Safe, quality behavioral health care is the ultimate goal for all health care providers. The Fifth Annual Conference on Behavioral Health Care offers multiple opportunities to learn new information and new methods to address major issues in behavioral health care related to client safety and quality of care. Plenary session topics set the tone with overarching themes while dedicated track sessions ensure that you will come away with current information, timely application, and shared tools to enhance knowledge and skills among providers within free-standing behavioral health care facilities as well as in-patient, psychiatric hospital settings

Consider the issues and the questions:

• Suicide accounts for approximately 32,000 deaths per year, ranking as a high risk-low frequency event as well as a major Joint Commission Sentinel Event. What methods for prevention of suicide have been successful for both psychiatric hospitals and free standing behavioral health care facilities? 
• Today more than ever, health care organizations look to simplify processes and procedures that will allow providers to spend more time with their clients and less time on tasks, that while important, are not vital to client outcomes. Currently two of the better known performance improvement methods are Six Sigma and Lean Thinking, both drawn from manufacturing and finding increasing use in health care. What effect does either or both of these performance improvement approaches have on behavioral health care?
• Evidence-based approaches to behavioral health care prevention or treatment are in contrast to approaches based on tradition, convention, belief, or anecdotal evidence. How does the National Registry of Evidence Based Programs & Practices decide what is placed onto the "list"?
• Major emergencies resulting from a myriad of causes such as major natural disasters can place a huge strain on behavioral health care staff and facilities. How can behavioral health care facilities and staff be better prepared for emergency situations?

Medication reconciliation and polypharmacy remain challenges for many in health care. What is currently happening in free-standing behavioral health care facilities and psychiatric hospital-based organizations to meet these challenges?

Questions are the first step in the change process. The conference will take you through the next steps to help you derive the answers and it is the answers to these questions that form the core of the Fifth National Conference on Behavioral Health Care. Each plenary session addresses one question and it in turn is followed by a setting-specific, interactive track that takes the information one step further. Using their organization as a case-study format, the faculty walk you through their particular scenario-- whether emergency preparedness, medication reconciliation, suicide prevention or performance improvement-- from initial steps to next steps. You will leave with the knowledge of the process as well as the tools used by each faculty's organization to engineer change in your facility.

Brochure

• Objectives
  At the end of this conference, participants will be able to: 
  
  
• Analyze methods used in medication reconciliation for enhancement of individual organizational processes
• Relate the purpose of Lean Thinking and Six Sigma performance improvement initiatives to their organization, applying selected elements as needed for improvement
• Investigate the practice of poly-pharmacy and its effect on client outcomes
• Examine the shared suicide prevention strategies as a baseline from which to benchmark organizational progress toward outcomes improvement
• Compare and contrast the benefits of integrating behavioral health care and primary care
• Use the vision of the future of behavioral health care as a springboard for strategic planning
• Evaluate emergency preparedness with the goal of merging shared best practices with current tactics
• Successfully complete the Psychological First Aid course presented by the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago
  
  Target Audience
  The conference is designed for and will be of interest to all those across the behavioral health care continuum including psychologists, social workers, nurses, physicians, counselors, administrators, and quality improvement and risk management professionals within community mental health centers; community or facility based behavioral health care organizations and agencies serving children, youth and their families; addictions treatment programs; opioid treatment programs; psychiatric hospitals and medical-surgical hospitals with psychiatric or dependency programs/services.
  

Day One - December 9, 2008

8:00 - 8:30 am
Opening/Welcome

Moderator: Mary Cesar-Murphy, PhD
Executive Director
Behavioral Health Care
The Joint Commission

8:30 - 9:15 am
Keynote

Mark R. Chassin, MD, MPP, MPH
President
The Joint Commission

9:15-10:30 am
Plenary : Visioning for Behavioral Health Care-The Future is Now

Ms. Rosenberg will examine current trends and issues that affect clients and providers across behavioral health care today, and discuss how those changes will influence the future.

Linda Rosenberg, MSW
President and CEO, National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare

10:30-10:45
Break

10:45 am-12:00 pm
1 A   Integrating Behavioral Health Care and Primary Care

Because the majority of those with behavioral health care needs are more likely to see their primary care provider, the need for integration of the two services is crucial and this session outlines the steps taken to do so within a community behavioral health care setting.

Donna Sabourin, MA, LLP
Executive Director
Washtenaw Community Support and Treatment Services
Ypsilanti, MI

1B  Measures for Acute In-patient Psychiatric Settings

Learn first hand about the recently completed performance measures for Hospital- Based Inpatient Psychiatric Services which include admission screening for violence risk, substance use, psychological trauma history and patient strengths; hours of physical restraint and seclusion use; antipsychotic medications upon discharge and post discharge continuing care plan information.

Celeste Milton, MPH, BSN, RN
Associate Project Director for Hospital Based In Patient Services
Division of Research
The Joint Commission

12:00 - 1:00 pm
Lunch

Afternoon - Tracks

Track A
Performance Improvement/ Performance Measurement Initiatives

Track B
Issues in Freestanding Behavioral Health Care

Track C
Issues in Inpatient Hospital Psych

1:00 - 2:15 pm
2A Six Sigma/Lean Thinking
Lean/Six Sigma is a business improvement methodology translated from business and manufacturing to health care. The Astor Home for Children uses Lean/Six Sigma as a means to improved staff hiring and Ms. Weisberg will share their "case study" with you.

Melinda Weisberg, M.Ed.
Director, Public Policy and Strategic Initiatives
The Astor Home for Children
Rhinebeck, NY

2B Polypharmacy

The use of multiple medications or poly-pharmacy is a concern among those in all age groups as improper management of the medication portfolio may lead to adverse drug-drug interactions.  This session will explore the issues and discuss current strategies for safe medication use.

Joseph J Parks, MD
Chief Clinical Officer & Comprehensive Psychiatric Services Division Director
Missouri Department of Mental Health
Jefferson City, MO

2C Medication Reconciliation in Inpatient  Psychiatric/Addiction Units and Free-Standing Psychiatric  Hospital Settings

An overview to the 2009 Medication Reconciliation National Patient Safety Goal focusing on building patient safety principles into medication reconciliation, developing measures, data collection and analysis of performance along with improving NPSG related systems using strategies, tips and more!

Richard Scalenghe, CPHQ
CSR Regional Representative
Joint Commission Resources

2:15 - 2:30 pm
Break

2:30 - 3:45 pm
3A Six Sigma/Lean Thinking

Dr Tsoubris will walk you through the Lean/Six Sigma methodology as it is used in the Astor Home for Children to help increase the billing  process and will help you to understand the benefits of this philosophy within your organizational culture.

Konstantinos Tsoubris, Ph.D.
Assistant Executive Director
The Astor Home for Children
Duchess Community Based Services
Poughkeepsie, New York

3B Suicide Prevention

Stephanie Weber, founder of Survivors of Suicide, a 20-year-old self-help group is a well-known suicidologist, grief counselor, speaker and crisis coach. Her presentation will focus on preventive strategies for free standing behavioral health care facilities.

Stephanie Weber
Executive Director
Suicide Prevention Services
Batavia, IL

3C Suicide Risk Assessment & Risk Reduction: Overcoming the Failure Modes and Supporting Clinician Confidence

Identifying static and dynamic risk factors that can be addressed and/or mitigated is central to reducing suicide and suicidal behavior and to supporting hope and recovery.  Behavioral health service experiences that translate clinical research into practice, bridging the gap between evidence-based medicine and direct service, will be reviewed.  Failure Mode Effect Analysis is used to address critical points in treatment and reassessment of suicide risk while methods for assessing suicide risk and utilizing assessment findings to drive treatment planning, risk reduction, crisis management, and discharge planning will be discussed offering specific, pragmatic program practices to operationalize evidence-based and best practices.

Yad Jabbarpoour, MD, Catawba Hospital

3:45 - 4:15 pm
Panel Discussion/Q & A

James McGuirk, PhD
Executive Director/CEO, The Astor Home for Children

Day Two - December 10, 2008

8:00 - 8:15 am
Update/Announcements

8:15 - 9:45 am
The Evidence Based Practices: What goes on the SAMHSA "List"?

The National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices is a voluntary, self-nominating system in which intervention developers elect to participate. There will always be some interventions that are not submitted to NREPP, and not all that are submitted are reviewed. In addition, new intervention summaries are continually being added. The purpose of the registry, which is expected to grow to a large number of interventions over the coming months and years, is to assist the public in identifying approaches to preventing and treating mental and/or substance use disorders that have been scientifically tested and that can be readily disseminated to the field. NREPP is one way that SAMHSA is working to improve access to information on tested interventions and thereby reduce the lag time between the creation of scientific knowledge and its practical application in the field. Dr. Hennessey will provide an overview of the NREPP and discuss the why and how of material on the registry.

Kevin Hennessy, PhD
Science to Service Coordinator
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

9:45 - 10:15 am
Break & Hotel Checkout

10:15- 11:30 am
Plenary - Red Cross Training: The Psychological First Aid Course Part I

An overview and Part I of the Psychological First Aid Course for licensed behavioral health care providers, the purpose of which is to prepare American Red Cross workers to provide basic care, comfort and support to people who are experiencing disaster related stress. Participants will receive an overview of the Disaster Mental Health role within the American Red Cross, the definition Psychological First Aid, and learn to recognize disaster related stress.

Rebecca Streifler LCSW
Director of Health & International Services
American Red Cross of Greater Chicago

11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Lunch

Afternoon Tracks
Track A
Red Cross Training for Mental Health Professionals

Track B
Issues in Freestanding Behavioral Health Care

Track C
Issues in Inpatient Hospital Psych

12:30 - 1:45 pm
4A Part II of the Psychological First Aid Course
In this session, participants will be able to delve deeper into the components of Psychological First Aid. They will learn when it is time to make appropriate referrals and will have an opportunity to practice Psychological First Aid. In addition, it provides practical suggestions about what you can say and do as you practice the principles of Psychological First Aid.

Participants who complete both the Plenary and Track sessions will earn their Red Cross certificate for completing the Psychological First Aid course.

Rebecca Streifler, LCSW
(NOTE: Session will be repeated to allow all participants the opportunity to participate)

4B Evidence Based Practice Cultural Adaptation Initiative: Providing Evidence Based Practice to Populations of Color
In 2006, the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health announced awards to adapt delivery of evidence-based practices (EBPs) compatible with the cultures of populations of color served by these organizations (Latinos and African Americans), a focus of the Foundation's Cultural Adaptation Initiative. The program sought to increase availability of effective mental health services for people of color in Texas and to generate new knowledge about cultural adaptations of EBPs. The presentation will review program components, examples of cultural adaptations of EBPs, evaluation data and lessons learned from the project.

Rick Ybarra, MA
Hogg Foundation for Mental Health
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX  

4C Evidence Based Practice Integrating the Recovery Model into Inpatient Acute Psychiatry
Recovery based programming requires a change in approach and attitude of staff in order to promote change in clients' attitude.  Recovery based treatment focuses on strengths rather than weaknesses, resiliency rather than illness, empowerment rather than dependence, and self determination rather than traditional paternalistic planning.  

This presentation discusses how recovery based treatment has become a best practice and treatment philosophy for an inpatient acute psychiatric unit, providing acute crisis stabilization treatment for 20 adult patients with primary psychiatric diagnoses and a high percentage of dual diagnoses who were admitted both involuntarily and voluntarily.

Lora Cunningham, RNC, CARN, BA
Riverside Methodist Hospital
Columbus, OH 

1:45 - 2:00 pm
Break

2:00 - 3:15 pm
COURSE REPEATED!
5A  Part II of the Psychological First Aid Course
Same as earlier listing!

In this session, participants will be able to delve deeper into the components of Psychological First Aid. They will learn when it is time to make appropriate referrals and will have an opportunity to practice Psychological First Aid. In addition, it provides practical suggestions about what you can say and do as you practice the principles of Psychological First Aid.

Participants who complete both the Plenary and Track sessions will earn their Red Cross certificate for completing the Psychological First Aid course.

Rebecca Streifler, LCSW

5B  Emergency Preparedness Planning for Small Residential Providers
Designed for small healthcare organizations with a handful of employees, this session will help you to develop an evacuation plan, shelter-in-place plan, continuity of operations plan and the community response partners to handle emergency plans.

Kathleen Lysak
Clarity Health Care
Georgia

5C  Firestorm 2007: Two Hospitals Working  Together to Accomplish Safe Evacuation, Transfer and Placement of Mental Health Patients 
Learn how two hospitals , Sharp Mesa Vista and Aurora Behavioral Health Hospital worked together to admit patients to 2 facilities during the 5 day period during which San Diego experienced wildfires, providing emergency credentialing for nurses and physicians to assist with the transition. This presentation will discuss activities to put in place prior to a code triage, training of staff on the Incident Command System and National Incident Management System for Healthcare Organizations.  

Kathi Lencioni, MPH, FACHE, Sharp Healthcare

3:15
Conference Close

December 9-10, 2008, Chicago, IL

Hotel Information and Program Location
Westin Michigan Avenue
909 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 888-627-8385
Room rate: $179
Cut-off date: November 17, 2008

2009 Annual Behavioral Health Care Conference
Fall 2009
Chicago, IL

The Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources (JCR) are seeking proposals for practitioner-based, change-focused practices for its 2009 Annual Behavioral Health Care Conference. The focus of the session(s) should include new processes, technologies, techniques and/or tools, creativity and innovation used within any health care setting that has achieved sustained improvements related to the key health care issues. Please check the appropriate answers within the application. Presentation proposals and deliverables must be submitted via online registration found at the bottom of the page.  Submission due date is October 1, 2008.  Confirmation of receipt of your submission will be sent via e-mail.   Questions may be submitted to: behavioralconf2009@jcrinc.com. 

Joint Commission Resources encourages faculty at live conferences to engage the audience and integrate them as part of faculty presentations. We find this is a value added component to education and provides the audience with an experiential part of learning. Engaging the audience could include using workgroups, quizzes, voting systems, interactive communication, problem-solving, etc. Should your abstract be accepted and you be selected for a live presentation, please be sure to tell us how you could integrate the audience into your presentation within your application.

Proposal Information

1. Enter your Information
    a. Enter the title of the proposed presentation.
    b. Provide presentation topic, length, target audience, work setting, seminar description, and teaching method.
    c. Provide at least one learning objectives for the session.

2. Enter presenter information
    a. Provide the name and preferred contact information.
    b. Give a brief description of your prefessional experience related to the topic and biography (limited to 100 words).
    c. Note any prior presentations made, location, dates and references (when applicable).
    d. Note: There is a limit of two presenters.

3. Confirm and submit proposal information.

To begin the online submission process, click on this link:  Online submission form.  On the application drop down box, please pick the call for presentation you would like to submit.  

The Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources/Joint Commission International value the relationships shared with corporate underwriters. Through support in the form of unrestricted grants, corporate underwriters provide an important means for enriching the content and quality of our products and services. For further details about the 2008 opportunities for corporate underwriting support, please contact Karin Jay, Director of Corporate Development at 630.268.7460 or kjay@jcrinc.com or Corinne Prabhaker, Development Coordinator at 630.268.3748 or cprabhaker@jcrinc.com.

December 9-10, 2008, Chicago, IL
Program code: 08100
Program fee: $649 per registrant
Early bird fee: $599 per registrant
(Expires 30 days before the program)
Teams of three of more: $550 per registrant
(Team members must all register at the same time)
To register for this program, please call Customer Service at 877-223-6866.

Please note: JCR’s concern for safety, quality, and sustainability extends beyond the health care setting. We’ve gone paperless in an effort to reduce paper waste and mitigate our impact on the environment. Handouts will be provided onsite.  You can download program materials from our website once the program is over. The necessary login and password information will be provided to you at the conference.