Effective Crisis Response: Understanding & Responding to Serious Mental Illness
Learn how to respond effectively to individuals experiencing grave disability or serious mental illness (SMI) and help create safer, healthier communities.
October 28, 2025 at 9AM - 11:30AM ET
Columbus Learning Center Auditorium (4555 Central Ave., Columbus, IN 47201) or via Zoom
Who it’s for
CLINICIANS & CARE PROVIDERS
Psychiatrists, therapists, social workers, counselors, case managers, and certified recovery specialists.
LEGAL & LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONALS
Judges, attorneys, law enforcement, and others involved in civil commitment or crisis response.
COMMUNITY LEADERS & ADVOCATES
Public health workers, community health teams, nonprofit leaders, and advocates supporting individuals with serious mental illness.
Participants will examine the complex intersections of impaired insight (anosognosia), cognitive and functional decline due to untreated psychosis, and the ethical use of legal and clinical interventions such as guardianship, civil commitment, and Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT). With an emphasis on practical strategies and ethical decision-making, this training supports professionals in identifying warning signs, understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of severe mental illness, and engaging systems of care that strive to balance autonomy, safety, dignity, and long-term recovery.
Why join?
Without the right training, you may put vulnerable individuals and the communities you serve at risk.
Lives depend on your ability to recognize the signs and act with confidence. The right tools can help you make safer, faster, and more compassionate decisions when it matters most.
Join us to gain practical tools to identify serious mental illness, respond effectively, and connect people to the care they need.
Plus, gain free continuing education credits (CEUs) when you register ahead of time and complete the training:
Category I CEUs for social workers & counselors
ILEA credits for law enforcement
CLE/NLS for attorneys & judges
CEUs for certified recovery specialists & community health workers
All continuing education credits are included with registration and are offered at no additional cost. It is up to the individual to properly record CEUs by checking in on time and completing the evaluation.
Mayor Mary K. Ferdon
“Over the past three years, the City of Columbus has partnered with Bartholomew County, CRH, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, United Way, and Centerstone to improve mental health in our community. We created Mental Health Matters to deepen our understanding of mental health, expand access to professional support, and break down the stigma surrounding mental health challenges. Unfortunately, families, first responders, healthcare workers, and service providers are often on the front lines—facing complex situations where safety, dignity, and recovery all hang in the balance. I encourage you to attend this event. The more we all learn, the better we can care for one another, find meaningful solutions, and strengthen our community’s health.”
Sheriff Chris Lane
“Too frequently, law enforcement responds to mental health-related calls, despite mental health conditions not being criminal offenses. As a community, we must unite to create a collaborative approach that prioritizes alternatives to justice system involvement for those experiencing mental health crises.”
Judge Jonathan L. Rohde
“As a Judge in our community, I deal with a variety of situations where people suffering from mental illness struggle to find the pathway for assistance when trying to navigate their complex situation. What often frustrates their support systems is that there are not simple fixes, and each situation requires a personalized long term plan. This is why it is clear that there is a need for our community to come together around the realities of serious mental illness, and offer clear direction for those who are looking for help.”
MEET YOUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. Henry Nasrallah
Dr. Henry Nasrallah, MD is a nationally recognized expert in schizophrenia and serious mental illness (SMI). He serves as Vice Chair and Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati, where he leads neuropsychiatry, schizophrenia programs, and continuing medical education.
Dr. Nasrallah has published extensively, founded and edited leading psychiatric journals, and received top research and teaching honors, including the NAMI Exemplary Psychiatrist Award and the Psychiatric Times U.S. Teacher of the Year. He co-founded the CURESZ Foundation alongside a former patient whom he successfully treated for schizophrenia, allowing her to return to college and graduate with honors in molecular biology. Dr. Nasrallah has received over 95 federal, industry, and foundation research grants and has been elected annually to the list of Best Doctors in America for the past 25 years.
Training Goals
By the end of this training, you will be better equipped to:
Identify Grave Disability and Psychosis
Recognize the signs of grave disability and repeated psychotic episodes in individuals with serious mental illness. Understand how these conditions may impact safety and decision-making, and explore compassionate & effective approaches to crisis response.
Evaluate the Need for Civil Commitment or Assisted Outpatient Treatment
Explore how to assess when civil commitment or Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) may be the least restrictive, most appropriate option for individuals in crisis.
Recognize Anosognosia
Discover why anosognosia—a neurological condition that impairs awareness of illness—can prevent treatment engagement, and what you can do to recognize it when it’s happening.
Apply Ethical and Clinical Judgement
Learn how to apply ethical and clinical judgment to engage systems of care that balance individual rights with safety, dignity, and long-term recovery.
Understand the Impact of Untreated Psychosis
Understand how untreated psychosis affects the brain over time, leading to long-term neurological and cognitive decline, and why early intervention matters.
Join us to gain the knowledge and tools you need to identify warning signs, understand the neurobiological underpinnings of severe mental illness, and engage systems of care that strive to balance autonomy, safety, dignity, and long-term recovery.
Sign Up to Become a More Informed, Prepared Crisis Responder
FAQs
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This workshop equips medical providers, clinicians, case managers, legal professionals, law enforcement, community leaders, and advocates with the knowledge and tools to recognize and respond to grave disability in individuals living with serious mental illness (SMI), including those experiencing repeated episodes of psychosis.
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Yes.
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Continuing education credits are pending approval from Indiana University. CEU categories and credit hours may vary based on final approval. Participants attending only the Zoom session with Dr. Nasrallah will be eligible for 1 hour of CEU credit.
