2024 Annual EBT Conference: Building Resilience and Sustaining Outcomes

Building Resilience and Sustaining Outcomes

The North Carolina Child Treatment Program seeks to address the gap between researched best practice and community-based mental health services for children and families overcoming trauma. Through the Spring 2024 Annual EBT Conference, NC CTP aims to help our Learning Collaborative graduates sustain and improve EBT implementation and learn about existing and emerging trends in community mental health.

This virtual conference, including three half-days of conference sessions and an optional half-day pre-conference, and three optional half-hour networking sessions, will cover an array of advanced topics aimed at enhancing clinical skills in areas such as:

  • Clinical considerations for working with special populations
  • Improving clinician engagement and support
  • NEW for 2024!
    • Session offerings for providers who have not yet trained with NC CTP
    • Sponsorship opportunities – see below

And much more!

Who

All ABC, CPP, CPT, PCIT, PSB-CBT-S, PSB-CBT-A, PSB-CBT-P, RPC, SPARCS, SPARCS-ST and TF-CBT Providers and Senior Leaders who graduated from one or more trainings with NC CTP and/or CCFH; plus NC Clinical Mental Health Providers who have not yet trained with NC CTP

When

April 15th, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, and April 16th-18th, 8:30 am – 12:15 pm, 

  • Pre-Conference:
    • Monday, April 15th 10:00 am – 3:00 pm EDT (including 1 hour break)
  • Conference:
    • Tuesday, April 16th 9:00 am – 12:15 pm EDT
    • Wednesday, April 17th 9:00 am – 12:15 pm EDT
    • Thursday, April 18th 9:00 am – 12:15 pm EDT
  • Optional “Coffee Connections” Networking Sessions
    • April 16th – 18th, 8:30am – 8:55am

Where

Virtual Training via Zoom
Hosted by the NC Child Treatment Program

Cost

NC CTP Program Graduates

$175.00 for Conference, Three Half-Days
$240.00 for Pre-Conference and Conference Combo Package, Four Half-Days

Providers New to NC CTP

$225.00 for Conference, Three Half-Days
$300.00 for Pre-Conference and Conference Combo Package, Four Half-Days

**Coffee Connections sessions are open to all registrants, and participation is free-of-charge!**

Credits

NBCC Credits, NC Psychology Credits, Continuing Education Credits, and Wake AHEC Contact Hours are available to conference participants. Additional credits and contact hours are available to Pre-Conference participants. Unfortunately, we are not permitted to offer credits for Coffee Connections sessions.

Credits are only available for participants who attend the EBT Conference in its entirety. No credits will be awarded for partial attendance.  

Sponsorship

NC Childs Treatment Program is now offering the opportunity for partners to connect with our statewide network of advanced mental health clinicians via sponsorship of the 2024 Advanced Training Conference. Visit our sponsors page and get in touch with us at sponsorship@ncchildtreatmentprogram.org to learn more.

Registration

Registration for the 2024 Annual EBT Conference is closed as of 5pm on March 18th, 2024. If you would like to receive a notification when registration opens for the Spring 2025 Annual EBT Conference (in early January 2025), please contact NC CTP and we will add you to the NC CTP mailing list.

Conference Schedule

Events on Monday April 15th

10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Pre-Conference (4 hours plus 1 hour lunch break)
Ethical Challenges in Practice with Children and Families: Conflicting Norms and Values, Cultural Competence and Humility, and Maintaining Professional Boundaries
Allan E. Barsky, JD, MSW, PhD
As helping professionals working with children and families, it is important to maintain caring, empathic, and respectful relationships with the people we serve. At the same time, it can be challenging to maintain appropriate boundaries and avoid imposing values and beliefs, particularly when service providers and family members have conflicting values, attitudes, and beliefs about parenting styles, discipline, and children’s needs for psychosocial wellbeing and development. This interactive pre-conference institute will provide participants with practical guidelines and strategies for managing ethical issues related to maintaining professional boundaries, employing cultural competence and humility, and managing situations involving conflicting values, attitudes, and beliefs.
Faith and Ethics in Implementation
Karon F. Johnson, MACM, MSW, LCSW, CCTP
Social work’s systems perspective and biopsychosociospiritual approach to exploring the needs of each unique individual means the question of religion, faith, and/or spirituality may arise during our encounters with clients. But are we comfortable with what a client may need to bring to their work with us if that includes their religious beliefs or spiritual practices? How can we ethically provide competent services to clients while holding in tension differing belief systems or encountering unfamiliar spiritual practices? Using real-world examples, ethical orientation frameworks, and interactive discussion, participants will learn practical, relevant approaches to working with the whole client, including their religion, faith, or spiritual practice.
Working with Parents and Caregivers of Transgender and Non-Binary Youth
Sean Lare, LCSW-C
This course is for professionals who work with trans and non-binary youth and their caregivers or families. Join us to learn how to meet both the parent/caregiver and the young person where they are in their process, to identify where the adult is on a spectrum of acceptance, and to consider ways to support youth and their families at any stage from rejection through advocacy.
Problem-Based Learning and 12 Core Concepts of Trauma: New Ideas for Enhanced Case Conceptualization and Treatment Recommendations
Robin Gurwitch, PhD
Participants will utilize their knowledge and practical experience with families who have experienced trauma to respond to interactive case material. Through the process of Problem-Based Learning, participants will learn strategies for slowing down the clinical reasoning process and deepening their case conceptualization. The 12 Core Concepts for Understanding Traumatic Stress and other dynamic learning tools will be integrated, making this session appropriate for those who are looking to deepen their child trauma knowledge or enhance methods of supervision.

Events on Tuesday April 16th

8:30 - 9:00 am
Optional Coffee Connections Networking Session
Model Specific Topics
9:00 - 10:30 am
Keynote Address
Meeting the Growing Behavioral Health Needs of Children Through Collaboration with the North Carolina Psychiatry Access Line
Courtney L. McMickens, MD, MPH, MHS; Alexis French, PhD
Despite the growing demand for behavioral health treatment among the pediatric population, there is a shortage of medical professionals with experience in child mental health, particularly child and adolescent psychiatrists (CAP). This presentation will describe how the North Carolina Psychiatry Access Line (NC-PAL) program collaborates with mental health clinicians to address increasing child mental health needs through collaboration with other child-serving agencies and providers. Participants will learn about the services offered by NC-PAL and how this program aims to address workforce shortages and barriers to accessing behavioral health services with provider- and community-facing services to meet the needs of children and families.
10:30 - 10:45 am
BREAK
10:45 am - 12:15 pm
Session 1
The Art of Promoting Culturally Sensitive and Responsive Practices in Clinical Supervision
Donna Newberne, LCMHC-S
The vast majority of clinical supervisors have learned and been exposed to skills that inspire cultural competence and sensitivity in supervisees. In order to foster both personal and professional growth, in the supervisor and supervisee, the infusion of culturally sensitive practices and intentional activities into the clinical supervision process is an integral next step. Culturally sensitive supervision practices are not solely aimed at teaching knowledge or skills. By providing supervisees and supervisors with opportunities to reflect on their own cultural identity, attitudes and experiences in the process of clinical supervision, a deep awareness and ability to respond in a culturally sensitive manner can be cultivated. This training focuses on assisting clinical supervisors to be more culturally sensitive, responsive and self-aware through experiential activities, active discussion and participation.
Understanding and Affirming Transgender and Non-Binary Youth in Therapeutic Settings
Sean Lare, LCSW-C
The purpose of this session is for mental health clinicians to expand their understanding of transgender and non-binary identities and the unique needs of transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse youth so that they can offer care with an intentional and culturally informed framework. Participants will spend time deepening their understanding of the lived experiences of transgender and gender diverse youth including affirming actions and effective support systems. They will engage in best practices, practice using correct pronouns, and do individual and small group practical skill application so they will leave with an increased confidence in their own skills and how they can be applied to support the youth they work with in clinical settings.
Using TF-CBT with Children Experiencing Complex Trauma
Leila Keen, MSW, LCSW; Donna Potter, MSW, LCSW
Many clinicians in NC are treating children with complex trauma. These children may not meet criteria for PTSD, but may still be a perfect fit for TF-CBT. Learn more about complex trauma and how to adapt the TF-CBT model for clients who are seeking treatment as a result of experiencing complex trauma. The presenters will provide an overview of complex trauma and then use a case vignette to help clinicians walk through TF-CBT with complex trauma adaptations.
CPP: Clinical Considerations in the context of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
Rosa Espinosa, LCSW
CPP addresses trauma exposure within the child/caregiver relationship. Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is frequently experienced by young children who present for treatment. Young children are more likely to be present during incidents of IPV between their primary caregivers and are often exposed to the most violent incidents of IPV. This training will help clinicians develop a comprehensive understanding of IPV, thoroughly identify IPV dynamics an exposure to IPV, and examine safety concerns when working with families impacted by IPV.
Electronic and Online Sexual Behavior: But, Wait, The Kids Know More Than We Do!
Nicole Croteau-Johnson, MA, LPA
Electronic and online sexual behavior has become increasingly more critical to understand and address in children and adolescents. Our society’s reliance on and 24-hour access to social networking and media means that children are regularly exposed to mature content and sexual themes. This presentation will explore the pathways by which youth encounter sexual media online and the subsequent effects on their social and emotional health. The presenter will also introduce various therapeutic techniques to address online problematic sexual behavior, including a case presentation for participants to have the opportunity to apply skills learned.

Events on Wednesday April 17th

8:30 - 9:00 am
Optional Coffee Connections Networking Session
Implementation Challenges
9:00 - 10:30 am
Session 2
Get Prepared to Respond to Gun Violence
Kelly Sullivan, PhD, Licensed Psychologist
Every day we seem to be hearing about gun violence events and some of us may have experienced it. But does our anxiety fit with the statistics? And are we ready to provide support should these events come close to our personal or professional lives? Learn tips about how to respond in the immediate aftermath of gun violence events and about the comprehensive tools available to provide individual and/or community-level support when needed.
Taking Care of You: Strategies for Staying Engaged with Work, Managing Stress, Addressing Secondary Trauma, and Reducing Burnout
Kate Murray, PhD, Licensed Psychologist; Leila Keen, MSW, LCSW
Have you heard about the CE-CERT model and want to learn what all the buzz is about? Have you attended the training and looking to brush up your skills? This session will address commonly held myths and misperceptions of “self-care” done at home as the remedy to compassion fatigue and work stress. Instead, strategies will be presented that are both useful for individual clinicians to manage the stress of their work without succumbing to burnout and important for supervisors and agency leaders in promoting a healthy and sustainable workforce. Each of the five components of CE-CERT will be presented and interactive reflective discussions will be held.
Peer Supervision for Clinicians
George S. Ake, III, PhD
In order to stay in this work, mental health providers need ongoing support from their peers. While peer supervision is not consistently used throughout all practice settings, therapists who want to sustain their practice of evidence-based treatments often benefit from informal supports from their professional peers. This session will highlight a few models of peer supervision, discussion of ways to make these small groups meaningful for providers to sustain their practice, and how to engage peers in discussion to determine if peer supervision is the right model for you.
Introduction to the Community Resilience Model (CRM)
Eboni Lanier Jones, LCSW
During this session participants will learn the importance of resiliency informed care. Participants will be introduced the key concepts and skills of the community resiliency model. Participants will have a chance to participate in guided practice of 2 of the skills.
Problematic Sexual Behaviors in Children and Adolescents
Rachel Maid, MSW, LCSW
Historically, there has been a lack of education and understanding regarding the current best practices related to children and adolescents with problematic sexual behaviors (PSB), which can lead to adverse outcomes. This presentation will educate participants about the risks and needs of the PSB population, including: an overview of PSB, typical sexual development and behavior, origins of PSB, and myths surrounding this population. Participants will learn how assessment and safety planning are used to make appropriate treatment and placement recommendations.
10:30 - 10:45 am
BREAK
10:45 am - 12:15 pm
Session 3
A Trauma-Informed, Equity-Focused Approach to Suicide Prevention in Teens and Young Adults: Looking At and Beyond the Individual
Angela M. Tunno, PhD, MS
This session will focus on looking at and beyond the individual regarding suicide prevention and intervention. Statistics and trends will be discussed, with an emphasis on those communities most impacted by suicide. Taking a social justice and socioecological framework to suicide prevention will be described. In addition to applying a systemic framework to suicide prevention; individual, trauma-informed suicide prevention and intervention strategies will be discussed.
Peer Supervision for Supervisors
George S. Ake, III, PhD
Whether we do it intentionally or not, we shape the culture of support for our supervisees largely based on how supported we are in our day-to-day practice. This session will focus on how peer supervision for supervisors can be a tremendous resource for professionals who carry a lot of responsibility and often do not have as many informal supports to help sustain longer term supervision practice.
TF-CBT & Traumatic Absence
Jennifer Wilgocki, MS, SC
This workshop will focus on the traumas that are hard to speak of because they occur in the absence of a specific event and are more diffuse and typically chronic - failure to protect, emotional and psychological neglect, or lack of attunement from attachment figures. This will be a time for us to identify in our TF-CBT cases the kinds of traumatic absences that may have an enduring impact on children, but which we as therapists often struggle to name and adequately treat.
Addressing the Unaddressed: Why labeling, assessing, and treating outbursts should be part of trauma informed care
Lisa Amaya-Jackson, MD, MPH
Emotional and behavioral outbursts are trans-diagnostic symptoms that are a major public health dilemma, accounting for a large number of children’s referrals to emergency departments, inpatient units, clinics, and residential treatment centers. Variably defined, often around irritability, temper, aggression, and suicidality, these outbursts have often meant that diagnosis and treatment considerations have focused on bipolar and disruptive behavior disorders, rather than on PTSD or traumatic stress disorders, with a surprising dearth of research literature on the latter two. Dr. Amaya-Jackson will hone in on recent national work that will impact the DSM-5.
A beginner’s guide to the landscape of youth gambling and digital media use and mental and emotional needs and behaviors
Alison Wood, MSW, MPA
Prevention of mental, emotional, and behavior disorders in youth could save billions of dollars in healthcare costs and change the way care is provided as early as conception with the right infrastructure, work force, funding, and research. Even more importantly, it can change the trajectory of so many lives creating opportunity and resilience for individuals, families, communities, societies, and cultures. The North Carolina Problem Gambling Program is working to combine mental health promotion and youth prevention education in problematic behaviors in gambling, gaming, and digital media use as psychoeducation tools to inform students at the universal level on how to make smart choices and become resiliency informed. This is accomplished by providing a comprehensive youth prevention program, funding, training, and technical support. In addition, the program coordinator has been networking across the state to support health literacy efforts in schools. Schools are second to families with their potential for making an impact on preventing MEB disorders and have been identified as an appropriate setting for prevention screening and interventions to take place. School-based behavioral health or School Mental Health Policy is driving the mandated change. Participants will gain a basic understanding of prevention science and learn about possible strategies to partner with schools in support of the school mental health policy. They will learn about how the advances in technology have made it even more vital for youth to receive health and media literacy to be able to critically analyze and engage with health-related concerns and consume and produce responsible media. Even further, youth prevention education is vital for youth to debunk misinformation about high-risk behaviors by providing health literacy education and changing attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and behaviors. In addition, participants will learn how the increased expansion of online and brick and mortar gambling has created an uptick in young people who gamble despite gambling being illegal for children and adolescents and about risk factors and co-occurring needs that may contribute to problematic behaviors in gambling, gaming, and digital media use. Some of the content will also explore persuasive design concepts and marketing and advertising strategies that keep people online and spending money.

Events on Thursday April 18th

8:30 - 9:00 am
Optional Coffee Connections Networking Session
Resource Show-and-Tell
9:00 - 10:30 am
Session 4
Working with LGBTQ+ Youth
Kelly Wilson, LCSW
It is about more than pronouns, and it is not always about coming out. The word "ally" is a verb, and affirmative care requires that you to be a change agent. This workshop will provide an overview of the basic tenets of clinical competency for working with LGBTQ+ youth and families. We will examine how a heterosexist society increases the likelihood of trauma experiences, disaffirms trauma responses, and complicates the healing process for our queer youth and their families.
What’s Changed in PCIT: How to Maintain and Grow Successful Programs
Darden White, MEd, LCMHCS; Erika Wray, LCSW; Tripp Ake, PhD; Mary Kathryn Elkins, LCSW; Robin Gurwitch, PhD
The NC CTP PCIT Training Program is highly connected to the PCIT International Association to ensure the most up-to-date and consistent training possible for our trainees. As such, we want to keep our trainees up-to-date on any new information or changes that occur within the larger national and international PCIT community and therefore will provide updates here. Additionally, we want to support our NC agencies in sustaining high fidelity programs and grow the provider network here in NC to facilitate greater access to the children, families, and communities in need. We will provide and discuss core elements clinicians and/or agencies need to consider and/or work through to know when and how to maintain or grow their program, ways to establish and conduct fidelity monitoring, and ways to collect and utilize their data to ensure successful outcomes. This presentation will have clinical, supervisory, and implementation science content and practice elements, so as always, come ready to play!
Stories, Storytelling and Relationships to Support Young Children Grieving from Family Death
Mary Wise-Kriplani, MSW, LCSW, PhD; Cheri Coleman, MSW
Young bereaved children are at high risk for having their grief unsupported, as caregivers are often less available due to their own grief, and adults frequently consider young children “too little” to be impacted. This leaves young children on their own to manage the dysregulation co-occurring with grief and to understand their experience through the (often unhelpful) cognitive lens of their developmental age. Stories and storytelling have been used across cultures and generations to connect, grieve, make meaning of our experiences, and heal. In this interactive presentation, participants will be invited to explore how stories—told verbally, through books, and through play—can support young children in their grief and healing after family death.
Keeping the SPARCle: A SPARCS Skills Refresher
Eboni Lanier Jones, LCSW; Donna Newberne, LCMHC-S; Ernestine C. Briggs-King, PhD
During this session, participants will be exposed to model updates from SPARCS faculty. Faculty will engage participants in activities that showcase new and innovative ways to teach session specific content. Additionally, Faculty will discuss creative ways to incorporate caregivers into SPARCS sessions and deepen caregivers’ understanding of the core concepts of SPARCS.
Time Modeling for EBT Sustainability
Maria Ruatto, MBA, MPP; Mellicent O'Brien Blythe, LCSW; Beverly Glienke, MA
Agencies sometimes struggle to sustain evidence-based treatments because of the time and complexity of providing the model with fidelity. Clinical service time modeling can provide a framework for determining the true cost and delivery requirements of an evidence-based treatment (EBT). The NC Child Treatment Program has disseminated a Time Model Series to providers, policy makers, and Medicaid payers to support increased reimbursement rates and to decrease administrative burden. In this session, Senior Leader and administrative participants will become familiar with the Time Model Series and will have the opportunity to use these time models to help with planning, decision-making, and advocacy for the EBT array. Note, this session is targeted for agency leaders involved in reimbursement and finances.
10:30 - 10:45 am
BREAK
10:45 am - 12:15 pm
Closing Plenary
Panel Discussion, State Capacity for Trauma-Informed Assessment and Intervention
Mellicent O'Brien Blythe, LCSW (NC Child Treatment Program, Moderator); Sharon Bell, MBA (Division of Child and Family Wellbeing, NC Department of Health and Human Services); Jenny Cooper, MS (Benchmarks); Cindy Ehlers, MS, LCMHC (Trillium Health Resources); Lynne M. Grey, MA, LCMHC, LCAS, CCS (Partners Health Management); Eric Harbour, MPH, LCSW (Wellcare of North Carolina, Inc.); Kate Peterson, MS, PMP, PMI-ACP (Alliance Health); Chameka L. Jackson, MSSA, LCSW (NC Medicaid, Division of Health Benefits); Shelita Lee, MSW, LCSW (United Healthcare of North Carolina, Inc.); Christine E. Beck (United Healthcare of North Carolina, Inc.), Katie McKay, MSW, LCSW (Carolina Complete Health, Inc.)
This closing plenary panel will include representatives from Medicaid payers in both the standard and tailored plans, state divisions that oversee the behavioral health system, and key stakeholders. Together we’ll explore strategies for sustaining trauma-informed, evidence-based assessment and treatment in the wake of Medicaid expansion and transformation. 



                            

        
                    				
		
	


		

			
  
    
    
  

		


		


			

				

					
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