Brought to you by Burke, the Alzheimer’s Association, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council, Texas AHEC East, Stephen F. Austin State University School of Social Work and DSHS Rusk State Hospital, Mission Possible XXIII: Communities in Crisis – Breaking the Silence will be held on March 7, 2018, from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.
The Alzheimer’s Association invites the community to attend the preconference on Tuesday, March 6 from 6-8 pm at no charge. A panel of professionals will tackle the topic of disclosing your Alzheimer’s Diagnosis, in “To Tell or Not to Tell: Issues with Disclosing an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis. About the presentation, Ann Marie McDonald of the Alzheimer’s Association of Houston & Southeast Texas Chapter, “A recent study has found that, while over 90% of people with cancer receive a diagnosis, less than 50% of people with Alzheimer’s are told of their diagnosis. Our panel of caregivers and experts will share their experiences and perspectives on the challenges of receiving and sharing an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.”
The main conference will be kicked off on the morning of Wednesday, March 8th with a Keynote Address from Cheryl Sharp, MSW, ALWF, an expert from the National Council for Behavioral Health on Trauma-Informed Services and Suicide Prevention Efforts. Sharp has worked with adult trauma survivors for over 30 years and speaks nationally on trauma-informed care. She holds the unique perspective of a person who has recovered from significant mental health challenges, a trauma survivor, a family member of a loved one who died as a result of mental health challenges, and a provider of substance abuse and mental health services.
Breakout sessions throughout the day, featuring over twenty-five professionals and educators will tackle subjects such as “Mental Health and Behavior Issues in Schools,” “Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment: Protecting the most vulnerable,” “Ending the Stigma of Alzheimer’s,” Understanding Grief and Loss,” and “Eradicating Conflict in the Workplace.”
Conference pre-registration is:
- $60 for professionals seeking continuing education hours,
- $50 for the general public not in need of credit or contact hours
- $30 for students and consumers.
Registration information is found online at www.myburke.org/missionpossible.
Professional registration includes contact hours for nurses, counselors, social workers, LMFTs, activity professionals and Public School administrators, counselors and teachers. Offered are 3 hours of Ethics for LPCs, LMFTs, and social workers. Reduced registration rates are available for students and consumers.
Planning organizations of Mission Possible include Burke, Texas AHEC East of the Piney Woods Region, the Alzheimer’s Association, the Texas Department of State Health Services, Rusk State Hospital, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council, and the following Stephen F. Austin State University Departments, the School of Social Work, the Richard and Lucille DeWitt School of Nursing, and the School of Psychology Program of the Human Services Department.
The conference is made possible by event sponsors: Rock Prairie Behavioral Health, Oceans Behavioral Hospital Lufkin, Angelina College Division of Health Careers, Angels Care Home Health, and Heart to Heart Hospice.
