Speakers’ Series

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DBSA Boston Monthly Speakers’ Series
Tuesday, March 26 2024, at 7 p.m. ET
 Lisa McLaughlin Charland, CPS, will provide us with a description of WRAP, share how it’s been helpful to her, and how it can support your recovery journey.

Photo of Lisa McLaughlin CharlandDescription of Presentation
Lisa McLaughlin Charland, CPS, will provide us with a description of WRAP, share how it’s been helpful to her, and how it can support your recovery journey. Lisa will begin by sharing her personal experience with using a WRAP and what she’s learned while facilitating several WRAP groups at McLean Hospital. She will also speak about her background as a certified peer specialist at McLean, where she facilitates inpatient and outpatient groups and provides individual support for people in McLean’s programs. She will also touch on her latest writing project, a book of nonfiction short stories focused on mental health, grief, hope, humor, and recovery.

Bio of Presenter
Lisa McLaughlin Charland is a Certified Peer Specialist at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate. She facilitates inpatient and outpatient groups for AB2, Well-Space, and Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) programs, and meets with people in those programs individually. She’s a speaker for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) In Our Own Voice Program and has written about her experience with mental health challenges and recovery for five years.
She’s now working on writing her first book, which will focus on hope, humor, and recovery. She’s been featured in a WBUR piece about mental health and the pandemic, a podcast focusing on mental health in the workplace, a literary journal that published her story on grief, and McLean Hospital’s Horizons Magazine discussing the importance of peer work. She’s both a peer and a family member to someone who experiences a mental health condition, and understands what it’s like to be in both positions.


DBSA Boston Monthly Speakers’ Series
Tuesday, February 27, 2024, at 7 p.m. ET
Hadassah Margolis, MSW, LICSW, a clinical social worker and the Director of Inpatient Group Therapy at McLean Hospital will lead an Interactive discussion of the Benefits of Group Therapy

Click here to watch a recording of the talk.

Description of Presentation

With group therapy, you get the best of both worlds: the ear of a trained therapist, and the expertise and compassion of your peers. Members learn about themselves by understanding one another through collective learning. Come join Hadassah Margolis for an interactive discussion on the importance of group therapy in the recovery process, and how, in particular, groups on the intersection of spirituality and mental health can lead to transformative experiences.

 

Bio of Presenter

Hadassah Margolis, MSW, LICSW is a clinical social worker and the Director of Inpatient Group Therapy at McLean Hospital. From 2019 to 2023, she was the inaugural head of the group therapy program at Brandeis’s Counseling Center, and she was the founding Lead Therapist at McLean’s Spirituality and Mental Health Department, where she helped develop the hospital’s first-ever Spirituality and Treatment groups.

With 20 years of clinical experience in inpatient, partial hospital, outpatient, and day treatment settings, Hadassah teaches eco-anxiety and student activism courses at Brandeis University and maintains a private practice specializing in group therapy facilitation, training, and supervision at various community organizations, houses of worship, and colleges. In all her work, there is a common thread: Hadassah creates civic infrastructure and makes it possible for people to transform themselves through dialogue, reflection, and common action. Hadassah is a 2020 Commonwealth Heroine and a 2019 CJP Chai in the Hub honoree. Visit: https://hadassahmargolis.com/.


Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at 7 p.m. ET
Dr. Ken Duckworth, NAMI Medical Director and author of the recent book “You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health – With Advice from Experts and Wisdom from Real People and Families”

Click here to watch a recording of the talk.

Photo of Dr. Ken DuckworthDescription of Presentation

Ken Duckworth will speak about his journey in the field of mental health and how being a family member of someone with lived mental health issues informed his career; how he came to write his recent mental health book, and what he hopes readers will take away from it, including the importance of peer support (i.e., lived experience expertise). He will also discuss his work at NAMI and where mental health is today compared to when he started his career.

Bio of Presenter

Ken Duckworth, MD, is the chief medical officer of the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) and has worked with NAMI since 2003. Ken is board certified in adult psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry, and is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He was previously acting commissioner and medical director at the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health. He has also worked in a variety of community-based mental health programs and is the author of the recently published book “You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health—With Advice from Experts and Wisdom from Real People and Families.” Written with insight and compassion, Ken has created an invaluable resource for individuals and families seeking expert guidance on diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, featuring inspiring, true stories from real people in their own words.


DBSA Boston Monthly Speakers’ Series
Tuesday, November 28, 2023, at 7 p.m. ET
John Winkelman, MD, PhD
“Why is Sleep So Important to Our Wellbeing? Second of a two-part interview with Dr. Winkelman”

Click here to watch a recording of the talk.

Description of Presentation

John Winkelman, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and Chief of the Sleep Disorders Clinical Research Program in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. Previously, he was the Sleep Director at McLean Hospital and at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Two of his specialty areas are restless leg syndrome and insomnia.

Given how important and broad the topic of sleep is, we are very fortunate that Dr. Winkelman is able to offer us two sessions on sleep: one in September and the second in November. The September one included a description of Dr. Winkelman’s background, including how he chose sleep as an area of focus, and what the key research findings are about the links between sleep and physical/mental well-being, followed by addressing individual audience sleep-related questions. View September session here.

In the November session, Dr. Winkelman will focus on the most common sleep disorders and the effective approaches to addressing them. He will also offer suggestions for general sleep hygiene and answer individual audience questions.

Come join us for this two-part conversation about sleep.


DBSA Boston Monthly Speakers’ Series
Monday, October 30, 2023, at 7 p.m. ET
Chuck Weinstein, MA, LMHC, CPRP
“A Fireside Chat with Chuck (Weinstein),” interview with Cynthia Piltch

Click here to watch a recording of the talk.

Description of Presentation
Chuck Weinstein, MA, LMHC, CPRP, member of the leadership team of DBSA Boston since 1995 including five years as President, will be sharing about his recovery journey that includes his involvement with various mental health organizations that he worked for as part of his professional career in social work, psychiatric rehabilitation, and counseling, as well as a certified peer specialist (CPS).

At DBSA Boston, Chuck created, developed, and ran the facilitator training for decades since 1997, and to this day volunteers as the Facilitation Advisor, Share/Care Committee member, support group facilitator, and trainer. He consulted with National DBSA 2019–2022 on developing the VFT TTT, virtual facilitator trainer, train the trainer program as well as training materials and consulting with program managers on their products and services.

Chuck is a consultant for Waverley Place, a peer run community support program of McLean Hospital since 2015. He is also a licensed professional counselor in private practice.


DBSA Boston Monthly Speakers’ Series
Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at 7 p.m. ET
John Winkelman, MD, PhD
“Why is Sleep So Important to Our Well-Being??” A Two-Part Interview with John Winkelman, MD, PhD

Click here to watch a recording of the talk.

Description of Presentation
John Winkelman, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and Chief of the Sleep Disorders Clinical Research Program in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. Previously, he was the Sleep Director at McLean Hospital and at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Two of his specialty areas are restless leg syndrome and insomnia.

Given how important and broad the topic of sleep is, we are very fortunate that Dr. Winkelman is able to offer us two sessions on sleep: one on Tuesday, September 26, and the second on Tuesday, November 28.

The September one will include a description of Dr. Winkelman’s background, including how he chose sleep as an area of focus, and what the key research findings are about the links between sleep and physical/mental well-being, followed by addressing individual audience sleep-related questions.

In the November session, Dr. Winkelman will focus on the most common sleep disorders and the effective approaches to addressing them. He will also offer suggestions for general sleep hygiene and answer individual audience questions.

Come join us for this two-part conversation about sleep!


DBSA Boston Monthly Speakers’ Series
Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at 7 p.m. ET
Janet Wozniak, MD
“Adults With Bipolar Disorder: How does age of onset create different life courses?”

Click here to watch a recording of the talk.

Description of Presentation
Adults with pediatric onset (childhood/adolescent onset) have a distinct course, characteristics and neurobiology from adults with later onset (older adolescent/adult onset). Dr. Wozniak will discuss her research and treatment of individuals with bipolar disorder.

Bio of Presenter
Dr. Janet Wozniak completed her adult and child psychiatry training at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). At MGH, she is the director of the Pediatric Psychopharmacology Clinical and Research Program and holds the Joseph Biederman MD Endowed Chair in Pediatric Psychopharmacology. She is also the director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Service, associate chief of Quality and Safety for the Department of Psychiatry, and associate director of the Bressler Program for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Dr. Wozniak’s research focuses on the characteristics, longitudinal course, and treatment of pediatric bipolar disorder. She has addressed the frequent occurrence of pediatric bipolar disorder, its atypical clinical presentation, and documented the high rates of comorbidity of pediatric bipolar disorder with other conditions such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety disorders, and autism, as well as the frequency of occurrence of these disorders within families. Dr. Wozniak has completed one of the few longitudinal course studies of pediatric bipolar disorder, documenting high rates of persistence, and the largest family study of the disorder.


DBSA Boston Monthly Speakers’ Series
Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 7 p.m. ET
Howard Trachtman, BS, CPS, CPRP, COAPS
“From Lived Experience with Mental Health Challenges to Passionate Advocate”

Click here to watch a recording of the talk.

Description of Presentation
Howard is the co-founder and on the leadership team of the Metro Boston and Southeast Recovery Learning Communities, is a Certified Peer Specialist, and a Certified Psychosocial Rehabilitation Practitioner.  He will speak about his experiences with mental health challenges, his involvement with numerous organizations, boards and committees; and how these experiences intersect and overlap with each other.

Bio of Presenter
Howard serves/has served on many mental health related boards and committees, frequently serving as president, chair, or co-chair. They include, among others, the PAIMI (Protection & Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness) of the Disability Law Center; the MBHP (MA Behavioral Health Partnership) Consumer Advisory Council; MA DMH Mental Health Planning Council/Metro Suburban Area Board; and NAMI—various roles including MA Board of Directors and Chair of the Advocacy Committee. He is also a frequent presenter nationally on topics including restraint & seclusion, growth of peer-run programs, managed care, entrepreneurship, and warmlines.

Howard has received numerous awards including a Commissioner’s award for his work on Recovery and Rehabilitation from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health; NAMI Massachusetts Consumer of the Year; Advocate of the Year from NAMI Greater Boston CAN (Consumer Affiliate/Advocacy Network); NAMI National Consumer Council; the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee; the Edinburg Center; the Disability Law Center; Boston Medical Center; MBHP; and Jewish Vocational Service. He is also the co-author of “From Within: A Consumer Perspective on Psychiatric Hospitals,” a chapter published in the Textbook of Hospital Psychiatry.


DBSA Boston Monthly Speakers’ Series
Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 7 p.m. ET
“The Relationship of Mental Well-Being to Work and Other Meaningful Activity”

Click here to watch a recording of the talk.

Come hear a panel of peers share their approaches to juggling both paid and unpaid work with their mental health.

The panel will include Krista Armstrong-Moon, Andrew Fishman, Mary Johnston, Martin Petracchi, and Alisa Stepanian; and will be moderated by Cynthia Piltch.


DBSA Boston Monthly Speakers’ Series
Tuesday, March 28, 2023 at 7 p.m. ET
“Mindfulness and Mental Health”
Khare and Dr. Amy Balentine

Click here to watch a recording of the talk.

Do you wonder about the connection between mindfulness and mental health? Do you want to learn how to practice mindfulness to support your mental and/or physical health? Come and learn about these questions with two individuals who will share information and provide experiential lessons as well.

Khare, meditation leader at DBSA Boston and Dr. Amy Balentine from the Memphis Center for Mindful Living will share their knowledge and experience in mindfulness. Khare is a lifetime member of DBSA Boston. He has volunteered as a support group facilitator, tech buddy, webmaster, board member, treasurer, and tech committee chair. Now he hosts the morning mindfulness meditation circle at DBSA Boston, and is a member of the editorial staff of the DBSA Boston newsletter..

Dr. Amy Balentine works with children, teens, and adults who are willing to step into nature-based and mindfulness work, especially to treat issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, loss, relationship challenges, and dysregulation. She integrates a number of evidence-based interventions into therapy, including  EMDR, CBT, play therapy, ACT, DBT, and IFS. She is a mindfulness teacher and has trained at UCSD Center for Mindfulness, where she also teaches a mindful self-compassion program for children, which she co-developed with fellow teacher Lorraine Hobbs. They are also the co-authors of the Self-Compassion Workbook for Kids published in 2022.


DBSA Boston Monthly Speakers’ Series
Friday, January 27, 2023 at 6 p.m. ET
“Challenges and Rewards of Parenting in Mental Health Recovery:
Perspectives from Parents and Adult Children,” a panel of members of the Center of Excellence (COE) Parenting Project.

Click here to watch a recording of the talk.

Parenting in Recovery as a Catalyst of Change
Caregivers with mental health and/or substance misuse challenges and their children often feel shame and stigma from their communities when it comes to parenting. A team of Certified Peer Specialists at the Massachusetts General Hospital COE for Psychosocial and Systemic Research created two videos designed for both people with lived experience and healthcare workers. On these, parents say how they managed to raise their families; and children talk about their experiences. January 27, a peer team from the COE will lead a facilitated viewing of these videos and a discussion.


DBSA Boston Monthly Speakers’ Series
Friday, October 28, 2022 at 6 p.m. ET
Corinne Cather, PhD and Cheryl Foo, PhD
“The Importance of Intervening Early and Intervening Well in First Episode Psychosis: Our progress in Massachusetts”

Click here to watch a recording of the talk.

Description of presentation
The current standard of care for the first episode population is coordinated specialty care (CSC), comprised of a multidisciplinary treatment team that delivers psychopharmacology, psychoeducation, cognitively behaviorally oriented individual and family therapy, and supported employment and educational services.

Compared to usual care, CSC models of treatment lead to superior recovery from a first episode of psychosis (FEP) both for symptoms and improved overall functioning, however, outcomes are better for those with shorter duration of untreated psychosis, underscoring the importance of early detection and intervention. This talk will provide an overview of CSC and its key outcomes and describe current efforts to expand the availability of high quality CSC to individuals in Massachusetts.

Bio of presenter
Corinne Cather, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a Clinical Psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). She directs the MGH Center of Excellence for Psychosocial and Systemic Research, which is funded by the MA Department of Mental Health, and is the Director of Psychological Services for the MGH Psychosis Clinical and Research Program.

Her research centers on the design and implementation of evidence-based psychosocial treatments for individuals with first episode psychosis as well as those with longer histories of illness, including interventions to promote physical health. She provides therapy to individuals and families in the MGH First Episode and Early Psychosis Program as well as second opinion diagnosis and treatment recommendations for individuals with longer histories of illness.

She recently co-authored a book, Facing Serious Mental Illness: A guide for patients and their families, intended to improve knowledge, illness management skills, and quality of life for clients and families coping with illnesses like schizophrenia. The book can be read for free on the publisher’s website.


DBSA Boston Monthly Speakers’ Series
Friday, August 26, 2022
Dr. Amy Peters, PhD
“A window into the brain of bipolarity: Neuroimaging advances and future directions”

Click here to watch a recording of the talk.

Description of presentation
A diagnosis of bipolar disorder is determined according to behavioral criteria. However, the nature, severity, and course of behavioral symptoms can vary substantially between individuals, even among those who may carry the same specific diagnosis (e.g., Bipolar Type I or Bipolar Type II). Advances in neuroimaging tools over the past two decades have provided unique opportunities to look “under the hood” into how variations in brain structure and the function of brain cells may contribute to those individual differences in behavioral symptoms. This presentation will summarize the state of neuroimaging research to date and provide a discussion of future directions for informing novel treatment development for bipolar disorder.

Bio of presenter
Dr. Amy Peters, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, based in the Dauten Family Center for Bipolar Treatment Innovation. She is a clinically trained neuropsychologist whose research utilizes neuroimaging tools to better understand cognitive symptoms associated with mood disorders. This includes a specific interest in the involvement of biological factors, like immune, endocrine, and cerebrovascular integrity. The goal of this research is to identify risk markers that could be targeted to develop new treatments for bipolar and other mood disorders. Her research has been funded by the National Institute for Mental Health, the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, and the American Psychological Foundation.


DBSA Boston Speakers’ Series Friday, May 27, 2022, 6 p.m. EDT

“Introduction to Waverley Place, Belmont,”
Dave Weene and Razak Muballe

Click here to watch a recording of the talk.

Waverley Place is a community support program of McLean Hospital located in Belmont, MA. The staff at Waverley Place practices the philosophy of love, empathy, compassion, kindness, and non-judgment. They offer many groups and activities, including meditation, writing, and games.

David Weene has worked as a Certified Peer Specialist at Waverley Place for over 10 years. He uses his lived experience with a mental health challenge to help others going through similar experiences. He runs groups and activities, and works one on one. Previously, he worked at the Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation teaching various topics in psychiatric recovery.

David graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in English and Communications. He is an award-winning artist whose mediums include glass, clay, encaustic, and water-soluble oils, as well as others. David once sewed a pair of pajamas that he still wears to this day!

Razak Muballe is a Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) at Waverley Place. Previously he worked at the Boston Medical Center and PeerSupportLine. There he shared his recovery story to build rapport as well as motivate clients, provide peer support, and share resources. He also worked as a CPS at the BEST TEAM North Suffolk Mental Health Association. At Waverley Place he currently co-facilitates a recovery group and a men’s group.

Speakers’ Series Chair: Mary Johnston
Mary@dbsaboston.org


DBSA Boston Speakers’ Series Friday, April 22, 2022, 6 p.m. EDT

“Talking about Bipolar Disorder with the People in Your Life,”
Julie A. Fast

Click here to watch a recording of her talk.

Julie will share how you can talk to family members, partners, friends and when appropriate, coworkers and other professionals about the bipolar disorder diagnosis. She will cover the language you can use to explain what you need and who you are in a way to create interest in the topic.

Julie will also address how to manage symptoms that arise from the big triggers in life such as changes in relationships, loss of a loved one, having a child, or taking a trip to a new place. And finally, Julie will share how she manages her bipolar disorder and psychotic disorder while having a career as a writer and speaker.

Julie A. Fast is the bestselling author of

  • Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder,
  • Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder,
  • Getting it Done When You’re Depressed, and
  • OMG, That’s Me! Vol 2.

Julie’s work focuses on research and bipolar disorder education. She was the original consultant for the Clair Danes character on Homeland and is the top bipolar blogger in the world with over 10 million views of her writings.

Julie lives with bipolar disorder and a psychotic disorder, and works daily to manage her chronic symptoms. You can learn more about her bipolar disorder work on her Instagram page and on her website.

Speakers’ Series Chair: Mary Johnston
Mary@dbsaboston.org


DBSA Boston Speakers’ Series Friday, March 25, 2022, 6 p.m. EDT

“Radical Acceptance: What I have is not who I am,”
Jeff Newman

Click here to watch a recording of his talk.

We are all imperfectly perfect. Statistics show that one in every four Americans suffers from a mental health disorder. It is time to radically accept who we are regardless of what challenges we may face. Without guilt or without shame. Because by honoring our unique existence, embracing our pain, and being empowered, we can make a positive contribution to society. We are a voice for anyone struggling with mental illness and addiction. What you have is not who you are.

Jeff Newman is an entrepreneur, speaker, writer, coach, and facilitator. He engages with individuals challenged with mental health illness, addiction, and suicide. Currently, he is heading, leading, and facilitating at ROME Training, CEO’s/Executives and Sales Pros on how to monetize and succeed through mental health challenges.

Speakers’ Series Chair: Mary Johnston
Mary@dbsaboston.org


DBSA Boston Speakers’ Series Friday, Feb 25, 2022, 6 p.m. EDT

Photo by vadimguzhva/iStock / Getty Images

The Cole Resource Center (CRC)
Maggie Tyler, Emily Rhinelander, Ellen Faran

Click here or the image to watch the recording

The Cole Resource Center (CRC) is an education and recovery community of peers and family members, dedicated to helping people affected by mental health challenges lead full and healthy lives.

For 25 years, the CRC has offered educational and practical materials along with compassionate care from people who have faced similar challenges. The Center focuses on first-hand experience and works in close partnerships with other communities devoted to creating healthy pathways for peers and families. Come learn what the Cole Resource Center can offer you.

Maggie Tyler is dedicated to volunteer work in mental health. She has 25 years of management experience in real estate and is a founding member of the Women’s Mental Health Leadership Council at McLean.

Emily Hewitt Rhinelander’s experience on behalf of her daughter with the mental health care system gives her a passion for the work of CRC. Her professional work was in fundraising and development in higher education.

Ellen Faran held senior positions in book and journal publishing including as Director of the MIT Press from 2003–2015. She has been an instructor at NAMI’s Family-to-Family course and at the National Council on Behavioral Health.

Speakers’ Series Chair: Mary Johnston
Mary@dbsaboston.org


See speakers from previous years

Last Updated: 03/03/2024

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