Session List
Full Schedule
Date/Time Session Room
9/14/2020 9:00 AM -to- 10:30 AM Opening General Session - Unpacking Client - and Family - Centered Care in CSC
Nev Jones, PhD
Jessica Mullins
Commissioner Marie Williams, LCSW

Grounded in the presenter's personal and family, as well as professional experience as an early psychosis researcher, this talk will explore the current landscape of client and family-centered practices within CSC, and future directions, with a focus on better supporting clients and families during and following the transition out of CSC.  
Learning objectives:

  1. Describe at least two specific client-centered practices in CSC;
  2. Describe at least two specific family-centered practices in CSC; and,
  3. Articulate specific challenges of the transition out of CSC and impact on clients and their families.
General Session
9/14/2020 10:30 AM -to- 10:40 AM Wellness & Self-Care: Latin Dance Class
Global Education Center

Join the Global Education Center for an interactive Latin Dance Class and Drum Segment. 

Wellness and Self-Care
9/14/2020 10:40 AM -to- 11:40 AM Brkout 1A - Hallucinations in Youth
Craigan Usher, MD
Kayla Mumphrey

In this presentation, Dr. Usher will explore hallucinations in youth examining ways of evaluating and helping supports children, teens and parents to help manage the distress surrounding these. He will offer the audience an examination of the literature on the nature, prevalence, and diagnostic difficulties surrounding hallucinations in youth emphasizing the fact that hallucinations are not tantamount to “having schizophrenia” and that interventions need to be tailored to the unique life experience and sensibilities of each individual and family.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants should be able to:

  1. Identify three clinical features accompanying hallucinations in children which would lead evaluators to be more concerned about psychosis;

  2. Identity three clinical features accompanying hallucinations in children which would lead evaluators to consider other diagnostic paradigms and causes;

  3. List three therapeutic means of addressing hallucinations in children which may lead to young people and families to experience diminished stress and tension about them; and, 

  4. Name two tools that can be used to help evaluators better understand the nature and nuance of hallucinations in children.

Breakout Room 1
9/14/2020 10:40 AM -to- 11:40 AM Brkout 2A - Behind the Scenes with Early Psychosis Programming in Tennessee
Session 2A Speakers
Tariq Smith
Ashley Pace
Dylan Gregory
Alexandra Russell
Tonya Drewry
Kaelin Large
Sharletta Wentworth

Since establishing one of the nation's first rural First Episode Psychosis sites at Carey Counseling Center in Northwest Tennessee, Tennessee has become widely known for its success in implementing early psychosis programming. Over the last six years, that success has been built upon by expanding First Episode Psychosis sites across Tennessee, hiring a Statewide Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator, and implementing a Clinical High Risk for Psychosis program in Memphis. In this panel discussion, staff from each of Tennessee's early psychosis sites (five urban, one rural) will give a look behind the curtain at the incredible work they do, the challenges they’ve faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the creative ways they have adapted.
Learning Objectives:

  1. Learn about early psychosis programming in Tennessee by direct service providers, including staff from our five First Episode Psychosis (OnTrackTN) sites and one Clinical High Risk for Psychosis site;
  2. Develop a stronger understanding of what it's actually like to work with youth and young adults who are dealing with or are at-risk for psychosis;

  3. Examine the challenges and successes of implementing early psychosis programming, as well as continuing services during the pandemic;

  4. Identify differences in early psychosis programming in a rural area vs urban area.

Breakout Room 2
9/14/2020 11:40 AM -to- 12:40 PM Wellness & Self-Care: Guacamole and Mango Shrimp Taco Cooking Demonstration
Dabble Food Company
Learn how to make delicious, flavorful tacos from the comfort of your home! We will walk through knife skills, seasoning techniques, and more. 

Jamie Fritz - Co-Owner, Dabble Studio, Ex-Wall Streeter, now creating memorable events for you! -- B.S. degree in Psychology from Fordham University, NYC; Institute of Culinary Education, NYC; Currently completing Sommelier certification. Loves all things food and wine, travel, and sunshine, and creating environments and events where everyone feels truly welcome and special.
Wellness and Self-Care
9/14/2020 12:40 PM -to- 1:40 PM General Session - Don't Be Paranoid. You Look Great.
Michelle Hammer
Brandy Thomas-Wade

Everybody talks to themselves, but not how I do it. Welcome to the life of Michelle Hammer. Listen to Michelle Hammer tell her story of growing up with and surviving Schizophrenia. Michelle talks about when she was 18 and finally realized the paranoia was fake, and all the thoughts in her head were lies. She stresses the importance of a good support team, that she believes is the only reason she made it through college. Misdiagnosis's along the way. Three psych ward stays. And with all of that behind her, she started the company Schizophrenic.NYC Mental Health Clothing Brand to get the public talking about mental health. 

Learning Objectives: 

  1. My initial denial, and then realizing I had a mental illness;
  2. How I received my correct diagnosis and manage my NYC life; and, 
  3. How I started my own business despite what everyone else said and created something amazing.
General Session
9/14/2020 1:40 PM -to- 1:50 PM Wellness and Self-Care: Art Therapy
Nina Ayala, MA, ATR-P

“BEING AN ART THERAPIST IS WITNESSING THE TRANSFORMATION, STRENGTH AND AWARENESS THAT NATURALLY FLOWS FROM BEING CREATIVE. VISUALIZING ONE’S HEALING AND TRANSLATING IT IN INTO ART REINFORCES HOPE.” – NINA AYALA
 

Wellness and Self-Care
9/14/2020 1:50 PM -to- 2:50 PM Brkout 1B - A Discovery-Oriented Approach: How Transition Age Youth-Specific Practices Can Enhance
Marc Fagan, PsyD
Jessica Mullins

How Transition Age Youth-Specific Practices Can Enhance Engagement In Your Work

Transition-Age Youth (TAY) represents the developmental stage with the highest prevalence for serious mental health conditions, yet TAY are least likely to engage in mental health services.  In this engaging and interactive presentation, participants will understand the case for creating services specifically dedicated to transition-age youth and young adults, and how TAY-focused services can enhance First Episode programs.  Participants will learn about mixing evidence informed practices, including the TIP Model, youth-centric vocational supports, young adult peer mentorship and other practices that lead to a Discovery-Oriented Care approach in engaging young adults around their priority goals.  Participants will also learn how Thresholds in Illinois built a continuum of multi-disciplinary young adult-based services that mirrors similar initiatives underway in Tennessee.
Learning Objecitves:

  1. Understand the rationale for transition age youth-specific mental health services;
  2. Learn about the evidence-informed practices that can increase engagement in First Episode Services;
  3. Understand how to apply some of these new practices into your multi-disciplinary team-based work; and,
  4. Have a little fun!
Breakout Room 1
9/14/2020 1:50 PM -to- 2:50 PM Brkout 2B - On & Upward: Transition Plng & Discharge in OnTrackNY Coordinated Specialty Care Progs
Sarah Piscitelli,LP-MHC
Kayla Mumphrey

This workshop emphasizes the importance of using a person-centered, strengths-based approach with individuals and their families during transition planning. The workshop begins with a presentation that provides background on the long-term benefits of CSC and a summary of the research on discharge. We then introduce strategies, such as shared-decision making, and tools, like the OnTrackNY Transition Planning Tool, which can be used with individuals and families to explore their accomplishments during the program, identify their goals for the transition process and life after CSC, identify options for clinical and non-clinical follow-up supports, and create plans for achieving those goals during and after program discharge. The presentation highlights the ways that OnTrackNY programs implement these strategies in real-world settings to empower individuals and their families. Following the presentation, the group will engage in a Q&A to explore processes factors that impact successful transition planning and discharge for the individual, family members and providers.
 
This workshop will provide a general framework for involving participants in discussions and decisions related to transition planning and will be tailored for a diverse audience, including providers, peers, and families. By the end of this workshop, participants will be better prepared to apply this framework in their own personal, professional, and institutional settings to promote enhanced service utilization and advocate for best practices.
Learning Objectives:
During this 50-minute workshop, participants will:

  1. become familiar with the research base on long-term outcomes for individuals who participated in time-limited, early intervention services for first episode psychosis;

  2. gain a better understanding of how coordinated specialty care (CSC) programs, particularly OnTrackNY, approach transition planning and discharge; and,

  3. be exposed to specific strategies and tools that OnTrackNY uses to assess readiness and collaborate on discharge planning with participants and their families so they are better able to navigate the transition and process.

 

 

Breakout Room 2
9/14/2020 2:50 PM -to- 3:00 PM Wellness and Self-Care: Southern Word -- Youth/Young Adult Poetry
Benjamin Smith
Southern Word provides writing and music workshops in school and community settings in 8 Tennessee counties serving more than 6,000 young people each year. This includes creating brave spaces for youth to speak about issues on which we too often fall sllent. To learn more, visit www.southernword.org
Wellness and Self-Care
9/14/2020 3:00 PM -to- 4:00 PM Brkout 1C - First Episode Programs: The Need for a SEES on the team.
Eshawn Spencer
Caty Davis

Come learn how Individual Placement and Support (IPS) can improve the health and quality life for young adult with first-episode psychosis. IPS is vocational intervention that have consistently shown to have positive outcomes, and young adults want to complete education and gain employment more than they want to address their mental health symptoms. This session will focus on the adapted IPS model for transition-age youth and its impact on a person’s life who is experiencing symptoms for the first time. The presenter will briefly discuss all 8 principles and provide tips, examples and resources that one can use.
Learning Objectives: 

  1. Describe adapted Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Supported Employment;
  2. List the benefits of having an Employment and Education Specialist (EES) on a First Episode Psychosis team; and,
  3. Discuss ways to help youth experiencing their first psychosis stay in school, find and keep a job.

 

Breakout Room 1
9/14/2020 3:00 PM -to- 4:15 PM Brkout 2C - Igniting The Fire Within: Young Adult Peers Share Their Experiences
Session 2C Panelists
Nybelle Caruso
Nicholas Buekea,, PhD
Monica Shahine
Hope Galyon
Jules Wilson

For these young adults, becoming a mental health advocate helps fuel the flames of their recovery. Times can get tough with balancing wellness, school, work, and a global pandemic, but overcoming obstacles is nothing new for this group of panelists, who all have various lived experiences with psychosis. They’re wise, relatable, and more than ready to show the audience what ignites their passion for working and volunteering in the very field they once received services from.
Learning Objectives:

  1. Gain an understanding of the different ways young adults can experience psychosis;

  2. Identify effective ways to support young people on their journey of recovery and wellness, as well as how advocacy and leadership can play a role in that; and

  3. Learn how the power of peer support can be transformative for young adults with lived experience

 

Breakout Room 2
9/15/2020 9:00 AM -to- 10:15 AM Clinical High Risk for Psychosis: Cultural and Contextual Considerations in Early Identification
Jason Schiffman, PhD
Jules Wilson

This presentation will describe the “clinical high-risk” phase of psychosis, with an emphasis on defining the construct and describing early identification strategies. I will also focus on cultural and contextual considerations in this phase of illness, without which the field of early psychosis runs the risk of further perpetuating mental health disparities.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, participants will: 

  1. Identify signs of psychosis-risk symptoms;
  2. Demonstrate awareness of psychosis-risk screening and assessment strategies, and recognize how attention to cultural and contextual factors inform these strategies; and, 
  3. Increase familiarity with approaches to care that can recognize and potentially reduce bias. 
General Session
9/15/2020 10:15 AM -to- 10:25 AM Wellness and Self-Care -- Trauma Informed Yoga
Cameron Clark, LMSW, ERYT
This breakout session will give participants both an overview of trauma sensitive yoga's benefits and an opportunity to practice. Trauma sensitive yoga takes a gentle approach to tapping into the body to restore a sense of safety, trust and personal power.  Mindful movements, gentle breath awareness, and curiosity collaborate to strengthen our awareness of what is happening within the body - right here, right now. As a result, we may find a deeper capacity for tending to our needs with compassion and kindness. 
Wellness and Self-Care
9/15/2020 10:25 AM -to- 11:25 AM Brkout 1D - We Are Family: Supporting A Loved One Experiencing Psychosis
Session B1D Panelists
Melinda Jones
LaKeshia Oliver
Brenda Donaldson

Families can and do play a major role in recovery from a first episode of psychosis, and providing education and support to family members is critical in early psychosis programming. The perspectives of families impacted by psychosis are often not heard, so in this session, you will hear from two Family Support Specialists, including the FSS within Tennessee’s Clinical High Risk for Psychosis program. Both have loved and cared for a family member experiencing symptoms of psychosis, sticking with them through the ups and downs, and choosing to use their voices to help other families along the way. Come hear the power of their stories.
Learning Objectives:

  1. Empathize with the ups and downs of caring for a loved one with psychosis;

  2. Identify some of the early warning signs that a loved one may be experiencing psychosis and ways to support them; and,

  3. Learn about the transition from family peer to family support specialist.

 

Breakout Room 1
9/15/2020 10:25 AM -to- 11:25 AM Brkout 2D - Early Intervention for Schizophrenia: Building Systems of Care for Knowledge Translation
Vinod Srihari, MD
Caty Davis

Can regional systems of care be designed to disseminate best practices AND drive necessary research? This is a question of generic interest across health-care conditions, and literature from allied fields will be brought to bear here on how this can be done for psychotic disorders. Knowledge from research and implementations conducted at the Program for Specialized Treatment Early in Psychosis (STEP, www.step.yale.edu) will be presented along with ongoing initiatives to advance the learning objectives for this session.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, attendees will understand why 

  1. Knowledge Translation should be the organizing goal of systems of care for psychotic disorders; 
  2. Population Health can serve as a conceptual basis for such reform, which will be facilitated by a shared vocabulary of “systems, networks, and pathways”; 
  3. Measuring Value can guide inevitable trade-offs in regional allocation of resources; 
  4. Services should be designed to embrace Complexity and avoid simplistic approaches to ‘Wicked' problems; and, 
  5. Learning Health Systems are an optimal framework within which to design systems for knowledge translation.


 
Breakout Room 2
9/15/2020 11:30:20 AM -to- 12:30 PM Wellness and Self-Care: Homemade Flatbreads Cooking Demonstration
Dabble Food Company
Learn how easy it to make a family friendly pizza night a reality! In this class we'll learn how to cut an onion, how to make dough with instant yeast, the most effective ways to top your pizzas, and how to bake a pizza to perfection! 
 
Jamie Fritz - Co-Owner, Dabble Studio, Ex-Wall Streeter, now creating memorable events for you! -- B.S. degree in Psychology from Fordham University, NYC; Institute of Culinary Education, NYC; Currently completing Sommelier certification. Loves all things food and wine, travel, and sunshine, and creating environments and events where everyone feels truly welcome and special.
 

Wellness and Self-Care
9/15/2020 12:30 PM -to- 1:45 PM GenSsn - Voluntary Control Over Hallucinations: Moving Phenomenology to New Approaches in Recovery
General Session B2F
Brittany Quagan
Al Powers, PhD
Jules Wilson

Unusual perceptual experiences like voice-hearing occur across a wide range of individuals, communities, and cultures. While sometimes associated with psychotic illness, these experiences often occur in the general population, in individuals who may never develop the need to seek psychiatric care. Non-clinical voice-hearers have very similar experiences compared to many voice-hearers who do seek psychiatric care, with the greatest difference being that they functional well despite having these experiences. One aspect that consistently differentiates clinical from non-clinical voice-hearers is the endorsed ability to exert voluntary control over their experiences. However, our own work has demonstrated that individuals’ experience of control is multifaceted, drawing upon neurological, psychological, and social factors that perhaps represent partially independent and differentiable processes. We have developed and validated a new self-report scale meant to capture these dimensions. These efforts have been made possible through the work of a large sample of voice-hearers from various stakeholder groups who have historically endorsed varying degrees of control over their experiences: voice-hearers with a diagnosis of a psychotic-spectrum disorder; clairaudient mediums and other spiritually-oriented voice-hearers; and members of
the Hearing Voices Movement and others in the recovery movement. We have created a consortium of individuals consisting of advocacy groups, people with lived experiences, spiritually oriented communities, and psychiatrists and neuroscientists engaged in a mutually-respectful effort to create a clinical understanding of unusual experiences that is maximally informed by lived experience. Our project, the Yale COPE Project, is an entirely online platform where experts in lived experience across the globe can share their stories and provide valuable data in the form of scales and tasks.
 
Learning Objectives:

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

  1. To understand that auditory hallucinations occur in populations that vary widely in their need for care;
  2. To be able to describe differences in controllability of AVH in clinical and non-clinical populations;
  3. To discuss frequency and characteristics of non-clinical vs. clinical voice hearing; and,
  4. To share the importance of agency in voice hearing to recovery.


SESSION BONUS ..... 
#RecoveryKickback: A Celebration of Young Adults Living in Recovery
Celebrate young adults living in recovery and showcasing their talents. These young people have a lot to share and are using their voices to highlight what life in recovery actually looks like. There will be rapping, art, music, spoken word, and more. So kick back, relax, and enjoy the show!

General Session
9/15/2020 1:45 PM -to- 1:55 PM Wellness and Self-Care -- Stand Up Comedy
WSC Session Panelists
Melissa McKnight
Cortney Warner
The health benefits of laughter include the reduction of stress hormones and blood pressure, as well as increased blood flow and oxygenation to the cells and organs. Laughing provides a natural workout for a number of muscle groups, can defend against illness, and even increase the response of beneficial tumor and disease-killing cells throughout the body. Laughter has also been shown to increase memory, intelligence, and creativity.

Take a little break for some time to laugh and rejuvenate with comediennes Cortney Warner and Melissa McKnight.  
Wellness and Self-Care
9/15/2020 1:55 PM -to- 2:55 PM Brkout 2E -- Sustainability Strategies for First Episode Psychosis Programs
Thomas E. Smith, MD
Jessica Mullins
Coordinated specialty care programs for individuals experiencing a first episode psychosis (FEP) are being widely implemented throughout the country. These programs include mental health services that are traditionally reimbursed by Medicaid and commercial payers but also include services that are not typically reimbursable by payers. This raises important concerns about scaling and sustaining these programs. New York State (NYS) has implemented an OnTrackNY initiative that as of 2020 includes 23 clinic teams in rural and urban areas throughout NYS. In this presentation we will provide an overview of the NYS OnTrackNY initiative and describe a time study that aimed to determine what team member efforts and activities were Medicaid billable vs. non-billable. We will then review strategies NYS is considering to further scale and sustain these programs including: a) State and federal subsidies; b) maximizing revenues from current payer contracts; c) enhancing Medicaid payments through waiver programs that fund Home and Community Based Services; d) introducing a monthly case rate for FEP services; and e) integrating FEP services into Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs).
Learning Objectives:
Attendees will:
  1. Understand the scope and types of FEP programs in New York State;
  2. Learn about what proportions and types of FEP programs are reimbursable by Medicaid and commercial payers; and,
  3. Understand multiple options to enhance and sustain funding for FEP programs.

 

Breakout Room 2
9/15/2020 2:55 PM -to- 3:05 PM Wellness and Self-Care: Art Therapy
Ashley Beck, MS
This art therapy segment will review a brief history of the ancient mandala and how they can be used as a grounding and centering tool in and out of the art therapy session. Creating mandalas can be a helpful self-development tool to incorporate into daily self-care practices in order to promote healthy emotional self-expression and anxiety reduction with the incorporation of breath work and other mindfulness-based practices. This video outlines how this tool can be used and adapted with a variety of materials to meet each person at their own artistic level. For this segment you will need a pen, paper, markers (or any other supplies found at home), and an open mind as an art therapist guides you through a new and relaxing process. 
Wellness and Self-Care
9/15/2020 3:00 PM -to- 4:00 PM Brkout 1F -- Cannabinoids in Early Psychosis
Cheryl M. Corcoran, MD
Brandy Thomas-Wade
Comorbid cannabis abuse is common in early psychosis, including psychosis risk stages, greater than what would be expected by chance. Adolescence is a critical period for the emergence of both psychotic-like symptoms and cannabis use. There is some debate as to whether cannabis abuse can cause psychosis. It is also challenging to treat comorbid cannabis use and psychosis. Finally, there is beginning evidence to suggest that cannabidiol may have therapeutic effects in psychosis.
Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe the relationship between cannabis abuse and early psychosis in a developmental context;
  2. Weigh the evidence for and against whether cannabis use may cause psychosis;
  3. Describe the efficacy of treatments for cannabis abuse in the context of early psychosis; and, 
  4. Learn the findings from new studies on cannabidiol as a therapeutic for psychosis.
Breakout Room 1