Program Description This conference focuses on the mental health needs of children and adolescents in the State of West Virginia, particularly as it relates to accessing mental health services. It will provide an opportunity for advocates, mental health professionals and political activists at the national, state and local levels to meet and discuss current resources, future planning, and concerns related to access to mental health services for children and adolescents.  This creates a forum to discuss the challenges faced by physicians, community mental health clinics, schools as well as parents to identify and obtain qualified services for children and adolescents with mental health issues of different degrees of severity. It highlights the strides made by the State to overcome some of these challenges. The conference discusses cooperative ways to continue to improve youth mental health care. A special focus of this program is to develop a specific plan of action with clear objectives and with the commitment to continue this dialogue. Further meetings and follow up on the progress will be discussed at the conference. Target audience: child advocates, counselors, physicians, psychologists, social workers, teachers and educators.

Registration Information

To register for Access to Youth Mental Health Services please complete the registration form return it by May 23, 2008. Mail the application to the Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry Conference Office, along with your payment (checks made payable to West Virginia University). If you are unable to attend the program after you have registered, you must notify us by a week prior to the program to receive a refund. No refunds will be made after this date.

We reserve the right to cancel individual sessions or the entire program. In the event of a program cancellation, a full tuition refund will be made. Program fees include materials, breaks and continuing education credits.

For more information, call 304-293-2637 or e-mail: kcrosby@hsc.wvu.edu.

The Program

Objectives

At the conclusion of this program, participants should be able to:

• discuss challenges faced by clinicians, schools and parents dealing with the access crises in youth
  mental health services.

• identify cooperative ways communities might undertake to lessen the difficulties accessing youth
  mental health services.
  
  
• explain innovative interventions developed by the State to improve mental health services in
  West Virginia.

• develop an effective advocacy plan at local, State and National levels to better advocate on
  behalf of children and adolescents in need of mental health service

The Faculty

Judge Russell M. Clawges, Jr.
Chief Judge, 17th Judicial Circuit, Monongalia County, Morgantown, WV

Angela Ferrari
Consumer and Community Affairs Director, APS Healthcare, Charleston WV

Kathy George, MA
Director of Special Education, Preston County Board of Education, Kingwood, WV

Toni B. Goodykoontz, MD, JD
Assistant Professor, WVU Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry and Medical Director, Inpatient Adolescent Program, Chestnut Ridge Center, Morgantown, WV

Christopher B. Gould
Legislative Assistant, Office of Senator Robert C. Byrd, United States Senate, Washington, DC

Fernando J. Indacochea, MD
President, West Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Director, Department of Pediatrics, Grant Memorial Hospital, Petersburg, WV; Clinical Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, West Virginia University; Clinical Associate Professor, Marshall University

Frank P. James, MD, JD, FCLM
Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Wheeling Hospital; Attending Psychiatrist, Ohio Valley Medical Center; Private Practice, Child and Adolescent, Consultation-Liaison and Forensic Psychiatry, Wheeling WV

John Linton, PhD, ABPP
Vice-Chair and Associate Professor, WVU Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, Charleston Division; Chair, WV Comprehensive Behavioral Health Commission Advisory Board, Charleston, WV

David Majic, MA, LGSW
Director, Division of Children’s Mental Health Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities, WV Department and Health and Human Resources, Charleston, WV

Siham Muntasser, M.D.
President, West Virginia Council of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Assistant Professor, Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, West Virginia University Medical School, Morgantown, WV

Kristin Kroeger Ptakowski
Senior Deputy Executive Director and Director of Government Affairs and Clinical Practice, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Washington, DC

Suzanne Smart, MSW
Community Liaison, Monongalia County Early Head Start, Morgantown, WV

Paula Taylor, MSW
Interim Community Services Manager and Social Service Coordinator, WV Department of Health and Human Resources, Marion and Monongalia Counties

Linda Watts, MSW
Director, West Virginia Systems of Care, Huntington, WV

John Yarbrough, MD, MBA
Child Fellow, West Virginia University Hospitals; Director, The Christian Initiative, Christian Medical and Dental Association, Psychiatry Section, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV

Fees

The program fee is $30, which includes materials, breaks, and continuing education credits. A late fee of $15 will be assessed for registration received after May 23, 2008.

Location/Parking

This conference will be held at the Ramada Inn, Morgantown, WV, which is located on Route 119 at the intersection of I-79 and US 68. Visitor parking is available in front of the hotel.

Lodging

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Ramada Inn at a special conferencerate of $72 plus tax. This includes breakfast. You may call 1-800-834-9766 or 304-296-3431 to make reservations. Identify yourself as attending the Child Conference.

Planning Committee

Acknowledgement

This conference was made possible through a grant from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Registration

West Virginia University does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, religion, or disability in the administration of any of its educational programs, activities, or with respect to admission and employment. Inquiries may be directed to the Executive Officer for Social Justice, 105 Stewart Hall, Office of the President, 304-293-4150