WEST DES MOINES, IOWA (October 16, 2024) — Des Moines University (DMU) Medicine and Health Sciences will host the Psychiatry for Non-Psychiatrists conference from 7:30AM-4PM, Friday, November 1, 2024. The event is designed to equip non-psychiatric health-care professionals with essential mental health-care skills. Registration is $99 for both in-person and online participation.
This full-day conference will address the growing need for mental health-care as the demand for services has outpaced the availability of psychiatrists. Non-psychiatric clinicians, including those in primary care, hospital, and community health center settings, are crucial in addressing this gap. The event will provide these professionals with the knowledge and tools to meet their patients' mental health needs. The conference is a partnership between DMU, Broadlawns UnityPoint Psychiatry Residency program and the Iowa Veterans Home.
"At this conference, we will bridge the gap in mental health care," says Autumn Brunia DO, a psychiatrist at Des Moines University Clinic — Behavioral Health and a DMU alumna. "With an ever-growing mental-health crisis and limited psychiatrists, our goal is to empower other providers, including primary-care providers, who indeed write most mental-health prescriptions, with the essential tools and skills to better support their patients."
In addition to Brunia, two other members from DMU Clinic's behavioral health team will present at the conference: Psychologist Kathleen Laurin PhD, and Physician Assistant Abigail Schiltz MSPAS PA-C CAQ-Psy, who is also a DMU graduate. Additionally, DMU alumni John Wagoner DO, and Joseph Van Hulle DO, will share their expertise at the conference.
"This event empowers health care professionals to gain a deeper understanding of psychiatry, instilling the confidence to provide essential psychiatric care when it matters most," Schiltz says. "Together, we can elevate patient care and promote a more holistic approach to mental health."
Wagoner, a resident in the Broadlawns UnityPoint Psychiatry Residency Program, will co-present the session "Conversing on Cannabis: Cautions and Concerns" alongside Michelle Davids DO, associate program director of the Broadlawns UnityPoint Psychiatry Residency Program. Van Hulle, a fellow in the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Child and Adolescent Fellowship Program, will join Geetanjali Sahu MD in presenting "Social Media Effects on Children."
The conference will feature expert speakers, including:
- Sean Barrett DO, Broadlawns UnityPoint Psychiatry Residency Program
- Bailey Brooks MD, Psychiatrist, Broadlawns Medical Center
- Autumn Brunia DO, Psychiatrist, Des Moines University Clinic — Behavioral Health
- Paul Daniel, LMHC PhD, Executive Director, Center Associates
- Michelle Davids DO, Associate Program Director, Broadlawns UnityPoint Psychiatry Residency Program
- Kathleen Laurin PhD, Psychologist, Des Moines University Clinic — Behavioral Health
- Ryan Lee DO, Broadlawns UnityPoint Psychiatry Residency Program
- Rebecca Lundquist MD DFAPA, Director, Broadlawns UnityPoint Psychiatry Residency Program
- Laura Oyugi MBChB, Broadlawns UnityPoint Psychiatry Residency Program
- Geetanjali Sahu MD, Child and Adult Psychiatrist, Broadlawns Medical Center; Associate Program Director, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Child and Adolescent Fellowship Program
- Douglas Steenblock MD, Chief of Mental Health Services, Iowa Veterans Home
Continuing Education Credits
This event offers the following continuing education credits:
- MDs: Accredited by the Iowa Medical Society for 6.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits
- DOs: Accredited by the American Osteopathic Association for 6.5 AOA Category 1-A credits
- Nurses: Approved by the Iowa Board of Nursing for 6.5 continuing-education contact hours
- Social Workers: Approved by NASW Iowa Chapter for 6.5 hours of continuing education
How to Register
