“Chronic Medical Illness: Therapeutic Challenges and Impact” A Course for Mental Health Professionals
July 19, 2017West Haverstraw, NY – Helen Hayes Hospital will present “Chronic Medical Illness: Therapeutic Challenges and Impact” on September 8, 2017 from 8:30am to 1:00pm. This course for mental health professionals will address the often-overlooked impacts of chronic illness on an individual’s overall function and examine effective strategies for treating patients whose mental health has been affected by prolonged illness.
With over half of America’s adult population living with chronic illness according to CDC estimates, it is vital that mental health professionals recognize the effects prolonged illness has on the functioning of those who seek mental health care. The “Chronic Medical Illness” course will examine the process of how individuals adapt to a chronic illness and provide tools for mental health professionals to best help their patients with this process. Course objectives include understanding the profound physiological and psychosocial changes patients experience, being able to identify various adaptive and maladaptive responses to chronic illness, and learning how to formulate and implement psychotherapeutic treatment plans to optimize adaptation to chronic illness.
The course will be led by an experienced panel of mental health providers from Helen Hayes Hospital: Andrew Hornstein, MD, Director of Behavioral Health at Helen Hayes Hospital and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University; Brian Quail, PsyD, clinical neuropsychologist and clinical director of Helen Hayes Hospital’s Transitional Rehabilitation Program; Jesse Little, PsyD, psychologist in Helen Hayes Hospital’s Behavioral Health Department; and Karen Sussan, LMSW, LMHC, mental health counselor in Helen Hayes Hospital’s Behavioral Health Department.
The course is open to mental health professionals, including social workers, case managers, psychiatrists, psychologists and licensed mental health counselors. Continuing Education Units are available for eligible attendees. For information on course fees, class schedule and CEU availability contact Dr. Jesse Little: 845-786-4165 or littlej@helenhayeshosp.org, or visit the hospital’s website: https://helenhayeshospital.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Chronic-Medical-Illness-Course-2017.pdf.
