Program

Sunday, July 17, 2011 / PRE-CONFERENCE

8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

P-FLASH – Practical Front Line Assistance and Support for Healing – Skills Building
Handout 1 / Handout 2
Carol North, M.D., MPE, VAMC
Cost: $40 • Hours: 7.0

P-FLASH is designed to provide disaster-specific mental health training to mental health professionals who help disaster survivors. P-FLASH training is designed to equip clinicians with necessary skills for differentiating normative from pathological responses for confident identification, evaluation, treatment, and triage of emerging and persistent post-disaster mental health problems, and for managing distress in the community.

P-FLASH reviews psychiatric disorders, especially post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression (most likely to emerge after disaster), the importance of differentiating distress from psychiatric illness, predictors of post-disaster mental health problems, selection of appropriate interventions geared to assessment of individual problems, evolution of mental health issues and appropriate professional responses relevant to specific time frames, and the importance of pre-disaster characteristics and exposure levels of the involved individuals and populations.

10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Prevention Ethics
Julie Stevens, BA, LCDC, CPS, CSAP’s Southwest
Center for the Application of Prevention Technology
Cost: $75 • Hours: 6.0 (Includes working lunch and notbook)

This six-hour training satisfies the ethics training requirement for the Certified Prevention Specialist and is designed for the substance abuse prevention professional. It is intended to improve the understanding of and ability to apply a set of accepted standards/principles, which are expected to guide the behaviors and actions of both individuals and organizations working in the field. Participants will be able to identify standards of conduct for prevention professionals, utilize a method of decision-making for difficult ethical decisions in prevention, and set professional goals with the prevention ethical standards in mind.

1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Introduction to the Barkley Defiant Child Program
Handout 1 / Handout 2 / Handout 3
William Rae, Ph.D., Texas A&M University
Cost:FREE • Hours: 3.0

This is an introduction to the Barkley Defiant Child program for the clinician who is new to this evidence-based parent training program. After a review of the essential elements of the program, this presentation will include an introduction to nonspecific treatment considerations, methods to enhance cooperation from unmotivated clients, and special techniques you can use to enhance program effectiveness. Demonstration and role play will also be utilized during the program.

1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Adherence to Treatment
Handout
Jeremy Goldbach, LMSW, National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
HIV/AIDS Spectrum Project
Cost:FREE • Hours: 3.0

Many clients are living with chronic illnesses, ranging from diabetes or HIV/AIDS to high blood pressure and mental illness. The common thread is the need for consistent and successful medication treatment. The challenges faced by many clients include poverty and limited resources, and lack of access to information or the affects of stigma and discrimination. However, there are factors known to positively affect medication adherence for chronic illnesses. These include use of available supports, a means to accommodate one’s daily routine, an understanding the implication of poor adherence, and individualized strategies. Using HIV/AIDS as a case study, the content for this session will review factors affecting adherence, the role of the mental health care provider in adherence, the benefits of harm reduction strategies, and stages of behavior change to identify barriers and steps to adherence. A holistic practice model will be reviewed as one step towards promoting culturally competent practice with individuals, families, and within the broader community. Through the use of case studies, group exercises, and lecture participants will build knowledge and skills in their ability to:

  • Define adherence and understand the importance and challenges of medication adherence.

  • Assess professional/personal issues in identifying and effectively working with substance using clients with HIV/AIDS and related mental health concerns.

  • Review key concepts to ensure culturally competent practice.

  • Understand the unique role of the mental health care provider in promoting adherence.

  • Learn how to apply ADHERE, a skill-building model for application of adherence strategies.