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Nia Estes, MEd

Nia Estes, M.Ed.: Nia Estes is the Healthy Youth Coordinator for the Adolescent and School Health Program (ASHP) at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MODHSS). Nia is transitioning from higher education to focus on the well-being of younger audiences. Nia collaborates with Missouri School Districts, local public health agencies, and partner organizations statewide, fostering well-being among youth and adolescents

Presentation(s): 

“Said No Teen Ever”—Beginning the Hard Conversations with Youth

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Dr. Amberly Pritchard, MA, DBH, LPC, CCTP, NCC

Dr. Amberly Pritchard is a Doctor of Behavioral Health, board-certified licensed professional counselor, and certified trauma professional. Dr. Pritchard earned her doctorate from Freed-Hardeman University, a master’s degree in counseling from University of Alabama, and a bachelor’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University. She has been practicing in the mental health field for approximately 15 years. She has worked in community mental health, grant positions for the state, and integrated care. For the last six years, Dr. Pritchard has been a medical provider for SEMO Health Network. She serves the primary care clinics in Pemiscot, Dunklin, and New Madrid Counties in the Missouri Bootheel. She provides individual and family psychotherapy, medication recommendations, crisis intervention, and behavioral health consultation. Dr. Pritchard utilizes Solution-Focused Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Somatic Therapy approaches.
Dr. Pritchard was the first college graduate in her family. She is the only member to earn a doctoral degree. She was raised by a single mother who did not receive her GED until 44 years old. Her mother instilled in Dr. Pritchard the importance of education and success. The day of her pinning ceremony she received a call from her uncle. He said, “You are a legend. Do not forget it.” She celebrated her 10-year wedding anniversary this year. She and her husband have four beautiful children. They love to spend their time on the lake during the summer and in the woods during the colder months. It is a chaotic, busy life. Dr. Pritchard feels blessed beyond measure.

Presentation(s): 

Adult Intimate Partner Violence: How Practitioners in Medical Settings Feel About Breaching Confidentiality

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Roy Farmer, CPS

Roy Farmer is a Certified Peer Support Specialist with Landmark Recovery, where he has spent the past four years supporting individuals navigating substance use and recovery. Drawing on both professional and lived experience, Roy specializes in building trust, supporting reentry, and connecting individuals to community-based recovery resources.
An integral part of Roy’s personal recovery journey was graduating from the ICTS Program, where he now helps manage the recovery house and supports current residents. He also serves as a peer support provider for a treatment court caseload, working closely with individuals involved in the justice system.
Roy is passionate about meeting people where they are and empowering individuals to build sustainable, long-term recovery.

Presentation(s): 

When Recovery Support Services Meet the Justice System

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Jerica Bowman, MSW, LMSW

Jerica Bowman, Licensed Master Social Worker, serves as the Director of Landmark Recovery, a nonprofit she helped found in 2021. Landmark provides recovery support services for substance-involved individuals in the Jefferson City area. Jerica is also the founder of the Capital City Recovery Coalition, which unites local agencies serving individuals impacted by substance use. As a social worker, Jerica is passionate about advocacy and research to implement evidence-based best practices. She is also dedicated to amplifying the voices of Peer Support Specialists, whose lived experience brings invaluable insight to the recovery field.

Presentation(s): 

When Recovery Support Services Meet the Justice System

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“Said No Teen Ever”—Beginning the Hard Conversations with Youth

Room: Paradise A

Speaker(s): 

Nia Estes, MEd

Presentation: Do you have a teen in your life who sees you as a trusted adult? Do you have a niece or nephew you’re concerned about but aren’t sure how to broach a conversation with them? This session is designed for anyone working directly with teens or who has teens in their lives whom they offer support to. Join us to learn how to start conversations that may be difficult to have with young people (relationships, substance use, mental health, etc.). The session is designed to give insight into youths to allow for deep and meaningful conversations.

Objectives:

  • Discuss how to create a safe and supportive environment where difficult conversations can occur
  • Review active listening and communication skills needed for successful and meaningful conversations
  • Describe ways to guide teens towards sensible and responsible decisions

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Adult Intimate Partner Violence: How Practitioners in Medical Settings Feel About Breaching Confidentiality

Room: Paradise B

Speaker(s): 

Dr. Amberly Pritchard, MA, DBH, LPC, CCTP, NCC

Presentation: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) consists of various forms of abuse perpetrated by a loved one. It is a public health concern which negatively affects the physical and mental well-being of victims. It is detrimental to society and comes with economic costs. Individuals in violent relationships visit emergency departments and primary care clinics more frequently than people who never experience IPV. Victims regularly disclose violence to healthcare professionals. Missouri practitioners can only report the abuse to authorities if the adult patient requests it. Breaching confidentiality by mandated reporting is limited when faced with adult patients in violent relationships. This study aimed to analyze how Missouri practitioners feel about breaching confidentiality in adult intimate partner violent situations. Seventeen Missouri licensed practitioners responded to a qualitative survey. Their responses were analyzed using a thematic analytic approach. Results show licensed practitioners want the ability to breach confidentiality to report adult IPV, but they do not want to be forced by mandate to report it.

Objectives:

  • Define intimate partner violence
  • Discuss the impact intimate partner violence has on society
  • Review the existing gaps in treatment for victims of intimate partner violence
  • Learn how licensed medical professionals feel limiting confidentiality could help and harm victims of intimate partner violence

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Vibration to Regulation: The Science of Sound Healing for Nervous System Health

Room: Paradise C

Speaker(s): 

Candice Swee, MS, ATC, RYT-200

Stacey Throckmorton, BS, MEd, RYT-200

Presentation: Sound therapy and vibrational healing are emerging modalities in the behavioral health field that support regulation of the nervous system, reduction of stress and anxiety, and improvement in overall emotional wellbeing. This session will explore how sound frequencies delivered through instruments such as crystal bowls, gongs, tuning forks, and even one’s own voice can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promote coherence in brainwave states, and foster resilience. Participants will review traditional and contemporary approaches to sound healing, along with current research linking vibrational therapy to measurable improvements in mental health outcomes. Demonstrations will highlight how sound therapy can be integrated into mental health care and prevention efforts, with applications for reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and trauma responses. Attendees will leave with evidence-informed strategies to incorporate sound-based practices into both therapeutic settings and personal self-care routines.

Objectives:

  • Describe the neuroscience and physiological mechanisms by which sound and vibration regulate the nervous system and support mental health
  • Identify evidence-based findings and emerging research on the effectiveness of sound therapy in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and trauma
  • Experience and apply practical sound-based techniques that can be integrated into therapeutic practice, prevention strategies, or personal self-care

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When Recovery Support Services Meet the Justice System

Room: Nautical Wheeler

Speaker(s): 

Jerica Bowman, MSW, LMSW

Roy Farmer

Presentation: The justice system often intersects with recovery support services at the point of crisis, when individuals facing addiction, incarceration, or mental health challenges need coordinated support the most. This presentation explores how recovery support services can work hand-in-hand with the justice system at every intercept level to help individuals successfully reintegrate into society.

Presenters will discuss how peer support can reduce recidivism, improve treatment engagement, and build hope for individuals transitioning from incarceration or crisis stabilization back into the community. They will share real-world, firsthand experiences of navigating addiction, achieving long-term recovery, and successfully reentering society, along with insights from their current work in partnership with the criminal justice system in their local community.
Attendees will leave inspired and equipped with practical ideas to strengthen collaboration with their own Crisis Intervention Teams, justice partners, and community recovery networks.

Objectives:

  • Describe how peer support can improve treatment engagement and improve recovery outcomes
  • Identify strategies for integrating peer support within the correctional, court, and crisis intervention settings
  • Utilize practical ways to build strong collaboration with recovery support providers

Slides and Handouts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Preventing Burnout Through the Power of Fun

Room: Windgate 62-62

Speaker(s): 

Le’Anna Schlotzhauer, BS

Presentation: Preventing Burnout Through the Power of Fun is an engaging training that helps professionals recognize the signs of burnout and discover how fun can be a powerful tool for resilience. Participants will explore how stress impacts health, relationships, and work performance, and learn practical ways to recharge through play, laughter, and connection. By prioritizing fun, you can boost energy, improve mood, strengthen relationships, and create a healthier work-life balance. This session reframes fun not as a luxury but as an essential strategy for preventing burnout and thriving both personally and professionally.

Objectives:

  • Understanding burnout and it’s effects
  • Understanding how to prevent burnout
  • Understanding fun and how it works to prevent burnout
  • Discover ways to find and prioritize fun

Slides and Handouts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Preventing Relapse of Serious Mental Illnesses

Room: Windgate 60-61

Speaker(s): 

Angeline Stanislaus, MD

Presentation: Serious mental illnesses (SMI) are recurring illnesses that need long-term psychiatric and mental health care. Schizophrenia has a high rate of relapse, with up to 80 to 95% of individuals experiencing a relapse of symptoms within 2 to 5 years of recovery, particularly if the medication is discontinued (NIH). Bipolar disorder also has an annual relapse rate of about 25%. In this talk, Dr. Stanislaus will discuss the early signs of relapse in serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, how to prevent relapses, how to improve medication compliance and how to manage these patients without allowing them to have another full episode of their illness.

Objectives:

  • To learn about the rates of relapses in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
  • To identify the early symptoms of relapse
  • To learn strategies that improve medication compliance

Slides and Handouts: