Continuing Education Credits
Full day attendees will receive 4.0 CE Contact Hours - FREE! 

Workshop Description

VMHTI Session 1 

• Meeting the Needs of Our Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury
  Presenter: Margo Singer, CBIS - Brain Injury Association of NYS 
  Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is the “signature injury” of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and it’s clear that the rate of combat related brain injuries in returning soldiers is higher than in previous wars. The presentation will provide an overview of the signs of symptoms of TBI as experienced by combat personnel, and will explain services and supports available in NYS to assist those with individuals with TBI, and their families.
   
• Psychopharmacology of Post-Traumatic Stress for the Non-Medical Practitioner
  Presenter: Dr. Frank Dowling
  Treatment of the Spectrum of Post-Traumatic Stress often includes a combination of psychotherapy and medications.  Since warriors and veterans see their psychotherapist more often than their psychiatrist, it’s important for non-medical practitioners to have an understanding of the role of medications for PTSD and Depression and to incorporate discussions around medications into the plan of care.
  
  This workshop designed for the non-medical practitioner will present an overview of how psychiatric medications are used in clinical practice to treat Depression, PTSD, target symptoms (e.g. insomnia) or symptom clusters (e.g. arousal).  Realistic expectations of benefits and common side effects will also be reviewed.  Strategies to integrate dialogue with patients regarding the role of medications in treatment and recovery and effective coordination of care with prescribing physicians also will be discussed​
   
• A Closer Look at Moral Injury: Existential Challenges Faced by Veterans of All Eras
  Presenters: Aynisa Leonardo, LCAT, ATR-BC and Jenny Pacanowski
  Service members and Veterans are faced with biological, social, familial, psychological, and existential challenges when coping with the tension that exists between military and civilian cultures. Moral injury touches on one's spirituality, identity, and ethics, in a way that has large potential to be misunderstood. This workshop will outline the factors that can lead up to a Moral Wound, as well as it's lasting implications. Presenters will also discuss ways to build meaningful narratives around this societal trend, in order to learn how we can better bridge gaps and create avenues for collective support within our communities. 

VMHTI Session 2 

• Military Families and Domestic (IPV) Family Violence: Issues and Challenges
  Presenter: Joan Beder, DSW
  This workshop will look at the factors associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) and family violence in the military population (including violence directed to male military members).  Workshop participants will be introduced to specific skills including assessment of those at risk both as perpetrators and for those who may be acted upon, for early and expedient identification.  
   
• The Collaborative Change Model: Working with Trauma from a Family Systems Perspective
  Presenter: Linda Stone Fish, MSW, LMFT, PhD.
  The Collaborative Change Model (CCM) (Barrett and Stone Fish, 2014) is a clinically evaluated model that helps practitioners collaborate with other professionals, and the individuals and families they are involved with, to move from traumatic mindstates and build a hopeful and meaningful vision of the future. The model is a blueprint that informs the ways in which helping professionals engage with each other and their clients.
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• Integrated Treatment with Veterans
  Presenter: Aynisa Leonardo, LCAT, ATR-BC and Dr. Michael DeFalco, Psy.D.