Our office is now open for in-person activities & services!

Madalyn Caldwell, EdS, LPC

February 10, 2023 | 12:00 PM CST  

Overview: This will be an interactive presentation in which participants will identify risk factors and explore appropriate techniques to alleviate the symptoms.  Emphasis will be placed on identifying and applying appropriate resources  including those not commonly identified with perinatal issues.  

Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation the participant should be able to:

1. Examine potential and real risk factors leading to mental health issues in pregnancy and postpartum.
2. Differentiate between various techniques appropriate to alleviate the symptoms of mental health issues in pregnancy and postpartum.
3. Identify appropriate resources as needed for mental health issues in pregnancy and postpartum.    

Erica Ramey, DNP, PMHNP-BC 

March 10, 2023 | 12:00 PM CST   

Overview:  This presentation is specifically aimed at mental health professionals who are non-prescribers.  The goal is to empower attendees to identify unsafe medication plans and advocate for their clients.  We will discuss common mental health medication classes and their intended use, side effects, and potential benefits.  We will identify strategies for  spotting “red flags” in medication plans.  Attendees will also be provided with resources for preparing for medical appointments and supplemental materials.

Objectives: At the  conclusion of the presentation the participant should bae able to:

1. Identify medication classes commonly used in mental health.
2. Discuss “red flags” in medication plans.
3. Locate free resources for medication advocacy. 

Sarah McCrory, MS, LPC

April 14, 2023 | 12:00 PM CDT

Overview: Self-Worth is the foundation of who we are as human beings and in today’s world is highly sought after. It plays a role in every decision that we make and in every relationship that we have. The presentation will be an overview of a longer program, Making Sense of Your Worth, developed by Cindy R. Lee, LCSW in partnership with HALO Project International titled. It is designed for anybody who desires the freedom that comes with living in positive self-worth and secure attachment. Sarah will give a summary of the program with some useful tips to help you and your clients learn about how self-worth is connected to attachment and how by working toward secure attachment, we can increase positive self-worth. 

Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, the participant should be able to:

1. Define own self-worth.
2. Identify own needs.
3. Recognize the lies we believe about ourselves and learn to process the why behind the lies.

Donna Leslie, MS, LPC 

May 12, 2023 | 12:00 PM CDT

Overview: This presentation will inform you about how Carastar Health has developed a collaboration with Montgomery Police Department (MPD)’s Crisis Intervention Team to help individuals who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation the participant should be able to:

1. Compare similar co-response models throughout the state and the country.
2. Explore how this model works ties in with the crisis care continuum.
3. State how to access these services as well as how to help prevent or reduce crisis situations from occurring. 
4. Discuss some of the challenges and next steps as we continue to grow these services. 

Bretia Gordon, EdD, MPA 

June 9, 2023 | 12:00 PM CDT 

Rev. Dr. Stephen McWhorter 

July 14, 2023 | 12:00 PM CDT

Dr. Javier Gorgas

August 11, 2023 | 12:00 PM CDT    

Arlene Morris, EdD, RN, CNE

September 8, 2023 | 12:00 PM CDT  

Charlene Redick, MEd, LPC, LMFT

 
October 13, 2023 | 12:00 PM CDT  

Madalyn Caldwell, EdS, LPC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor.  She attained a BA in Psychology from Auburn University and a MS in Counseling and Psychology from Troy University, and a EdS in Community Counseling from Troy University.   She currently is pursuing a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Walden University.  She is trained in the use of EMDR and a certified Perinatal Mental Health Counselor.  Her specialties include trauma recovery and perinatal mental health issues.   

Erica Ramey, DNP, PMHNP-BC received her doctorate degree in nursing practice from Vanderbilt University.  She is an associate professor of nursing at the University Alabama Birmingham where she is  the co-coordinator of the psy/mh nurse practitioner tract.  In addition, she is a current member of the Alabama Psychiatric Medication Review Team who has a focus to decrease the overuse of psychotropic medicines in the foster care population through implementation of behavioral interventions.  She maintains current Nurse practitioner practice at the East Alabama Medical Center.  She has also had multiple publication in peer reviewed journals.   

Sarah McCrory is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Registered Play Therapist (RPT) and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). She has experience in counseling individuals dealing with numerous issues such as depression, anxiety, and many of the other things in life that can feel so overwhelming and make us feel alone. She also has experience dealing with trauma, attachment, adoption, and parenting issues. She has had success with utilizing different counseling modalities but she finds that over time, her counseling style has become more Person-Centered because each individual has their own needs and personality and responds differently to different types of therapy. Sarah is a TBRI (Trust Based Relational Intervention) Practitioner, trained in Theraplay and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). Sarah earned her B.S degree from the University of Mobile in 2001 and M.S. Degree from Troy University in 2006. 

Donna Leslie is the Executive Director of Carastar Health, the 310 Board Community Mental Health center serving Montgomery, Elmore, Lowndes and Autauga Counties. She is a graduate of AUM and is the Supervising Licensed Professional Counselor with a Masters in Counseling Psychology from Boston College. She lived in Boston following graduation for 10 years while working with seriously mentally ill individuals in the private sector. In 2010, Donna moved back to Alabama. With 22 years of experience in the field, Donna enjoys working with community partners and organizations to help coordinate, improve and educate on behavioral health care in the River Region. 

April Watkins, a transplant from Chicago, has been living in Alabama with her daughter Sydney since 2007. Throughout her career she has worked within the mental health field with different populations to include adolescents, young adults, and the elderly. April has a Masters in Community Counseling as well as a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama. She has been licensed since 2013. April joined the team at Carastar in 2022 as the Director of the Crisis Center after prior working with the Alabama department of Mental Health for 5 years.