Psychopharmacology for Adults:
A Guide for Non-Medical Mental Health Professionals

Location:  Springfield, MA - Holiday Inn, Springfield - Holyoke

Be informed and vigilant about the medications your patients are being prescribed. Become an empowered ally to your psychiatric and nurse practitioner colleagues regarding your patients' functioning between medication-management visits.

This workshop will provide mental health practitioners with a practical overview of the use of commonly prescribed medications. Psychotropic medications are important treatments for many psychological disorders. Even though medication decisions are made by medical professionals, it is critical for other mental health professionals to have a thorough knowledge of how psychotropic medications are used and how they work in the human body.

Learn significant clinical aspects of the latest and most commonly used drugs, including indications based on diagnosis, physiological functions, and frequent side effects. We will discuss criteria for evaluating symptom presentation suggesting initial trial as well as client response to current medication trials. This will aid the practitioner in their clinical understanding of their patients' functioning and enhance their ability to communicate their concerns regarding patient response to medication to their prescribing colleagues. Workshop participants will:

• Understand basic biochemical principles regarding mood stabilizing anti-anxiety, anti-depressant and anti-psychotic medications.
• Identify symptoms/indications suggesting the need for medication in all of the above noted medication categories.
• Identify the latest/most commonly used medications to treat mental disorders.
• Identify potential side effects to medications suggesting possible dosage or medication change.

All information presented will be useful to non-medical professionals in their role as adjunct providers monitoring their patients on medication. Workshop format includes lecture, clinical vignettes, discussion, and case examples. Participants are encouraged to present case examples for discussion.

Instructor:

Peter Moran, Ph.D., is Clinical Managing Partner of Prescott Healthcare, a private practice group. He is also staff psychologist at the Department of Psychology at Worcester Medical Center, an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and an instructor at Assumption College. Dr. Moran has a Master of Science in Clinical Psychopharmacology and specializes in treating mood disorders. He has published on mood disorders and psychological treatment strategies in the managed care era. Dr. Moran trains nationally and is known for his practical, engaging style.