The Rovinsky Family Lectureship, hosted by the School of Professional and Applied Psychology, features speakers who are experts within the fields of psychology and mental health, and who also provide training for psychologists, social workers, counselors, psychiatrists and healthcare providers.
Wednesday, December 7, 2022 (this event has past)
Speaker: Katie Shemanski, PsyD, NCSP, BCBA, Western Wayne School District; Adjunct Faculty, School of Professional & Applied
Psychology, Department of School Psychology, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Number of Credits: 1 (APA & NBCC Accreditation)
Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Based on the presentation, the participants will be able to:
In school settings, many autistic support classrooms use a verbal behavior approach to intervention and programming. A verbal behavior approach is also used in clinical settings to address skill acquisition and behavior reduction. To individuals unfamiliar with verbal behavior, this approach may appear confusing, which can lead to resistance when it is recommended for intervention.
This presentation focuses on the fundamentals of verbal behavior, including a thorough review of the six verbal operants. Basic approaches for assessing verbal operant skill need and acquisition are discussed. Participants will gain an understanding of the importance of teaching verbal behavior to individuals on the autism spectrum and how cultural and linguistic diversity influences verbal operant skill acquisition. The presenter draws upon clinical and empirical literature to inform guidelines for best practice.
Katie Shemanski, PsyD, NCSP, BCBA, is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst serving the Western Wayne School District in northeast Pennsylvania and an adjunct faculty member at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). She has over 13 years of experience as a school psychologist, specializing in adolescents and young adults across residential, public school, private practice, and university counseling center settings.
Dr. Shemanski earned her Doctor of Psychology in School Psychology from PCOM in 2016 and received the Provost’s Award in School Psychology. She also earned a graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from The Pennsylvania State University in 2012. Her research interests include applied behavior analysis, behavioral consultation, and crisis intervention and prevention. She has presented her doctoral research at the Pennsylvania Association for Behavior Analysis and the National Association of School Psychologists annual conventions, and her work is published in School Psychology International.
Conine, D. E., Vollmer, T. R., Dela Rosa, C. M., & Slanzi, C. M. (2021). The effects of listener and tact training on the emergence of intraverbals among children with autism. Behavior Analysis, 21(1), 26–41.
Marion, C., Martin, G., Yu, C., Buhler, C., & Kerr, D. (2012). Teaching children with autism spectrum disorder to mand “where?” Journal of Behavioral Education, 21(4), 273–294.
Sundberg, M. L., & Michael, J. (2001). The benefits of Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior for children with autism. Behavior Modification, 25(5), 698–724.
Monday, December 12, 2022 (this event has past)
Speaker: Amanda Guld Fisher, PhD, BCBA-D, Associate Professor, School of Professional & Applied Psychology, Philadelphia College
of Osteopathic Medicine
Number of Credits: 1 (APA & NBCC Accreditation)
Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Based on the presentation, the participants will be able to:
Clinicians, consultants, and educators who work in the helping and teaching professions often assist their clients in developing new behavioral repertoires that are implemented in the client’s natural environment when the clinician or educator is not present. A critical component of treatment requires the client to engage in some behavior independently, such as taking medication, utilizing stress reduction strategies, refraining from dangerous behaviors, or intervening with others. Treatment frequently involves teaching new skills or increasing proficiency in a behavior or strategy to address a clinical condition or behavioral deficit.
Behavioral Skills Training (BST), a competency-based instructional method used to teach new skills to proficiency, has been found to be an effective intervention across many helping professions, including psychologists, school psychologists, teachers, counselors, doctors, coaches, and social workers. This presentation reviews the steps of BST and makes the case that clinicians across disciplines can utilize this strategy to increase treatment adherence in their clients, regardless of service delivery context. The presenter reviews applications of BST from the empirical literature and discusses the benefits of using this technique to support treatment adherence. Clinical and empirical literature are used to inform guidelines for best practice.
Amanda Guld Fisher, PhD, BCBA-D, is a doctoral-level board certified behavior analyst and Associate Professor in the School of Professional and Applied Psychology at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She earned her master’s degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and her doctorate in Applied Behavior Analysis and Special Education from The Ohio State University. Dr. Fisher first received her board certification in behavior analysis in March 2007.
Dr. Fisher’s professional experience includes work as an ABA therapist, educational consultant with the May Institute, behavior analyst and Director of Professional Development, Training, and Research at Melmark, and senior clinician supervising staff training, research initiatives, and BCBA supervision. She later transitioned to academia full time, teaching and coordinating graduate and undergraduate ABA programs at Temple University for seven years. Her professional and research interests include staff training and supervision, higher education teaching strategies, functional assessment and treatment of challenging behavior, parent and community outreach, and systems-level interventions.
Erath, T. G., DiGennaro Reed, F. D., Sundermeyer, H. W., Brand, D., Novak, M. D., & Harrison, M. J. (2020). Enhancing the training integrity of human service staff using pyramidal behavioral skills training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 53, 449–464.
Kirkpatrick, M., Akers, J., & Rivera, G. (2019). Use of behavioral skills training with teachers: A systematic review. Journal of Behavioral Education, 28, 344–361.
Ledbetter-Cho, K., Lang, R., Davenport, K., Moore, M., Lee, A., O’Reilly, M., Watkins, L., & Falcomata, T. (2016). Behavioral skills training to improve the abduction-prevention skills of children with autism. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 9, 266–270.
Shayne, R., & Miltenberger, R. G. (2013). Evaluation of behavioral skills training for teaching functional assessment and treatment selection skills to parents. Behavioral Interventions, 28, 4–21.
Stocco, C. S., Thompson, R. H., Hart, J. M., & Soriano, H. L. (2017). Improving the interview skills of college students using behavioral skills training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50, 495–510.
Friday, January 13, 2023 (this event has past)
Speaker: Meghan Garrett, PsyD, NCSP, Certified School Psychologist; Assistant Clinical Instructor, Philadelphia College
of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM)
Number of Credits: 1 (APA & NBCC Accreditation)
Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Based on the presentation, the participants will be able to:
School psychologists in Pennsylvania are faced with unprecedented challenges following the abrupt shut down of schools due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. One of the most prominent questions as schools return to in-person instruction is how to determine a suspected reading disability and classification for special education when students have been educated at home for many months. Recent data highlights disparities in distance learning and suggests that all students may be “behind” academically. Thus, school psychologists need to readjust how to examine pre-referral data to determine a suspected disability vs. deficits related to the global pandemic. Further, school psychologists need to address these instructional differences in reports in order to meet IDEA requirements for eligibility. This presentation seeks to address these objectives through use of NASP resources, research, and discussion of practices occurring in Pennsylvania. Attendees will learn how to help school teams with RtII determinations, when to identify students for psychoeducational evaluations, and reading assessment strategies for addressing exclusionary criteria when evaluating for learning disabilities, especially reading disabilities. The presenter will use the clinical and empirical literature as well as knowledge in this area to inform guidelines for best practice.
Meghan Garrett, PsyD, NCSP, is a certified school psychologist who currently works in the Colonial School District in a high school where she regularly conducts psychoeducational assessments and serves on the school’s prereferral and RtII teams. Dr. Garrett is also an Assistant Clinical Instructor at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM).
Farmer, R., McGill, R., Dombrowski, S., Benson, N., Smith-Kellen, S., Lockwood, A., Powell, S., Pynn, C., & Stinnett, T. (2020). Conducting psychoeducational assessment during the COVID-19 Crisis: The danger of good intentions. Contemporary School Psychology, 25(1), 27-32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-020-00293-x
Kovaleski, J., Vanderheyden, A., & Shapiro, E. (2013). The RTI approach to evaluating learning disabilities. Guilford Press.
Rosenshine, B. (2012). Principles of instruction: Research-based strategies that all teachers should know. American Educator, 36(1), 12-19, 39. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ971753.pdf
Kaffenberger, M. (2021). Modeling the long-run learning impact of the COVID-19 learning shock: Actions to (more than) mitigate loss. International Journal of Educational Development, 81, Article 102326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2020.102326
Wednesday, February 22, 2023 (this event has past)
Speaker: Noah Sideman, PsyD, Neuropsychologist, School Psychologist, and Adjunct Professor, School of Professional
& Applied Psychology, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Number of Credits: 1 (APA & NBCC Accreditation)
Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Based on the presentation, the participants will be able to:
Without question mental health clinicians within the field today are acutely aware of the effects trauma has on psychiatric functioning. Despite this awareness of trauma’s psychiatric downstream effects, its neuropsychological effects are less widely known. These lasting neuropsychological effects of trauma often contribute to and may even drive the enduring psychiatric distress clinicians treat. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanisms behind neurocognitive change in trauma and the characteristics of the neurocognitive changes themselves warrant further attention and understanding. Furthermore, clinicians should consider how the neuropsychological effects of trauma may manifest differently across diverse populations. This presentation will address these specific areas related to trauma in addition to other subject matter on this topic. The presenter will use the clinical and empirical literature as well as knowledge in this area to inform guidelines for best practice.
Noah Sideman, PsyD, is a neuropsychologist, school psychologist, and neuroscience researcher. He is a graduate of PCOM’s doctoral program in School Psychology and has worked as a school psychologist in public schools in the Philadelphia region for several years. His pre-doctoral and post-doctoral training focused on clinical neuropsychology in hospital and private practice settings in and around Philadelphia. His research interests include pediatric concussion treatment and epilepsy pre-surgical planning that incorporate functional neuroimaging techniques. He currently owns his own mental health practice in Philadelphia and provides evaluation and therapy services across the life-span. Additionally, he teaches and advises school psychology students as an adjunct professor in the School of Professional and Applied Psychology at PCOM.
Kuriansky, J., & Nemeth, D. G. (2020). Rebuilding executive functions in environmentally traumatized children and adolescents. In D. G. Nemeth & J. Glozman (Eds.), Evaluation and treatment of neuropsychological compromised children (1st ed., pp. 221-247). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-819545-1.00012-6
Malarbi, S., Abu-Rayya, H. M., Muscara, F., & Stargatt, R. (2017). Neuropsychological functioning of childhood trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. A meta-analysis. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 72, 68–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.11.004
Polak, A. R., Witteveen, A. B., Reitsma, J. B., & Olff, M. (2012). The role of executive function in posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 141(1), 11–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2012.01.001
Wednesday, April 26, 2023 (this event has past)
Speaker: Ashley Poole, PsyD, LPC, Assistant Professor, PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology, School of Professional
& Applied Psychology, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Number of Credits: 1 (APA & NBCC Accreditation)
Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Based on the presentation, the participants will be able to:
This presentation will define compassion fatigue and burnout, emphasizing both risk and protective factors. Attendees will learn the underlying causes of compassion fatigue, and identify compassion fatigue symptoms. The presentation will discuss methods to promote resiliency, self-care, and access resources. The presenter will use the clinical and empirical literature as well as knowledge in this area to inform guidelines for best practice.
Ashley Poole, PsyD, LPC, received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fayetteville State University. She received her Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, receiving the Advocacy, Leadership and Service Award in clinical psychology and the 2020 President’s Leadership in Diversity Award. Dr. Poole completed her post-doctoral fellowship at Lankenau Medical Center in the Pain Management Clinic working with an interdisciplinary team. In clinical practice, she has experience with a diverse client population including couples, and individuals with substance use disorders and severe and persistent mental illness. She also has advanced training working with individuals involved in the criminal justice system. Dr. Poole has presented at professional conferences on inter-professional collaboration and the impact of social media and mental health. Her clinical experience positions her to mentor students in both clinical work and research.
Cavanagh, N., Cockett, G., Heinrich, C., Doig, L., Fiest, K., Guichon, J. R., Page, S., Mitchell, I., & Doig, C. J. (2020). Compassion fatigue in healthcare providers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nursing Ethics, 27(3), 639–665.
Clay, R. A. (2020, June 11). Are you experiencing compassion fatigue? American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/compassion-fatigue
Dehlin, M., & Lundh, L. G. (2018). Compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction among psychologists: Can supervision and a reflective stance be of help?. Journal for Person-oriented Research, 4(2), 95–107. https://doi.org/10.17505/jpor.2018.09
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