The annual Great Plains Disaster Behavioral Health Conference, presented by the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center, will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. July 29 at the Hilton Omaha, 1001 Cass St. This year’s theme is “Mitigating Violence for Resilient Communities.”
Psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, mental health care providers, public health officials, nurses, clergy, emergency managers, first responders and security professionals are encouraged to attend. Mass shootings, extremists and criminals have increased pressure to predict who is most at risk for being violent. The conference will focus on assessing violence risk and threats.
Speakers include:
Lt. Gov. Mike Foley, who will provide brief opening remarks;
Mark Follman, national affairs editor for Mother Jones, who will review his in-depth investigations into mass shootings and the financial costs of gun violence;
Randy K. Otto, associate professor at the University of South Florida and an expert in forensic psychological assessment, who will explore the limits of assessing violence risk given the tools available today;
Mario Scalora, director of the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center, who will discuss the emerging science of threat assessment and management;
Mark Lukin, with the Nebraska Department of Corrections, who will look at the ethics of reporting suspicions or concerns in the era of “see something, say something.”
Registration is $75 before July 22 and $85 after that. Lunch is provided. To register, click here.
For more information on the conference, click here.
