Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Assessment and Treatment for Veterans

9/13 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

9/14 8:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m.

FREE for all attendees

LOCATION:

1 Elk Street (NYS Bar Association)
Great Hall
1 Elk Street, Albany, NY, 12207

Presenter: Joseph Hunter, PhD, LCSW

NASW Members: FREE | Non-Members: FREE

This workshop is approved for 10.0 continuing education credit hours for licensed social workers, licensed mental health counselors, and licensed marriage and family therapists

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Assessment and Treatment for Veterans:

Date: September 13, 2019 & September 14, 2019
Presenter: Joseph Hunter, PhD, MSW
NASW Member Fee: FREE
Non-Member Fee: FREE
Time: 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on September 13, 2019
           8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on September 14, 2019

This program provides guidance to clinicians who seek to understand how to assess and treat the mental health and substance use disorders facing many military veterans. The program includes five modules over 10 hours, addressing: background and statistics, military culture, mental health and substance use disorders, theory and promising and evidence-based treatment practices, and veteran programs and resources. Specifically, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol and substance use disorders, traumatic brain injury, depression, suicide and homicide, military sexual trauma, readjustment and family challenges, interpersonal violence, poly-trauma and co-occurring disorders will be discussed. A presentation of behavioral health theories, including Dr. Hunter's Self-Preservation Theory, will lead into a review of several promising and evidence-based practices pertaining to the treatment of substance abuse, depression and PTSD. The program includes a combination of lecture and experiential learning exercises, and participants will learn about a wide range of resources available to veterans.

Learning Objectives:

After the completion of this program, participants will:

• Know the prevalence of mental health and substance use disorders in the veteran population, across all eras of service.
• Understand what military culture is, how it is formed, and the ways in which military service can have lasting impacts on veterans.
• Understand how mental health and substance use disorders are manifested in the military veteran population.
• Attain the knowledge and skills to be able to competently screen, assess, treat and refer veterans to appropriate programs and services.

This workshop is approved for 10.0 continuing education credit hours.

NASW-NYS is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (Provider ID #0014), licensed mental health counselors (Provider ID #MHC-0053), and licensed marriage and family therapists. (Provider ID #MFT-0037)

Return to the top

Presenter:

Joseph Hunter, PhD, LCSW, is a highly experienced and well-educated behavioral health leader with over 16 years of combined state and federal government employment experience, primarily as a subject matter expert in the behavioral health field in the areas of substance use disorders and suicide prevention; he possess strong leadership and team building skills that have contributed to the development of numerous specialized innovations in the areas of clinical practice, research, and treatment programming; and, he is an experienced and talented educator for graduate students, as well as seasoned professionals. His education includes a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology (1989), a Masters Degree in Social Work (1993), and a Ph.D. in Social Work (2010). In 2005, Dr. Hunter was awarded the SAMHSA Dissertation Grant to complete his study on adolescent substance use disorder treatment. In 2011, Dr. Hunter was selected for two-year post-doctoral fellowship, and as a result was recognized as a VA/Hartford Geriatric Social Work Scholar. This year, Dr. Hunter has received distinguished recognition for his innovative work in behavioral health. Dr. Hunter serves as the VA Suicide Prevention Coordinator at the Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany, NY, currently on detail to the National Suicide Prevention Office. In addition, Dr. Hunter joined the University of Southern California (USC) School of Social Work as part-time adjunct lecturer in 2013. Currently, as an Adjunct Assistant Professor, he teaches Masters of Social Work (MSW) courses in the areas of: clinical practice with service members and veterans, evidence-based clinical practice in mental health settings, mental health and human development, and mental health research. He is also an New York State approved provider of online and in-person continuing education for licensed social workers in New York State, offering training privately and for the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).