10:00am – 10:15am 

Break

 

10:15am – 11:30am

Concurrent Sessions

 

1. Reintegration Residential Programs: The Epitome of Community Compassionate Care and The Intersection of Mental Health & Substance Use Treatment

Britney Ettinger, Program Director, MHA of Dutchess County

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This workshop explores a modern, community-based approach to compassionate care in reintegration residential settings, blending mental health and substance use services to promote long-term success. Studies show that the first year of sobriety is the hardest, with 40-60% relapsing without proper support. Reintegration programs are vital, as those staying in sober living homes for 9-12 months have a 75% lower relapse rate in the following decade, leading to healthier, fulfilled recovery outcomes.

 

2. Outreach and Engagement 

Olivia Pupek, MSW, Intensive Case Manager/Care Coordinator, Creedmoor Psychiatric Center

Samantha Seodas, MSW, Creedmoor Psychiatric Center

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During this session, participants will understand the Outreach and Enrollment process for Care Coordination and gain insider tips on Outreach/Engagement for clients living with Serious Mental Illness and or substance use disorder. Participants will have a better understanding of Mandated Case Management Services AOT/CPL and will be able to assist clients with identifying natural supports. 

 

3. Session Information TBA

Speakers TBA

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Description Coming Soon.

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4. Helping Care Managers Find Their Rhythm

Katie Pruiett, Care Manager, CCOR

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This presentation will provide tips and tricks to assist care managers in finding a rhythm to manage an ever-changing case load.   It will also cover “best practices” to help Care Managers assist clients in becoming more independent and move along the path to “graduation”.  Simple everyday practices from establishing good boundaries, front loading in-person visits to how to manage stress and remembering self-care will be covered.  The overall idea is that once an established “rhythm” is achieved, the load becomes lighter. 

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5. Critical Time Intervention (CTI) for Adults

Melissa Beall, M.A., Director, Care Coordination Unit, NYS Office of Mental Health

Craig Wilson, MHC, MH Program Specialist 2, NYS Office of Mental Health

Janine Perazzo, LCSW, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Hospital Care and Community Transitions, NYS Office of Mental Health

Colleen Cebula, LCSW, Clinical Director, Office of Hospital Care and Community Transitions, NYS Office of Mental Health

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In this presentation, OMH will provide an overview of a new program being implemented in New York State - Critical Time Intervention (CTI). CTI is a time-limited, phase-based care management approach focused on enhancing continuity of care during transitional times, for example from a hospital to community. CTI promotes community integration, self-advocacy, and access to ongoing support by helping individuals develop and utilize strong ties to their professional and non-professional support systems during and after transition periods. CTI includes assertive outreach and engagement with individuals in higher-level of care settings, as well as in the community, with a focus on addressing key social care needs at the individual level. A critical aspect of this program is the partnership between CTI Teams and hospitals (inpatient psychiatry units, emergency departments, psychiatric centers, and CPEPs), as well as the knowledge of, and expertise in, connections to outpatient services and supports.   This presentation will also introduce attendees to OMH's new Office of Hospital Care and Community Transitions, created to engage providers across the continuum of care in strategies which strengthen the care of those with mental health conditions and complex care needs throughout admission, treatment, and discharge.  Part of this effort includes OMH Regional Teams intended to provide support, engage and identify areas for growth, among other tools, at a local, hospital-based level. ​

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6. High Fidelity Wraparound Overview and Access Points: Intensive Care Coordination for Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance

Kim Heffner, Unit Director, Children and Families, NYS Office of Mental Health

Davia Plusch, MS, Statewide SPOA Coordinator, NYS Office of Mental Health

Colette Poulin, MSSA, Health Program Director, NYS Department of Health

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This presentation provides an overview of High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW), its role within the continuum of care, and New York State's efforts to implement it within the Health Home Serving Children (HHSC) program. Participants will explore the core elements that distinguish HFW as an intensive and evidence-based practice, its integration within a systems of care framework, and how partnerships with C-SPOA, Peers, and community agencies improve outcomes for youth and families. The session also covers the history, statute, and purpose of C-SPOA, and its role in the care process.​

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11:30am - 11:45am

Stretch Break

 

11:45am – 1:00pm  

Concurrent Sessions

 

1. Connecting the Dots: Improving Health Through Community Partnerships

Katie Bierlein, LMSW, MPH, Regional Director of Social Support Services, The Institute

Strong partnerships that address the social drivers of health are key to improving health outcomes. Appropriately screening and connecting people to resources in their community is integral to the role of a care manager. The mechanisms for accomplishing this are varied. At the Institute for Family Health, we have developed some strong partnerships, primarily addressing food insecurity and transportation. In this presentation, we will review our various partnerships, including their structure, goals, and outcomes. We will identify challenges and highlight successes and lessons learned.

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2. Safety In the Field

Shatarra Barnes, LMSW, SIFI, MBA, Program Director, CareCollab

This session empowers participants with essential safety knowledge and skills. By the end, attendees will be able to define safety, identify ten fundamental safety rules, recognize common safety risks, and implement practical self-care strategies. Join us to enhance your safety awareness and cultivate a proactive approach to personal and communal well-being!

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3. Delivering Hard News and Responding to Emotion in Tricky Transitions of Care Conversations  

Jennifer Franzoni, MSW, LICSW, ACM-SW, CCM, Network Manager, Care Management, University of Vermont Health Network

Naomi Hodde, MD, Physician, Site Leader, Hospitalist Medicine, University of Vermont Health Network

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Take a moment and think about a time when you witnessed a patient receiving hard news. What went well? What did not go well? Transitions of care conversations are some of the most difficult communication exchanges we have as care managers. Limited resources, conflicting pressures within our system, and the emphasis on safe and timely discharges/hospital throughput means that we are putting proposed challenging plans in front of patients every single day. In this session, we will explore how to present tough information concisely, and learn how to respond to high intensity emotion, all with the goal of moving difficult conversations forward and formulating the next steps.

 

4. The Restorative Practice Way of Enhancing Connection, Conversation and Collaboration

Jon S. Rice, LCSW-R, Program Specialist 2, New York State Office of Mental Health

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Optimal care management starts with the recognition that we, like those we serve, are multifaceted. Restorative Practice appreciates this complexity, and offers concrete tools (even specific questions), which enhance connection, conversation, and collaboration. We’ll explore some of these tools together which facilitate deep listening, self-awareness and interpersonal relationships based on respect and responsibility.  Together, we’ll entertain how these ways of thinking and being enhance professional, personal, and communal well-being (e.g. even how they influence policy and address social determinants of health).

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5. Person-Centeredness: From Concept to Practice

Elizabeth Haley, BA, Coordinator of ACT Fidelity and Best Practices, ICONECT, Institute for Care Management, Outreach, Networking, Engagement, Connecting and Training, Center for Practice Innovations, Division of Behavioral Health Services and Policy Research, Center for Practice Innovations at Columbia Psychiatry, NYS Psychiatric Institute

Language matters in all aspects of life and is particularly important in the context of behavioral health and recovery. Words can be associated with pessimism and low expectations, which can directly impact the people we serve, as well as reflect our own attitudes and expectations regarding our work.  Language can carry and perpetuate bias, prejudice, and judgment. However, with some serious reflection, open-minded discussion, and commitment to being recovery-oriented, language can also be extremely positive, motivating and life changing.

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6. Health Homes: Descriptive and Performance Data

Fatima Aboul-Seoud, MA, Data Insights Advisor, Health Home Program, NYSDOH

Arianna Antisin, Operations Advisor, Health Home Program, NYSDOH

Hillel Hirshbein, LCSW, MPH, Health Home Program Director NYSDOH

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The Department of Health presents the latest available data on the demographics of Health Home Enrollees, outcomes on nationally recognized measure sets, and Pre-Post enrollment service utilization, and discuss the key takeaways and the clues they provide as to the value of the Health Home Program.

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1:15pm

Adjournment