Dual Diagnosis and the Dimensions of Wellness
Join us for a Virtual Merakey Leadership Seminar on June 9 and 10, 2021:
Over the past two decades states and providers have been challenged to find the most efficient and effective ways to provide integrated services for individuals with a dual diagnosis of Intellectual Developmental Disability/Mental Illness. At Merakey, we believe that the best way to serve individuals with an IDD/MH dual diagnosis is through a person-centered community-based treatment model that addresses the whole person.
This Merakey Leadership Seminar is designed to give health care professionals the tools they need to improve care for the people they serve. Over two days, Merakey’s team of experts and innovators will explore the unique social, physical, emotional, financial, spiritual, environmental, and intellectual needs of people with a dual diagnosis and provide best practices in addressing those needs.
Merakey is applying for CE credits for this event. This activity is pending approval from the National Association of Social Workers and the National Board for Certified Counselors.
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Speakers
BETH I. BAROL, Ph.D., L.S.W. B.C.B., NADD-CC
Associate Professor, Widener University | Center for Social Work Education
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. Barol has dedicated the past 44 years to serving and supporting people with Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) who also have challenging behaviors and co-occurring mental health issues.
VIEW BIO >
Clinical Consultation Model: Serving Individuals Diagnosed with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities and Mental Illness
Merakey believes that the best way to serve individuals with an IDD/MH dual diagnosis is through a person-centered community-based treatment model that addresses the whole person. In this introductory session, attendees will gain an understanding of Merakey’s evidence-based care model for the dually diagnosed population and the program’s positive outcomes.
Learning objectives:
- Review Merakey’s Dual Diagnosis Services (DDTT & ITS Clinical Services) and how Merakey's IDD and Adult Behavioral Health Divisions work to support dually diagnosed individuals
- Gain understanding of how Merakey's services provide person-centered, evidence-based care to dually diagnosed individuals
- Discuss program outcomes and metrics related to Merakey’s dual diagnosis treatment and support services
- Review questions regarding the programs reviewed
Kevin Mehnert, MBA
Training Specialist, Children and Family Services | Merakey
Mindfulness and Self-Regulation
Most of the time in our daily lives, we are instinctively reacting to unconscious, automatic activities of the mind and nervous system. Anxieties, fears, attitudes, beliefs and biases developed through our life experiences, all live in ingrained neural networks, lurking below the level of conscious awareness, driving our thoughts, feelings, and actions. In this experiential workshop, participants will explore evidence-based mindfulness practices that strengthen emotional intelligence, build our capacity to self-regulate and co-regulate with others, and ultimately empower us to truly put “our heart and soul into exceptional care.”
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the defining characteristics of mindfulness and how mindfulness practice builds emotional intelligence
- Describe how stress physiology impedes emotional regulation and influences interpersonal interactions
- Utilize evidence-based mindfulness practices to self-regulate one’s own physiology and emotional/behavioral responses
- Help others develop self-regulation and interpersonal safety through the process of co-regulation
Kevin Kumpf, PhD, LPC, NCC, ACS
Clinical Director of Dual Diagnosis Services | Merakey
Promoting Social Wellness: The Importance of Forming and Maintaining Healthy Relationships
A healthy social life is based on creating and maintaining strong collaborative relationships. In this session, we will learn strategies for building effective relationships with internal and external supports, review how to utilize an intentional approach when building relationships, and discuss ways to strengthen, repair and manage ongoing relationships.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn strategies for building effective relationships with internal and external supports
- Learn how to utilize an intentional approach when building relationships
- Discuss ways to strengthen, repair and manage ongoing relationships
- Review the value in creating and maintaining strong collaborative relationships with internal and external supports/individuals served
Diane Dydak
Registered Nurse, IDD Services | Merakey
COVID, Mental Illness & IDD
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact everyday life, taking care of our physical and mental health and well-being has never been more important. This is especially true for those with Developmental Disabilities and co-existing mental health disorders. Not only are those with I/DD at high risk of contracting Covid-19 and having higher mortality rates, they are also at greater risk of experiencing mental health issues related to the pandemic, such as feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety, and isolation. In this session, we will take a look at the long-term cognitive effects and physical effects that continue to evolve as the world learns more about the virus and the ongoing impact it has on our lives.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how people with intellectual disabilities are especially vulnerable to the physical, social, and mental effects of COVID-19
- Recognize and identify common signs of distress and challenges that could worsen mental health for people with disabilities during COVID-19
- Identify strategies to help support individuals with intellectual disabilities manage stress and cope during the pandemic
- Develop strategies for maintaining physical and mental health and well-being
VIEW BIO >
Robin VanEerden, MS, LPC, NADD-CC
Clinical Director, IDD Services | Merakey
Sexuality, Safety, and Healthy Boundaries
Sexuality and its complexities are part of every human life. Helping individuals with disabilities to navigate their sexuality in a healthy and safe way is important to overall health and wellness. In this breakout session, we will learn about capacity and consent, review internet safety and complexities, and explore how to assist in building healthy relationships through safe boundaries.
Learning Objectives:
- Develop an understanding and comfort zone with sexuality and its complexities on and off the internet and social media
- Review the principles of consent and discuss capacity
- Introduce Glasser's framework of meeting human needs and how it can be applied to healthy sexuality
- Identify assessments, educational curriculum and sexuality guidelines for stakeholders that can be helpful for people with Dual Diagnosis
VIEW BIO >
Tim Barksdale, Psy.D, LMSW, NADD-CC
Sr. Executive Director of Clinical Services | Merakey
How to Recognize Mental Illness & Intellectual Disabilities
In this session, attendees will learn how diagnoses are made for intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental disorders, how to distinguish challenging behaviors from mental disorders, and how to identify mental health symptoms for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Learning Objectives:
- Attendees will describe the clinical consultation model
- Attendees will recognize the benefits of clinical supervision
- Attendees will list the positive program outcomes from the IDD/MI Clinical Model
- Attendees will obtain resources to take back to their community and agencies
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Desiree Scott, MBA
Assistant Regional Director of Staff Development | Merakey
Spiritual Wellness: Empowering an Individual’s Values and Beliefs
Spiritual wellness is a key component to an individual’s overall health and wellness. Finding meaning and purpose in life according to your own set of values and beliefs can build resiliency and foster a greater connection between the mind and body. In this enlightening session, we will discuss the importance of spiritual wellness in everyday life, explore how spiritual wellness can empower individuals, and learn new tools that can assist individuals to progress along their spiritual journeys.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will be able to Define Spiritual Wellness
- Participants will be able to see the value and importance of spiritual wellness in their everyday lives
- Participants will be able to use spiritual wellness to build resiliency and a sense of empowerment within individuals
- Develop tools that will assist individuals along their spiritual journeys.
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Sonia Lassen, PsyD, LPC, NCC, ACS, BC-TMH
DDTT Program Director | Merakey
Shared Decision Making: A Mindful Approach to Collaboration
Shared decision making is a communication process that helps to build a collaborative bridge between an individual and a professional. Session attendees will leave the training with an understanding of who is involved in shared decision making, why it is important, the neglect versus overprotect continuum and a be introduced to the use of decision trees for ethical dilemmas which could arise during the collaborative relationship.
Learning Objectives:
- To identify the main components of shared decision making.
- To discover the significance of a shared decision in building a collaborative bridge between an individual and a professional.
- To identify who is involved in shared decision making and why it is important, as well as the challenges of the neglect vs. overprotect continuum.
- Learn how to use decision making trees for improved communication or for ethical dilemmas that could arise during the collaborative process or relationship.
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Positive Approaches for Supporting an Individual’s Educational/Vocational Goals
Meeting educational and vocational goals can be key to helping individuals with disabilities to find satisfaction and independence—and clinicians and support professionals can play a major role in supporting the achievement of those goals. In this interactive break-out session we will challenge some common misperceptions that may prevent consumers from meeting their goals and will educate attendees on evidence-based practices that can help lead individuals to rewarding employment and/or vocational opportunities.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify evidence-based practices to support educational and vocational goals.
- Describe stigma associated with this subject and how to combat it.
- Learn tools and strategies to utilize when working towards educational and vocational goals.
Darienn Housler, MEd, BSL, NADD-SC
Program Director, DDTT | Merakey
Increasing Environmental Awareness: Skills for Community Living
For community-based practitioners, safety awareness is the key to managing difficult or unsafe situations. In this session, we will discuss the importance of environmental awareness and crisis preventative measures, how to respond in a trauma informed manner when faced with a challenging situation, and the importance in self-care for daily practitioners.
Learning Objectives:
- Discover the importance of safety, environmental awareness, and decision making when working in the community, particularly in unfamiliar situations.
- Identify safety tips and assessment/preventative measures that may be employed when faced with unfamiliar and/or crisis situations.
- Learn considerations for managing crisis events in trauma informed manner, including debriefing.
- Recognize the importance of self-care for community-based practitioners.
SEE BIO >
Tim Barksdale, Psy.D, LMSW, NADD-CC
Sr. Executive Director of Clinical Services, IDD | Merakey
Cultural Considerations for the Dually Diagnosed
People with intellectual disability and co-occurring mental illness experience the intersectionality of bias almost automatically at the time of birth. Even if from the dominant culture there is a stigmatization of disability. Add to that being of African descent, female or having a cultural non-dominant sexual orientation and the bias becomes multiplied with each difference. We have the ability to honor these differences and improve the assessment, diagnosing and treatment of people from non-dominant culture. In this session, attendees will learn how to identify how culture impacts clinical decision making and explore how to implement culturally informed best practices in assessing and treating behaviors of concern and symptoms of mental illness in people with intellectual disabilities and co-occurring mental illness.
Learning Objectives:
- Attendees will be able to identify how culture impacts clinical decision making when providing services to adults with IDD and co-occurring mental illness.
- Attendees will acquire methods to implement culturally informed best practices in addressing behaviors of concern and co-occurring mental illness.
- Attendees will be able to acquire critical-culturally based information for clinical assessment.
- Attendees will be able to identify crisis management and positive behavior supports to improve the ethical treatment and quality of life for people with IDD/MI.
VIEW BIO >
Kristin Cline, MS, LPC, CAADC, SAP, BC-TMH
Clinical Lead Specialist, DDTT and ITS | Merakey
Skill Transference: Consultation, Collaboration and Data Driven Treatment
Valid and reliable assessments; strong consultation and person-centered care; evidence-based practices, including care coordination and collaborative documentation: These are all important elements of building a data-driven treatment model that can enhance skill transference. In this session, attendees will learn ways to build rapport with individuals served, and their supports, and learn ways to transition skills efficiently and effectively. Participants will also discuss ways to consult with providers and paid/natural supports when providing treatment to a dually diagnosed individual.
Learning Objectives:
- Recognize ways to transition skills, arrange strong care coordination, and work collaboratively with individuals who are served and their supports.
- Identify strategies to build rapport with individuals and their supports in order to transition skills efficiently and effectively.
- Discover the importance of considering data as well as an individuals’ preferences and personal goals to drive treatment.
- Discuss ways to consult with providers, paid/natural supports when providing treatment to a dually diagnosed individual.
VIEW BIO >
Supporting Budgeting and Fiscal Responsibility with Individuals who are Dually Diagnosed
Individuals with intellectual disabilities are often faced with challenges with implementing and maintaining financial responsibility. This breakout focuses on the types of interventions and strategies utilized in supporting individuals who struggle with financial management, recommendations for natural supports, and overview of the resources available to assist long-term goals of financial management.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify barriers to financial responsibility.
- Learn interventions and techniques to increase skill development in this area.
- Learn to recognize services and organizations that can assist with financial stability.
Cheri Worcester, EdD, BCBA-D, LBA, CCM
Clinical Behavior Analyst, Residential, IDD Services, Merakey
Trauma Informed Functional Assessments & Behavior Planning: A Case Study
Humanizing the functional assessment process by doing a deeper dive into both immediate and historical antecedents and experiences can change staff perspectives on clients and their behaviors and improves fidelity of implementation of behavior plans and client goals. In this session, attendees will lean how to incorporate trauma informed care into functional assessments, behavior intervention plans, and related goals through best practice research and a full case study presentation.
- To define trauma informed behavior assessment.
- To list and describe 3 benefits to utilizing trauma informed behavior assessment.
- To list and describe 3 best practices in developing a trauma informed behavior plan.
- List and describe 3 ways you can improve relationships between direct support staff and clients.
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