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Selective Mutism Training Institute for Professionals, Virtual Format
June 11, 2022 – June 12, 2022
Saturday, June 11, 9 am to 5 pm Eastern time
Sunday, June 12, 9 am to 3 pm Eastern time
Cost
Participation without CE credits (CE credits will be $30 collected at conference): $299
Graduate Student/Trainee: $200
Program Overview
The Selective Mutism Training Institute (SMTI) is an in-depth 2-day online/virtual training course for professionals working with children diagnosed with selective mutism (SM). The workshop is intensive, and skills-based with the goal of increasing competence in providing empirically-supported treatment of SM to professionals with beginner and intermediate exposure and skills in assessing and treating SM. We maintain a high instructor to participant ratio to ensure adequate time for modeling and video role-play of the skills.
This is a unique opportunity for mental health professionals, speech-language professionals and graduate-level trainees to learn cutting-edge, innovative techniques to effectively treat children with SM. Small group, video consultation with the course instructors following the 2-day training is included in the cost, allowing participants to further apply the skills in their own unique clinical settings.
The workshop starts with providing a framework for understanding the etiology of SM, highlighting the role of nature, nurture, temperament, and developmental differences in the onset and maintenance of SM, social anxiety, and other common comorbidities. Strategies for behavioral, developmental, and language assessment will be reviewed, including how to conduct observations of children with SM. Evidence-based interventions will be covered in depth, including behavioral strategies such as stimulus fading, shaping, positive reinforcement, and parent education/coaching. State-of-the-science interventions, such as intensive treatments, group-based interventions, and school consultation will also be taught. Speech and language conceptualization, assessment, and interventions will also be reviewed.
Program Objectives
- After this course, participants will be able to describe etiologies related to selective mutism and appropriate timing for medication consultation.
- After this course, participants will be able to describe effective assessment measures and procedures in the evaluation of children with selective mutism.
- After this course, participants will be able to list levels of communication from nonvocal to spontaneous vocalization in treating children with selective mutism.
- After this course, participants will be able to state empirically-supported behavioral and cognitive treatment including self-modeling, and PCIT-SM (Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Selective Mutism) techniques for selective mutism in school, home, and public (social) settings.
- After this course, participants will be able to list three strategies to effectively engage school personnel and education systems to promote awareness and implementation of treatment strategies specific to youth with special needs and selective mutism.
Audience
Participants must be either independently licensed or certified, or matriculating in a supervised graduate program in clinical psychology, school psychology, counseling, social work, applied behavior analysis, or speech-language pathology (Mental Health Professionals: Psychologists, LMHC, LMFT, LCSW; Medical/Healthcare Professional; Education Professionals). Other participants will be considered on a case-by-case basis and are encouraged to email info@selectivemutism.org with their particulars to discuss if this training is appropriate.
Prior experience: The SMTI course is primarily intended for those with beginner and intermediate exposure to work with SM.
Continuing Education
This course is in the process for approval for continuing education. Please check back to this website for updates.
Presenter Information
Emily Doll, M.A., M.S., CCC-SLP
Emily Doll is a licensed speech-language pathologist who currently works in an elementary and middle school in Eastern PA. Her caseload includes students in grades K-9 with a variety of social, emotional, cognitive, and academic needs, including students with selective mutism. Emily also participates as a counselor and classroom leader at several intensive treatment programs for children with selective mutism. Prior to working as a speech pathologist, Emily taught preschool for 10 years and worked one-on-one with a student with selective mutism in this setting. Emily received her M.A. in Applied Developmental Psychology with a focus on Language Acquisition from George Mason University and her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from East Stroudsburg University. She continues to conduct and collaborate in research within the speech pathology field through East Stroudsburg University, where she also serves as a guest lecturer for graduate and undergraduate classes and a clinical supervisor for the on-campus speech and hearing clinic. Her professional interests are in helping children with anxiety and communication needs find the tools to communicate effectively and efficiently with those around them. She is the author of “Treating Selective Mutism as a Speech-Language Pathologist,” as well as several webinars on the topic of selective mutism.
Eleanor Ezell, LCSW
Eleanor Ezell, LCSW, is a licensed therapist in Tennessee and is the Founder and Clinical Director at Child and Family Therapy Collective based in Nashville, TN. She has extensive experience providing evidence-based therapy to children and young teens who struggle with selective mutism, anxiety, ADHD and disruptive behavior disorders, and a wide range of developmental delays.
She attended New York University for graduate training where she trained with and worked very closely with Dr. Steven Kurtz over 5 years treating children with selective mutism and related disorders. She completed a two-year Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Fellowship at The University of Mississippi Medical Center where she also was personally grand funded to bring PCIT-SM and the Brave Buddies/Mighty Mouth Kids Camp model to the state of Mississippi. In the last 10 years, she has participated in, or replicated, intensive treatment in New York, California, Mississippi and soon will replicate in Tennessee. Eleanor currently runs the selective mutism program at her Child and Family Therapy Collective in Nashville, TN where she offers weekly sessions, individual intensives and intensive group model treatment.
Eleanor is certified in Parent Child Interaction Therapy for SM (PCIT-SM) and certified PCIT-SM trainer. She has been involved in SMTI with SMA and enjoys working with the community to continue dissemination efforts to increase access to care. Eleanor has a very active clinical practice and is currently on the Board of Directors at SMA.
Taylor Hicks-Hoste, LP, NCSP
Taylor Hicks-Hoste is a Licensed Psychologist (LP) and Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) in the state of Michigan. She received her Ph.D. In school psychology from Michigan State University. She currently works as a Program Consultant for Behavioral Health for Livingston Educational Service Agency in Michigan. Her work includes partnering with local school districts in their promotion of mental health awareness and wellness to students, teachers, and families. It also includes providing school-based mental health services to students and consulting with their school teams. During the evenings, Taylor engages in part-time clinical work at Thriving Minds Behavioral Health in Brighton, MI. Her clinical interests include generalized anxiety, selective mutism, separation anxiety, and school refusal. She utilizes evidence-based behavioral and cognitive treatment approaches to support children, and aims to develop strong partnerships between families and schools. Each summer, Taylor works at Confident Kids Camp, an intensive week-long program for children with Selective Mutism.
Refund/Cancellation Policy
Any cancellations made prior to May 29, 2022 will receive a full refund less a $35 processing fee. No refunds will be given after May 29, 2022.
