Class A
Taboo OCD Thoughts and Treatment   (3 CE Credits)
This webinar will review the definition of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder before addressing taboo subtypes common among individuals experiencing OCD. Specific topics covered will include assessing and treating harm-themed OCD (self and others), sexually-themed OCD, and scrupulosity/morality-themed OCD.
This training includes a brief overview of the gold-standard treatment, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Sample exposure hierarchies will be provided and participants will role-play presenting the exposure rationale and generating in-vivo and imaginal exposures. The webinar will address common clinician concerns regarding how to navigate taboo content, "how far to push exposures," and how to motivate clients through difficult exposure work.
     (Trainer, Jessica Bodie, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist. Dr. Bodie received her Master's and Doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from Temple University. She completed her clinical internship at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Bodie specializes in the treatment of OCD, PTSD, anxiety disorders, and body-focused repetitive behaviors. She is a certified clinician, consultant, and supervisor in Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD and Prolonged Exposure for PTSD. Additionally, Dr. Bodie specializes in extreme picky eating (also called Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, ARFID), emetophobia (vomit phobia), and choking/swallowing phobia.
Trainer, April Vass, MSW is a registered Social Worker in Ontario and New Brunswick. April received her Master of Social Work at the University of Toronto and is a certified clinician in Exposure and Response (Ritual) Prevention (EX/RP) for OCD. April is the Owner and Founder of OCD Wellness, a specialized OCD and OC related disorder clinic in Canada, Ontario. April specializes in OCD treatment and has experience working with many subtypes of OCD and ranges of severity. April also provides treatment for emetophobia, misophonia, tics, and body-focused repetitive behaviors.)


Class B
Knowledge and Skills for Mobile Crisis Intervention Workers (3 CE Credits)
Public outrage over police-involved deaths of people in mental health crisis has prompted governments to expand access to crisis services that offer a recovery-oriented alternative to traditional police-led community interventions. This presentation provides a roadmap of essential knowledge and skills for mental health clinicians working on police-partnered and non-police mobile crisis intervention teams (MCIT). MCIT’s offer assessment and support for people in distress while averting escalation. This presentation is informed by crisis theory and intended for social workers, nurses, psychologists, students, and others interested in learning about and working within these expanding intervention models.
The presentation will start with an overview of the history of mobile crisis intervention programs in North America and describe variations in model structures across jurisdictions. A brief literature review of research evaluating the efficacy of these programs will be included. This will lead into a review of 11 practice skills for crisis intervention workers. These skills include the capacity to engage with complex clients, de-escalate tension, assess risk in the community, plan for safety, provide brief addiction counselling, diffuse interpersonal conflict, link clients with community resources, advocacy, challenge systemic racism, build constructive relationships, and document services with awareness of relevant legislation. The practice insights discussed in this presentation are relevant to preventing harm and loss of life while facilitating engagement between clients and mental health services.
     (Trainer, Amar Ghelani is a registered social worker, PhD Candidate, and instructor with the Wilfrid Laurier Faculty of Social Work in Ontario, Canada. He has over 16 years of social work practice experience in crisis intervention, addiction rehabilitation, shelters, prisons, schools, outpatient mental health, and healthcare settings. He has extensive practice experience in crisis intervention, worked on a police-partnered mobile crisis intervention team, and published research in this area.)

Class C

In 2021 the CDC reported over 100,000 deaths by overdose. This represents a 28.5% increase over the previous year which already had over 70,000 overdose deaths! If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, it is time to talk about promoting healing and long term sobriety. It is time for some conversations and education. Many clinicians, first responders, and healthcare professionals are unaware of how they may contribute to the perpetuation of stigma. We as humans, even with professional ethics, training and licenses are still prone to biases and stigma, especially with persons who struggle with substance use/abuse issues. 

This presentation will help participants look at personal biases and strategies to combat counterproductive attitudes that cause harm to the same people our codes of ethics, profession and policy are designed to protect. If your thinking what I’m thinking, it is time to talk about reducing stigma and personal biases by re-embracing our commitments to service, dignity and worth of person. We as Professionals have a call and platform to decrease these numbers, empower others to live by providing non-biased service and treatment options for those affected by Substance Use Disorder.

       (Trainer, Sidney H. Smith III, LMSW, is the author of 3 books, “Addiction Treatment Outcomes”, “Alone with GOD”, and “Unbelievably Amazing”, which is a book about a true story of a drug addicts' journey to miraculous freedom and success. It is the story of a man who went from 27 years of addiction, crime, homelessness, and prison to a master's degree, 2 state social work licenses, rights restored by Legislation, and a Federal Government job. Smith aims to provide a message that is an injection of hope to all available listeners.)

Evening Sessions
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Select one of the following classes

Class A
Necessity of Clinicians Engaging in a Multicultural Eclectic Service Delivery (3 CE Credits – Cultural Competence)
To date, many individuals remain misdiagnosed due to the failure of educators and health practitioners to engage in providing services from a multicultural eclectic purview. This means that providers are often remiss in realizing the past and continued influences of psychosocial variables related to real and perceived discrimination on achievement, behavior, and clinical health outcomes. Psychosocial variables can exacerbate behaviors and symptoms, and at times be the antecedent that onset those symptoms. Thus, it is imperative that health providers learn methods to incorporate the multitude of psychosocial experiences BIPOC encounter into their methods of service delivery, including case conceptualization, diagnosis, and treatment.
This workshop will provide attendees with an interactive discussion that will include an overview of the unique psychosocial stressors noted within research and their correlation to mental health outcomes among Black Indigenous and People Of Color (BIPOC).
     (Trainer, Eugena K. Griffin, Ph.D. received her degree in Clinical-Community Psychology from the University of South Carolina (USC) in 2008 and began her research interest in coping typologies in response to racial stress among Black adults. Dr. Griffin obtained licensure as a Clinical Psychologist in the state of New York December, 2010. As a Licensed Psychologist, Dr. Griffin provides comprehensive assessment and psychotherapy to impoverished and disenfranchised children, adolescents, and adults presenting with mild to severe mental health concerns. Dr. Griffin holds a tenured-Associate Professor of Psychology position at City University of New York where she provides instruction and mentorship to a diverse undergraduate student population. She is the author of the books, Letters to the Black Community and The Steps I Took: How My Journey to Success Can Help Guide Your Success)


Class B
Sex Therapy Basics: What All Clinicians Need to Know (3 CE Credits)
This course on the basics of sex therapy will provide an opportunity for clinicians not trained in sex therapy to gain knowledge and beginning skills in the area of sexuality and be able to work more comfortably and effectively in cases in which the full set of sex therapy skills isn't required. Topics will include defining healthy sexuality, common female and male difficulties and dynamics in a couple, medical issues, sexual styles, fundamental principles of improving sexual functioning, the role of anxiety in sexuality, the impact of early trauma and early messages given about sexuality and the role differentiation plays in the sexual relationship.  
     (Trainer, Deborah J Fox, LICSW, is in private practice in Washington, DC. She is an AASECT Certified Sex therapist providing individual and couples psychotherapy. She conducts seminars and consultation groups on the integration of couples and sex therapy and the treatment of sexual trauma, with an emphasis on somatic intervention strategies.)