Poster Presentations

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Day 1 Poster Presentations: 6/16/2018

"It's Just Us": Reducing Stigma in Mental Health Providers

Presented by: Irene Harris, PhD, LP

Description:
This presentation will detail a) the extent to which mental health providers unwittingly participate in stigma toward people who manage mental health challenges, b) outline the cultural, training, and social determinants of the phenomenon, c) describe an organizational intervention designed to reduce stigma in this population, and d) share outcomes associated with use of this intervention.

Building Social Skills in the Community with Recovering Veterans

Presented by: James Byun, MSW

Description:
Community engagement is central to Recovery as Veterans need to find meaningful roles and activities in their chosen communities. This project addresses the significant barriers to engagement, specifically defeatist beliefs and attitudes regarding the need for approval, and the means of overcoming these barriers, such as providing instructions and free community resources, developing social skills in-vivo with the support of VA providers, and providing a safe space to foster relationships between Veterans in varied community settings. These steps are necessarily concurrent and are for the purpose of developing Veterans’ confidence and skills to engage in community roles on their own.

Digital Ethics and Vulnerabilities

Presented by: Elizabeth Stasey, LPC-S

Description:
This interactive presentation will work to help you identify digital vulnerabilities in your practice and potential ethical violations or ethical gray areas. A discussion will be facilitated of applying ethical principles in terms of digital vulnerability to safeguard not only the client but also the practitioner including email, social media, texting, and computer usage.

Does the FACIT Measure Empowerment and Satisfaction with Peer Programs?

Presented by: Peter M. Basto PhD, CPRP

Description:
The FACIT is a tool posted on the SAMHSA website to be used by peer operated programs to measure how well peer organizations are adhering to the peer model. This research project examined peer operated programs in NJ and whether empowerment and satisfaction with services are being captured by the FACIT. Nineteen peer programs in NJ were surveyed with the FACIT along with empowerment and satisfaction surveys. Results found that the relationship between the FACIT and empowerment and satisfaction was not strong. Implications for using the FACIT at peer programs will be discussed.

Exploring Self-Compassion in Providers

Presented by: Lizette Aguirre-Giron, Psy.D.; Sarah Easton, AM; Kelsey Whittington, Registered Associate CSW, LMSW

Description:
The practice of self-compassion, understanding oneself deeply with a kind and forgiving attitude, can improve our own mental well-being as well as enhance the mental health recovery of those we serve. This poster explores the research behind self-compassion, presents findings on the level of self-compassion of inpatient mental health providers, and identifies resources for integrating self-compassion into your practice.

Healing Connections

Presented by: Larissa Andreeva, M.Div

Description:
Poster will illustrate summary of the project “Healing Connections” that connects local clergy with VA mental health care providers through educational sessions on topics related to veterans’ mental health conditions such as PTSD, TBI, MST and others. That will help local clergy to expand their understanding about veterans’ needs, and the ability to provide to their congregants/ veterans care based on holistic approach.

Helping Youth on the Path to Employment (HYPE): Feasibility Pilot Results

Presented by: Michelle G. Mullen, CRC, CRPR

Description:
Helping Youth on the Path to Employment (HYPE) is a manualized intervention that blends employment and educational supports to better assist young adults in all phases of career development. This workshop wil describe the HYPE manual and how it was developed, including the role of young adults throughout the process. The focus of the discussion will be the feasibility trial of HYPE as well as the development and testing of its fidelity tool. In addition to reporting outcomes, learnings from programs implementing HYPE that have influenced the revision of the manual, policy level issues affecting its implementation, and considerations for a larger trial will be shared.

Leave No One Behind: Caring Cards To and From Veterans

Presented by: Blaire Schembari, PhD; Dimitri Perivoliotis, PhD

Description:
Sending caring letters to patients following a psychiatric hospitalization significantly reduces suicides, readmissions, and associated costs (Falcone et al., 2017). To date, these letters have only been created by staff. Using the principles of the recovery model, this study will involve San Diego VA, Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center Veterans with schizophrenia spectrum disorders in the design and creation of caring cards for recently discharged Veterans. Veterans will create the cards in a weekly group and outcomes (e.g., suicidal ideation, self-stigma, socialization, empowerment, defeatist beliefs, self-esteem, compassion, altruism, hope, treatment engagement, attitudes towards treatment, and psychiatric symptoms) will be evaluated.

Mental Illness and Psychiatric Hospitalization: Accounts of Resiliency

Presented by: Erin B Dulek

Description:
Psychiatric hospitalization is often a stressful life event for many adults living with mental illness. The present qualitative study examines 11 first person accounts of community reentry after psychiatric hospitalization among people living with a serious mental illness. Participants were invited to describe efforts that promoted their adjustment back into their community after a psychiatric hospitalization. Participants’ accounts highlight helpful and unhelpful components of the hospitalization and discharge process that contributed to their overall sense of resilience. Implications of study findings for researchers, practitioners, and adults with lived experience are discussed.

Practicing Effective Management: Building Your 21st Century Toolbox

Presented by: Travis Atkinson, MS, LPC

Description:
At the heart of every thriving behavioral health organization is a strong and well-functioning team, but these teams often do not exist without adaptive leadership and effective management. As the demands on managers increase and resources become more elusive, the team's ability to deliver results is even more crucial to organizational success. This session will provide tangible keys to effective management through strong working relationships, performance communication, delegation, and professional growth. Learn the techniques that are transforming management and leadership in the 21st century, and how middle managers can overcome the most common pitfalls to achieve success.

Recovery and Measurement-Based Care: The Critical 21st Century Partnership

Presented by: Travis Atkinson, MS, LPC; Elan Javanfard, MA, LMFT

Description:
As the era of outcomes-driven health care emerges, the comprehensive use of screening, assessment, and outcome tools in behavioral health lags behind its primary care counterparts. Crisis Stabilization services offer a compelling opportunity to implement measurement-based care to demonstrate treatment efficacy, client satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness. Learn the current state of national measurement tool utilization, the compelling arguments for measurement-based care, the barriers to implementation, and the opportunities to embed these practices in Crisis Stabilization programs and other clinical systems. Hear the story of implementing measurement based care at a prominent Crisis Stabilization provider and the corresponding results.

Science of Recovery: Holistic and Cultural

Presented by: Claire E. Daaleman, MOT, OTR/L

Description:
This poster examines empirical evidence related to two components of recovery: Holistic and Cultural. The poster identifies holistically based and culturally adapted interventions for individuals diagnosed with a serious mental illness (SMI). An exploration into these interventions reveal the clinical benefits and limitations of these interventions and adaptations. Additionally, the poster provides tools for clinicians to utilize these interventions and adaptations within their own practice.

Science of Recovery: Hope and Respect

Presented by: Jonathan Dail M.Div

Description:
The principles of recovery, as articulated by SAMSHA, form the basis of psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery services. However, the empirical support for these principles is either not well established or not consolidated. This poster aims to consolidate the empirical data supporting the principles of hope and respect. Research shows that there is clinical benefit to promoting hope and respect. This poster will discuss these benefits and offer interventions that target the promotion of hope and respect. Barriers and limitations of the research will also be presented.

Science of Recovery: Social Networks and Peer Support

Presented by: Julia Tarr, MSW, LCSWA

Description:
Although the principles of recovery are well known and disseminated by SAMHSA, surprisingly few efforts have aimed to review and evaluate the science behind these principles. This poster summarizes empirical research related two integral principals of recovery: Relational/Social Networks and Peer Support. A critical review of the literature reveals clinical benefits of utilizing these principles and best practices for how to access these benefits through interventions. At the same time, limitations of and barriers to focusing on these principals in clinical practice are noted and presented.

Supporting Client Engagement: The Intentional Relationship Model

Presented by: Celeste Januszewski, OTD, OTR/L, CPRP; Evguenia S. Popova

Description:
Effective client-provider communication has been linked to improved client satisfaction, participation in rehabilitation, and functional outcomes, and intentional use of interpersonal communication is recognized as an essential component of successful client-centered communication. Learn how the Intentional Relationship Model (IRM) can be used to guide intentional communication in psychiatric rehabilitation settings. The IRM brings attention the importance of critical self-awareness and offers the practitioner a structured guide to the strategic application of six therapeutic communication modes to meet the client’s interpersonal needs. The IRM facilitates trusting client-provider relationships, offers tools to managing challenging interpersonal events that often arise during the rehabilitation.

The DMAIC process of quality improvement-a case example

Presented by: Jason Martin, LCPC, CPRP

Description:
Quality improvement is one of the most important processes an organization can undertake. In this program, the DMAIC process for quality improvement will be discussed with a specific case review for an inpatient behavioral health hospital. This presentation discusses the transformation our organization made from having very poor treatment planning processes to having 100% compliance in treatment planning and treatment team meetings. This includes improving our treatment team meeting process, improving dialogue with patients and their families, and better coordination of care between disciplines. Our efforts have led to a dramatic increase in patient experience and decrease in adverse events with our patients.

The Isoprinciple: A therapeutic mechanism in music

Presented by: Casey B. Ehresman, MM, MS, MT-BC, CPRP, LPCC

Description:
The concept of isoprinciple is used to describe the therapeutic mechanism within music which can be attributed to soothing and grounding in moments of challenge or distress. This poster will define the concept as well as provide interesting information surrounding application among different age groups and for different domains of mental health and medical treatment.

Therapeutic Goal Setting: You're the Expert in Your Recovery

Presented by: Chloe Smith-Ferguson, MSW

Description:
A compilation of research on a technique known as Collaborative Goal Technology (CGT). CGT is a practice that can be utilized when a consumer is working with a group of service providers. Information on the common struggles that consumers encounter during the goal-setting process will be provided. Consumers will be empowered to adopt the role of expert in their recovery and work with providers to form and commit to attaining goals that will improve over-all quality of life. Implementation intention will also be explored for consumers and providers to consider an effective way to “change the language” in specifying ways to attain goals and activate behavior.

Using Six Sigma for Performance Improvement in Behavioral Health

Presented by: Teresa Paterson, MBA, LSSBB; Alec Atkin

Description:
At Crestwood Behavioral Health, we have learned that our programs can quantify real issues and implement corrective actions that can be used as performance improvement tools. This workshop will show how the Six Sigma methodology is used in the behavioral health setting; from identifying the problem, collecting data, analyzing and then implementing the solution. These methods create more consensus building within organizations and help staff to deliver more effective services to the people served.

Voices of Expertise: Veterans with mental health diagnoses as experts in psychology

Presented by: Sarah Greenberg, PhD

Description:
This poster describes the creation of a speakers bureau of Veterans with mental health diagnoses who appeared as guest speakers in the Abnormal Psychology class of a local university in order to serve as experts and fill a valued social role of educator. This project established a setting in which Veterans are recovery experts and allowed students to witness personal and varied stories of recovery. This provided a human and personal perspective to the experience of mental illness and reduced students’ and Veterans’ reports of stigma of mental illness. This poster presentation will provide details to allow others to use this novel approach.

Working with People, Not Problems: Recovery through a Person-Centered Lense

Presented by: Christina Pruden, LCSW, LCADC

Description:
Traditional models of addiction treatment are insufficient in meeting needs for a large majority of people. There is a need for more integrated system of care that empowers individuals to achieve their self-defined recovery goals. This presentation will discuss the history of addiction treatment, and will discuss gaps in the current treatment system. This will provide attendees with an understanding as to how we may facilitate empowerment in persons-served so that they may define and achieve their self-defined goals. The discussion will highlight key features as to how to effectively engage persons-serve, adapt assessment tools in order to develop more person-centered goals, and empower individuals to navigate their unique recovery.

Day 2 Poster Presentations: 6/17/2018

15 years of Staff & Client initiated Recovery Projects in VA VISN-5

Presented by: Alicia Lucksted, PhD

Description:
Since 2005 the VISN-5 Mental Illness Education Research and Clinical Center (MIRECC) has offered innovation catalyst grants to mental/behavioral health units in VISN-5 (Maryland, DC, West Virginia), to help make VA mental health services more recovery oriented. Over 50 projects have been initiated by VA mental health staff and/or veteran-clients. Applications are a brief structured 3 pages, with writing assistance available, and three deadlines per year. Awards range from a hundred to a few thousand dollars. This poster will summarize the application and award process, displaying diverse examples of the funded recovery fostering projects and their ripple effects.

Befriending the Dragon: Bringing Forth the Hero

Presented by: JoAnn Burton, CPRP

Description:
The Hero's Journey of Recovery is rich with adventure, struggles and life changing opportunities, but none is greater than facing the dragon and finally coming to the place of inner peace, acceptance and self compassion. This presentation will invite us to look at our own dragons and the riches we gain from meeting them head on.

Changing Misconceptions of Psychosis Among Mental Health Professionals

Presented by: Sonia Milkin, PhD; Rebecca E Williams, PhD; Yuliana Gallegos Rodriguez, PhD; Dimitri Perivoliotis, PhD

Description:
Mental health professionals are not immune to negative beliefs about those with mental health conditions. Many believe people with psychoses do not recover, when in fact psychosocial rehabilitation services can significantly improve functioning and quality of life. This recovery-oriented project was designed to decrease mental health providers’ negative beliefs about psychosis, and increase their ability to diagnose and treat Veterans with psychosis. Participants will be mental health professionals associated with VA San Diego Healthcare System and/or University of California, San Diego Department of Psychiatry. Pre- and post-questionnaires will be administered to assess change in providers’ perceived ability to work successfully with this population, and change in beliefs about treating psychosis.

Considering Health Literacy in Wellness and Recovery

Presented by: Molly Tschopp, PhD, CRC

Description:
PRA psychiatric rehabilitation principles include the promotion of health, wellness, empowerment and self-determination, including decision-making about services and supports. Health literacy involves the capacity to access and understand health information and services needed to make health decisions. Health literacy influences such critical areas as healthcare system navigation, self-care, and chronic disease management. Research indicates that individuals with mental health disorders have an increased risk for preventable chronic diseases, lower medical care use, lower chronic disease treatment adherence, and higher mortality rates. This presentation explores barriers to health literacy, its role in prevention, recovery, and wellness, and health literacy promotion strategies.

Creating Safer Mental Health Spaces for LGBTQ+ Individuals

Presented by: Laena Huffaker, PhD

Description:
Poster will present experience of developing “Safe Zone” training for mental health providers in a community care center serving veterans. Training is designed to empower providers through increased knowledge of LGBTQ+ identities and terminology and to create opportunities to have difficult discussions around topics of gender and sexuality. Poster will summarize experience of working within a complex system to reduce stigma and discomfort associated with working with LGBTQ+ groups and to increase acceptance of difference in treatment settings among providers. Poster will include the challenges of being an advocate and share lessons learned throughout the process.

Developing I.ROC Wellbeing: Recovery in the digital age

Presented by: Bridey Rudd, BSc

Description:
I.ROC is a validated, facilitated self-assessment questionnaire used to measure progress towards personal recovery, and to facilitate outcomes-focused conversations within support. In response to the burgeoning focus on e-health and technologically-aided therapy and the changing needs of mental health stakeholders, Scottish mental health charity Penumbra has developed a digital version of I.ROC. This poster presents the suite of tools developed by Penumbra to measure and support people to work towards recovery outcomes. It evaluates the benefits and barriers to creating and using digital solutions, and describes how digital tools can be used to supplement traditional face-to-face support.

Emerging Research into the Prevalence of Problematic Gambling Use

Presented by: Vanessa C Enriquez, LCSW; Kristine Dervin, CRC; Joseph I Deckro, MSW, LCSW; Rachelle Calixte, PhD

Description:
This poster presents preliminary results of a pilot study identifying individuals at risk of engaging in problematic gambling use, particularly those who utilize mental health supports at high rates. Participants are individuals receiving services at the Veterans Health Administration. Measures include type and frequency of gambling behaviors, motivations (for example social, emotional, financial, etc.) and contextual factors. The poster will discuss implications of gambling use and highlight emerging best practices for implementation of recovery oriented services within systems of care.

Enhancing Community Participation through Supported Socialization

Presented by: Tessa L Boston, MOT, OTR/L

Description:
The focus of this presentation is the incorporation of peer-supported socialization into a community support program for Veterans with serious mental illness. A need for such services is indicated by patterns of internalized stigma and lowered self-efficacy among long-term participants in the mental health care system. The poster will outline the assessment and implementation processes on the individual and team levels. Significant components of the supported socialization services include using strengths-based intervention, emphasizing the dignity of risk, and establishing a least restrictive environment.

Finding Balance: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Veterans with Psychosis

Presented by: Sonia Milkin, PhD; Rebecca E Williams, PhD

Description:
There is little research on whether Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is effective treatment in people with psychoses. Eight Veterans with psychoses enrolled in a 10-week DBT-informed treatment group designed to increase distress tolerance, and decrease symptoms of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Symptoms were tracked using the 21-item Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), diary cards, and open-ended reflections. Six Veterans completed the group, and reported no suicidal ideation at end of group and experienced an observable reduction in symptoms. Further, Veterans reported the group increased their skills for tolerating distress. Findings suggest DBT-informed treatment is beneficial for Veterans diagnosed with psychosis.

Implementation of Quantitative Assessment in Psychosocial Rehabilitation

Presented by: Mary Vertinski, PhD

Description:
The object of the current poster is to examine the feasibility and utility of using a provider completed outcome measure to track outcomes in an intensive outpatient clinic at a VA Medical Health Care Center. This measure was designed to be completed by staff most familiar with individual clients. The brief nature of the measure reduces administrative demands and provides a broad assessment of engagement across domains such as utilization of medical resources, psychosocial functioning, and role recovery. Future applications may include improved tracking of outcomes to potentially highlight program needs, provide consistent outcome data, and compassion of functional outcomes with subjective client ratings.

Implementing Trauma-Informed, Sensory Supportive Programming

Presented by: Allison Vigil, Brooke Wimer, MOT, OTR/L

Description:
Within current practice, there is an increased awareness of how sensory processing impacts people with mental health conditions. Considerations for sensory-based practice with a mental health population should connect trauma, neurological function, and sensory processing concepts. This session will focus on implementing sensory supportive interventions and modifying the environment to enhance well-being.

Intimacy among individuals with psychiatric disorders: A literature review

Presented by: Dawn Reinhardt-Wood, MA, CPRP

Description:
This poster is a result of a systemized literature review (2006-2017) conducted to gain a better understanding of how intimacy is experienced by individuals living with psychiatric disorders. Correlates with satisfaction with intimate relationships were identified. Opportunities for improvements in service provision were identified and suggestions for additional research were made. Several themes emerged from the literature, which will be presented on this poster.

Mental Health Treatment Disparities among African American Women

Presented by: MiKeiya Morrow, PhD

Description:
Despite the prevalence of mental health concerns among African-American women, research supports that African-American women consistently underutilize mental health services. Research also indicates that African American women receive lower quality mental health care and experience worse mental health outcomes than non-minorities. This presentation will provide a critical analysis of disparities in access, use, quality, and outcomes of mental health care services among African American women. The influence of systemic, patient, and provider factors on mental health treatment disparities will also be addressed. Implications for providing culturally responsive services and reducing mental health treatment disparities among African American women will be provided.

Mind the Gap: Effects of Implementing an Inpatient CBT Bridging Group

Presented by: Jessica E McGovern, MA

Description:
The period following inpatient discharge is associated with increased risk for suicide, relapse, and rehospitalization across diagnoses. Evidence suggests engaging clients in outpatient treatment before discharge increases engagement in outpatient services. Little is known about factors associated with transition to outpatient care. This project examines a 6-session manual-based cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) group for Veterans in an inpatient setting. We hypothesize that Veterans who attend more groups will have reduced distress, increased self-efficacy, and increased commitment to attend similar groups post-discharge. Feasibility and acceptability of a brief, inpatient CBT group will be highlighted, as will implications for future bridging groups.

Organizational Program Pilot for Vicarious Trauma Resilience in Clinicians

Presented by: Jamie Adasi, MA, M.Ed.

Description:
Trauma-Informed Care has been a focus in mental health care in the last few years for good reason. In many psychiatric rehabilitation settings, practitioners frequently bear witness to the traumatic events that the people we serve have lived through. At the Mental Health Center of Denver, we believe that practitioner support for vicarious trauma is an integral part of trauma-informed care and our commitment to well-being. By implementing strategies, like meditation, to help practitioners protect and recover from trauma exposure, the literature suggests organizations can see benefits in productivity, quality of services provided, and retention of practitioners representing marginalized groups.

Promotion of Mental Health Literacy as a Social Justice Imperative

Presented by: Molly Tschopp, PhD, CRC, Licensed Psychologist

Description:
Mental health literacy includes knowledge and beliefs about positive mental health, disorders and treatment, attitudes and stigma reduction, and help seeking. Mental health literacy is key to mental health and wellness on many levels including recognition, prevention, and management. Lower mental health literacy may hinder access and support for mental health care. In order to support full integration in recovery, access to resources, and elimination of barriers, the promotion of individual and community mental health literacy is a social justice imperative. This presentation will focus on mental health literacy, wellness, social justice advocacy, and mental health literacy promotion strategies.

Purpose and Profit. Why we Make Poufs

Presented by: Susan Williams, MSW

Description:
Mindful Works, a double-bottom line social enterprise providing job-driven training and integrated employment to those in recovery from mental health challenges in the design, production and sale of quality consumer goods.

Social enterprises are mission-driven businesses directly impacting those facing employment barriers in an integrated setting.

The research on the impact of work and recovery is compelling. There is a valuable place for social enterprises in helping people return to work or school, especially young adults. Building work-confidence, stamina, managing symptoms and medication in a strengths-based work environment, and participating in social rehabilitation are components of any full employment program.

Science of Recovery: Person-Driven and many pathways

Presented by: Marlon Nolen, MSW, LCSWA

Description:
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has clearly established a working definition of recovery. There are 10 guiding principles of recovery which are: hope, person-driven, many pathways, holistic, peer support, relational, culture, addresses trauma, strengths/responsibility, and respect. As providers seek to provide recovery-oriented care , there has been limited to no scientific research that supports the utilization of these recovery principles. In a concerted effort to bolster the use of these principles; this poster will illustrate the functionality of Person-Driven and Many Pathways for practical application.

Social Enterprise-Expanding Opportunities for People and Organizations

Presented by: Francie Leventhal; Rebecca English, LMSW

Description:
Social Enterprise is a business model to create skill development and economic participation opportunities for marginalized groups. The triple bottom line of a social enterprise, people, purpose and profit, creates the opportunity for organizations to enhance programs and expand visibility in the community, which can lead to a greater awareness of and support for its mission. At Gould Farm we run successful social enterprises that provide meaningful work to individuals in a therapeutic work environment. In this workshop, you will learn how we operate these enterprises, and how we integrate work and treatment in the context of real-life business to combine pre-vocational skills and work readiness within a recovery framework.

Training for Recovery: Peers, social workers, and occupational therapists

Presented by: Jennifer Harrison PhD, LMSW, CAADC

Description:
To address the need of bringing together learners from different disciplines to learn about how to assist in recovery with those they serve, the Interprofessional Peer Education and Evidence for Recovery (I-PEER) program enhances interdisciplinary education for social workers, occupational therapists, and peer specialists. I-PEER has implemented collective training in state psychiatric hospitals and community mental health providers in medically underserved and rural Southwest Michigan. Interns in social work, occupational therapy, and peer supports work collaboratively. Components will include interprofessional supervision, specialized training components for all staff, and the use of Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS).

Trauma-Informed Treatment for Serious Mental Illness (SMI)

Presented by: Clara Luisa Fajardo, PsyD

Description:
Research shows that individuals with Depression, Schizophrenia, and Bipolar Disorder are significantly more likely to have histories of trauma. Although SAMSHA has made efforts to address trauma among the SMI population, to our knowledge, there exist only a few empirically supported trauma-informed interventions for this complex population. This poster summarizes the existing treatments and the benefits and barriers of implementing trauma-informed interventions for Serious Mental Illness.

VA Mental Health Lived Experience Community of Practice: Development & Tips

Presented by: Jennifer Boyd PhD CPRP; Jeanette Irene Harris, PhD, LP

Description:
Describes the development of a nationwide group of VA licensed providers who have a lived experience of mental illness. Initially mistaken as mainly a support group for impaired professionals, it is now widely understood to provide education, advocacy, and consultation, with the goal of making the VA mental health workplace more inclusive and welcoming to clinicians with lived experience. The group aims to reduce stigma against professionals, peer specialists, and consumers who have experienced mental illness. Early acceptance by VA national leadership catalyzed the group's development. We offer lessons learned and tips for creating such groups in other organizations.

What Helps Coping with Self Stigma: Wisdom from Adults with SMI

Presented by: Alicia Lucksted, PhD

Description:
Through in-depth qualitative interviews, 48 adults using mental health and psychiatric rehabilitation services discussed their experiences with stigma regarding mental illness from various sources over their lives thus far, emphasizing influences, resources, personal patterns, and strategies they have found useful for resilience in the face of stigmatizing experiences and the hazards of internalized stigma. Via detailed qualitative analysis, our team has understood participants’ wisdom on various levels: personal power and responsibility, how others have helped, systems and interpersonal influences, isolation vs solitude, spirituality and philosophy, and how people create change, which we will present here.

Workplace Wellness: The Value of Organizational Wellness

Presented by: Crystal L. Brandow, PhD

Description:
In the workplace, it is essential that a culture of wellness is adopted, and that principles and practices related to all areas of wellness are embedded in that culture. The workplace is a stakeholder in rehabilitation and recovery, and should reflect wellness and recovery principles for all levels of staff. Whether a workshop attendee is a supervisor, peer supporter, or CEO, there is a benefit to understanding the role of the workplace in shaping individual wellness, across various dimensions; and to acquire strategies for enhancing wellness in this environment. Promising practices related to workplace wellness will be discussed.