Look back at the fascinating history of the disability rights movement. Learn about the status of the movement today, including the access and accommodation issues people with disabilities still encounter. Through this highly interactive session, participants will explore their own values and beliefs regarding disability issues. Practitioners will also learn how to ensure appropriate services are available for people with disabilities.
Presenter: Cossy Hough, LCSW, Clinical Assistant Professor, UT School of Social Work
Ms. Hough received her BSW in 1992 and her MSSW in 1993, both from the University of Texas at Austin. She worked several years in public and mental health before joining the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) where she worked for twelve years. In that time, she served first as a program consultant for Case Management for Children and Pregnant Women and then as the Case Management Branch Manager. In the summer of 2009, Ms. Hough left DSHS to become a member of the clinical faculty at the University of Texas at Austin. Ms. Hough’s professional interests include social justice, public health issues, case management, work with children and adults with disabilities, and death and dying issues.
While the physical and psychological wounds of war are well recognized, few practitioners are prepared to address the spiritual and moral injuries suffered by soldiers and their families. This presentation will describe the process of spiritual healing for those who have been affected by the trauma of war, specifically addressing ways to begin the healing process. Participants will learn the effects of moral injury on the military service member, family, community, and even the helping provider and how to help people suffering from chronic trauma to connect with spiritual resources.
Presenter: Rev. Peter Bauer, LCSW, LMFT
Rev. Bauer has been ordained in the United Church of Christ for more than thirty years and has served congregations in Missouri and California. In addition, he served 28 years in the military as a Navy Chaplain, a Naval Reservist, and in the Navy Chaplain Corps, and also as a Medical Service Corps Officer and Clinical Social Worker for the US Army Reserve, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Rev. Bauer currently works in the Operation Iraqi Freedom/Enduring Freedom/New Dawn program at the Frank Tejada Clinic of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System in San Antonio, Texas. Rev. Bauer teaches as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Although more than fifty million Americans live with disabilities, few are present in communities of faith. In this workshop, participants will learn the results of recent research in which both people with disabilities and those not identified as having disabilities were interviewed about their experiences in inclusive worship and community life. Participants will learn some of the steps that can be taken to welcome all people into congregations and communities, and how to break down some of the attitudinal, architectural, and programmatic barriers to inclusion.
Presenter: Dr. Penny Seay, Director of the Texas Center for Disability Studies (TCDS) at the University of Texas at Austin
Grounded in a philosophy of person-centered practices, Dr. Seay has over 30 years of experience working with people with disabilities and their families, promoting self-determination and full community inclusion. Dr. Seay’s current research interests embrace inclusive faith-based communities, aging, end-of-life care choice, and disability studies.
Research indicates that healthy spiritual practices can improve the coping skills of people struggling with mental illness. Yet, this important part of life is often not discussed as a part of the treatment plan. In this workshop, participants will contrast the impact of intrinsic and extrinsic spirituality and learn to use spiritual assessment tools in treatment. Participants will consider various spiritual practices that can benefit mental health and explore ways to envision future stories that include hope, meaning, acceptance, and forgiveness.
Presenter: Rev. Gina Bethune, Director of Chaplain Services and Director of the Clinical Pastoral Education Program for the Seton Family of Hospitals
Rev. Bethune is endorsed and ordained by the American Baptist Churches, USA, and has been with Seton Healthcare Family since 2002. She is a Board Certified Chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains and a CPE Supervisor through the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education. Rev. Bethune holds a BA in Political Science from Baylor University and MA in Marriage and Family Counseling from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She is also an adjunct faculty member at the Seminary of the Southwest.
Art therapy is a mental health discipline in which the process of creating art and the artwork itself are used by the art therapist to promote healing. The use of art in social work practice and pastoral counseling is a positive tool for building spiritual strength through the use of imagery as a comfort and reminder of the source of healing that comes from a power higher than ourselves. This workshop will explore benefits and clinical considerations for combining art with social work practice. It will focus on one method for enabling spiritual expression with all people, regardless of age, ability level, or life circumstance, to benefit from building spiritual strength through art.
Presenter: Jan Quirl, MEd, MSSW
In her career as Educator, Diagnostician, Clinical Social Worker, and Art Therapist, Jan Quirl has 33 years of combined experience enabling people of all ages and ability levels to explore and begin to create an improved quality of life. She taught high school students with learning disabilities; provided educational diagnostic services to students with severe and profound handicaps; worked as a social worker on an inpatient, geriatric, psychiatric unit; and met on a weekly basis with counseling clients, providing individual, group, and art therapy services to address emotional concerns and begin to resolve psychological issues. As a Master of Divinity student at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Ms. Quirl now has the opportunity to utilize her life experience in combination with proclaiming the life-giving message of hope through the life and teachings of Jesus.