Pre-Conference: Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Optional Evening Activity:
Mix & Match Dinner
     Meet at Registration Table

Conference Day 1: Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Registration and Welcome
 
Continental Breakfast
 
New Attendee Welcome Breakfast
Please get your breakfast & join us! 

Welcome and Overview
Kaily Clark, PsyD
Chair, VA Psychology Leadership Conference
 
Recognizing Sponsoring Organizations
Association of VA Psychologist Leaders
Mike Martin, PhD
President, AVAPL
 
American Psychological Association
Division 18 Psychologists in Public Service
Edgar Villarreal, PhD
Chair, VA Section for APA Division 18, Psychologists in Public Service
 
American Psychological Association
Arthur Evans Jr, PhD
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Executive Vice President of APA (*Video Presentation)

Breakout Sessions
1. Leaders Supporting Leaders in Moving Toward Work-Life Balance
Theresa Schmitz, PhD
National Director of Family Services
VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
 
Christopher Watson, PhD
VA Chief MH Officer, VISN 19
 
Claire Collie, PhD
National Mental Health Director for Quality Assurance and Improvement
VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
 
Monique Hunter, PhD
Section Chief, Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services
Atlanta VA HCS  
 
2. VA Suicide Risk Identification Strategy and the Role of Psychology Leaders
Bridget B. Matarazzo, PsyD
Director of Clinical Services
Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention
Rocky Mountain Regional VAMC (Denver, CO)
 
Suzanne McGarity, PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention
Rocky Mountain Regional VAMC (Denver, CO)
 
3. Leadership 202 for Psychologists & Students: Interactive Learning Session
Jared Skillings, PhD
Chief of Professional Practice
American Psychological Association
 
4. APA Div 18 Updates
Dr. Edgar Villarreal, PhD
VA Section Chair, APA Division 18, Psychologists in Public Service
National Clinical Director for Suicide Prevention
VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
 
Gayle Iwamasa, PhD, HSPP
Past VA Section Chair, APA Division 18, Psychologists in Public Service
National Director Inpatient Mental Health Services
VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
 
Josh Rinker, PsyD
Secretary/Treasurer, APA Division 18, Psychologists in Public Service
Clinical Psychologist, VA Portland Healthcare System
 
5. Why We Need Mentors: The Survival of Black Women in Psychology Leaders
Josephine Ridley, PhD
|Assistant Chief, Psychology Service
VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System
 
Zina Peters, PsyD, MPH
Health Behavior Coordinator & Clinical Psychologist
Michael E. DeBakey VAMC  (Houston, TX)
 

Networking Lunches
1.     General/Telehealth/Domiciliary Providers
2.     Training Directors
3.     APA Division 18 Psychologists in Public
        Service, APA Division 18
4.     Early Career
5.     Mid-Career

Keynote Address:
The Honorable Denis R. McDonough
Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs
 

Break

Plenary Presentation
Bringing Suicide Prevention to Life
Jesse Burgard, Psy.D.
National VA Senior Consultant for VA Suicide Prevention
VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention

Plenary Panel Presentation
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Strong Practices
Arnold H. James, MPH, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Home Based Primary Care
Southeastern Louisiana Veterans Health Care System
 
Kaela Joseph, PhD
Comprehensive Gender Affirming Care Center Director and Women Veterans Program Manager
San Francisco VA Health Care System
 
Katharine Mocciola, PsyD
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion, VISN 1
Assistant Chief, Mental Health Service
Interim PCMHI Program Manager
VA Maine Healthcare System
 
Annie Y. Tang, PhD
Clinical Psychologist, Trauma Services Program
Hines VA Psychology Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Coordinator
Co-Chair, Hines Psychology DEI Committee
Edward Hines Jr., VA Hospital (Hines, IL)
OMHSP DEI Consultant for the Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Consultation Program
 

Closing Remarks & Transition to Social Hour
Kaily Clark, PsyD
Chair, VA Psychology Leadership Conference
VA Suicide Prevention 2.0 Clinical Telehealth (SP 2.0) VISN 19 Clinical Resource Hub

Social Hour & Poster Session with Raffle to Support Soldiers' Angels

Conference Day 2: Thursday, June 1, 2023

Keynote Address
Emerging Trends in Psychology: How They Impact VA Psychology and the Veterans We Serve
Jared Skillings, PhD
Chief of Professional Practice
American Psychological Association
 
Katherine B. McGuire, MSc
Chief Advocacy Officer
American Psychological Association

Plenary Panel Presentation
Reconnection to the Mission & Serving as “Change Agents” in Our Important Work, Together: Veteran Service Organizations
 
Joy Ilem, BA
National Legislative Director
Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
National Service & Legislative
 
Steve Schwab
CEO
Elizabeth Dole Foundation
 
Kelly B. Hruska, MPA
Director of Government Relations
National Military Family Association

Morning Break and Transition to Breakouts

Breakout Sessions
1. OMHSP's QIIC Team - The Swiss Army Knife of OMHSP
Claire Collie, PhD
National Mental Health Director for Quality Assurance and Improvement
VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
 
VA Mental Health Quality Improvement and Implementation Consultants
Tanya Aaen, PhD
Nate Aserklund, DNP, APRN
Kathleen Darchuk, PhD
Malinda Fairbanks, LCSW
John Klocek, PhD
Matt Moore, PhD
Carla Nappi, PhD
 
2. Women’s Health
Kaela Joseph, PhD
Trans Health Clinic Director and  Women Veterans Program Manager
San Francisco VA Health Care System
 
3. Recruitment and Retention of VHA Clinicians from Diverse Backgrounds
Christopher Watson, PhD
Chief MH Officer, VISN 19
 
4. Advocacy in Action: An update from AVAPL Mid-Winter Meetings in DC
Mike Martin, PhD
President, AVAPL
Psychology Executive, Atlanta VA HCS
 
Megan McCarthy, PhD
President-Elect, AVAPL
Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health
Birmingham VAMC
 
Kaki M. York-Ward, PhD ABPP
Past President, AVAPL
Deputy Clinical Executive for MHCL
Michael E. DeBakey VAMC (Houston, TX)
 
Jennifer Presnall-Shvorin, PhD
Secretary, AVAPL
Assistant Chief MH&BSS
C.W. Bill Young VAMC (Bay Pines, FL)
 
Nicole A. Shiber, Psy.D.
Treasurer, AVAPL
Program Manager, Recovery, Research, & Outreach
James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital (JAHVH)
Tampa, FL
 

Breakout Sessions
1. Women in Leadership & Leadership Journeys: Varying Strategies for Professional Growth and Advancement
Maggie Chartier, PsyD, MPH
VA Director of Program Operations
Specialty Care Program Office (11SPEC) VHACO
 
Mary T. Dorritie, PhD
Veteran, U.S. Army; Women’s Mental Health
Co-Champion HJ Heinz/CBOC BHIP Program Mgr.
Pittsburgh VAMC
 
Lisa K. Kearney, PhD, ABPP
Board Certified in Clinical Health Psychology
Senior Advisor on Health, Office of the Secretary
Department of Veterans Affairs
 
Charlotte McCloskey, PhD
VA Local Recovery Coordinator
Kansas City Medical Center
Co-Chair and Subject Matter Expert for OMHSP
DEI Sharepoint and Committee Member OMHSP Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI)
 
Nicole A. Shiber, PsyD
Treasurer, AVAPL
Program Manager: Recovery, Research, & Outreach
James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital (Tampa, FL)
 
Jennifer L. Smith, PsyD
Gero/Neuro Psychology Program Manager
Atlanta VA HCS
 
Kaki M York-Ward, PhD, ABPP
Board Certified in Clinical Health Psychology
Past President, AVAPL
Deputy Clinical Executive, MHCL
Michael E. DeBakey VAMC (Houston, TX)
 
2.  Psychologists’ Role in Advancing Health Equity for Veterans: Importance of Collaboration Across Disciplines and Resource Development
Maurice Endsley, Jr., PhD
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Manager
VA Northern California Health Care System
 
Asale A. Hubbard, PhD
Director, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
San Francisco VA Health Care System
Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor
Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
 
Rani A. Hoff, PhD, MPH
Director, North East Program Evaluation Center
Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Professor of Psychiatry
Yale University School of Medicine
 
3. Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment in the VA
Dominick DePhilippis, PhD
Deputy National Mental Health Director
Substance Use Disorders
VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
  
4. Better Together: Telehealth and Psychologists Advancing VA Healthcare
Kendra Weaver, PsyD
Senior Consultant
Mental Health Clinical Operations
VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention

Quick Transition to Navarro Ballroom

Plenary Presentation:
Utilizing Psychology Training in VA to Enhance VA’s Future Workforce
Stacy Pommer, LMSW
National Affiliations Officer
Office of Academic Affiliations
Veterans Health Administration

Open Plenary Presentations
 
1. Psychology Leadership in Innovating and Forging Connections for Enhanced Mental Health Care of Older Adult Veterans
Rebecca Melrose, PhD, Jennifer Smith, PsyD, Chanda Corbett, PhD, Joanna McCormick, PhD & Michele J. Karel, PhD
 
2.  Leading Transformational Change: Two Generations of VA Training Directors' Efforts to Improve DEI
Sarra Nazem, PhD & Katrina Speed, PhD
 
3. Beyond the Leaky Pipeline: Recruiting and Retaining Diverse Leaders through Early Leadership Development
Mary A. Fernandes, PhD, Savana M. Naini, MA, Leah E. Squires, PhD & Cheryl Lowman, PhD

Conference Closing Remarks  & Passing the Torch  
Kaily Clark, PsyD
Chair, VA Psychology Leadership Conference
VA Suicide Prevention 2.0 Clinical Telehealth (SP 2.0)
VISN 19 Clinical Resource Hub
 
Laura L. Eaton, PhD 
Chair, VA Psychology Leadership Conference
Home Based Primary Care Geropsychologist
Cheyenne VA Healthcare System

Open Discussion
Laura L. Eaton, PhD
Chair, VA Psychology Leadership Conference
Home Based Primary Care Geropsychologist
Cheyenne VA Healthcare System

CE Workshop Day: Friday June 2, 2023

Continuing Education Workshop:
Professional Ethics
 
Transformational Ethics: A Substantive Discussion of the APA Ethics Code Revisions
Lindsay Childress-Beatty, JD, PhD, CAE
Interim Ethics Director
American Psychological Association