2025 ICA Mini-Conference
October 17th in Meridian and Pocatello
Meet the Presenters:
Understanding Core Values and the Moral Matrix: The Foundation of Healthy Boundaries in Professional Leadership
Course Description:
Core values are a set of deeply held beliefs that guide lifelong decision-making. Clarifying core values gives us the power to be confident and aligned in decision-making. When we understand our values, we can communicate reasons for decisions effectively. Honoring values also gives us the opportunity to understand others' decisions from a value-based perspective, allowing room for compromise in group decision-making. Discovering an individual's moral matrix helps leaders remain open to diverse perspectives. The moral matrix often influences views on politics and religion; for example, individuals with liberal tendencies might envision a bright future, while those with conservative tendencies might focus on a glorious past. Understanding these differing viewpoints allows us to agree to disagree without vilifying or dehumanizing one another. This enables leaders to establish healthy boundaries and collaborate effectively with those who hold opposing ideas.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will identify their Moral Matrix
- Participants will learn how to create core values
- Participants will learn how leaders can use their understanding of their Moral Matrix and Core Values to allow people to agree to disagree, creating healthy boundaries in relationships.
About the Presenter:
Lettie Stradley-Bass is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and private practitioner who has studied extensively in the areas of neurobiology, attachment, and Polyvagal Theory through the lens of trauma-informed care. She started working with people at a young age in various ministry positions through her local church, which eventually led to completing a degree in Counseling from Liberty University and worked in the mental health field as a Case Manager and CBRS while working towards her degree. Lettie is a lifelong learner who uses academic knowledge and lived experience to bring a unique perspective to the field. Lettie participated in a two -year leadership cohort with the Assemblies of God and attended the ICA leadership Development Institute in 2024 before being elected as President-Elect. She is currently the ICA President.
The Mysteries of Ethical Practice in Identification & Treatment of Clients with History of Concussion/mTBI
Course Description:
Concussion and mTBI are often undiagnosed due to unsought medical care, inconclusive screening or scans, and poor societal education regarding causes and effects of mTBI. A counselor could be the first professional sought by a client seeking help for mental health concerns, and the cognitive deficits cause symptoms similar to counselors’ typical scope, making recognition of these cognitive deficits difficult. It is imperative that mental health counselors work together with other related professionals, such as speech-language pathologists, in the treatment of individuals with mTBI as the cognitive deficits associated can affect performance, communication, emotional regulation, relationships, and occupation. Approaching treatment of mTBI as a team – addressing cognitive deficits and related psychosocial and emotional impact – will facilitate clients’ abilities to achieve outcomes and mitigate barriers to treatment. Counselors and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) share common therapeutic territory when treating clients with mTBI. SLPs are trained to assess and treat cognitive and communication deficits, including those which affect memory, attention, and executive functioning. SLPs directly address cognition and social communication and related skills in treatment, and help the client retrain and compensate for areas of deficit. In addition to this, SLPs also provide education and informational counseling to clients and family regarding diagnosis and areas of deficit, including motivational interviewing, identification of realistic functional goals, and communication partner training. Interprofessional collaboration between counselors and SLPs has the potential to address more areas of concern and reinforce treatment while maintaining ethical scope of practice, resulting in a more complete and healthy recovery for clients with mTBI. This presentation will cover identification of symptoms, the role of the SLP and counselor in the treatment of individuals with mTBI, methods for effectively assessing and treating individuals with mTBI within the counseling setting, training in specific communication and treatment strategies, and effective team collaboration.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify symptoms and assess for mild TBI
- Learn strategies for working with clients with mild TBI and their families (e.g. communication partner competencies)
- Learn appropriate interprofessional referrals and how to ethically participate in continuum of care
About the Presenters:
Brian Smith earned his Masters of Counseling from Idaho State University, a CACREP accredited program in 2014, and received his license as a professional counselor (LPC) that year. Brian received his clinical license (LCPC) in 2017, and is a registered clinical supervisor. Brian has presented at national, state, and regional conferences, and as an invited lecturer for university programs on treatment team collaboration for clients with mild traumatic brain injury (concussion), and facilitated several ethics presentations Idaho counselors. He has served as president of of the Idaho Counseling Association, and currently serves on the ICA Board of Directors.
Since 2005, Shauna Smith has practiced in a variety of settings, including outpatient brain injury team, acute care, and outpatient and private practice clinics. She also spent 14 years training graduate clinicians in the university clinical setting working with the populations that are the focus of her own practice today. Shauna has presented nationally, regionally, and locally as an expert on the topic of concussion/mild TBI and other rehabilitation related topics, with a functional, patient-centered focus. Shauna currently serves as the Executive Director of the Idaho Counseling Association.
Clinical Considerations for Suicide Assessment and Treatment: When We Have Safety, We Have Time
Course Description:
This presentation covers the width and breadth of the topic of suicide and some clinically appropriate responses for Professional Counselors. Lecture and presentation of data as well as practice through roleplaying simulated case examples in small groups of 2-3 participants will give participants more familiarity with the assessments and interventions, as well as building confidence in addressing this sensitive topic in a safe and meaningful way.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will discuss current Data about suicide, and appropriate assessments and interventions.
- Participants will explore and discuss the merits of caregiver self-efficacy concerning the specific needs of those who work in suicide prevention.
- Participants will receive and have practice in knowledge of suicide prevention resources.
- Through role-play, participants will practice the caregiver skills presented and receive feedback and collaboration from peers.
About the Presenter:
Jake Price has been a full-time Counselor in Idaho since 2018, and was an educator for the West Ada School District in Meridian, Idaho for 10 years prior. He has specialized in clinical mental health and trauma-informed care, including receiving added levels of training in the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy Level 2, Emotionally Focused Therapy Level 1, EMDR Level 2, and a QPR Presenter Trained since 2022 having presented more than 25 times. His client base has mostly been focused on high achieving and highly educated young adults ages 22-40 years old, where suicidal ideation and self-harm tendencies have been common.
The Idaho Counseling Association is a Branch of the American Counseling Association