Home > Articles by: Kayla Bunch

Author: Kayla Bunch

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Burgen, Kailey, BS

Kailey Burgen graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Development and a minor in Psychology. She is a graduate student at the University of Central Missouri’s Human Development and Family Science program with a concentration in Marriage and Family Therapy. Her clinical/research interests include adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and resilience, addiction in the family, and diversity and social justice. Kailey has multiple years of experience working with children and their families in several professional capacities including being a mentor and social emotional learning specialist at an afterschool program and working in early-childhood education as a preschool teacher.

Presentation(s):

Adverse and Protective Childhood Experiences: Risk and Resilience

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Keeton, Zhanna, MBA, MA, LPC, CCTS, BA

Zhanna Keeton, a Doctoral Candidate in Counseling & Care with a specialization in Trauma (Ed.D), is an accomplished executive and clinical professional with extensive experience in trauma-informed care and mental health. She holds an MBA from Webster University and an MA in Counseling from Missouri Baptist University. As the Executive Director of Center for Life Solutions, Zhanna oversees $6M+ in contracts, having significantly increased revenue and operational efficiency while leading the agency to ASAM certification and CARF accreditation. Her previous roles include founding and leading Phoenix Behavioral Health and serving as Chief Operations Officer at Jimmy Keys Fitness & Wellness, where she developed strategies for business growth and program development. In her clinical roles, Zhanna has provided trauma-informed therapy to diverse populations, including victims of human trafficking and individuals with severe mental illness. She is an active member of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence and has presented on trauma and mental health at various conferences. A published author and Licensed Professional Counselor, Zhanna is also certified as a Clinical Trauma Professional and Trauma and Addiction Specialist.

Presentation(s):

Balancing Person-Centered Treatment and Effective Addiction Treatment Interventions 

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Connors, Liz, LCSW, CRADC

Liz Connors is a licensed clinical social worker, certified substance abuse counselor, and clinical program manager with thirteen years of experience in both clinical and research settings addressing substance use, mental health, criminal justice, and the opioid epidemic. Her work primarily focuses on addressing and eliminating barriers to accessing care for people who use drugs, naloxone distribution to high-need populations, and providing harm reduction education and resources to people who use drugs. Her recent work focuses on first responder occupational safety, public health oriented behaviors, and creating collaborative care networks within the scope of the opioid epidemic. Liz has expertise in community coordination, resource collaboration, infrastructure development, and advocacy work across organizational lines. She currently serves as the Director of First Responder and Public Health Programming at the Missouri Institute of Mental Health.

Presentation(s):

Expanding Harm Reduction and Naloxone Access throughout Missouri – Overcoming Objections and Knocking Down Obstacles to Build New Paths Forward

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Green, Lauren, MSW

Lauren Green is the Director of Community Harm Reduction Programming at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri Institute of Mental Health. She has experience working collaboratively with partners across various sectors to reduce overdose mortality and increase access to harm reduction training and resources. Over the past six years, Lauren has worked to create more acceptance of harm reduction as a philosophy and vastly expand access to overdose education and naloxone across the state of Missouri. Lauren’s passion and focus is centered on reducing harm for people who use drugs and addressing stigma and inequalities related to drug use, incarceration, and access to care.

Presentation(s):

Expanding Harm Reduction and Naloxone Access throughout Missouri – Overcoming Objections and Knocking Down Obstacles to Build New Paths Forward

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Constantino, John, MD

Dr. John Constantino is a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of behavioral and mental health conditions of children and adolescents. Dr. Constantino received his medical education at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and completed a five-year combined residency in Pediatrics, General Psychiatry, and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

Presentation(s):

Dual Diagnosis and the Mental Health Parity Problem: Weaving High-Quality Medical, Psychiatric, and Developmental Support into Better Care for Patients and New Standards for Health Systems

 

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Band, Amy, BA

Amy Band has a joint degree in Psychology and Spanish and is currently a doctoral student in clinical psychology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She has experience as a crisis counselor in Memphis, TN. Her clinical and research interests are in the provision of mental health services to culturally diverse individuals, with a specific focus on the professional training needs of Latinx clinicians.

Presentation(s):

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Raymond, Lily, PhD

Lily Raymond, Ph.D., is a licensed Psychologist at St. Louis Forensic Treatment Center – South providing treatment for clients in the Transitional Rehabilitation Program. She completed her B.A. from Notre Dame in 1984 and her Ph.D. from the State University of New York – Albany in 1991. Her clinical interests and activities include risk assessment for violence, providing treatment focused on prevention of future violence and management and recovery from serious mental illness. She chairs the facility’s Forensic Review Committee. She also has lifelong passion for racial equity and justice; at SLFTC, she chairs the SLFTC Cultural Competence and Racial Equity (CCaRE) Council and is a member of the steering committee for the statewide DMH Mental Health Equity & Inclusion (MHEIA).

Presentation(s):

Race Matters – Creating & Implementing Racial Equity Sessions in the Workplace

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Anderson Hawkins, Cheryl, RN

Cheryl Anderson-Hawkins is a Registered Nurse and Assistant Nurse Executive at Saint Louis Forensic Treatment Center. Ms. Anderson-Hawkins has a Masters Degree in Gerontology, Bachelors of Science in Health Care Management, and Associate Science in Nursing and 3 years theory in Adult Education EdD from Lindenwood University. Ms. Anderson-Hawkins has over 31 years of services with Missouri State Government in the areas of healthcare, supervision and leadership.

Presentation(s):

Race Matters – Creating & Implementing Racial Equity Sessions in the Workplace

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Wilson, Emma, BA

Emma Wilson completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Missouri- Columbia in December 2021. Through the same institution, Emma is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Health. As a student, she became interested in the opioid crisis, and this interest spread into substance use prevention. In January of 2022, Emma entered the field and began working for PreventEd as a Prevention Educator; she has spent the last year in St. Louis area schools educating students of all ages.

Presentation(s):

It’s Complicated – A Peer Taught Cannabis Prevention Program

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Harris, Shaunte, MSN, PNMHP

Shaunte Harris is a Chief Nurse Executive and board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Saint Louis Forensic Treatment Center. Ms. Harris completed a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Post Master’s Certificate Program at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, and holds a Master’s degree in Nursing Education. Ms. Harris has over 20 years of healthcare experience, specializing in mental health, supervision, and leadership.

Presentation(s):

Race Matters – Creating & Implementing Racial Equity Sessions in the Workplace