By James Herrera*
CARMEL » A conference that will bring together mental health professionals to discuss youth mental health research and treatment is coming to the Monterey Peninsula in May, organizers announced this week.
The inaugural AIM Youth Mental Health Scientific Symposium will be a gathering of doctors from around the world, along with AIM’s scientific advisory board, for a retreat focused on research, early intervention and dissemination of the best treatments for youth struggling with mental health.
The public will have the opportunity to hear from the doctors and meet them at two special events, May 15 and May 17.
“To have the greatest minds in the field, all in one location, strategizing youth mental health research and critical next steps is unprecedented,” said Susan Stilwell, co-founder of AIM, in a press release. “We are excited to make these distinguished doctors accessible to our community.”
Special guests include Dr. David M. Clark of Oxford University who is transforming the dissemination of mental health services in the UK, Dr. Adam Gazzaley of UC San Francisco who is at the forefront of digital medicine, Dr. Tom Insel, the former director of the National Institute of Mental Health, as well as Monterey County’s new executive director of Ohana — a new mental health facility in development — Dr. Susan Swick.
On May 15, members of the public are invited to “An Evening with the Best and Brightest in Youth Mental Health,” a cocktail reception and dinner at a private club in Pebble Beach giving attendees an opportunity to mingle with the top youth mental health doctors including Steve Adelsheim from Stanford, Hilary Blumberg from Yale and David Miklowitz from UCLA, among others, and hear updates on AIM- funded research. Tickets for the evening are $125 or $150 to include the symposium.
1/2 top doctors in pediatric mental health on the latest advancements in research and treatment including:
- “Eating Disorders: Insights into Choosing Effective Treatments” from Dr. Walter H. Kaye of UC San Diego.
- “Childhood Anxiety and OCD: Does Early Intervention Work?” from Dr. Kate Fitzgerald of the University of Michigan.
- “Adolescent Depression: Prevention and Treatment” from Dr. W. Edward Craighead of Emory University.
- “Social Anxiety: Promising Therapies” from Dr. David M. Clark of Oxford University.
Tickets for the symposium are $30 and free for students with I.D.
Nearly 1 in 4 youth currently suffer from a mental health disorder and the AIM Scientific Symposium and work of AIM is a direct response to this growing epidemic, said the press release.
“The innovative work of AIM is leading the way by empowering clinical research teams to advance our understanding of what children and adolescents need to realize their full potential,” said Dr. John R. Weisz of Harvard, an AIM Scientific Advisory Board member.
The doctors will also meet in a private thinktank to discuss cutting-edge research designed to help youth now while sharing resources across their focus areas, along with the public events they will be participating in. Visit AIMforMental-Health.org/Scientific-Symposium or call 831-372-1600 for tickets and more information.
*Article Originally Published in Monterey Herald Saturday, March 16, 2019. Click here to view the online article, or click here to download a PDF version of this article.
Please contact Monterey Herald reporter James Herrera for questions specific to this story.
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Krista Reuther is the Assistant Director of Ohana’s Community Health and Prevention Program. She received her Masters in Public Health and Social Work at UC Berkeley. She comes to this position after 14 years of clinical social work experience at Stanford Children’s Hospital in pediatric oncology, critical care, and bereavement. Her goal is to reduce the incidence of mental illness in children and adolescents in Monterey County.
Dr. Guss is a 35-year veteran educator with a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership. She served as a classroom teacher for 10 years, including two years as a teacher in a bilingual program in South Central Los Angeles. She has also served as a college professor, mentor teacher for new teachers, and a master teacher for teacher candidates completing their student teaching experience. She continues to be a strong advocate for the teaching profession.
Fellowship: Stanford University School of Medicine (1994) CA
Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D. is a consultant, author and psychologist specializing in children and families. He is the supervising psychologist for the Belmont Hill School and has worked in more than seven hundred schools across the United States, as well as in international schools in Central America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
is 15 years old and a sophomore at Marina High School in Marina, CA. Her academic interests include math, history, and psychology. She joined the AIM Ideas Lab in 2021 because she wanted to be a part of something that could have a great impact on her community. Marwa is interested in youth mental health because she has always been fascinated with the human mind and she wants to support those that are suffering who may feel like their challenges in life aren’t important enough or are too afraid to seek necessary help.
Giovanna Panetta is a 16 year old junior at Carmel High School. She has always been called to STEM subjects, specifically biology. The AIM Ideas Lab instantly attracted her attention as a research opportunity. Gia has always comprehended the importance of mental health. She knows that COVID only exacerbated previously existing problems, and that as a community we can try and find the root of those problems. Mental health is an integral part of life, and can impede a body’s ability to be healthy. She strongly believes that life is worth living, and she wants to help anyone that thinks otherwise.
Dr. Friedman completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology from University of California San Diego (UCSD). She went on to complete her masters and doctorate degrees (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science/Chicago Medical School. Dr. Friedman completed her pre-doctoral internship at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, and her post-doctoral fellowship training at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. Her clinical training and experience has been focused primarily on comprehensive assessment and effective treatments for anxiety, mood and related disorders. Dr. Friedman has extensive experience in providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for anxiety disorders (e.g. worry, OCD, social anxiety, phobias and PTSD), depression, adjustment disorders/life stress, insomnia and body-focused repetitive behaviors (e.g. Trichotillomania and skin picking). She has received training in evidence-based interventions for a variety of specific problems, including exposure with response prevention (ERP) for treatment of OCD, Prolonged Exposure (PE) for treatment of PTSD, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). Moreover, she has specialty training in the treatment of childhood anxiety and related disorders, such as ADHD, selective mutism, separation anxiety, PTSD, depression and specific phobias. In addition, Dr. Friedman has developed an expertise in research on Trichotillomania and body-focused repetitive behaviors, which has led to numerous local and national presentations. Dr. Friedman regularly attends local and national conferences, training seminars and workshops in order to stay informed on the most up to date treatments and apply state of the art science into her clinical practice.
Dr. Piacentini is a board-certified clinical child and adolescent psychologist and Professor in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences. He directs the UCLA Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Clinic and Tourette Association Center of Excellence which provide diagnostic evaluation and treatment (both therapy and medication) for youth with the above problems. He also directs the UCLA Center for Child Anxiety Resilence, Education, and Support (CARES; carescenter.ucla.edu) which provides education and programming to parents, teachers, and clinicians about anxiety prevention and management.
Citlalli Nava is 18 years old and a first year majoring in Psychology at Hartnell Community College in Salinas, CA. She is passionate about understanding how mental health affects how youth think, act, and feel. Citlalli joined the AIM Ideas Lab in 2021 after witnessing the increase in mental health challenges in teenagers and considering the mental health issues they are facing. Citlalli is interested in youth mental health because it is a real problem faced by her generation.
Clinical and community psychologist and health care innovator Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, is CEO of the American Psychological Association, the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. With more than 146,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students as members, APA promotes and disseminates psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve lives – a mission consistent with Evans’ life work.
