VA Psychology Education Day

 


John Renner, MD, speaking about preparing clinicians to treat opiate addiction.

Jessica Graham-LoPresti, PhD speaking about the mental health in communities of color. 
On Wednesday, June 19, the Psychology Service at VA Boston Healthcare System held its annual Psychology Education Day, a day long continuing education conference. This year’s theme was “Stigma and Mental Health”.  We hosted four outstanding key speakers.  Two external, guest speakers were Phillip Yanos, PhD of John Jay College, CUNY, who spoke about, “How do people diagnosed with mental illness become ‘written off’?” and Jessica Graham-LoPresti, PhD, of Suffolk University who discussed,  “The Mental Health Consequences of Stigma and Oppression for Individuals and Communities of Color”.  Additionally, our own BU Associate Professor of Psychiatry Dawne Vogt, PhD spoke about Mental Health Stigma among Veterans,  and BU Professor of Psychiatry, John Renner, MD discussed, “Preparing Clinicians to Treat Patients with Opioid Use Disorder: Reversing the Impact of Stigma.”  Following key note presentations, concurrent breakout sessions were offered by BU faculty and VA professional staff members including: Claire Burgess, PhD, Eve Davison, PhD, Kimberlye Dean, M.A., Nicholas Livingston, PhD, Juliette Mcclendon-Iacovino, PhD, Jillian Shipherd, PhD, Colleen Sloan, PhD, Dawne Vogt, PhD (pictured here), Julie Weismoore, PhD, Sarah Williston, PhD and guest, Tahirah Abdullah, PhD, from UMass Boston. Over 100 VA Boston HCS psychology staff and trainees were in attendance for this extremely informative and successful day. A special thanks to our organizing committee, Eve Davison, PhD, Scott Litwack, PhD Amy Silberbogen, PhD, ABPP, Colleen Sloan, PhD, Dawne Vogt, PhD, and Risa Weisberg, PhD, and to Steve Lancey, PhD, Marie Foley, Marcquis Johnson, and Neysa Wright for technical and logistical arrangements, and to all our speakers and presenters.