KEYNOTE:
LISA SEIF, MSW, LCSW, LCAC, CSAMS is a private psychotherapist, consultant, and educator. Since 1983, Lisa has devoted her time and passions to the prevention, intervention, and treatment to those suffering with addictive disorders, now called substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders by the DSM5, a diagnostic and statistical manual of mental health disorders.
Lisa serves on the board at her synagogue Temple Adath B’nai Israel, the board at the YWCA, and The Parenting Time Center. She is a member of NASW and NAADAC. She is a former adjunct professor at USI teaching Substance Use, Abuse, and Addiction as well as a class on Family Systems and how they are affected by alcoholism and substance use disorders. She has served as a consultant to the courts, schools, and agencies in the Tri-State and at the State level. Lisa has published a book called Think and Grow Sober that is now on Amazon. She has received awards from Youth First and Youth Resources for her volunteerism and dedication to young people. She was instrumental in helping Judge Meier develop and start the Warrick County DUI and Drug Court programs. Presently, she consults with Judge Trockman and the Vanderburgh County Treatment Court. Substance use disorders take a huge toll on individuals, their families, and the community at large. Lisa has been in the foundation and scaffolding of recognizing, treating, and generating recovery capital, physical and psychological health, quality of life, and commitment to abstinence, sobriety, employment, housing, and involvement with the justice system. She stays in the “know” to drugs!
CONCURRENT SESSIONS I
ROBERT M. BENNETT, PhD, LISW is a new assistant professor in the Indiana University School of Social Work at Indiana University South Bend. He earned his Master of Social Work and PhD from The Ohio State University College of Social Work. His master’s thesis, “The Poverty Attributions of Professional Social Workers,” was a study that led to development of the Poverty Attribution Survey (PAS), which is a measure of social workers’ explanations of poverty. Rob was a post-doctoral fellow in mental health social work at OSU’s Counseling and Consultation Service where he provided services to persons, couples and families, and groups. His dissertation, “Enhancing Our Understanding of Human Poverty: An Examination of the Relationship Between Poverty and Material Hardship,” was a novel approach to poverty measurement that connects income poverty and material deprivation through sensitivity and specificity statistics. Rob’s teaching passion is culturally-responsive social work, community and social policy social work, ethics, and research and statistics. His current scholarship grows out from his work on social workers’ poverty attributions and is an evaluation of outcomes from a poverty simulation, a high-impact practice, on social work students’ explanations for poverty.
STACEY EASLEY, MSW, LSW has 17 years working with the AIDS Resource Group. Stacey started as a part-time care coordinator, moving to the prevention team and earning Master of Social Work in 2010. Stacey was the Comprehensive Risk Counselor and Prevention Program Manager from 2011 to 2018. Stacey received the Indiana Minority Coalition Outstanding HIV Services Award in 2013. Stacey has served as the Executive Director since 2018.
TYLER GILHAM, Outreach Specialist, has been working at ARG for over four years. His role includes testing clients for HIV, Hepatitis C, and Syphilis, community outreach, and educational services. He graduated from Ball State University in 2015 with his bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry, and then again in 2016 with his Master of Physiology. His passions include travel, hiking, and education.
ANNE KELLY, Ph.D. is the dean of the College of Leadership and Public Service and Chair of the Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences at Dakota Wesleyan University, where she has taught since 2000. She earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno. Her research focuses on the causes, treatment, and prevention of suicide, the psychological mechanisms underlying suicide ideation, and the cognitive and social factors that influence the detection of suicide risk in others.
APRIL D. NEWTON, PT, DPT, PhD, FNAP, is the Director of Interprofessional Practice Development at the Indiana University (IU) Interprofessional Practice and Education Center. Dr. Newton is an assistant professor of clinical family medicine in the IU School of Medicine’s department of family medicine and in the department of physical therapy. She is a physical therapist and supervises physical therapy students in the Comprehensive Pain Assessment Clinic at IU Health. In addition to her academic and clinical responsibilities, Dr. Newton’s roles include creating co-curricular interprofessional education workshops and sessions and developing and integrating interprofessional education and collaborative practice curricula.
JOHN PAULSON ACSW, LCSW, MAC, LCAC, NCSE, Associate Professor of Social Work, University of Southern Indiana. Mr. Paulson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor (LCAC) in Indiana. He is a member of NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals, and recognized by the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals as holding the National Clinical Supervision Endorsement (NCSE).
BONITTA RINKS, LCSW, ACSW, Clinical Assistant Professor / Director of Social Work Field Education, University of Southern Indiana. Ms. Rinks is certified by the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW) and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Indiana. She has been in her current role at USI since 2015 and has over 15 years prior teaching experience. Ms. Rinks has extensive clinical practice and leadership experience. Her scholarly presentations and publications include Developing Professional Presence for Social Work Field Students and Interprofessional Education Collaboration.
JANET SCHNELL, MSW, LCSW completed her master’s degree in Social Work in 2010 at the University of Southern Indiana. She is currently in practice with CareATC serving the needs of employees in a commercial furnishings company. Janet specializes in suicide prevention, intervention, and after a suicide occurs; depression; anxiety; and substance abuse. She has experience in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Brief-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (B-CBT), Motivational Interviewing, and Narrative Therapies. Janet is a suicide prevention instructor for Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR), She is a suicide prevention trainer for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). Janet is a founding member of the Retrospective Fatality Analysis – Consultants (RFA-C). The protocol is an investigative and research instrument with the goal to inform suicide prevention by using the stories of those who died by suicide. She is a certified Psychological Autopsy Investigator by the American Association of Suicidology. Janet is a public speaker sharing her experience as a suicide loss survivor and becoming a social worker after her brother’s death.
MARY SHIRLEY, MSW, LCSW, IS a Director of Social Work Fellowships Professional Development at Indiana University Health based in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is a clinical social worker in the IU Health/Methodist Family Medicine Center and Comprehensive Pain Assessment Clinic (CoPAC). Ms. Shirley supervises master’s degree social work learners in the Family Medicine Center and CoPAC and educates other unique learners about the roles and responsibilities of social workers.
DONALD SPEARS, MA, HS-BCP, Professor and Chair of Human Services at Ivy Tech Community College, has been teaching in higher education for more than 15 years. His clinical experience has been with children in foster care, the homeless, and providing education and support to families effected by Alzheimer’s disease. His research and teaching interests include income inequality, social services in health care, meaningful aging, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.
SUMMER WILDERMAN, LCSW, Clinical Assistant Professor / Assistant Director of Social Work Field Education University of Southern Indiana. Ms. Wilderman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Indiana and is a member of NASW. She has worked in higher education for the past 13 years. Her clinical experience has been with adults, teens, the elderly, substance abuse, mental health, and leadership.
CONCURRENT SESSIONS II
TODD BURKHARDT, PhD, is retired from the U.S. Army after 28 years of service. He currently works at IU Center for Rural Engagement and teaches in the IU Department of Criminal Justice.
CHARLOTTE CRITCHFIELD, LCSW University of Southern Indiana Class of 2017 Master’s of Social Work graduate. Began her career working in home-based services with families referred by DCS. She made the move into addiction services at Stepping Stone in 2020 and has moved into the Clinical Manager position with the Crisis Services department at Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare. Life experience and work in direct services in the homeless community have shown invaluable for work in crisis care.
JOELLEN HENSON is the Field Director for both the BSW and MSW programs as well as a Multi-Year Faculty Instructor for the Department of Social Work at Indiana State University. Ms. Henson is a Licensed Social Worker in both the state of Indiana and Illinois. Ms. Henson earned a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work (BSW) from Illinois State University in 1989, a Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Illinois in 1992, and a Master's Degree in Educational Administration (M.S.Ed.) from Eastern Illinois University in 2005. Ms. Henson is currently enrolled in the Doctorate of Health Sciences program at Indiana State University. Ms. Henson's particular areas of research interest include the development and implementation of orientation and training programs to enhance the supervisory skills of field instructors. Prior to beginning her work in academia, Ms. Henson worked as a School Social Worker in the state of Illinois for 26 years.
JOHN KEESLER, PhD, is an associate professor in the IU School of Social Work. His research focuses on adversity/trauma, trauma-informed care, and quality of life.
OFFICER MARIO REID, Mental Health Liaison University of Southern Indiana Class of 2010 Bachelor’s of Art Public Relations and Social Sciences. Has been an officer with Evansville Police Department for 9 years. He began his current position as the Community Mental Health Outreach Officer in October 2020, the position has evolved into the Mental Health Liaison to capture the work through partnerships that are integral to the success of the program. Mario has previously worked in mental health, child welfare, and youth programs.
HOLLY WALTHER graduated from USI in 2001 and began her career in 2004 as a middle-school Language Arts teacher at Holy Spirit School in Evansville, Indiana. She left the profession in 2008 to be a stay-at-home mom and returned to school in 2018 to pursue her master’s degree, which she earned from Brescia University in May 2020. During her schooling, she interned at Ireland Home Based Services because she wanted an ‘inside look’ at how the Department of Child Services functioned; this curiosity resulted from her ten-year, part-time work as a tutor and mentor for adolescents at the Hillcrest Youth Home. In early 2020, Holly began working for IHBS as a home-based therapist, where she provides services for children, adolescents, and adults of all ages. She received her certification in the Family Centered Treatment model in 2020 and recently presented on the topic of epigenetics at the FCT National Conference in April 2022. Holly also earned her LSW in April 2021 and is currently pursuing her LCSW.
ALICIA WILDERMAN, MHSA, CMC, CBIS studied at the University of Evansville and completed her Masters and Bachelor’s degrees in Health Services Administration with a Gerontology Certificate. Alicia is a Certified Care Manager and a Certified Brain Injury Specialist. For the past 11 years Alicia has worked as a Case Manager in the acute rehabilitation hospital setting. Her additional past experience includes home health care, dementia care, skilled nursing facilities, and long term care. Alicia is passionate about aging and gerontology services, advanced directives, and brain injury rehabilitation.
CONCURRENT SESSIONS III
STEPHANIE BRINKERHOFF, JD, LCSW has been licensed to practice law in Indiana for 21 years and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Indiana and Kentucky for the last three years. Stephanie works in the intersection of law and mental health and focuses her practice on domestic relations. Her practice includes litigation, parenting coordination, and working as a Guardian ad Litem. Stephanie is also trained in reunification therapy and therapeutic supervised visitation.
ALEX BUCHANAN, MA, is the Project Manager at the Indiana University (IU) Interprofessional Practice and Education Center. Alex oversees various curricular and co-curricular to interprofessional education and collaboration projects. He also manages the Indiana Communities Advancing Recovery Efforts Project ECHO at the IU Fairbanks School of Public Health through the IUPUI ECHO Center. Alex has a bachelor’s degree in General Studies from Indiana University. He earned his master’s degree in Executive Development at Ball State University.
RONALD DOLAN earned a Bachelor’s degree from Western University in 1969, MSW from University of Denver in 1969 and EdD from Ball state University in 1977. My past practice includes: Older Adult Caseworker, School Social Worker, Child Welfare Worker, Caseworker Supervisor, Staff Development Consultant, Personnel Office, Mental Health Consultant, and Adult Protective Services Investigator. My research focuses on interpersonal violence, humor as stress management, and older adults. My teaching includes Social Work Practice I, Intervention in Family Violence, and Intervention with Older Adults.
SERRETTA GORDON is a Clinical Associate Professor and the Interim MSW Program Coordinator for the School of Social Work at Indiana University in New Albany, Indiana. She also serves in the role of MSW Field Coordinator at IU Bloomington campus. She has been with the University for almost 7 years. Serretta has a Bachelor of Social Work with completion of the KY Public Child Welfare Certification Program and a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work. Serretta has worked for the KY Cabinet for Health and Family Services in the Protection and Permanency Division as well as service to psychiatric hospital settings, KY Schools for Alcohol and Other Drug Studies, KY Family Finding Project Match Initiatives, and non-profit and for-profit agencies with families and children. Serretta has also participated in the Bloomington Citizen’s Academy, Thriving Connections Program, working with youth whose parents are incarcerated, and serves on The Mental Health of America Board of Monroe County. Serretta is currently co-authoring two books on grief and loss and an anthology on experiences of Black social workers in the profession. Since 2019 Serretta has started an initiative to raise awareness around Multiple Myeloma Cancer and promotion of health and wellness in the community.
JENNIFER HIPPIE, LCSW, LCAC She is a Clinical Associate Professor of Field Instruction for Indiana University School of Social Work MSW Direct Online Program. She prepares and places MSW students for their field practicums. She is a part time PhD student at the Indiana University School of Social Work. In addition to her duties as Field Coordinator, she teaches in the MSW Program. Prior to coming to Indiana University, she worked full time in a school setting and in community mental health organizations working with individuals, families, and groups. She is dedicated to working with community partners to support field education in service.
APRIL D. NEWTON, PT, DPT, PhD, FNAP, is the Director of Interprofessional Practice Development at the Indiana University (IU) Interprofessional Practice and Education Center. Dr. Newton is an assistant professor of clinical family medicine in the IU School of Medicine’s department of family medicine and in the department of physical therapy. She is a physical therapist and supervises physical therapy students in the Comprehensive Pain Assessment Clinic at IU Health. In addition to her academic and clinical responsibilities, Dr. Newton’s roles include creating co-curricular interprofessional education workshops and sessions and developing and integrating interprofessional education and collaborative practice curricula.
DANIELLE PETERSON is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at the University of Saint Francis. Danielle began her social work career focused on providing trauma-informed care to individuals facing intimate partner violence, homelessness, and mental illness but has spent the last nine years as an oncology social worker. Danielle has since worked at the local and national levels with non-profit organizations that serve people of all ages affected by cancer. Along with her teaching role, Danielle continues her oncology social work practice by providing counseling services for cancer survivors, volunteering as a Mental Health Professional at a camp for children with parents with cancer, and co-facilitating/researching the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions that improve the quality of life of young adults with cancer.
CARLENE QUINN, LCSW, ACSW with is an associate clinical professor and BSW Program Director in the Indiana University School of Social Work. She is interested in addressing emerging social justice issues, DEI, poverty, and gaps in communities through placement sites to help build capacities of service in underserved areas. Her clinical experience has been working with adults, teens, and children with serious behavioral health and chaotic substance misuse challenges in inpatient, outpatient, and homebased settings. She has taught Groups in Practice, Introduction to Social Work, Poverty in the US, Independent Studies, and the two-semester Senior Practicum course.
BETTY WALTON, LCSW, conducts translational research related to behavioral health services for children, youth, and adults. She supports the use of practice-based data to inform planning and to monitor progress and to manage programs. Previous experience as a clinical social worker and mid-level manager informs her research.