Communication Access in Mental Health Care: Practical Strategies for Supporting Clients with Speech Differences Training

Join the Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® of Minnesota Center for Rural Behavioral Health for a 3-hour training that will examine how communication differences intersect with mental health assessment, engagement, and therapeutic relationships.

Cost: $65

Earn 3 CEUs!

This training is approved for 3 CEU's (including 2 hours of cultural competence) by the Minnesota boards of Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Behavioral Health and Therapy, and Psychology.

Training Summary:

This continuing education examines how communication differences intersect with mental health assessment, engagement, and therapeutic relationships. Using case-based and experiential learning, participants will explore how speech, language, and communication differences may be misinterpreted as cognitive, emotional, or motivational concerns, and how everyday clinical practices can either support or hinder communication access. The program emphasizes equity, cultural responsiveness, neurodiversity-affirming practice, and rural considerations while clarifying ethical collaboration and referral pathways with speech-language pathology. Participants will leave with practical, role-appropriate strategies they can apply immediately to support inclusive, effective mental health care.

Learning Objectives:

Differentiate communication differences from cognitive, emotional, or motivational factors in mental health settings, reducing the risk of misinterpretation or over-pathologizing.
Identify communication features that may affect assessment, engagement, and therapeutic alliance, including effortful or context-dependent verbal participation and dialectal variation.
Apply practical strategies to reduce communication load and increase access during mental health interactions, while remaining within professional scope of practice.
Recognize when collaboration or referral to speech-language pathology is indicated, and describe the distinct and complementary roles of SLPs and mental health professionals across the lifespan.
Integrate principles of equity, cultural responsiveness, and neurodiversity-affirming practice to support inclusive, ethical care for individuals with communication differences, particularly in rural or underserved contexts.

Meet Your Presenters:

Kristin E. Berndt, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a doctoral candidate in Curriculum and Instruction at Winona State University and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Speech, Hearing, and Rehabilitation Services at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She is a certified and licensed speech-language pathologist whose clinical and academic experience spans healthcare, educational, and community settings. Her teaching and scholarship focus on clinical education, communication access, simulation-based learning, and the development of clinical readiness in speech-language pathology. Her current research explores graduate students' perceptions of clinical readiness and the experiences that contribute to confidence as they transition into advanced clinical practice. Kristin is committed to preparing future speech-language pathologists through evidence-based, student-centered instruction and collaborative clinical education.

Shelby Wolf, PhD, LP, BCBA-D, NCSP, HSP is a licensed psychologist, board-certified behavior analyst, and nationally certified school psychologist whose career has been dedicated to one mission: helping children be understood. With over a decade of specialized training and experience in neurodevelopmental conditions, learning differences, and child development, she brings both clinical depth and a deep passion for education to every room she enters. Dr. Wolf earned her PhD in School Psychology and completed post-doctoral fellowships in pediatric psychology and behavioral health, with specialized training in child development, integrated primary care, and behavioral pediatrics. Her career has spanned hospitals, autism centers, child development clinics, and leadership roles — giving her a uniquely comprehensive view of how children learn and thrive.

Not able to attend September 24th?
No problem. Register for the recorded session and a link to view it will be emailed to you after the September 24th training.

Registration Questions: Email workforce@mnsu.edu or call 507-389-1094
Training Questions: Email elizabeth.harstad.3@mnsu.edu

Risk, Resilience, and Rest - Tools for Working with Children and Adolescents

Join the Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® of Minnesota Center for Rural Behavioral Health for a training focused on working with children and adolescents!

Cost: $50

Earn 2.5 CEUs!

This training is awaiting approval for 2.5 CEU's by the Minnesota boards of Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Behavioral Health and Therapy, and Psychology.

Session One
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Why Teens Take Risks: Adolescent Brain Development, Mental Health, and Practical Intervention Strategies
Kaitlyn Kaus, EdD, LPCC

Adolescence is a period of significant neurological, emotional, and social development that contributes to both increased vulnerability and tremendous opportunity for growth. This training examines the relationship between adolescent brain development, mental health concerns, and risk-taking behaviors. Participants will explore current trends in anxiety, depression, self-harm, substance use, sleep disruption, and social media influences while learning practical strategies to identify concerns, build resilience, and support adolescents across clinical, educational, and community settings.

Learning Objectives:

Describe key aspects of adolescent brain development and their relationship to risk-taking behavior.
Identify common adolescent mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, self-harm, and substance use.
Differentiate normative adolescent development from clinically significant behavioral health concerns.
Recognize risk and protective factors associated with adolescent well-being.
Apply evidence-informed strategies to support adolescents and families in clinical, school, and community settings.

Session Two
2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Sleep as a Superpower: Treating Sleep Issues in Children
Sam Marzouk, PhD, LP

Behavioral-based sleeping difficulties in children cuts across numerous mental health diagnoses including anxiety, depression and ADHD. It is therefore essential for clinicians to have a strong framework for both the assessment and treatment of sleep disorders in youth. This presentation will describe evidence-based psychological interventions used to address common sleep issues in children including nighttime anxiety, behavioral insomnia, and bedtime protests. Although not classified as a sleep-wake disorder, special attention will also be paid to treating nocturnal enuresis as this commonly co-occurs with and impacts sleep issues.

Learning Objectives:

Define pediatric behavioral sleep medicine.
Obtain an understanding of the core components of assessing behaviorally based sleep difficulties in youth.
Apply a range of brief psychological interventions to address common childhood sleep difficulties

Meet Your Trainers:

Dr. Kaitlyn Kaus is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and a psychological evaluator at The Soul's Apothecary. She specializes in psychological and neurodevelopmental assessment across the lifespan, with expertise in ADHD, executive functioning, learning differences, and adolescent mental health. Dr. Kaus teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in adolescent development, psychopathology, and clinical assessment, and her work focuses on helping professionals better understand the intersection of development, mental health, and behavioral functioning. She is dedicated to providing evidence-informed education that bridges research, clinical practice, and real-world application.

Dr. Sam Marzouk is a clinical child psychologist who works with organizations who want to invest in youth by combining science, storytelling and concrete tools to help children grow into healthy, resilient adults. Dr. Marzouk is the owner of Promethean Psychology, a private psychology practice in the Minneapolis area. As a specialist in pediatric mental health, Dr. Marzouk works with children and adolescents with a variety of psychosocial concerns. As a professional speaker, he regularly provides workshops and trainings on pediatric mental health to psychologists, schools, parents, pediatricians and other pediatric medical providers. He is also a contributing author to the Minnesota Pediatrician, a quarterly educational newsletter of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He also runs a biweekly blog titled “Kids These Days” where he provides commentary on various topics relevant to childhood including social media, depression, ADHD, and more. Originally from Northern Virginia, Dr. Marzouk has lived in Minnesota for almost a decade and is not ashamed to admit that he loves the cold snowy winters here!

Not able to attend October 22nd?

No problem. Register for the recorded session and a link to view it will be emailed to you after the October 22nd training.

Registration Questions: Email workforce@mnsu.edu or call 507-389-1094
Training Questions: Email elizabeth.harstad.3@mnsu.edu

College of Allied Health and Nursing Events

Communication Access in Mental Health Care: Practical Strategies for Supporting Clients with Speech Differences Training

Training Summary:

Learning Objectives:

Meet Your Presenters:

Risk, Resilience, and Rest - Tools for Working with Children and Adolescents

Session One1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Learning Objectives:

Session Two2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Learning Objectives:

Meet Your Trainers:

Session One
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Session Two
2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.