2021 Conference

Iowa Mental Health Counselors Association (IMHCA) 15th Annual Conference

Maintaining Connection in a Virtual Age

May 6-7, 2021

Online!

For the Conference Brochure, Follow this Link

IMHCA is grateful to our conference sponsors! If you would like to be a sponsor, follow this linkSponsorships >> or contact contact Lindsay Stack via email at: [email protected]

Platinum Sponsor:

Mosaic Family Counseling Center

Gold Sponsor:

United Community Services

Silver Sponsors:

Integrative Counseling Solutions

(Watch a brief introduction to Integrative Counseling Solutions: click here)

Broadlawns Medical Center

Additional Sponsors:

Credit Bureau Services of Iowa

(Watch a brief introduction to Credit Bureau Services of Iowa: click here)

Clive Behavioral Health

(Take a virtual tour of Clive Behavioral Health; click here)

Iowa Association for Play Therapy

Watch a brief introduction to Iowa Association for Play Therapy: click here)

 

Schedule:
DAY ONE: Thursday, May 6, 2021
7:30 am – 8:15 am: Registration
8:15 am – 8:30 am: Welcome & Opening Remarks
8:30 am – 11:45 am: Keynote Session #1 (3 hours; 2 options this year)

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: IMHCA Annual Meeting/Lunch Break

1:15 pm – 2:45 pm: Breakout Session #2 (90 minutes)
2:45 pm – 3:00 pm: Break
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm Breakout Session #3 (90 minutes)
4:30 pm: Networking

DAY TWO: Friday, May 7, 2021
7:45 am – 8:15 am: Registration
8:15 am – 8:30 am: Opening Remarks
8:30 am – 11:45 am: Breakout Session #4 (3 hours)
11:45 am – 12:45 pm: Lunch Break

12:45 pm – 2:15 pm: Breakout Session #5 (90 minutes)
2:15 pm – 2:30 pm: Break
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm Breakout Session #6 (90 minutes)

CE Hours: Iowa Mental Health Counselors Association (IMHCA) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 2060. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC are clearly identified. IMHCA is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.

IMHCA determined that this conference meets the criteria for the Iowa Board of Behavioral Science Examiners and the Iowa Board of Social Work Examiners for 12 hours of continuing education (CE Hours) for mental health counselors and 12 hours continuing education (CE Hours) for marriage and family therapists and social workers. This includes 3.0 hours of CE Hours for ethics if you attend the ethics related workshop on Friday morning.

ATTN NCC’s: This conference has been submitted for approval (NBCC Provider #2060) for 12.0 CE contact hours (1.2 CEU’s) including 3.0 contact hours of ethics if you attend the ethics related workshop.

CADC/IBC: This conference has been submitted for approval by the Iowa Board for Certification for 12 CE contact hours (Category A: Counseling Theories or Generic).

CRC/CRCC: This conference has been submitted for approval by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification for 12 CE contact hours, including 3.0 contact hours of ethics if you attend the ethics related workshop Friday morning.

Full information about each breakout session, including learning objectives and biographies of the presenters: Breakouts (full) >>Alternate-if the above link doesn’t work, you can download the Breakout Descriptions: IMHCA Conference Program Description 2021

In order to participate in the conference fully, you will need to be prepared to utilize two programs: Zoom and WHOVA.

The conference sessions will be hosted through Zoom, but WHOVA is where you will find all the information about the conference and links to the Zoom platform when needed, and some sessions will take place within the WHOVA platform. You don’t have to understand all this at the moment! Just follow the instructions below, and then login to WHOVA the day of the conference and it will all make sense!

The best way to use Zoom is to make sure you have the App downloaded in advance on whatever computer you want to use to participate in the conference. You can download the zoom app here: https://zoom.us/download#client_4meeting (Zoom is also accessible through an internet browser, but sometimes it is glitchy so the app is preferred. If you need to use a browser, Chrome works best).

WHOVA offers a smartphone and tablet application which you can download here:

Get Whova Now

WHOVA also can be accessed through your regular internet browser on your laptop or desktop computer (this is how most of you will probably access it during the conference, unless you want to hold your phone for hours on end). To use WHOVA in this way, you don’t have to download any program, so even if you have a work computer and picky IT people, you can still access the conference from your work computer as long as you can use the internet : )   Just go to this website:
https://whova.com/portal/webapp/imhca_202105/

IF YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS the day of the conference, you can email [email protected] or [email protected] for assistance.

This will be an interactive conference so you will be able to ask questions and interact with the speakers during the conference.  We also have many exhibitors and sponsors participating and you will be able to interact with them as well.

NOTE: This conference will not be recorded. You have to join the conference live in order to participate.

Sign up to volunteer at the conference:Volunteer >>

Find more information or register to be an exhibitor at the conference:Exhibitor >>

Find more information about being a sponsor at the conference Sponsorships >>

There are a limited number of scholarships available for a free 2021 Conference. You can apply for the scholarship and still register and pay for the conference. If you are awarded a scholarship you will be reimbursed the cost of the conference if you paid for it. You do NOT have to register for the conference in order to be considered for a scholarship. The deadline for application is April 22nd. Conference Scholarship >>

Registration is now open! Registration >>

If you do not wish to register and pay online (with a credit card through Paypal…you don’t have to have a Paypal account); please download the conference brochure (at the top of this page), fill it out and mail it to the address found on the brochure.

COMPLAINT POLICY: All members and consumers are encouraged to communicate concerns with the annual conference as they arise with committee members. All conference attendees will be provided the opportunity for feedback at the conference with a survey issued to all participants. All complaints regarding the Iowa Mental Health Counselors Association Annual Conference should be emailed to Rebecca Spiess (our conference chair) at [email protected].  Please include your name, contact information (email address and phone number), and the details of your complaint.  Please allow two business days for a response.

REFUND POLICY: Refunds are limited to conference fees paid only. Refunds do not include any travel, lodging, transportation, or other fees paid independently of conference registration. On-site conference registration fees and no-shows are non-refundable. To qualify for a full refund of registration fees paid less a $50 administrative fee, a written cancellation must be received by the IMHCA treasurer no later than 11:59 PM CST on April 23, 2021. Absolutely NO refunds will be given after April 23, 2021. Cancellation and refund requests should be sent via email to [email protected]. (When you contact [email protected], please forward your transaction or reciept from paypal to speed up the process and ensure accuracy.)

SUBSTITUTIONS: Registrations may be transferred to another conference participant for a fee of $35.  Substitution requests must be submitted in writing to [email protected]. The request must be submitted by the original registrant and include the name and contact information (including email address) of the substitute. The deadline for submitting substitutions is April 29, 2021, by 11:59 PM CST. The substitute must qualify for the same rates as the original registration (for example a general attendee cannot be a substitute for a student).