P I T T S B U R G H , P A

M A Y 9 , 2 0 0 8

STAR-CENTER Conference

(Services for Teens at Risk)

 

 

 

 

Friday, May 9, 2008

8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

(Registration: 8 to 8:30 a.m.)

 

William Pitt Student Union

University of Pittsburgh

3959 Fifth Ave.

Pittsburgh, PA 15260

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STAR-Center is pleased to invite you to our 2008 conference in Pittsburgh! Inside you will find detailed information and a registration form.  This will be the only mailing you will receive, so please mark your calendar and keep your registration form in a safe place.

 

Please visit our website at

http://www.starcenter.pitt.edu for more information or additional copies of any forms.

 


Course Directors:

 

David A. Brent, MD

Director, STAR-Center

Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

 

Mary Margaret Kerr, EdD

Director, STAR-Center Outreach

Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

 

Conference Objectives

At the conclusion of this conference, participants should be able to:

 

  1. Identify common pitfalls of the assessment, treatment, and medication management process and learn innovative strategies to overcome these obstacles.
  2. Communicate with schools, families, and other audiences regarding youth engaging in high-risk behaviors.
  3. Describe evidence-based programs and current research involving treatment-resistant depression, suicide prevention, and other mental health disorders.

 

Target Audience

This program is appropriate for all clinical and educational personnel.

 

Cost

There is a $54 registration fee for this conference. Cost to employees of Western Psychiatric is $27. (This is a 50 percent discount off the regular registration fee.) The cost includes a light breakfast (coffee/tea/muffins), training materials, and continuing education credits.  Full tuition must accompany the registration form. A $10 administrative fee will be deducted from all refunds for cancellations. All refund requests must be in writing and received in the office no later than Thursday, May 8, 2008. Please return registration form by Friday, May 2, 2008.


Continuing Education Credits

 

Psychologists:

Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists, and maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This program is being offered for 5.5 continuing education credits.

 

Counselors:

Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic is approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) to offer continuing education for National Certified Counselors. Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside adheres to the NBCC Continuing Education Guidelines. This program is being offered for 5.5 continuing education credits.

 

Licensed/Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: LSW/LCSW/LPC/LMFT:

The indicated number of clock hours (5.5) of continuing education is provided through co-sponsorship of the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, a PA approved provider of social work continuing education in accordance with all the applicable educational and professional standards of the Council on Social Work Education. These clock hours satisfy requirements for LSW/LCSW, LPC, and LMFT renewal. For information of social work continuing education, call 412-624-3711.

 

PA Educators:

Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic is recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to offer continuing education credits under the Act 48 guidelines. Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside adheres to the Act 48 Continuing Education Guidelines. PA educators will receive 5.5 hours of Act 48 credit for attending this complete program.

 

Other Professionals:

Other professionals are awarded .55 continuing education units (CEUs), which are equivalent to 5.5 contact hours.


Pittsburgh Conference Agenda

 

8 a.m.             REGISTRATION

 

8:30 a.m.       WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

9 a.m.             KEYNOTES

Treatment-Resistant Depression

David A. Brent, MD,

Director, STAR-Center

(There will be a brief break between presenters.)

 

The Role of Communication in

Suicide Prevention

Mary Margaret Kerr, Ed D,

Director, STAR-Center Outreach

 

11:45 a.m.     LUNCH (On your own)

 

12:45 p.m.     SKILL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS

(1 hour 15 minutes each)

Please see next page for workshop descriptions.

 

2 p.m.             BREAK (15 minutes)

 

2:15 p.m.       WORKSHOPS REPEAT

 

3:30 p.m.       ADJOURNMENT
Skill Development Workshops:

 

A. Techniques for Rapid Relief of Adolescent Distress (Introductory)

Charles Bonner, PhD,

Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Bonner will train clinicians in a series of innovative affect management skills for adolescents. These skills can be taught in the first session with teens, giving them an immediate experience of relief. This will be an interactive and experiential workshop, where attendees will first practice on themselves the techniques that they can later transfer to their work with teens.

 

B. Creating Parent-Friendly Communications (Introductory)

Betsy Levine-Brown, MA, MAT,

Doctoral Student, University of Pittsburgh,

Applied Developmental Psychology

Parents often complain that they do not understand or appreciate the communications they receive regarding their children’s emotional and behavioral problems, while schools and agencies complain that parents ignore their information. Learn to assess and adjust the readability of

communications using free or low-cost software. Also learn to improve the feeling, tone, and content of communications to make them more appealing. Samples of parent-friendly brochures on mental health problems will be available.

 

C. Depression and Anxiety Medications: An overview for Mental Health and School Professionals (Introductory)

Laila Contractor, MD,

1st Year Child and Adolescent Fellow, STAR-Center

This workshop will focus on specific medications that have been shown to be effective in treating child and adolescent depression and anxiety. An overview of dosing guidelines will be presented as well as tips for dealing with non-compliance issues. Additionally, the presenter will provide answers to many of the common questions families may have about the use of medications with children and teens.

 

D. Asphyxia Play/The Choking Game: Gasping for Public Exposure (Introductory)

Mark LePore, EdD, LCSW,

Professor, Chatham University

Presenting with Chatham University graduate students

The presentation will focus on the concept of how the choking game is played and how peer influence exacerbates dangerous participation. Participants will explore the biological and physical components of the Process while learning detection, prevention, and intervention techniques.

 

E. Common Problems and Pitfalls in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (Introductory)

Kim Poling, LSW,

Clinical Coordinator, STAR-Center

When practicing cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) with teenagers, clinicians often encounter barriers that impede the counseling process. This presentation will review seven common problems clinicians come across during CBT sessions. Whether the barrier is medication

noncompliance, overly verbal clients, or therapist fatigue or burnout, participants will learn potential solutions to remove these obstacles.

 


F. Managing Medication Side Effects in Teenagers (Introductory)

Barbara Postol, MS,

Project Coordinator, Preschool Study, Youth and Family Research Program

In order to experience the therapeutic benefits of prescription drugs, compliance in taking the medication is important. Often times, teenagers do not want to continue a regimen, especially if they experience any unwanted side effects. This workshop will provide an overview of common medication side effects and will offer reasons why teens do not want to take their medications. Participants will learn tips on how they can aid teenagers in understanding the benefits of their medication while helping them to better cope with side effects.

 

G. Differential Diagnosis of Childhood Mental Health Disorders (Intermediate)

Bradley A. Sanders, LCSW,

Outpatient Assessment Center, Western Psychiatric Institute

This program will explore how to make an accurate differential diagnosis of commonly misdiagnosed childhood disorders, including autism and bipolar. The presenter will share specific language used during the psychiatric assessment and discuss how to avoid common pitfalls.


STAR-Center Conference Registration Form

Pittsburgh, PA (MA88) Friday, May 9, 2008

Registration Deadline: Friday, May 2, 2008

                                                                                

Please print or type legibly.  If we cannot read your form, you may not receive your confirmation.

 

Social Security Number (last 5 digits only):  _______________________________________________________________

 

Name: _______________________________________________________________________________________________

                       Last                                                                                First

 

Institutional Affiliation: ________________________________________________________________________________

 

Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

City: _______________________________State: _____ Zip code: ___________ County: ___________________________

 

Email Address: _________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Telephone: (______)______________________________Degree(s)to be noted on name badge (i.e. LSW, CAC):__________

 

Are you a WPIC employee?                          ____ Yes                               ____ No

 

 Workshop Preferences:  Circle your top three workshop choices.

 

Choice #1:                          A             B             C             D            E             F             G           

Choice #2:                           A             B             C             D            E             F             G

Alternate Choice:             A             B             C             D            E             F             G

  

For Continuing Education, please check if you are:

 

NBCC Counselor _____ NBCC # __________________ Nurse ______ Psychologist ______  Social Worker _______ Other  ________ Act 48 _________

 

$ 54 Registration Fee:  (circle your method of payment)

$27 for WPIC employees

                                     

Check                   Visa                       MasterCard                        American Express                            Discover

 

Please make checks payable to OERP/WPIC           Check # ______________               

 

 

To be completed by credit card users only.

                            

Card Number  ___________________________________ Security Code_____________ Expiration Date  ______________

 

Signature  ______________________________________________________ Today’s Date  __________________________

 

Send this form along with payment to:

Maria Pena-Jordan, Conference Planner

Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, OERP

3811 O'Hara Street

4601 Baum Building, Room 178

Pittsburgh, PA  15213

 

Credit Card registrations ONLY can be faxed to (412) 802-6910.  Registration will not be accepted without payment.  Telephone registrations CANNOT be accepted.