Clark, Marie, MA, LMFT, LSOE, LSOTP

Marie Clark, M.A., LMFT, LSOE, LSOTP has conducted psychosexual assessments, therapy, and training for more than 30 years. Her current focus is on the assessment of incest family members and juveniles with sexual behavior problems. She has conducted assessment and treatment in the Missouri Department of Corrections, and held positions of Consultant in residential facilities in Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas. She is an associate editor for the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse and a Peer Reviewer for the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma.

Presentation(s):

Assessment of Nonoffering Partners in Child Sexual Abuse Cases for Parenting and Protective Capacities

Daniel, AE, MD, MRC Psych

Dr. A. E. Daniel, is a forensic psychiatrist with decades of experience in mental health and correctional psychiatry. Daniel has worked with mental ill suicidal inmates. In doing so, he worked with correctional officers and other professionals. He was a mental health and correctional administrator, having worked as the Director of Psychiatric Services for the Missouri Department of Corrections between 2000-2007. For several years, he provided direct psychiatric services in a county Jail and various prisons in Missouri. In addition, he has analyzed about 130 inmates who committed suicide. He has published his research on inmate suicide in peer reviewed professional journals. He has testified as an expert witness in Federal and state courts where suicide led to lawsuits. Along with seven distinguished researchers and clinicians from US, Canada and Europe, he updated Resource Guide on Suicide Prevention in Jails for the World health Organization in 2006.

Presentation(s):

Prevent Suicide in Jails and Prisons: Save Lives and Avoid Lawsuits

Thomas, Sarah, EdD, MSW, LCSW

Dr. Thomas currently serves as the Director of Behavioral Health & Wellness at A.T. Still University. Founded as the original osteopathic medical school in Kirksville, Missouri, ATSU has expanded to include campuses in Phoenix, Arizona, Santa Maria, California, and an online program. In her role, Dr. Thomas leads a team of professionals to provide quality behavioral health care to students in professional healthcare programs. In addition, Dr. Thomas serves as a subject matter expert to lecture regarding all aspects of well-being, including an elective course for medical students on resilience and mindfulness in medicine. Dr. Thomas previously worked in a federally qualified health center, adolescent residential care, and community mental health. Dr. Thomas completed a Doctorate of Education in Healthcare Professions in May of 2022 from A.T. Still University and received her MSW and BSW from the University of Missouri School of Social Work in 2005 and 2003.

Presentation(s):

Real Self-Care for Mental Health Practitioners: Strategies to Prevent and Treat Compassion Fatigue and Burnout

Smalling, Lauren, MSW, LCSW

Lauren Smalling, MSW, LCSW is a 40-year-old social worker practicing as a substance use counselor in Lebanon, MO. She began her social work journey at the age of 24 and had the best year of her life in 2013 when she graduated LSU with her master’s degree and then had a baby. Lauren has worked for Compass Health Network for almost seven years now and continues to love her career and her family.

Presentation(s):

Treatment and Diagnosis of Individuals with Schizophrenia

The Rainbow Road to Recovery

Paradise Ballroom A


 

Speaker(s): Nesbitt, Donna, BA

Description:

This presentation serves to examine the unique intricacies regarding substance use and recovery among the LGBTQIA+ population. This includes examining specific contributing factors to the prevalence of substance use disorders in the community, barriers to receiving proper treatment, and protocols agencies can implement within their own programs so as to better serve high-risk individuals. The hope is to increase competency regarding inclusivity and guide in providing an affirmative space so that it may encourage others to seek help.

Objectives

  •  Define the various subgroups within the LGBTQIA+ population.
  • Review the history of the LGBTQIA+ population.
  • Explore contributing factors to substance use disorders among the LGBTQIA+ community.
  • Identify barriers to accessing effective and competent treatment programs for recovery.
  • Develop agency protocols aimed at increasing inclusion, affirmation, and retention of LGBTQIA+ clients.

Assessment of Non-offending Partners in Child Sexual Abuse Cases for parenting and protective capacities

Room Wingate 60-61


Speaker(s):

Description

In child sexual abuse cases the Non-offending Partners are frequently omitted from the formal assessment process, although they play a major role in the safety and psychological well-being of the victims and their siblings. In general, they are referred for parenting classes, parenting capacity assessments, and/or counseling, without a formal assessment of their knowledge, role, and attitudes regarding the sexual abuse.

Objectives

    • Discuss the decision-making progress of the nonoffender.
    • Review the formal assessment process
    • Apply information to case planning and treatment referrals

ASAM implementation and EHR enhancement

Room Wingate 62-63


Speaker(s):

Description

This presentation will focus on not only ASAM implementation with success, barriers and challenge discussion but also on how agency electronic health record enhancements have improved clinical experience, supervision monitoring and data entry.

Objectives

    • Discuss ASAM to assist each other
    • Discuss EHR that can help with ideas on how it can assist staff
    • Assist other agencies with ideas on clinical supervision on ASAM

Dysregulation in individuals with IDD: Working Towards Better Supports

Room Nautical Wheeler


Speaker(s):

Description

Robert is the author of “The Life Recovery Method: Autism Treatment From a Trauma Perspective” and in the last 7 years he has discovered much about regulation and IDD in general. Often both emotion and sensory input come as energy signals that we feel in the body. The inability to process these signals accurately causes confusion and drives the individual into the Limbic region of the brain. Learning to aid in the processing of these signals and using proven techniques we can support individuals with IDD in a fuller, more regulating way.

Objectives

    • Describe the areas of the brain that drive meltdown responses to stimulus
    • Identify at least 3 methods of helping to calm the brain once escalated
    • Utilize methods of practice to begin rewiring the brain
    • Describe the benefits of bilateral stimulation in the brain

Prevent Suicide in Jails and Prisons: Save Lives and Avoid Lawsuits

Room Paradise Ballroom B


Speaker(s):

Description

Suicide is the number one cause of death in US jails and the third cause in prisons. Inmates are among the highest risk group for suicide worldwide.
Suicide is a major public health issue. We have the highest rate of incarceration among the developed countries. Only 4.4 % of people in the world live in the US. However, 22.4 % of all incarcerated people in the world are in the US jails and prisons.
The emotional and financial consequences and legal ramifications of suicide are staggering. Millions of dollars are paid out to the survivors.
How can deaths by suicide behind bars be prevented; how can we save lives; how can the stakeholders of jails and prisons avoid lawsuits?
This course is for the correctional officers, mental health professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, physicians, nurses, therapists, and mental health workers, who work in these facilities and come into direct contact with inmates who could potentially take their lives. In my view, these professionals are the eyes and ears of suicide prevention.
The course is also directed to administrators such as Sheriffs, Wardens, Chief administrators of prisons, shift commanders, trainers and policymakers.
This highly informative, instructive and inspiring course pulls from my 20 years of clinical experience, research on suicide in correctional settings and expert consultations on lawsuits.

 

Objectives

    • Discuss the what, how and why of inmate suicide
    • Separate myths from facts of custodial suicide
    • Identify risk and protective factors to prevent suicide and save lives
    • Describe how to perform proper suicide screening and suicide risk assessment
    • Describe ways on how to be the eyes and ears of suicide prevention, monitoring, and treatment of suicidal inmate
    • Discover how to navigate policies, procedures and practices to avoid lawsuits
    • Review basic principles of legal decision-making in medical negligence and deliberate indifference lawsuits

 

Real Self-Care for Mental Health Practitioners: Strategies to Prevent and Treat Compassion Fatigue and Burnout

Room Parasol II


Speaker(s):

Description

When we think about self-care we often visualize vacations, spa days, dinner out, and maybe even that morning cup of coffee. While these strategies are important, in this presentation we will go deeper. Let’s talk about strategies to improve your work day, advocate for your needs, prevent burnout and fatigue, and recover from the difficult and essential work that you do.

Objectives

    • Define burnout and compassion fatigue.
    • Discuss the detrimental effects of burnout and compassion fatigue on mental health care professionals.
    • Describe key strategies for mindfulness and flow state.
    • Identify a personalized essential self-care plan to prevent and work-related distress.
    • Utilize tools to advocate for wellbeing in your workplace.