NASHVILLE, Tenn.–A statewide training conference on improving service delivery for people with both developmental disabilities and mental illness will be held Wednesday, June 22, at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children‘s Hospital at Vanderbilt. The conference is designed for residential service providers, psychiatrists, physicians, behavior analysts, family members and advocates who work with or plan to work with individuals with a dual diagnosis of developmental disabilities and mental illness.
The keynote speaker is Elisabeth Dykens, professor of psychology, associate director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and director of its Mood and Emotion Research Program. Craig Kennedy, director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Behavior Analysis Clinic and professor of special education and pediatrics, will also present.
According to the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed, up to 35 percent of people with a developmental disability also have a psychiatric disorder. Understanding and treating this additional concern is critical to improving the quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Multidisciplinary panels of experts will address three topics: polypharmacy, or problems associated with the use of multiple medications by a patient, innovative service delivery and success stories from the Community Inclusion Project. The Community Inclusion Project provides comprehensive health, educational and behavioral assessments to identify causes of behavioral challenges among patients with a dual diagnosis.
The Dual Diagnosis Conference is sponsored by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Community Inclusion Project and Behavior Analysis Clinic in collaboration with the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities and the Tennessee Division of Mental Retardation Services.
There is no registration fee to attend, and a continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. Advance registration is required; please contact (615) 322-8185 or email bac@vanderbilt.edu by Friday, June 17.
Media contacts: Jan Rosemergy, (615) 322-8238
Jan.rosemergy@vanderbilt.edu
Melanie Catania, (615) 322-NEWS
Melanie.catania@vanderbilt.edu