Agenda for 2023 Nashville, TN

 1:30 - 4:30 pm CDT (UTC-5)

 Leadership Incubator
 Sponsored by:  Genoa Healthcare

Owning Your Role As A Values Driven Leader Through Change

Presenter: Kristie Tobias MHA - Director, Speaker & Author, of Huron Consulting Group

Kristie Tobias is a certified change management and leadership consultant, national speaker and author with close to 20 years of healthcare consulting and leadership experience. During this  time of unprecedented change, she has guided leaders on creating a space where they can authentically show up, own their ever-changing role, and cascade safe and change-ready environments for themselves and their team members. Join Kristie as she focuses on equipping leaders with the resources to understand the following:

• How our values and purpose connect us back to our focus as business and people leaders.
• How our understanding of the way each of us as individual leaders works through our change journey can be cascaded across our teams to build change-ready environments.
• How to foster an environment of psychological safety for our employees and team members to show up and work through major change and transformation.

5:00 - 6:30 pm CDT (UTC-5) 

 Welcome Reception
 Sponsored by:  MHRRG / Negley Associates  

All attendees and their travel companions are invited to join us for drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

8:30 - 11:00 pm CDT (UTC-5)

 Eleos Health After Party (mhca Members only)
 Sponsored by:  Eleos Health

Eleos Health invites mhca Members to an After Party, to be held at Nashville's ACME, The Hatchery (101 Broadway), a 5-minute walk from the Hilton Nashville Downtown.

If planning to attend, please pre-register with Eleos Health at the following link:

• Eleos Health After Party Registration

 7:30 - 8:30 am CDT (UTC-5)

 Registration & Continental Breakfast
 Sponsored by:  Streamline Healthcare Solutions

 8:30 - 10:00 am CDT (UTC-5)

 Welcome & General Session
 Sponsored by:  Martyn Family Foundation

Culture CPR: Administer Immediately to Survive the Great Resignation

Presenter: Author, Speaker, and Executive Coach Jeff Whitehorn MBA LFACHE ACC

The Great Resignation has become one of the most powerful barriers to success for leaders and the teams they lead. What is the first action you can immediately take to stop the exodus of team members? Focus on culture in order to drive employee retention. Culture is the foundation for employee retention, and it can be your competitive advantage. Jeff Whitehorn reveals the actions that a leader must take to improve culture in order to help win the battle against the Great Resignation. Using his personal experiences from 25 years as a successful hospital CEO, Jeff provides eye-opening insight and advice that leaves his audiences inspired and motivated to lead better.

 Morning Break
 Sponsorship Available!  

 General Session
 Sponsored by:  Martyn Family Foundation

Experience the Extraordinary and Ignite Your Intuition with Craig Karges!

Presenter: Illusionist, speaker & author Craig Karges

Craig Karges combines the art of magic with the science of psychology and the power of intuition to create the impression that nothing is impossible. Tables float, minds are read, metal bends and your imagination will be challenged because you won’t believe your eyes! Using total audience participation, Karges dazzles the mind as he challenges you to question what is real and what is unreal. You won’t just watch this presentation, you’ll experience it! He will baffle, mystify and thoroughly entertain you and then, at the end of the presentation, he’ll deliver a powerful message concerning the potential of the human mind.

“Experience the Extraordinary” is business theatre and motivational entertainment at its best! In a shift of focus from entertainment to empowerment, Craig Karges created “Ignite Your Intuition,” based on his bestselling book. This part of his presentation will do more than amaze and entertain. You will learn memory techniques; your intuition will be tested; and you will be taught how to tap into your subconscious mind to enhance creativity and decision-making. “Ignite Your Intuition” is a hands-on, interactive session that will awaken you to the possibility of reaching your full potential while experiencing greater personal power and achieving success more easily.

Noon - 1:30 pm CDT (UTC-5)

 Grab Lunch with a Few of Your mhca Peers

 Noon - 1:30 pm CDT (UTC-5)

1:30 - 3:00 pm CDT (UTC-5)

 Breakout Session

Things They Don’t Teach You in School and Five Critical Trends Facing Today’s Leaders

Presenter: Author, Speaker, and Executive Coach Jeff Whitehorn MBA LFACHE ACC

How soon in your leadership journey were you confronted with a situation or challenge for which you were completely unprepared? A strong educational background is very important for  success. However, there are so many leadership lessons that are not taught in school, but are learned through experience. Truly, experience is the master teacher. Jeff Whitehorn shares ten  important leadership lessons for success that he learned “on the job” as a CEO that were never taught in school. Plus, the five critical trends facing leaders today that must be considered by leaders as they  develop and execute their strategic plan.

 1:30 - 5:00 pm CDT (UTC-5)

 Breakout Session

Bridge to the Other Side

Presenter: Writer and Director KT Curran - Filmmaker, Founder & Director, of Wingspan Productions

The multi-award-winning film, Bridge to the Other Side, will be presented in person by writer and director KT Curran. KT will lead an engaging talkback after the screening on topics explored in  the film - mental health, trauma, crisis response, and the impact of secondary trauma on first responders. KT wrote the film after interviewing 150 behavioral health leaders, therapists,  counselors, teachers, first responders, parents, teachers, and community leaders across the country on how the pandemic has affected mental health in America. KT was inspired to create the film as she  delved into research on how the pandemic was negatively impacting the mental health needs, leading to gaps in service as mental health providers struggled to meet the increased demands. The film is a  compelling narrative that offers help for both personnel as well as clients, and helps reduce the stigma associated with reaching out for help and support.

 3:00 - 3:30 pm CDT (UTC-5)

 Afternoon Break
 Sponsored by:  firsthand 

3:30 - 5:00 pm CDT (UTC-5)

 Breakout Session

Negotiating Value-Based Reimbursement & Getting Payor/Provider Alignment

Presenters:   Moderator - Jason Washburn PhD ABPP, Chief Clinical Officer, Owl; Kathie Snell, Chief Strategy & Operations Officer, Aurora Mental Health & Recovery; Rob Bremer, Vice President, Network Strategy, Colorado Access; Gina Lasky, Managing Director, Behavioral Health at Health Management Associates

In the move towards VBC, providers that can demonstrate objective value of their services will have the leading edge. The only way to demonstrate that value is through outcomes data from measurement-based care (MBC). Knowing that, payors are leaning towards requiring their providers to practice measurement-based care to participate in value-based reimbursement.

In this session, we’ll explore the innovative collaboration in Colorado between Aurora Mental Health & Recovery and their payor, Colorado Access on how they are preparing for value-based care and the role that MBC plays. Additionally, HMA will share insights on additional successful strategies. Attendees will walk away understanding how to set yourself up for a position of strength in your reimbursement discussions with your payers.

 5:00 - 6:30 pm CDT (UTC-5) 

 Reception 
 Sponsored by:  Genoa Healthcare

An evening of intimate and up close magic with Disney’s amazing Chris Blackmore!   All attendees and their travel companions are invited to join us for a casual reception.

 7:30 - 8:20 am CDT (UTC-5) 

 Rise and Dine with Eleos (mhca Members only)
 Sponsored by: Eleos Health 

If planning to attend, please pre-register with Eleos Health at the following link:

• Eleos Health Breakfast & Learn Registration

 7:30 - 8:30 am CDT (UTC-5) 

 8:30 - 10:00 am CDT (UTC-5)

 Innovation Expo
 Sponsorship Available!   

INNOVATION EXPO!

Members learning from members is what mhca is all about! Come hear a series of short, Ted-like talks and learn about innovative initiatives being implemented by your peers. Ask questions, share insights and help push behavioral healthcare forward.

Presenters:

1. WellStone:  "Building a Robust Crisis Care Continuum: Huntsville, Alabama".  The Alabama Department of Mental Health began implementing a Crisis Continuum of Care in 2020 with the awarding of the first 3 Crisis Centers and then in fiscal year 2021 allocated funding for 5 mental health centers to increase their rural services with Mobile Crisis Teams. In July 2022 the nationwide implementation of the 988 system occurred to enhance and expand behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention services. This is WellStone’s story of building a Crisis Care Continuum following the best practice guidelines of SAMHSA, tailoring crisis care to meet the needs of our community, and the challenges faced post COVID. Presenters: Paula Steele MSW LICSW, Emergency Services (WES) Director; and Terra Barley MS MHC ALC NCC, Access to Care Coordinator.
   
   
2. McNabb Center:  "Title Filling the Gap in Children’s Crisis Care". The Children’s Crisis Continuum at the McNabb Center was created in 2021 to fill needed gaps in care for children, youth, and families in crisis. In November 2021, the Family Walk-in Center opened to provide a 365 day crisis walk-in center for families to access support and reduce burdens on other systems like emergency departments, inpatient care, and residential treatment. Intensive outpatient services are offered regardless of insurance or ability to pay, and created reduced barriers for those in crisis. In June 2022, McNabb Center further enhanced the continuum of services by opening Tennessee’s first Children’s Crisis Stabilization Unit (CCSU). The CCSU is located within East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, and again created easy entry for families in crisis. The unique care and access to treatment provided by the Children’s Crisis Continuum has impacted families from 20 East Tennessee’s Counties, and already produced successful outcomes showing the result of innovative crisis programming. All services were designed and adapted to meet the unique needs of children and youth by allowing the right level of support to help families heal and recover. Presenter: Lindsay Stone MA, Senior Director of C&Y Mental Health Programming.
   
   
3. Centerstone: "Simulation Training in Community Behavioral Health". As community behavioral health is responding to the need for greater adherence to evidence-based practice models, trainings for EBPs become increasingly valuable. However, many trainings lack engaging qualities (e.g., didactic-only robotic-like powerpoint presentations) and do not include best-in-practice learning models. The lack of focus on quality of training practice for practitioners who may just be starting in their field or may be using outdated practices may lead to deficiencies in standards of care and increase liability for organizations. Simulation training is a way to remedy this deficiency. Simulation in mental health is best defined as training approaches that include a trained actor portraying a client with a certain set of symptoms for the purposes of providers’ learning and displaying a specific skill or set of skills that embody an evidence-based practice. There are many modalities of simulation practices; many of these modalities can be just as feasible in community behavioral health environments, if not more so, than current didactic-only trainings. In the presentation, Dr. Shane Kuhlman will discuss the innovative ways Centerstone approaches clinical training including some surprisingly profound results from a recent randomized controlled trial completed at Centerstone. Presenter: Shane Kuhlman PhD, Chief Psychology Officer, of Centerstone’s Research Institute.
   
   
4. Frontier Health:  "Finding Hope through Employment and Support". Individual Placement and Support (IPS) services are an evidenced based practice committed to competitive employment as an attainable goal for persons with serious mental illness seeking employment. Eligibility is based on choice: Individuals are not excluded based on readiness, diagnoses, symptoms, substance use history, psychiatric hospitalizations, level of disability, or legal system involvement. IPS services are closely integrated with mental health treatment teams. Services are based on individual preferences and choices. IPS services use a rapid job search approach to help individuals obtain jobs directly, rather than providing lengthy pre-employment assessment, training, and counseling. Employment specialists build an employer network based on each person’s interests, developing relationships with local employers by making systematic contacts. Follow-along supports are individualized and continued for as long as the person wants and needs the support. Presenters: Ginger Naseri LCSW, Sr VP of TN Adult Services; and Kristie Hammonds BSW MBA, President & CEO, of Frontier Health.

 10:00 - 10:30 am CDT (UTC-5)

 Morning Break
Sponsorship Available!

 10:30 am - Noon CDT (UTC-5) 

 General Session

Backstage with Larry Gatlin: An Experience

Presenter: Singer, Songwriter, and Musical Artist Larry Gatlin

Larry Gatlin and his younger brothers Steve And Rudy, collectively known as the Gatlin Brothers, had a long list of mega-hits through the years including the GRAMMY-winning “Broken Lady,”  “All the Gold in California,” and “Houston (Means I’m One Day Closer to You)” – all written by Larry. He’s also written songs recorded by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Charlie  Rich, Johnny Mathis, and others. He says music brings people together, “we get married to music, march off to war to music, get inaugurated to music, and graduate to music.” It can also influence others and bring about change. During his time with mhca, Larry will share some of his award-wining songs and talk about his life’s journey - in particular his struggle with addiction.

 Noon - 1:30 pm CDT (UTC-5)

 Grab Lunch with a Few of Your mhca Peers

 1:30 - 3:00 pm CDT (UTC-5)

 General Session
 Sponsored by:  Martyn Family Foundation

Increasing Retention Through Leadership Actions

Presenter: Arudia Founder Anne Collier MPP JD PCC 

The last few years have been hard on recruiting and retention. Empty positions, dual and sometimes triple roles have stretched leaders and staff. The current staffing situation is likely unsustainable in its current form. Improving outcomes for all - staff, leaders, patients, and the community – requires a shift in thinking. It requires an upgrade in approach. You cannot ask your people to work harder. There simply isn’t excess capacity to wring out of the system or people. Instead, leaders need to think and work differently. And they need to support their managers and staff in doing the same. This program will share strategies for transforming thinking, actions, and results. By implementing new approaches, you will increase both time and capacity while improving culture and retention.

3:00 - 3:30 pm CDT (UTC-5)

Afternoon Break
 Sponsorship Available!

 General Session

Now What? - Making the Most of Your mhca Experience

Facilitator: Stacy DiStefano, CEO, of Consulting for Human Services

We’ve taken in a lot of new information, been inspired, and have good intentions to do things differently when we return to our organizations - but it can be hard to take action without a clear plan. Join us for this closing session where we will share the most important ideas we’ve heard, how we will do things differently following the conference, and what ideas we should discuss further at future conferences.

mhca Board of Directors Meeting
Chair:  Jamie Stewart

 5:00 - 6:30 pm CDT (UTC-5)  

 Closing Reception
 Sponsorship Available! 

All attendees and their travel companions are invited to join us for drinks and hors d’oeuvres.