2014 Annual Conference – pre

FEATURED SPEAKER

Mike Veny

Mike Veny, Founder, Transforming Stigma
& Professional Drummer

Mike Veny will share his story of personal recovery from severe mental illness and how we can transform the stigma of mental illness into opportunities to educate people and build relationships. Mike’s inspiring presentation is surely something you will not want miss!

Mike delivers entertaining, engaging, and educational experiences to conferences and events throughout the world. After suffering from a devastating mental health breakdown in August of 2011, Mike made the decision to use his speaking and drumming skills to serve others. As a person who painfully struggles with mental health challenges every day, he is fiercely committed to the idea that transforming the stigma into strength starts with people taking a look at themselves.

OPENING PLENARY PRESENTATION
Cognitive Issues Across the Lifespan

Dr. Silverstein & Dr. Sohnle

Dr. Silverstein’s presentation “Cognitive Challenges in Serious Mental Illness: What Are They and What Can Be Done About Them?” reviews the major forms of cognitive and perceptual difficulties faced by people with a serious mental illnesses, clarifies which are stable over time and which tend to improve with symptom remission and discusses the effectiveness of methods such as cognitive remediation, physical exercise, medication, and neuro-feedback.

Dr. Sohnle’s presentation “What Baby Boomers Need to Know About Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders“, provides a brief overview of dementia/neurocognitive disorder and its causes, and discusses the cognitive, behavioral and functional changes that various disorders like Alzheimer’s Disease can bring about from both the consumer and caregiver perspective. Treatment and other care options will be discussed as well as warning signs and symptoms.

AFTERNOON PLENARY
Behavioral Intervention Technologies

Michelle Burns, Ph.D
Assistant Professor in the Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies (CBITs)
Departments of Preventive Medicine and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Dr. Burns will speak about new and cutting edge research that explores the potential of mobile mental health interventions to provide real-time outreach and feedback to people with mental illness in their unique environments, and overcome barriers to traditional psychotherapy in hidden, underserved communities.