NHASP Annual Fall Conference

Monday, October 28th, 2019 

At the Grappone Conference Center

Learning to Thrive Enhancing: Therapeutic and Educational Outcomes in Schools with Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) 

Presented by 

Evelyn Gould, Ph.D., BCBA-D

8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m

Registration Begins at 7:15 a.m.

Grappone Conference Center

70 Constitution Ave, Concord, NH 03301

NHASP Fall 19 Conf Slides.pdf

The print brochure is available here

Continuing Education Credits

NHASP is a NASP-approved provider of CPD hours and Certificates of Attendance will be accepted toward NCSP.

For BCBAs, the New England Center for OCD and Anxiety is a BACB approved ACE provider #OP-19-2966 and will provide Certificates of Attendance to Board Certified Behavior Analysts for Type 2 CE credits. A total of 6 CE credits will be awarded for this event.

For NH Licensed Psychologists, NASP-approved CPD hours are considered Category A credits for license renewal in NH.

Workshop Description

This intermediate level presentation is appropriate for psychologists/school psychologists, BCBAs, and mental health professionals working with youth and families of any age level.

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT; Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 2003) is a behavior analytic, scientifically validated approach to enhancing human well-being and increasing values-directed behavior via the processes of mindfulness, acceptance, and committed action. ACT holds great promise for practitioners and educators working with children and adolescents struggling with OCD, anxiety, and other behavioral challenges This workshop will review relevant theoretical and empirical literature supporting ACT-based interventions for children and young people. Adaptations for parents, school staff, children, and adolescents will be presented, and implications for the development and dissemination of ACT-based treatments within educational settings will be discussed The workshop will also emphasize the importance of self-awareness, self-care, and the development of an ACT-based personal practice to maximize performance and prevent burnout. 

Note, conference slides will be sent electronically, not printed. 

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:

1. Define ACT as a behavior analytic treatment approach and describe the potential benefits of integrating ACT into educational settings

2. Describe the role of private events (e.g., maladaptive rule-following and rule-deriving) in problematic patterns of child, parent, and staff behavior in educational settings

3. Explain the importance of considering developmental factors when working with children and adolescents from an ACT perspective

4. Describe how the psychological flexibility model applies to: a) Teachers and other school staff b) Children and adolescents c) Practitioners (self)

5. Identify at least one ACT-based intervention that might be utilized by practitioners to facilitate desired behavior change in: (a) Children or adolescents ; (b) Parents & school staff (c) The self (i.e., ACT as applied to enhanced self-care practices)

6. Discuss common ethical and practical challenges that can arise when attempting to implement ACT interventions in educational settings

7. Describe professional development pathways to build competency in ACT practices

About the Presenter

Dr. Evelyn Gould is a Clinical Behavior Analyst and Research Associate at the Child and Adolescent OCD Institute (OCDI-Jr), at McLean Hospital | Harvard Medical School. The OCDI-Jr is a residential and partial hospitalization program for children and adolescents struggling with treatment refractory OCD and related disorders. Evelyn also has extensive experience working with families of children with autism across a variety of settings, and is a clinical consultant for FirstSteps for Kids in Los Angeles, and the New England Center for OCD and Anxiety in Boston. Evelyn is actively involved in research on parent and practitioner training, clinical assessment and treatment design, and behavioral interventions for parents and children. She is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science and is actively involved in a variety of Special Interest Groups and Task Forces within ABAI and ACBS.  

Schedule

• 7:15 am:              Registration Opens/Breakfast
  
• 8:00-10:00:         Workshop Session I
  
• 10:00-10:15:      Morning Break
  
• 10:15-12:00:      Workshop Session II
  
• 12:00-1:00:         Lunch
  
• 1:00-2:00:           Workshop Session III
  
• 2:00-2:15:           Afternoon Break
  
• 2:15-3:30:           Workshop Session IV
  
• 3:30 pm:             Conference Ends
  

Directions

Directions to the Grappone Conference Center can be found at this link.

Registration Information

Conference Fee includes continental breakfast, snacks, and lunch buffet. Please list any dietary restrictions or other special needs. Please be sure to enter your email address above as well.

All registrations must be prepaid or be associated with a valid purchase order number. Payment receipt will be sent to address provided upon request. Cancellations received prior to October 24, 2019 will be refunded less a 5% administrative fee. No refunds will be provided for cancellations received after 5pm on Thursday, October 24th, 2019. In case of inclement weather, notification of postponement will be made by email as soon as possible. 

*Students currently enrolled in a school psychology or school counseling program receive a reduced registration fee. 

For those interested in paying by check, click here for the print brochure. You may register online and then mail a check using this form. Please indicate you have already registered online on the paper form when mailing. 

For questions, please contact Ryan Long, NHASP President, ryanlongspnh@gmail.com