Great Plains Disaster Behavioral Health Conference
2022 Conference
The Great Plains Disaster Behavioral Health Conference is for psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, mental health care providers, public health officials, nurses, emergency managers, and first responders to learn how to prepare and respond to the psychological effects of disaster and mass casualty events.
If you have questions, please call 402.472.5678.
July 29, 2022
In-Person Conference
Embassy Suites – Downtown Old Market
555 S 10th Street, Omaha, NE 68102
The hotel’s main drive will be under construction.
Hotel guests: Please enter through East doors for check-in (image below).
Non-hotel guests attending the pre-conference or conference: Please enter through either the East (image below) or main doors.
New This Year:
July 28, 2022
Pre-Conference workshop for clinicians (psychologists, LIMHP, LMHP, APRN, RN, MD)
“Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Postdisaster Distress” by Dr. Jessica Hamblen.
Objectives
1
Describe post-disaster distress and skills people can learn to manage it.
2
Examine ways to manage acute stress and how a stress management program can be adapted and implemented to promote resilience.
3
Learn the role hotlines serve during disasters and crises, including information about Nebraska 988.
4
Discuss ethical considerations and challenges in providing behavioral health services, particularly after a disaster.
Pre-conference Workshop Agenda
Approved for 6.5 continuing education credits for psychologists. Credits will be awarded to participants who attend the entire training.
Thursday, July 28th from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (CDT)
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
Registration
8:30 AM – 1:00 PM
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Lunch Break (lunch provided)
2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Pre-conference Workshop Agenda
Approved for 6.5 continuing education credits for psychologists. Credits will be awarded to participants who attend the entire training.
Thursday, July 28th from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (CDT)
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
Registration
8:30 AM – 1:00 PM
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Lunch Break (lunch provided)
2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Conference Agenda
Approved for 3.5 continuing education hours for psychologists across sessions indicated below in blue. Credits will be awarded to participants who attend the entire training.
Friday, July 29th from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (CDT)
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Registration
9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
Building Client Resilience Using Skills from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Post-Disaster Distress with Jessica Hamblen, PhD, Dartmouth; Deptartment of Veterans Affairs’ National Center for PTSD
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM
Break
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM
11:45 AM – 1:15 PM
Lunch Break
1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Resources for Post-Disaster Recovery and Across the U.S.: The Disaster Crisis Helpline and 988
- Christian Burgess, MSW, Vibrant Emotional Health, Director of the Disaster Distress Hotline
2:15 PM – 2:45 PM
Nebraska 988 Crisis Helpline
- Sheri Dawson, RN, Director of the Division of Behavioral Health Community Based Services, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
- Michelle Nunemaker, Program Specialist, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Break
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Ethical Principles to Guide Human Service Professionals
with Crayton Jirovsky, MS Ed, LIMHP, LADC, NCC, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Therapist
*Continuing education for psychologists may be used by other licensed behavioral health professionals. Please check with your licensing board. Continuing education credit is granted on a one credit per one instructional hour basis.
The University of Nebraska Public Policy Center (NUPPC) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The NUPPC sponsors this event and maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Conference Agenda
Approved for 3.5 continuing education hours for psychologists across sessions indicated below in blue. Credits will be awarded to participants who attend the entire training.
Friday, July 29th from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (CDT)
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Registration
9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
Building Client Resilience Using Skills from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Post-Disaster Distress with Jessica Hamblen, PhD, Dartmouth; Deptartment of Veterans Affairs’ National Center for PTSD
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM
Break
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM
11:45 AM – 1:15 PM
Lunch Break
1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Resources for Post-Disaster Recovery and Across the U.S.: The Disaster Crisis Helpline and 988
- Christian Burgess, MSW, Vibrant Emotional Health, Director of the Disaster Distress Hotline
2:15 PM – 2:45 PM
Nebraska 988 Crisis Helpline
- Sheri Dawson, RN, Director of the Division of Behavioral Health Community Based Services, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
- Michelle Nunemaker, Program Specialist, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Break
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Ethical Principles to Guide Human Service Professionals
with Crayton Jirovsky, MS Ed, LIMHP, LADC, NCC, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Therapist
*Continuing education for psychologists may be used by other licensed behavioral health professionals. Please check with your licensing board. Continuing education credit is granted on a one credit per one instructional hour basis.
The University of Nebraska Public Policy Center (NUPPC) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The NUPPC sponsors this event and maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Conference Materials
Save-the-Date Postcard
Brochure
Conference program
Speakers
Jessica Hamblen, PhD
Associate Professor | Dept. of Psychiatry
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Deputy for Education | Dept. of Veterans Affairs
National Center for PTSD
Jessica L. Hamblen, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. She is also the Deputy for Education at the Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD. Her research interests are in developing, evaluating, and disseminating evidence-based treatments for PTSD and in finding ways of improving patient engagement in those treatments. She has a national reputation as an expert in the long-term mental health response following disaster. She has served as a member of state and national disaster panels, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Disaster Behavioral Health Expert Panel in 2018 and has presented her work at numerous national and international meetings. She is the lead developer of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Postdisaster Distress program and co-author of the book: Treatment for Postdisaster Distress: A transdiagnostic approach.
REBECCA WYSOSKE, MD
Assistant Professor | Dept. of Psychiatry
University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC)
Originally from the greater Omaha area, Dr. Rebecca Wysoske moved to Illinois for medical school in 1984, graduating in 1988. She completed a residency in Internal Medicine in 1991 and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases in 1993 at Chicago Medical School. She worked for about 10 years in a variety of settings and states and found a significant shortage of psychiatric care and support, so she completed a residency in Psychiatry at the UNMC/Creighton program in 2004. She left the area for a short time but came back and has been a valued member of the UNMC Department of Psychiatry since 2007, holding various leadership positions. She developed an interest in wellness and resiliency and has worked for the past several years teaching resilience to colleagues and students at UNMC, Nebraska Medicine, and UNO. Along with other key members in the department, she developed WHOLE, their own branded resilience program based on well-studied concepts.
CHRISTIAN BURGESS, MSW
Vibrant Emotional Health
Director | National Disaster Distress Hotline
Christian Burgess, MSW, is Director of the Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH), a program of the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration administered by the not-for-profit Vibrant Emotional Health. Christian became Director of the DDH in 2012, helping to launch the program, after having joined Vibrant in 2010 as the Training Coordinator for the Oil Spill Distress Helpline project. Immediately prior to his work at Vibrant, Christian worked for over 10 years in youth violence prevention and trauma intervention, including as Director of School Programs at Safe Horizon, one of the nation’s largest service providers for victims of crime and abuse.
CRAYTON JIROVSKY, LIMHP, LADC, NCC
Mental Health and Substance
Abuse Therapist
Crayton Jirovsky is a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor in the State of Nebraska. He completed his graduate counseling work at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and has been licensed and practicing the treatment of co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders on an outpatient basis in the State of Nebraska since 2011. He has worked in a variety of settings, with both adolescents and adults, to overcome personal and family mental health concerns, Severe and Persistent Mental Illness, and substance use related concerns. He utilizes evidenced-based practice and the development of the therapeutic alliance to promote client growth and movement toward positive outcomes. He is currently in private practice and has been for the past 7 years.
SHERI DAWSON, RN
Director of the Division of
Behavioral Health at the Nebraska
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Sheri Dawson has devoted her professional career to the prevention, treatment and recovery of individuals with mental illness and/or substance use disorders.
As a graduate of Bryan School of Nursing and Nebraska Wesleyan University, Sheri has over 40 years in the nursing field and 20 years applying her nursing administrative skills and talents within DHHS. In 2015, she was appointed by Governor Pete Ricketts to serve as the Director of the Division of Behavioral Health within the Department. Since assuming this role, she is currently serving as President on the Board of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors as well as the Region VII Representative to the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors Board of Directors.
Sheri is passionate about ensuring behavioral health is a normalized and integrated part of the healthcare conversation. Connecting those who are experiencing distress and helping them to begin the healing process has to be a priority for all Nebraskans.
MICHELLE NUNEMAKER
System of Care Administrator, Children’s Services
Nebraska Department of Health
and Human Services (DHHS)
Michelle Nunemaker has dedicated her professional career to working with children, youth, and families since graduating from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in 2004. Michelle spent the majority of her career partnering with families to establish safe and stable homes. Through this work, Michelle recognized the importance of children, youth, and families having access to behavioral health services that are evidence based and support family wellbeing. Michelle is an ally for the LGBTQ community and received the Diversity Leadership Award for the development of LGBTQ training curriculum for Nebraska’s probation officers. In 2021, Michelle was designated as the State Planner for the implementation of 988 in Nebraska. Michelle recognizes that there is no health without behavioral health, She is passionate about ensuring access to behavioral health services for all children, youth, and families in Nebraska with a focus on preventing future system involvement.
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Disclaimer
This website is part of a coordinated effort on behalf of the U.S. Federal Government and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health, Division of Behavioral Health, and the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center. Funding was made possible [in part] by U3REP190555 from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). The views expressed in written materials or publications do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government or the State of Nebraska.