Charbonnier, Michelle, CRADC, CGDC, CPS

Michelle Charbonnier is executive director of MoNetwork, a recovery community center rooted in the practices and principles of harm reduction. She is a therapist and interventionist with Plan Your Recovery at Clayton Behavioral. Michelle is dedicated to giving a voice to people who use drugs and actively opposes the war on drugs. She finds fulfillment in facilitating self-inquiry processes to foster deeper understanding of oneself, relationships, and behaviors.

Presentation(s):

Cobb, Melanie, CPS and CPS Supervisor

Melanie Cobb serves as the Director of Landmark Recovery Center located in Jefferson City, Missouri. The center operates as a Recovery Community Center, aiming to provide resources and support for individuals with Behavioral Health Conditions. Being in long-term recovery, Melanie brings a personal perspective to her role, blending her passion with her professional duties. She possesses a Certified Peer Support Specialist Credential and has finished the Certified Peer Support Specialist Supervisor Training.

Presentation(s):

Stoecker, David, LCSW, CPS, HRS

David Stoecker, LCSW, CPS, HRS is a person in long-term recovery. He is the Executive Director/Founder of Better Life in Recovery and co-founder of the Springfield Recovery Community Center. He was a founding member of the Southwest Missouri Drug Poisoning Coalition. Previously, David was a therapist for 8 ½ years, working with people involved with treatment courts as well as residential and outpatient clients. He co-created the Certified Peer Specialist training for Missouri and Missouri and ICRC’s Harm Reduction Specialist training and co-facilitates both trainings.

Presentation(s):

Anderson-Harper, Rosie, MA

Rosie Anderson-Harper serves as Director of Recovery Services for the Department of Mental Health, Division of Behavioral Health (DBH). The position of Director of Recovery Services was created in 2012 to raise the level of importance of the recovery philosophy in all aspects of DBH operations, enhance recovery services and supports, and integrate them with traditional behavioral health services. As Director of Recovery Services, she supervises housing, employment services, Recovery Support Services, Consumer Operated Service Programs, peer specialist and family support services and the DBH State Advisory Council. Ms. Anderson-Harper has a Master’s degree in Educational and Counseling Psychology. She has 34 years of experience in the field of behavioral health. She passionately believes in the power of human connection that moves us together to heal the world.

Presentation(s):

Slay, Bre-Ann, PsyD, LP, IMH-E

Dr. Bre-Ann Slay is a distinguished Licensed Clinical Psychologist, holding an additional endorsement as an Infant Mental Health Specialist. With a doctoral degree in clinical psychology (PsyD) from the University of Denver and a master’s degree in forensic psychology, she brings a wealth of academic and professional expertise to her role. Dr. Slay actively contributes to the field by serving on the executive board of the Missouri Association for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (MOAIMH-EC) and as a certified trainer of IoWA-PCIT.
At Reflect to Connect, Dr. Slay has established a platform dedicated to advancing education and support in infant and early childhood mental health. Grounded in attachment and behavioral lenses, her clinical practice prioritizes understanding caregiver-child relationships to achieve shared goals. Specializing in Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), IoWA-PCIT, and play-based treatments, Dr. Slay is committed to enhancing the overall well-being of children. Recognizing the challenges caregivers face, she assures individuals that with the right tools, temporary struggles can pave the way for a child’s success. Her goal is to foster a foundation of support and understanding for the flourishing future of young ones.
 

Presentation(s): 

Cradling Minds, Shaping Futures: A Journey into the Heart of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

Healing Hearts, Reuniting Families: Exploring Parental Trauma and Attachment in Foster Care


 

 

Vandyke, Melanie, PhD

Melanie VanDyke earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 2002 and has extensive experience in evidence-based treatments for anxiety-related disorders, including OCD, hoarding, social anxiety, BDD, and Tourette syndrome. She also treats people who are struggling with depression, emotional regulation, and interpersonal difficulties. Dr. VanDyke assesses and treats individuals and their families, and she enjoys being an active professional psychologist. She is the Chair of the Evidence-Based Practice committee at Missouri Psychological Association (MOPA). Dr. VanDyke has presented on how to help families who are struggling with a loved one who refuses to seek mental health care to enthusiastic, national audiences of clinicians and families alike.
Dr. VanDyke works to make treatment information accessible. She has contributed to online resources for consumers and published her treatment research in professional journals, including her work with families of treatment refusers. She enjoys helping students at various levels of training learn more about culturally-responsive, evidence-based treatments. Dr. VanDyke has previously served as the Director of Postdoctoral Education, an Associate Professor, and an interprofessional educator for students in healthcare professions. She was awarded Psychologist of the Year from the Missouri Psychological Association and earned Special Recognition as an active member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America’s (ADAA) Public Education Committee.
 

Presentation(s): 

Families of Treatment Refusers: The Neglected Victims of Untreated Mental Health Problems


 

 

Lee, Zipporah, MDiv

Zipporah Lee, a graduate of Eden Theological Seminary, has worked in social services to the unhoused population since the COVID pandemic in 2020. An advocate for Housing First policies and low-barrier Safe Haven shelter models, Zippy has 5+ years of experience in crisis intervention for youth and adults struggling with mental illness. They completed a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Christian Northeast in their ICU and neurology units, leading to an interest in serving those with complex medical needs. Currently, they work at St. Patrick Center on the Hospital to Housing team as the St. Louis University Hospital Service Coordinator, providing side-by-side case management for unhoused persons with complex medical needs, behavioral health concerns, and those struggling with substance use. They actively volunteer on the Core Team for St. Louis Winter Outreach, an all-volunteer collective addressing the gap in agency-led homeless services during winters in St. Louis, and facilitate one of their largest temperature-based emergency shelters at the AmeriCorps St. Louis location.

Presentation(s): 

A Conversation of Best Practices for Service Delivery in the Unhoused Community


 

 

Recognizing and Responding to Signs of Early Psychosis

Room Paradise Ballroom C


Speaker(s)

Description

This session will provide an overview of what early psychosis is, including signs and symptoms, how symptoms occur on a continuum, and the importance of linking individuals to appropriate services.

Objectives

  • Describe the building blocks of psychosis spectrum disorders
  • Evaluate psychosis — establishing the threshold
  • Discuss the importance of early identification and intervention

Preston, Rebecca, PhD

Dr. Rebecca Preston is the Clinical Lead of the Early Psychosis Care Center. She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Hosftra University with training strongly rooted in evidence-based treatment modalities and rigorous research methods. Her research interests concentrate on stressors and impaired self-regulatory behaviors that both predate and maintain disorders of self-control and co-morbid psychiatric disorders in vulnerable populations. With the Early Psychosis Care Center, Rebecca develops trainings and facilitates the implementation of evidence-based practices to prevent the onset of and provide treatment for early psychosis in individuals in Missouri.

Presentation(s):