2010 National Conference
Breakout & General Sessions

Reentering the Workforce
Judith Cook, PhD (bio)
Professor of Psychiatry
Center on Mental Health Services Research and Policy
University of Illinois at Chicago

This workshop offers practical guidelines for those whose careers were interrupted by mental illness. Dr. Cook will discuss how to prepare to reenter the working world and how to manage your recovery once you’re there.

The Link Between Metabolic Health & Depression
David E. Kemp, MD (bio)
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Director of Mood and Metabolic Clinic
University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University

Many people with mood disorders are at risk for the early development of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. One simple way to identify these medical risk factors is to screen for metabolic syndrome. In this session, Dr. Kemp will discuss what the conditions are that make up metabolic syndrome and how it may affect response to psychiatric treatment and contribute to the development of depressive symptoms. Dr. Kemp will also explore the role that antidepressants and mood stabilizers play with metabolic health, including their likelihood of causing weight gain and changes in blood sugar and cholesterol. He will highlight drug treatments that combat weight gain and obesity and also address new research that aims to improve depression by treating components of metabolic syndrome. 

Improving Family Interactions = Improving Outcomes
David Miklowitz, PhD (bio)
Professor of Psychiatry 
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Semel Institute, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Senior Clinical Researcher, Oxford University’s Department of Psychiatry (Oxford, UK)

When a son, daughter, spouse, or other relative experiences an episode of mania or depression, the family is strongly affected. In parallel, the individual living with the mood disorder recovers more rapidly in a family environment that facilitates effective coping; encourages sticking with a treatment plan; and helps the person keep a regular daily schedule. To that end, Dr. Miklowitz and his team at UCLA have developed a skill-based, family-focused treatment. This session discusses some of the key strategies they recommend for coping with mood swings and illness recurrences. These strategies include the following: identifying and acting to prevent the initial symptoms of a relapse from escalating; mood charting; sleep/wake cycle monitoring and regularization; effective communication and problem-solving; emotion regulation strategies; and work/school accommodations.

Peer Roundtable: Special Interest Groups

Explore strategies and tools to manage the unique challenges faced by special interests groups such as peer clinicians, faith-based support groups, veterans, and the GLBT community.

Relaxation Session: Street-Wear Yoga

Center your mind and find some balance when you practice the gentle moves of yoga. This Relaxation Session will feature a short overview of some fundamental moves of yoga followed by some quiet time for practice. Any clothing that allows free movement is fine.

Acting on Impulse
Stephen Propst (bio)
Freelance Consultant & Writer

An often unspoken and misunderstood aspect of bipolar mania is impulsivity, which can manifest itself in anger, hypersexuality, excessive spending, and a host of other addictive behaviors. In this session, we’ll discuss the challenge of impulsivity, address its cause, talk about its consequences, and get a handle on how to control it. We’ll deal openly, honestly, and candidly with a phenomenon that creates major difficulties for those living with bipolar disorder and their loved ones. Note: This session deals with sensitive topics of an adult nature.

The Future of Peer Specialists
Mark Salzer, PhD (bio)
Associate Professor & Director
UPENN Collaborative on Community Integration of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities
Investigator, VISN 4 MIRECC, Philadelphia VA Medical Center

A new discipline of mental health workers, peer specialists, has emerged over the past decade. Peer specialists represent a significant evolutionary step in the involvement of peers as paid staff in the traditional American mental health service system, programs, and workforce. Dr. Salzer will review the current evidence that supports the effectiveness of peer specialist training programs and employment experiences, including wages, hours, job titles, and work activities. He will also discuss emerging policy, program, and practice issues.

Getting Help When You Need It Most
Greg Simon, MD, MPH (bio)
Group Health Cooperative, Center for Health Studies
DBSA Scientific Advisory Board Chair

Acknowledging that discussing suicidal thoughts with providers can be easily go wrong, Dr. Simon and DBSA Interim Executive Director of External Affairs, Allen Doederlein, discuss how consumers and providers can communicate more effectively and build better partnerships.

Peer Roundtable: Family & Friends

Explore strategies and tools that can help both consumers and family/friends strengthen their lives' important relationships.

Relaxation Session: The Sound of Music

Take a seat and sink into the soothing sounds of classical music. Let it calm your mind and speak to your soul.

Historical & International Perspectives on Stigma
Marylou Selo (bio)

This session takes a look at the still-powerful stigma of mental illness in America--where we've been and where we are--and explores what other nations and cultures are doing in the fight against it.

Mood Disorders in Late Teens & Early Adulthood
Co-sponsored by the Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF)
Chis Seale (bio)
Podcast Coordinator
Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF)

In this workshop, Chris Seale examines the ways that the “standard” challenges that young adults face are compounded by a mood disorder diagnosis. He shares strategies that they—and their parents/family—can use to navigate this difficult stage in life.

Rediscovering Your Passions
Graeme Cowan (bio)
Award-Winning Author & Consultant

Graeme Cowan helps you reconnect with the joy in life, guiding you through a reflection on what makes you you—your strengths, core values, and those things you enjoyed most during childhood and the times you’ve been "at your best."

Peer Roundtable: Bipolar Disorder

Explore strategies and tools to manage challenges like bipolar depression, impulsivity, rapid cycling, and medication changes.

Relaxation Session: Zentangles
Carol Bailey Floyd (bio)

Zentangle is an easy-to-learn method of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns. It is a fascinating new art form that is fun and relaxing. It increases focus and creativity. Zentangle provides artistic satisfaction and an increased sense of personal well-being. This session will feature a short overview followed by some quiet time to produce your own zentangle image. Learn more at www.zentangle.com.

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Living Well after High School
Cinda Johnson, EdD, and her daughter, Linea, discuss the transition to life after high school, legal issues, and research in the outcomes for young people living with mental illness. 

Harrington

Corcoran

Recovery Relationships
Steve Harrington (bio)
Executive Director
National Association of Peer Specialists (NAPS)

Zack Corcoran (bio)
Educator & Founder of www.RecoverResources.com

This workshop incorporates unique visual aids and interactive, instructional techniques to explore ways to create and maintain healthy relationships among family, friends, mental health workers, and others.

Creativity & Healing
Scott Nychay (bio)
Award-Winning Political Cartoonist & Author

In this interactive session, Scott speaks from his own experience as a consumer, demonstrating how very healing art therapy can be in the fight against mood disorders. You’ll learn to communicate through images and symbols, taking pen to paper yourself…no artistic talent required!

Peer Roundtable: Depression

Explore strategies and tools to manage challenges like confronting the symptoms of depression, surviving everyday problems, surviving thoughts of death and suicide, and managing side effects and medication changes.

Relaxation Session: Breathing Easy
Larry Fricks (bio)

Learn how to change your physical and emotional response to stress by focusing on your breathing. It’s a simple technique called the relaxation response.

Women & Mood Disorders
Sonni Elliott, MD, PGYIV (bio)
Chief Psychiatry Resident
University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Hospital

Dr. Elliott addresses the issues specific to women living with a mood disorder and the unique role hormones play. Topics include how to manage both symptoms and recovery during premenstrual syndrome (PMS), pregnancy, menopause, etc.

Breaking the Cycle: Getting Beyond Recovery
George V. Nostrand (bio)
Educator, Advocate, & Musician

Why do so many people with mental illness seem to take one step forward and then two steps back? Why don’t people recover from mental illness…or do they? In this presentation, George looks at these questions while exploring the barriers to recovery and presenting keys to getting beyond recovery.

Consumer-Provider Panel
Moderated by Lisa Goodale, ACSW, LSW (bio)

This panel discussion addresses the challenges and benefits that come from being a mental health professional who is also a diagnosed consumer. Touching on legal, ethical, and professional treatment and recovery issues, the session will leave you with an understanding of the complicated, practical issues regarding consumer-providers. Panel members will include representation from the fields of psychiatry, psychology, social work, and law.

Peer Roundtable: 2010 Conference Comics

Talk with some of this year’s stand-up comics and learn about their training, how they faced the fears of being on stage, and how they feel about the experience now that they’ve performed.

Relaxation Session: Your Inner Artist
Irene O'Neill (bio)
Co-founder & Co-director
The Awakenings Project

Awaken the artist in you with watercolors, colorful collages, jewelry making, and more. Reconnect with your creative side.