OPI Attendees at the Annual NATSAP Symposium

Colleague Emily Rabuchin and I recently had the opportunity to represent OPI and OPI Intensive at the annual conference for the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs. This year’s gathering was at the Green Valley Resort in Henderson, Nevada. One of NATSAP’s main purposes is to serve as a national resource for programs and professionals who work with young people dealing with emotional and behavioral issues. Overall, the three-day event was a valuable opportunity for us to learn as well as network with experts in the field and catch up with old friends and colleagues.

This year’s conference theme was “Opening the Floodgates to Innovations in Treatment.” In the words of 2014 Conference Chair, Sarah Norfleet, this theme “…is meant to inspire each of us to be mindful and open to new ways of looking at things.”

Emily and I were able to choose from a variety of breakout sessions each day. Topics included countertransference, executive functioning, mindfulness, and LGBTQ issues. We personally learned a great deal from these sessions, and we will be combining our notes from the discussions and adapting them into mini in-services. By sharing with our own staff, we hope to expand their knowledge and suggest new techniques they can utilize with their clients.

Keynote speaker for the conference was Dr. Larry Cammarata, a clinical psychologist from Asheville, North Carolina, where he maintains a private practice specializing in mindfulness-oriented psychotherapy and education. For over 30 years, he has provided treatment to children, adolescents, and adults in residential and outpatient settings. Dr. Cammarata is considered a leader in the field of mindfulness-oriented psychology.

This year, as in years past, OPI was one of the conference sponsors, providing bright orange totes for everyone to use for collecting conference materials. It was fun seeing the OPI logo being carried by nearly every attendee and was a great way for us to strike up conversations with others.