Presented by Sarah L. Xavier, D.O, Adult, Child & Adolescent and
Forensic Psychiatrist
Registration: 8:30-9:00am
Presentation: 9:00am-12:00pm
3 CEUs approved for Mental Health Counselors, 3 CEs approved for Social Workers
Buffet breakfast provided!
$30 for RIMHCA members, $45 for non-members
Registration is now closed, we hope to see you next time!–PayPal will serve as your only confirmation of registration
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As a therapist, you are on the front lines. You are often the first clinician to see one of the 10 million adults in the US struggling with a severe mental illness. You are a “gatekeeper”. With this privilege there is responsibility.
Adults in the U.S. living with serious mental illness die on average 25 years earlier than others.
Mental Illness is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
Despite effective treatment, there are long delays—sometimes decades—between the first appearance of symptoms and when people get help (NAMI).
Why?
There are conflicting beliefs about whether mental illness is real, whether one should be able to cure it with “will, vitamins and exercise” alone, whether the medication treatments are effective, and whether the pharmaceutical industry and the psychiatric profession are driven by greed or science (or both).
As a therapist, many of your clients have read the articles regarding the placebo effect of medication and the “warnings” of increased likelihood of suicidal ideation. They fear having a medication change who they are as a person. They trust you to offer honest and science-based feedback regarding whether to see a psychiatric prescriber.
This lecture will aim to:
- Provide an overview of the classes of psychiatric medication, their effect sizes (a measure of how well they work) and their liabilities (side effects). When possible, we will discuss the efficacy of medication relative to psychotherapy or alternative treatment.
- Recognize all the new kids on the block: Brintellix versus Trintellix, Rexulti, Fetzima etc.
- Offer you data so that you are equipped to answer basic questions from your clients: Do I need medication? Will it change my personality? How long before it will work? How long do I need to stay on it? What do I do if I have a side effect? Do I need to tolerate side effects?
- Offer your parameters for determining when a client should be referred to a psychiatrist. Offer suggestions of data that would be most helpful to communicate to the accepting psychiatrist.
If time permits, we will discuss how to field the following questions from your clients: Does genetic testing help? Does ketamine work (rapid acting antidepressants)? What is the difference between generic and branded medication (and why did generic Concerta get decertified by the FDA)? What is Abilify mycite (the drug with a sensor that communicates data to a phone app)? Why do some psychiatrists accept insurance and others do not- do they do anything different? What is the neuroanatomy of addiction?
No refunds after Monday, April 30, 2018