Presenter: Jolyn Mikow, PhD, LMSW.

RB1. LMSW Licensing Review Course. Jolyn Mikow, PhD, LMSW. This workshop will prepare MSWs to take the Association of Social Work Board's LMSW exam. Areas reviewed are: Human Development and Behavior in the Environment, Diversity and Social/Economic Justice; Assessment, Diagnosis & Intervention Planning; Practice; Communication; Professional Relationships; Values and Ethics; Supervision, Administration, and Policy; Practice Evaluation/Utilization of Research; Service Delivery; and the new DSM-5 component. Seating is limited to the first 40 registrants. $50 fee for materials. Fee must be paid by October 28th to hold the seat.*

Presenter: Thomas Starkey, PhD, LCSW.

RB3. The Mini-Mental State Examination-2 (MMSE-2): Thomas Starkey, PhD, LCSW. This workshop will focus on the Mini-Mental State Examination-2 (MMSE-2) and proper application of this instrument by social work practitioners.  Participants will gain knowledge and skills relating to accurate administration, scoring procedures, and interpretation of the MMSE-2.  The discussion will include the meaning of results, how to apply MMSE-2 data in a practice setting, and participants will gain supervised experience with MMSE-2. $70  fee for manual and materials. Limited to 25 attendees. Fee must be paid by October 28th to hold the seat.*

Presenter: Beth Powell, LCSW

Presenter: Stacy Lee, LMSW; Norma Davila, MPH.

102. Collaborating for Educational Success of Students in Foster Care. Stacy Lee, LMSW; Norma Davila, MPH. Participants will discuss areas of information that overlap in foster care and educational systems and explore ways to support the educational needs of students in foster care. They will identify ways to foster collaboration between educators and service providers to promote these students’ educational and post-secondary success.

Presenter: Adam McCormick, PhD, LMSW; Kathryn Schmidt, PhD, MSW.

104. Clinical Skills for Effectively Working with Traumatized Children and Teens. Adam McCormick, PhD, LMSW; Kathryn Schmidt, PhD, MSW. Participants will gain clinical skills that are effective in working with children who have traumatic experiences. The presenters will use a standardized client format to demonstrate clinical skills that are effective in the critical stages of work with traumatized youth, including informed assessment, processing trauma, emotional regulation, and trauma.

Presenter: Rachel Bowden.

106. Regulatory Protections for Texas Health Insurance Consumers. Rachel Bowden. The Texas Department of Insurance reviews health insurance benefits, premium rates, and provider networks, to ensure health plans deliver comprehensive health coverage at a fair price through an adequate network of providers. Learn about the latest consumer protections, and how TDI serves as a resource for Texans.

Presenter: Jack Nowicki, LCSW.

109.  (CANCELLED) (SUPERVISION) Strengths-Based Clinical Supervision. Jack Nowicki, LCSW. This workshop teaches attendees how to use collaborative language structures to integrate strengths-based approaches into clinical social work supervision while ensuring the supervisee’s learning needs and challenges are addressed as well as their strengths reinforced.

Presenter: Brooke Fina, LCSW; Brittany Hall-Clark, PhD.

111. Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Combat-Related PTSD. Brooke Fina, LCSW; Brittany Hall-Clark, PhD. The session will summarize research support for Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), identify and describe PE interventions and treatment structure, and provide guidance on unique challenges when conducting PE with service members. It is preferred that attendees have some knowledge of exposure techniques or PE, but this is not required.

Presenter: Roberta M. Leal, PhD, MSW; Luis R. Torres, PhD; Kellie O’Quinn, MSW.

112. Building Bridges to Educational Success: Family Engagement in Hispanic Communities. Roberta M. Leal, PhD, MSW; Luis R. Torres, PhD; Kellie O’Quinn, MSW. Family engagement is critical to educational success. Low-income Hispanic families often must contend with a host of barriers that impede their engagement with their children’s schools. This workshop will discuss these barriers, highlight social work skills needed to increase engagement using real-life examples, and review results from a pilot project with a local school district.

Presenter: Sandra J. Gonzalez, MSSW, LCSW; Stacy Ogbeide, PsyD, MS.

114. “Nothing is wrong with me!” Treating Psychosis in Integrated Primary Care. Sandra J. Gonzalez, MSSW, LCSW; Stacy Ogbeide, PsyD, MS. The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of the integrated Primary Care Behavioral Health model. This presentation will then discuss symptoms of psychosis and provide clinical implications and interventions to be used by behavioral health and medical providers to intervene and assist patients suffering from psychotic symptoms.

Presenter: Arnie Marks, PsyD, LCSW/BCD.

116. Veterans: “Caring for He Who Has Borne the Battle” Arnie Marks, PsyD, LCSW/BCD. Currently, there are over 26 million Veterans in our country and almost 1.75 million living here in Texas. Their transition from the battlefield to their home communities is often fraught with rejection, pity, misunderstanding, and limited success. This participatory workshop seeks to explore methods and resources that offer the best opportunity for successful reintegration.

Presenter: Helen Harris, EdD, MSW, LCSW; Dee Blinka, LCSW, ACSW, EMDR Certified Consultant.

118. EMDR and Trauma:  What is it? Does it Work? Why Should I Care? Helen Harris, EdD, MSW, LCSW; Dee Blinka, LCSW, ACSW, EMDR Certified Consultant. Clinical social workers provide counseling and psychotherapy in response to trauma/life crises. This presentation examines the evidence, history, principles, and methods of Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for PTSD and trauma, and one social work program’s model for preparing students and practitioners for EMDR evidence informed practice.

Presenter: Dr. Angelo McClain, NASW CEO

OP.  Social Work Paves the Way for Change: NASW at 60. Dr. Angelo McClain, NASW CEO; Lucia Leo Diaz, LCSW, BCD, NASW/Texas President.  Dr. Angelo McClain, NASW CEO, will review the past successes of the profession, as well as the accomplishments of the Association as it turns 60 years young. He will also discuss how we can work together to maintain a sustainable association structure while taking a leadership role in the execution of our Association goals.

Lucia Leo Diaz, LCSW, BCD, NASW/Texas President, will lead the NASW/Texas 2015 Chapter Awards.  Attendees will hear from the 2015 NASW/Texas Award Recipients about their work and how it reflects the conference theme, "Social Work Paves the Way for Change!"

Presenter: Sally Eisen Miller, PhD, LCSW, ACSW-BCD, LMFT, AS.

121. The Hummingbird Effect in the Theory and Practice of Family Systems. Sally Eisen Miller, PhD, LCSW, ACSW-BCD, LMFT, AS. This presentation will focus on how observation and questions:  how, when, where, and what led to a new theory of human behavior.  From a psychoanalytic individual framework, we will look, theoretically, how systems thinking is a paradigm shift in how human symptoms are conceptualized.  Through didactic and discussion of DVDs (theoretical/clinical), participants will be able to differentiate between the two approaches.

Presenter: Terrie A. Fritz, MSW, LCSW.

123. (ETHICS) Ethics and Risk Management in the New Era of Social Work. Terrie A. Fritz, MSW, LCSW. The presentation is intended for social workers in all settings and positions. The seminar will reveal why social workers are sued and what you can do about those risks. Attendees receive a free insurance toolkit. Presented by NASW Assurance Services (ASI), Inc.

Presenter: Ann E. Webb, JD, LMSW.

125. Effects of Neuroplasticity and Mindfulness on Mental Health. Ann E. Webb, JD, LMSW. Neuroplasticity has been shown to promote and maintain mental health.  Mindfulness practices may improve and enhance both.  Increasing understanding of the importance of neuroplasticity and its effects on mental health, as well as learning new techniques for teaching mindfulness in clinical settings are the primary objectives of this presentation.

Presenter: Vanessa Medina, LCSW; Laura Potter, LCSW

127. The Unseen World of Telephonic Social Work. Vanessa Medina, LCSW; Laura Potter, LCSW. The phone is often a supplemental tool when a social worker communicates with a client.  Telephonic social workers use the phone to engage, build rapport, and ultimately assess a client’s situation. This workshop will outline the various aspects of telephonic work when face to face interactions are subtracted.

Presenter: Denise Gordon, LCSW, ACSW, BCD, C-ASWCM; Cristyn Cordova, LCSW.

130. (CANCELLED) Initial Assessments of Veterans: Key Elements to Include and Why. Denise Gordon, LCSW, ACSW, BCD, C-ASWCM; Cristyn Cordova, LCSW. When performing intakes, do you screen for veterans?  When assessing veterans, what subjects are essential to address and why?  How do you phrase questions to elicit information without shutting down the conversation?  Let’s discuss these topics to increase your effectiveness in working with veterans who may only give therapy one try.

Presenter: Kristi A Lemmert, LMSW-IPR, BHC.

132. (CANCELLED)  Managing Depression in the Chronically Ill Patient. Kristi A Lemmert, LMSW-IPR, BHC. Chronically-ill individuals can face more challenging circumstances than their non-chronic counterparts.  They require a more specialized level of care and are often neglected in our acute-based medical system.  This presentation will highlight the intricate needs of these individuals and provide clinicians with a model to treat this population with positive therapeutic outcomes.

Presenter: Jan Finch, PhD, LCSW-S, ACSW.

134. (CANCELLED) (SUPERVISION) Social Work Supervision and Self Care. Jan Finch, PhD, LCSW-S, ACSW. This presentation helps social workers hone their supervisory skills and addresses self-care when assuming more responsible and stressful work in a supervisory role.  A functional definition of supervision and three different models of supervision are provided.  The participants will practice supervisory skills and learn ways to identify and combat burnout.

Presenter: Maurya Glaude, MSW, LCSW.

135. Self-Harm: But I Feel No Pain. Maurya Glaude, MSW, LCSW. Characteristics of youth at risk for depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation are similar to those of adolescents who self-harm; yet youth who self-harm without lethal intent often go unnoticed.  Interactive case study analyses and evidence-informed cognitive behavioral interventions with efficacy for treatment with adolescents will be presented.

Presenter: Judith Christy Williamson, MSW; LaToya N. Lofton, MA, LMFT; Stacy Fogarty, LSSP, NCSP.

137. Child-Centered Group Play Therapy: Holistic Communication in School Settings. Judith Christy Williamson, MSW; LaToya N. Lofton, MA, LMFT; Stacy Fogarty, LSSP, NCSP. Discussion on adjunctive learning and non-directive therapeutic environments in school settings involving teachers in therapeutic processes during facilitation of child-centered group play therapy amongst culturally diverse populations; psychoeducational opportunities for self-growth; building social skills; and learning differences in goals for general/special education.

Presenter: Mayra L. Avila, LCSW, CLYT; Roxanne Pacheco, LMSW, CLYL.

139. The Importance of Self-Care and Introduction to Laughter Yoga. Mayra L. Avila, LCSW, CLYT; Roxanne Pacheco, LMSW, CLYL. Participants will discover the importance of self-care and enjoy a Laughter Yoga session. After attending this session, participants will know how to incorporate laughter exercises as a coping technique in social work settings and into their daily routine.

Presenter: Tee R. Tyler, LCSW; Lori K. Holleran Steiker, Ph.D., ACSW.

141.  (SUPERVISION/ETHICS) Developing Professionalism and Interpersonal Skills within Social Work Practice Class. Tee R. Tyler, LCSW; Lori K. Holleran Steiker, Ph.D., ACSW. This paper presents a new teaching approach for Social Work practice classes placing emphasis on the parallels between interpersonal skill development in the classroom and interpersonal relationships in professional settings. This paper also shares three strategies instructors can implement: experiential group opportunities, journal writing, and weekly evaluative surveys.

Presenter: Richard LaVallo.

143. Behavioral Health Services for Children under Medicaid. Richard LaVallo. This presentation will provide 1) an overview of the behavioral health services covered under Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) and mental health rehabilitative services provisions; and 2) due process protections afforded to children to ensure the provision of medically necessary behavioral health services.

Presenter: Sherri Kendall, LPC; Chastidy Patterson, LPC.

201. Working with Domestic Violence Abusers: Working Towards Rehabilitation, Accountability and Safety. Sherri Kendall, LPC; Chastidy Patterson, LPC. This session focuses on effectively working with batterers, increasing empathy and accountability, and fostering victim safety throughout the process of counseling.   Motivations for—and stages of—change will be discussed, and participants will be encouraged to consider their own biases in working with this highly challenging population.

Presenter: Sandra A. Lopez, LCSW, ACSW, DCSW.

203.  (SUPERVISION) Paving the Way to Best Practices in Clinical Supervision. Sandra A. Lopez, LCSW, ACSW, DCSW. Clinical supervision plays a critical role in the professional development of clinical social workers. Guiding, teaching, mentoring, and modeling clinical practice can be rewarding and challenging to clinical supervisors.   This session is designed to support clinical supervisors in developing or refining best practices for a mutually beneficial experience.

Presenter: Candyce S. Berger, PhD, ACSW.

207. Empowering Social Work Students with Disabilities: ADA Compliance in Field Education. Candyce S. Berger, PhD, ACSW.  Increased enforcement and compliance for students with disabilities have a significant impact on classroom, practicum, and student activities.  All universities have established programs for classroom accommodations; less attention focuses on activities that occur outside the classroom.  This workshop will focus on ADA student accommodations within field education and professional activities.

Presenter: Scott Sainato, LMSW.

209. A Policy Analysis on Bullying. Scott Sainato, LMSW. This paper presentation looks at bullying policy and will critically analyze Texas state policy on bullying. This analysis will be used to inform educators, policy makers, and administrators as to the best practices.

Presenter: Elizabeth Page, LMSW; Wanda Page; Dub Gillum.

211. Bridging the Gap for Disabled Crime Victims:  Victim’s Rights and Disability Services. Elizabeth Page, LMSW; Wanda Page; Dub Gillum.  Disabled crime victims have unique challenges. There are two types: those disabled as a result of a crime and individuals with a disability that become a crime victim. The impact and challenges they and their families face is life-altering. We will explore resources and solutions for disabled crime victims.

Presenter: Elizabeth C. Pomeroy, Ph.D., LCSW, ACSW.

213.  (ETHICS)  Ethical Dilemmas and the DSM-5: What Social Workers Need to Know. Elizabeth C. Pomeroy, Ph.D., LCSW, ACSW. The transition to the DSM 5 can be complex and confusing. This workshop assists practitioners in developing an understanding of the controversies and ethical issues associated with the diagnostic changes in the DSM-5. Practitioners will be provided with a roadmap for navigating these ethical issues and changes.

Presenter: Sarah Korenblit, LMSW.

214. Bringing Creativity into Patient Education. Sarah Korenblit, LMSW. This presentation will examine the way that patients are traditionally educated by social workers in the health care setting and explore innovative strategies to educate and engage patients utilizing nontraditional methods.

Presenter: Debra Meehl, DD.

216. Bipolar, Borderline and Substance Treating the Most Difficult Cases. Debra Meehl, DD. This is an interactive presentation on using Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and the latest scientific research on SPECT imaging and medication for substance abuse. Case examples, open questioning, and interactive demonstrations will be used to demonstrate the effectiveness of DBT in treating mood and personality disorder with co-occurring substance abuse.

Presenter: Pat Gleason-Wynn, PhD, LCSW, ACHP-SW.

218.  (ETHICS)  Health Literacy and Ethical Values in End of Life Care. Pat Gleason-Wynn, PhD, LCSW, ACHP-SW. Advances in medical care relating to life-sustaining treatments present complex challenges for end-of-life care. This presentation focuses on the roles that health literacy, ethical values and principles, and decision-making capacity play in advance care planning and end of life care decisions.

Presenter: Brent LoCaste-Wilken, LCSW; Lakeisha Gatling, LMSW; Katrice Stewart, LMSW.

220.  (SUPERVISION)  Overcoming Cultural Tensions in Clinical Supervision. Brent LoCaste-Wilken, LCSW; Lakeisha Gatling, LMSW; Katrice Stewart, LMSW.  This interactive presentation teaches the development of a supervisory alliance that goes beyond common differences and stereotypes by employing feminist principles within a person-centered model of supervision.  It contrasts common approaches to cultural tensions in supervision and offers an effective solution for fostering interdependence, cooperation, and mutual support.

Presenter: Reserved Table in Exhibit Hall

Presenter: Brenda Moore, PhD, LMSW-AP.

221. The Millennials and the Future Face of Social Work. Brenda Moore, PhD, LMSW-AP. Each generation has its own context, world events, traits, and workplace attributes. Commonly known as the Baby Boomers, Generation X), and the Millennials, these different generations offer unique challenges in education and the social work practice setting.  This presentation will provide research findings and strategies for maximizing strengths as social work continues to pave the way for change.

Presenter: Joyce Foreman, LCSW.

223. (CANCELLED)  (SUPERVISION) So, Now I’m a Clinical Supervisor? What Do I Do from Here? Joyce Foreman, LCSW. Supervision is an important step in the development of clinical social workers.  This presentation will focus on the practice of clinical supervision.  Supervision styles, documentation requirements, and how to utilize different methods to increase the clinical skill level of supervisees will be discussed. Examples will be given of how to structure supervision sessions, homework assignments, and periodic reviews into your practice.

Presenter: Joel L. Carr, PhD, LCSW, LPC.

225. DSM-5 Personality Disorders: The Current Approach and Alternative Model. Joel L. Carr, PhD, LCSW, LPC. This presentation will define personality disorder and its relationship to general personality, as well as define categorical and dimensional models of personality disorder.  A review of the familiar Section II diagnostic criteria for personality disorders found in the Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) is provided.  Additionally, the alternative criteria found in Section III of the DSM-5 will be discussed in terms of strengths and weakness, including its utility for practice and future DSM revisions (e.g., DSM-5.1).

Presenter: H. Stephen Cooper, PhD, MSW, LCSW, LCCA, Freddie L. Avant, PhD, LMSW-AP, ACSW, C-SSWS.

228. East Texas Coalition for Mental Health Recovery (ETCMHR): Strengthening Recovery in East Texas. H. Stephen Cooper, PhD, MSW, LCSW, LCCA, Freddie L. Avant, PhD, LMSW-AP, ACSW, C-SSWS.  ETCMHR was created for the purpose of developing a learning community in which consumers and their families could work together to strengthen recovery and wellness resources in East Texas.  The network’s development will be discussed, with an emphasis on addressing the challenges created by organizational culture and mental health legislation.

Presenter: Naomi L. Brown, LMSW.

230. SafeZone Training: Social Work Lead to Great Affirming Spaces. Naomi L. Brown, LMSW.  If statistics are correct, about 900,000 people in Texas identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT). The research states that the presence of a SafeZone sticker or the existence of a SafeZone program increases the sense of safety and inclusivity. These programs improve the understanding of LGBTQI students, faculty, employees, and clients. Attendees will obtain SafeZone  training to foster a supportive and safe atmosphere for LGBTQ IA students, faculty, employees, and clients.

Presenter: Patricia Galan-Cisneros, MA, LMSW.

232. (ETHICS)  The Ethical Responsibility of Professional Self-Care. Patricia Galan-Cisneros, MA, LMSW. Social work professionals have the responsibility to ensure ethical measures are taken to address burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress experienced when working with clients.  It is important for educators to continually incorporate professional self-care as a standard in social work curriculum.  This interactive workshop will provide social work professionals with relative practice considerations and intervention exercise methods to enhance professional self-care skills.

Presenter: Colleen McKinney, LMSW, NASW/Texas Mental Health Policy Fellow.

Presenter: Alyssa Aguirre, MSW, LCSW.

234. The Dementia Capable Social Worker. Alyssa Aguirre, MSW, LCSW. This presentation highlights the diagnostic process, cognitive assessments, case examples, and clinical features of different types of dementia. Learn about family counseling techniques, evidence-based programs, and current dementia research. Self-determination, dignity and respect, and person-centered care are at the core of providing excellent care to people with dementia and caregivers.

Presenter: Colin A. Ross, MD.

Presenter: Catherine Faver, PhD, LMSW.

Presenter: Alan J. Lipps, PhD, LMSW.

Presenter: Kara Lopez, PhD, LMSW.

Presenter: Januari Leo, MSW.

Presenter: Lindsey Jordan, LMSW.

Presenter: Michael Demoratz, LCSW, CCM, PhD.

Presenter: Beth Powell, LCSW.

Presenter: Lon B. Johnston, PhD, MSSW, LCSW.

Presenter: Will Francis, LMSW, NASW/Texas Government Relations Director.

CP. A Review of the 84th Legislative Session and its Impact on Social Work. Will Francis, LMSW, NASW/Texas Government Relations Director. For a complete breakdown of the successes and setbacks from the 2015 legislative session, come listen to Will Francis, Government Relations Director for NASW/TX, recap what happened at the legislature- focusing on the bills that affect social workers and the issues we care about most. You’ll hear about the work done by the NASW/TX legislative team and how social work was represented at the Capitol throughout the 84th Legislative Session.  He will review what was accomplished and what he’ll be focusing on in the interim, as well as the next session.  If you’re curious about how politics affects social work and what happens at the legislature, please join Will for this informative presentation.

Presenter: Susan P. Milam, PhD, LMSW.

Presenter: Virginia Manuel, LMSW-AP; Delonda Burkhalter, LMSW

Presenter: Donna Amtsberg, LCSW; Barbie Brashear, LSW.

Presenter: Rebecca Rucker, MA, LPC-S, LMFT, Brent LoCaste-Wilken, LCSW, CEAP.

Presenter: Hilton Crystal C Ballroom