Sponsored by The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Washington D.C.'s Counseling Department, our 4th annual Mental Health Awareness Conference will be a virtual symposium throughout the month of October. Showcasing current trends in the field, this event will allow students, faculty, alumni, training partners, international partners, professionals in the community, and incoming students to present their research and expertise in wide-ranging clinical areas. Topics will include diagnosis and treatment planning, ethics, diversity and multiculturalism, advocacy, social justice, supervision, addictions, community mental health, trauma-informed care, court-related services, and correctional-based interventions.

With a commitment to providing mental health services with the awareness of individual and cultural differences, the Counseling Department will be seeking education session, roundtable, and poster presentation proposal submissions highlighting clinical work with diverse communities. In conjunction with World Mental Health Day on October 10, let’s work to raise awareness in our community and advocate for our clients!

Registration for the conference will open in September.

Interested in presenting? We have three great options. Presenters do not need to be affiliated with The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Please share this announcement with your networks and colleagues.

Continuing Education Sessions

The call for continuing education session proposals is open to those who (1) hold a masters or doctoral degree in psychology and/or counseling and (2) have expertise in the areas in which they present. Proposals that address any topic related to psychology and counseling will be considered. Co-presenters may be students but the lead presenter must fulfill criterion 1 and criterion 2.

Please be prepared to provide:

• A CV/resume, short bio, and contact information for each presenter

• A two-paragraph description of the program

• Two to three program course learning objectives

• At least 3 peer-reviewed reference sources from within the last 10 years (in APA format)

Proposal submission deadline: Friday August 6, 2021

Continuing education session proposals may be submitted here.

The lead presenter will be notified of acceptance and presentation date and time by early September. Accepted sessions will be expected to submit additional information including:

• 6 post-event multiple choice questions per CE hour of program

• Plan for event engagement (such as poll questions, Q&A, etc.)

• Photo for program

Roundtable 60 Minute Sessions

The call for roundtable session proposals is open to those who (1) hold a masters or doctoral degree in psychology and/or counseling and (2) have expertise in the areas in which they present. Co-presenters may be students but the lead discussant must fulfill criterion 1 and criterion 2. Proposals that address any topic related to psychology and counseling will be considered, including concepts, approaches, programs, issues, case studies, and/or readings. Roundtables are an excellent venue for giving and receiving targeted feedback, engaging in in-depth discussions, and meeting colleagues with similar interest.

Please be prepared to provide:

· A short bio and contact information for each presenter

· A paragraph description of the program

· At least 3 peer-reviewed reference sources from within the last 10 years (in APA format)

Proposal submission deadline: Friday September 10, 2021

Roundtable session proposals may be submitted here.

The lead presenter will be notified of acceptance and presentation date and time by September 17, 2021.

Poster Sessions

The call for poster session proposals is open to all graduate and undergraduate students. Proposals that address any topic related to psychology and counseling (e.g., current research, conceptual papers, theory, and projects) will be considered. Proposals based upon a class paper, project, or thesis or dissertation for courses can be submitted by students. Students can be listed as presenters on no more than two poster session proposal submissions.

Proposal submission deadline: Friday September 10, 2021

Poster session proposals may be submitted here.

The lead presenter will be notified of acceptance and presentation date and time by September 17, 2021. The virtual poster presentation will occur during the final two weeks of October 2021. Presenters will be required to submit their poster and a 3-5-minute video narrative by the second week of October. Throughout the virtual poster session, judges and members of The Chicago School community will be invited to ask questions and offer suggestions. Presenters will be expected to monitor comments and respond within 48 hours. Prizes will be awarded to the first, second, and third place posters within the conference.

We look forward to receiving your proposals! Questions regarding submissions may be submitted to ryantobiasz@thechicagoschool.edu.