Neurodiversity: A Training for Mental Health Professionals
Thursday, January 16, 2025 | Online via Zoom
Join the Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® of Minnesota Center for Rural Behavioral Health to learn clinical skills for providing behavioral health care to people who are neurodivergent!
Cost: $99
Earn 6 CEUs in cultural competence!
This training has been approved for 6 CEUs by the Minnesota boards of Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Behavioral Health and Therapy, and Psychology as well as licensing boards in SD, ND, and WI. (Awaiting approval)
Morning Session | 9:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Introduction to Neurodiversity Affirming Care
Jessica Mertins, MSW, LICSW
This presentation will go over the basics of neurodiversity affirming care from a lived experience perspective. Information covered will include: the importance of lived experience, the social model of disability and how it relates to neurodiversity affirming care, affirming language, common misconceptions about autism and ADHD, ableism and common expectations that are ableist, and ideas for beginning to engage in more neurodiversity affirming care.
- Be able to define the social model of disability and state how it relates to neurodiversity affirming care.
- Gain an understanding of best practice for use of neurodiversity affirming language.
- Be able to name at least 3 ways to accommodate a neurodivergent individual in an affirming way.
Afternoon Session One | 12:45 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Responding to Co-Occurring Cognitive Impairment in Substance Use Disorder Treatment
Thomas G. Beckers, BS, LADC, CBIS
Neurologic informed care refers to the process of engaging in neurologic based education and training to promote an understanding of how affect, cognition and behavior are influenced by neurologic processes. This presentation will focus on how alertness, attention, processing, short term memory and executive functioning are interconnected and function. The presentation will also offer concrete examples of ways to adjust service delivery for people with co-occurring cognitive impairments.
- Understand how neurologic processes influence affect, cognition, and behavior.
- Learn how cognitive processes are interconnected and function.
- Learn ways to adjust service delivery for people with co-occurring cognitive impairments.
Afternoon Session Two | 2:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Multidisciplinary Neuro-affirming Approach to Care
Jenny Kortuem, MS, CCC-SLP and Brenna Hoisington, MS, CCC-SLP
In this session, participants will explore a neuro-affirming developmental model of care that emphasizes individual differences in communication, sensory processing, emotional regulation, motor movement, sleep and breathing, and eating and digestion. We will delve into how these differences impact behavior and provide an introduction to a bottoms-up approach for understanding each person’s unique neurological design. Additionally, we will discuss our holistic model of care, highlighting the significance of a multidisciplinary collaborative team in addressing these unique needs. Join us to gain valuable insights and practical strategies for enhancing care for individuals with diverse developmental profiles.
- Understand the differences between a behavioral model of care and a developmental model of care.
- Recognize the role of families in supporting neuro-affirming practices and fostering children's autonomy.
Meet Your Speakers:
Jessica Mertins has a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of St. Thomas/Saint Catherine University and is currently an outpatient therapist, licensure supervisor, and Neurodiversity Specialist at Fernbrook Family Center. She trains from a perspective that blends her lived experience as a neurodivergent person, her professional experience, and her research and learning from other lived experience educators.
Tom Beckers has been delivering substance use disorder treatment for 18 years. He has spent much of that time working with adults with histories of co-occurring cognitive impairments. He has provided consultation and training to organizations that provide a range of services to adults in the community. He has partnered with entities such as the University of Minnesota, Hazelden Betty Ford Center, and The Brain Injury Alliance of Minnesota, Iowa, and North Dakota. He has been sighted as a contributor to a research project that looked at the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on adults with a history of traumatic brain injuries.
With a combined 30 years of experience in supporting children and families with neurodevelopmental differences,
Jenny Kortuem and
Brenna Hoisington are passionate advocates for developmental, holistic care in rural south central Minnesota. At GO Therapy, they prioritize neuro-affirming practices and reject behavior modification and compliance-based methods. Through a multidisciplinary developmental approach, Jenny and Brenna aim to empower families and foster individual strengths, setting a new standard of care for neurodiverse children.
Not able to attend January 16th?
No problem. Register for the recorded session and a link to view the recorded session will be emailed to you after the October 16th training.
Registration Questions: Email workforce@mnsu.edu or call 507-389-1094
Training Questions: Email elizabeth.harstad.3@mnsu.edu
