Joyce Beaven, MSW
Joyce Beaven, MSW LCSW, began her time with Catholic Charities as an intern during her BSW practicum. This practicum changed her course for her future career from addictions to older adults. Joyce has found her passion and heart working in the older adult arena. In this presentation, Joyce will provide emotional support to Courtney as she presents.
Thomas Bordelon, EdD, MSW, LCSW
Dr. Thomas Bordelon brings 13 years of experience as a clinical social work practitioner to his role as a social work professor, a position he has held for the past 26 years. Over his 22-year tenure at USI, his teaching has primarily focused on group work and practice evaluation. He has also contributed to the university’s leadership, serving as assistant dean for both the College of Education and Human Services and the College of Liberal Arts.
Stephanie Brinkerhoff, JD, MSW
Stephanie Brinkerhoff, JD, LCSW of the Law Offices of Steven K. Deig, LLC has been licensed to practice law in Indiana for 23 years and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Indiana for the last five years. Stephanie is a Certified Family law Mediator and is trained in Collaborative Law. She works in the intersection of law and mental health and focuses her practice on domestic relations. Her practice includes litigation, parenting coordination, and working as a Guardian ad Litem. Stephanie is also trained in reunification therapy and therapeutic supervised visitation. She is a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and the Evansville Bar Association.
James Dickerson, Ph.D., MSW, LSW
Dr. James Dickerson is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Social Work Department at the University of Southern Indiana. He has taught at the university for 13 years at both the undergraduate (BSW) and graduate (MSW) levels. His area of expertise includes social policy, community practice, interagency collaboration, program evaluation and administrative leadership.
Kevin Groves, MPA, MSW
Kevin Groves, MPA, MSW, LCSW, LAC is the Director of Addiction Services at Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare, Inc., and is the Behavioral Health Academy Coordinator for Southwestern. Kevin has worked in the mental health and addiction treatment field since 2008. He has worked in several treatment settings including residential, transitional residential and outpatient as both a clinician and an administrator. He has also worked within a drug court team as a coordinator. He holds a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern Indiana and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Addiction Counselor in Indiana. He has advanced training in trauma informed care, motivational interviewing and clinical supervision.
Stephanie Hirons, Doctorate of Nursing, Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Bachelors of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Art in Psychology
Dr. Stephanie Hirons is the Director of Behavioral Health at Ascension St. Vincent. She is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse and a licensed mental health counselor. Stephanie has bachelors' degrees in nursing and psychology, a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling, and a doctorate degree in nursing. Stephanie is passionate about trauma processing, the mental health of healthcare workers, and suicide prevention.
Sarah Jenkins, BSW, MSW, LSW
Sarah Jenkins MSW, LSW, is a Perinatal Social Worker and the Social Worker Team Leader at Deaconess Women's Hospital in Newburgh, Indiana. She graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with her Bachelor of Social Work degree in 2017 and Master of Social Work degree in 2019. She is a licensed social worker in the state of Indiana and has practiced the past 7 years with the elderly and in women’s healthcare. Sarah’s social work background is with skilled nursing facilities, hospice, and the emergency department. She facilitates the Perinatal Support Program in her current position at Deaconess Women’s Hospital. She currently serves on the board of the Haitian Center of Evansville and has a passion for providing equitable care among vulnerable populations. Sarah loves her dogs, lattes, and chickens. Most importantly, Sarah is a wife and mom to 3 amazing children.
Natalie Kassenbrock, MSW, LCSW
Natalie Kassenbrock, MSW, LCSW is the Community Partners Program Manager with Ireland Home Based Services. She has been involved with providing home based services, supervision, clinical consulting, and program development for over twenty years with Ireland Home Based Services. Natalie obtained her Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and Master’s degree from the University of Southern Indiana. She has experience developing and implementing programs, and managing the Community Partners Program through IHBS. Natalie was part of the team for the state’s pilot and implementation of the Community Partners for Child Safety Program in 2006, a board member on Prevent Child Abuse Councils, and is currently a part of Suicide Prevention Coalitions. Natalie has a passion for prevention and ensuring child safety for all Indiana families.
Anne Kelly, PhD
Anne Kelly, Ph.D., is a Suicide Postvention Technician for the federal government. She is also a Certified QPR and Adult Mental Health First Aid Trainer, educating the public on suicide prevention. Anne is a founding member of the National Association of Retrospective Fatality Analysis and Board Chair. She chairs the Community Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Coalition in Mitchell, SD. She serves on the Board of Lost&Found, a nonprofit focused on reducing suicide risk among adolescents and young adults. Previously, she served as Dean of the College of Business, Education, and Social Science and Chair of the Department of Psychology at Dakota Wesleyan University, where she taught since 2000 after earning her M.A. and Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno. She has also served on two South Dakota mental health legislative task forces.
Kathryn Kornblum-Zelle, JD, MSW
Kathryn Kornblum-Zelle of VanStone and Kornblum, LLC, is a Certified Civil Law Mediator, Certified Family Law Mediator, and family law practitioner in Evansville, Indiana. She has been trained in Collaborative Law and focuses her practice primarily on family law, estates and estate planning, and guardianships/adoptions. In 2009, Kathryn founded and serves as Executive Director for the Parenting Time Center, a non-profit supervised visitation center, focused on serving the needs of children in the Tri-state community. She is a member of the Supervised Visitation Network and Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. Kathryn also has a Master of Social Work degree and has been licensed to practice law in Indiana since 2000.
Joanna LaFleur, BS, Therapeutic Recreation
Joanna LaFleur is a leading dementia expert and founder of the Memory Lane Foundation. With years of experience supporting families and caregivers, Joanna has developed practical and compassionate approaches to help them navigate the emotional challenges of caregiving, particularly around the concept of "Living Grief." Her work empowers caregivers to find resilience and healing while still caring for their loved ones. Joanna also regularly speaks at conferences, sharing insights on caregiving, dementia, and emotional well-being.
Mark Luzader, MSW
Mark Luzader, LCSW has been a practicing psychotherapist since 2006. He has been in private practice since 2010 and specializes in neurodivergence and trauma Mark is a neurodivergent movement advocate and ally. He also is the very proud father of an autistic child and knows firsthand the challenges and frustrations that parents struggle with in navigating what is best for their children.
Robin Miller
MSW, LCSW, ACSW
Robin Miller, MSW, LCSW, ACSW is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work at Purdue University Northwest. In addition to her scholarly activities, she also serves as the Director of Practicum Education for the BASW and MSW programs. In this capacity, Robin coordinates internships for students by creating and maintaining relationships with many community agencies who provide opportunities for students to apply their classroom learning with practice in the community. Robin has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for over 25 years working with vulnerable populations. She currently provides outpatient counseling to individuals and families struggling with the effects of trauma.
Jennifer Nevers, MSW, LCSW
Jennifer Nevers, MSW, LCSW is a Military Behavioral Health Social Worker with the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. She assists in the implementation and national expansion of the Star Behavioral Health Providers (SBHP) program. SBHP trains civilian behavioral health providers to work with service members, veterans, and their families.
Jennifer is also a Major in the Indiana Army National Guard where she serves as a Behavioral Health Officer assigned to the 215th Medical Company Area Support in Franklin, IN. She consults with military leaders on the mental health needs of Soldiers and interfaces with Soldiers across Indiana, linking them to behavioral health services.
Before joining CDP, Jennifer worked with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as the Veterans Justice Outreach Program Coordinator where she served as the Vanderburgh County Veterans Treatment Court liaison. She has over ten years of experience providing clinical services to veterans with co-morbid mental health and substance use disorders.
Jennifer received her Bachelor of Social Work from Indiana University in 2008 and her Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis in 2009. She later received a post-graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation from Washington University in St. Louis in 2021. Jennifer is certified in Cognitive Processing Therapy and is also an EMDR-trained therapist. She specializes in addressing the unique needs of service members and veterans using evidence-based approaches.
Cyndi Saltzman, Associates in Business & Early Childhood Development
Cyndi Saltzman has been involved in Warrick County victim and educational services for over 25 years. She is currently the Child/Sex Crimes Victim Advocate at Warrick County Prosecutor’s Office, along with her adorable therapy dog Blue. Cyndi’s role primarily focuses on aiding victims through the legal process, from forensic interviews to sentencing to finding a way to return to normal life after the legal process is complete - she and Blue are there for her clients every step of the way without fail. Cyndi is also a 2024 Brian Turpin Service Award nominee through Holly House due to her outstanding work serving survivors of abuse.
Lindsey Saltzman, MSW
Lindsey Saltzman, LCSW obtained her Master’s of Social Work degree in 2013 from the University of Southern Indiana and has since worked in a variety of settings focusing on clinical trauma and crisis services. From 2019-2022, Lindsey was an embedded VOCA clinician at Mount Pleasant Police Department in Mount Pleasant, SC. While at MPPD, she provided free therapy services to victims of crime and assist them in navigating the complex legal system - along with the help of her amazing victim advocate team! Lindsey now owns her own private practice focusing on therapy services for first responders and trauma survivors.
Pamela Saylor, MSW, LCSW
Pam Saylor, MSW, LCSW, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work at Purdue University Northwest. With a history of program development in social services, Pam is the founding director of the BASW social work program. Pam connects with her students through high-impact practices and integrating experiential learning into her courses. Pam developed an interprofessional education abroad program, taking groups of students to Guatemala in 2018 and 2019. In 2024, Pam was co-director of the 26-day study away program, PNW in Peru, which focused on history, culture, and service-learning. Pam participated in the Spring 2024 Advanced Service-Learning Fellowship Program at Purdue University.
Courtney Schmidt, MSW LSW
Courtney Schmidt, MSW LSW began her time with the Senior Companion Program during her master’s level practicum. Throughout college, she worked in direct care with those diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s and found her true passion: working with older adults. Since the end of her master’s practicum, Courtney has also worked in school social work but found her way back to the Senior Companion Program, where she is currently the Program Coordinator. In this presentation, barriers to receiving timely and effective healthcare procedures will be discussed as well as how a federally funded program can help provide more reliable services while promoting regular health checks and screenings.
Janet Schnell, MSW, LCSW
Janet Schnell, MSW, LCSW, completed her master’s degree in social work in 2010 at the University of Southern Indiana. She is a contractor for AP3SI as a suicide postvention subject matter expert, a role she fulfills with a wealth of expertise and knowledge. Janet is a founding Retrospective Fatality Analysis’ Consultants (RFA-C) member. The RFA protocol is an investigative and research instrument to advance the understanding of complex factors that contribute to a suicide death. Her interest is in helping suicide loss survivors answer the why question. She is a suicide prevention master trainer for Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) and a prevention trainer for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). Janet was a certified Psychological Autopsy Investigator by the American Association of Suicidology. She is a public speaker sharing her experience as a suicide loss survivor and becoming a social worker after her brother’s death, a testament to her expertise and dedication in the field of suicide prevention.
Mark Storms, Bachelor of Science
Owner Director of Courage House, BS, CPRC,. Naloxone Trainer/Distributor, Recovery Community Volunteer.
Christina Wicks, BSW
Christina is the Director of Crisis Services at the YWCA Evansville. She works to empower women and children fleeing domestic violence. Prior to working at the YWCA, Christina educated the community on the effects of human trafficking on youth and created a network of service providers to assist when a trafficking victim was identified. Christina is president of the local human trafficking coalition SIRCAT and a graduate from the University of Southern Indiana with a Bachelor’s degree in social work. She has worked in the victim advocacy field for over 20 years including those who have been affected by sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking. In her free time, she enjoys being in nature for a good hike or kayaking adventure.