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Join Esther Hio-Tong Castillo, PhD, as BHE’s guest speaker for the Speaker Series titled “The Courage to Talk: Overcoming Discomfort in Discussions on Racism,” moderated by BHE faculty member Karin Gladney, PhD, CAADC, as a live webinar on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, from 9:00 am – 11:00 am ET.
Systemic racism is deeply embedded in our institutions and communities, presenting significant challenges that require us to engage in difficult but necessary conversations about race. As James Baldwin famously stated, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” This moderated conversation aims to empower participants to confront their discomfort and engage in meaningful discussions on racism, fostering greater inclusion within our interpersonal relationships, workplaces and communities.
In this session, BHE will delve into the importance of discussing race and racism, providing strategies to overcome the emotional and psychological barriers that often hinder these conversations. Through real-life storytelling, participants will gain insight into ways that addressing racial discomfort can lead to personal and collective growth. The session will also explore the mindsets that inhibit authentic cross-racial connections and offer practical approaches to fostering more meaningful dialogues.
Join BHE for an engaging and enlightening discussion designed to equip professionals with the courage and compassion needed to tackle the challenges of race head on.
About Esther Hio-Tong Castillo, PhD:
Esther Hio-Tong Castillo, PhD, is a mental health and social justice advocate with nearly two decades of experience in education, community advocacy and government. She founded the award-winning Chinese Immigrant Families Wellness Initiative (CIFWI) at the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, recognized by the CDC Foundation for its impact on mental wellness in Asian immigrant communities. With a PhD in sociology, Dr. Castillo specializes in cross-racial solidarity work, particularly between Black and Asian communities. Her background as a biracial queer woman, first-generation college student and 1.5-generation immigrant informs her commitment to equity. As a former director of racial equity in city government and now CEO of Bridging Worlds Consulting, she provides DEI training and services, leveraging strategic thinking and community engagement to drive systemic change and promote equity across diverse communities.
CE Credits: APA-2; CPRP-2; LSW/LCSW/LPC/LMFT-2; NBCC-2; PA Act48-2; PCB-2; PSNA-2; IACET-.2
Training Fee: $18
The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) will be conducting an event via Zoom that will focus on the recent announcement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that formally designated brain injury as a chronic health condition. The session, “CMS Chronic Condition Designation — What it Means for You,” will be held on September 24, 2024, at 12:00 pm.
Panelists for this event include:
To participate in the event, please register here.
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST; 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CST;
10:00 am – 11:00 am MST; 9:00 am – 10:00 am PST
Register Here
Kelsey Titgen, PT, DPT
Rachel Stanley, OTR/L
Presenter Bios:
Kelsey Titgen, PT, DPT
Kelsey earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Emory University in 2018. Since graduating, she has worked in the acute care rehabilitation departments at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Egleston and Arthur M. Blank hospitals. In her tenure at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, she has treated patients in all inpatient units of the hospital, including PICU, multi-trauma, brain injury, oncology, and technology-dependent ICU. Over the past three years, Kelsey has taken on a primary and co-lead role in the cardiac intensive care unit and step-down unit, focusing on mobilizing patients on ECMO, various types of ventricular assist devices, and those recovering from open-heart surgery. She most enjoys her work supporting pediatric patients with congenital heart defects.
Rachel Stanley, OTR/L
Rachel graduated from Brenau University in 2020 with a degree in Occupational Therapy. After receiving her degree, she joined the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta acute care rehabilitation team. Rachel primarily treats patients in the PICU and serves as an OT representative on the ICU Liberation Committee, a multi-disciplinary hospital committee focused on minimizing the effects of pain, agitation/sedation, delirium, immobility, and sleep disruption. Rachel is passionate about working with patients in the intensive care unit, including those on ECMO, and is dedicated to advancing the ICU Liberation program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Objectives: At the end of this session, the learner will:
Audience: This webinar is intended for all interested members of the rehabilitation team.
Level: Beginner-Intermediate
Certificate of Attendance: Certificates of attendance are available for all attendees. No CEs are provided for this course.
Complimentary webinars are a benefit of membership in IPRC/RCPA. Registration fee for non-members is $179. Not a member yet? Consider joining today.
The Office of Development Programs (ODP) will be hosting the first quarterly residential provider forum to provide support for provider Performance-Based Contracting (PBC) preparedness. During this session, ODP will provide a status update on PBC applications; review the PBC presented to the Information Sharing and Advisory Committee (ISAC) Provider Performance Review Subcommittee; review the emerging themes or trends with the application submissions; and offer the opportunity for providers to ask questions.
Audience:
Residential Providers
Date:
October 4, 2024, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) will be holding quarterly public meetings for anyone interested in discussing the topic of peer support services (PSS) working in the mental health realm. These meetings will provide a regularly scheduled opportunity for OMHSAS representatives to give PSS updates and information as well as answer questions and obtain essential insight and feedback from stakeholders.
The first quarterly meeting will be held on October 8, 2024, at 9:00 am – 10:00 am. The TEAMS meeting link is available here. Going forward, these meetings will be held on the second Tuesday in the months of January, April, July, and October 2025. Attendees will receive general updates and discussion topics OMHSAS will send ahead of time. Meeting links will also be provided in advance of each meeting.
Recommendations for agenda topics or questions can be submitted via email and must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the meeting date. The email account will be monitored, and the sender will receive a reply if more information is needed. Responses will not be provided if additional information is not needed.
If you or your colleagues would like to be added to an OMHSAS Listserv to receive the quarterly invitations, please go to the Listserv DHS website, then select the “join or leave the list” link.
Meeting Dates:
OMHSAS is open to ideas and suggestions on maximizing the effectiveness of these meetings.
These quarterly meetings are not a replacement for the Mental Health Planning Council quarterly meetings. Those meetings will continue in addition to these newly established meetings.
OMHSAS appreciates your review and hope you will join them for these PSS discussions. Questions pertaining to these meetings should be submitted via email.