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FAQs

Click on each question for the answer.

  • Who should attend the symposium?
    The symposium is designed to inform those who work with the estimated 75 percent of patients with schizophrenia who have auditory hallucinations. Many in the health, mental health, and social work fields may not fully appreciate the impact that this experience can have on a person’s functioning, sense of self, and interactions with others. Psychologists, social workers, behavioral health therapists, and other health-care providers will gain much from attending, finding the workshops tailored to their interests and needs.
  • Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event?
    Your printed or digital EventBrite ticket will serve as your entry to the symposium. For safety and liability reasons, no one under age 16 is permitted to attend the symposium unless he or she has a valid student id.
  • Where is the symposium being held?
    Franklin Terrace Ballroom, 126 Campbell Ave., Troy, NY 12180
  • What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event?
    Franklin Terrace Ballroom is easily accessible from I-787 North or South: – Take Exit 7 East, which is for south Troy, Rt. 387 East – Cross the Hudson River on the Menands Bridge to the second traffic light – Turn Right at the light onto Mill Street (you will be facing a mural of the Burden Water Wheel) – Follow Mill Street (Rt. 4) one half mile to Stewarts. – Turn Left at Stewarts onto Campbell Ave. – Franklin Terrace is 0.5 miles on the right, 126 Campbell Ave. Franklin Terrace has plenty of free parking, including accessible spaces, adjacent to the facility for attendees.
  • When does the symposium begin and end?
    Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. (check-in, networking, and breakfast), the keynote begins at 9:00 a.m. and the day ends at 4:45 p.m.
  • What is the dress code?
    For your comfort, business casual is appropriate. We suggest you dress in layers as the temperature in the meeting rooms can vary considerably.
  • What should I bring?
    Bring your digital device or pen and paper for taking notes. You will also want to have plenty of business cards handy networking.
  • Will my photo be taken during the conference?
    Northern Rivers takes photographs during its meetings and events for use in agency advertising, newsletters, and other promotional materials, whether in print, electronic, or other media. By participating in this conference you grant Northern Rivers the right to use your name and photograph for such purposes.
  • How can I obtain a copy of a presenter’s presentation?
    Presentations will be made available online after the conference if provided by the presenter.
  • Will I be able to obtain continuing education credit (CEUs) for attending?
    Full participation in the Symposium on Psychosis, Who Said the Voices Aren’t Real? Part 1, Living with Psychosis, is applicable for up to 5 Continuing Education Units, for LMHC's and LMSW's. To obtain continuing education credit for psychology or social work purposes, individuals must attend the full symposium (keynote, panel discussion, and two workshops) to obtain the credit available for that session as partial credit is not awarded. Attendees must sign in at the start of the symposium and complete a brief written evaluation after the event. Northern Rivers will issue letters within 30 days after the event verifying attendance and granting credit for those who have check in and submitted the evaluation.
  • Are there accommodations for people with disabilities and those requiring special assistance?
    If you require special assistance, auxiliary aids, or other reasonable accommodations to fully participate in this symposium, please email Shiela Frank, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Information regarding disabilities and special assistance will remain confidential.
  • I have an allergy or specific dietary restriction. Whom should I contact?
    We will do our best to accommodate your dietary needs. Breakfast and lunch are buffet-style meals, and we have included both vegetarian and gluten-free items. Participants are welcome to bring any food items to the symposium, however, there is no access to refrigeration or heating sources.
  • Do I have to pay for meals if I am not attending?
    Yes, Northern Rivers is still responsible for your breakfast and lunch even if you do not attend.
  • What is the registration fee?
    The cost to attend the symposium is $60 per person, which includes a continental breakfast and lunch buffet.
  • Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
    No. We will have your registration information.
  • Do you offer group discounts for two or more individuals attending from the same organization?
    No, at this time there are no discounts for registration.
  • If I am unable to attend the symposium, how do I cancel my registration? What is the refund policy?
    All cancellations must be made in writing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Cancellations received by Northern Rivers on or before September 5 are entitled to a full refund of the symposium registration fee (minus the $5.95 EventBrite fee). Cancellations received before September 15 will receive a 50% refund. No refunds will be granted for cancellations after September 15. You may substitute another individual for the symposium without incurring a penalty.
  • I cannot attend the conference. Can I send a colleague in my place?
    Substitutions are allowed with the written authorization of the registrant who is unable to attend. Send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Friday, Sept. 15, or bring a signed letter to the onsite registration counter, along with the original EventBrite ticket.
  • I noticed that this symposium is Part 1. What are the details about Part 2?
    Who Said the Voices Aren’t Real? Part 2, Hearing Voices, a half-day presentation, will be held at 9:00 a.m., Friday, Oct. 27, 2017, at Northern Rivers’ training facility, SATRI, 60 Academy Rd., Albany, NY 12208. If demand warrants, a 1:00 p.m. workshop will be added. Part 2 is a simulation workshop developed by Patricia Deegan, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Dr. Deegan, with the support of individuals who hear voices, created a simulation of what it is like to hear distressing voices to increase empathy and insight among non-voice hearers; an instructive presentation and facilitator guides are also included as part of the workshop package. Attendees who register before Sept. 22 will receive a $5 discount for the session ($20 instead of $25). You can register here.
  • How can I contact the organizer with any questions?
    Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have a question that is not addressed here.
  • I am interested in sponsorship opportunities. Whom should I contact?
    Please contact ???@northernrivers.org.

Meet the Presenters

Click on the presenter's name to find out more about them.

Clair Bien
  • Claire Bien, MEd
    Keynote Speaker
    Claire Bien, MEd, is Associate Director of Communications at The Connection, Inc., in Middletown, Conn., a nonprofit organization that address problems facing families and communities. She is a writer, grant writer, mental health advocate, educator, and survivor. She began hearing voices at age 31, was hospitalized, and placed on medication. Thanks to compassionate therapy and the support of family and friends, Claire learned to regain control of her mind and her life without the need for ongoing medication. She has become a passionate advocate for reform, calling for a change in the medical-psychiatric profession’s approach to diagnosis and treatment of people with mental health conditions. Her memoir, Hearing Voices, Living Fully: Living with the Voices in My Head, was published in June 2016.

 

Lauren Utter 2

  

Iruma Bello PhD
  • Iruma Bello, PhD
    Iruma Bello, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, and has been the Clinical Training Director of OnTrackNY and Assistant Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the Columbia University Medical Center since 2015. Dr. Bello received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and completed her clinical internship and postdoctoral training at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. She has a broad background in public-sector clinical psychology with specialized training in evidence-based practices and cognitive behavioral therapy. Over the last six years, Dr. Bello has focused on research and practice aimed at improving outcomes for individuals diagnosed with first episode psychosis. More recently, as the Clinical Training Director of OnTrackNY, she is responsible for effectively disseminating the OnTrackNY and OnTrackUSA treatment model.
 
Bernhardt Jenna 2017 photo edited
  • Jenna Bernhardt, LCSW
    Jenna Bernhardt, LCSW, is a New York state licensed clinical social worker and graduate from the SUNY Albany School of Social Welfare Master’s program. Over the last eight years, she has worked with many individuals with lived experience of psychosis. She finds it rewarding to support other people on their journey for holistic wellness and a fulfilling life. Ms. Bernhardt is currently the Primary Clinician and Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator with the OnTrackNY first episode psychosis program at Northern Rivers Family of Services in Albany, N.Y.
 
Harvey Rosenthal 2017
  • Harvey Rosenthal
    Harvey Rosenthal serves as the executive director of the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS), a peer-provider partnership that has been a state and national change agent for the past 3 decades. Harvey has over 40 years of experience working to promote public mental health policies and practices that advance the recovery, rehabilitation, rights, and full community inclusion of individuals with psychiatric disabilities and/or diagnoses. His advocacy has helped to transform state and national mental health systems, increase access to community-based housing, employment and peer support services, and advance numerous recovery and criminal justice related mental health reforms. His interest in his work is personal, beginning with a psychiatric hospitalization at age 19.
 
Albert
  • Albert Powers, III, MD, PhD
    Albert Powers III, MD, PhD, is a schizophrenia research fellow at the Yale University Department of Psychiatry in Stamford, Conn., and Medical Director of the Psychosis Prodrome Research (PRIME) Clinic at Yale. In addition to treating individuals who suffer from the symptoms of early psychosis, he uses computational approaches to understand how sensory systems might go awry to produce hallucinations and other psychotic symptoms. Dr. Powers earned his MD and PhD from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and his bachelor’s degree from Yale University. He and colleagues recently published the paper “Varieties of Voice-Hearing: Psychics and the Psychosis Continuum” in the Schizophrenia Bulletin.
 
 
Gary Scannevin
  • Gary Scannevin, Jr., MPS, CPRP
    Gary Scannevin Jr., MPS, CPRP, has provided vocational and educational services in the mental health field for 29 years. He is a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner and currently a research project manager at Columbia University’s Center for Practice Innovations (CPI) in New York City. At CPI, Gary trains supported education and employment specialists within the early intervention programs OnTrackNY and OnTrackUSA. He earned his Master of Professional Studies in labor management from Stony Brook University and bachelor’s degrees in sociology and psychology at Texas A&M University and Sam Houston State University, respectively.
 
Brendon Smith PhD
  • Brendon Smith, PhD
    Brendon Smith, PhD, is a licensed psychologist, the Behavioral Health Clinical Director at Better Health for Northeast New York, and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Albany Medical College. He received his PhD in clinical psychology from Miami University, completed his clinical internship at the Albany Psychology Internship Consortium, and was a Senior Fellow in the University of Washington’s Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. In his current role, Dr. Smith is working to implement the behavioral health initiatives associated with the New York State Medicaid Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment program. These include the integration of primary care and behavioral health services, and strengthening regional behavioral health community crisis stabilization services.

Symposium on Psychosis

Symposium banner 2017 08 23

 SOLD OUT!

In this 3 hour workshop, participants will learn about the experience of hearing distressing voices through didactics and using headphones to listen to a specially designed recording. During this simulated experience of hearing voices, participants undertake a series of tasks including social interaction in the community, and mock psychiatric interview. The simulation experience is followed by a debriefing and discussion period. Watch a video clip of Pat Deegan, the developer of the hearing voices simulation, describing the process.

Part 2: Hearing Voices: An Experiential Learning Workshop
Friday, October 27
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (If demand warrants, a 1:00 p.m. workshop will be added)
Sidney Albert Training and Research Institute (SATRI)
60 Academy Rd, Albany, NY 12208 
The workshop is limted to 40 participants.

*Please note that this training is not recommended for individuals who hear voices as the simulation experience can be triggering.

Cost: $25 

Symposium banner 2017 08 23

Thank You For Attending!

Please find the presentations for the Psychosis Symposium below. 

Keynote Presentation: On Psychosis, Claire Bien, MEd
Panel Discussion: On Early Intervention, Lauren Utter, PsyD

Breakouts
Assessment of Psychotic Disorders, Iruma Bello, PhD
Supported Education and Employment for People Experiencing Psychosis, Gary Scannevin Jr., MPS, CRPR

Breakouts
Evidence-Based Interventions
Prescribing in Early Psychosis: Make Haste Slowly, Albert Powers III, MD, PhD
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis: An Evidenced-Based Intervention An Evidenced-Based Intervention, Iruma Bello, PhD

The Role of Peers, Families, and Supports
The Evolution of Peer Support for Psychosis: Early Intervention and Beyond, Harvey Rosenthal and Lauren Utter, PsyD
Peer Presentation, Brendon Smith, MA, PhD
The Role of Families and Supports in Recovery with Psychosis, Jenna Bernhardt, LCSW

 

SAVE THE DATE
Part 2: Hearing Voices: An Experiential Learning Workshop
Friday, October 27
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (If demand warrants, a 1:00 p.m. workshop will be added)
Sidney Albert Training and Research Institute (SATRI)
60 Academy Rd, Albany, NY 12208 

The workshop is limted to 40 participants.

In this 3 hour workshop, participants will learn about the experience of hearing distressing voices through didactics and using headphones to listen to a specially designed recording. During this simulated experience of hearing voices, participants undertake a series of tasks including social interaction in the community, and mock psychiatric interview. The simulation experience is followed by a debriefing and discussion period. Watch a video clip of Pat Deegan, the developer of the hearing voices simulation, describing the process.
*Please note that this training is not recommended for individuals who hear voices as the simulation experience can be triggering.

Cost: $25 
REGISTER

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Limited English Proficiency (LEP) of Language Assistance Services
Northern Rivers will provide language assistance services, free of charge, when necessary to provide meaningful access to those whose primary language is not English. Contact Quality Management at 518.426.2600.
Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística.  Llame Quality Management at 518.426.2600.
Notice of Privacy Practices: English / Spanish
Client Rights and Grievance Procedures: English / Spanish