New England Psychologist, Feb 2018

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AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR THE REGION’S PSYCHOLOGISTS

Psychological interventions can be helpful in navigating life transitions

By Phyllis Hanlon sychological interventions can help ease life’s transitions – everything from positive events like marriage, a new baby or career advancement to more dire situations such as divorce, chronic illness, injury or the death of a loved one.

Emily Mohr, Ph.D, defines life transition as anything that shifts someone’s sense of self or identity that is not temporary, but happens because of the passage of time.”

Mohr, public education coordinator for the Massachusetts Psychological Association (MPA), southern regional representative for the MPA Board of Directors and practitioner at Child & Family Psychological Services, PLLC, in Weymouth, Massachusetts noted, “Both happy and unhappy events can prompt psychological distress,

Sarah N. Gray, Psy.D., counsels patients with chronic pain and serious illnesses and injuries.

around just how complicated all these things are. It would go a long way in helping people not feel so distressed.”

Mohr added, “In any life transition situation, there are stressors that can cause

“Normalizing is an important part of therapy. Those going through life transitions have to realize it doesn’t feel great all the time.”

Emily Mohr, Ph.D., public education coordinator for Massachusetts Psychological Association although responses differ from one person to another.”

“There are societal expectations with a positive event, [but] anything that exposes you to uncertainty carries the risk of threat. The threat comes mostly from the risk of failure, social disapproval or loss of social status,” Mohr said.

“It would be really lovely if our culture and society, in general, did a better job of not pigeonholing events into happy, sad, etc. We should have regular cultural conversations

depression, anxiety, changes in mood, increased irritability and reduced energy and motivation.” Some individuals might experience interruptions to sleep and social functioning or, more seriously, active or passive suicidal thoughts.

“Normalizing is an important part of therapy. Those going through life transitions have to realize it doesn’t feel great all the time,” Mohr said.

Mohr uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help

manage change and explicitly asks clients to sets specific goals. “I write a treatment plan that we can reflect back on. This blueprint keeps sessions on track and provides a framework to stay on topic.”

For some, college represents an exciting new chapter in life, but can be offset by adjustment challenges. Julie L. Quimby, Ph.D, founder and director of Psychology Specialists of Maine in Brunswick, understands intimately the issues that college students can face.

She cited the unique perception of loneliness as “a critical moderating factor” that students can mitigate by creating friendships and connections early in their college career.

“We recognize that college is a big transition. There can be a sense of loss of friendships, uncertainty in a new environment. We help students anticipate changes, provide support and help navigate ways to get more help,” Quimby said.

High-achieving students might experience “the imposter syndrome” as they now compete against others with similar academic records.

“Their identity might have been attached to being at the top of the class,” Quimby said.

“Fear of losing that standing is anxiety provoking.”

Well-intentioned parents can also contribute to college students’ transitional anxiety.

“Some students lean on the parents a lot. We help [parents] learn how to be responsive. This can add a layer of complexity,” she said, emphasizing that students who seek counseling throughout college tend to fare better and can anticipate upcoming challenges.

Whether college bound or not, some individuals between the ages of 18 and 29 face a number of challenges, Continued on Page 9

VOL. 26, NO. 1

Child mental health services continue to lag in New England

By Janine Weisman o clinician would dispute using the word “crisis” to describe the reality that, despite greater public awareness about mental disorders in youth, many young people with severe mental disorders never receive the specialty mental health care they need.

“I think there has been a crisis for some time,” said Robert P. Franks, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of the Judge Baker Children’s Center (JBCC) in Boston and a member of the American Psychological Association’s Board of Professional Affairs.

“Most estimates are that only 20 to 40 percent of kids that need mental health services get them.”

As many as one in five children in the U.S. experience a mental disorder in a given year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The percentage who received treatment in 2008 was 68.9 percent, according to Healthy People 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services plan launched in 2010 that set health promotion and disease prevention goals for this decade.

One goal is a 10 percent increase in kids receiving treatment by 2020 to 75.8 percent.

So far things look promising. The year 2015 saw the

percentage of children who needed mental health services and received them rise to 75.4, according to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration data.

The figure has been a moving target, rising to 71.6 percent in 2011, dipping to 69.8 in 2012 and then rising again to 70.4 in 2013 and then 70.8 in 2014. (The data show more boys received treatment in 2015, 76.8 percent compared to 73.1 percent. Also, 77.5 percent of white children but only 61.7 percent of black children who needed services were treated).

But the numbers are going in the opposite direction when it comes to reducing the proportion of 12- to 17-year-olds experiencing a major depressive episode in the past year.

Healthy People 2020 sought to reduce the 2008 benchmark of 8.3 youths per 100,000 in this age group to 7.5 by 2020.

Instead, the figure was 9.1 in 2012 and continued rising each year to 12.5 in 2015. (A state-level breakdown of this category shows Rhode Island at 13.5 was the only New England state exceeding the national average).

There is also bad news for the goal of reducing suicide attempts by adolescents.

The plan sought to decrease attempts from 1.9 per 100,000 in 2009 to a target goal of 1.7.

Instead, the rate rose to 2.8 Continued on Page 9

INSIDE

Psychologists grapple with issues of racism, diversity in therapy..................Page 5 Grants to NAMI Rhode Island fund youth programs.................................Page 7 CE listings.................................................Page 10

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New England Psychologist

February 2018

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February 2018

New England Psychologist

3

Trauma training, reality TV all in a day’s work for Jessica Griffin, Psy.D When a television producer first asked Jessica Griffin, PsyD, if she would consider taking an on-air consultant role on an upcoming reality show, she scoffed at the idea.

An associate professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at UMass Medical School and executive director of UMASS Medical School’s Child Trauma Training Center with a private clinical practice in the Worcester area, Griffin did not see herself as the reality-show type.

Still, with some prodding from Hollywood and much discussion with colleagues, friends and family, Griffin decided to jump in. She first served as a consulting psychologist on the show, “Seven Year Switch,” which gave dissatisfied spouses a chance to “try out” another type of relationship and recently joined the docu-series “Married at First Sight,” for its sixth season, which was filmed in Boston and is showing now on Lifetime.

It’s a world apart from academia and clinical practice, Griffin soon learned. From the makeup and clothing to the 15-hour production days to being recognized in airport bathrooms, the demands of shooting a television show can be grueling.

Griffin recently spoke with NEP’s Catherine Robertson Souter about the experience and about her work with trauma and families in her “day job.”

You have been with UMass since 2006 in a variety of roles, doing research, teaching, training and more. Tell us about that.

Over the years I have worn many hats but the bulk of my work at the univer-

sity is in training other professionals about the impact of trauma on children, on individuals, on families and on systems and to how to be more trauma responsive. Through my center, we train professionals including physicians, attorneys, judges, law enforcement, probation officers, teachers; in our first grant cycle we had trained over 14,000 people in trauma informed care and trauma responsive practices.

Another goal is to provide training to mental health providers in trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy. I am one of the national trainers in trauma-focused CBT and up until a year ago was only the trainer in Massachusetts.

What is the program you started at the center called Linked Kids?

Of all the things that I do professionally, this is the one that I am most proud of even though we still have a long way to go.

Linked Kids grew out of my frustration with how long families and kids wait to access services. When we surveyed mental health agencies, kids were waiting an average of 6 to 12 months for their first therapy appointment and these were all traumatized children. We had 80 kids sitting on a waiting list at one agency and I knew that I had trained providers down the street with openings. So we created Linked Kids and it is now statewide. We track waitlists, check insurance, languages spoken, types of treatment. It is run by clinicians who take the calls and do a trauma screening with families.

You have also spoken at a judicial conference about vicarious traumatization, written about the dangers of children taking on parental responsibility at a young age and dealt with cases of divorce and custody battles. Would you say that your work mostly falls under the umbrella of trauma?

I think that trauma and resilience may be a better umbrella for all the work I do.

Trauma has an impact and the majority of society has had a traumatic experience so how can we create a more resilient society. I am working on a training for the American Academy of Pediatrics now for a national curriculum and we are making the training resilience focused.

So, how did this all lead to being on a television show?

Never in my life did I think I’d be doing television. I met people at a conference in California who worked with a production company and asked if I would be interested in television. Over time they were very convincing so I decided to give it a shot.

What I have found most valuable about both of these shows, is that it is a totally different platform for being able

to talk about things that an audience would not necessarily be thinking about or know about. We hear so many people say they try the skills we teach on the show. So the idea that we could have an impact on people in their own lives in a positive way makes me keep doing it.

There is certainly a sensational part of doing television that people can get caught up in but it’s been a wonderful experience to have this platform to reach people. I wear so many different hats from research to teaching to clinical work and this is just an expansion of both my clinical and teaching roles.

What was the response from family, friends and colleagues when you first decided to be a part of reality television?

This was the one area I had a little trepidation about, how people might respond because it is so out of my wheelhouse. Initially some people had reservations about putting myself out there on television and social media.

My colleagues have been very supportive. They also know me as a professional and that know I would not do something that would not be good for me, for my career, or representing my profession.

On the show, where couples meet each other on their wedding day, you help to decide who gets matched up with whom.

How has your psychological training helped you in that area?

You don’t see this on the show, but the decision making was one of most exciting things I have done professionally. My role is as a psychologist on the show and so I have access to all of the psy-

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chological evaluations and use them to think about what we know about personality testing. It is fascinating.

There are interviews and background checks and psychological evaluations and then we narrow down the pool and we do multiple days of really intensive interviews.

These are 15-hour days with very few breaks.

From a psychological point of view, is there research on who makes the best mates? Match-maker psychology could be a new niche.

In many cultures arranged marriages are the majority of marriages and divorce rates are lower. There are a number of different areas that apply. There is research on compatibility and attraction and the neurosicence behind it all. The field is growing.

How successful is the actual match making?

Overall, I think that there is something people get out of it at the end of the day even if they don’t have a marriage that lasts. While they are in the experiment, they have access to professionals teaching communication skills and different things they can apply to their marriage - and if that is not their forever marriage perhaps their next one.

What is it like going from a world of academia to Hollywood?

The worlds are completely different. I almost need a day or two for reentry back into my real life with 3 kids and day job. I had to learn a lot about makeup and what looks good on television. I didn’t even own lip gloss when I first started doing television. n

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4

New England Psychologist

In Person

February 2018

Editorial

Painting a life hen you reach a certain age and start thinking about retirement, you will get plenty of advice about how to stay healthy and mentally sharp when you stop working at the job that defined your career for most of your adult life. One thing you will hear over and over again is the importance of learning something new – a new language, skill, hobby or maybe even a whole new career. Lately, I’ve been learning about painting.

To be clear about this statement, I am not actually taking art lessons and, while I enjoy doodling as much as the next person, my experience is limited to what I learned doing play therapy and drawing my annual picture of Santa for my own children.

It’s my wife who is the real artist in the family and I am learning a great deal about painting by observing and talking with her about her work and accompanying her to museums, exhibitions and demonstrations.

As any psychologist will tell you, you can learn a lot by listening and because old habits die hard, I found myself listening as a psychologist to a recent lecture about painting.

The speaker, an accomplished painter and instructor, explained that you have to master five elements to be a successful artist: composition, value, color, contrast and technique.

The question of composition is a question about your subject matter, how you choose to see it and how you plan to arrange it on your canvas. As the man spoke, the walls of the small auditorium where we sat illustrated his point that these preliminary choices reveal the individuality or soul of the painter.

Landscapes, seascapes, giant flowers, architecture and portraits illustrated the wide variety of interests and experiences of the artists who painted them and gave us a lesson in diversity unlike anything we could ever learn from words alone.

There are rules of composition having to do with the placement of focal points, subtle pathways of shape, light and color that lead the eye to what the artist wants to high-

Alan Bodnar, Ph.D. light and never away from the site of the action.

There are interesting prohibitions as well, like the ones about never painting the horizon in the middle of the canvas and never putting a major element in the center of the picture.

From my novice perspective, I gathered that a pleasing picture should not be too symmetrical and this fit nicely with what I had learned from decades of living, listening and trying to help people make more satisfying stories of their lives.

We may long for happy endings and a neat, tidy denouement of our lives but these things seldom happen in the way we hope and expect. What we get may not be what we thought we wanted but it can be a great deal more interesting.

Now in full stride, the speaker addressed the issue of value in making a painting. He was not talking about the worth of the endeavor but about the variation of light and dark over the expanse of the picture.

Some artists, I learned, will paint a rough undercoat of different densities, marking out what will become lighter and darker areas of the painting. The speaker emphasized that the impact of a work of art rests largely on the interplay of values. While color gets all the glory, the real work is done by the subtle undercurrents that lead the viewer back and forth between light and dark.

There are principles here as well, patterns of arranging dark and light areas of the picture, but always involving contrast and movement from one to the other. I cannot imagine having

the skill to do what the speaker was describing with a brush and some paint but I know well the challenge of balancing darkness and light, enduring one and rejoicing in the other, even as we know the impermanence of both.

Color animates a painting the way emotion enlivens a conversation. Warm colors seem to reach out to us and cooler ones recede. In painting, there is a science to choosing and mixing colors to create the hue that is just right to capture a moment.

As my wife is fond of reminding me, the artist learns to look at the world more carefully and when she does, she discovers that grass is never just green, trees never just brown and the snow never pure white.

The artist knows that the obvious colors often contain hints of fainter hues just as the psychologist knows that feelings are often mixed. Pure joy, absolute misery, unmitigated hatred may capture the intensity of the moment but these emotions are rarely absolute.

The elements of a successful painting – composition, value, color and contrast – are no more than a set of instructions without technique or the ability to actually approach the canvas and paint with enough skill to produce a meaningful picture.

How much paint to put on your brush, how thinly or thickly to apply it to your canvas, how boldly or lightly and in what direction to make your brush strokes are just some of the technical matters the artist learns with instruction and practice.

To begin with, you need a plan but you also need the freedom to go where the work leads you. The artist knows how to use her brush but also knows that an errant stroke may lead her to the threshold of an unimagined vista if she has the courage to explore the view.

She stands before her easel and from the interplay of reality, imagination and memory creates the world anew. She does with paint what we are all called upon to do with each new day of our lives. n

Alan Bodnar, Ph.D. is a psychologist formerly at the Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital.

Transitions Life is all about transitions. It’s what keeps things interesting and challenges our complacency.

I’m honored to take over the reins of New England Psychologist, an independent voice that began life as Massachusetts Psychologist in 1993

by Denise Yocum, Psy.D., expanding to all of New England in 2002.

Dr. Yocum approached me at the beginning of October to discuss the possibility of purchasing the publication after deciding the time was ripe for retirement. Following a few discussions, it became clear we were aligned in both interests and beliefs.

I want to take a moment to thank Dr. Yocum for her vision in launching this publication and for her tireless dedication over the past 24 years in bringing the great journalism of New England Psychologist to you.

Her legacy is a publication read and relied on by thousands of psychologists every month. We hope to not only continue but expand upon this foundation in the future.

Psych Central was born just a couple of years after Massachusetts Psychologist and began as my personal mental health and psychology education website. I added to it gradually, growing its traffic slowly, which eventually led to where we are today.

Currently, Psych Central is one of the most trafficked mental health and psychology websites--visited by more than seven million people from around the world each month.

The value of good, objective information provided by an independent source is not lost on me because that is the same mission that has long driven us at Psych Central. That’s why we launched Psych Central Professional in 2010 specifically for mental health professionals, to expand our efforts to help folks with everything necessary to be successful in their careers.

In partnership with Psych Central Professional, we hope to grow New England Psychologist and the journalism expertise for which Dr. Yocum and the dedicated writers and editors have built a stellar reputation. And, we hope to reach even more psychologists and other mental health professionals every month as we build upon this solid foundation.

Eventually, we may revisit how New England Psychologist is distributed because the publishing and mailing costs of a print publication have significantly increased over time.

You can help us make this transition more successful.

• You can leave us feedback about what you love and what you don’t love about New England Psychologist at: nep.talkback@ psychcentral.com • You can sign up for our New England Psychologist email list to get exclusive updates only available to our subscribers: http://eepurl.com/dfBalr (or scan the accompanying QR code) We’re looking forward to a great 2018 with you, our loyal readers.

John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Publisher

Publisher:

Editor-in-Chief:

Contributing Writers:

Graphic Designer:

John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Psych Central Susan Gonsalves Pamela Berard Alan Bodnar, Ph.D. Phyllis Hanlon James K. Luiselli, Ed.D., ABPP, BCBA-D Kerry Morrison, Psy.D. Catherine Robertson Souter Eileen Weber Janine Weisman Karen H. Woodward

New England Psychologist is published 11 times a year (no August issue) by New England Psychologist, P.O. Box 5464, Bradford, MA 01835. It is mailed at no charge to all CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT licensed psychologists. Distribution of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of products and services. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement or listing considered inappropriate.

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February 2018

New England Psychologist

5

Psychologists grapple with issues of racism, diversity in therapy

By Pamela Berard s the world becomes more diverse, it’s a good time for psychologists to have a social justice philosophy for their practices, according to Charmain F. Jackman, Ph.D. Everybody benefits when we’re all working toward cultural competency,” said Jackman, a licensed clinical/ forensic psychologist whose metro-Boston area private practice, Innovative Psychological Services, recently hosted a panel discussion, “Join the Conversation: Navigating Racism & Other ‘Isms’ in Therapy.”

Attendees discussed strategies for mental health professionals to effectively address issues such as racism, xenophobia and heterosexism, whether working with clients who have experienced discrimination, with clients who express offensive comments in sessions or through issues that manifest with co-workers in the workplace.

Jackman, who is diversity subcommittee chair for the APA Committee of State Leaders, said such issues are not new territory for psychologists. However, “There’s definitely a new landscape

that people are reacting and responding to,” Jackman said.

The socio-political climate of 2017 – which included much discussion on immigration, for example – led to such topics making their way into therapy sessions.

“People feel insecure in certain ways. It can feel really scary and unsafe,” Jackman said.

“As mental health professionals, I think it’s on us to be able to engage in conversations or support our clients who are dealing with these issues,” Jackman said.

Panelist Luana Bessa, Ph.D, staff psychologist and coordinator for diversity & inclusion at Commonwealth Psychology Associates and a member of the Massachusetts Psychological Association (MPA) Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs, said she comes from an immigrant background and has always been both professionally and personally interested in the topic.

Bessa said a key takeaway is that clinical competence and cultural competence can’t be divorced.

“Cultural competence is clinical competence,” Bessa said. “I really think that it’s impossible to do the most

effective, most ethical, most appropriate clinical work without taking into account issues of power and privilege and clients’ multiple identities and social context.”

ism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia, as well as other injustices.”

As a woman psychologist of color, Whittaker said, she has a range of experience in

“I really think that it’s impossible to do the most effective, most ethical, most appropriate clinical work without taking into account issues of power and privilege and clients’ multiple identities and social context.”

Luana Bessa, Ph.D., Staff psychologist and coordinator for diversity & inclusion, Commonwealth Psychology Associates

Valene A. Whittaker, Ph.D., a psychologist at a federal agency in Massachusetts and one of the panelists, said, “My stance is that it’s our ethical and professional responsibility as psychologists to find ways to address different forms of injustice and specifically rac-

different therapeutic modalities that speak to those issues, whether through one-one-one or group therapy, as well as with supervision and consultation to clinicians who themselves have experienced biases or prejudices.

For example, during one

Rural Massachusetts experiencing psychiatric bed bump

By Phyllis Hanlon cross the Commonwealth, particularly in rural areas, the need for more inpatient care for patients with mental health issues continues to grow. In recent months, small towns in the central part of the state have seen an uptick in the number of psychiatric inpatient beds and services.

In October 2015, Heywood Healthcare in Gardner purchased a former teaching convent in Petersham that had housed the Sisters of Assumption. Rebecca Bialicki, Ph.D, vice president for Community Health and Chief Change Agent at Heywood Healthcare, noted that the property encompasses 21 acres and a 75,000 square foot building with two wings. “It was configured the way we wanted and had great bones,” she said.

However, the property, which has been named the Quabbin Retreat, needed sig-

nificant renovation. Several code violations, including asbestos in the walls and the lack of sprinklers, were only two of the many upgrades the building required.

“The property had always been deemed a public water source so we had to replace the entire water system,” she said. While major changes are being made, Heywood is “maintaining the footprint.”

Heywood also purchased an additional 61 acres behind the property that will protect the facility from other development, Bialicki reported.

The Quabbin Retreat will serve patients with dual diagnosis and will accept all insurances.

“The substance abuse disorder side was missing in our region, which is why we opened this unit,” said Bialicki. Phase one of the multi-year project includes an intensive outpatient program and a residential facility and is

on track to be completed this April.

In 2019, phase two, a residential dormitory for adolescents is scheduled to open, she added. Heywood plans to develop a 10-bed medically supervised detox unit in phase three, slated to open in 2020, according to Bialicki.

In Devens, Massachusetts, TaraVista Behavioral Health Center began operations on November 7, 2016. The 108bed facility serves adults and young adults from 16 to 25.

According to Michael P. Krupa, founder and CEO, 56 of TaraVista’s beds are currently operational. The facility employs 100 professional staff that includes 30 full-time equivalent (FTE) registered nurses (RNs), 30 FTE mental health workers, one physician, five psychiatrists, two advanced practice nurses (APRNs) and one psychologist.

Krupa said that initially,

the facility faced some challenges in recruiting professional staff, specifically physicians and APRNs. However, this situation has improved in recent months.

TaraVista treats patients with dual diagnosis and the average length of stay is nine days. The facility plans to open a child unit in the near future, possibly this spring.

The bed count, however, will remain 108, said Krupa.

South Central Massachusetts is also witnessing an increase in psychiatric inpatient beds.

According to Blaine Schnare, marketing manager, Harrington HealthCare System in Southbridge, Massachusetts operates 14 adult psychiatric inpatient beds at its Southbridge campus and 16 adult beds in the Co-Occurring Disorders Unit at Harrington HealthCare at Webster, which opened in December 2016.

The Substance Abuse

group therapy session, “There was a statement that was made. It was unclear whether it was made intentionally, but it did involve a white client saying a racial epithet in a conversation that included a black client,” Whittaker said.

“As a woman of color facilitating a therapy group with clients from different backgrounds, I found myself really grappling with not only knowing how to address that with the person who experienced the racist interaction, but also the person who initiated the interaction and also how to think about this from my perspective as a clinician of color addressing this issue.”

Current political and social issues can open up a conversation about personal experiences and systemic issues, Bessa said.

“I have had a couple of different clients in the past year, in the context of the ‘Me Too’ movement and all the things that are going on politically, disclose incidences of sexual harassment and assault that they had not disclosed previously and this opened up a conversation around systemic issues of sexism,” Bessa said.

Continued on Page 7

and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) promotes integrated services for substance abuse and mental illness as the ideal treatment model, according to Bialicki. “But health care has not caught up. There is no policy and practice to support the concept,” she said. “Insurers haven’t caught up either.

They put everything in siloes.

But we’ll get there.” n

Check out Psych Central Professional pro.psychcentral.com

6

New England Psychologist

February 2018

New Hampshire to develop 10-year mental health plan

By Catherine Robertson Souter ooking to design a better system, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recently awarded a contract to Keene University’s Center for Behavioral Health Innovation to develop a 10-year mental health plan for the state. To be released in June, the report will offer a roadmap for the state’s mental health services moving forward.

“The last plan was issued in 2008. A lot has changed since that time,” said Katja Fox, director of the DHHS Division for Behavioral Health. “The state wants to be able to look at

how services can be delivered to address the needs of individuals by taking into account emerging models of care and get consensus from all stakeholders, including individuals and their families who need the services, on what needs to be in place. The expectation is the plan will serve as a source document to prioritize policy and funding.”

The Center will review existing reports on care, meet with stakeholders and research best practice models in other states to identify the system’s weaknesses and offer suggestions for corrections.

The state last created a 10-year plan in 2008, which included a multi-pronged approach to correcting a sys-

tem once considered one of the best in the nation. In 1990, New Hampshire was ranked second in the country for mental health care in a report commissioned by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI). NH improved in 2009 with a grade of “C.” By 2006, NAMI’s report gave the state a “D” rating, stating that “NH demonstrates how much funding can be cut in 16 years and how impermanent even exemplary service systems can be.”

“What we have seen,” said Peter Evers, M.S.W., executive director of Riverbend Community Mental Health Center in Concord, “is a systematic degradation of the system directly related to funding that

took New Hampshire from exemplary to a mental health system that is struggling.”

Evers, along with Jay Couture, MHA, executive director of Seacoast Mental Health Center in Portsmouth, wrote a paper for the NH Community Behavioral Health Association that identified several fixes, all of which have been discussed in other reports over the years.

The authors said that without funding, any of the suggested improvements will never have a chance to be enacted.

“Better funding could solve the workforce issue,” said Evers. “We need to have proper reimbursement rates so we can provide services that don’t cost more than what

Report: Number of infants with NAS increases

By Catherine Robertson Souter long with the rapid increase in deaths due to the opioid crisis in New Hampshire, the state has seen a drastic rise in children born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS. Babies with NAS show withdrawal signs within several days from drug exposure that occurred before birth including irritability, problems feeding, watery stools, tremors, seizures and respiratory issues. With treatment, infants diagnosed with NAS do recover although long-term effects are not fully understood.

A report from the Carsey

School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire showed that the number of infants diagnosed with NAS increased five-fold from 52 in 2005 to 269 in 2015, now affecting 2.4 percent of all live births.

“We have been watching the rise in the number of deaths from drug overdoses in New Hampshire,” said Kristin Smith, PhD, author of the report and a research associate professor of sociology at UNH and family demographer for the Carsey School of Public Policy. “We are now seeing a parallel rise in NAS births.

While it is not surprising, the magnitude of the rise makes

you stand up and take notice.”

Since the opioid crisis has hit hardest in the 20-39-yearold age range, the number of women of child-bearing age using opioids has risen.

Although it makes sense that there would be a rise in infants born with NAS, being able to show the exact numbers helps to shine a light on the issue.

“It is absolutely an important organizing tool,” said Tricia Tilley, deputy director of the Division of Public Health Services, adding that the hard data “helps rally the troops to really understand the problem at hand.”

A diagnosis of NAS generally results in a longer hospi-

tal stay, from a typical stay of three days to an average of 12 days. The Department of Health and Human Services is looking at ways to address the situation and to provide ongoing support for families after the children are sent home.

“We are taking specific actions to mitigate the impact using a multi-pronged approach including family support,” said Tilley, “because it is important that these kids are healthy and are going home to a safe environment.”

The UNH report, which was funded by New Futures Kids Count, a non-profit organization, also highlighted the success of a program at

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is being covered. We need to work together toward a better vision of the future of the mental health system.”

When the new proposal for the state’s mental health care is released in June, any suggestions will require increased funding.

“Governor Sununu and the legislature invested a significant amount of funding in the current state budget to expand services to meet the needs of individuals with severe mental illness--especially for those in need of acute care and transitional housing, “said Fox. “Our expectation is that the new 10- year plan will project service needs in the mental health system and the estimated costs of those needs.” n Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC). Moms in Recovery offers pregnant women who were using opiates medication-assisted treatment along with maternity care and behavioral health care. The program saw a resulting reduction in NAS diagnoses with less than 1/4 of the infants born to those in the program requiring treatment. The program also seems to reduce the length of stay for infants diagnosed with NAS. Dartmouth-Hitchcock is also working with DHHS to develop a program to track NAS births and provide data closer to real time “We are working together to help provide support to hospitals and to share best practices on how to identify and care for the kids,” said Tilley. “Our first concern is that moms and babies are getting the care they need.” n

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February 2018

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Grants to NAMI Rhode Island fund youth programs

By Pamela Berard wo recent grants will help NAMI Rhode Island, the state chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, continue to enhance mental health education programs for young people.

A $15,000 Rhode Island Foundation grant will allow NAMI to increase training opportunities and add presenters for Ending the Silence, a classroom program that was first developed by an Illinois NAMI chapter and is now one of the national organization’s signature education and support programs.

“We were trained up on this program for the first time last year and we saw the promise in it, because it offers some

Racism Continued from Page 5 If a client has a history of sexual assault, the #MeToo movement might come into play – even if the client doesn’t say it aloud.

“It’s our responsibility as psychologists to be aware of what the elephant is in the room, or what forces may be in play,” Bessa said, and that includes not only a client’s history – but your own.

“As psychologists, what we need to think about when we work with folks in general is the importance of noticing our own positionality in the room,” Bessa said. “How does that impact what we bring into the space? Because we’re always bringing something into the space – we’re bringing our own history, our own values and assumptions and part of doing this clinical work is really being willing to be humble and never to fully be an expert so to speak; to come from a space of humility.”

Bessa said psychologists bring assumptions into the room as part of their own identities, and whether those assumptions have to do with issues you haven’t experienced personally – or those that you know very well – both can be dangerous.

For example, as a woman psychologist working with another woman, “We have this Continued on Page 9

new things that our existing education programs didn’t offer,” said Cindy Elder, executive director of NAMI Rhode Island.

She noted that the program has helped to reach a younger population because it is suited for middle-schoolers in addition to high school students.

“It focuses on the issue of suicide prevention both from the point of view of helping kids to seek out help if they are experiencing signs and symptoms of mental illness, but just as important, to equip their friends with the strategies and tools they need to help each other,” Elder said.

Ending the Silence gives students a general understanding of some of the most common symptoms of mental illness without getting

detailed about specific diagnoses, which Elder said works well for that age group.

The multimedia presentation helps students see the reality of living with a mental health condition. It incorporates short videos produced by high-schoolers from across the country, along with a trained facilitator delivering a presentation and a peer speaker.

Peer speakers – typically in the 18-26 age range – share their own personal stories about living with mental illness and recovery. “That’s really powerful,” Elder said.

The presentations focus on hopefulness and recovery.

“What we are really trying to get through to people is, if we acknowledge the signs of mental illness early and get people into treatment, the

outcomes are so much better,” Elder said.

Much of what youth see about mental illness on television or media is sensationalized, Elder said. Peer speakers help change the students’ perceptions of what it might be to have a mental health condition.

NAMI Rhode Island also received a $10,000 grant from the Rhode Island-based nonprofit organization Harvest Acres Farm, which will help pay the salaries of educational program staff. Elder said that all programs are offered freeof-charge, so she is grateful for organizations like Harvest Acres Farm that recognize the value of the programs and help fund staff.

NAMI Rhode Island offers

a burgeoning number of support groups for those who suffer from mental illness – and their families – statewide, and has a three-prong focus of support, education and advocacy.

“They are all really intertwined, but what we are feeling right now is there is an urgency for mental health education in the schools,” she said. “The number of crises happening on a daily basis and the pressures on teachers ...It’s tremendous.”

In the period from September-December of 2017, NAMI Rhode Island education programs reached almost 2,500 students through Ending the Silence and hundreds more through its Inside Mental Illness program for high school and college-aged students and through Parents and Teachers as Allies, a program for empowering teachers and school personnel. n

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New England Psychologist

February 2018

Report: Ongoing problems remain at Maine detention center

By Janine Weisman nderstaffing has contributed to “dangerous and unhealthy conditions for both youth and staff” at Maine’s only state juvenile detention center, an independent report finds.

Seven vacant Juvenile Program Worker positions at the Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland led to the use of regular forced overtime last year when the report by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Children’s Law and Policy (CCLP) was compiled.

The overtime was necessary to achieve a required staff to youth ratio of 1:8 during waking hours and 1:16 during overnight hours.

The report made public in December was commissioned by the Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group (JJAG) last August to assess conditions at Long Creek, a secure facility for youth ages 13 to 19.

Six CCLP members toured Long Creek over three days last September and inter-

viewed administrators, staff and youth, reviewed records and policies at the 163-bed facility. The team included a clinical psychologist.

The assessment was prompted by recent incidents, including the October 2016 suicide of a 16-year-old transgender boy while being housed in the girl’s unit. In early 2017, three youths escaped during a field trip, resulting in the suspension of many off-campus programming opportunities.

The authors applauded Long Creek for bringing in an outside suicide prevention expert to review policies and practices after the transgender boy’s death. However, they found an alarming rate of selfharming behavior.

“Any outside observer should see the number of suicide attempts and self-harming gestures as clear evidence of the inappropriateness of Long Creek as a placement for many youth,” the report states.

About 85 percent of the youth at Long Creek in 2016

had arrived with three or more mental health diagnoses and 67 percent had received special education services, according to a January 2017 Maine DOC report. The facility housed 79 youth, less than half its capacity.

It costs the state approximately $250,000 a year for each youth kept at Long Creek, the report noted. Some groups, including the Maine chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union have called for the facility’s closure.

CCLP’s report observed that Maine is one of a relatively few states where secure facilities for youth are still within an adult corrections department, which limits how staff can work with young people to build skills and improve behavior.

While Long Creek was designed as a secure facility for youth deemed likely to commit violent offenses, the majority of those incarcerated there are for low-risk offenses.

The January 2017 DOC report that found 23 percent of com-

mitted youth had one or more felony adjudications at the time of commitment.

“Staff and administrators at Long Creek were the first to admit that the facility is not the right place for many of the youth in its care,” the report stated.

The authors acknowledged the high levels of skill and professionalism among Long Creek’s line staff and supervisors and said administrators and staff have done an outstanding job of bringing outside volunteers and programming into the facility.

But they said Long Creek lacked a specific policy for working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning, gender non-conforming and transgender (LGBQ/GNCT) youth.

Additional training on the needs of this population was needed.

Youth who wish to see a mental health clinician must put their name on a waiting list. “In some cases, it appears that youth may actually engage in negative or suicidal

behavior in order to obtain attention from a clinician,” the report stated.

JJAG Chair Barry Stoodley, a retired DOC associate commissioner of juvenile services, called the report “very objective, professional and comprehensive.” The report cost $70,000 and was scheduled to be discussed at the group’s Jan. 19 meeting.

JJAG is charged with ensuring the state’s juvenile justice system remains in compliance with federal law to maintain eligibility for federal funds.

Stoodley said he was most dismayed that nearly 30 percent of youth brought to Long Creek come directly from residential treatment centers.

“Police are called often times when kids are out of control in these residential facilities or hospitals and police tend to arrest kids,” Stoodley said.

“Once a kid is arrested, we know the implications of that last a lifetime … it’s on the record, it affects employment, it affects education.” n

Mental health, sexual harassment among Vermont’s priorities

By Eileen Weber ermont’s House Speaker Mitzi Johnson (D-Grand Isle-Chittenden) and Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe (D/PrgChittenden) want to collaborate with Governor Phil Scott this year on legislation for education, clean waterways, a $15 minimum wage, better mental healthcare and stronger sexual harassment policies and procedures.

In the wake of rampant opioid addiction and the #MeToo movement, the two relevant issues are mental health and sexual harassment.

Ashe and Johnson are in favor of legislation that not only addresses the high cost of prescription drugs but also limits prescription pain killers.

Johnson said the opioid epidemic may account for the rise in mental health issues.

Ashe noted that those suffering with a mental crisis often find themselves in the back of a police cruiser instead of receiving medical care.

“It is very clear to all observers that we need additional bed space at different stages

of the mental health continuum,” Ashe said in a December 15 press conference accompanied by Johnson, “and we hope that the administration will include dollars directly in their Capitol bill proposal.”

Vermont is no stranger to mental health cases.

Jody Herring, convicted in 2015 of killing three relatives and a social worker, was released early (following a psychotic break) from a 90-day treatment at Rutland Regional Medical Center shortly before the incident.

In 2016, Steven Bourgoin killed five teenagers going the wrong way on I-89. Marijuana, high levels of fentanyl and a type of benzodiazepine that, when mixed with fentanyl, could be fatal were found in his bloodstream.

Facing personal strife, unpaid bills, possible eviction and suspected PTSD, he had reportedly been in and out of the emergency room the morning of the accident.

Johnson pinpointed a big hurdle in the mental health system. Approximately half of the beds issued are forensic. So, a judge might order a hospital stay for someone

who may not be competent to stand trial. Patients who occupy space for extended periods shrink the supply for those who need more immediate care.

“We need to prioritize where our resources go,” she

the political arena.

Vermont has also had its share of allegations. Former Senator Norm McAllister (R-Alburgh-Franklin) was convicted of exchanging money for sex but acquitted of sexual assault this past summer.

“Saying ‘zero tolerance’ isn’t enough.

[Politicians] can be sanctioned in some ways, but legally there isn’t a forum to handle this. We’re working to shift the culture.”

Mitzi Johnson, Vermont House Speaker said. “But this will be a multiyear process of piecing together a long-term solution.”

Johnson noted that any increased services would have to be added to the overall budget and, of course, those services would cost more money.

When it comes to sexual harassment, both Johnson and Ashe said there hasn’t been much direction coming from Washington.

Sexual misconduct cases like that of U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-Minnesota) have highlighted this problem in

Legislative discussion on this subject has centered on inappropriate behavior and the structure in place for a complainant to come forward.

The core of the problem, however, is disclosure. Who should know and how much should they know without a breach of privacy?

The existing harassment panels govern who has access to information and how that information is disseminated.

Johnson explained that part of the problem with sexual harassment claims is a lack of

recourse.

In government, there is no firing, demotion or docked pay for misconduct as there is in the private sector. Elected officials must be voted out of office.

“Saying ‘zero tolerance’ isn’t enough,” Johnson said. “[Politicians] can be sanctioned in some ways, but legally there isn’t a forum to handle this.

We’re working to shift the culture.”

Others, like Senate Majority Leader Becca Balint (D-Windham County), the chair of the Senate Sexual Harassment Panel, noted that this problem is not a new.

“I thought Anita Hill was a watershed moment,” she said, referring to the sexual harassment hearings against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in 1991. “Even if it [doesn’t continue] on the national stage, I’m determined to keep shining a light on it here. So much of this is about how we conduct ourselves in the workplace.”

Vermont legislators are hoping that changes can be made before the mid-term elections later this year. n

February 2018

New England Psychologist

9

and support to adjust to new ways of being. Early on, we do a lot of grief work.”

Gray uses an individualized approach to treatment that includes “…CBT, mindful-

ness, ACT, DBT and/or meditation to help patients cope and find a value-based life that’s right for them in the new normal,” she said.

Depending on the patient’s mood, she might use motivational interviewing to help assess the emotional state and degree of openness and willingness to engage. In some cases, solution-focused strategies work, while in others, a skills-based approach is more effective.

Patients with chronic pain versus more permanent changes, such as amputation, after-effects from stroke or spinal cord injury, sometimes harbor hope that they’ll fully recover, according to Gray.

“In those cases, I help sit with ‘not knowing.’ You don’t want to quickly move into accepting if it means no permanent change,” she said.

“But hope can get in the way.

You don’t want to throw the balance of hope off but need to focus on what’s most effective right now.” Mohr added, “If you are still living, you’re vulnerable to stress-related to life transitions.” n

Cambridge Health Alliance serves communities where large numbers of immigrants from Brazil, Central America and the Caribbean. The need for interpreter services can slow down an already frustrating wait to see a clinician, Carson said.

“I’d say it’s not uncommon for families to have to wait a few months to be able to get in to see someone, especially if they don’t speak English.

Trying to find therapists who speak Portuguese or Spanish or Haitian Creole, it’s much harder to find providers,” Carson added.

A health services researcher for the Health Equity Research Lab and the Center for Multicultural Mental Health Research, Carson studies inequities in mental health care and works on solutions to help the mental health of youth and families. He and colleagues have consistently found that minority youth are much less likely to get recognized, referred to and start mental health treatment than non-minority youth.

“Once they get into treatment, the rates of use are pretty comparable,” Carson said.

“I think that work needs to be done in helping to identify these youth in the community

and presenting treatment in a way that works for them.”

The most frequently reported diagnoses for girls aged 17 and younger in 2015 were depressive disorders (22 percent) followed by adjustment disorders (20 percent) and anxiety disorders (18 percent), according to SAMHSA’s “Mental Health Annual Report 2015.”

For boys during the same reporting year, the most prevalent diagnoses were ADD/ ADHD (27 percent) followed by adjustment disorders (15 percent) and anxiety disorders (12 percent.)

The good news, both Carson and Franks say, is that there are many high quality interventions that have been demonstrated to work and that more children and families are gaining access to these services.

“I often use the example that earlier in my career, I remember seeing children who’d experienced acute trauma or loss for years sometimes with minimum symptom abatement and now using evidence-based approaches, we can see these kids restored to full functioning in five to six months and we actually see those gains sustained over time,” Franks said. n

Psychologists help people navigate life transitions from exploring identity and contemplating the future to changing relationships and focusing on personal growth, noted Michele Zager, Psy.D, private practitioner in Providence, Rhode Island.

During these years, individuals may question family beliefs, norms and expectations as well as their own values, she said. “They have to develop a sense of competence in their abilities, learn how to manage emotions and tolerate uncertainty. They have to understand their impact on others and tolerate others’ perspectives.”

Zager pointed out that introspection is part of normal and appropriate development, but may require intervention when it “…cause[s] distractions or impairment in functioning.”

Symptoms such as anxiety, depression, feeling paralyzed by decisions, changes in sleep or eating habits or using

“quick fix coping strategies” could indicate the need for some type of intervention.

Suicidal thoughts, planning and attempts are also a risk factor during this time of life.

“Individuals are still learning coping strategies to regulate emotions. They are developing perspective on challenges as they accumulate more life experience,” Zager said.

This demographic has also grown up with social media and the Internet, factors that might contribute to challenges during a transition period, according to Zager.

“There is also FOMO – the fear of missing out. This is an age where you want to belong and your approval/acceptance could be affected,” she said.

“Today’s different political and social justice movements also raise questions around identity development, sense of identity and agency. There is no blueprint to developing your identity.”

Sarah N. Gray, Psy.D, pri-

Racism

Child mental health services

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 7

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shared experience of being a woman, but we may have a completely different relationship to that experience,” Bessa said.

The key is to be present with the client, and hear their perspective, Jackman said.

“Sometimes you think if somebody looks like you, they have the same experience, but they don’t,” Jackman said. “So, I feel like every client-therapist interaction is cross-cultural.”

Psychologists should think about how much they should self-disclose.

“If a client is dealing with an issue that you’ve dealt with before around discrimination or experiencing a microaggression, do you say ‘Yes, me, too or do you hold that?” Jackman said. “You have to think about how might that help the client. I think it’s contextdependent.”

Jackman said few states mandate continuing education that specifically addresses cultural diversity. She encourages psychologists to take the onus on themselves to seek out educational experiences to expand cultural competency. n

in 2015. (The data is missing reports from more than a dozen states, including Connecticut and Maine).

Franks arrived at Judge Baker in 2014 after serving as vice president of the Child Health & Development Institute in Farmington, Connecticut and director of its Center for Effective Practice, and he knows that numbers involve nuance.

During the decade he spent working to improve the effectiveness of treatments for children with mental health disorders in Connecticut, he saw how a successful emergency mobile psychiatric services program for kids impacted emergency rooms in the state.

“We had hoped to reduce the burden on our emergency departments,” Frank recalled.

“The great irony was not only did our numbers of contact increase through the emergency mobile psychiatric service system, but at the same time, they also increased in the emergency department.

We were actually discovering a new population of kids.

Instead of relieving the bur-

vate practitioner in Arlington, Massachusetts and health psychologist and pain specialist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital; counsels patients with

also affect the psychological, practical, financial and social aspects of life, disrupting the “sense of self and identity,” she noted. “Patients need time

“Today’s different political and social justice movements also raise questions around identity development, sense of identity and agency. There is no blueprint to developing your identity.”

Michele Zager, Psy.D, private practitioner in Providence, Rhode Island

chronic pain, serious illness or major injury in an effort to normalize changes.

Not only does significant injury or illness compromise physical health, it may

den, we were identifying additional children that needed help and services.”

Integrating behavioral health care into primary care settings has helped to link more kids with services as pediatricians now screen for mental health concerns and prescribe stimulants and antidepressants. But that doesn’t mean outpatient specialty mental health clinics see fewer referrals as a result.

“We still have way more referrals than we can handle and we have a desperate need for more support for clinician time,” said Cambridge Health Alliance Child & Adolescent Outpatient Psychiatry Medical Director Nicolas Carson, M.D., FRCPC. Many of the children he works with in the Massachusetts health system with sites in Cambridge, Somerville and Boston’s metro-north communities have experienced some kind of trauma and he also treats a mix of young patients with autism, ADHD, anxiety and depression.

“Therapy is often the bottleneck,” Carson said. “They need a few months at least to do good work with children.”

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New England Psychologist

February Feb. 3: Understanding Gender Diversity & Related Mental Health Supports. Nashua, NH, 9am-12pm, $32.00, 3 CE Credits. Topics include: Trans-affirmative mental health services, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Trans Intersectionality, and Cultural Aspects of the Transgender Experience. Co-sponsored by New Hampshire Psychological Association & Rivier University.

Contact 603-415-0451.

Feb. 9: Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Marlborough, MA, 9am-4pm, $169, 6 CE Credits. CBT for depression and psychosis. Sponsored by The Bridge Training Institute. Contact 508-755-0333.

Feb. 12-16: Resilience Across the Lifespan: Strength-Based Strategies to Nurture Balance, Self-Discipline, and Hope in Ourselves and Others. Naples, FL, 9am12:15pm, $599, 15 CE Credits.

Topics include: power of mindsets; importance of empathy; developing “stress hardiness” and minimizing burnout. Sponsored by New England Educational Institute. Contact 413499-1489 x1.

Feb. 16: School Refusal: State of the Science. Wilton, CT, 10am-12pm, $25 (free to CPA members), 2 CE Credits. Learn about the science of school refusal, including the causes, consequences, and functions of school refusal, and available treatments. Sponsored by Connecticut Psychological Association. Contact 203 451-5375.

Feb. 19-23: Essential Psychopharmacology, 2018. Naples, FL, 9am-12:15pm, $1075, 15 CE Credits. Course will provide a simplified and clinically relevant updated review of neurobiology and brain function. Sponsored by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School.

Contact 617-384-8600.

Feb. 19-23: A New Prescription on 2018: Exercise and Other Medical and Complementary Ground Breaking Techniques. Naples, FL, 9am-12:15pm, $1075, 15 CE Credits. Course focuses on latest medical and non-medical approaches and interventions for patients with ADHD, aggression, the addictions, and social disorders. Sponsored by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. Contact 617-3848600.

Feb. 26-March 2: Meditation and Visualization Practices for Everyday Living and To Enhance Peak Performance.

Naples, FL, 9am-12:15pm, $1075, 15 CE Credits. Workshop integrates the practical spiritual wisdom from the Eastern meditation traditions, and visualizations, and methods from positive psychology from the Western psychotherapy traditions to address staying in the ‘flow’ and bringing one’s best self to everyday living.

Sponsored by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. Contact 617-384-8600.

Feb. 26-March 2: Psychopharmacology: A Master Class. Naples, FL, 9am12:15pm, $1075, 15 CE Credits. An updated review of neu-

CONTINUING Education New England Psychologist prints as many continuing education conferences as space allows.

Listings with incomplete information will not be printed. CE credits listed are for psychologists. Deadline for submission is the 1st of each month for the following month’s issue. CE Listing correspondence to: New England Psychologist Attn: Continuing Education P.O. Box 5464 Bradford, MA 01835 ce@nepsy.com

robiology and brain function will take the attendee through neurotransmission sequence from synthesis to gene transcription.

Sponsored by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. Contact 617-384-8600.

March March 2: Connecticut Association for Behavior Analysis (CTABA) 14th Annual Conference. Hartford, CT. 8am-5pm, $165, 7 CE credits available.

Topics include: treatments and interventions for autism, developmental disabilities, and behavior problems for children and adolescents, as well as insurance, legislative issues, and school-bases services. Contact 860-413-9538, ext 304.

March 2-3: Treating the Addictions. Boston, MA, 7:45am5:15pm, $300, 14 CE Credits.

Course will include an update on the clinical, theoretical, and research findings of addictive behaviors. Sponsored by Dept. of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance Physicians Organization. Contact 617-3848600.

February 2018

March 9: Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Anxiety. Marlborough, MA, 9am-4pm, $169, 6 CE Credits. Treating social anxiety, OCD, panic disorders, phobias, and PTSD. Sponsored by The Bridge Training Institute. Contact 508-7550333.

March 16-17: Posttraumatic Stress and Related Disorders: The Latest From Neurobiology to Treatment. Boston, MA 7am-5pm, $495, 14.75 CE Credits. Topics include: developments in psychopharmacology; strategies to care for patients; patterns of trauma responses around the globe; develop strategies to treat trauma patients from a multicultural perspective. Sponsored by Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital. Contact 617384-8600.

March 16-17: Sex as a Safe Adventure: Integrating Emotional and Physical Disconnection Through an Attachment Lens. Wellesley, MA, 9am-5pm, $450, 12 CEUs available. This workshop will present the latest research on sexuality in couple relationships and the Emotional Focused Therapy (EFT) approach to helping couples address sexual issues. Sponsored by The New England Emotionally Focused Therapy Center. Contact 781-856-8727.

March 17: A Contemporary Self Psychological Approach to Couple Therapy: An Overview and Comparison with Gottman and Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT) Models. Newton, MA. 9am-4:30 pm. Non-members: $140; after 2/28/18 $170. 5.5 CE credits. This workshop is

part of an ongoing series of PCFINE-sponsored programs exploring different models of couple therapy.

Sponsored

by Psychodynamic Couple & Family Institute of New England. Contact 781-433-0906 or pcfine1934@gmail.com.

March 22: Internal Family Systems and Psychodynamic Therapy: Accelerating Access to the Unconscious Mind. Boston, MA, 8:45am-5pm, $195, after 1/31: $225, 6 CE Credits. Psychodynamic psychotherapy 2018 pre-conference institute. Sponsored by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Psychoanalytic Society & Institute, and William James College. Contact 888-244-6843.

March 23: Transforming Vicarious Traumatization: Enhancing Self-Compassion, Resiliency, & SelfCare for Therapists. Nashua, NH. Join leading expert in psychological trauma and therapist self-care, Dr. Karen Saakvitne, in an experiential workshop that emphasizes how the work of psychotherapy can change practitioners and offers specific strategies to build therapist resilience.

Sponsored by NHPA. Contact 603-415-0451.

March 23: Communication Strategies.

Marlborough, MA, 9am-4pm, $169, 6 CE Credits. Using DBT skills to work with emotionally sensitive or distressed youth.

Sponsored by The Bridge Training Institute. Contact 508-755-0333.

Continued on Page 11

February 2018 March 23-24: Psychodynamic Psychotherapy 2018.

Boston, MA, 8:15am-5pm, $350, after 1/31: $395, 13 CE Credits. Overriding goal is to deepen understanding of the curative process, with special attention to the contributions of both patient and therapist in the unfolding of the “cure.”

Sponsored by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Psychoanalytic Society & Institute, and William James College. Contact 888244-6843.

April April 6-8: Intermediate Workshop in Hypnosis.

New England Psychologist Brookline, MA, 9am-6pm. Total of 20 hours of lectures and small group practice. NESCH members by 3/9/18: $375; non-members $450. After 3/9/18: members, $450, nonmembers, $525. 20 CEU’s available for $30. ASCH-approved basic hypnosis training a prerequisite. Sponsored

by The New England Society of Clinical Hypnosis. Contact www.nesch.org or 617-7345042.

medical and psychosocial outcomes. Presented by Julie Wagner, PhD. Sponsored by RIPA. Contact 401-732-2400 or ripsych.org. n

For

comprehensive

CE listings check out

BELMONT: Belmont/Cambridge line. Office space available on full or part-time basis in attractive renovated colonial building for mental health professionals. Ample parking, on bus line. Call 617-4844393.

BOSTON: Back Bay. Full-time (unfurnished) and part-time (furnished) offices available as of April in newly constructed office suite in beautiful Back Bay building, half-block from Public Garden. Amazing views of Boston. Shared waiting area, bathroom and kitchenette.

Many referrals available in collegial community of private practitioners. Private practice start-up and expansion consultation available. Assisting with billing-related administrative work also available as (completely optional) add-on service. Part-time sublets may be available prior to April as well. Contact 617-230-3002 or backbayalliance@gmail. com.

MELROSE: Two offices for sublet FT or PT in a charming Victorian professional building in downtown Melrose, convenient to cafes and restau-

rants, parking, and convenient to bus and trains. Additional work spaces include kitchenette, 1/2 bath, and conference room. Consultation on evidence-based treatment and support in building a private practice is available. Available January 1, 2018. Contact Lisa Coyne at dr.lisacoyne@gmail. com

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April 27: Diabetes Management: Intersection of Medicine and Psychology.

Warwick, RI, 8:30am-4:30pm. $169. 6 CE Credits. Topics include: behavioral and psychological challenges for diabetics; interventions to improve

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Classifieds Office Space

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Contact New England Psychologist today at ce@nepsy.com.

Find it in CLASSIFIEDS

Classified Form

All classified advertising runs New England-wide for total circulation of just over 10,000. In addition all ads run online in nePsy.com

Deadline is 15th of every month, except for Aug./Sept. issue, which is Aug. 5.

For all other advertising deadlines and rates (Help Wanted, CE, etc.) email us at advertising@nepsy.com.

Classified ads for office space or groups forming are $60 per column inch. Minimum charge is $60. There are approximately 20 words per column inch. Ads for office space should begin with the town/city and state and must include the phone number and area code in order for us to process the advertisement. Commercial classifieds for services/products for sale are $150 per column inch. Minimum size is 1 inch.

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New England Psychologist

February 2018

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Go to www.mhs.com/CEFIAdult for more details or contact your MHS consultant