Psychological Conditions That Arise Following An Accident Or An Injury: Where Are We In 2019?

DATE: Friday March 1 2019

TIME: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

LOCATION: Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, Vancouver BC

 

SORRY, REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED

 

New legislation will come into effect on April 1, 2019 that will determine what is, and what is not a minor injury. 

Many people who suffer from an injury as a result of an accident experience changes in functioning and those changes can range from minor with the usual good recovery, to the more serious conditions that are persistent and disabling.

From the development of worry thoughts and low mood to the development of pain disorders, anxiety, difficulty with functioning and persistent neurocognitive disorders, lawyers and health care providers are being exposed to more and more conditions that are complex, interrelated and difficult to treat.

This workshop will present on the psychological and neuro-psychological conditions that arise following an accident or an injury with particular emphasis on atypical presentations that give rise to persistent symptoms.

 

ACCREDITATION

This workshop has been approved for 4.0 hours of accredited CPD by the Law Society of British Columbia.

 

REGISTRATION

Your registration fee includes:
Continental breakfast
2 Refreshment breaks
Buffet Lunch
Access to Workshop and Recording

 

ACCOMMODATIONS

CAPDA has negotiated a rate of $249 plus taxes for those wishing to stay at the hotel. please call 604-691-1991 and indicate that you are with the CAPDA workshop.

 

 

SCHEDULE

7:30 - 8:00      Registration

8:00 – 8:15      Welcome and Introduction

Dr. Graham Bean, Director of Interprovincial Affairs of CAPDA, Dr. Joanna Hamilton, President of CAPDA, Dr. Jeremy Frank, Past President of CAPDA

 

8:15 – 8:45      Working Effectively with Private Insurers

Carmen Bellows, Senior Consultant, Mental Health, Group Disability Western Region, Sun Life Financial

 

8:45 – 9:15      Minor Injury “Caps” Legislation - New Changes to Injury Claims.

Nicholas Peterson, Lawyer, Collins Peterson LLP - Injury Lawyers - Vancouver, BC

 

9:15 - 9:30      Questions and Answers

 

9:30 – 10:00   Refreshment Break

 

10:00 - 10:45   The Examination, Discovery, Diagnosis and Individualized Treatment of PTSD and Other Trauma Disorders

Dr. Laura Klubben, Psychologist, Chuck Jung and Associates - Vancouver, BC

 

10:45 – 11:30   Understanding and Managing Concussion: Lessons Learned, and the Growing Evidence Base

Dr. Hendre Viljoen, Psychologist, HeadWise - Surrey, BC

 

11:30 – 11:45   Questions and Answers

 

11:45 – 12:45   Lunch

 

12:45 – 1:30  Chronic Pain Conditions and Somatoform Disorders: Part 1 - Understanding Somatization: Clinically Informed Practice

Dr. Anton Scamvougeras, Consultant Neuropsychiatrist, University of British Columbia

 

1:30 - 2:00  Chronic Pain Conditions and Somatoforrm Disorders: Part 2 - About That Pain in My Head

Dr. Wesley Buch, Psychologist, Behavioural Health Centre, Vancouver, BC

 

2:00 – 2:15  Questions and Answers

 

2:15 – 2:45  Refreshment Break

 

2:45 – 3:30   Keynote Speaker: The Bulletproof Psycho-Legal Assessment: Best Practices and the Use of Evidence-Based Measures of Response Bias

Dr. Jeremy Frank, Psychologist, Jeremy Frank and Associates - Thornhill, ON

 

3:30 – 3:55     Panel Discussion: Psychology, Neuropsychology and Neuropsychiatry.

 

3:55 – 4:00     Closing Remarks

 

 

 

 

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

 

Carmen Bellows, Senior Consultant, Mental Health, Group Disability Western Region, Sun Life Financial

Carmen is a Registered Psychologist and holds a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology. She has extensive experience in the field of psychology, including community and workplace mental health. Her clinical experience includes working with survivors of torture and newly arrived refugees, critical incident response, large employee and family assistance programs, outpatient psychiatry departments and private practice.

Carmen prepares and delivers psycho-educational presentations on topics such as Depression, Caring for Aged Family Members, Dealing with Difficult People in the Workplace and she is a presenter of workshops on Stress and Resilience and other topics relevant to workplace mental health.

As Senior Consultant, Mental Health, Carmen is responsible for coaching and training the western regional disability management team to improve their case management skills on claims related to mental illness and mental health influencing factors to optimize duration and supporting our clients in driving better workplace mental health. This has a direct impact on the quality of support for disability claimants coping with mental illness and in turn has a positive influence on workplace mental health. She is also a contributor to the mental health strategy at sun life and member of the board of directors of the Canadian Psychological Association.

 

 

Dr. Wesley Buch, Psychologist, Behavioural Health Centre

Dr. Buch is a registered psychologist who practices in the area of clinical and rehabilitation psychology.  Following his internship in the Psychology Department of the WorkSafe BC, he continued to work there in criminal injury cases, complex case management and especially interdisciplinary rehabilitation.  In 1996 he became Manager of the Pain Programs at WorkSafe BC and supervisor of the provincial network of pain programs – all responsibilities that continues his interests in treatment innovation, outcome and quality assurance.  In 1997 he co-founded Behavioural Health Care with an interest in individually-tailored, cognitive-behavioural approaches to chronic conditions that emphasizes the home, community facilities and workplace as rehabilitation clinic.

Currently, Dr. Buch’s focus is on psycholegal assessments for court purposes and the treatment of complex forms of human suffering, such as fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome in a litigation context.  He was the pioneering consulting psychologist to the Complex Chronic Diseases Program at BC Women’s Hospital.  He currently sits on the Board of Directors of Pain BC.  He recently produced a chronic pain curriculum for front-line workers to street-involved people in the Downtown East Side.  He is working on a research project about clergy depression in Canada towards his second doctorate at the University of Toronto.

 

 

 

Dr. Jeremy Frank, Psychologist, Jeremy Frank and Associates

Dr. Frank obtained his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Windsor in 2004. Dr. Frank’s training and experience to date includes work in psychological trauma, the treatment of chronic pain, the assessment of disability, and rehabilitation following injuries. Dr. Frank has conducted research on the use of the Personality Assessment Inventory for the psychological assessment of claimants who have been involved in motor vehicle accidents and has co-authored a book chapter with newly developed norms for this population in 2010. Dr. Frank currently serves as Past-President of CAPDA  and is involved in the development of the CAPDA Diplomate program. He has performed hundreds of psychological disability assessments both at the request of plaintiff and defense, largely for individuals who have been involved in motor vehicle accidents (including Post-104 disability, assessment of treatment necessity, Catastrophic determination, and other specified benefits), for individuals with WSIB claims, and for individuals in other personal injury contexts (e.g., slip and fall, medical malpractice suits). He also provides psychotherapy (with a rehabilitation focus) to automobile accident victims and victims of work-related injuries. Dr. Frank also maintains an active private psychotherapy practice where he sees individuals with a range of psychological difficulties and couples with marital problems.

 

 

Dr. Laura Klubben, Psychologist, Chuck Jung and Associates

Dr. Klubben attained her PhD in Counselling Psychology from UBC in 2014. She is a Registered Psychologist in British Columbia. Since 2007, she has worked with 300+ clients dealing with different forms of trauma including childhood abuse, acts of physical and/or sexual violence, prostitution-related traumas, as well as military trauma. Dr. Klubben joined the practice of Chuck Jung Associates in 2014, and she has started working almost exclusively with clients who have experienced psychological symptoms as a result of motor vehicle accidents, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, head injury, chronic pain, etc. She has assessed and treated 100+ cases of people dealing with trauma disorders post-MVA and has written over 40 medical legal reports, approximately half of which have dealt with some kind of trauma disorder. For the past two years, she has been working on obtaining her certification in EMDR, an evidence-based treatment for PTSD; she anticipates completing her certification by January 2019. In her leisure time, she enjoys hiking, running, dragon boating, painting, and traveling.

 

 

Nicholas Peterson, Lawyer, Collins Peterson LLP - Injury Lawyers

Nicholas Peterson graduated from the University of Alberta Faculty of Law. After graduating law school Nick clerked with the B.C. Supreme Court for six Justices. Following the completion of his clerkship Nick worked as a lawyer at a national law firm in Vancouver before deciding to work exclusively for injured people. Nick currently serves on the Board of Governors for TLABC having previously served on TLABC’s Executive. Nick also volunteers with the Law Society of B.C. as a contributor to the PLTC bar admission course’s civil practice materials. Outside of work, Nick tries to remain active, is an avid sports fan and enjoys spending time with his wife and (chasing and cleaning up after) their young daughter and son. Nick practices at Collins Peterson LLP – Injury Lawyers.

 

 

Dr. Anton Scamvougeras, Consultant Neuropsychiatrist, University of British Columbia

Dr. Anton Scamvougeras is a neuropsychiatrist and clinical associate professor in the department of Neuropsychiatry at UBC, an artist and an author.  He has authored “Dysconnected” a thought provoking book  with iconic, unique images that encourages dialogue on modern 21st century life and, “Understanding and Managing Somatoform Disorders”  a comprehensive text that offers an accessible approach to understanding Somatoform Disorder. Dr. Scamvougeras obtained his medical degree in Cape Town, South Africa, and then worked as a family physician in rural Canada before specializing in Psychiatry at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, with fellowship studies in neurosciences, MRI, & research methodology.  He has been at UBC since 1994, and has a special interest in understanding and helping individuals with severe Somatoform Disorders. He also runs the UBC Adult Tourette’s Syndrome Clinic, assisting individuals with Tourette’s and related conditions.

 

 

Dr. Hendre Viljoen, Psychologist, HeadWise

Dr. Hendré Viljoen is a Registered Psychologist, practicing in the area of clinical neuropsychology and rehabilitation. He is the Director of HeadWise Rehabilitation, an organisation that provides neuropsychological assessment, treatment, and consultation services in both clinical and forensic contexts. HeadWise also partners with Back in Motion Rehab Inc. to provide head injury rehabilitation services to individuals who have sustained acquired brain dysfunction from head injuries, neurological disorders, and a variety of other causes. Dr. Viljoen has over 20 years of experience working with individuals with brain injuries.  As adjunct faculty to Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia, he is also involved in the training and clinical supervision of psychology interns, and has published and provided presentations on neuropsychological and brain injury-related matters to a broad range of audiences. He is also active in volunteer activities serving the profession of psychology, including having in the past been editor of the BC Psychological Association newsletter, and having served on the Board of the College of Psychologists of British Columbia.