Events Calendar

Social Services Virtual Conference 2024

Live and On Demand Access

The conference will be recorded. All participants registered prior to the live event will have access to both the live and on-demand version. Participants registered after the live event will have access to the on-demand version.

Session Descriptions

Together We Can: Impact Suicide and Despair in Transitional Elderly – Dr. Kathleen Weissberg
Acts of suicide, ideation, and self-harm in later life is a highly prevalent, but minimally researched and uncomfortably discussed topic in the United States. Yet the older adult presents with many or all of the primary risk factors: mental illness (especially depression and grief/loss), medical illness, impaired coping skills, social disconnectedness, and functional impairment. Life transitions experienced by the elderly including changes in housing of oneself or one’s spouse exacerbate the risk, making the transition to assisted living or long term care a crucial point to deliver screening and intervention. With depression as a third-level split in the PDPM Special Care High category, how prepared are you and your staff to address the identification of depression in the elderly population, and what signs go beyond depression to reveal active suicidal or self-harm risk? This course will discuss prevalence of suicidality in long term care settings, the signs and behaviors which point to elevated risk, steps to improve the comfort and ability of staff to conduct effective interviews and risk assessments, the particularly high risks facing the incoming Baby Boomer population, and additional tips for addressing depression in this pivotal time.

De-escalate, Ground, Cope: Staff Interventions for Trauma-Informed Care – Cat Selman
CMS mandates that “residents who are trauma survivors receive culturally competent, trauma-informed care in accordance with professional standards of practice and accounting for residents’ experiences and preferences in order to eliminate or mitigate triggers that may cause re-traumatization of the resident.” This includes “caring for residents with mental and psychosocial disorders, as well residents with a history of trauma and/or post-traumatic stress disorder…” In this session, Cat will be providing very specific staff interventions for assisting those residents who have experienced trauma. Effective recommendations/guidance will be offered so that staff may be better equipped to assist residents when faced with: panic attacks, hyperventilation, PTSD, sexual assault, physical abuse, disasters, grief, substance abuse, bullying, racism, etc. Participants will leave with “ready-made” training techniques for themselves and their staff.

The Social Worker’s Role in the Medicaid Process: Not What You Think – Cynthia Letsch
Although many people presume that the Social Worker’s role includes advising and assisting the client in whether, when, how to obtain, and actually applying for government assistance in paying for or accessing medical care or specialized housing, this is a misinterpretation of the Social Worker role. This presentation will advise the Social Worker on what information should be collected in order to determine whether or not Medicaid is a viable option, what the Social Worker’s role or obligation is in that process, and how to connect the client to appropriate professionals who can assist with the actual financial restructuring and/or application process, if needed.

Ethical Considerations in Long-Term Care – Dr. Kathleen Weissberg
In this session, practical information about ethics is provided from a clinical perspective. Core ethical principles as they relate to healthcare and senior care are reviewed. The session then delves into legal issues and common ethical issues faced in post-acute care and senior living. The session pulls from evidence and employee surveys regarding daily ethical issues they face and differentiates between ethical challenges, ethical dilemmas, everyday ethical issues and big ethical issues. The session follows a case example format for various issues including end of life care, dementia consent, staffing, and others as a way to apply ethical principles and decision making to each. The role of the ethics committee will be reviewed. The session applies the CELIBATE model for analyzing and resolving ethical dilemmas in healthcare. Learners will walk away with additional case examples illustrating various ethical dilemmas and issues that can take place in senior care settings that they can use to facilitate similar training in their community.

Live Schedule

August 14-15, 2024
8:30 – 11:30 AM

August 14
8:30 – 9:30 AM          Together we Can: Impact Suicide and Despair in Transitional Elderly
9:30 – 10:30 AM        De-escalate, Ground, Cope – Staff Interventions for Trauma-Informed Care
10:30 – 11:30 AM      The Social Worker’s Role in the Medicaid Process – Not What You Think

August 15
8:30 – 11:30 AM        Ethical Considerations in Long-Term Care

Continuing Education Credit

This conference is approved for 6 contact hours (including 3 hours of ethics) for:

• Social Services
• NF Administrators

Registration Fees

Members:             $140 per person
Non-Members:    $420 per person

Speaker Bios

Dr. Kathleen Weissberg, (MS in OT, 1993; Doctoral 2014) in her 25+ years of practice, has worked in rehabilitation and long-term care as an executive, researcher and educator.  She has established numerous programs in nursing facilities; authored peer-reviewed publications on topics such as low vision, dementia quality care, and wellness; has spoken at numerous conferences both nationally and internationally, for 20+ State Health Care Associations, and for 25+ state LeadingAge affiliates.  She provides continuing education support to over 17,000 therapists, nurses, and administrators nationwide as National Director of Education for Select Rehabilitation. She is a Certified Dementia Care Practitioner and a Certified Montessori Dementia Care Practitioner.  She serves as the Region 1 Director for the American Occupational Therapy Association Political Affairs Affiliates and is an adjunct professor at both Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA and Gannon University in Erie, PA. 

Catherine “Cat” Selman, BS, uses her dynamic personality and compelling presence to spread the message of positive, realistic, and common-sense strategies for the aging services professional. She presently serves as President and Co-owner of The Cat Selman Company, a company specializing in continuing education for healthcare professionals. Ms. Selman received her degree from Trevecca Nazarene University, with continued graduate work at the University of Southern Mississippi. She was a Corporate Management Consultant for 101 nursing homes in 7 states. With over 35 years’ experience in management, education and consultation, Ms. Selman has trained providers and surveyors in all 50 states. Since 1989, she has often been requested by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to sit on stakeholder/ expert panels responsible for the revision of surveyor guidance and compliance issues. In fact, Ms. Selman participated in a CMS Expert Panel Group responsible for some of the Surveyor Guidance that is now included in the current CMS RoP. She continues to train State Agencies & Surveyors in Care Planning, as well as other requirements regarding process, documentation, and compliance. In demand, and on topic, she is considered an authority in aging services.

Attorney Cynthia Letsch is an Iowa native who obtained her undergraduate degree at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Drake University Law School, in 1995, graduating from both universities with honors.  In addition to her elder law and estate planning practice, her legal career includes eight years of teaching as an adjunct professor and five years serving as corporate counsel in healthcare.

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