McHenry County Mental Health Board

Pharmacotherapy Facts for the Helping Professional: What You Really Need to Know | In-Person
2025-04-25 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | McHenry County Mental Health Board, 620 Dakota Street, Crystal Lake, IL, 60012, United States
Pharmacotherapy Facts for the Helping Professional: What You Really Need to Know | In-Person | Friday, April 25, 2025 | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | Presented by Elizabeth Young, PharmD, LPC, NCC. EVENT FLYER
REGISTER HERE!
FREE: 3 IDFPR CEU for LSW/LCSW, LPC/LCPC, Psychologists and IAODAPCA (pending)
SUMMARY

Helping professionals are often aware of the psychiatric medications their clients are receiving. Psychiatric medication therapy can be complex. Knowledge and skills related to major drug classes, medication use assessment, and effective communication of concerns to prescribers are critical contributions helping professionals can make to achieve the best outcomes from mental health and medication therapy for their clients. This three-part workshop will empower participants to do all three.
The goals of this workshop are to provide participants with the following:

A current and updated review of major psychiatric medication classes is presented including antidepressants, antianxiety medications, medications for mood disorders, antipsychotics, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Participants receive clinical pearls for psychiatric medications to enable them to more easily identify and act on potential medication misadventures arising in practice.
Participants are provided a structure for how to assess the most critical psychiatric medication use issues. Participants actively role-play outreach to prescribers to learn how to effectively communicate their concerns related to medication use in their clients.

OBJECTIVES
At the end of this workshop participants will be able to

provide basic information for the major classes of psychiatric medications,
assess client medication use to identify common potential medication use issues, and
communicate with prescribers when concerned with medication-related problems experienced by their clients.

PRESENTER

Dr. Elizabeth Young, PharmD, LPC, NCC, has been a practicing clinical pharmacist for more than 20 years. She currently also practices as a clinical mental health counselor at Owens & Associates Counseling & Therapy Center in their Lake in the Hills and Schaumburg offices.
Direct patient care in psychiatric pharmacotherapy has been a focus of Dr. Young’s clinical pharmacy practice for many years in community, health systems (including VA health systems), and managed care environments. She also possesses extensive experience teaching pharmacotherapy-related topics to students, residents, and healthcare providers in most practice settings as well as serving as a clinician and faculty member at several universities, including the University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy and Medicine.
Additionally, Dr. Young is a certified Health and Wellness Coach and has worked with medical practices as a consultant to address medication-related goals for their patients.

MHB Regular Board Meeting
2025-04-22 18:00 - 20:00, 2025-03-25 18:00 - 20:00, 2025-02-25 18:00 - 20:00, 2025-01-28 18:00 - 20:00 | McHenry County Mental Health Board, 620 Dakota Street, Crystal Lake, IL, 60012, United States

Turning Red Flags Into Recovery: Intervention Techniques for Alcohol Use | In-Person
2025-04-21 09:00 - 11:00 | McHenry County Mental Health Board, 620 Dakota Street, Crystal Lake, IL, 60012, United States
Turning Red Flags Into Recovery: Intervention Techniques for Alcohol Use | In-Person | Monday, April 21, 2025 | 9:00 am to 11:00 am | Presented by Erica Heatley, LCSW, CADC. EVENT FLYER
REGISTER HERE!
FREE: 2 IDFPR CEU for LSW/LCSW, LPC/LCPC, Psychologists, and IAODAPCA (pending)
SUMMARY

This presentation will outline effective strategies for addressing problematic alcohol use, focusing on non-judgmental communication, safety, and supportive intervention techniques like Motivational Interviewing (MI), Brief Interventions (BI), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It covers referral options, community support, and managing resistance.
OBJECTIVES

By the end of the presentation, attendees will be able to demonstrate at least two non-judgmental communication techniques to address alcohol use in role-playing scenarios.
By the end of the session, attendees will be able to describe and explain how to implement Motivational Interviewing (MI), Brief Interventions (BI), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) strategies to address alcohol use in real-world situations.
By the end of the presentation, attendees will be able to identify and describe at least three referral options and community support resources for addressing alcohol use in their professional practice

PRESENTER

Erika Heatley, LCSW, CADC, is a clinical supervisor at Northern Illinois Recovery Center. She is a licensed Social Worker and a certified alcohol and drug counselor. She received her undergraduate degree from University Wisconsin- Whitewater with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Family and Health Studies. Erika also completed her Master’s of Social Work degree with a concentration in Mental Health and Addictions from Loyola University Chicago. Erika has experience working in outpatient services including partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient treatment in the fields of mental health, addictions and co-occurring treatment. Erika utilizes a person-center and holistic approach. Erika has a variety of experiences including biopsychosocial assessment, admissions and intake, insurance support and clinical services for the adult population in co-occurring mental health and substance use.

MHB Building Closed
2025-04-18
MHB Building Closed in Observance of Spring Holiday

Teen Mental Health and Alcohol Use | Virtual
2025-04-17 13:00 - 15:00 | Virtual, IL
Teen Mental Health and Alcohol Use | Virtual | Thursday, April 17, 2025 | 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm | Presented by Dr. Caitlyn McClure*. EVENT FLYER
REGISTER HERE!
FREE: 2 IDFPR CEU for LSW/LCSW, LPC/LCPC, Psychologists, and IAODAPCA (pending)
SUMMARY

This presentation aims to equip counselors and mental health professionals with advanced knowledge, assessment techniques, and intervention strategies for addressing the dual issues of teen mental health and alcohol use.
OBJECTIVES
1. Attendee will understand and be able to assess for dual diagnosis including alcohol use with teens using DSM-V and other tools.
2. Attendee will understand the interplay of dual diagnosis and be able to identify at least two overlaps of alcohol use exacerbating mental health.
3. Attendees will be able to identify at least three solutions to navigating the nuances of working with teens with alcohol use disorders in terms of rapport building, treatment planning, and working within their support systems.
PRESENTER
Dr. Caitlyn McClure is the Vice President of Clinical Services at Northern Illinois Recovery, where she leads a clinical team focused on trauma-informed, evidence-based practices in addiction recovery. She holds a Doctorate in Social Work, with research published on burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction, and serves on the editorial committee of a peer-reviewed journal. Dr. McClure has presented at local and state conferences on trauma, addiction, and mental health crises, and her work aims to improve both client outcomes and clinician well-being in high-stress environments.
*There is a change in presenters due to a family emergency.

MHB Special Meeting
2025-04-15 18:00 - 19:00 | McHenry County Mental Health Board, 620 Dakota Street, Crystal Lake, IL, 60012, United States

MHB Finance and Audit Committee Meeting
2025-04-15 17:00 - 18:00, 2025-03-18 17:00 - 18:00, 2025-03-04 17:00 - 18:00, 2025-02-18 17:00 - 18:00 | McHenry County Mental Health Board, 620 Dakota Street, Crystal Lake, IL, 60012, United States

A Trauma Informed Approach | Virtual
2025-04-10 14:30 - 16:00, 2025-03-13 14:30 - 16:00, 2025-02-13 14:30 - 16:00 | Virtual, IL
A Trauma Informed Approach | Virtual | 2nd Thursday of the month, 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm – January 9, 2025 through December 11, 2025 | Presented by Gary Rukin, LPC, MA, MS. EVENT FLYER
This is not a series. The same session is repeated monthly.
REGISTER HERE!
Free: 1.5 CEUs for LSW/LCSW, LPC/LCPC, Psychologists, and IAODAPCA.
The presentation, A Trauma Informed Approach, is replacing the monthly ACE Interface Trainings provided by the McHenry County Mental Health Board and differs in several respects. While it incorporates information from the ACE Study conducted by Kaiser Permanente and the Center for Disease Control, it also explores other causes of childhood and adult adverse experiences. These include the role of genetics and epigenetics in transmission of trauma reactions from one generation to the next, environments in which violence is commonplace, behaviors which result from trauma, and begins to delve into ways to mitigate these reactions, and how we can do better as individuals, organizations, and as a society.
Presenter:
Gary Rukin, LPC, MA, MS, has worked in Community Mental Health for the past thirteen years. He serves as the Trauma-Informed Coordinator for the McHenry County Mental Health Board, and has presented trainings on Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Understanding Psychosis, Understanding and Treating Emotional Trauma, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Thresholds, The Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Recovery Conference, Northwestern University Hospital, and the Illinois Department of Human Services.

Overdose Education and Naloxone Training | In-person
2025-04-10 13:00 - 14:30 | McHenry County Mental Health Board, 620 Dakota Street, Crystal Lake, IL, 60012, United States
Overdose Education and Naloxone Training | In-person | Thursday, April 10, 2025 | 1:00 to 2:30 pm | McHenry County Mental Health Board, 620 Dakota Street in Crystal Lake | Presented by Teagan Ferraresi of Liv4Lali. EVENT FLYER
REGISTER HERE!
FREE: 1.5 IDFPR CEU for LSW/LCSW, LPC/LCPC, Psychologists, and IAODAPCA
Summary
Attendees will learn what opioids are and how they work, the opioid overdose epidemic, identify the signs of an opioid overdose & learn how to respond and reverse it, all about Naloxone, a little about Harm Reduction, and overdose prevention and policies.
Presenter
Teagan Ferraresi (she/her) is an Outreach Coordinator in McHenry County. With personal experience with Substance Use Disorder, her desire to make a change locally brought her to Live4Lali. After volunteering for a year, she joined the team as a SMART Recovery Facilitator and Overdose Education & Naloxone Distribution (OEND) trainer. She’s a fierce believer in harm reduction and destigmatization through community education, and is passionate about helping others with anything from peer support to treatment navigation.

Intake Coordinators Meeting
2025-04-08 09:00 - 10:15, 2025-03-11 09:00 - 10:15, 2025-02-11 09:00 - 10:15
The purpose of this meeting is to enhance Network Providers’ knowledge of resources to aid families and individuals in service navigation and care coordination.

Trauma Informed Supervision: Strategies to Avoid Burnout | Virtual
2025-03-19 09:00 - 16:00 | Virtual, IL
Trauma Informed Supervision: Strategies to Avoid Burnout | Virtual | Wednesday, March 19, 2025 | 9:00 am to 4:00 pm | Presented by Toni Tollerud, Ph.D., LCPC, NC, NCS, ACS. EVENT FLYER
REGISTER HERE! There will be a 1 hour lunch break.
FREE: 6 IDFPR CEU for LSW/LCSW, LPC/LCPC, and Psychologists
SUMMARY

Therapists who work with populations experiencing high levels of trauma need intentional supervision that will help them address the complex issues of their clients as well as how they may be reacting psychologically and emotionally in the situations. Supervisors have a responsibility to assess these reactions in the supervisee, and, if necessary, to offer strategies and referrals that will maintain wellness and effectiveness.
This workshop will review the critical factors of a trauma-informed system of care and how supervisors can infuse this into their clinical supervision. It will explore alternative theoretical approaches to trauma-informed supervision including changes in language, being strength-based, and using a reflective supervision model. Additionally, participants will consider trauma within the intersectionality of gender, race, and class, and how it needs to align with the mission of social justice. Finally, participants will review the psychoeducational aspects of vicarious trauma and compassion-fatigue, and look at evidence-based strategies to promote self-care and wellness with supervisees.
OBJECTIVES
As a result of participating in this workshop, professionals will:

Assess the counselor’s own Adverse Childhood Experiences to consider the impact these traumatic experiences have on brain development and behavior
Consider the impact of trauma on the brain development and behavior
Develop a comprehensive understanding of the effects and complexity of trauma, its potential behavioral manifestations, and best practices to address the needs of clients and supervisees
Review the critical factors of language, strength-based, and reflective supervision components in a trauma-informed supervision approach
Understand and recognize trauma as an interpersonal and sociopolitical agent in supervision, and how the creation of a trauma-informed system of care aligns with the mission of social justice in clinical supervision
Consider the impact of working with highly traumatized clients on supervisees and the role of the supervisor to monitor the effects
Review strategies used in supervision to reduce psychological distress including emotional exhaustion, vicarious traumatization, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress.
Use a series of assessments to consider levels of personal burnout, compassion fatigue, self-soothing, work burnout, and secondary traumatic stress and consider interventions supervisors can use to promote awareness and wellness.

PRESENTER
Toni R. Tollerud, Ph.D., LCPC, NC, NCS, ACS, is a professor in the Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University. She received a Presidential Teaching Professorship Award in 2008. In her 25 years at NIU, she has coordinated and served as Director of Internship and the School Counseling Program. She is an accomplished counselor educator and consults all over the state on issues related to supervision, career development, and school counseling.

Gambling, Vaping, and Drinking, Oh My! Addressing Underage Risky Behaviors | Virtual
2025-03-12 13:00 - 15:00 | Virtual, IL
Gambling, Vaping, and Drinking, Oh My! Addressing Underage Risky Behaviors | Virtual | Wednesday, March 12, 2025 | 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm | Presented by Elizabeth Thielen, LPC, PCGC. EVENT FLYER
REGISTER HERE!
FREE: 2 IDFPR CEU for LSW/LCSW, LPC/LCPC, Psychologists, and IAODAPCA
SUMMARY

With vaping, underage drinking, marijuana use and other concerns, many helping professionals might be overwhelmed to consider “yet another thing to worry about” with underage gambling. However, there is much we can do in our professional and personal lives to better respond to the risk underage gambling poses to youth in our community. We can learn from what has worked and what has not worked to tackle other problems facing teens and young adults, and recognize some unique challenges faced by this specific behavior. This workshop will look at the swiftly changing landscape of gambling, it’s impact on youth and young adults, and will outline ways we can all play a role in preventing and mitigating gambling-related harm in youth and young adults. With timely news articles and stats, video content sharing a lived experience perspective, and innovative educational programs, this workshop will keep attendees’ attention.
OBJECTIVES

Attendees will be able to identify at least 3 signs a young person may be gambling.
Attendees will be able to list at least 3 possible consequences to underage gambling.
Attendees will be able to list at least 2 resources to turn to, if they encounter a young person with gambling-related concerns.

PRESENTER
Elizabeth Thielen, LPC, PCGC, is a Senior Director at Nicasa Behavioral Health Services in Lake County, IL, with over 20 years in the addictions field. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, she is one of only about 70 certified gambling counselors in Illinois. Elizabeth is passionate about increasing awareness of gambling disorder in the community and among helping professionals. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Council on Problem Gambling. Elizabeth co-chairs the Gambling Disorder Committee, which makes recommendations to the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery. Having spoken at the local, State, and National levels, Elizabeth is recognized as an engaging speaker on the subject of gambling disorder and prevention. A former amateur athlete, Elizabeth is also committed to helping athletes avoid disordered gambling as our state adjusts to recently legalized sports betting.

Diversity Made Simple: Positive & Shame-Free Strategies for Reducing Cultural Offenses & Repairing Cross-Cultural Relationships | Virtual
2025-03-07 09:00 - 16:00 | Virtual, IL
Diversity Made Simple: Positive & Shame-Free Strategies for Reducing Cultural Offenses & Repairing Cross-Cultural Relationships | Virtual | Friday, March 7, 2025 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm | Presented by Lambers Fisher, LMFT, MDiv. EVENT FLYER
REGISTER HERE! There will be a 1 hour lunch break.
FREE: 6 IDFPR CEUs for LSW/LCSW, LPC/LCPC, Psychologists, and IAODAPCA
SUMMARY

Unintentional cultural offenses and misunderstandings often contribute to disconnected personal and professional relationships. Unfortunately, helping professionals often feel paralyzed by the fear that we don’t know enough about other cultures to try to effectively support those different than themselves. This training will help reduce those fears by providing an attainable goal for increasing cultural competence, as well as reducing the negative impact of unavoidable cultural misunderstandings on professional rapport and effectiveness. This relationship-focused training will provide practical language and strategies that can help reduce tensions and perceived barriers, and help strengthen cross-cultural relationships.
*This training will satisfy the 3-hour Cultural Competency and 3-hour Ethics Professional Development requirements.
OBJECTIVES

Broaden professional perspective on what diversity includes and its potential impact on building and maintaining rapport with clients
Identify strategies for increasing professional cultural self-awareness to assist in helping increase client cultural self-awareness
Demonstrate the use of clinical strategies for reducing unintentional cultural offenses and repairing professional relationships damaged by cultural offenses
Learn healthy diversity language to avoid division and increase cohesion among culturally diverse families and communities.

PRESENTER
Lambers Fisher, LMFT, MDiv, is a licensed marriage and family therapist, author, and national speaker on the topic of multicultural awareness and diversity. For over 20 years, Lambers has counseled individuals, couples, and families from a variety of cultural backgrounds, in private practice, non-profit, and ministry environments. Lambers has helped thousands of professionals around the country increase their cultural competence and strengthen cross-cultural relationships. Lambers helps professionals in various fields feel more comfortable, competent, and confident in their ability to meet the needs of whomever they have the opportunity to serve. For more information visit www.DiversityMadeSimple.com.

MHB Building and Grounds Committee Meeting
2025-02-26 18:00 - 19:00

The Impact of Narcissistic Abuse and Neglect in Narcissistic Family Systems | In-person
2025-02-21 09:00 - 15:00 | McHenry County Mental Health Board, 620 Dakota Street, Crystal Lake, IL, 60012, United States
The Impact of Narcissistic Abuse and Neglect in Narcissistic Family Systems | In-person | Friday, February 21, 2025 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm | McHenry County Mental Health Board, 620 Dakota Street in Crystal Lake | Presented by Dr. Lora Wiens. EVENT FLYER
REGISTER HERE! 1 hour lunch on your own.
FREE: 5 IDFPR CEUs for LSW/LCSW, LPC/LCPC, Psychologists, and IAODAPCA
SUMMARY

Many of our clients are impacted by Narcissistic Abuse & Neglect, both in childhood and throughout their adult lives. When we talk about Narcissism, we tend to focus on NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder). Instead, my focus will all children who grow up in home with Narcissistic Abuse & Neglect, i.e. Narcissistic Family Systems, must develop self-protective strategies that extend into adolescence and adulthood. Only some of those children develop NPD in adulthood. I’ll explain these self-protective strategies in the context of basic mammalian defenses, i.e. fight, flight, freeze, faun, submit. I will also talk about how the impact of Narcissistic Abuse & Neglect is moderated by Attachment security. Finally, I’ll talk about ways to help clients recover from Narcissistic Abuse and Neglect.
OBJECTIVES

To help clinicians understand the definitions of Narcissistic Abuse and Neglect.
To help clinicians understand why Narcissistic Abuse and Neglect produce ongoing feelings of shame and humiliation.
To help clinicians understand why experiencing Narcissistic Abuse and Neglect in childhood is especially traumatic and can contribute to the development of multiple life-long trauma-based disorders.
To help clinicians understand how Attachment security is a protective variable and Disorganized Attachment is a risk factor when examining the impact of Narcissistic Abuse and Neglect.
To help clinicians understand the definition of a “Narcissistic Family System.”
To help clinicians understand the definition of a “Narcissistic Defense.”
To help clinicians understand why Narcissistic Abuse is self-protective and is a natural “fight” response learned by child victims of Narcissistic abuse.
To help clinicians understand why “fawning” is an adaptive way of relating to others for people who grew up with Narcissistic Abuse and Neglect and how to recognize it in interactions with your clients.
To help clinicians understand the multiple “flight” responses learned by children in Narcissistic Family Systems who cannot flee physically, including attempts to hiding, addiction, fantasy, and Dissociation.
The understand the multiple “submit” responses learned by children in Narcissistic Family Systems, including voluntary and involuntary defenses.
To understand how to use this knowledge to sensitively educate your clients who have been impacted by Narcissistic Abuse and Neglect.
To help clinicians who work with children to identify when children they are working with are impacted by Narcissistic Abuse and Neglect.
To understand some strategies for reducing shame and humiliation in clients who have been impacted by Narcissistic Abuse and Neglect.
To help clinicians use this knowledge and understanding to be able to better manage difficult transference/countertransference issues with clients who grew up in Narcissistic Family Systems.

PRESENTER
Dr. Lora Wiens, LCP, is a trauma specialist who helps to train other therapists to treat highly traumatized people. They have a doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a Masters degree in Philosophy. Dr. Wiens early career experience was working in Community Mental Health with children, adolescents, and adults who were experiencing severe mental illness that interfered with their ability to function.
For 14 years, Dr. Wiens was a clinician at the Samaritan Counseling Center in Barrington, IL. During that time, they have developed their primary specialty of helping people recover from Complex PTSD and Dissociative Disorders. As part of this specialization, they completed a two-year training program in Dissociative Disorders with the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISST-D) in 2012 and have been active as a leader and a member of a local chapter of the ISST-D.
In their transition to co-owning Hope & Healing Psychotherapy with Dr. Kate Curtis, Dr. Wiens will be putting more energy into helping therapists grow and passing on what they learned as a trauma specialist.

MHB Building Closed
2025-02-17
MHB Building Closed in Observance of President’s Day

Assessing Boundaries and Building the Supervisory Relationship | Virtual
2025-02-14 09:00 - 16:00 | Virtual, IL
Assessing Boundaries and Building the Supervisory Relationship | Virtual | Friday, February 14, 2025 | 9:00 am to 4:00 pm | Presented by Toni Tollerud, Ph.D., LCPC, NC, NCS, ACS. EVENT FLYER
REGISTER HERE! There will be a 1 hour lunch break.
FREE: 6 IDFPR CEU for LSW/LCSW, LPC/LCPC, and Psychologists
SUMMARY

The supervisor/supervisee relationship is a critical variable in the overall success of supervision. The responsibility for the quality of this relationship is weighted toward the supervisor. There are several factors that you will want to consider as you enter the role of supervisor.
This workshop examines the theory and strategies that focus on the supervisor/supervisee relationship. It offers specific examples of ways to enhance the relationship and presents issues representing good boundaries in supervision. Specific attention will be given to how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted supervision and the barriers sometimes created by telehealth and technology.
OBJECTIVES
As a result of participating in this workshop, professionals will:

Review the legal and ethical concerns governing the supervisor/supervisee relationship
Consider strategies to establish an effective supervisory relationship
Review and assess factors that impact the supervisory working alliance
Learn about games played in supervision
Review research on why supervisees fail to disclose in supervision
Assess the constructs of role conflict and role ambiguity in supervision
Discuss Issues regarding multiculturalism and diversity in the supervisory relationship
Define and review the elements of healthy boundaries and dual relationships
Learn strategies regarding the importance of feedback and how to give effective feedback
Role play and hands-on opportunities are used to practice the skills.

PRESENTER
Toni R. Tollerud, Ph.D., LCPC, NC, NCS, ACS, is a professor in the Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University. She received a Presidential Teaching Professorship Award in 2008. In her 25 years at NIU, she has coordinated and served as Director of Internship and the School Counseling Program. She is an accomplished counselor educator and consults all over the state on issues related to supervision, career development, and school counseling.

MHB Board Development Meeting
2025-02-08 08:30 - 14:00

Sexual Harassment Prevention Training | Virtual
2025-02-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual, IL
Sexual Harassment Prevention Training | Virtual | Wednesday, February 7, 2025 | 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm | Presented by Dr. Claire Openshaw. EVENT FLYER
REGISTER HERE
FREE: 1 IDFPR CEU for LSW/LCSW, LPC/LCPC, and Psychologists

SUMMARY AND OBJECTIVES
The U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission report that they have received over 12,000 charges of sex-based harassment allegations every year since 2010. This highlights a significant issue in workplace culture. In order to address this in Illinois, it was signed into law that all employers are required to train their employees on sexual harassment. This training will define sexual harassment and examine the options available to those who experience it.

Discuss conduct that constitutes as sexual harassment
Examine options available to report allegations of sexual harassment
Identify protections for retaliation

PRESENTER

Dr. Claire Openshaw is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision. She is a Professor in the Addictions and Behavioral Health department at Governors State University, as well as a QPR and Mental Health First Aid Instructor. Dr. Openshaw has conducted research on the topic of fear of flying and human trafficking and has presented nationally as well as internationally in areas of ethics, sexual misconduct, human rights, trafficking, addiction, and youth suicide.

Implicit Bias Awareness | Virtual
2025-02-05 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual, IL
Implicit Bias Awareness | Virtual | Wednesday, February 5, 2025 | 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm | Presented by Shira Greenfield, LCPC. EVENT FLYER
REGISTER HERE
FREE: 1 IDFPR CEU for LSW/LCSW, LPC/LCPC, and Psychologists
SUMMARY
Implicit Bias is an unconscious belief system based on stereotypes (e.g. racial, gender) that inadvertently influences one’s attitudes and behaviors towards members of certain groups in ways in which one may not be aware.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this training, participants will be able to:

Define implicit bias and explain the difference between explicit bias and implicit bias
Discuss the ways implicit biases are formed
Explain the negative impact of implicit bias on healthcare recipients
List ways to recognize and mitigate implicit bias in their personal and professional roles

PRESENTER
Shira Greenfield, LCPC, is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who earned her master’s degree in Counselor Education from the University of Iowa in 1985. In the past 38 years, she has worked as a therapist, a crisis intervention worker, a group facilitator, and an educator. She has also held several leadership positions in behavioral health care providing oversight to both inpatient and outpatient programs and teams. She currently serves as the Clinical Director for Pivotal Counseling Center with offices in Lake in the Hills and Woodstock. Shira is an experienced and sought-after speaker who is known for her down to earth style and relatability.
