Lia Jennings is a professor of Human Services at Columbia College in Columbia MO. She has experience as a therapist in a rural mental health clinic in Maine, an oncology social worker at Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, and as a medical social worker at Boone Hospital. She earned her Ph.D. in social work from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2007. She earned her MSW at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1989.

Presentation(s):

Wellness: Your Ethical Responsibility

Brandon Costerison, the MO-HOPE Project Manager, has provided community education and public awareness regarding heroin and opioids for 2.5 years. Prior to his service at NCADA, he served in Gov. Nixon’s administration. Brandon received his Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Auburn University, and pursued his Master of Arts in Communication and Leadership at Gonzaga.

Presentation(s):

Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution, Train the Trainer Model

Nicole Browning is a presenter and counselor with the MO-HOPE project. She was a counselor in the substance use treatment field for 12 years and brings passion and expertise from her clinical experience to this project. Nicole previously worked with teens and young adults who struggle with addiction, often co-occurring with mental health and trauma. She currently provides assessments for adults at NCADA, along with doing overdose education and naloxone distribution as part of the MO-HOPE project. She has her Master’s in Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Missouri.

Presentation(s):

Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution, Train the Trainer Model

Lindsay is currently the Program Quality Manager at the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery, where she ensures that high quality standards are met across programming, tracks program outcomes, and coaches staff in Trauma Informed practices. She earned her Master of Social Work degree with a concentration in Family Practice from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She also obtained a Graduate Certificate from The Brown School at Washington University, specializing in Violence & Injury Prevention.

Lindsay has 9 years of professional experience working with vulnerable children and families, including specific training and experience in program development, program administration, provision of in-home services, providing staff supervision and leadership, case management with families at high risk for abuse and neglect, crisis intervention, safety planning, motivational interviewing [MI], cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT], trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy [TF-CBT], and interventions for children with problematic sexual behaviors [CBT-PSB].

Presentation(s):

The Role of Trauma Informed Care in Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention

Ellen Fitzsimmons-Craft, PhD, is an instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine and a licensed psychologist and certified Health Service Provider in the state of Missouri. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed her predoctoral internship at The University of Chicago Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Fitzsimmons-Craft’s work aims to disseminate evidence-based interventions for eating and weight-related disorders from research to practice, as well as extend treatments in ways that will reach the large number of people in need of clinical care but who are not receiving services. For example, she serves as the Executive Director for the Missouri Eating Disorders Council Training Initiative, whose mission is to provide training for community mental health clinics across the state in evidence-based treatments for eating disorders. Dr. Fitzsimmons-Craft also researches innovative and cost-effective approaches for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders and obesity, including the use of technology for intervention delivery. Dr. Fitzsimmons-Craft has authored or co-authored over 50 publications and serves on the editorial boards for top journals in the eating disorders and body image fields, including Body Image, Eating Behaviors, and Psychology of Women Quarterly. Among other notable honors, she was named a Faculty Scholar for the Institute of Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis.

Presentation(s)

The Missouri Eating Disorders Council’s Toolkit for Eating Disorders, Screening, Prevention and Treatment

Ms. Berry earned a Master’s Degree in K-12 School Counseling from Missouri Baptist University, a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Elementary/Early Childhood Education from Southeast Missouri State University, and an Associates of Arts in Elementary Education from Three Rivers Community College. She has been working in the mental health field at FCC Behavioral Health for the past year, in the youth program and recently in the adult ERE program.

Presentation(s)

Ms. Fongemie is currently a Peer Support Specialist with FCC Behavioral Health Clinic in Poplar Bluff, MO. Previously she was a Family Support Provider with the same agency. She has survived a lot in her years. With her job, she can help others with similar struggles or just be there for them when they need the extra support. When she went through her hard times, she wished she was aware of the programs that could have been available. Since she has been with the agency, she has found many strengths that she never knew existed within herself. She would like to share her story and talk about others she has helped since she has been with FCC Behavioral Health.

Presentation(s)

Ms. Katherine Arenella is a Doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at University of Missouri – St. Louis. She is currently completing her Psychology Clerkship at St. Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center on Ward E in the TruThought Program within the Cognitive-Behavioral Program. Her research interests include treatment of severe mental illness and personality disorders as well as Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

Presentation(s)

The Human Side of Severe Psychopathology: Improving Morale and Meaning for Inpatient Clients within Long Term Care Psychiatric Settings