August 24-25, 2023
Agenda
Speakers
DAVID WRIGHT has been employed in human services for the past 37 years, with 28 of them in direct clinical practice. He is currently the owner and psychotherapist of Wright and Associates, LLC in Waseca, MN. David is a graduate of California State University-Sacramento where he completed both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Social Work. In 1989 David was employed as a Clinical Social Worker under the late Dr. Richard Heilman at the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis, Drug Dependency Treatment Program. In 1993 he was assigned as a supervisor of the then newly created Addictive Disorders section of Psychiatry at that facility. It was during this time in which his interest increased regarding substance use treatment for special populations and co-occurring disorders. David is the founder of the “Co-Occurring Disorders Symposium” – for the past 12 years, this conference has been dedicated to the education of behavioral health professionals. Additionally, David currently serves as the Mental Health Professional on the Steele-Waseca Minnesota Drug Court Team. David has presented regularly at various state and regional conferences on various topics regarding the treatment of co-occurring disorders. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran, a member of the American Legion and lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans.
Presentation: Co-Occurring Persistent Depressive (Dysthymic) Disorder & Substance Abuse: Diagnostic Jenga
BRITTANY McGRAW is a psychotherapist and Director of Clinical Therapy within the department of Psychiatry at UIHC. Brittany obtained her bachelor’s degree in social work from Loras College in Dubuque and her master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to working at UIHC, Brittany worked as a therapist at a non-profit (Riverview Center) with middle and high school students who had experienced sexual assault. Since coming to UIHC, Brittany has held a variety of positions, including working as a social worker in the Emergency Dept, the Crisis Stabilization Unit, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center Behavioral Oncology program and Outpatient Psychiatry. Through her work, Brittany has lead initiatives at UIHC to develop and/or update policies and provide trainings on domestic violence, human trafficking, trauma-informed care, and vicarious trauma. Brittany also heads the UIHC domestic violence and human trafficking sub-working groups and is a member of the Protection of Persons Working Group and Trauma-Informed Care Initiative. Brittany is co-coordinator of the Johnson County Human Trafficking Coalition, an interdisciplinary coalition made up of various community members who may interact with human trafficking victim/survivors that work together to increase awareness of the issue of human trafficking and enhance access of resources. Outside the realm of healthcare, Brittany also is a dance teacher at a studio in Cedar Rapids and enjoys reading and spending time with her family and pet bird, Echo.
Presentation: Vicarious Trauma, Resilience & Mindfulness
d auge (they/them) is originally from Vyatskoye, Siberia and moved to Iowa with their mother at the age of five. d completed their bachelor’s degree at Saint Ambrose University and double majored in English Literature and Piano Performance. d joined Community and Family Resources Prevention Team in Iowa City as a Prevention Specialist in December 2022. In this position, d works under several different prevention grants which focus on a multitude of topics including alcohol, tobacco, gambling, marijuana, opioids, and prescription drugs. Additionally d is involved with several local community coalitions, and teaches the DUI course.
d graduated with their Master of Arts in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Development in May 2023 and intends to go on to earn their PhD in Clinical Psychology. d’s passions lie in helping others.
Presentation: Drug Trends 2023
T.D. HOSTIKKA has been in the addictions field for over 15 years both as a clinician in inpatient and outpatient, and as a Director of Residential Services. Prior to COVID, T. D. taught at the collegiate level teaching Psychology, Sociology, and Philosophy. T. D. joined Rosecrance Jackson in December 2020 as Director of Residential Services. In addiction services, T. D. specializes in methamphetamine specific treatment and stimulant use disorders, developing long-term programs and training residential facilities and counselors to provide specialized services. He was hired by the Performance Institute out of Washington D.C. to speak and present his findings on methamphetamine specific programming at conferences throughout the United States. T. D. has also developed and facilitated a co-existing group for both the recovering addict and their significant other. T. D. spent 2 years working with adult and adolescent sex offenders at the Minnesota State Hospital in St. Peter, Minnesota, he helped to develop the Rock / Nobles County Drug Court and was the primary addiction therapist for 3 years for that Drug Court, part of that time T. D. served on a board of directors developing two sober living homes in southwest Minnesota. T. D. was born and raised in the state of Washington but has called the upper Midwest home since 1991. T. D. earned his B.S. in Social Science from Washington State University, his M.S. in Behavioral/Mental Health from Capella University in Minneapolis, MN, he also earned a post graduate certificate in Contemporary Counseling of Addictive Behaviors from Capella. T. D. earned his M.Div. in Practical Theology from Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA and is currently a PhD student (ABD) in Forensic Psychology at Walden University.
Presentation: Spirituality – Grace Restored
THOMAS EACHUS is a licensed Independent Social Worker in the State of Iowa and current Executive Director of Black Hawk Grundy Mental Health Center, Inc., an affiliate of Allen Health Systems, UnityPoint Health in Waterloo. He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1980 with his Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and worked at the Bremwood Lutheran Children’s Home, now part of Lutheran Services in Iowa, before joining the staff at the State Mental Health Institute in Independence, working on the Cromwell Children’s Unit. He was employed with the State of Iowa from 1980 to 1983 at which time he entered the MSW program at the University of Iowa. He graduated in 1985 with his Master’s degree in social work and returned to work at the Children’s Unit at MHI until 1988. In August 1988, he began working at the Black Hawk Grundy Mental health Center, coordinating their new Community Support Program while providing outpatient clinical services. In 1993 he was appointed Executive Director. In January 2015 he became an employee of Allen Health Systems, UnityPoint Health when the Mental Health Center became an affiliate of UnityPoint Health. He continues to provide a variety of clinical serviced to patients of the Center as well as serving on a number of local advisory boards and committees.
Presentation: Ethics in a Post Pandemic Era (Please note this presentation requires extra registration to attend.)
DONALD GILBERT, MS, PhD, LMHC, BCPC, CISM-1, has been licensed in Iowa since 1994, and is owner and President of New Life Counseling with offices in Ankeny, West Des Moines and Pleasant Hill. He is an author, speaker and trainer. Certified as a Dr. John Maxwell Team Member, and certified in Dr. Amen’s Process of Treatment, Don offers a unique blend of experience, education and practical “Principles for Living” to help clients achieve personal and professional goals. He also develops and offers continuing education courses to professionals in the field.
Presentation: Boundaries in Relationships: The Impact of Substance Use and Abuse
MYLEENA GRENIS has been in the field of Social Work for almost 15 years serving in an array of different roles including early childhood intervention, substance use disorders, parent educator, medical social work and more. She worked for the University of Iowa Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program as a psychotherapist serving individuals between the ages of 13-39 and their families. Currently she works for the Clear Creek Amana Community School District as a School Therapist in the Middle School and High School and also works for Meadowlark Psychiatric Services where she continues to serve individuals impacted by chronic illness. Myleena believes in meeting individuals where they are and utilizes Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy techniques in addition to expressive arts. Myleena loves the outdoors and road trips. Adolescent mental health is not a glamorous world but providing therapy in the public school system is truly eye opening and finds serving the under-served to be rewarding work. Her connection to nature and her country roots is grounding and calming amidst the chaos.
Presentation: Engaging the Disengaged Adolescent
SHARAINE WEBSTER, LMSW, IADC, is currently working as a therapist and addictions counselor in private practice and an adjunct instructor for the University of Iowa School of Social Work. She completed her undergraduate degree in Social Work with an emphasis in education at the University of Iowa, and received her master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of New England. She has been a certified alcohol & drug counselor since 2012 but has been working in the field for long before that point. Sharaine has researched and developed several evidence-based curriculums for adolescents and adults, as well as provided trainings in the community on topics such as diversity, human sexuality, addiction, LGBTQIA+, and clinical aspects (i.e. assessment, evaluation, ASAMs, treatment planning) to others in the profession. She is also a member of IBC’s Training and Ethics Committees, the Iowa Club of Des Moines, the Polk County JCS African American Case Review Team, and the Iowa Chapter of NASW.
Presentation: Brave Spaces: Creating a Culturally Sensitive Environment in the Workplace
THAD SHUNKWILER is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Science. In addition to his academic work, he is a licensed behavioral health provider with over a decade of experience in treating people with mental health and substance use disorders in rural Minnesota. In 2021, he was named a Presidential Teaching Scholar and one of seventeen healthcare professionals in the country named a Rural Health Fellow of the National Rural Health Association. In 2022, he was named to the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health and received a Governor’s appointment to the Board of Marriage and Family Therapy.
Presentation: You’re Addicted to What? Examining the Intersection of Process Addictions & Mental Health