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Behavioral Health Panel on Seed Grant Projects

Thomas Skinner, the research director of Kansas Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (KBHCoE) will moderate a discussion showing how researchers and clinicians who were awarded KBHCoE seed grants used the money to train students, develop workforce, conduct research, and forward the clinical initiatives set for the by the KBHCoE. Representatives from the departments of psychology and social work including Sam Slade, Mia Ocean, Maddi Defrain, and C. Brendan Clark will discuss their specialties and how they were able to use KBHCoE funds to meet their goals and improve mental healthcare in the state of Kansas.

Don’t Believe Everything You Think: ACT and the Alleviation of Human Suffering

Abstract: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a cognitive-behavioral intervention based on as a pragmatic philosophy of psychological science known as functional contextualism and a related model of human functioning and theory of language and cognition. ACT posits that emotional suffering is endemic to the human condition based on our ability to form and derive arbitrary relationships among otherwise disparate events. We will initially cover how ACT accounts for the increasing prevalence of psychological disorders and distress prior to time permitting, also addressing how it seeks to alleviate such suffering and reviewing research that has investigated its success in doing so.

Understanding Brain-Behavior Relationships: A Neuropsychological Perspective

Abstract: Neuropsychology is a field at the intersection of brain science, psychology, and the lived human experience. It seeks to understand how brain structure and function relate to cognition, emotion, behavior, and identity, particularly when the brain is affected by injury, illness, or developmental difference. This presentation offers a broad introduction to neuropsychology. We will give a brief introduction to the historical roots of neuropsychology, from early case studies of brain injury to contemporary clinical and research practices. Core concepts such as brain–behavior relationships, cognitive domains, and neuropsychological assessment will also be introduced. We will then explore how neuropsychology contributes to healthcare settings, informing diagnosis, treatment planning, and patient care across the lifespan. Lastly, we will briefly cover the steps to becoming a neuropsychologist.