2021 Northwest Psychological Fall Convention

Northwest Psychological Fall Convention, October 15-17, 2021

“Psychological Perspectives in an Era of Healing and Recovery” is the theme we chose as a nod to healing and recovery from the pandemic. Alaska Psychological Association has been invited to join Washington State Psychological Association’s (WSPA) annual Fall Convention which is being rebranded as the Northwest Psychological Fall Convention. The collaboration between both state psychological associations is a goal of our Executive Director who is also the Executive Director for WSPA. Last year, the wheels were set in motion by including AK-PA member Pamela Hays, Ph.D. to present a 3CE training to WSPA members. This year AK-PA received funding to promote Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) awareness and engagement to psychologists and other mental health providers in Alaska and beyond, and WSPA’s convention committee had interest in the topic. This became a perfect opportunity for collaboration between the two associations to host the Northwest Psychological Fall Convention.

Keynote: Super-Hero Therapy: Combining Evidence Based Therapy with Pop Culture Narratives to Help Clients Heal from PTSD 

Friday October 15, 9 am to 12 PM Pacific Time

Platform: Zoom

Janina Scarlet, Ph.D. is our keynote speaker. She is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Author, TEDx Speaker, and a full-time geek. A Ukrainian-born refugee, she survived Chernobyl radiation and persecution. She immigrated to the United States at the age of 12 with her family and later, inspired by the X-Men, she developed Super-Hero Therapy to help patients with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Dr. Scarlet is the recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award by the United Nations Association for her work on Superhero Therapy. More info about Dr. Scarlet can be found here.

This workshop will be available Free with No CE and as an Online Home Study through October 31st

Presenters

Top Row: Sarah Mattson Weller, Ph.D., San Diego, CA; Erika Stannard, Psy.D., Wasilla, AK

Bottom Row: Jacqueline Bock, Ph.D., Soldotna, AK; and Dr. Erin Johnson, Ph.D., Anchorage, AK

Introduction to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Diagnosis and Assessment: The Role of the Psychologist

Friday October 15, 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM Pacific Time.

Platform: Zoom

Prenatal alcohol exposure continues to be a ubiquitous condition worldwide. A recent study published in the Journal American Medical Association established 1 in 20 children have one of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Despite its prevalence FASD continues to be a hidden brain-based disability.  Although there is an urgent need in our communities to recognize this disability and to develop strategies to support individuals on this spectrum questions concerning diagnostic processes and availability of supports remain common. This session will offers opportunities to directly learn with practitioners active in the multidisciplinary approach to FASD diagnosis who are using the four digit code, neuropsychological assessment & how results are used to guide interventions and explore current issues facing psychologists doing virtual therapeutic supports during Covid. Innovative strategies using phone APPs to address these issues will be highlighted.

This introductory workshop will cover:

  • An overview and identification and diagnoses of FASD
  • The FASD 4-Digit Code
  • Neuropsychological assessment
  • VTC assessment and evaluations during COVID-19
  • Breakout room discussions

This workshop is made possible through a sponsorship through The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services FASD Program which will allow us to provide a 50% registration discount for AK-PA members and a 25% registration discount for non-members. The sponsorship will help develop additional FASD trainings that will go deeper into diagnosis and assessments in 2020.

This workshop is also Free with No CE to psychologists and mental health professionals and  as an Online Home Study through October 31st.

Workshop Options!

Free with No CE

A new option of the virtual convention will be to allow Psychologists and other mental health professionals to attend workshops free with no CE. Should you decide to receive CE credits afterwards, you can then pay for that workshop and complete a workshop evaluation form.

Home Study Webinars available through October 31st

A second new option will be earning CE credits from select recorded Friday and Saturday workshops. AK-PA and WSPA members attending the live workshops can gain additional CE credits at no extra charge for the days they are registered for. Non members attending the live workshops and anyone not registered for a convention day can also access the recorded Home Study Webinars for CE Credits by purchasing them through October 31st.

Sunday workshops will not be recorded.

Friday 3CE workshops:

  • Keynote: Super-Hero Therapy: Combining Evidence Based Therapy with Pop Culture Narratives to Help Clients Heal from PTSD 
    • Janina Scarlet, Ph.D.
  • Contingency Management as a Treatment for Drug Use Disorders: A simple tool psychologists can use to address addiction
    • Michael McDonell, Ph.D. & Sara Parent, ND
  • Intro to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Diagnosis & Assessment: The role of the Psychologist

    • Sarah Mattson-Weller, Ph.D., Erika Stannard, PsyD, Erin Johnson, Ph.D., Jacqueline Bock, Ph.D.

Saturday 3CE workshops topics:

  • Anti-Racist Action in Clinical Practice (Recording not available)
    • Megan Wagoner, Psy.D. & Misha Whitfield, Psy.D.
  • Sleep Solutions: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (Recording not available)
    • Ann Marie Roepke, Ph.D.
  • Forensic Workshop: Problems and Solutions? Known Knowns, Known Unknowns,
    and/or Unknown Unknowns: When a Child Resists or Refuses Contact with a Parent

    • Leslie Drozd, Ph.D.

Sunday 6CE workshop:

(Recordings and View Free with No CE are not available for Sunday workshops)

  • The newest 6CE Trust Ethics workshop (Note, AK-PA presented this workshop May 2021)

    • Daniel O. Taube, Ph.D., JD
  • DOH approved 6CE suicide prevention training
    • Jeffrey Sung, M.D.

You can register for 1 or all workshops. Convention registration can be found at this link.

Please note: There is also a registration page on the WSPA website, however we ask that you register from our website so that AK-PA retains your registration income.

View Rates and Registration: 2021 NW Psychological Fall Convention – Rates
View Schedule: 2021 NW Psychological Fall Convention – Schedule
View Workshop info: 2021 NW Psychological Fall Convention – Workshops

Sponsors and Exhibitors

We are excited to have The Trust and LifeStance Health, as convention sponsors and Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Office of Substance Misuse and Addiction Prevention, East Side Psychological Associates, Allevia Health, and Washington State Department of Labor & Industries as Business Sponsors of the Northwest Psychological Fall Convention.

We are looking forward to including additional sponsors and exhibitors to the convention’s virtual exhibitor hall by the start of the convention. Due to the  programming involved to create the virtual exhibitor hall, it will be featured on the WSPA Convention pages and become live on October 1st.

All exhibitors plan to offer the opportunity to win a prize from them. Their support helps underwrite the cost of convention expenses such as online programming, software, and presenter honorariums and they will feel a good return on their investment with visitations and entering their offers.

Sponsors for the Northwest Psychological Fall Convention
Alaska Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Alaska Psychological Association maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Washington State Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Washington State Psychological Association maintains responsibility for this program and its content.