Tuesday, August 26, 2008
8:30-10 a.m.
Moving from A to B
Jim Epperson, AT&T
This plenary session will discuss how all of us, people and organizations, stumble en route to our dreams and goals…and what we can do to change for the better. Jim will share his thoughts on what does and doesn’t work in corporate and personal change efforts and why. Jim Epperson is Senior Vice President of State Legislative and Political Affairs at AT&T, and has served in a wide variety of positions related to state and federal regulatory issues, consumer research, marketing initiatives, customer services, and media relations across the country.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Dr. Art Freeman, Governors State University, Illinois
This presentation will offer an outline and overview of the theory and practice of CBT. The applications of CBT to a broad range of populations, problems and contexts will be highlighted along with the issue of CBT as a culturally-sensitive treatment model.
At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:
1) Identify five populations for whom CBT would be a treatment of choice.
2) Describe the elements of the basic CBT model.
3) Describe the culturally sensitive elements in CBT.
From Virginia Tech to Melrose Place: Violence, Sex and Drugs in the Media and their Impact on Children and Adolescents
Victor Strasburger, University of New Mexico School of Medicine
The media cuts across virtually every concern that parents, teachers, and clinicians have about children and adolescents — violence, sex, drugs, obesity, eating disorders, and suicide. This session will illustrate the current concerns about media’s influence on young people; discuss pro-social ways of using media; and, give attendees information about how to control media’s influence on young people.
10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Criminal Justice
Transitioning Juvenile Offenders Back into their Schools and Communities, (Part 1)
Fred Dyer, Dyer Trains
In the past several years interest in offender re-entry has grown. The re-entry of offenders from correctional facilities back into community settings takes on a whole new meaning when the offenders are adolescents and teenagers. During the adolescent and teenage years, young people are in the midst of a developmental transition from childhood to adulthood, which spans physical, cognitive, emotional, and social conditions. Experimentation, rebellion, impulsiveness, severity and moodiness frequently characterize this critical time period. In addition to facing this developmental transition, adolescents and teenage offenders must contend with the transitions when re-entering communities and schools from correctional facilities. The challenges that arise from this dual transitioning are multi-faceted and formidable. This skill-building workshop will examine the connection between the transitions that young offenders go through as they develop into adulthood and the transitions they face when re-entering their communities and schools. This workshop will also examine various challenges and opportunities they face regardless of their developmental phases. At the conclusion of this workshop, school personnel, probation officers, criminal justice workers, and teachers will be able to work more effectively with juvenile offenders as they transition back into their communities and schools.
Counseling Essentials
The Role of Counselor Incentive, Motivation, and Attitude in Evidence Based Learning, (Part 1)
Debra Neal, Pathways to Empowerment
The push in the behavioral health community is to incorporate evidenced based practices to increase retention and engagement is gaining momentum. Unfortunately, the research shows that evidence based practices are being under-utilized, poorly practiced, or lost over time. A critical but often overlooked piece of the puzzle is to first examine the role of incentive, motivation, and readiness in the learning process. Organizations go through the time and expense of training staff, yet assume a learner in attendance is a learner motivated to learn. The role of professional readiness is critical if we are to increase the value and outcomes of the shrinking training dollar. This highly engaging and provocative session examines participant’s motivation, incentive, and readiness as a critical component to skills development and effective service delivery. Participants walk away with tools for self-examination, readiness, and tools for boosting incentive and motivation for professional development.
Treatment
Screening, Assessment, Treatment Planning: Ethical Service Delivery
Natalie Furdek, Department of State Health Services
Tina Hosaka, Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation Center
Clinicians need to have a better understanding of how to lay the foundation for a meaningful treatment experience by completing a thorough and accurate screening and assessment, and then translating that into a treatment plan that addresses the identified issues and has the buy-in of the client and, if possible, their family or significant other. The primary focus would be the sessions with the client, the determination of a DSM-IV diagnosis, and the clinical documentation that occurs during those first few days of treatment. This would have variations depending upon what type of client, i.e. adult, youth, specialized female, priority populations, etc.
Prevention
Brain Primer: Understanding the Basic Structure and Function of the Human Brain, (Part 1)
Karen Williams, Rainbow Days
The workshop is designed for prevention, intervention and treatment practitioners who want a basic understanding of how the human brain works and how the brain and central nervous system impact behavioral health. Content is based on the research of Drs. Jay Giedd (NIH) and Paul Thompson (UCLA), Linda Chang (Brookhaven National Lab), Vincent Felitti (Kaiser Permanente) and Robert Anda (CDC).
The workshop presenter will:
- Use graphic depictions, video footage of brain scan studies, demonstrations and models to teach participants how the human brain works
- Explain & demonstrate the roles and functions of the limbic system and the pre-frontal cortex
- Explain & demonstrate the linkages between the central nervous system and behavioral health
Participants will be able to:
- Name the basic roles and functions of the human brain
- Describe how neurons work
- Name the brain’s three primary behavioral chemicals
- Name the three critical peaks of plasticity.
- Explain the role of the limbic system in behavioral health.
Youth and Family
The Intersection between Addictions and Family Violence Benton Granville, Keystone Treatment and Outreach Center
The purpose of this presentation is to present an overview of the impact and significance of domestic violence from the perspective of both the perpetrator and the victims of domestic violence. This workshop will provide substance abuse providers with a working understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence and how substance abuse impacts this issue. This workshop will also address how domestic violence and addictions intersect within families and will show the contrast between families in addiction vs. families in recovery. This workshop will also show the necessity of collaboration between the substance abuse provider and the domestic abuse services provider for the ultimate good of the client. Finally the workshop will show how children are affected by addictions in the family and the roles that they often assume to deal with the issues.
Improving the Workforce
Really Good Staff Evaluation Tools
Kristen Howell, Genesis Women’s Shelter
Employers who routinely review employee performance and who conduct regular employee evaluations reap tremendous benefits:
Your employees will know what you expect of them; will receive feedback, praise, and criticism of their work; and will have notice of any shortfalls in their performance or conduct.
You can recognize and reward good employees and identify and coach workers who are having trouble.
The communication involved in any good evaluation process ensures that you will stay in tune with the needs and concerns of your workforce.
The evaluation process also nips a lot of employment problems in the bud. Performance evaluations can keep you out of legal trouble by helping you track and document your employees’ problems. If you ever need to fire or discipline a worker, you will have written proof that you gave the employee notice and a chance to correct the problem — which will go a long way towards convincing a jury or judge that you acted fairly. Before you can accurately evaluate an employee’s performance, you need to establish a system to measure that performance. Come to this session to help develop your organization’s system.
Non-Profit Leadership
Preparing for a Major Capital or Endowment Campaign: Laying the Foundation for the Future
Victor Korelstein, The Dallas Foundation
At some point, an organization may be faced with the need to explore a major fundraising campaign for the purpose of expanding their facilities, establishing a new program, building an endowment or even eliminating debt. The focus on this session is to help participants understand what is involved in a major campaign and explore their capabilities.
Community Issues
Suicide Prevention and Self-Injurious Behavior in the School Community
Frank Zenere, Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Following a 28 percent decline from 1990 to 2003, youth suicide increased by 8 percent in 2004. Suicide rates for children, ages 10-14 years, also increased dramatically 51 percent between 1981 and 2004. Such data confirms that youth suicide continues to be a significant problem in the United States. During this session, the presenter will explore a variety of influences that impact youth suicidal behavior, including: risk factors and warning signs that elevate the potential for suicidal behavior; myths/attitudes that serve as obstacles to suicide prevention efforts; and school-based and community youth suicide prevention/intervention approaches. The session will end with an overview of self-injurious behavior and the choking game.
Skills Building
Access to Recovery II
Sheri Jackson and Karen Eells, Department of State Health Services
The Access to Recovery II (ATR II) program is an initiative of President George W. Bush to increase access to substance abuse services. Funded through the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Texas was awarded a three year Access to Recovery II grant in the amount of $4.5 million per year. The key elements of the ATR II program include an independent assessment, participant choice of service providers, service linkages with faith based and community based organizations, and an electronic voucher method of payment. DSHS has partnered with 39 drug courts to provide services to clients in the criminal justice and family justice system. Additionally, a portion of the grant funds will be used to serve persons dependent or abusing methamphetamines. Services are available to eligible clients who are residents of the following 18 counties: Bexar, Burnet, Brooks, Collin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Bend, Grayson, Harris, Harrison, Jim Wells, Lubbock, McLennan, Potter, Randall, Tarrant, Taylor, and Travis.
1:30-3 p.m.
Criminal Justice
Transitioning Juvenile Offenders Back into Their Schools and Communities, (Part 2)
Fred Dyer, Dyer Trains
Counseling Essentials
The Role of Counselor Incentive, Motivation, and Attitude in Evidence Based Learning, (Part 2)
Debra Neal, Pathways to Empowerment
Treatment
Innovations in Telemedicine
Dr. Avrim Fishkind, JCA
Dr. Glenn Hammack, UTMB
Over the past 15 years medical centers and individual physicians have used telemedicine to provide healthcare services to people in need from around the globe. This meeting will be used to identify various outreach models.
Prevention
Brain Primer: Understanding the Basic Structure and Function of the Human Brain, (Part 2)
Karen Williams, Rainbow Days
Youth and Family
The Life of an Athlete: High School Chemical Health Program
John Underwood, American Athletic Institute
By establishing mandatory seasonal meetings with parents, coaches and student athletes, to discuss program goals, philosophies and non-negotiable conditions for involvement, communities and school districts can begin to impact this huge target population. Athletics is the largest target population that exists in any school. In small rural schools we have seen 60-90 percent of students involved in at least one sport per school year, while in the largest schools 40-55 percent of students are involved in sports. This is your opportunity to use mandatory meetings to get 40-90 percent of your school/community parents into a venue to show them valuable prevention data and strategies to also educate them on the concerns facing their children during these high risk years. The data and information shared goes far beyond the scoreboard. The most recent brain development research and new studies conducted by the American Athletic Institute on elite level athletes is truly impacting for coaches, athletes and parents. This program has been so successful in NY that it is now mandated as the yearly chemical health program for more than 700 school districts and 585,000 athletes.
Improving the Workforce
Adopting Changes to Improve Outcomes Now (ACTION)
Kimberly Johnson, ACTION Campaign Team
The ACTION Campaign aims to challenge 500 treatment agencies nationwide to implement one of several simple changes in their treatment operations over an 18 month period. Currently, nearly 33 percent of those who receive addiction treatment drop out of the programs. The ACTION Campaign promotes the national adoption of proven practices for enhancing client access to care and their overall engagement in treatment. The Campaign focuses on one of three ACTIONS: 1) Rapid access to treatment, 2) Increased engagement by those who are in treatment, and 3) A seamless transition from one stage of care to another. The 39 founding members of NIATx, as well as many other treatment provider organizations, have experienced the following results from implementing the Campaign practices:
- Reduction in wait times: 34.8%
- Reduction in no-shows: 33%
- Increase in admissions: 21.5%
- Increase in treatment continuation: 22.3%
Non-Profit Leadership
Strategies for Organizational Sustainability & Renewal
Cathey Brown, Rainbow Days
In the ever changing world of addiction treatment and prevention and mental health services, it is easy to lose sight of the long-term responsibility of providing energy, time and resources toward maintaining your organization’s or program’s sustainability. The Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) can serve as the guideline for your program. Participants will be introduced to the SPF’s five key strategies and understand better how this approach could be useful in directing their efforts to develop viable sustainability plans. Topics for discussion include:
- Assessment: What should and should not be sustained?
- Capacity Building: What is the organization’s current capacity for sustaining its work? What needs to be developed?
- Planning: What is the best method to use for developing a sustainability strategic plan?
- Implementation: Once the plan is made how is it implemented?
- Evaluation: What milestones/outcomes will constitute success?
Community Issues
Suicide Postvention in the School Community
Frank Zenere, Miami-Dade County Public Schools
The suicide of a single child or teenager has the potential to deeply impact the school community. Research indicates that youth, due to their developmental vulnerability, are the most likely population to imitate suicidal behavior, following the death of a peer, family member, or other influential adult. Therefore, it is imperative that the school and community work collaboratively to support youth in the aftermath of such incidents. During this session, the presenter will discuss a variety of “best practices” including: school-based postvention goals, guidelines and procedures; post-suicide risk identification strategies; complicated grief factors; memorials; and factors influencing the process of contagion and suicide clusters. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of how schools and community stakeholders can combine resources to prevent and/or contain the development of suicide contagion.
Skills Building
Law and Ethics, Part 1
Dr. Patrick DeChello, D&S Associates
Resources and staffing is limited. As a result, clinicians are doing far more than ever before. Today’s clinician is confronted with many legal and ethical issues on a daily basis. Understanding and navigating through the maze can be disheartening and confusing. Clinicians often make decisions about what to do without appropriate guidance or knowledge that puts them at risk. The purpose of this seminar is to assist participants in understanding how legal and ethical practices effect treatment outcomes and can increase or decrease liability. A review of ethical scenarios based on actual practice will afford the participant to understand the practical application of the laws and ethics that govern practice. This seminar will cover both state specific information as well as federal law. Client rights, HIPPA standards, Tarasoff, standard practices, ethical application of the laws and treatment criteria, suicide assessment, abuse/neglect, commitments, police protective custody, crisis teams, clinician impairment and limitation of liability are all issues covered in this workshop.
3:30-5 p.m.
Criminal Justice
Adolescent Girls in the Juvenile System with Co-Occurring Disorders
Fred Dyer, Dyer Trains
General prevalence statistics indicate that adolescent females are coming into contact with the juvenile justice system—for all types of offenses—in increasing numbers. Research indicates that female convictions related to gang activity, sexual misconduct, and drug offenses have quadrupled. Like their adult female counterparts, juvenile girls are most often arrested for nonviolent, drug related crimes and are entering the system with serious medical and psychological needs related to high-risk sexual behavior, substance abuse, and violence. Many complex issues face adolescent girls today, as they traverse various substance abuse, mental health, and juvenile systems. This skill-building workshop will enable probation officers, substance abuse counselors, clinicians, mental health workers, and correctional personnel to work more effectively in the juvenile system with adolescent girls with co-occurring disorders.
Counseling Essentials
Addiction in the New Millennium
Delbert Boone, FMS Productions, Inc.
Join Delbert Boone for several case discussions relating to the treatment of chemically dependent clients. Participate as he takes an in-depth look at addiction from both a medical and clinical point of view-assessment, evaluation, detox protocols, treatment planning, treatment exercises and discharge planning. Follow along on the medical and clinical process of patient care as it relates to the multi-disciplinary approach to treating addiction.
Treatment
Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Positive Symptoms
Dawn Velligan, UTHSCSA
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for schizophrenia is a treatment designed to address positive symptoms (delusions, hallucinations) that remain after medication treatment has been optimized. While available antipsychotic medications reduce positive symptoms, many patients continue to struggle with hallucinations or delusions that impact adjustment and quality of life. CBT is based partly on the evidence that emotional processes, information-processing deficits and reasoning and appraisal biases contribute to the formation and maintenance of delusions and hallucinations and that these processes can be changed through cognitive intervention. CBT is focused on helping the individual to develop alternative explanations for the symptoms of their illness, and to reduce the impact of these symptoms on their behavior. A series of prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of CBT for the treatment of persistent positive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. CBT is considered standard of care in the United Kingdom, and interest in this method of treatment continues to grow in the U.S.
Prevention
The ACE Study: How Research Proves the Need for Prevention
Karen Williams, Rainbow Days
The ACE Study is the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study. This session will provide participants with a new way to talk about prevention based on evidence from this study. Content includes an overview of: the ACE Study findings from the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), child and adolescent brain development from National Institutes of Health (NIH), the impact of child traumatic stress on development, behavior and the immune system from NIMH, and a model for moving prevention forward at the community level. Karen will also explain how stress is expressed biologically and neurologically and how this impacts development and/or behavior. Participants will leave with a clear and compelling case for new, focused and revitalized prevention efforts in their communities and will be able to explain how preventing adverse childhood experiences in turn reduces child traumatic stress and prevents emotional and behavioral problems that can lead to behavioral and medical disorders.
Youth and Family
Troubled Youth: Helping Them Break the Code of Violence (Student Panel)
Facilitator - Tammy Cyra, Dallas ISD
This session will be a focus group on a panel of students that share the strategies that helped them come out of their shell. These are students that have survived gunshots, family violence, getting out of a gang (family) and having tools to graduate and be successful in their environment. They have had to overcome a home life of drugs and a street life of violence. I believe that it would be beneficial to share their life experience and how a counselor or teacher could reach them and care about them to break the ropes of silence.
Improving the Workforce
Preparation, Practice and Passion: A Presentation Skills Workshop for Prevention Professionals
Janet Mitchell, Rainbow Days
Substance abuse prevention is an ever growing field with new specialists being hired by programs every day. They are often expected to already know and understand the basics of prevention when in reality, they do not. This workshop will review those basics and equip participants to be more effective in their work with children and youth.
Non-Profit Leadership
Show Me the Money: Building the Framework for Developing a Resource Development Program to Support Healthy Communities
Victor Korelstein, The Dallas Foundation
Have you ever wondered what would happen to your agency if your current funding sources changed? This session is geared for organizations that are in the early stages of raising private dollars to support their programs and operations. The focus is on the different types of fund raising methods that are used to generate financial resources, what may work best for your particular organization and environment, and how to approach potential donors for their support.
Community Issues
CADCA
CADCA Presentation
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) works on behalf of over 5,000 community coalitions from across the country to realize its vision of strengthening the capacity of community coalitions to create and maintain safe, healthy and drug-free communities. More than any other entity, community coalitions are poised to connect multiple sectors of the community, including businesses, parents, media, law enforcement, schools, faith organizations, health providers, social service agencies, and government. By acting in concert through the coalition, all of the partners gain a more complete understanding of the community’s problems. Together, the partners organize and develop plans and programs to coordinate their anti-drug efforts. The result is a comprehensive, community-wide approach to substance abuse and its related problems.
Skills Building
Law and Ethics, Part 2
Dr. Patrick DeChello, D&S Associates
6-9 p.m.
Ethical Challenges
Shane Koch, Southern Illinois University
Participants in this workshop will explore ethical issues that arise when providing alcohol and other drug abuse counseling to persons with HIV and AIDS. The five ethical principles underlying counseling practice will be utilized within the framework of the twelve core functions to both identify and resolve ethical challenges using the counselors’ codes and ethical decision making processes. Participants will review the ethical principles and the “ethics” of professional counseling; identify specific ethical challenges arising when working with persons who are HIV positive; explore how these issues impact each of the twelve core functions; and, learn how to utilize ethical decision making skills to resolve challenges that arise when counseling these consumers.