Opening Keynote Speaker: Christopher Kennedy Lawford – Lawford’s roots extend to Hollywood royalty and a political dynasty. His is a story of priviledge & fame turned self destructive. An actor (All My Children) and author (Moments of Clarity, Symptoms of Withdrawal: A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption) Christopher Kennedy Lawford candidly discusses what took him to the brink and his 25 years of recovery.

Karen Pershing, MPH is the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Drug Commission. For more than 25 years she has focused on improving health outcomes by working with diverse groups to address public health issues. She will discuss the dangerous synthetic drugs luring our youth down the path to addiction.

James Woods, MD is a frequent lecturer across the country whose psychiatric practice is based in Memphis, TN. Dr. Woods is an award winning psychiatrist and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine. He has been involved in numerous clinical trials as principal or sub-principal investigator.

Courtney Armstrong, LPC, from Hixson, TN, is a nationally known author and speaker on trauma and grief. She is the author of Transforming Traumatic Grief: Six Steps to Move from Grief to Peace After Sudden or Violent Death of a Loved One.

Clifton Mitchell PhD has taught and trained thousands of mental health professionals in the management of difficult and treatment resistant clients and has developed exciting, presentations on Reality Therapy and Using Language to Achieve Superior Client Outcomes.

Trisha Budsock, MA, LPC is a Tobacco Treatment Specialist. She has been the clinician for a number of clinical trials specific to various medications and behavioral therapies for tobacco dependence in the SMI population in the Division of Addiction Psychiatry at the New Jersey College of Medicine & Dentistry.

Sam Macmaster, PhD is a PhD in Social Welfare at the University of Tennessee College of Social Work in Nashville, TN. A successful researcher in the areas of substance abuse, mental health, HIV / AIDS, and service delivery systems, he has secured $12 M in grants since 2000.

James T. Barker, MD is an award winning psychiatrist from Hickory, NC. He was chief Resident of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center.

Henry Nasrallah, MD is a widely recognized psychiatrist and researcher at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine where he is the Associate Dean and Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience. Dr. Nasrallah is the Editor in Chief of Schizophrenia Research and Current Psychiatry Journals. Board certified in both adult and geriatric psychiatry, he is a distinguished fellow of the APA and past president of the American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists.

Katherine Stone is the publsiher of Postpartum Progress, the most widely read publication on maternal mental health issues. Stone suffered with postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder with the birth of her son in 2001. It was this experience that led her to become an advocate for women with postpartum mood disorders: through Postpartum Progress, she has received numerous media awards the last few years.

Ken Tullis, MD, a survivor of seven suicide attempts and multiple addictions, is an award-winning psychiatrist specializing in suicide prevention, dual diagnosis, and psychological trauma. He is the author of The Courage to Live Workbook, a groundbreaking companion to his first book, Seduction of Suicide, and Secrets of Suicide, Healing the Hidden Wounds that Lead Us to Suicide.

Michael Kahn, LPC, JD, lectures and facilitates workshops in the U.S. and internationally on grief, diversity, self-care and ethics. He is among the forefront in his field on the use of film in group therapy and workshops. In his free time Michael makes documentary films.

Closing Speaker: Retired NFL Quarterback Eric Hipple describes his journey - from starring on “Monday Night Football to Monday Night in Jail.” He explores his family mental health history, his son’s suicide, and his own fall from grace in his book Real Men Do Cry. Since the “Monday Night in Jail” his game plan has included working on his own recovery, and teaching others to tackle depression. He continues to reach out to survivors of suicide loss through his work at the University of Michigan Depression Center.

8:00 AM

Check In & Exhibits Open

9:00 - 9:15 AM

Welcome, Announcements, Disclosures

9:15 - 10:45 AM

Christopher Kennedy Lawford - Actor, author, UN Goodwill Ambassador on Drug Dependence & Crime

"Alcohol and Substance Abuse: My Experience, Hard Earned Humility & the Path to Recovery"

10:45 - 11:15 AM

Break - Enjoy the Exhibits

11:15 AM - 12:45 PM

Concurrent Breakout Sessions (Choose One on Registration Form)

12:45 - 1:45 PM

Networking Lunch (Provided) - Lobby

1:45 - 3:15 PM

Concurrent Breakout Sessions (Choose One on Registration Form)

3:15 - 3:30 PM

Break - Enjoy the Exhibits

3:30 - 5:00 PM

Concurrent Breakout Sessions (Choose One on Registration Form)

5:00 PM

EVALUATION COMPLETION/TURN IN - CHECK OUT - JOHN SEVIER LOBBY

Unrestricted Educational Grants have been received from:

7:30 AM

Check In & Exhibits Open

8:30 - 8:45 AM

Welcome, Announcements, Disclosures

8:45 - 10:15 AM

Ken Tullis, MD

"Confessions of a Suicidal Shrink: A Story of Addiction & Suicide"

10:15 - 10:45 AM

Break - Enjoy the Exhibits & Book Signings

10:45 AM - 12:15 PM

Concurrent Breakout Sessions (Choose One on Registration Form)

12:15 - 1:15 PM

Networking Lunch (Provided) - Lobby

1:15 - 2:45 PM

Concurrent Breakout Sessions (Choose One on Registration Form)

2:45 - 3:00 PM

Break - Enjoy the Exhibits & Book Signing

3:00 - 4:30 PM

Plenary Session: Eric Hipple, Retired NFL Quarterback “Real Men Do Cry: From Monday Night Football to Monday Night in Jail”

4:30 PM

EVALUATION COMPLETION/TURN IN - CHECK OUT - JOHN SEVIER LOBBY

Overall Conference Learning Objectives

1. Identify and discuss recent approvals and advances in antipsychotic treatment strategies for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia as well as changes in TennCare formulary regarding depression augmenation therapy and smoking cessation.
2. Review and describe the causes of frequent diagnostic errors of bipolar disorder vs. unipolar major depression and fibromyalgia vs. depression, paying particular attention to clues that can help differentiate the illnesses.
3. Review the legal and ethical requirements surrounding informed consent, potential complications, and duties to report, while analyzing case study examples mental health professionals may face.
4. Explore the properties of different addictions, including sex addiction, drug and alcohol addictions and the links between mental illness, alcohol and drug dependence and nicotine dependence.

Unrestricted Educational Grants have been received from: