WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS

Alysia Smith Knight, Executive Director, Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations (TAMHO), Franklin, TN

Stephanie Cooper, Assistant Director, Office of Wellness and Employment, TDMHSAS, Nashville, TN

Cherrell Campbell-Street, Deputy Commissioner, Programs and Services, Tennessee Department of Human Services, Nashville, TN

Matt Yancey, Deputy Commissioner, Division of Mental Health Services, TDMHSAS, Nashville, TN

KEYNOTE SPEAKER INTRODUCTION

Sejal West, Assistant Commissioner, Division of Mental Health Services, TDMHSAS, Nashville, TN

CEs: 0.5 clock/contact hours

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Marie Williams, LCSW, Commissioner, TN Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS), Nashville, TN

During this session, join TDMHSAS Commissioner Marie Williams, as she describes how essential having a job is to the overall health and wellness of individuals. This presentation will focus on how one is able to address the Eight Dimensions of Wellness through the empowerment of work. Employment helps with a person’s emotional, financial, social, environmental, intellectual, physical, occupational wellness and can also expand one’s sense of purpose and meaning in life.

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize how work provides opportunities to be creative and expand knowledge and skills.
2. Acknowledge the workplace as a space where stimulating environments thrive, support can be found and sense of belonging is developed.
3. Gain an understanding of how a job provides opportunities to create pathways to resiliency, recovery and independence. 

CEs: 1.0 clock/contact hours

SESSION & PANEL INTRODUCTION

Constandina (Dina) Savvenas, Director, Statewide Peer Wellness Initiative, Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations (TAMHO), Franklin, TN

PANEL

Amy Cinnamon, Peer Wellness Coach, Cherokee Health, Knoxville, TN

Barry N. Floyd, Peer Wellness Coach, Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services, Oak Ridge, TN

Brandon Smith, Peer Wellness Coach, Ridgeview, Oak Ridge, TN

Jill Bishop, Peer Wellness Coach, McNabb Center, Knoxville, TN

Julie Fann, Peer Wellness Coach, Frontier Health, Johnson City, TN

Kathy Hankins, Peer Wellness Coach, Cherokee Health Systems, Knoxville, TN

Kerri Harris, Peer Wellness Coach, Cherokee Health Systems, Knoxville, TN

LeeAnn Crumley, Peer Wellness Coach, Frontier Health, Johnson City, TN

Join the Peer Wellness Coaches for a thorough introduction on becoming a First Aid Arts Responder. Just as First Aid Responders use their training and First Aid Kit to care for physical wounds, First Aid Arts Responders are trained to use their knowledge and First Aid Arts Toolkit to care for unseen mental and emotional wounds. This session is for anyone interested in using arts-based tools to reduce toxic stress and increase resilience in their own life and in the lives of others. Responders are trained to use the FAA Toolkit for self-care or for providing support to others on an individual basis.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how stress and trauma affect the triune brain;
2. Learn 3 key indicators of resilience: self-awareness, connection, and self-regulation; and,
3. Hands-on practice with some of the Response Card tools from the First Aid Arts toolkit.

CEs: 1.0 clock/contact hours

SESSION & PANEL INTRODUCTION

Stephanie Cooper, Assistant Director, Office of Wellness and Employment, TDMHSAS, Nashville, TN

PANEL

Jennie Keleher, IPS Trainer, IPS Employment Center, Columbia, SC

Dream Donald, IPS Program Manager, Park Center, Nashville, TN

Nathan Scarlett, Adult Outreach, Mental Health Cooperative, Nashville, TN

Community-based services play a vital role in the treatment of behavioral health conditions with many benefits ranging from helping to reduce stigma and increasing prevention efforts to creating faster access to care and improving well-being by making access to follow-up care more accessible. In this session panelists will discuss how different regions and programs provide services in the community and how impacts this impacts the outcomes of those they serve. This session will also explore the challenges providers face getting back into the community and methods they can use to overcome these barriers.

 Learning Objectives:

1.  Provide and understand the data that supports the notion of providing supported employment services in community settings as well how outcomes are affected by less time spent in the community.
2. Learn how other community-based programs provide services and different methods used to engage individuals where they are at.
3. Explore challenges Tennessee providers are experiencing with providing services outside of an office setting and ways they can increase time spent in the community.

CEs: 1.0 clock/contact hours

SESSION & SPEAKER INTRODUCTION

Mikayla Moore, Lead Trainer, Tennessee IPS, Knoxville, TN

SPEAKER

Marc Fagan, PsyD, Plan President, YouthCare / Centene, Chicago, IL

Transition-age youth represent a unique age range full of opportunity for development and self-discovery, especially through Supported Employment. Which is why services and supports should be calibrated specially to their needs. In this interactive and engaging session, participants will learn about best practices for transition-age youth and how the TIP Model, an evidence-informed practice, integrates with Supported Employment to assist young people in during their young adult years. 

Learning Objectives: 

1. Understand what makes the transition-age a unique stage for self-discovery and development.
2. Learn how the TIP Model and Supported Employment link closely to benefit young people.
3. Use the TIP Model guidelines to gain a few tips on how to best engage young people into your services.

CEs: 1.0 clock/contact hours

WELLNESS ACTIVITY AND WELCOME REMARKS

Barry Floyd, Peer Wellness Coach, Ridgeview Behavioral Health, Oak Ridge, TN

Constandina (Dina) Savvenas, Director, Statewide Peer Wellness Initiative, Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations (TAMHO), Franklin, TN

Kevin Wright, Assistant Commissioner, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, TDHS, Nashville, TN

Sejal West, Assistant Commissioner, Division of Mental Health Services, TDMHSAS, Nashville, TN

Tiffanie Whitaker, IPS Trainer | Director, Tennessee IPS, Nashville, TN

Constandina (Dina) Savvenas, Director, Statewide Peer Wellness Initiative, Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations (TAMHO), Franklin, TN

Peer Wellness Initiative Awards

• Peer Wellness Coach of the Year
• Peer Wellness Team Player of the Year Award

Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Awards

• Employee of the Year Award
• Student of the Year Award
• Employer of the Year Award
• IPS Specialist of the Year Award
• IPS Team Leader of the Year Award
• IPS Vocational Rehabilitation Team Member of the Year Award

Peggy Swarbrick Excellence in Service and Advocacy Award

Debbie Becker Excellence in Service Award

Bob Drake Advocacy Award

WELLNESS ACTIVITY

Julie Fann, Peer Wellness Coach, Frontier Health, Johnson City, TN

Constandina (Dina) Savvenas, Director, Statewide Peer Wellness Initiative, Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations (TAMHO), Franklin, TN

SESSION & SPEAKER INTRODUCTION

Constandina (Dina) Savvenas, Director, Statewide Peer Wellness Initiative, Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations (TAMHO), Franklin, TN

SPEAKER

Leighanne Gerstbrien, MA, CHES, Wellness Consultant, Exercise Physiologist, & Nutrition Coach, MTM Services, Holly Springs, NC

In this course, you will explore the intricate connections between the mental, physical, social, and occupational dimensions of wellness, and discover effective strategies to enhance each aspect. You will delve into practical methods to improve well-being both personally and within your organization, which are crucial for preventing burnout among providers. Additionally, you will learn straightforward best practices to share with consumers, making healthy behavior changes and habit maintenance more manageable, thereby increasing job retention rates. Finally, you will receive a complimentary well-being and engagement assessment tool to use with your team, helping you gauge your team’s well-being and engagement levels and understand their impact on the quality of care provided.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the correlation between the mental, physical, social, and occupational dimensions of wellness and learn best practices to optimize each dimension.
2. Discuss tangible strategies to boost well-being, for yourself and within your organization, that are necessary for providers to help prevent burnout.
3. Learn simple best practices to share with consumers that bring ease to healthy behavior change and healthy habit maintenance to increase the likelihood of job retention.
4. Gain your own free well-being and engagement assessment tool to share with your team to understand where your team stands on well-being and engagement and how it’s impacting levels of care provided. 

CEs: 1.0 clock/contact hours

SESSION & SPEAKER INTRODUCTION

Kiara "Key" Hunt, Trainer, Tennessee IPS, Nashville, TN

SPEAKER

Jack Brantley, Statewide On Track TN Trainer - Lead, Park Center, Nashville, TN

Psychosis is a broad term that includes diverse symptoms or experiences causing significant changes in one's perception, beliefs, thoughts, and even behavior. In this presentation, we will explore an overview of First Episode Psychosis (FEP), including symptoms, experiences, and treatment. We will discuss the unique challenges that impact Youth and Young Adults experiencing Psychosis along with typical barriers to care. We will conclude with tips and recommendations for increasing engagement with providers and professionals who are assisting in the wellness journey.      

Learning Objectives:

1. Provide a clear understanding of First Episode Psychosis including symptoms and treatment;
2. Explore challenges and barriers to care for those experiencing First Episode Psychosis; and,
3. Provide practical strategies and guidance to increase engagement in treatment for individuals experiencing a Severe Mental Illness (SMI), including Psychosis.  

CEs: 1.0 clock/contact hours

SESSION & PANEL INTRODUCTION

Tiffanie Whitaker, IPS Trainer | Director, Tennessee IPS, Nashville, TN

PANEL

Patricia Taylor, LCSW, Program Manager, Pathways Behavioral Health, Jackson, TN

Constandina (Dina) Savvenas, Director, Statewide Peer Wellness Initiative, Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations (TAMHO), Franklin, TN

Liz Callahan, Team Lead, Tennessee Mental Health Consumers' Association (TMHCA), McMinnville, TN

Emma Brown, Counselor, Vocational Rehabilitation, Nashville, TN

Marquisia Maxie-Harton, MA, CPWIC, Benefits Counselor Director, Tennessee IPS, Jackson, TN

Steven Lamb, BA, Employment Specialist for Hawkins/Hancock Counties, Frontier Health, Gray, TN

A successful employment outcome is the goal of every supported employment program but how do we get there and what does that look like? Panelists representing all aspects of the supported employment journey (from clinician and employment specialist, benefits counselor and employer, to the job seekers themselves) will discuss the role they each play in this journey. Panelists will also discuss the importance of learning about the job seeker’s preferences and how to build supports around these preferences.

Learning Objectives

1.  Understand the role each member of an individual’s employment team plays in the process of creating a successful employment outcome.
2. Explore what a successful employment outcome is and how it can look different for each job seeker.
3. Recognize the importance of individualized services and honoring the job seeker’s preference at each stage of the employment journey and how this created a successful outcome.

CEs: 1.0 clock/contact hours

SESSION & PANEL INTRODUCTION

Mark Liverman, Director, Office of Wellness and Employment, TDMHSAS, Nashville, TN

PANEL

Amanda Bracht, CEO, Park Center, Nashville, TN

Jordan Young, Director of Employment, Education, and Advocacy, Tennessee Mental Health Consumers' Association, Nashville, TN

Marie Maxie, Director for IPS Supported Employment, Pathways Behavioral Health, Jackson, TN

Sheri Blankenbeckler, Employment Services Team Leader, Frontier Health, Kingsport, TN

Julie Smith, Program Manager, Mental Health Cooperative, Nashville, TN

Executive leadership support is important for any program’s success as it sets the tone for the agency. The same is true for IPS programs. In this session we will discuss why having executive leadership buy in is important, the role this plays in agency wide support for supported employment, and how this impacts the outcomes of the IPS team. Panelists will discuss how they engage their own leadership or agency and how this can be applied to other agencies across the state.

Learning Objectives

1.  Recognize the importance of having agency support for supported employment services and how this support can impact the outcomes of the IPS team and the individuals they serve.
2. Explore challenges IPS teams face getting their agency and executive leadership involved with the supported employment program.
3. Learn different ways to approach and engage the executive leadership at their agency.

CEs: 1.0 clock/contact hours

DISCUSSION FACILITATOR

Constandina (Dina) Savvenas, Director, Statewide Peer Wellness Initiative, Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations (TAMHO), Franklin, TN

TARGET AUDIENCE: Peer Wellness Coaches

The Peer Wellness Coaches will have a hands-on opportunity to fine tune their facilitation and presentation skills with feedback, and role-play core self-management tools from the CDSMP/DSMP/CPSMP, as well as First Aid Arts Response Cards.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn ways to find your own unique presentation style;
2. Practice facilitating core self-management tools from SMRC; and,
3. Master the language of the First Aid Arts program.

CEs: 1.0 clock/contact hours

DISCUSSION FACILITATOR

Tiffanie Whitaker, IPS Trainer | Director, Tennessee IPS, Nashville, TN

Mikayla Moore, Lead Trainer, Tennessee IPS, Knoxville, TN

Jesselyn Rives, Trainer, Tennessee IPS, Memphis, TN

Kiara "Key" Hunt, Trainer, Tennessee IPS, Nashville, TN

William Otey, Trainer, Tennessee IPS, Nashville, TN

TARGET AUDIENCE: IPS Practitioners, IPS Leadership, and IPS Treatment Team Members

This session will provide an opportunity for IPS and treatment team members to work together in developing search and support plans for employment.

IPS practitioners and treatment team members will learn about ways they can collaboratively help people achieve their employment goals.

IPS team members, care managers, peer support specialists, therapists, medication providers, VR counselors, and all other treatment team members are encouraged to attend this session. 

CEs: 1.0 clock/contact hours

DISCUSSION FACILITATOR

Constandina (Dina) Savvenas, Director, Statewide Peer Wellness Initiative, Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations (TAMHO), Franklin, TN

TARGET AUDIENCE: Peer Wellness Coaches

The Peer Wellness Coaches will have a hands-on opportunity to fine tune their facilitation and presentation skills with feedback, and role-play core self-management tools from the CDSMP/DSMP/CPSMP, as well as First Aid Arts Response Cards.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn ways to find your own unique presentation style;
2. Practice facilitating core self-management tools from SMRC; and,
3. Master the language of the First Aid Arts program.

CEs: 1.0 clock/contact hours

DISCUSSION FACILITATOR

Tiffanie Whitaker, IPS Trainer | Director, Tennessee IPS, Nashville, TN

TARGET AUDIENCE: IPS Practitioners, IPS Leadership, and IPS Treatment Team Members

During this session, attendees will divide into three role-specific groups: IPS practitioners, IPS leadership, and IPS treatment team members. Each group will share ideas for how they can support IPS services.

The IPS practitioner group will focus on how to identify and provide employment and education support.

The IPS leadership group will share ideas for training and monitoring tools for ensuring effective supports are provided.

The treatment team member group will discuss ways to work alongside IPS teams to ensure wraparound support for employment and education goals is promoted. 

CEs: 1.0 clock/contact hours