Agenda

Welcome and Opening RemarksWendy BaileyExecutive DirectorMississippi Department of Mental HealthKathy SeebergExecutive DirectorNational Alliance on Mental Illness – (NAMI) Mississippi Jackie ChatmonConference CoordinatorPrestige Professional Development and Consulting, LLC

Presenter: Kasey Scharnett-King, MS, LMFT-SWhen people are disconnecting, they rarely know why. They only know that something feels wrong and the words won't come. This keynote introduces participants to a trauma-informed framework for reading the somatic and behavioral signals that surface before language does, offering a practical lens for understanding what behavior is trying to communicate. Attendees will learn to identify the body's early warning signals, trace them to their relational and developmental origins, and translate unlanguaged experience into something that can be heard across the therapeutic, educational, or caregiving relationship.Objectives: Objective 1: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to identify at least three somatic and behavioral signals that commonly present as dysregulation, resistance, or conflict in clinical, caregiving, and educational settings, and explain how these signals function as the body's attempt to communicate unmet relational needs. Objective 2: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to distinguish between surface-level behavior and the underlying relational or developmental origin driving it and apply a structured framework for tracing behavioral patterns to their source.Objective 3: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to demonstrate at least two strategies for translating unlanguaged experience into words or meaning that can be communicated within a therapeutic, educational, or caregiving relationship.

Morning Break

Presenters: Cassandra James-Weathersby, RPSS, RCP, RCPF, CCH, Avery Brewton MSW, LCSW-BACS, RCP, and Dr. Nikisha Ware, PhD., RCPThis interactive panel explores how lived experience, recovery coaching, and trauma-informed community practices can strengthen healing, leadership, and professional sustainability across disciplines. Through storytelling, reflective dialogue, and practical demonstrations, presenters from behavioral health, financial wellness, and community support backgrounds will share how the Community Healers Academy™ shaped both their personal healing and professional practice. Attendees will engage with culturally responsive, healing-centered approaches that complement traditional systems of care while exploring strategies that support both providers and the communities they serve. This session is designed to help professionals seeking more relational, restorative, and sustainable approaches to healing work.Objectives: Objective 1: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to articulate the impact of community-based healing models rooted in lived experience, peer support, and collective care.Objective 2: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to recognize how sustainable healing practices can strengthen leadership, emotional wellness, and professional resilience across helping professions.Objective 3: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to apply actionable coaching or regulation strategies that support trauma-informed engagement with individuals and communities impacted by stress, grief, and systemic harm.

Presenter: Frances L. Baker, PhD, LCSWTrauma affects everyone directly or indirectly. Trauma-informed care recognizes the presence of trauma and the role it may play in the lives of both clients and staff. It is important to deliver trauma-informed services as part of an agency-wide approach to promote healing and to prevent re-traumatizing clients and staff. Trauma-informed strategies strengthen and support both clients and professionals.Objectives: Objective 1: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to describe ways trauma may manifest in a client’s behavior, cognition, health, and emotions. Objective 2: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to explain the concept of a trauma-informed agency as it relates to staff and clients.  Objective 3: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to identify trauma-informed strategies for working with clients seeking services.

Presenter: Christiane M. McCarty, B.A., State Law Enforcement Instructor, Crisis Intervention Instructor, and Trauma-Informed InstructorThis presentation expands participants’ understanding of the challenges justice-impacted individuals face as they transition back into society. This session focuses on key adjustment areas that can significantly affect successful reintegration and overall well-being.Objectives: Objective 1: Upon completion of this session, participants will understand how families reintegrate into their homes and navigate family dynamics after time away.Objective 2: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to define Institutional Mentality and how clients adjust from structured environments to living with personal freedom and responsibility.Objective 3: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to identify strategies to secure and maintain stable, meaningful employment, identify mental health challenges, recognize warning signs of suicidal ideation, understand substance abuse relapse risk, and identify strategies to support individuals in crisis and support long-term recovery.

11:45 am - 12:45 pm | Breakout B

Presenters: Nikki Flippins, MSW, LCSW, and Coreaner Price, Parent CPSSPThe presentation will discuss the trauma, pain, and struggles of parents who have raised a child with mental health challenges, special health care needs, alcohol/drug issues, and/or significant behavioral challenges. The beneficial role of parent peer support and their work to support others to meet the needs and goals of their child and family will be explored and explained. Participants will learn how parent peer supporters can use the lived experience they've gained while addressing their child's needs to support other parents who are struggling in similar ways.Objectives:Objective 1: Upon completion of this session, participants will demonstrate awareness of the trauma and challenges parents/caregivers can face when working to meet the needs of their children who have significant physical, mental, and/or substance use issues.  Objective 2: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to explain the role of parent/caregiver peer support and how their own struggles and adversity are used to support and help other parents/caregivers. Objective 3: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to define the qualifications, scope of practice, and job tasks of parent peer supporters.

Presenter: Candice Smith, MSW, LCSWMale survivors of childhood sexual abuse perpetrated by adult women remain one of the most overlooked populations in trauma research and clinical discourse. Cultural myths that frame such experiences as “lucky,” consensual, or harmless contribute to silence, shame, and underreporting. This presentation examines the psychological, neurobiological, and identity-related impacts of early sexualization of boys by adult women, challenging gender-based minimization of abuse. Drawing on research from institutions such as the American Psychological Association and data highlighted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the session explores barriers to disclosure, long-term mental health outcomes, and culturally informed approaches to survivor support. Participants will gain a trauma-informed understanding of how gender norms influence both victimization experiences and professional responses, while identifying strategies to create safer, more validating environments for male survivors.Objectives: Objective 1: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to identify at least three common cultural myths that minimize the sexual abuse of boys by adult women and explain how these myths impact disclosure and recovery.Objective 2: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to describe the short- and long-term psychological effects associated with childhood sexual trauma in male survivors, including impacts on identity, relationships, and emotional regulation.Objective 3: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to apply at least two trauma-informed strategies for responding to and supporting male survivors in clinical, educational, or community settings.

Presenter: Ruth Drake, MSW, LCSWThe presentation explores how culture, identity, family values, and community experiences influence the way individuals experience, respond to, and recover from intimate partner violence. It will examine how cultural beliefs, stigma, systemic barriers, and generational experiences can affect help-seeking behaviors, safety planning, and access to support. It will highlight utilizing a culturally responsive and trauma-informed approach to recognizing diverse experiences.Objectives: Objective 1: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to identify how cultural beliefs, values, and community influences impact the experience and reporting of intimate partner violence. Objective 2: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to recognize the emotional, psychological, and behavioral effects of trauma related to intimate partner violence across diverse populations. Objective 3: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to discuss culturally responsive and trauma-informed strategies to support survivors of intimate partner violence. Objective 4: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to demonstrate ways to promote empathy, cultural humility, and survivor-centered communication when working with individuals and families from diverse backgrounds.

Transition to Keynote

Transition to Breakout Sessions

Presenter: Michelle Grawe, B.S.This session examines the limitations of traditional addiction treatment models and explores innovative, health-centered approaches that expand recovery options for people with substance use disorder. Participants will learn how harm reduction principles promote safety, dignity, and trust, and will be introduced to emerging treatment options, including medications for opioid use disorder, Neuro-Electric Therapy (NET), and psychedelic-assisted therapy. Through practical examples, the session highlights how expanding treatment choices can empower individuals to pursue recovery in ways that align with their needs, experiences, and goals.Objectives: Objective 1: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to identify and describe key limitations of traditional addiction treatment models and explain how limited treatment options can reduce opportunities for choice, engagement, and involvement.Objective 2: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to define harm reduction principles and explain how these strategies have improved safety and outcomes in other areas of public health and safety.Objective 3: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to identify and describe the risks and benefits of four evidence-based treatment options that are limited or unavailable in Mississippi and outline ways these approaches can be incorporated into community and family support settings.

Presenter: Rachel H. Daniels, MSW, LCSW When you read the word " safe " out loud, reflect for a moment on what that means for you: any memories, what you think, the emotions associated, and how it feels in your body.  The first principle of trauma-informed care, safety, can easily be overlooked or minimized.  This presentation will provide an opportunity to truly explore the principle of safety so that our efforts are not misinterpreted or experienced as danger.Objectives: Objective 1: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to identify all principles of trauma-informed care, specifically the principle of safety. Objective 2: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to define physical, emotional, and psychological safety.Objective 3: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to discuss one individual and organizational change intended to enhance the sense of safety for trauma survivors they work with.

2:30pm - 2:45pm | Break

Presenter: Natasha Griffin, LPCThis presentation examines contemporary ethical challenges facing Licensed Professional Counselors, including artificial intelligence-assisted documentation, digital confidentiality, telehealth service delivery, social media boundaries, counselor wellness, cultural humility, and ethical decision-making in rapidly changing practice environments. Grounded in the ACA Code of Ethics and relevant professional guidance, participants will explore practical strategies for protecting client welfare, managing risk, and maintaining professional competence.Objectives:Objective1: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to apply ACA ethical decision-making principles to complex clinical scenarios.Objective 2: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to identify ethical risks associated with AI-assisted documentation and telehealth.Objective 3: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to identify confidentiality and cybersecurity risks in digital practice.