Past Conference Webinars

We are pleased to make available to you recordings of Keynote Addresses given at past STAR-Center Conferences.  We look forward to making additional conference presentations available to you. 

2023 STAR-Center Conference – Health Equity and Youth Suicide

Keynote Addresses:

KEYNOTE 1 – Preventing Suicidality in Sexual and Gender Diverse Youth: The Role of Hope, Social Media and Affirmative Programs 

Shelley L. Craig, PhD, LCSW

Powerpoint not available for this Keynote

KEYNOTE 2 - School Violence and its Aftermath:  What you can do to help

Mary Margaret Kerr, EdD

Powerpoint

SKILL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS:

Implementation of the Columbia Suicide Screen (C-SSRS) in K-12 Schools

Melissa M. Nelson, EdD

As an evidence-based, highly endorsed rating scale used to screen for suicidality, the C-SSRS can be implemented in all K-12 school settings.  A case example for training teachers, counselors, nurses, coaches, and administrators on how to use the screening tool, along with how to develop school-specific protocols to follow once the screening is completed, will be covered in this workshop.

Powerpoint

Understanding and Responding to Mental Health Impacts of Online Victimization Among Marginalized Youth 

Candice Biernesser, PhD, LCSW  and Cesar G. Escobar-Viera, MD, PhD

Online victimization, referring to disparaging remarks, images, or behaviors that cause harm through social media is common, particularly among marginalized youth, and is associated with a range of mental health impacts and suicide risk. This presentation will offer practical guidance for understanding and responding to online victimization among adolescents.

Powerpoint

Suicidality and Self-Injury in Autism:  What we know and still need to learn about risk and management  

Caitlin M. Conner, PhD, LCP and Ligia Antezana, PhD 

This presentation will focus on discussing research and clinical guidelines about identifying and managing suicidality and self-injury in autistic individuals, including suggestions for screening and emerging research on the unique characteristics and risk factors for non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal thoughts and behaviors in autistic people.

Powepoint

Handout

LGBTQ+ Affirming Mental Health for Adolescents 

Kristen Eckstrand, MD, PhD, Layne Filio, MS, LPC and Olivia Leonard, MA, LPC 

This session will review the health disparities faced by LGBTQ+ adolescents, describe components of affirming mental health care to engage LGBTQ+ adolescents in mental health, and discuss strategies for adapting evidence-based interventions to address mental health concerns in LGBTQ+ adolescents.

Powerpoint

Safety Planning with Pre-Teens 

Kelsey Bero, LPC, NCC

This workshop will review the elements of safety planning with special consideration to the needs of the pre-adolescent population. Skill development will focus on adjustments to the assessment of suicidal ideation, introduction of safety plan, and collaborative creation of safety plan with the pre-teen. Additional discussion of how to the present safety plan to parents and caregivers will be reviewed.

Powerpoint

"Help!  I'm Completely Burned Out" 

Mary Margaret Kerr, EdD

Worldwide studies confirm that burnout leads to significant physical and mental health problems, as well as difficulties in the workplace.  In this engaging session, you’ll learn proven strategies to implement as part of your daily routine to fend off burnout whenever work demands seem overwhelming.  You’ll also analyze reality-based vignettes of staff coping with burnout, and come away with practical resources to deploy to prevent burnout.  

Powerpoint

Help Students Facing Mental Health Challenges:  Evidence-based tools to drive improvement in school mental health systems and practices 

Cassandra Doggrell, EdD and Lauren Madia, EdD

This presentation provides free, evidence-based self-assessment tools to support the development and improvement of school health practices, specifically mental health practices.  School administrators, psychologists, counselors, and social workers will leave the session with practical tools and actionable strategies to enhance positive outcomes for school systems and students. 

Powerpoint

Helping Teachers Prevent Everyday Confrontations from Becoming Classroom Crises  

Anthony (Tony) Babusci, EdD 

Student misbehavior is difficult to manage and can escalate into more aggressive behavior with multiple adverse consequences. Those include disruption of the educational environment and the learning process of other students, as well as inequitable and exclusionary disciplinary practices. Educators may inadvertently contribute to these confrontations if they do not know how to react to each stage of confrontation. When this happens, student support personnel have to step in, despite their busy caseloads. Featuring an evidence-based video series designed especially for classroom teachers, this session will help those consulting with teachers.

Powerpoint

Handout 1

Handout 2

Handout 3

Understanding and Treating Young Adult Mental Health in an Intensive Outpatient Setting 

Dara Sakolsky, MD and Salena Binnig, LCSW 

Transitional age youth (TAY) face significant challenges in managing mental health while working towards independence.This presentation aims to highlight one of the programs specifically tailored for this population, College Option Services for Transition-Age Students at Risk (COSTAR) Intensive Outpatient Program and inform attendees when such program could be helpful.

Powerpoint

Postvention Following a Tragic Loss:  Guidelines for Schools and Community Behavioral Health Partners 

Paula S. McCommons, EdD, LPC and Perri Rosen, PhD, NCSP 

This training overviews the rationale and recommendations for conducting postvention in schools after a tragic loss, underscoring how postvention planning is a key component of comprehensive school-based suicide prevention efforts. Attendees will learn the essential components of a postvention response and the various responsibilities of postvention team members.

Powerpoint

Workshop K - Managing Big Emotions and Building Resilience:  Yoga Practices for Kids 

Leah Northrop, LPC, RYT and Ali Popivchak, E-RYT, C-IAYT  

This presentation will briefly review empirical data supporting the use of mindful awareness practices for managing emotions and building resilience in children and adolescents.  Most of our time will be focused on learning and trying out movement and breath practices that challenge and present opportunities for children to build confidence. 

Powerpoint

Handout 

2022 STAR-Center Conference – Health Equity and Youth Suicide

Keynote Addresses: 

View recordings for both Keynote Addresses

Preteen Suicide and Suicidal Behavior:  Assessment and Prevention

Presented by Arielle H. Sheftall, PhD, Principal Investigator, Center for Suicide Prevention and Research, Center for Health Equity and Outcomes Research, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health

This presentation will discuss the current trends, research findings, and racial disparities concerning preteen suicide and suicidal behavior. The presenter will also suggest assessment for this age group as well as opportunities for prevention.

Download a copy of Dr. Sheftall’s powerpoint presentation

This Can’t Wait… Giving Educators the Tools: The Need to Understand and Address Students’ Mental Health Concerns

Presented by Mary Margaret Kerr, EdD, Professor of Health and Human Development, University of Pittsburgh

This presentation offers evidence-informed strategies for helping educators understand and address their students’ mental health. Specifically, we review a) oversights in educator preparation programs, b) missteps in professional development and coaching, c) confusion in the selection of mental health programs and services, and d) resources for addressing these critical problems.

Download a copy of Dr. Kerr’s powerpoint presentation

Workshops:

Recovery, Rights, and Risk in Violence Prevention:  The Role of Threat Assessment

Presented by Jack Rozel, MD, MSL, UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital and Rob Ambrosini, PsyD, Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Threat Assessment Hub

More than 300,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, with many additional “excess deaths” also associated with the pandemic.  Youth may develop childhood traumatic grief (CTG) due to pandemic-specific traumatic aspects of these deaths.  This presentation will describe the application of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for COVID-19-related CTG for youth and their surviving caregivers. The recovery model is uniquely well suited to understanding and preventing violence – not because of recovery’s link to living with mental illness, but because of recovery’s emphasis on understanding and working with the whole person and family.  Schools and communities are increasingly using threat assessment as a tool to understand and manage violence risk.  Done properly, the multidisciplinary threat assessment approach is person centered, recovery oriented, and protective of the rights of the student while attending seriously to the need to prevent targeted violence. 

This presentation will explore – and hopefully – demystify threat assessment and how it is used to prevent school violence.  Threat assessment is an increasingly common tool being used by schools to evaluate threats and one actively promoted by the Pennsylvania Safe2Say program.  Similar models have been broadly endorsed by mental health advocacy groups along with law enforcement professionals.  Identifying untreated or undertreated mental illness and providing linkage for effective services is an important part of the process, but only one element of the process.  Threat assessment provides an opportunity to build multidisciplinary plans to support students at risk for violence.

This presentation will explore these topics, using illustrative case examples, and, if done live, polling for interaction with the audience in addition to Q&A.  Ethics, risks, and limitations of threat assessment will be addressed as well.

View video recording of presentation
Download a copy of the powerpoint for this presentation

Having the Conversation:  Strategies for Effective Communication with Adolescents about their Social Media Use

Presented by Candice Biernesser, PhD, LCSW, Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh

This presentation will aim to aid parents, teachers, and clinicians in navigating conversations about social media use and monitoring with adolescents through providing updated information on social media trends and their impact on adolescent suicidal risk and effective strategies for monitoring at-risk adolescents.

View video recording of presentation

Download a copy of the powerpoint for this presentation

Handout 1

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in Schools

Presented by Carla D. Chugani, PhD, LPC, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Clinical and Translational Science, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

This presentation will provide an overview of models (and their associated research) for delivering DBT in secondary and post-secondary school settings.

View video recording of presentation
Download a copy of the powerpoint for this presentation

Substance Use in Adolescents and Young Adults

Presented by Antoine Douaihy, MD, Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Rebecca Miller, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Substance use is pervasive and endemic among adolescents and young adults (AYAs). The approach to the screening, assessment, and treatment of AYAs with SUDs is similar in some respects to adults; however, developmental considerations require an approach tailored to the psychological, cognitive, legal, and social context. This workshop with discuss substance use and SUD in AYAs.

View video recording of presentation
Download a copy of the powerpoint for this presentation

Safety Planning with Pre-Teens

Presented by Kelsey Bero, LPC, NCC, Behavioral Health Therapist II, STAR-Center, UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital

This presentation will review the elements of safety planning with special consideration to the needs of the pre-adolescent population. Skill development will focus on adjustments to the assessment of suicidal ideation, introduction of safety plan, and collaborative creation of safety plan with the pre-teen. Additional discussion of how to the present safety plan to parents and caregivers will be reviewed.

View video recording of presentation
Download a copy of the powerpoint for this presentation

Mindfulness in Times of Stress, and How to Introduce it to Teens

Presented by Danella Hafeman, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh

Mindfulness has become a hot topic in recent years. In this workshop, we will (1) provide an introduction to mindfulness; (2) discuss how mindfulness interventions might impact brain and emotions, particularly in high-stress environments; and (3) introduce some practical exercises that can be used to integrate these concepts in various settings with adolescents.

View video recording of presentation
Download a copy of the powerpoint for this presentation

Identifying and Managing Workplace Stress:  Tips for Educators While Coping with Stress Through a Pandemic

Presented by Toya Jones, EdD, LCSW, BASW, Program Director, Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work 

Educators have very challenging jobs. Never have educators faced more stress than during this current pandemic, upheaval in traditional school practices, racial turbulence, and let’s not forget that you have your own lives to manage. If you are stressed, you’re right on track! You may be wondering about the best ways to manage your stress as you return to school, online, or in person. This seminar is for you. We will first learn what stress is and how unproductive stress affects our brain, body, mood, and behavior. Next, we’ll explore easy to use, yet effective strategies, to reduce our stress and get us back on track. Lastly, we’ll discover useful tips, I like to call them “Dr. Toya’s Tips” on how to customize a stress conquering plan just for you!

View video recording of presentation
Download a copy of the powerpoint for this presentation

Giving Children the Tools to Tame the Monster:  Talking to Students About the Trauma Associated with Loss Events in Schools

Presented by Mark Lepore, EdD, LPC, LCSW, Clarion University of Pennsylvania

While being honest with children about something as frightening and upsetting as death, illness, or injury may feel callous and damaging, it is actually very important to be straightforward and truthful. This presentation will concentrate on means and methods for providing the support children need when dealing with loss events.

View video recording of presentation
Download a copy of the powerpoint for this presentation

Clinician Well-Being in 2022:  Trading Perfection for “Good Enough”

Presented by Sansea L. Jacobson, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, STAR-Center, Program Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Training, Western Psychiatric Hospital, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and Dominique Dove, MSCP, Behavioral Health Therapist I, STAR-Center, UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital

The last two years left many mental health professionals languishing. This immersive, interactive session will acknowledge the consequences of unrelenting stress, disconnectedness, and frustration with telehealth and broken systems. We will define the concept of being “good enough” and explore ways to support our colleagues and ourselves differently going forward.

View video recording of presentation
Download a copy of the powerpoint for this presentation

Understanding and Treating Children and Adolescents with Chronic Pain and Other Somatic Symptoms

Presented by Alisha Miller, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, Western Psychiatric Hospital and Kaycee Weir, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

Chronic pain and other somatic symptoms are a common experience among children and adolescents and persistent pain has been linked with significant physical, social, and psychological impairment and distress. This presentation will provide an overview of chronic pain and other somatic symptoms in youth as well as discuss specific tools and strategies for working with this population.

View video recording of presentation
Download a copy of the powerpoint for this presentation

Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Transgender and Non-Binary Youth

Presented by Dana L. Rofey, PhD, FTOS, Associate Professor, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Psychology

Transgender and non-binary youth (TGNB) experience disproportionate disparities such as higher rates of mental illness, multiple chronic diseases, and higher rates of disability compared to their cis-gender peers. Due to stress and discrimination that TGNB face, our youth are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, and suicidality. Studies show that approximately 50% of TGNB will contemplate suicide, with risk being much higher if rejected by their families. Clinicians need to provide a safe space to explore identity and recognize that providing gender-affirming behavioral and medical healthcare decreases these inequities.

Recording unavailable
Download a copy of the powerpoint for this presentation

_____________________________________________

2021 STAR-Center Conference – Preventing Suicide in Children and Youth:  Building Resilience in the Face of Adversity 

_________________________________________________________

2020 STAR-Center Conference – Bringing Treatment into Focus: Being Virtually Present 

Keynote Addressses:

Focus on Virtual Assessment and Treatment

Presented by Tina R. Goldstein, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, and Associate Director, STAR-Center (Services for Teens at Risk), UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital.

This presentation will discuss the use of technology to conduct assessment and treatment with at-risk youth.  We will review data on effectiveness, and highlight lessons learned from our current experiences implementing telemedicine at STAR-Center.  We will explore practical ways that measurement-based care (MBC) can be incorporated into virtual delivery of mental healthcare for youth. 

• View video recording of presentation »
• Download a copy of Dr. Goldstein's powerpoint presentation »

Trauma-Informed Awareness in Schools

Presented by Mary Margaret Kerr, Ed.D., Professor, Psychology in Education and Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh.

This session helps school-based professionals in their implementation of the new requirements of Act 44 for trauma-informed education.  Highlighted will be controversies in the field as well as on-line professional development for classroom teachers and other staff who may not have prior background in behavioral health.  Participants will receive resources for use in their own schools. 

• View video recording of presentation »
• Download a copy of Dr. Kerr's powerpoint presentation »

Workshops:

Trauma-Focused CBT for Childhood Traumatic Grief

Presented by Judith Cohen, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Medical Director, AGH Center for Traumatic Stress in Children and Adolescents, Allegheny Health Network and Drexel University College of Medicine. 

This presentation introduces participants to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT, https://tfcbt2.musc.edu), an evidence-based treatment for youth ages 3-18 years and their parents or primary caregivers, and the model’s applications for youth with traumatic grief, defined as developing trauma and maladaptive grief responses to the death of an important attachment figure.

• View video recording of presentation »
• Download a copy of Dr. Cohen’s powerpoint presentation »

Media and Youth Suicide:  Through the Lens of Thirteen Reasons Why  

Presented by Sansea L. Jacobson, M.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, STAR-Center, Western Psychiatric Hospital, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Beth Hoffman, MPH, Ph.D. Student, Graduate Research Assistant, Center for Research on Media, Technology, and Health (MTH), Graduate School of Public Health.

In the month following the release of the controversial Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why, there was a 28.9% increase in youth suicide in our nation.  This session will guide the audience to a better understanding of suicide contagion and related concepts as they pertain to media and adolescent menta health.

• View video recording of presentation »
• Download a copy of Dr. Jacobson and Ms. Hoffman's powerpoint presentation »

Borderline Personality Disorder in Teens   

Presented by Stephanie D. Stepp, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and Amy Byrd, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. 

Early identification and treatment of borderline personality disorder during adolescence can mitigate long-term negative consequences of this illness, yet clinicians face many barriers when working with this population.  We will dispel common myths about borderline personality disorder in teens to raise awareness in clinicians and educators, and review best practices in assessment diagnosis, and general treatment strategies. 

• View video recording of presentation »
• Download a copy of Dr. Stepp and Dr. Byrd’s powerpoint presentation »

2019 STAR-Center Conference - Students, Sleep and Safety:  Evidence-Based Approaches to Reducing Teen Suicide Risk

Improving Teen Sleep to Prevent Suicide: Promising Strategy or Impossible Dream?

Presented by Tina R. Goldstein, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, and Associate Director, STAR-Center (Services for Teens at Risk), UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital.

This presentation will discuss common sleep difficulties among youth, and review studies that support an association between sleep and suicidality.  We will explore ways that sleep difficulties may affect suicide risk and describe sleep-related assessment and treatment approaches that may aid in identification and treatment of suicidal youth.

• View video recording of presentation »
• Download a copy of Dr. Goldstein's powerpoint presentation »

Overcoming Implementation Barriers in Addressing Depression and Suicidality in Schools

Presented by Mary Margaret Kerr, Ed.D., Professor, Administrative and Policy Studies, Psychology in Education and Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh.

This presentation offers a practical look at evidence-informed strategies for preventing, identifying, and addressing depression and suicidality in school settings.  Specifically, we review the a) specific implementation challenges associated with school mental health initiatives (universal, targeted, and intensive) and b) ways to avoid the obstacles in school-mental health interactions.

• View video recording of presentation »
• Download a copy of Dr. Kerr's powerpoint presentation »

2018 STAR-Center Conference - Modern Times: Assessing, Supporting, and Engaging Youth at Risk for Suicide In a Digital Era

Youth Suicide in the Digital Age: Impact of Social Media on Teen's Suicidal Risk

David A. Brent, M.D., Academic Chief, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Endowed Chair in Suicide Studies, Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics & Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, and Director, STAR-Center (Services for Teens at Risk), Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.

This talk reviews the harmful and potentially positive effects of exposure to social media on youths' suicide risk and discusses methods for detecting and mitigation of suicidal risk based on social media postings and use. 

• View video recording of presentation »
• Download a copy of Dr. Brent's powerpoint presentation »

Supporting Students with Anxiety and Depression at School: What Works?  

Presented by Mary Margaret Kerr, Ed.D., Professor, Administrative and Policy Studies, Psychology in Education, and Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh.   

Often overlooked as members of a treatment team, teachers spend many hours with children who experience anxiety and depression.  Yet, most surveys reveal that teachers feel inadequately prepared to support such students. To facilitate clinic-school communications and increase educators' involvement, this presentation offers evidence-based, practical approaches for teachers, including mobile apps. 

• View video recording of presentation »
• Download a copy of Dr. Kerr's powerpoint handout »

2017 STAR-Center Conference - "Treatment of Suicidal Youth:  A Glimpse into the Future" - STAR-Center Annual Conference - Pittsburgh, PA - May 5, 2017