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TLPCA Counseling and Therapy Summit

Pre-Conferences

  • Supervision – Friday, June 14, 9am-12pm
  • AI/Technology & Counseling – Friday, June 14, 9am-12pm
  • Private Practice – Friday, June 14, 9am-12pm
  • Ethics – Friday, June 14, 1:30-4:30pm
  • Trauma – IFS Training – Friday, June 14, 1:30-4:30pm
  • Suicide Assessment/Intervention – Friday, June 14, 1:30-4:30pm
Supervision - TBD - Friday, June 14, 9am-12pm

Information forthcoming.

AI/Technology & Counseling - AI in Mental Health Counseling: Balancing Innovation and Client Safety - Friday, June 14, 9am-12pm

Presented by Lisa Henderson, LPC-MHSP.

We find ourselves in a once-in-a-generation transformation in counseling practice; one with the potential to offer groundbreaking methods, redefine interventions, and help counselors deliver more effective care, more efficiently, and to more people. However, like any tool, its only as good as the person using it. AI in the hands of an unskilled or unethical counselor can have negative outcomes for clients. This presentation will discuss the positive and negative roles AI may play in mental health care. It will identify the ethical considerations for counselors to consider. Attendees will apply the three-legged stool of evidence-based practice as it relates to new AI tools entering our practice.

AI seems to have exploded out of nowhere in the past year. However, the concepts of AI and machine learning were first published in 1950. The first chatbot, ELIZA, was released in 1966 as a conversational agent. Despite being created as a problem-solving tool, people soon started to share with ELIZA their thoughts and feelings. What has changed in the last year is the speed that AI acquires information, commercial investment in AI tools, and availability of those tools to the public. That will only continue. Moore’s Law, which estimates that computer memory and speed double each year, is one reason for the explosion of AI tools. With that in mind, counselors must identify safe and ethical uses of AI tools in order to protect their clients in counseling.

Objectives

  • Identify the positive and negative implications of AI in mental health
    • Administrative efficiencies
    • Client care
  • Navigate ethical considerations for counselors using AI tools in their mental health practice
  • Apply the Evidence-Based Practice framework to counselors using AI tools
    • Research Evidence: Staying abreast of the rapidly-growing evidence base
    • Clinical Expertise: Evaluate counselor competency in selecting and using AI tools
    • Client’s Values, Preferences, and Characteristics: Informed consent with clients about where AI does/does not support their care

Lisa Henderson, LPC-MHSP is Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer at Synchronous Health, which provides mental health services and an AI-enabled digital platform to support people between sessions. As a licensed professional counselor, Lisa has supported people across the continuum of care, diagnosing and treating mental and behavioral health conditions. Since co-founding Synchronous Health in 2016, Lisa and team have operationalized behavioral health and well-being programs that leverage the best of what both humans and technology have to offer. Lisa has served the American Counseling Association as chair of the Southern Region, trustee for the Foundation, and committee member for revision of the 2014 Code of Ethics. Lisa has been an adjunct faculty member of the Vanderbilt Peabody Human Development Counseling graduate program and is a member of the Forbes Health advisory board. She holds two masters degrees, one in Health & Human Performance and one in Mental Health Counseling.

Private Practice - The Nuts and Bolts of Starting and Operating a Private Practice - Friday, June 14, 9am-12pm

Presented by Dr. Christopher J. Quarto.

Have you dreamed about going into private practice but weren’t sure where to start? You’re not alone! Many people are eager to own and operate a therapy practice but aren’t sure how to do it because there were no “how-to” classes in graduate school. While there’s a lot to learn it’s definitely doable when putting into action tried-and-true practice building strategies. The purpose of this three-hour workshop is to help students, school counselors and mental health professionals learn how to start, operate and grow the practice of their dreams!

Objectives

  • Identify the necessary elements of starting a private practice
  • Learn how to operate a private practice
  • Learn how to grow a private practice

Dr. Christopher J. Quarto is a Professor in the MTSU Professional Counseling Program. He earned a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1992. Prior to joining the Professional Counseling faculty, Dr. Quarto worked in Michigan and Wisconsin as a clinical mental health counselor and private practice psychologist, respectively. He worked closely with school personnel and physicians concerning children, adolescents and adults who exhibited a variety of educational and psychological disorders. He is a licensed psychologist (HSP) and licensed professional counselor (Michigan) and has a part-time private practice in which he provides counseling services to adults as well as psychological testing services to individuals of all ages. Dr. Quarto is a Board Certified-TeleMental Health Provider (BC-TMH) and completed an addiction counseling certificate program through Montana State University’s Extended University. He is past president of the Tennessee Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. Dr. Quarto was awarded the 2007 – 2008 MTSU College of Education and Behavioral Science Teaching Award, University College 2012 Distinguished Educator in Distance Education Award and 2019 Charles Thompson Counselor Educator of the Year Award by the Tennessee Association of Counselor Education & Supervision.  He has hosted podcasts pertaining to professional issues for professional counselors and other mental health professionals.  Dr. Quarto’s research interests include telemental health and counselor development and supervision.

Ethics - Legal and Ethical Tips for Risk Reduction - Friday, June 14, 1:30-4:30pm

Presented by Dr. Rob Moore.

While some attention is given to suicide assessment and prevention in counselor education and continuing education, insufficient attention is given to homicide/harm assessment, prevention, and reduction. This session will review the TN Code and the ACA Code of Ethics, provide research findings, and review practical ways to improve practice effectiveness while reducing risk/liability by ensuring that specific areas are addressed in counseling.

Dr. Rob Moore is a licensed professional counselor and licensed counseling psychologist who has conducted homicide risk assessments since the 1990s for public schools, and more recently risk assessments for Amazon and general mental health assessments for Vanderbilt Health. He is currently completing research on an assessment tool that he developed for early identification and prevention of homicide to be used by LPCs, school counselors, and psychologists. He is an associate professor at Liberty University in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program and is the Subject Matter Expert for Assessment Techniques in Counseling for the CMHC and Marriage and Family Counseling programs. He earned his doctorate from the Department of Human Development Counseling at Vanderbilt University in Counselor Education and Supervision. He is a past president of TLPCA and is honored to conduct this ethics training at the TLPCA Summit.

Trauma - An Introduction to Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) - Friday, June 14, 1:30-4:30pm
Presented by Dr. Jennifer Jordan.

In this experiential training participants will have the opportunity to learn, observe, and practice the IFS model. The IFS model is a compassionate, non-pathologizing approach to understanding the human psyche based on the organization and functioning of “parts”. You will learn what parts are, how to identify them, what purpose they serve, and how to get to know the parts and understand what they are protecting. Although this workshop will not prepare you to be an IFS partitioner, you will walk away from the workshop with many IFS techniques you can use immediately with your clients.

Objectives

  • Participants will learn knowledge and skills related to internal family systems (IFS)
  • Participants will develop specific IFS skills including parts and what they are protecting
  • Participants will develop IFS techniques to utilize with clients

Dr. Jennifer Jordan is Professor in the Department of Counseling, Leadership, and Educational Studies at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. She received a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Mississippi State University, a M.A. in Psychological Counseling from Nicholls State University, and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Central Florida. She is a National Certified Counselor (NCC), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S). She currently serves as the President of the South Carolina Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors, and Psych-Educational Specialists. Dr. Jordan serves as the Executive Director of the South Carolina Counseling Association and oversees the annual conference. She has served as president of the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (SACES), a past board member and secretary of the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES), and a current member of the American Association of State Counseling Boards (AASCB).

Dr. Jordan received the 2015 LaRoche Graduate Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Instruction. She has co-edited two books with former students, written nine book chapters with students, and presented with over 30 students at state and national conferences.

Suicide Assessment/Intervention - Two Best Practices for Suicide Assessment & Intervention - Friday, June 14, 1:30-4:30pm
Presented by Casey A. Barrio Minton, PhD, NCC.

In this practical session, we will explore two best practices for suicide assessment and intervention. First, participants will learn how to use the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) and converge C-SSRS results with additional contextual information to identify the necessary level of care for clients with suicidal ideation. Then, participants will learn considerations for outpatient management of low to moderate suicide risk including how to conduct the Safety Planning Intervention (SPI). The presentation will incorporate demonstration, application, and discussion throughout.

Objectives

  • Integrate the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) into comprehensive suicide assessment
  • Utilize C-SSRS results and additional contextual information to identify appropriate level of care for individuals with suicidal ideation
  • Apply Safety Planning Intervention (SPI) in context of counseling relationship.

Casey A. Barrio Minton, PhD, NCC, is Professor of Counselor Education and Interim Head of the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her scholarly work focuses on crisis intervention, clinical mental health issues, and professionalization through teaching and leadership. She most enjoys teaching doctoral courses in teaching and master’s-level courses in multicultural counseling, diagnostic issues, and crisis intervention. Dr. Barrio Minton is author or editor of several books including Practical Approaches to Applied Research and Program Evaluation for Helping Professionals, the DSM-5-TR Learning Companion for Counselors (2nd edition, forthcoming), Professional Counseling Excellence through Leadership and Advocacy (now in 2nd edition), and Critical Incidents in Counselor Education. Dr. Barrio Minton is a Past-President of Chi Sigma Iota International, the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling, and the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. She is a Fellow of the American Counseling Association.