Breakout Sessions

Session 1 - Tuesday, August 27, 2019 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

1A A Kingdom Far Away: Raising a Daughter with Mental Illness in a Systematically Unsafe World

Kari Gusso, Virginia Ann Waldor

Kari bravely tells her brutally honest story of daily struggles parenting a child living with a mental illness. The unrelenting battle to keep her daughter safe from untrained police, medical staff, and society at large.

1B Destress, Decompress, and Have Fun: Essential Self-Care

Cheri Loggains

This will be a hands on, experiential workshop designed to leave participants feeling less stressed and more empowered at the end of the session than they did coming in.

1C Exploring Mental Health Counseling, Religion, and Spirituality in Rural Iowa

Diane Walsh

Using a multicultural framework, this presentation highlights counselors' knowledge and experience of addressing issues related to religion and spirituality as influenced by the sociocultural context of rural Iowa.

1D Solutions to Bridge the Behavioral Health Divide in PCP Settings

Christine Andersen, Lisa Clements

Learn how to bridge the divide between physical and behavioral health care in rural areas through PCP education on depression, suicide, and psychopharmacology; useful screening tools; and psychiatric curbside consultation programs.

1E Knocking on the Door: Youth Perspectives on Psychiatric Service Access

David Miller, Scott Ronis

Demand for psychiatric services among youth is increasing, but treatment availability and accessibility is lacking. Youth perspectives bring light to challenges in accessing and using supports in particularly under-serviced areas.

1F Thrive Allen County! - A Rural Kansas Community Turnaround

Lisse Regehr

Discuss and learn more about engaging residents in creating a healthier community. Over the past 10 years, Thrive's community focused strategies have reversed the decline of Allen County and enhanced the role of the regional mental health program. Learn how the actions of a local physician and a skilled organizer set in motion a decade of building partnerships, working collaboratively, and creating unique solutions to long-standing problems.

1G SAMHSA Issues and Updates for Mental Health Block Grant State Data Reporting and Uses

Steven Dettwyler

This presentation will cover SAMHSA State Block Grant best practices, uses, and tips for data collection and reporting. It will also present information on the Block Grant 10% Set Aside for First Episode Psychosis and the ongoing evaluation of 36 of these programs.

Session 2 - Tuesday, August 27, 2019 1:50 PM - 2:50 PM

2A Redesigning Practice in New Mexico: Practice and Policy Changes from Implementation of the Treat First Model

Kate Gibbons, Lacy Keith, Renee Edwards, Stacey Palmer

Treat First is a flexible, person-centered, data-driven solution to service delivery not dictated by billing and productivity constraints, but rather by treating the presenting needs of the person in immediately.

2B Implementing Strategic Doing...A Dynamic Strategy!

Lauren Goldstein, Betty Johnson, Geniphyr Ponce Pore

This workshop will invite participants to consider positive framing questions around mental health and dive into how to effectively manage these complex conversations. Information and experiences presented in the plenary will be expanded upon.

2C Honoring Transitions: A Mindful Approach

Brenda Frink, Jackie West

Through the lens of Mindfulness, Turquoise Lodge Hospital will share their Transition Ceremony and will allow participants to create their own transition from the NARMH Conference back into their communities.

2D Ethics: The Five Pillars of Rural Community Mental Health Services

Gregory McCutcheon

The presentation introduces five ethical principles that enhance rural community mental health service delivery, the reasons the unifying principles are important, and strategies to implement principled services and values at an agency level.

2E 2 Online Learning: An Innovative Approach to Training Certified Peer Specialists

Rita Cronise

This session will share the experiences of over 10,000 online learners in New York State. This session will describe an innovative approach available to people in recovery who live in rural areas to access high quality on-line, on-demand, self-paced training and testing as a step toward becoming certified peer specialists.

2F Preparing Social Work and Counseling Students for Rural Communities

Sheri Boyle, Elizabeth Gruber

This workshop will discuss the barriers, strategies, and results from our experience in preparing graduate social work and counseling students to work in rural and medically underserved communities throughout southwestern PA.

2G Engaging Stakeholders with Data using Parties and Interactive Games

Lee Ann Ratzlaf, Cynthia Killough

Albeit challenging, stakeholder involvement is an essential component to community-based programs. This workshop will discuss experiential learning strategies that promote engagement and encourage participation among stakeholders from various backgrounds.

Session 3 - Tuesday, August 27, 2019 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

3A Creative Journal Writing and the path to Thriving!

Sarah Brown, Pari Noskin

In this workshop we will explore the creative journal as a tool for personal growth, both for an individual and in peer support groups. We will also discuss how peer support groups in general can bring vitality to rural communities.

3B Addressing Behavioral Health Workforce Shortages Through Telesupervision

Jen Panhorst, Lisa Morad-McCoy, Molly Faulkner

How can telesupervision address workforce shortages in rural states? Attendees will learn the benefits of telesupervision, as well as how to establish and maintain their own sustainable program.

3C Building Communities of Hope Suicide Prevention Initiative: One Voice, One Nation - Protect Life

Kateri Keeto, Vera John, ShaQuilla Yazzie

DBMHS team will present Building Communities of Hope presentation and will conduct an interactive activity to engage with audience.

3D Gun Ownership and Mental Health: Reducing Suicide in Rural Communities

Debbie Plotnick, Mike Sodini

Mental health and firearms organizations engaging in frank conversation and collaborating on concrete actions in to reduce suicide deaths and increase safety for gun-owners in rural communities.

3E 1 "Rural-specific" Types of Childhood Trauma in Latino/a Children in Rural Communities: Uniqueness and Complexity

Roberto Velasquez

The primary aim of this presentation is to discuss the "rural-specific" types of trauma that Latino/a children are like to experience when contrasted to trauma in urban settings.

3E 2 How are Agricultural Industries Impacted by Opioids, and What Roles do Pain, Depression and Stress Play?

Heidi Radunovich

A study of the impact of opioids on agricultural industries in Florida will be presented, including the roles that pain, depression and stress play in opioid use for this population.

3F Mental Health Issues of Coal Miners Seeking Black Lung Benefits

James Werth, Charles Pollard, Theresa Burriss, Margaret Tomann

The mental health literature lacks information about coal miners. The presenters will describe the experience of coal miners, including mental health issues reported by miners seeking Black Lung benefits.

3G Telemedicine Setup for Mental Health Clients in Rural Communities

Farooq Ahmad

This presentation will cover the use of the cloud-based Electronic Health Record software, myAvatar, in California. The pros and cons of this system will be discussed, as well as the types of data that are collected using this system, and how this data is used and exchanged safely between parties.

Session 4 - Wednesday, August 28, 2019 10:20 AM - 11:20 AM

4A Public/Private Collaboration: Emergency Department Behavioral Health Tele-Video Program

Peter VanDusartz, Corby Stark

Sharing our model and success of a public/private collaboration to address behavioral health needs and crisis response across seven hospitals EDs and three counties DHS including "emergency detentions".

4B "From Battleground to Breaking Ground". Combining Education and Wrap-Around Holistic Supportive Services for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

Jennifer Christman, Rick Peterson

This session will discuss the design of the Battleground to Breaking Ground program and provide participants with best practices and lessons learned to assist them in designing and implementing educational programs that include a focus on the behavioral and mental health and wellness needs of rural and at-risk populations.

4C Reaching and Engaging Rural Families: Supporting Permanency and Well Being in Foster Care and Adoption

Edna Davis Brown, Dawn Wilson

This presentation highlights the need for adoption mental health competency for clinicians, and outlines an evidence-informed training initiative developed by the Center for Adoption Support and Education.

4D Documentary: The Shake-Up; Cause and Consequences of New Mexico's 2013 Behavioral Health Medicaid Freeze

Ben Altenberg, Caroline Bonham

The Shake-Up is an hourlong documentary about the cause and consequences of New Mexico's 2013 behavioral health Medicaid freeze. Rural and frontier parts of the state now struggle to find services.

4E 1 Building the Rural Addiction Counseling Workforce/ Workforce, Recruitment and Retention of Behavioral Health Providers in the Bering Strait Region of Alaska

Tina Chasek, Brent Kahn

This program will share strategies for building the addiction counseling workforce in rural areas. Learn unique and novel tips that can help you grow your own addiction counseling workforce!

4E 2 Workforce, Recruitment and Retention of Behavioral Health Providers in the Bering Strait Region of Alaska

Lindsey Hickey, Seth Green

This session will provide information on a long-term initiative to successfully remedy the psychologist workforce shortage in rural Alaska. Analysis of seven years of data will be discussed.

4F Responding to Behavioral and Mental Needs Among Rural Iowans and Farming Communities

David Brown

A 4 pronged Response Strategy to Behavioral and Mental Needs Among Rural Iowans and Farming Communities using the extension and outreach infrastructure and systems.

4G WSDSG Business Meeting (closed to NARMH attendees)

Session 5 - Wednesday, August 28, 2019 1:40 PM - 2:40 PM

5A Building Bridges through Innovative Collaboration: Increasing Capacity to Address Needs

Annette Crisanti, Pari Noskin, Raven Cuellar, Brian Isakson

This panel discusses innovative collaborations in New Mexico to increase capacity of community-based organizations to better address needs re: justice involved persons with mental illness, brain health, and childhood trauma.

5B Family Matters: Using the Family System to Heal Attachment Wounds

Elizabeth Marston, Samuel Marion

Attachment wounds are at the core of many struggles, and they are healed through connection within systems. This workshop will encourage a return to valuing therapeutic work within the family.

5C Starting Where You Are: Collecting and Using Data

Lee Ratzlaff, Debra Heath, Jessica Reno, Jen Panhorst

Stop collecting data only for survival and start making your program thrive through effective use of data! Attendees will learn strategies and techniques for data collection, management, and presentation.

5D 

5E 1 "How Long You in For?": Factors Predicting Psychiatric Length-of-Stay

David Miller, Scott Ronis

Recent motivated reductions in psychiatric length-of-stay (LOS) across institutions do not account for LOS as a complex phenomenon comprised of multiple individual and clinical factors that can affect outcomes.

5E 2 Creating Program Evaluations in Rural Alaska: Ensuring Postdoctoral Fellows Receive High Quality Training for Professional Development

Seth Green, Lindsey Hickey

Program evaluation projects implemented by postdoctoral psychology fellows helped create programmatic and systematic change to increase efficacy of clinical outcomes for clients, providers, and administrators.

5F Honoring Native Life: Creating Conversations Around Suicide Prevention & Response

Caroline Bonham

Honoring Native Life is a statewide resource for tribal agencies and communities across rural New Mexico to address the topic of suicide. This panel describes our successes and lessons learned.

5G Advocating for School Based Mental Health

Stefanie Winfield, Liza Tupa

We know that school based mental health programming and services helps kids learn and thrive, but how do you know what approaches your schools need, and how do you help them get the services? This session will review best practices in school mental health and provide information to effectively advocate for mental health and wellness programming and services, from talking points to funding strategies.

Session 6 - Wednesday, August 28, 2019 2:50 PM - 3:50 PM

6A Implementing SBIRT in Rural Clinics: A How to Guide

Tina Chasek, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway

This workshop presents the struggles and successes of implementing a screening and brief intervention practice into rural primary care. It can be done!

6B Building a Statewide Tele-Behavioral Health Network

Caroline Bonham, Margaret Greenwood- Ericksen, Jessica Reno, Chelsea White

In this panel, participants from the perspectives of psychiatry, emergency medicine, hospital leadership and epidemiology will share plans to build a statewide tele-behavioral health network to serve rural New Mexico.

6C Iwankapiya-Healing: Clinical Research Addressing Historical Trauma Healing Among American Indians

Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart, Josephine Chase

American Indian clinician researchers describe a National Institute of Mental Health-funded pilot randomized control trial to examine treatment models for depression, trauma-related symptoms, and treatment engagement for American Indians.

6D Master of None, but Therapists to All

Samuel Marion, Elizabeth Marston

In a rural community with few resources, the option to specialize does not exist. We will discuss the challenges of achieving clinical excellence while meeting needs across a small community.

6E Collaboration is Key: First Responders and Mental Health Crises Response

Kristin Chandler

A unique, scenario-based training for rural first responders in Vermont brings together mental health clinicians, police, EMTs, dispatchers and ER personnel to learn each other's limitations, language and logistics.

6F Building Communities of Hope: Lessons from New Mexico Rural Networks

Anne Hays Egan, Lauren M. Reichelt

RoundTable's rural networks use evidence-and-asset-based practices and innovative solutions to reach those at most risk. Integrated services within broad system frameworks address health disparities and create system cost savings.

6G Assessing Workforce Diversity for Health Equity in Mental Health Organizations

Rachelle Espiritu, Kristi Silva

Workforce diversity improves access to health and health care for communities of color. This one-hour training session is designed to help mental health organizations examine their implementation of workforce diversity strategies. We will explore six areas: Leadership and Governance; Recruitment; Orientation, Onboarding, and Ongoing Training; Retention and Professional Development; Communication; and Partnership and Community Goals.

Session 7 - Wednesday, August 28, 2019 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

7A Building a Framework for Crisis Response in Rural Communities

Leah Becknell, Jeffrey Hite

Beacon's workshop guides rural communities contemplating crisis services development by providing a practical framework to design and implement a community-based crisis response system using existing resources and developing new ones.

7B Rural Solutions - Development of the Utah Rural Opioid Health care Consortium

Jeanie Willson, Karen Dolan, Ashley Yaugher, Jac'lyn Bera

We address the construction, value, and impact of Healthcare Consortiums on rural communities, offering guidance and discussion for healthcare providers to pioneer support systems and promote evidence-based practices.

7C How to Stimulate Investment in Rural and Frontier Well-being

Susan Wilger, Joseph Hill, Raven Cuellar

This workshop takes an in-depth look at the assets, difficulties and health disparities faced by rural and frontier communities and innovative ways communities address mental wellness and its determinants.

7D Engaging a Crisis Line

Wendy Linebrink- Allison

Join us in a discussion on how a crisis line can assist in closing gaps in rural and frontier communities for people that experience mental health and substance use concerns.

7E Adapting a Peer-Based Youth Substance Use Intervention for Rural Contexts

Laura Pannella Winn

Responding to adolescent substance use is essential to disrupt the pathway to dependence. Presenters describe the outcomes of prevention intervention delivered by young adults in recovery and discuss rural adaptations.

7F Creative Approaches to Prevention and Behavioral Health in Rural Virginia

Mindy Thorpe, Beth O'Connor

This presentation will provide an overview of Virginia's response to behavioral health deficiencies and the opioid epidemic in rural Virginia. Information on two novel programs from VRHA will be shared.

7G State and Organizational Policy Assessment for Workforce Diversity and Inclusion

Rachelle Espiritu, Kristi Silva

This training session will provide an overview of state-level legislation and federal mandates to promote workforce diversity and inclusion. Trainers will guide participants through an assessment to advance and sustain organizational governance and leadership that promotes health equity. We will explore actions to improve implementation of the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) at state and organizational levels.

Session 8 - Thursday, August 29, 2019 9:50 AM - 10:50 AM

8A Mood...Affect... Thinking: The Impact of MS on Mental Health

Vicki Kowal, Carrie Bravinder

As a result of this presentation, mental health providers will be able to recognize, assess, and treat common mood and cognitive disorders affecting people with MS.

8B Rural Psychiatry Residency Program - A collaboration between New Mexico Human Services Department and UNM

Jose Canaca, Rahul Vasireddy, Erin Rush, Cynthia Killough

New Mexico Human Services Department and the University of New Mexico developed a partnership to create a Rural Psychiatry residency Program to decrease workforce shortage in rural New Mexico.

8C Reactive Attachment Disorder, How Trauma Rewires the Brain

Amy Swigart

This training is designed for those who have little understanding of attachment issues as well as those who work daily with this disorder. The participants will learn to identify signs and symptoms of attachment issues. Attendees will leave the seminar with new understanding, skills and interventions to assist in their most frustrating and challenging cases.

8D New Kids on the Block: Recruiting Rural Mental Health Professionals

Ronald Palomares, Brittany Boone, Akemi Inugay, Matthew Sutton

Recruiting new rural mental health professionals is a dilemma. This workshop will discuss current demographics, followed with personal experiences of graduate students who participated in a rural school Immersion program.

8E Changing Attitudes and Beliefs Surrounding Mental Health Issues in a Rural Student Population: Strategies and Lessons Learned

Catherine Jones-Hazledine, Andrew Rodriguez, Lauren Coffey, Shanna Rosentrater, Michael Steube

Staff at Western Nebraska Behavioral Health Clinics will present on an innovative program implemented in a rural middle school population to reduce stigma and promote mental health treatment seeking.

8F Recovery Friendly Language

Wendy Linebrink-Allison

Learn to implement an approach that focuses on the innate strengths of individuals, using language that highlights personal strengths that aid in recovery, empowerment, and promotes the positive.

8G Creating A Culture Of Cybersecurity Through Experiential Learning

Bruce McCully

Previous attempts integrating cybersecurity within healthcare remains insufficient and inconsistent. Our research reveals how experience-based training, both end user awareness and practice, dramatically reduces cyber events compared to mere policy enforcement.

Session 9 - Thursday, August 29, 2019 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

9A Training and Capacity Building in Rural/Frontier Behavioral Health Workforce Development

Martha F, Flor C., Rebecca E., Bess F., Pari N., Julie Griffin S., Avi K., Jen P., Raven C.

Representatives conducting workforce training will discuss their programs with the inherent challenges and rewards. Suggestions will be given for successful development and implementation of training in rural/frontier communities.

9B The Role of Telepsychiatry in Rural Communities

Carol Capitano

This presentation will briefly address the inadequacy of behavioral health services in rural New Mexico. It will also address the innovative ways in which these inadequacies are being addressed educationally and in the treatment of behavioral health patients in rural communities.

9C Lay Interventions for Rural Access: Peer Support Everywhere

Corinna West, Brian Be

Globally, lay interventions are almost always the answer to the scarcity of healthcare in low-resource communities. Lay interventions in behavioral health include informal peer supports, community wellness programs, and social-capital interventions. Poetry for Personal Power has trained over 75 artist/advocates to become lead trainers on lay interventions in their own communities. Learn how to replicate the model and bring greater access to care while improving health outcomes.

9D The Impact of Culturally-Tailored Mental Health Programs on Rural Australians

Jennifer Bowers

By engaging with rural communities and providing relevant information on mental health in a culturally-sensitive way, program evaluations provide evidence of stigma reduction and positive behavior changes in these populations.

9E Cohesive Promotion and Implementation of Healthy Relationship Education in Rural Iowa to Promote Overall Health and Wellness

Anthony Santiago

A cohesive marketing and promotional effort to effectively deliver healthy relationship education to rural Iowans.

9F Fixing The Behavioral Healthcare Fix: Treating 22,000 Addicts

David Conejo

Behavioral health has fixed traditional 90-day rehab fix treatment with an app that monitors and track addicts in real-time while integrating with EHR systems, eliminating reports and costly patient research.

9G In-Vivo and Tele-Therapy with Tribal Communities: Addressing Historical Trauma Responses

Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart, Josephine Chase, Caroline Bonham

In this panel, we will describe the clinical applications of the historical trauma framework when delivering telebehavioral health services to American Indians in underserved rural communities.