Live Continuing Education Webinar Events

This presentation underscores the critical role of technology-based tools in mental health settings and training programs. It reviews technology-assisted treatment for mental health and addiction, with a specific focus on co-occurring substance use and intimate partner violence (IPV). The session highlights the development of RITch®CBT, an innovative avatar-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy tool, and explores the advantages of employing behavioral health avatar coaches in clinical practice. Additionally, the ongoing development, adaptation, and future directions of RITch®CBT will be discussed.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Analyze the benefits and challenges of integrating technology-based tools in the treatment of co-occurring substance use and intimate partner violence (IPV) within mental health settings
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the process of developing RITch®CBT, an avatar-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy tool, and its application in clinical practice.
3. Identify key strategies for the development, adaptation, and integration of telehealth and technology-based tools into mental health training programs.

Presenter bios:

Dr. Crane is an associate professor in behavioral health within the College of Health Sciences and Technology with a joint appointment through the Veterans Affairs Finger Lakes Healthcare Network. His clinical work and research focus on the intersection of substance use and aggressive behavior with specific expertise in the perpetration of alcohol-related intimate partner violence. Dr. Crane’s primary research involves developing and evaluating brief or adjunctive interventions that meet individualized needs to increase treatment compliance and reduce recidivism rates among recently adjudicated partner violence perpetrators. In a related area of study, Dr. Crane’s lab is pursuing research to elucidate proximal moderators of the relationship between alcohol use and physical as well as cyber partner violent behavior using survey, experimental, meta-analytic, and ecologically valid, daily reporting methodologies among understudied populations of interest, including moderate to heavy social drinkers, military veterans, deaf and hard of hearing individuals, female perpetrators, and relationship dyads.

Dr. Berbary joined RIT as research faculty in 2019 and currently serves as the Training Director of the APA-Accredited Internship Program with a joint appointment at Rochester Regional Health. Dr. Berbary holds a doctorate in school psychology and specializes in working with children and adolescents. Her clinical expertise includes child and adolescent diagnostic assessment and the implementation of evidence-based mental health and substance use programs, with a focus on training clinicians and pre-doctoral interns. Dr. Berbary was awarded a HRSA grant aimed at expanding training opportunities and increasing the number of interns prepared to deliver interdisciplinary behavioral health services to children, adolescents, and transitional youth in underserved communities across Monroe County, New York. Her research centers on developing technology-based tools for mental health and substance use treatment, including an ongoing project to create an avatar-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy platform for treating substance use and co-occurring psychiatric distress.

It has been well documented that integrated, interprofessional care is most effective for individuals receiving healthcare. Emerging evidence indicates that an interprofessional approach to education and training is also leading to positive outcomes for learners. How do training programs remain faithful to the philosophy of their discipline and adherent to accreditation standards for the profession, while effectively training students in interprofessional collaboration, consultation, and team-based care? How do trainers address the needs of learners that span multiple professional disciplines and prevent professional missteps? This talk will discuss these challenges and propose solutions and ideas informed by the scientific literature and the speaker’s experience leading interprofessional education programs.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Identify challenges and solutions related to meeting accreditation standards concerning interprofessional consultation.
2. Identify strategies for balancing professional identity development while encouraging collaboration across disciplines.
3. List the core competencies of Interprofessional Education that span across disciplines.
4. Describe strategies to prevent and resolve interprofessional missteps and conflict.

Presenter Bio:

Jane Gray has a doctorate in School Psychology from UT Austin. She was the director of Psychology Training for the Texas Child Study Center/Dell Children’s Medical Center for 10 years before joining the core faculty of the University of Texas at Austin Department of Educational Psychology. She is currently an associate professor of practice and a director of clinical training. Dr. Gray has been awarded multiple training grants from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). She helped develop and lead the UT Integrated Behavioral Health Scholars program, a cross-campus collaborative that aims to train students in psychology, psychiatry, social work and nursing to provide evidence-based, culturally competent integrated care.