2024 Masters Series in Mental Health

Description

The Masters Series in Mental Health is taught by Kim Masters, MD, a Harvard-trained, innovative Psychiatrist with more than 40 years of experience in providing compassionate individualized care to children, adolescents, and adults. Both prescribers and nonprescribers alike will find his 3-hour seminar to be insightful and empowering. Practical, evidence-based skills are offered to enhance and enliven any mental health practice with a breath of fresh air. Dr. Masters gracefully presents a variety of mental health topics designed to improve understanding, initiate dialogue among practitioners, promote compassionate care, enhance expertise, and optimize well-being. A true master in the art and science of psychiatry, Dr. Masters has been providing "whole person care" for more than four decades. His experience and expertise are more relevant than ever in our changing world, fraught with violence and unpredictability, as we seek to optimize mental health and wholeness while helping to heal victims of trauma.

Webinar Session Descriptions

Session 1: January 26, 2024 | Differential Diagnosis: "Ferreting it Out Fast" When R/O Isn't an Option
The DSM-5 TR offers opportunities to connect what we see in practice with what we read in text and derive from research. Most practitioners' clinical experience may entertain multiple possibilities for diagnoses relative to any given clinical presentation. It is critical that clinicians possess knowledge relating to a client's primary diagnosis, combined with the ability to recognize secondary diagnoses and how they may interact with one another. The DSM-5 TR should serve as a guide for integration of treatment, interpreted by clinical experience and situational variables. Using fictional case examples, Dr. Masters will provide examples of how to diagnose complex cases in a variety of treatment settings.

Session 2: March 22, 2024 | Top 10 Psychiatric Medication Issues: When to Alert the Prescriber STAT
Many issues complicate patients' use of psychiatric medication for those clinicians who are not prescribing them, yet are responsible for monitoring their effectiveness during psychosocial therapies. Use of multiple medications, higher than standard doses of medication, lower than standard medication dosages, use of psychiatric medications in patients with substance use issues including opiates, THC, bath salts, methamphetamine and related drugs – all of these create a complex array of potential complications, especially drug side effects and interactions which can be lethal. Environmental effects further complicate the risk of medication interactions, including the use of seemingly benign substances such as nicotine products, effects related to clients treating themselves with excess use or lower dosages than a prescriber recommended (such as double dosing or omitting doses). Medication side effects may impair the ability to listen, hear, or learn in therapy, and may even be complicated by the new interest in psychedelic drug treatment MDMA (ecstasy), psilocybin, ketamine, or esketamine, all of which further complicate clients' ability to be fully present. Warning signs of medication difficulties and dangers often show up during therapy or in other reports about patients which are passed on to therapists. Management tools and therapeutic considerations are also discussed during this vital session.

Session 3: May 24, 2024 | Top Five Suicide Assessments: What and How to Ask to Get Real Answers
This webinar provides information on a variety of screening methods that increases recognition of client suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts. In addition to the general screens such as PHQ9 modified and the DSM-5 TR cross cutting scales for adults, guardians, and children, the following tools will be discussed: Columbia Suicide Assessment Scale; Beck Self Harm Evaluation for patients with recent suicide attempts; Computer Assisted Medical Records Risk of suicide assessment (CASSY); Key components of the clinical interview, including state (current situation) and trait (long term coping issues) variables.

Despite the best methods for evaluation, the reality remains that most suicides occur with people who inform no one, and preferentially use guns or hanging. Nevertheless, having the best tools at hand with the widest possible community supports including 24-hour suicide prevention hotlines, has the potential to decrease the number of individuals who chose to die by their own hands.

Session 4: July 26, 2024 | Homicide Assessment: Red Flags All Clinicians Need to Recognize
There is a "unity of aggression" which connects homicide and suicide. Repeatedly addressing both in clinical care, as well as assessing state and trait issues and identifying flexible targets of these impulses are critical aspects of optimal care. Various types of homicidal activity will be explored, from stalking to interpersonal violence, as well as "avenger of death of relative" (particularly common in health care settings). Dr. Masters will also highlight strategies for assessment of "Trait vs. State" personality characteristics, will review the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS), and Structured Assessment of Violence Risk for Youth (SAVRY).

Session 5: September 27, 2024 | Managing Care for Patients with Psychosis: Focus on MacArthur Violence Assessment
This final module focuses on managing care for patients with psychosis, and includes clinical insights derived from the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study. Some key features discussed are: the multiple faces of psychosis, pre-psychotic symptoms, attenuated psychosis, first episode psychosis, psychosis with mood issues, schizoaffective states, drug induced states, recovery potential vs. permanence, and psychotic states associated with schizophrenia, PTSD, and dementia. The overlap of delirium, dementia, and psychosis will be reviewed. The role of the therapist in various settings is also discussed, including the role of monitor, psychosocial / community bridge and advisor, community-based educator and serving as interface with mobile crisis teams. The question of whether or not long-term antipsychotic medications are "a cure in the prevention of relapse" is reviewed based on current studies. Treatment adherence of patients with the recommendations of healthcare providers including medication prescribers, therapists, and others, and the role of community and family support are also discussed with the goal of developing therapeutic treatment plans.

Target Audience

Mental health professionals including substance use counselors, social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, school counselors, and other professionals interested in this subject.

Objectives

Upon completion of all five modules, participants will be able to:

• Provide rapid and accurate clinical assessment for individuals presenting with acute psychiatric symptoms, identify clinical emergencies, and provide optimal care planning or intervention based on sound, balanced clinical diagnosis.
• Identify signs of medication emergencies and be able to alert prescribers in a timely manner so that individuals who take psychiatric medications may remain safe and function at an optimal level.
• Demonstrate competent application of the top five evidence-based suicide assessments used in clinical practice to intervene and save lives.
• Recognize the "unity of aggression" which connects homicide and suicide and be able to quickly and accurately identify the need for immediate intervention through the use of evidence-based assessment tools.
• Discuss a wide range of conditions which may result in psychotic states, be able to delineate types, and identify the various roles a clinical therapist may play in optimizing care and preventing relapse.

Faculty

• Kim J. Masters, MD