S E N I O R    S E R V I C E S

7:00 am - 8:00 am

Breakfast

8:00 am - 10:00 am

General Session: Steve Bodkin

10:00 am

Break

10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Breakouts  below

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

Lunch

1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Breakouts  below

3:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Break

3:30 pm - 5:00 pm

Breakouts   below

Skills Development for Challenging Behavioral Health Issues

In this highly interactive, case based seminar, attendees will learn about the biopsychosocial model, practice conceptualizing resident behaviors, and expand their range of intervention skills. We spend so much time in difficult conversations that we all need to learn together how to step back, understand what is happening, and intervene with calm confidence.  We will conceptualize cases together and practice skills that you can apply to your daily work.

Eric H. Berko

Ph.D. / Psychologist

Dr. Eric Berko is a licensed psychologist specializing in health psychology.  He received his bachelor's degree in psychology from The Ohio State University and his Master™s and Doctoral degrees in Counseling Psychology from the University at Albany.  Dr. Berko completed his internship at University Hospital / Cincinnati VA Medical Center.  He has authored articles on geriatrics, anxiety disorders, integrated care, pain management and male communication patterns.  He has appeared on television to discuss the psychological issues of aging.  He has presented extensively on topics of geriatric psychology such as caregiver stress, dementia and behavior management.  Dr. Berko has worked in community mental health, hospital based pain management and was the clinical director of an agency specializing in geriatric mental health.  He has trained numerous clinicians in the biopsychosocial model.  Dr. Berko is the director of Behavioral Science in Family Medicine at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland as well as The International Community Health Center, and is an assistant professor at the CWRU School of Medicine.  He educates Family Medicine residents and faculty as well as psychiatry residents, medical students, nurse practitioners and front line caregivers.  He takes great pride in the care he provides to his patients and their families and very much enjoys teaching and learning with others.

Working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Residents

Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender older adults are afraid of being treated badly if people know that they are LGBT. For LGBT people, the home is often the one place that they can feel totally free to be themselves. Join us as we discuss how we as housing providers can create safe and affirming environments where LGBT people feel more comfortable being who they are, and simple things you can do to send a positive message to LGBT residents.

Tim R. Johnston

Ph.D. / Psychologist

Tim R. Johnston, PhD is the Director of National Projects at SAGE. He is responsible for directing SAGE’s national training initiatives, developing training curricula, and providing consulting services to both aging and LGBT service providers.

Before coming to SAGE, Tim taught Philosophy and Women’s and Gender Studies at Stony Brook University. He has written scholarly and popular articles on gender and LGBT identity, and his second book, Welcoming LGBT Residents: A Practical Guide for Senior Living Staff, will be published by Routledge in 2019. In addition to facilitating LGBT cultural competency trainings, Tim is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences

Co-presenter: Rabbi Erica Steelman

Director of LGBT+ Initiatives, Staff Chaplain, MAHL, MPP 

Rabbi Erica Steelman, MAHL, MPP, is Staff Chaplain and Director of LGBT+ Initiatives at Abramson Senior Care.  She provides spiritual care to members of the Abramson Senior Care community including both long-term and short-term care residents, family members, staff, and volunteers.  In 2014, Rabbi Erica spearheaded and continues to lead what is now called Abramson Senior Care’s LGBT+ Initiatives. 

Rabbi Erica also serves on several LGBT+ elder care advisory committees including the LGBT Elder Advisory Committee to the Philadelphia Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs and the LEI (Long-Term Care Equality Index) Advisory Council. She is passionate about raising awareness among care and service providers of the existence of LGBT+ older adults, and of the ways in which sexual orientation and gender identity impact, along with other core identities, a person’s life experiences, sense of self, and needs. She has written and developed educational presentations on these ideas which she enjoys sharing with others in professional, industry and academic settings.

Description coming soon.