Presenter: Shelby Czarnick, LICSW, ADHD-CCSP
CE: 2
Location: Main Dining Space
VIRTUAL OPTION

Adult ADHD referrals are increasing and so are diagnostic gray areas. Many adults present with inattention, overwhelm, and executive dysfunction, but the underlying cause is not always ADHD alone. Symptoms may reflect sensory processing differences, slow processing speed, speech or auditory processing challenges, trauma-related adaptations, anxiety, or other co-occurring conditions.

Without careful differentiation, clinicians risk both over- and under-diagnosis, leading to treatment plans that miss the true driver of impairment. This training provides a practical framework for differentiating ADHD from common look-alike and co-morbid presentations in adults.

Participants will examine key overlap patterns between ADHD, anxiety, learning and processing differences, sensory dysregulation, and secondary executive dysfunction. Through case examples and structured clinical reasoning tools, attendees will learn how to analyze lifespan patterns, stimulation response, functional impairment, and error patterns to clarify diagnostic impressions.

Presenter: Michael Harsh, M.A., LIMHP, CTA
CE: 2
Track: MMD
Location: Conference Room A

In this breakout session, participants will learn techniques to help heal many of the wounds of childhood and help clients overcome suicidal thoughts and desires. The session will be both informational and experiential.

Redecision Therapy is a powerful therapeutic intervention rooted in the theory of Transactional Analysis (TA) and Gestalt Therapy. TA begins with the fundamental belief that all persons have dignity and worth and therapists must be in touch with their own sense of dignity and worth and that of the client. It is in this relationship that profound change can occur in Redecision work.

Redecision Therapy focuses on childhood wounds. The wounds of childhood are not stored cognitively; they are stored emotionally and somatically. What children do in a dysfunctional setting is, for them, “functional” because it helps them survive and cope, but in adulthood they often use the same strategies which block them from living happy, fulfilling lives.

In order to heal these wounds, the client needs to experience the emotional and somatic parts of themselves. Redecision Therapy can be a powerful tool for shifting clients out of those old, no longer useful strategies using the creative, playful, resilient child within all of us to heal wounds and live free, joyful lives.

Participants will also learn a TA technique for closing escape hatches. Clients are often troubled by destructive thoughts, such as suicide or homicide, even if those thoughts never progress to serious consideration or a plan. Such thoughts are often formed as a childhood strategy known as an escape hatch, which provides a child a way of escaping seemingly unbearable situations. Once escape hatches are closed, clients often feel freed of those destructive thoughts and experience a sense of relief.

Presenters: Jamie Bahm, MS, IMH-E and Toni Jensen, DSW, CSW
CE: 2
Track: Ethics
Location: Conference Room B

Compassion fatigue. Burnout. Vicarious trauma. Moral distress. Though these terms differ in definition, they all describe the emotional toll exacted upon professionals in helping professions.

Whether in clinical practice, child welfare, the courts, advocacy, early childhood, health care, or education, professionals often face overwhelming exposure to trauma, stress, and systemic barriers that undermine a sense of purpose and leave professionals feeling depleted or disengaged, causing an ethical concern related to competence.

This session explores CE-CERT — Components for Enhancing Career Experience and Reducing Trauma — an evidence-informed model designed by Dr. Brian Miller to support professionals in navigating these challenges. CE-CERT moves beyond awareness of secondary trauma by introducing practical, real-time emotion regulation strategies that can be used in the midst of daily work.

CE-CERT's five skill domains offer accessible skills that serve as a buffer to mitigate the emotional and physical toll of the helping professions. Ultimately, the goal is not merely to survive the work, but to have a vocation that is uniquely and deeply satisfying.

Presenter: Beth Farrell, LIMHP, LCSW, CSATP
CE: 2
Track: MMD
Location: Main Dining Space
VIRTUAL OPTION

Effective therapy begins long before selecting a therapeutic intervention. Yet many clinicians are taught to identify a diagnosis and choose a treatment modality without first assessing whether the client's nervous system is prepared to engage in that work. This can result in interventions that are technically appropriate but poorly timed, leading to frustration for both clinicians and clients.

This workshop introduces a practical Clinical Readiness Framework designed to help clinicians determine when clients are prepared for cognitive, behavioral, or trauma-focused interventions — and when regulation, stabilization, or other preparatory work should come first.

Participants will learn to recognize observable indicators of nervous system activation, identify when a client has shifted outside their window of tolerance, and adapt interventions in real time as readiness changes throughout a session.

Rather than promoting a single therapeutic orientation, this framework integrates principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), polyvagal-informed care, and trauma-focused approaches.

Using case examples, live decision-making exercises, and practical clinical scenarios, participants will develop greater confidence in recognizing when to regulate, when to teach, when to challenge, and when to process. Attendees will leave with an immediately applicable framework for improving treatment planning and responding more intentionally to complex mental health presentations.

Presenter: Michael Harsh, M.A., LIMHP, CTA
CE: 2
Track: MMD
Location: Conference Room A

Part 2 continues the concepts, techniques, and experiential learning introduced during the earlier Redecision Therapy session.

Presenter: Dr. Susan Meyerly
CE: 2
Track: Ethics
Location: Conference Room B

This session will review the recent actions taken by licensure boards for unethical behavior of licensees. We will consider the action taken by the licensee and how to avoid the same mistakes in your own practice, applying Codes of Ethics and considering state and federal regulations.

Presenter: Miranda Stoll, LIMHP, LADC
CE: 1.25
Location: Conference Room C – First Floor

Session Description

Social workers are trained to enter difficult spaces. We sit with trauma, death, grief, crisis, injustice, family disruption, violence, poverty, and uncertainty—often while carrying demanding caseloads and navigating systems with limited resources. We witness endings, hold stories that cannot be unheard, support families through unimaginable circumstances, and sometimes lose clients we have deeply cared about. Yet conversations about professional wellness frequently end with the same recommendations: practice self-care, establish boundaries, exercise, or take time off.

What happens when what we are carrying is not simply stress—but grief?

This interactive, trauma-informed session explores the neurobiological and psychological impact of repeatedly witnessing human suffering, loss, and transition. Participants will examine chronic stress, secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, professional grief, disenfranchised grief, cumulative loss, moral distress, and burnout—and how these experiences affect the nervous system, emotional regulation, relationships, professional identity, and clinical functioning.

Special attention will be given to the grief that helping professionals may not recognize or feel permitted to acknowledge: client deaths, therapeutic endings, unsuccessful outcomes, organizational transitions, systemic limitations, witnessing traumatic loss, ambiguous loss, and the cumulative emotional impact of caring deeply while maintaining professional boundaries.

Participants will explore the difference between processing grief and carrying grief, including how unprocessed loss may present as irritability, numbness, exhaustion, detachment, hypervigilance, over-functioning, avoidance, or decreased connection to meaningful work.

Using neuroscience, grief-informed practice, polyvagal-informed concepts, somatic awareness, and experiential strategies, participants will learn practical ways to recognize, regulate, process, honor, and integrate the emotional impact of helping work.

Participants will leave with a framework for recognizing stress and grief responses, completing stress cycles, honoring losses, strengthening boundaries, and creating sustainable practices that allow professionals to continue caring without carrying everything they encounter.

Presenters: Kelly Keller, CBSW, and Barbara Dewey, LICSW
CE: 1.25
Location: Conference Room A

In our current political climate, much of our conflict stems not from healthy disagreement over policies, issues, or philosophy, but from emotional, rancor-escalating, and highly polarizing conversations. Braver Angels created the Depolarizing Ourselves Workshop to help participants reframe how they view the other side when faced with political disagreements.

Successfully “taming” our inner polarizer starts with recognizing tendencies toward harmful generalizations about the other side. This requires acknowledging how we may attribute negative intent and motivations without first trying to understand another perspective.

Civil discourse requires mutual respect. Respect — not agreement — is an essential key to healthy discussion. The workshop helps participants recognize ways they may inadvertently contribute to polarization and develop strategies for lessening its effects in political conversations.

Presenter: Tina Rockenbach, Director of Policy & Advocacy, RISE
CE: 1.25
Location: Conference Room B

Poverty influences every area of social work practice, yet it is often viewed primarily through a financial lens. This interactive workshop explores Nebraska's statewide poverty and re-entry landscape and, in particular, how the two intersect. Effective advocacy begins with understanding the realities clients face. Breaking cycles of poverty and incarceration requires more than connecting clients to resources. Participants will leave with concrete tools that strengthen restorative practice.

Presenters: Jaiden Davis, MSW-S, and Dr. Susan Reay, EdD, LICSW
CE: 1.25
Location: Main Banquet Space – Second Floor
Live Streamed

Rural social work serves as a cornerstone of support for individuals, families, and communities, yet many rural communities experience significant barriers to accessing social services. Geographic distance, limited workforce availability, transportation challenges, and difficulties recruiting and retaining professionals create unique challenges for rural social work practice.

This presentation highlights Phase One of a grant-funded project examining the barriers, strengths, and experiences of social work practice across rural Nebraska. Using a mixed-methods approach including quantitative workforce mapping and qualitative interviews with social workers and community stakeholders, the project explores social work availability, service access, and the lived experiences of rural professionals.

More than 100 interviews and stakeholder conversations were used to better understand challenges and opportunities within rural social work systems. Workforce mapping included communities such as Ogallala, Imperial, Thedford, Falls City, Gordon, and Burwell.

Preliminary findings demonstrate uneven distribution of social workers, with several communities having no identified social workers within town limits and relying on regional hubs for access to services. Some rural residents may travel more than 50 miles to access social work support.

The presentation will explore transportation limitations, workforce shortages, provider burnout, specialized service gaps, privacy and stigma concerns, as well as rural strengths such as informal support networks, organizational partnerships, and dedicated rural practitioners. Participants will also explore workforce development, education partnerships, innovative delivery models, and community-based solutions.

Presenter: April Viverette, PhD, MSW, MBA
CE: 1.25
Location: Conference Room D

As social workers increasingly serve as private practitioners, nonprofit leaders, consultants, supervisors, and entrepreneurs, foundational business management skills have become an essential component of ethical and effective practice. Yet many social workers receive limited formal education in financial management, organizational leadership, strategic planning, and entrepreneurship.

This interactive workshop examines foundational business principles through the lens of the NASW Code of Ethics, demonstrating how ethical leadership and sound business practices can work together to strengthen social work organizations and professional practice.

Participants will explore practical strategies for launching or growing a private practice, leading nonprofit organizations, diversifying revenue, managing financial resources responsibly, and evaluating entrepreneurial opportunities while maintaining a commitment to professional values, equity, and client-centered care.

Whether considering private practice, supervising programs, managing nonprofit organizations, or exploring entrepreneurial ventures, participants will receive actionable strategies for integrating business knowledge with the mission and values of the social work profession.

Presenter: Elizabeth “Beth” Farrell, LCSW, LIMHP, CSATT
CE: 1.25
Track: Ethics
Location: Main Meal Room
VIRTUAL COMPONENT

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the way social workers document, learn, communicate, supervise, and solve clinical problems. While AI offers opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce administrative burden, it also raises important ethical questions related to confidentiality, bias, professional competence, informed judgment, and the therapeutic relationship.

This practical session is designed for social workers who are curious about AI but unsure where to begin — or concerned about using it ethically. Rather than focusing on technology itself, participants will explore how AI can support professional practice while remaining grounded in the NASW Code of Ethics and sound clinical decision-making.

Attendees will examine appropriate and inappropriate uses of AI, identify common ethical pitfalls, and learn practical strategies for protecting client privacy while enhancing productivity. Examples will include professional writing, psychoeducation, treatment planning, supervision preparation, policy development, and clinician learning.

Participants will leave with a realistic understanding of AI's strengths and limitations, greater confidence evaluating AI-generated content, and a framework for integrating innovation with the core values of social work.

Presenter: Gina Simanek, Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology
CE: 1.25
Track: Ethics
Location: Conference Room A

What if behaviors we label as defiance, poor choices, or lack of motivation are actually signs of an undiagnosed brain injury? Brain injury is one of the most common — and most overlooked — conditions affecting youth involved in the juvenile justice system.

Many young people with a history of brain injury struggle with memory, attention, emotional regulation, impulse control, and executive functioning. These challenges can easily be mistaken for willful noncompliance, disrespect, or lack of accountability.

This session explores the connection between brain injury and juvenile justice, including how brain injury influences behavior, learning, communication, and decision-making. Participants will learn common signs and symptoms, why traditional approaches may fall short, and practical brain injury-informed strategies that can improve interactions and outcomes.

The presentation will also introduce simple screening tools and evidence-informed interventions. Professionals working in detention, probation, courts, behavioral health, education, or community programs will leave with practical strategies for supporting youth and promoting rehabilitation.

Presenter: Emme Hooks, PLHMP, PCMSW, MT-BC
CE: 1.25
Location: Conference Room B

This presentation will focus on equipping social workers to provide culturally competent, gender-affirming care to transgender and gender-diverse clients. Topics include gender-affirming interpersonal practices and policies; gender dysphoria and related mental health concerns; an overview of social and medical transition; commonly accessed gender-affirming care procedures; and providing letters of support for gender-affirming care procedures. Information will be rooted in internationally defined best practices, current Nebraska laws, and lived experiences from the Trans+ community.

Presenter: Elizabeth Davis, DSW, MSW, LCSW
CE: 1.25
Location: Conference Room C

Trauma-informed approaches have traditionally focused on individual treatment and crisis response. This interactive workshop expands that perspective by exploring how organizations can apply prevention science, trauma-informed leadership, and restorative approaches to reduce harm before it occurs.

Participants will examine how psychological safety, organizational culture, and community engagement influence workforce well-being, program outcomes, and organizational sustainability. An unfolding case study will be used to analyze relationships among trauma, implementation science, data-informed decision-making, and leadership.

Through guided reflection and discussion, participants will identify organizational risk and protective factors, examine leading and lagging indicators of organizational health, and explore strategies for reducing barriers to engagement while maintaining accountability. The session offers a systems-level approach that moves beyond responding to adversity toward intentionally creating resilient and psychologically safe environments.

Presenter: Petra Wahlqvist, NAMI Nebraska Program Director
CE: 1.25
Location: Conference Room D

Do you ever feel like there are no free programs available for people who are falling through the cracks in their mental health care? NAMI Nebraska offers free, evidence-based, peer-led programs that can help fill those gaps and give social workers additional tools to support clients and families beyond the clinical setting.

Learn about NAMI Nebraska's free resources, including weekly peer-led support groups for individuals living with mental health conditions and their loved ones; education classes for family members; programs that help individuals build skills for managing their own mental health and recovery; and brief presentations that teach youth, families, and school communities how to recognize warning signs and connect someone to help.

The session will also explore programs focused on the connection between mental and physical health, advocacy training that helps people turn lived experience into meaningful change, and what makes NAMI's peer-led approach unique. Participants will leave with practical, no-cost resources they can share with clients and families and information about bringing NAMI programs directly to their school, organization, or community.