Registration is now open for Waynesburg University’s first annual BHWET conference, Rewriting the Narrative: Advocacy in the Behavioral Health Workforce.
The conference will be held Friday, April 1, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Loft Conference Center, located at 1000 Noble Energy Drive in Canonsburg.
Amy Shanahan, owner of Compass Consulting & Training, LLC, will provide the keynote address, “Change Leadership and Mentorship: Lead From Any Chair.” Drawing on more than 25 years of experience in addiction medicine, first as a clinician, then supervisor and ultimately administrator, Shanahan has provided evidence-based behavioral health consultation and training to peers, professionals, criminal justice personnel, providers and others.
Shanahan has conducted keynote addresses, training workshops and training-of-trainers across the United States and internationally on diverse subjects including leadership, clinical supervision, motivational interviewing, LGBTQAI, contingency management and creative problem solving.
The purpose of the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) program for professionals is to develop and expand experiential training opportunities, such as field placements and internships, in medical underserved areas with marginalized populations with an overarching goal of improving the sustainability of the behavioral health workforce.
The BHWET conference promises to fulfill the mission of the BHWET program by emphasizing relationships with community-based partners, providing participants with the tools needed to enhance the quality of behavioral health services and advocating for change leadership.
For more information or to register, visit waynesburg.edu/BHWETconference.
About the Keynote Speaker
Amy Shanahan is the owner of Compass Consulting & Training, LLC, which provides consultation, workshops, and trainings to help individuals, teams and agencies enhance tools for engaging people in the process of change. Compass is a member of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and consults with the Opioid Response Network among other institutes and universities.
Prior to becoming a consultant, Shanahan served as the Director of Addiction Medicine at Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH) of UPMC, where she launched quality improvement initiatives and managed prevention and intervention programs and treatment clinics, specializing in co-occurring substance use and psychiatric disorders.
Focusing on adult learning principles and the use of multi-media has been integral for Shanahan as she has engaged participants in collaborative learning initiatives and has facilitated the transfer and adoption by participants of the myriad skills necessary to succeed in the behavioral field.
Shanahan has been a member of the international Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers since 2016, engaging in the community through workgroups, volunteering and presenting at annual forums. She is on the Advisory Board of the National Office of the Addiction Technology Transfer Center, participates on state-wide committees and is a trainer for the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.
Before working for WPH, Amy served as a Quality Improvement Director at Pyramid Healthcare, a Training Director for the Addiction Technology Transfer Center, and a Program Director at Horizons Health Services.
About Waynesburg University
Consistently ranked a best value school, Waynesburg University’s Strategy for the 21st Century affirms its commitment to developing an entrepreneurial mindset and ethical leadership skills for all students. Rooted in its mission of faith, learning and service, the private, Christian university is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, with an additional site for graduate and professional programs in Southpointe.
For more information or to register, visit waynesburg.edu/BHWETconference.
