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When: May 20-21, 2010 Day Two : May 21, 2010 Who Should Attend: Social Workers Counselors Teachers Juvenile Court and Probation Staff Residential Treatment Staff Daycare Staff Parents and More! Objectives: Describe how different explanations for and interpretations of challenging behavior in kids can lead to dramatically different approaches to intervention, and why conventional reward and punishment procedures may not be effective for many challenging kids Identify and assess the various cognitive skills that are central to handling life’s social, emotional, and behavioral challenges • Identify and prioritize unsolved problems precipitating challenging behavior The three basic mechanisms by which adults handle problems and unmet expectations in kids (Plans A, B, and C) and what is accomplished by each, and the three steps or “ingredients” of Plan B How to effectively implement Plan B to develop a helping relationship, solve problems, teach lagging cognitive skills, and reduce the frequency and intensity of challenging behavior in schools, homes, and restrictive therapeutic facilities

Part I: What Families & Caregivers Need to Know About Managing Seizures May 11, Tuesday – 5:00-7:30 PM MDT Part II: DIASTAT as Treatment for Acute Seizures July 20, Tuesday, 5:00-7:30 PM MDT Who Should Attend:  Families and Caregivers; Physicians; Nurses; Educators and School Administrators; Allied Health Care Professionals; Institutions Serving the ID/DD Population: State and privately-held facilities, Military Healthcare personnel.

Despite a growing interest in comparative effectiveness research, little medical study is being done to improve this aspect of patient care

The man behind the curtain has been at it again. PLUK has instituted the first in a series of closed captioning services for PLUKtelevision's Youtube videos. The first video to get the wordy treatment is PLUK's interview with Liz Miller. In time, all of PLUK's videos will be captioned, as well.Also, as some may have noticed, the PLUK homepage has undergone some remodeling, too. Everything from the events calendar, to news feeds for the PLUK Library and e-News, along with our Youtube videos can be viewed right from the homepage. This is just a few of the surprises we have in store, so be sure to stay tuned.

More than 3 million people in the U.S. have some form of epilepsy. While seizures come in various forms, those with epilepsy cope with similar issues: social stigma, complex treatment options and a feeling of powerlessness. Eight men, women and children discuss what it's like to live with epilepsy.

Washington, DC (April 2, 2010) – Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, today joined with grassroots advocates to celebrate the passage of three more state autism insurance reform bills this week in Iowa, Kansas, and Kentucky. The effort to end autism insurance discrimination nationwide has gained new momentum with these recent victories, combined with President Obama’s enactment this week of the Health Care Education and Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010, which contains a provision including behavioral health treatment as part of the essential benefits package required in certain health plans.

We receive many questions from parents, teachers, and health care providers about special education services for children with autism. If you are a parent, you need to educate yourself about your child's disability, effective educational methods and medical treatments, and how to present your child's problems and needs to school staff so they want to help. On the Autism, PDD & Asperger Syndrome page, you will find FAQs, articles, legal resources, recommended books, free publications, and a short list of information and support groups.

What: Training to develop leadership and advocacy skills   Who: For parents/caregivers of youth diagnosed with mental illness willing to use their new skills to advocate for children with mental health needs beyond the needs of their own child.  When: Starts: ~3:00pm, Friday June 11th till ~3:00pm Saturday 12th  Where: Fairmont Hot Springs by Anaconda  Why: There needs to be a parent/caregiver voice in the system of care for children’s mental health. Parents/caregivers that have been through the experience of raising a child with a mental illness are the experts in what treatments and services are effective for recovery. Therefore parents/caregivers are key to improvement of the SOC for mental illness. In order to get parent/caregiver voice into the system of care, a leadership and advocacy training will empower parents by giving them the tools and skills to be involved in the SOC. 

What: Pediatricians recognize the importance of improving teen mental health and their pivotal role in identifying adolescents that may need care.  The American Academy of Pediatrics has made adolescent mental health care a priority and the US Preventive Services Task Force has identified annual adolescent depression screening as the standard of care. How can primary care providers meet the needs of their adolescent patients while navigating real-world practice challenges -- including payment? Our January 27 Webinar with three members of the AAP’s Task Force on Mental Health, will explore practical strategies that can maximize payment for screening, consulting, and treatment of adolescent mental health care. When: January 27, 2011 1 p.m. 12:00 p.m. Mountain Registration: Click here to register or copy and paste the link below: http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=274493&s=1&k=D41E04BC8A8A2C114887DDD77F849E86

Click here to download the flyer (PDF) When: April 7, 2011 6pm to 9pm, 3 CEUs, $50.00 Where: Summit Medical Fitness Center Community Conference Room 205 Sunnyview Lane, Kalispell What: This is an overview of a 15 hour course designed for parents of a child with a brain disorder.  NAMI Basics is a peer education program. Parents and other primary caregivers of children and adolescents with mental illness have diverse and complex needs. Education and support for families helps them to live the best life possible while managing the trauma that often accompanies the onset of mental illness. NAMI Basics allows families to connect to one another while learning about brain disorders and empowering themselves to overcome new challenges. It provides information families want and need about their child.  This course is taught by a team of trained NAMI family members and direct caregiver volunteers who know what it’s like to have a child struggling with one of these brain disorders.  Topics covered will be: the ‘no fault’ approach, the biology of mental illness, getting an accurate diagnosis, an overview of treatment options, the impact on family, communication, crisis management, the systems/agencies involved with your child, the importance of record keeping, and advocating and team building for you and your child.  To register:  Contact Stephanie Luehr at stephanie.luehr@pluk.org, or 406-270-1086

Click here to download the flyer (PDF) What: A series of 6 classes, over three weeks, structured to help parents and direct caregivers understand and support children and adolescents with serious mental illness while maintaining their own well being.  The course is taught by a team of trained NAMI family members and direct caregiver volunteers who know what it’s like to have a child struggling with one of these brain disorders.  Topics covered will be the ‘no fault’ approach, the biology of mental illness, getting an accurate diagnosis, an overview of treatment options, the impact on family, communication, crisis management, the systems/agencies involved with your child, the importance of record keeping, and advocating and team building for you and your child. We invite you to call for more information. There is no cost to participate in the NAMI Basics Program and you will be given course materials to take home. Pre-registration is required and class size is limited to 20. When: March 1 – March 17, 2011 Tuesday and Thursday at 9:00am to 11:30am Where: Summit Medical Fitness Center 205 Sunnyview Lane Kalispell To register: Call Stephanie Luehr at 406-270-1086 or email stephanie.luehr@pluk.org

A significant amount of attention, money and resources are devoted to soldiers who return home after war and experience a host of issues that fall under the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet according to a leading expert on childhood trauma, the number of affected veterans is dwarfed by the legions of American children who are being abused and neglected. Those children, Bessel van der Kolk told Missoulians last week, experience their own psychological, emotional and physical trauma on a daily basis. And they are much the worse for it.

The Autism Society, the nation’s leading grassroots autism organization, exists to improve the lives of all affected by autism. We do this by increasing public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum, advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy.

Click here to download the full flyer for this event (PDF) When: September 8, 2011 12:00pm - 1:00pm Where: St. Vincent Healthcare Mansfield Health Education Center - Room 7 Billings, MT Target Audience: Primary Care Providers to include but not limited to: Family Practice, Pediatrics, Emergency Department physicians, Physician assistants, Nurse practitioners, Advanced practice nurses, Registered nurses, And all other healthcare providers of pediatric/adolescent patients Series Objectives: At the end of this RSS, participants should be able to: Differentiate between types of seizures, spells and spasms in children Recognize infantile spasms and absence seizures Utilize appropriate imaging and lab work for the diagnosis, treatment and management of seizures, spells and spasms in children Manage status epilepticus emergently Initiate referral of children to a pediatric neurologist as appropriate Lecture Specific Objectives: At the end of this RSS, participants should be able to: Develop a differential diagnosis of seizure-like episodes. Identify clinical features of psychogenic non-epileptic events. Appropriately manage non-epileptic events. If you would like to attend via videoconference contact: St. Vincent Healthcare University at 406.237.3348 or email svhu@svh-mt.org.  Reservations for videoconferencing must be made at least 24 hours prior to live activity.

Click here to register for this event What: For too long, autism has been under-served and under-heard. At Autism Speaks, our goal is to change the future for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders. We are dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and a cure for autism; to raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families, and society; and to bringing hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder. As the nation's leading autism organization, we are excited to be coming to your community.  Please register today for the Montana Walk Now for Autism Speaks! If you are interested in being involved in Autism Speaks in your area: Please contact Susan Mauro at jaysusanseth@msn.com. We need the entire community to help in these efforts so please take a moment to contact us and discover how you can be a part of these efforts. When: Sunday, September 11, 2011 Registration: 1:00 pm Walk Starts: 2:00 pm Where: Thomson Park Laurel, MT

Click here to register for this event What: The 2011 Montana Conference on Mental Ilness wil be held at the  Best Western Plus Heritage Inn in Great Falls on November 2nd through 4th.  It's a wonderful event for people who live with serious mental ilnesses, their families, and treatment providers.  We're bringing in speakers from around the country to help chart a path so we can all be Better Together. Click here for information on all presenters. When: November 2-4, 2011 Where: Best Western Plus Heritage Inn Great Falls, MT Questions: Please contact NAMI Montana at info@namimt.org or(406) 443-7871 if you have any questions regarding the conference.

The conference will focus on "building a community for recovery." "In spite of budgetary constraints, we must continue to offer treatment that people with psychiatric disabilities deserve so they have an opportunity to recover and improve their quality of life," Gary Mihelish, one of the organizers, said in a press release.

The National Institutes of Health has awarded more than 50 autism research grants, totaling more than $65 million, which will be supported with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. These grants are the result of the largest funding opportunity for research on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to date

the myth that vaccines cause autism has led to ideas. Dangerous ideas, and not because they “challenge” medical orthodoxy. These ideas are dangerous because they have direct consequences for children with autism. These consequences take the form of subjecting children to unscientific treatments that are ineffective at best and harmful at worst, sometimes even life-threatening.

Treatment that includes medication plus a structured training program for parents reduces serious behavioral problems in children with autism and related conditions, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The study, which was part of the NIMH Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPP) Autism Network, was published in the December 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.