Workshop Descriptions
Monday Workshops
How to Create an Affirming Practice Space for Gender-Diverse Youth and Families Seeking Psychological Assessment
Meets the MD Licensing Requirement for Cultural Diversity
Presented by Becca Hofrichter, LCSW-C, and Jessica R. Rothstein, Psy.D. 3 CEs
Introductory- Psychologists who have little or no background in a specialized skill or content area, but do hold a doctorate degree
Like many youth seeking psychological assessment, transgender and gender diverse youth, are often seeking an assessment to aid in differential diagnosis. However, unlike their cisgender peers, transgender youth and their families often worry that the psychological assessor that they choose, will not know how to affirm and address the youth’s gender identity.
In an effort to address this issue, this course was created to teach psychologists how to modify their psychological assessment practice in line with best practices in gender affirming care. The presenters will teach foundational terminology, discuss gender development, and educate participants as to what “transitioning,” or pursuing gender congruence entails.
Topics specific to psychological assessment will be covered, including: knowing what norms to use with the gender diverse youth, whether or not to diagnose Gender Dysphoria as part of the assessment process, and/or how to handle when a youth “comes out” during the assessment process. Psychologists will also be provided with examples for questions to ask during the intake process and templates for gender affirming report writing, including navigating name and pronouns. In addition, the presenters will cover ethical dilemmas to consider when working with this population, as well as opportunities for advocacy.
By the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to
- Describe the 4 pathways that can be taken to pursue gender congruence.
- Explain at least 2 ethical issues that could come up when providing a psychological assessment to a transgender or gender diverse youth and their family.
- List 3 ways you will change your clinical practice in order to be an ally to transgender community.
Extreme Risk Protective Orders in Maryland: Implications for Gun Violence Prevention and Practice
Meets the MD Licensing Requirement for Laws/Ethics or Risk Management
Presented by Shannon Frattaroli, Ph.D. MPH and Paul Nestadt, M.D. 3 CEs
In 2018 Maryland's Extreme Risk Protective Order (ERPO) (commonly known as a red flag) law was signed into law and took effect. Maryland was the first state to include licensed healthcare professionals as petitioners. We will review the evidence behind extreme risk laws, describe the latest research, and discuss the implication for clinical practice.
Firearm violence impacts all populations, but different populations are disproportionately impacted by different types of firearm violence. ERPO laws are new in Maryland, and discussions of how this gun violence prevention tool is used and received by different populations is an ongoing conversation and one that we will cover in our remarks.
By the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to
- Confidently identify when and how to use ERPO in clinical practice
- Integrate current literature with clinical decision making regarding ERPO
Tuesday Workshops
Executive Functions and Emotions: How Brains Learn, Remember and Decide
Presented by Rebecca Resnik, Psy.D. 3 CEs
Intermediate- Psychologists who have experience in the content area or are familiar with the literature.
Though we were trained to think of our brains as working like computers, the reality is that human brains are "not thinking machines that feel, but feeling machines that think " (Damasio). Psychologists who conduct therapy and testing alike recognize how emotions and experience influence the development of executive functioning. This presentation gives psychologists an introduction to key neuropsychological concepts about our "cognitive emotional brain" (Pesoa) that they can use to understand patients and provide psychoeducation. This talk covers how executive functions such as attention, working memory and behavioral inhibition are governed by emotional experiences. Also discussed is how anxiety, depression, and trauma (including cross-generational trauma, marginalization and acute trauma) influence executive functioning.
By the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to
- Describe the cognitive neuroscience of attention
- Explain how working memory and long term memory work as a system
- Describe the impact of allostatic load and chronic stress on patient's executive functioning
- Explain how acute, chronic and racial/ethic trauma impacts executive functioning
- Describe how anxiety and depression impact executive functioning and learning
Ensuring Competency in Video-Based Psychological Care
Meets the MD Licensing Requirement for Laws/Ethics or Risk Management
Meets PsyPact requirement for annual renewal
Intermediate- Psychologists who have experience in the content area or are familiar with the literature.
Video-based telehealth has demonstrated rapid and expansive adoption among mental health providers worldwide. Although comprehensive telehealth-focused education has been suggested as needed by field experts and guiding organizations to foster ethical, legal, evidence-informed and safe practice, available training opportunities have remained relatively limited and fragmented. To assist providers, the presentation will offer an evidence-informed discussion of the use of videoconferencing in psychological care, detailing multiple essential areas of a technology-enhanced practice. Following the defining of telehealth and associated terminology, current research findings of video-based telehealth will be outlined. Research-informed competencies will be detailed before logistical factors relevant to day-to-day use are defined. Helpful resources for practice will be provided.
By the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to
- Identify the key elements of contemporary videoconferencing-based research
- Identify at least two competencies relevant to the use of videoconferencing in psychological practice
- Describe at least three pertinent factors related to the provision of video-based services for psychological care
Wednesday Workshops
Overview of Psychological First Aid (PFA) and Considerations with Healthcare Providers Since the COVID-19 Pandemic
Presented by Jeffrey Lating, Ph.D. 3 CEs
Introductory- Psychologists who have little or no background in a specialized skill or content area, but do hold a doctorate degree
The purpose of this training is to provide an overview of psychological first aid (PFA), which may be considered the emotional analogue to physical first aid. The need for PFA will be reviewed, as well as its history, and requisite skills. The Johns Hopkins RAPID-PFA model will be explained, and an empirical example of its application will be described. The psychological toxicity associated with the COVID-19 pandemic will be used to describe how PFA can help to mitigate distress and improve functioning in healthcare providers.
By the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to
- Describe the historical context and core concepts of psychological first aid (PFA)
- Apply the basics of crisis communication techniques when doing PFA
- Describe the core components of the Johns Hopkins RADID model of PFA
- Explain the findings of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that utilized PFA
- Describe the need and of PFA for healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Improving OCD Treatment for Autistic Individuals through Patient-Therapist Neurodiverse Collaboration
Presented by Rebecca Sachs, Ph.D., and Max Wilson 3 CEs
Intermediate- Psychologists who have experience in the content area or are familiar with the literature.
How can therapists modify ERP treatment for autistic individuals with OCD? ERP is the gold standard treatment for OCD, however many OCD therapists lack either the knowledge or confidence on how to best approach and modify ERP when working with clients with co-occurring Autism and OCD. In a collaborative discussion, the presenters (a therapist specializing in treating OCD with individuals across the lifespan on the autism spectrum, and an autistic individual with OCD) will explore how ERP treatment may look different when working with autistic individuals, and what both clinicians and clients can do to get the most out of their treatment. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions/provide examples from their own experiences during the session.
By the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to
- Identify and understand modifications that can be used to address how core information processing differences of Autism can affect treatment
- Explain the importance of incorporating a strengths-based perspective into case conceptualization when utilizing ERP working with autism patients.
- Discuss the importance of listening to autistics and learn therapist strategies of fostering listening in and out of session as well as learn ways that autistics can self-advocate in the mental health community
Thursday Workshops
Challenging Implicit Bias: Tools for Professional Practice
Meets the MD Licensing Requirement for Cultural Diversity
Meets the MD Implicit Bias Training Requirement
This workshop will NOT be recorded.
Introductory- Psychologists who have little or no background in a specialized skill or content area, but do hold a doctorate degree
Have you ever heard someone say, “I don’t make assumptions about anyone.”? Have you said it yourself? Unfortunately, research shows us that the statement is nearly impossible to put into practice. At any given moment, we are exposed to millions of pieces of information, and neurons in our brain send signals at speeds over 100 mph. The very brain functions that help us navigate a complicated world can also lead us to follow unrecognized snap judgments and make decisions that recirculate patterns we may not even realize we’ve absorbed. And it is just as likely to show up in a professional clinical environment as it is in the grocery store aisle.
This interactive, dynamic workshop will explore what unconscious bias really is, why it exists, and what we can do about it. Participants will be invited to participate in dialogue exercises that examine our socialization and offer practical, evidence-based strategies for mitigating bias in our personal and professional lives.
By the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to
Friday Workshops
Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adulthood
Presented by David Black, Ph.D. 3 CEs
Intermediate- Psychologists who have experience in the content area or are familiar with the literature.
There has been a sharp increase in the number of adults self-referring for a first-time evaluation of autism spectrum disorder. Gold standard diagnostic assessment methods have primarily been developed in children. However, autism symptoms often present differently in adults and many autistic adults have become adept at masking their social challenges and unusual behaviors. As a result, evaluating autism in adults often requires a different set of tools and a distinct approach. This workshop will examine the unique challenges of evaluating autism in adults, discuss common mental health challenges of adults with autism and provide practical assessment strategies.
By the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to
- Identify key challenges in diagnosing adults with autism
- Understand masking/camouflaging in autism
- Provide a framework for evaluating and diagnosing adults with autism
Psychology and Social Justice: How our Field Contributes to Inequity and What we can Do About It
Meets the MD Licensing Requirement for Cultural Diversity
Presented by Bibinaz Pirayest, Ed.D. 3 CEs
Introductory- Psychologists who have little or no background in a specialized skill or content area, but do hold a doctorate degree
In response to events in recent months that have rekindled the national debate on social justice, we as a field, and as practitioners, must reflect on some of the unsettling realities of our society as well as our profession. Though many of us may have made sincere efforts to promote equality, we may be unaware of the epistemological underpinnings of our field which make it inherently patriarchal, Eurocentric, and androcentric. Some would argue that the entire field of Western psychology, with its emphasis on finding and diagnosing deficit – as compared to a norm set by one group – needs to be decolonized from the ground up. Similarly, it is up to each of us, as researchers and practitioners, to understand the historical and systemic factors that continue to maintain a status quo that further marginalizes already marginalized groups. As a result, we must each take it upon ourselves to examine our own beliefs as well as the beliefs, ideological formations, and hidden curriculums and practices of our field that work to harm rather than heal despite our intentions. This course is meant to invite participants to begin the very important conversation around these issues and to offer tools and strategies to help those in practice, especially in private practice, move toward more socially just outcomes for their clients.
By the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to
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