Course Description

Community mental health centers (CMHCs) and larger mental health agencies have a significant role in the provision of behavioral healthcare. CMHCs and larger agencies provide services to underserved groups and are actively involved in advocacy related to behavioral healthcare. A goal of this presentation—by Lori Pereira, LPC and Crystal Wildes, Ph.D.—is to increase awareness of the importance of increasing accessibility of EMDR therapy to mental health professionals who work in CMHCs and larger agencies as well the clients who receive services from them. This presentation will present a model to develop and maintain EMDR therapy Treatment across multiple programs with a wide variety of diagnoses and multiple levels of care. Creating buy-in within a larger system will be addressed, as well as reflections on implementation challenges and future considerations. By doing this we have the potential to have a large impact on healing, adding to research and data, and increasing inclusivity of EMDR therapy.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will be able to explain the importance of increasing EMDR trained providers in both community and agency settings. Additionally, participants will be able to identify how such integration increases inclusivity for EMDR Therapy providers and recipients of EMDR Therapy.
2. Participants will be able to identify the need for and challenges related to creating systemic buy-in to implement change within CMHC and larger agency settings. Additionally, participants will be able to discuss strategies to obtain buy-in from CMHC and larger agency leadership.
3. Participants will be able to identify considerations and challenges for implementation of EMDR Therapy programming within a CMCH or larger agency setting. Participants will be able to describe a model being implemented in various forms in Colorado. Additionally, participants will be able to discuss considerations for future implementation.

Presenter(s)

Lori Pereira, LPC

Lori Pereira, is a LPC with 20 years of clinical experience. She is an EMDRIA Approved Consultant, Facilitator with the EMDR Institute, and the Training and Faculty Consultant & Trainer with Trauma Recovery EMDR HAP. Lori also specializes in Quality Assurance and Compliance and program development. With her focus on applying EMDR Therapy in a CMHC setting, Lori created an EMDR Therapy program that included over 50 EMDR trained therapists and that spanned over 6 outpatient offices, a day treatment program for youth, early childhood services, IOP services adults, justice/recovery, crisis services, first episode of psychosis, and 5 school districts.

Crystal Wildes, Ph.D.

Crystal Wildes is a psychologist in Denver, Colorado. She has 18 years of experience working, training, and supervising/consulting in a variety of settings, including residential, community mental health, outpatient, non-profit, and private practice. Crystal is an EMDRIA approved consultant and facilitates trainings with Trauma Recovery HAP and Rebecca Kase & Co. In addition to being in private practice, she leads 50+ EMDR clinicians at a CMHC where she is focused on making EMDR training and therapy more accessible to staff, students, and clients. Crystal prides herself in being authentic and genuine in her approach to facilitate the learning experience.