Please join us at the
2ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON
PROMOTING BRAIN HEALTH
September 15, 2020
9AM-12PM
Live Online via Zoom
This conference will award 3 contact hours for LMSW and LCSW with the NYSED State Board for Social Work and 3 contact hours for LMHC and LMFT with the NYSED State Board for Mental Health Practitioners and 3 CASAC renewal credits. 
Registration fee: $15.00
What is Brain Health?
Looking Towards the Integration of Neuroscience and Psychology

Program
Keynote: What is Brain Health? Looking Towards the Integration of Neuroscience and Psychology  

The National Institute of Aging point to the need to ensure “brain health” of the aging population. Mental Health, however, is an integral part of so-called Brain Health, and understanding the complex interplay between the psychological/social aspects, resilience, and spiritual aspect of the individual is essential to our understanding “Brain Health”. In the end, the Psyche and the Brain are one and as such we cannot separate biology from psychology. Participants will be able to define Brain Health and understand the importance of mental health determinants in achieving optimal functioning.

Presented by Dr. Constantine “Charlie” Ioannou, the Chairman of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services at Nassau University Medical Center. Prior to this, he was Director of Psychiatric Residency Training at Stony Brook University. He has held multiple leadership positions over the past 30 years, first at Kings County Hospital Center, through his present position at NUMC.

He was a diagnostic consultant for the Collaboration of the Genetics of Alcoholism, and was involved in developing programs for a variety of special populations including the HIV infected populations, substance abuse patients and the severe persistent mentally ill. Despite his work in Public Sector psychiatry and work with the SPMI population he has maintained his interest in psychodynamic psychotherapy and is a member of the CJ Jung Institute and has completed training in Meaning Centered Psychotherapy. He teaches didactics to both Nassau University Medical Center and Stony Brook psychiatric residents. He also supervises psychiatric residents in providing insight oriented psychotherapy and supportive expressive psychotherapy.

His interest is in combining psychotherapy, medication management and issues of meaning and purpose into the care of individuals. He is also interested in the historical context of Public Psychiatry, especially in the role that “Cost Shifting” has had on the design of the mental health system and the inherent problems that exist due to this.

Workshop: Non-Pharmacological Interventions in Dementia Treatment

The data reflecting the rising prevalence of dementia is bleak. According to Alz.org, as of 2019, 5.8 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with the number expected to rise to 14 million by 2050. A third of all senior citizens die with AD or another dementia. AD is also the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S., killing more individuals annually than breast and prostate cancers combined. More distressingly, as the rate of death due to dementias is rising annually and despite years of research, there are as yet no pharmacological interventions approved that target the root causes of dementias such as AD. At the present rate, medical costs associated with dementias alone by 2050 are projected to reach over $1 trillion dollars.

Research however supports the use of novel therapeutic approaches that are non-pharmacological in nature to treat dementias. This workshop will review recent interventions that include transcranial direct current stimulation, induction of cortical gamma oscillations via light and sound therapies, diet and other interventions in the treatment of dementias, along with the underlying biological mechanisms.

Attendees will become familiar with current evidence regarding how non-pharmacological interventions directed towards dementias may improve overall brain health. Participants will evaluate the most recent research that utilizes non pharmacological interventions for treating dementias. Participants will be able to better operationalize the use of these approaches in their current practice as an adjunct to supporting mental health in their clients.

Presented by Oliver Medvedik, PhD
Workshop: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy: Skills for Improving Our Lives

This workshop will consist of an overview of the history of dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and what populations it is used to treat. Participants will learn about the four modules of DBT including mindfulness skills, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation skills, and distress tolerance skills. Participants will be able to appreciate DBT as a treatment modality and have an understanding of the four modules of DBT and how they relate to treating various mental health disorders.

Presented by Sarah Silverstein, LCSW-R
Registration fee: $15.00