Helping Students Adjust to College Life: Transitional Issues, Suicide Prevention, Recognizing and Treating Mental Illness

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*Registration payment includes Credit Cards and Interfund Transfers ONLY.

Target Audience

Case managers, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, licensed professional counselors, educators, school personnel, mental health professionals, clinicians, nurses, health and human service practitioners, and other health care professionals who are working with young adults preparing for, in, or taking a break from college.

Description

This conference is Jointly Provided by Charlotte AHEC and HopeWay Foundation.




Going off to college is often the first time a young adult lives away from home. What comes with more autonomy might include added financial responsibility, different food and exercise choices, changes in sleeping habits, and a new social environment. There can be exposure to drugs and alcohol, potential sexual pressures, and typically a more rigorous academic curriculum. If a young adult has a pre-existing or predisposition towards mental illness, their exposure to these new stressors can exacerbate their illness and decrease their likelihood to complete college successfully. How can we help young people prepare for college? What can we do once they are at college and struggling? If they drop out, how can we help them recover in order to complete school?

Our speakers will address many of the issues young adults face in college, and what we can do to help them manage the various stressors. One of our primary therapists will begin the program discussing the different transitional issues students face in college. Following him, Dr. Jason Peck will cover sleep disorders and the impact of reduced sleep on the emotional, cognitive, and physical self. Dr. Kevin Marra will talk about how to recognize mental illness. After lunch, Dr. Alyson Kuroski-Mazzei will address the very serious issue of suicide and what we can all do to help students who might be contemplating suicide. The last part of the day will feature a panel of professionals who will answer questions about the variety of topics covered in the morning. We will also have resource tables available throughout the day for professionals who want to take materials back to campus and the workplace.

Speakers
Alyson Kuroski-Mazzei, DO, MRO, FAPA
CEO & Chief Medical Officer
HopeWay Foundation

Kevin Marra, MD
Director of Medical Services
HopeWay Foundation

Jason Peck, MD
Psychiatrist
Center for Integrative Sleep Medicine, PLLC

Location
HopeWay Foundation
1717 Sharon Road West
Charlotte, NC 28210

Charlotte AHEC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5096. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Charlotte AHEC is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.

Objectives

• Identify transitional issues college students face
• Describe how those issues manifests into larger social, physical, and psychological problems
• Identify 3 different sleep disorders and how they can affect students
• Describe how sleep impacts mental illness
• Identify common mental illnesses exhibited in college-age students
• Describe how to recognize and distinguish between mental illness and normal transitional issues
• Identify 3 risk factors for suicide and 3 suicide prevention strategies
• Describe how mental illness and suicide are often linked, and how to recognize warning signs
• Provide information and resource materials for individuals working in a college setting

Contact

Gabriela Staley MEd, 704-512-6523

Sessions