles of mental health practitioners, employment and education specialists, Vocational Rehabilitation counselors, family members, employers and educators to support people’s work and school efforts.

Presenter: Deborah Becker, M.Ed, Westat

For complete details visit: SMIadviser.org/employ-edu

In this webinar we will review risk factors associated with higher risk for suicidal behaviors, with a particular focus on individuals with clinical high risk and early psychosis. We will also review the essentials components of a safety plan and review some treatment approaches that target suicidal behavior.​

Presenter: Shirley Yen, PhD

This webinar will discuss treatment considerations for transitional-age youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities and co-morbid SMI. It will review the common co-morbid medical conditions in this population that can influence the choice in therapeutic agent, as well as the current evidence and guidelines available to help support clinical decision-making..

Presenter: Rebecca McCloskey, PMHNP-BC, Boston Psychiatric Care

Effective teamwork is the cornerstone of the development and promotion of interprofessional collaboration. When teams come together, their ability to work toward health and wellness for service participants, families, and communities are stronger than any individual efforts. In this webinar strategies to promote interprofessional collaboration and team work will be presented using lessons learned from Assertive Community Treatment in New York.

Presenter: Helle Thorning, PhD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatric Social Work (in Psychiatry) at Columbia University 

For complete details visit: SMIadviser.org/team

SAMHSA’s Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) invites you to join a conversation with experts about how organizations new to providing peer support services can effectively supervise and support peer support workers. All workers need supervision, and good supervision can play a key role in helping peers integrate successfully into new work settings.

Organizations unaccustomed to providing peer support services can improve services and employee satisfaction by implementing best practices for supervising and supporting peer workers. Our presenters will discuss how to apply practical supervision strategies that support peer workers’ professional development in different settings.

Join us for this free, interactive virtual event moderated by Lonnetta Albight, BRSS TACS Subject Matter Expert.

AADPRT invites you all to contemplate the motivation and process of being an educator. How does this role bring satisfaction (or does it)? How has it informed our personal trajectory and that of the learners? How have we leveraged teaching to help expand our purpose, that of future psychiatrists, and the field of mental health?

AADPRT invites you all to reflect on this year’s Annual Meeting theme: Reclaim Meaning through Teaching which takes place March 4-7, 2020 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas.

Annual Meeting ~ Wednesday Afternoon, March 4 – Saturday, March 7

BRAIN Conference ~ Wednesday Morning, March 4

This webinar will offer learners an overview of how to use telemental health and video visits in the changing landscape surrounding the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. As clinicians seek to quickly offer remote and video visits, it is important that they be aware of the legal, clinical, cultural, and practical aspects in using technology to deliver care. This webinar will cover topics including assessing which telemental health platform to use, licensure, issues around consent, online prescribing, billing and payments, and special situations.

Presenter: Patrick Yellowlees, MBBS, MD, Chief Wellness Officer, UC Davis Health; Alan Stoudemire Endowed Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, UC Davis.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH) will host a joint webinar discussion with experts working in inpatient, residential, and other non-ambulatory care settings about how they are assessing the current environment and developing new protocols to care for their patients during the COVID 19 crisis. Hear from experts about how to manage through different types of services, key messages to give to your team leaders, unique challenges for people with SMI, how to approach group therapy, and more. A recording will be made available after the event.

Panelists: 

• Harsh Trivedi, MD, MBA, President and CEO, Sheppard Pratt Health Systems
• Ryan Kimmel, MD, Chief of Inpatient Psychiatry, University of Washington Medical Center
• Frank A. Ghinassi, Ph.D ABPP, CEO, Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care

For complete details visit: apapsy.ch/inpt-webinar

This webinar will introduce the role of peer specialists within the NYS specific CSC team, OnTrackNY. We will share briefly about the OnTrackNY model and it’s evolution to include the role of peer specialists to promote the goal of recovery for those labeled with First Episode Psychosis.

Peer Specialists bring to the teams their own lived experience of mental health services and their skill set complements the clinical, educational & psychiatric work being done by other team members. There are challenges and tensions inherent in the role of a peer specialist on a clinical team, which will be addressed in this discussion along with the suggestion of tactics that can support role clarity, task focused work and integration.

Presented by an OnTrackNY Peer Specialist & the trainer and support staff for Peer Specialists on OnTrackNY teams statewide, this webinar will share an inside perspective of the work of peer specialists and the training and support offered to them. Covering the role responsibilities, collaborative work and support schedule will give webinar participants the opportunity to understand the unique focus of peer specialist staff on CSC teams and how they can be best integrated into multidisciplinary teams.

Presenters: Abbaigeal Duke & Danny Sosa 

For complete details visit: smiadviser.org/peer-specialist

Tobacco causes a staggering 50% of deaths in those who use it, yet there is evidence that behavioral health care professionals don’t do enough to intervene and provide treatment. Tobacco use rates, although declining in the general population, are still two to three times higher in individuals with a behavioral health condition (mental illness or addiction) and this group consumes at least a third of the tobacco sold in the United States. Tobacco use also negatively impacts recovery from other substances and leads to poorer health and mental health. This session will provide updates in treatment and review relevant issues related to poor outcomes including levels of nicotine dependence and lack of access to cessation treatments. It includes practical techniques for assessment as well as evidence based practices for counseling and pharmacotherapy. Techniques for working with lower motivated tobacco users are also reviewed.

Presenter: Jill Williams, MD,  Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University

This webinar describes the experience of peer workers and peer supervisors providing crisis services. It will cover the range of crisis services that peers are participating in from warmlines to crisis teams.

Critical Time Intervention (CTI) is an intensive case management model delivered in a crisis setting during a critical transition. CTI was originally developed for people with serious mental illness who experience homelessness, with the goal of securing successful transitions to being housed. The crisis service model has also been used to promote successful transitions from hospitals and other institutions such as jails and prisons to community living. It focuses on community integration and continuity of care by ensuring that a person has enduring ties to their community and support systems during these critical periods to avoid the likelihood of a repeating crisis. In research trials of CTI, there was a significant decrease in recurrent homelessness up to nine months after the intervention ended.

In this webinar, Bebe Smith will discuss the building blocks of CTI, and describe several wide scale implementation projects, in North Carolina, New Hampshire and Canada.

Presenter: Bebe Smith, MSW, LCSW – Director of mental health at Southern Regional Area Health Education Center. She led a pilot of Critical Time Intervention (CTI) from 2012-2015. CTI was adopted for statewide expansion in 2014. She is a trainer in Family Psychoeducation and Critical Time Intervention.

Experience the meeting of the profession virtually. Join more than 2,000 social workers, like-minded professionals, and social work thought leaders for four days of unparalleled opportunities for professional development, continuing education, networking, and thought-provoking conversations tackling the most pressing issues facing the social work profession across the world.

Arizona has spent the past several decades developing a crisis system that is widely regarded as one of the most advanced in the nation. In this model, a robust continuum of services work together in concert to provide high-quality care in the least-restrictive setting that can safely meet the person’s needs while also ensuring fiscal sustainability and responsible stewardship of community resources. This presentation will describe key features of the Arizona model including:

1. overview of the crisis continuum,
2. governance, financing, and accountability,
3. examples of collaboration with law enforcement and other community partners, and
4. strategies for using data to drive continuous system improvement.

Presenter: Margie Balfour, MD, PhD, Connections Health Solutions

For complete details visit: SMIadviser.org/crisis

NAMI is grateful for your patience and support as the canceled in-person NAMICon has been transformed into a virtual event. No cost registration is now open for NAMICon 2020, a Virtual Event, taking place July 13–14.

Successfully engaging young adults in treatment is among the many challenges confronted by Coordinated Specialty Care programs. Discontinuation of services or failure to fully participate in care can result from poor engagement and can result in compromised clinical and functional status.

Dr. Michelle R. Munson from New York University has systematically studied the engagement process among economically and socially marginalized young adults for over fifteen years using both qualitative and quantitative methods.  Based on her work and that of her colleagues, she has developed systematic engagement methodologies – including strategies that are youth-informed and centered, and have shown promise in empirical studies.

Dr. Munson embeds these engagement strategies in intervention programs she is testing in the public mental health system.  These programs include a strong mentoring relationship provided by an individual with lived experience and they include content to address issues of acceptance, motivation, stigma, hope, mental health literacy, and a need to maintain connection to others while receiving care.  Their approaches also include a foundational emphasis on building trust and promoting self-efficacy, and learning how to do this over time in partnership with professional mental health providers.

In this webinar, Dr. Munson will present the formative data that led to the young adult engagement program, and data collected during the development of the program. She will share initial insights that have been gleaned from a randomized clinical trial that is underway in New York.  She will be joined by Iruma Bello, Ph.D. and Aanchal Katyal, LMSW from first episode programs who will discuss the applicability of these approaches for engaging youth in Coordinated Specialty Care.

The percentage of individuals with mental health, substance use, or co-occurring disorders in prisons is significantly greater than is found in the general public. This results in a continuation of poor outcomes for the individuals and the system. Upon release they frequently lack access to services and are caught up in a cycle of re-incarceration and release. Outcomes that are focused on recovery and breaking this cycle require continuity of quality services in the transition back to the community. In this webinar we will discuss peer led reentry programs that begin within the institutions in release planning and preparation and then bridge the transition back to the community and continue to provide support that helps break the cycle of re-incarceration. We will discuss a highly successful program, R.E.A.L., provided by the Mental Health Association of Nebraska, and examine how peer outreach workers are able to assist individuals in becoming productive members of their communities.

Presenters:

• Patrick Hendry, Mental Health America
• Kasey Moyer, Mental Health Association of Nebraska

NASMHPD’s virtual 2020 commissioners meeting working to promote wellness, recovery, and resiliency for individuals with mental health conditions.

Join the American Psychological Association online August 6-8 for:

• Inspiring Main Stage events on psychology of racism and hate, human behavior and leadership in time of crisis, and the psychological toll of COVID-19.
• Dynamic keynote sessions from thought leaders like Jonathan Haidt, Thema Bryant-Davis, Ramani Durvasala, and others.
• Access to the latest scientific research.
• Information on leading practices from across the field.
• Connections and a global community.

Attendees will also receive up to 12 months of on-demand access* to hundreds of APA 2020 Virtual sessions, posters, and discussions. You won’t need to worry about missing a great session because of a packed schedule!

Digital technologies, including apps, wearable sensors and social network platforms, offer unprecedented opportunities for health research and clinical care. However, this rapidly evolving landscape is outpacing regulatory structures for protecting research participants. Given the plethora of digital health tools and strategies, researchers are often challenged with deciding which tool is appropriate for their particular study. The presenter and colleagues with the Research Center for Optimal Digital Ethics (ReCODE Health) have developed support tools to aid researchers in ethical decision making. The Digital Health Checklist and Framework is now used by researchers to evaluate risks/benefits, access, usability, privacy and data management protocols. This presentation will describe how technologies are being leveraged to capture personal health data for research and draw attention to nuanced technical and ethical aspects that require careful consideration during the study design phase.

Presenter: Camille Nebeker, EdD, University of California, San Diego

Sex and sexuality are very sensitive and private issues for most people, and even more so for those with mental illnesses. Sexuality is often overlooked in the SMI population and many medications used to treat these disorders impact sexual performance and satisfaction. This presentation will discuss the effects of specific medications in this area and potential solutions, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological.

Presenter: Satarria Dilks, DNP, APRN, McNeese State University

For complete details visit: SMIadviser.org/sexuality

Don’t miss #PMHNCon this September 30-October 4! In a convenient virtual format, the conference will deliver dynamic presentations and fun connecting with fellow psychiatric-mental health nurses. You’ll:

• Learn in 100+ varied sessions presented by colleagues.
• Connect with 1800+ psychiatric-mental health RNs and APRNs.
• Earn Contact Hours – 100+ contact hours online during the conference and afterwards on-demand.

Underlying the goal of recovery for people with SMI, is the concept of self-determination. This is a process of taking back control of lives which have been overwhelmed by the debilitating nature of SMI and the loss of control resulting from reliance on a system that fosters dependence. Self-determination encompasses concepts such as free will, civil and human rights, freedom of choice, independence, self-direction, and individual responsibility. The challenge to the mental health system was to develop a philosophy that places the individual at the center of the system, and specific programs that deliver on it. Self-directed Care provides this, and enables individuals to assess their own needs, determine how and by whom these needs are met, and manage the funds to purchase the services. A support broker can help the individual develop their budget using their plan and a fiscal entity handles the payments. This webinar will take a comprehensive look at Self-Directed Care and its benefits for individuals with SMI.

Presenters:

• Patrick Hendry, Mental Health America
• David Sarchet, FloridaSDC
• Megan Cobb, FloridaSDC

For complete details visit: SMIadviser.org/self-directed

APA and SMI Adviser are proud to present the Third National Conference on Advancing Early Psychosis Care in the United States: Addressing Inequities – Race, Culture, and COVID. This free, interdisciplinary virtual event takes place November 12-13, 2020.

The agenda includes 20 sessions focused on evidence-based care for individuals who are early in the course of a psychotic illness. This meeting provides continuing education credit and is designated for 8 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, 1.0 CE credit for psychology per eligible session and 1.0 CE credit for social work per eligible session.

Sessions are scheduled each day between 11:45 am – 5:30 pm ET.

The webinar will cover the science of how cigarette smoking injures personal health, the epidemiology of smoking, what therapies can assist smokers to quit, and special issues regarding smokers with behavioral health conditions. It will also review what is known about the emerging issues of vaping and health and COVID-19 and smoking.

Presenter: Steven Schroeder, MD, Smoking Cessation Leadership Center, UCSF

For complete details visit: SMIadviser.org/smoking-cessation

Clozapine can be very rewarding to prescribe, since about half of patients with prior poor treatment response get substantially better with clozapine. This medication can result in major improvements in patients’ functioning and quality of life. This 12-week virtual learning collaborative is intended for clinicians who want to prescribe more clozapine or build a clozapine program that they will direct. Through the 12-week activity, participants will increase access to clozapine using the following steps: involve and gain support from members of a clozapine team, assess patient eligibility for clozapine, lead the care team for tracking of side effects and response and delivery of clozapine, ensure provision of education for patients or families, and routinely track panels of clozapine patients. By the end of the course, participants will have increased appropriate access to clozapine among their patient panel or the panels of clinicians who they supervise. And, they will have procedures in place that facilitate clozapine use on an ongoing basis, making clozapine as easy to prescribe as other psychotropic medications.

Instructors:

• Robert O. Cotes, MD, Emory University
• Jonathan Meyer, MD, University of California, San Diego

Many individuals who develop a first episode of psychosis in their teens or early 20s experience a disruption in their education. Many still have scholarly and professional aspirations. While evidence-based interventions to assist these individuals in obtaining and maintaining employment are available, the development of formal educational support has lagged behind.   This webinar will focus on supported education, as it has evolved in the RAISE-ETP NAVIGATE program.  The challenges of four groups of students will be addressed—high schoolers, college students, graduate students, and those interested in obtaining a GED or technical training.  Relevant research will be reviewed, and overarching principles to guide interventions with students recovering from a recent experience of psychosis will be presented. Practical tips and resources will also be offered.

Attendees will have an opportunity to participate in Q&A.

Presenter: Dr. Shirley Glynn, PhD, UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

For complete details visit: https://med.stanford.edu/peppnet/education/upcoming-webinars.html

A peer respite is a short-term voluntary program that provides community-based, non-clinical support to people experiencing a psychiatric/emotional crisis. Peer respites are staffed by peers 24 hours per day and operate in homelike environments. Stays can vary based on the needs of the individual; a typical day can consist of attending peer support groups, receiving one to one and/or group support, resource attainment based on the desired goals of the person, shared meals and activities or quite place to recoup from their current situation. The peer respite model operates as a cost-effective crisis diversion for individuals labeled as living with a mental health challenge and experiencing psychosocial stressors. As a crisis diversion model guest’s report that short term stays at a respite house prevent psychiatric emergency services, mental health urgent cares, hospital admissions, homelessness and/or jail.

Presenter: Guyton Colantuono, Project Return Peer Support Network

This webinar will provide an overview of techniques and skills that can be used when providing care to individuals with SMI involving treatment options that may be less familiar to the patient and family in order to facilitate engagement in treatment. The type of treatment options covered will include TMS, ECT, LAIs and Clozapine. While known to be effective in the treatment of SMI, these treatments can raise concerns for the patient and the family when they are initially introduced as options for the treatment plan. This webinar will highlight the importance of speaking openly and honestly with both the patient and the person they consider important in supporting their recovery to address those concerns in order to make the best treatment decisions.

Presenter: Ken Duckworth, MD, National Alliance on Mental Illness

For complete details visit: SMIadviser.org/treatment-conversations

Until recently, the mental health field has lacked clearly defined categories of suicidal ideation and behavior. But, with impetus from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more systematic measurement processes are available (e.g., C-SSRS). These tools permit different users to work from a shared set of definitions and classification system. Gaps in providers’ knowledge, barriers of limited time for clinical visits, provider discomfort dealing with children’s mental/behavioral health problems, limited awareness of community resources, and the absence of a uniform, easily accessed process for assessment and documentation contribute to the need for additional training. Moreover, given the increased risk for suicide ideation and behavior in early psychosis population, target treatment on suicide risk management for this population is critical. Participants will develop the skills to administer and interpret an evidence-based risk assessment tool, the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Further, participants will receive training in the Safety Plan Intervention (SPI), an evidence-based approach for managing suicide risk in an outpatient setting. The Safety Planning Intervention (SPI) supports collaboration between the clinician and person with suicidal thoughts to determine cognitive and behavioral strategies to use during suicidal crises. The SPI results in development of a one-page document to use when a suicidal crisis is emerging and can be revised repeatedly over the course of care.

Presenter: Tara Niendam, PhD, University of California, Davis

For complete details visit: www.smiadviser.org/suicide-assessment

Social Work Month in March is a time to celebrate the great profession of social work. March is Social Work Month, a time to celebrate the social work profession and all its positive contributions to mental health. SMI Adviser is proud to offer continuing education credits for social workers. Check out available courses in our Education Catalog www.SMIadviser.org/education.

The goal of this course is to develop a step–by–step plan for bringing peer support into an existing behavioral health agency or practice, in a manner that enhances services.  This 12-week learning collaborative is intended to help you develop a step-by-step plan for bringing peer support into an existing behavioral health agency or practice, in a manner that enhances services.  

Speakers: Patrick Hendry; Dawniell Zavala; Andrea Cook

This 12-week virtual learning collaborative will introduce participants to telehealth with a focus on starting out, especially around the context of how to continue use assuming face-to-face visits may soon be more feasible.

Speakers: John Torous, MD; Sherin Khan, LCSW

This 12-week virtual learning collaborative will focus on increasing use of LAIs to serve the needs of patients with serious mental illness.  LAIs are associated with decreased risks of relapse, improvements in symptoms, functioning, and patient satisfaction.   

Speaker: Rob Cotes, MD

Addresses how to measure and maintain quality in peer services through the development and implementation of quality improvement standards. Each participant will design a behavioral health project using peer support services and develop fidelity and outcome measures for the peer support component.   

Speakers: Patrick Hendry; Lisa-Sun Gresham; Eric Henriquez

This 12-week learning collaborative will serve as a virtual community for participants to gain knowledge of evidence-based monitoring parameters for efficacy and side effects for patients with serious mental illness (SMI) prescribed clozapine. 

Speakers: Rob Cotes, MD; Joseph Ventura, PhD

To increase appropriate use of clozapine, this 12-week virtual learning collaborative will focus on increasing use of clozapine to serve the needs of patients with serious mental illness. Clozapine can be very rewarding to prescribe, since about half of patients with prior poor treatment response get substantially better with clozapine. This medication can result in major improvements in patients’ functioning and quality of life.  

Speaker: Rob Cotes, MD

This 12-week learning collaborative will help SMI clinicians use telehealth in more safely and efficiently and improve care outcomes through offering new aspects of remote monitoring and interventions. 

Speaker: John Torous, MD; Sherin Khan, LCSW

This presentation features summary analyses of several recent articles on OUD treatment from the Addiction Medicine research literature. Using an abbreviated “journal club” format, the presentation reviews each paper, examining context, methods and results, interpretation of scientific findings, and implications for clinical practice.

This is more than just a virtual conference – it’s the largest event in mental health and addictions care and a platform for possibilities. What can you expect? As a NatCon21 registrant, you will:

• Get exclusive access to thought leaders, visionaries and influencers– speakers who will challenge your thinking and boost your knowledge base.
• Discover how to improve the quality of your practice, strengthen your service delivery and elevate your team to compete in the changing health care world.
• Have a front-row seat to the future of our field by exploring the latest technologies, discovering trends and learning about new innovations.
• Network with mental health and addiction treatment providers, physicians, advocates and insurers, among other pioneers who are shaping health care.
• Elevate your voice with thousands of professionals from across the country, while exploring new ways to make a mark during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Clozapine & LAI Virtual Forum features a new peer-to-peer discussion each month! Drop in and be part of an interactive dialogue between psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and other prescribing clinicians. It is informal — just join our Zoom call and share your challenges and questions on the month’s trending topic around either clozapine or LAIs.

Topic: Interpreting Plasma Levels for Patients on LAIs

Discussion Facilitators: Robert Cotes, MD, SMI Adviser Physician Expert; Donna Rolin, PhD, APRN, SMI Adviser Nursing Expert; Oliver Freudenreich, MD, SMI Adviser LAI Expert

The course is designed to train frontline clinicians and their teams on skills for suicide risk assessment, evidence-based interventions, referral and transition when needed, and how to change the culture of addressing suicide risk across the clinician’s practice. By participating in the course learners will be able to review evidence-based data which will be supported by approaches and application methods.

Approximately 37% of the U.S. population and 42% of veterans own a firearm. With recent mass shootings at schools and workplaces, important questions have been raised about how to curb these seemingly senseless shootings. In contrast to beliefs that persons with SMI play a significant role in gun violence, individuals with SMI account for less than 5% of all violence in the United States and only very small proportion of violence committed with a firearm. Persons with SMI are more likely to commit suicide with a gun as opposed to committing a homicide. In this webinar, the instructors review the relevant literature on firearms and mental illness as well as how to appropriately screen persons with SMI for a potential firearm-related risk of harm to them self or someone else. Important elements of care related to gun risk assessments in persons with SMI are highlighted. Specific information is provided about risk-based gun removal laws and in requests by patients to have their right to have firearms returned once removed.

Presenters: Deb Pinals, MD; Charles Scott, MD

For complete details visit: https://education.smiadviser.org/diweb/catalog/item?id=6510045

Depression is common among the elderly but is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. At the same time, there is an inappropriate use of antidepressants within the same elderly population. Inappropriate prescribing of antidepressants can increase the risk for poor outcomes offsetting any benefit to their use. Unfortunately, clinical trials of the use of antidepressants in the elderly are underrepresented with confusing outcomes on the long-term effects. The emergence and/or treatment of dementia associated with elders’ antidepressant treatment is central to providing care. This program examines the myths, traditional practices, and evidence on the use of all antidepressants prescribed to the elderly. This program reviews the evidence drawn from systematic reviews and the evidence-based practice standards. Included is a review of dosing, adverse events, and preventative best practices on the use of all antidepressants being given to those over age 65.

Presenter: Michael Rice, PhD, APRN, FAAN

For complete details visit: https://education.smiadviser.org/diweb/catalog/item?id=6513209

This webinar will explore the early psychosis literature, lived experience, and professional observation of the diversity of hallucinatory experiences in early psychosis work. We will look at qualities to hallucinations as they relate to non-psychotic and psychotic experiences and ultimately diagnostic labels with treatment recommendations.

Presenter: Ryan Melton, PhD

For complete details visit: https://med.stanford.edu/peppnet/education/upcoming-webinars.html

There is growing interest in the role of inflammation in psychiatric disorders. Trials of anti-inflammatory treatments have yielded mixed results at best. Growing research implicates inflammatory cytokines as not only being increased in patients with severe mental illness, but suggest that they directly impact specific areas and circuits within the brain. More specifically, inflammation appears to be associated with alterations in signaling from circuits involving the basal ganglia and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Decreased connectivity in these circuits is associated with specific symptoms, namely anhedonia and psychomotor slowing, which are known to be present in many psychiatric illnesses. Moreover, increasing data implicates interactions between inflammation and metabolic disturbances on these circuits and subsequent symptoms This poses important opportunities for the field to consider novel mechanisms and treatments that may target both inflammatory and/or metabolic pathways.

Presenter: David Goldsmith, MD

For complete details visit: https://education.smiadviser.org/diweb/catalog/item?id=6482431

The APNA Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute (CPI) delivers psychopharmacology updates to professionals looking to provide the best possible care to their patients. CPI prioritizes the integration of psychopharmacology and neuroscience into clinical practice. It offers the scientific base for treatment decisions and addresses the context of care within the nurse/consumer/family relationship.

Measurement-based care (MBC) is a clinical strategy involving regular symptom measurement and assessment, and using those finding to inform clinical decision-making. MBC is effective and commonly used in treatment of individuals with major depression, though less is known about use of MBC in treatment of individuals with bipolar disorder. This webinar will review MBC principles, specific measures for potential use in bipolar disorder care, and strategies for MBC in bipolar disorder.

Presenter: Joseph Cerimele, MD, MPH

For complete details visit: https://education.smiadviser.org/diweb/catalog/item?id=6597872

The webinar will introduce EPINET, discuss how the EPINET learning health care model was developed, and show how it can improve care and the lives of individuals with early psychosis. The audience will learn about the Core Assessment Battery (CAB), which provides a standard set of client-level assessment measures that will be collected by over 100 early psychosis clinics nationally. Presenters will discuss the benefits of collecting CAB data, such as the enhanced ability to set up quality improvement initiatives and methods to benchmark local clinic outcome data with national norms on domains such as demographics of client populations, symptoms, recovery, and more. Finally, presenters will describe opportunities for non-EPINET clinics to partner with EPINET in CAB data collection efforts.

Presenter: Tara Niendam, PhD; Howard Goldman, MD; Abram Rosenblatt, PhD; Monica Calkins, PhD

For complete details visit: https://med.stanford.edu/peppnet/education/upcoming-webinars.html

This presentation will provide an overview of treatment-resistant depression, with a focus on management strategies including transcranial magnetic stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy, and esketamine. Strategies for implementing these interventions into clinical practice will be discussed, with a focus on best practices to assure optimum outcomes for patients impacted by refractory depressive symptoms.

Presenter: Brayden Kameg, DNP, PMHNP-BC

For complete details visit: https://education.smiadviser.org/diweb/catalog/item?id=6599763

Many clinicians are frequently exposed to and empathically engage with the firsthand accounts of others’ traumatic experiences (Kiley at al., 2018). A clinician’s indirect exposure to trauma can result in emotional responses and symptoms that parallel PTSD (Kanno & Giddings, 2017). Possible reactions to a survivor’s recounting of trauma will be identified along with signs of compassion fatigue, specifically in those working with SMI and other vulnerable populations.  Resilience can buffer the impact of compassion fatigue in clinicians and one of the psychological factors associated with cultivating resilience is mindfulness (Harker et al., 2016). Self-care strategies can also mitigate the impact of the secondary trauma (Owens-King, 2019). Tools and resources at the individual and organizational level for addressing compassion fatigue will be reviewed including EAP and other evidence based tools that can translate to working with clients.

Presenter: Jasmine Watkins, LCPC, AIM  Clinics

For complete details visit: https://education.smiadviser.org/diweb/catalog/item/eid/S3214301

Positive Living is a manualized intervention aimed at increasing the experience of positive emotions for people with schizophrenia. This presentation will provide an overview of the intervention and how it has been adapted from positive psychotherapy. We will discuss the goals of the group, provide a description and example of the activities included in Positive Living, and discuss the logistics of delivering the intervention. Results will be presented from a small pilot study aimed at exploring the implementation of the group in a clinical setting. There will also be updates about a virtual adaptation of the Positive Living intervention aimed at improving the well-being of family members in an early psychosis program.

Presenter: Piper Meyer-Kalos, PhD, Recovery After Initial Schizophrenia Episode (RAISE) project

For complete details visit: https://education.smiadviser.org/diweb/catalog/item?id=6444592

Join NASW for another year of exceptional virtual education. More than 2,000 social workers, like-minded professionals, and social work thought leaders attend the NASW National Conference for unparalleled opportunities in professional development, continuing education, networking, and thought-provoking conversations tackling the most pressing issues facing the social work profession across the world.

For complete details visit: https://naswvirtual.socialworkers.org/nasw-national2021

Since it’s inception over 80 years ago, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been the gold standard of treatment for catatonia, psychotic depression, and treatment resistant depression, as well as a non-pharmacologic option for other psychiatric illnesses and syndromes. This presentation will be an evidence-based review of all aspects of ECT, including the history, indications, efficacy, side effects, procedural details and advances, maintenance treatment, myths surrounding treatment, and possible mechanisms of actions. By the end of this webinar, you should understand when referral for ECT is appropriate and be up to date on the recent advances in this life-saving treatment. 

Presenter: John B. Roseman, MD

For complete details visit: https://education.smiadviser.org/diweb/catalog/item?id=6670997

Few, if any, evidence based practices have been intentional about incorporating cultural competence into the model. When culture is unaddressed, therapeutic walls instead of therapeutic bridges can be built, leading to tension in the clinical relationship. This can render the evidence-based practice ineffective. Topics covered in this skill-building presentation include: the 10 things that culturally competent counselors do; building trust in the cross cultural helping relationship; and integrating cultural competence into evidence based practices with individuals with co-occurring disorders.

Presenter: Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC, On The Mark Consulting

For complete details visit: SMIadviser.org/cultural-competency

Clozapine is the only medication approved by the US FDA for treatment-resistant schizophrenia and remains highly underutilized for many reasons, including its unique side effect profile and required hematologic monitoring. This presentation will help build prescriber knowledge and confidence by taking a deep dive into clozapine’s pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. Clozapine’s mechanism of action is not fully understood, but its receptor binding affinity differentiates it from other antipsychotics and may provide insights into the complex etiology of schizophrenia. We will review the proposed mechanism of clozapine side effects including neutropenia, myocarditis, sedation, orthostatic hypotension, constipation, and sialorrhea will discuss evidence-based management strategies.  Clozapine has the potential to cause clinically relevant drug-drug interactions, which will be highlighted.  Finally, we will discuss the value of obtaining clozapine levels and how to interpret them.

Speaker: Rob Cotes, MD

Bipolar Disorder has the highest rates of Alcohol and Other Substance Use Disorders among all the entities that constitute the Severe Mental Illness category. Different epidemiological studies have shown a lifetime prevalence of between 30 to even more than 50% of Alcohol Use Disorder in the Bipolar Spectrum category. It is still unclear the reasons for such an alarming comorbidity but different studies emphasize the adverse outcomes of this association with an increase in suicide attempts, low adherence to treatment, poorer functioning, more severe health problems and effects in the trajectory of the Bipolar Disorder. Despite the existence of FDA-approved pharmacological interventions and evidence based psychotherapeutic modalities for Alcohol Use Disorder, only a minority of this population gets any treatment.

Presenter: Javier Ballester-Gonzalez, MD

NAMI is pleased to present NAMICon 2021, our annual national convention, virtually July 27-28, 2021. Anyone interested in and impacted by mental health should attend this event dedicated to uplifting, empowering and informing communities with resources, research, support and programming.

For complete details visit: https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Attend-the-NAMI-National-Convention

As persons with SMI live longer, they will likely face unique challenges of aging, including changes in social networks, finances, and cognition. Simultaneously, the population of aging adults grows increasingly diverse – racially, ethnically, linguistically, faith-wise, and regarding sexual orientation and identity. Hence, it is key that providers across the spectrum understand the role of aging, family, and diversity for persons living with SMI. This webinar will identify unique challenges of aging across diverse populations, discuss potential cognitive changes in aging, and strategize with audience members to provide culturally competent and aging-friendly care to persons with SMI. 

Presenter: Crystal M. Glover, PhD, Rush University Medical Center