For release: May 15, 2012
For press information, contact Skip Ruzicka

The University of Memphis will host the West Tennessee Counseling Association conference on Saturday, June 16.  “Together We Can” will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the University Center Bluff Room (Room 304).

The WTCA conference represents a collaborative effort between a regional counseling organization and the U of M’s Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Research. Faculty and graduate students will make several presentations and serve in volunteer roles.

Keynote speaker Mike LaBonte, executive director of the Memphis Crisis Center, will discuss “Keeping Kids Safe.” His presentation will include the Center’s role in reducing barriers to reporting and accessing help, types of calls the center receives, and child and adolescent issues, including child safety. LaBonte holds a master’s degree in urban anthropology form the U of M and has extensive experience in training police, social workers, counselors, and volunteers in empathetic listening, risk assessment, and crisis and suicide intervention.

Sessions will cover such topics as the effects of creativity training on student achievement; teamwork among mental health professionals; practical tools for suicide prevention; conflict resolution skills for adolescents; stresses facing adult students; peer mentorship programs; and the inclusion of animals in the counseling environment. 

Parking is available in the Zach Curlin garage adjacent to the University Center; validation will be provided.

More information about the conference, including a registration form, is online at http://westtennesseecounselors.org.