Military Behavior Health Summit
$125
Coastal Empire Military Behavioral Health Summit
Bridging Military Systems and Civilian Clinical Practice
CE information: 6.0 Continuing Education Hours | 4.5 General CE Hours + 1.5 Ethics CE Hours
Event Details
Date: Saturday, February 20, 2027
Location: Demere Center, 6000 Business Center Dr, Savannah, GA 31405
Time: 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
Format: Live, in-person only
Instructional Level: Intermediate, with foundational military-specific concepts included
Continuing Education: 6.0 hours
Breakfast: Provided courtesy of our sponsor
Lunch: Lunch arrangements will be announced prior to the event.
Registration Fees:
Early Bird: $125 through December 15, 2026
Regular Registration: $155
Seating is limited. Advance registration is required.
Speakers include:
Heidi Hill LCSW
Brad Singer LCSW
MAJ. Qwanquita Wright LCSW
Betsy Kammerud LCSW
Description
Military service shapes more than the individual who serves. It influences family relationships, professional identity, mental health, interpersonal connections, and the clinical decisions made by those providing care.
Join military-connected and civilian mental health professionals for a full day of practical, clinically relevant education focused on the unique challenges of treating service members, veterans, and military families.
This summit brings together presenters with military and civilian behavioral health experience to examine military family systems, suicide bereavement, military connectedness, and ethical considerations in treating active-duty personnel.
This is intentionally a small, in-person professional gathering. Beyond continuing education, attendees will have opportunities to develop relationships with colleagues, connect with community organizations, and strengthen local referral and consultation networks.
This summit is designed for licensed clinical social workers, professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, addiction professionals, and other behavioral health professionals who work with or wish to strengthen their understanding of military-connected populations.
The program is particularly relevant to civilian clinicians treating active-duty personnel, veterans, and military families, as well as professionals working within military behavioral health systems.
No prior military employment or specialized military training is required. Foundational graduate-level knowledge of behavioral health assessment, treatment, and professional ethics is recommended.
Educational Sessions
Session 1: Soldier 24/7: The Impact of Military Service on the Family System
Presenter: Brad Singer, LCSW
Time: 8:30–10:00 AM
Credit: 1.5 General Continuing Education Hours
Military service extends beyond the individual service member, influencing marital relationships, parenting, family functioning, and the well-being of military spouses and children.
Long work hours, field exercises, National Training Center rotations, deployments, and the possibility of harm to loved ones create unique stressors for military families.
This presentation examines the reciprocal relationship between military occupational demands and family functioning, including the emotional and practical responsibilities often assumed by military spouses. Clinical considerations for assessing and supporting military-connected families will be explored.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
Identify at least three military service-related stressors that influence family relationships and functioning.
Describe two ways military occupational demands and family stressors can reciprocally affect service member well-being.
Identify at least two clinical assessment or intervention strategies for addressing stress within military-connected families.
Session 2: Military Connectedness: Operational and Interpersonal Relationships in Military Mental Health
Presenter: MAJ Qwanquita Wright, LCSW
Time: 10:20–11:50 AM
Credit: 1.5 General Continuing Education Hours
Military connectedness plays an important role in psychological functioning, resilience, and service member well-being.
Relationships formed through military units, operational assignments, leadership structures, and personal support systems may provide meaningful connection while also presenting unique interpersonal challenges.
This presentation examines the differences between operational and interpersonal relationships, the challenges associated with each, and clinical strategies for addressing relationship-related difficulties among military-connected individuals.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
Differentiate between operational and interpersonal relationships within military environments.
Identify at least three challenges associated with military connectedness that may influence psychological or interpersonal functioning.
Describe at least two clinical strategies for addressing relational difficulties and strengthening supportive connections among military-connected individuals.
Session 3: Veterans and Suicide: Understanding the Impact of a Fellow Service Member's Death by Suicide
Presenter: Betsy Kammerud
Time: 1:05–2:35 PM
Credit: 1.5 General Continuing Education Hours
The death of a fellow service member by suicide can have significant emotional, psychological, and interpersonal consequences for veterans.
Military bonds, shared experiences, survivor guilt, grief, and perceived responsibility may complicate the bereavement process and influence psychological adjustment following a loss.
This presentation examines the psychological impact of suicide bereavement among veterans, including the recognition of survivor distress, military-specific factors influencing grief, and appropriate clinical support strategies.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
Describe at least three emotional or psychological impacts associated with the death of a fellow service member by suicide.
Identify at least two appropriate clinical strategies for supporting veterans experiencing suicide-related grief or survivor distress.
Session 4: Ethical Challenges in Treating Active-Duty Service Members: Confidentiality, Clinical Decisions, and Career Consequences
Presenter: Heidi Hill, LCSW
Time: 3:00–4:30 PM
Credit: 1.5 Ethics Continuing Education Hours
Treating active-duty military personnel presents ethical complexities that civilian mental health providers may not routinely encounter.
Clinical decisions involving diagnosis, documentation, treatment planning, medication referrals, confidentiality, and disclosure of protected health information may have implications for military duties, deployability, occupational eligibility, and career progression.
This presentation examines the intersection of professional ethics, civilian clinical responsibilities, and applicable military policies. Special attention will be given to confidentiality, command notification, duty-to-protect considerations, and the ethical challenges of balancing accurate clinical care with military occupational concerns.
Through case-based discussion, participants will apply ethical decision-making principles to realistic clinical dilemmas involving active-duty service members.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
Identify at least three ethical considerations associated with treating active-duty service members in civilian mental health settings.
Differentiate between HIPAA confidentiality requirements, applicable state disclosure laws, and military command notification policies.
Analyze at least two ways clinical documentation, diagnosis, or medication-related treatment decisions may affect military duties, deployability, or occupational eligibility.
Apply an ethical decision-making framework to clinical scenarios involving confidentiality, safety, and competing military and patient interests.
Continuing Education Approval
6.0 Approved CE Hours | 4.5 General + 1.5 Ethics
The Coastal Empire Military Behavioral Health Summit is approved for 6.0 continuing education hours for Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), and Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) through the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board.
Georgia Licensees: Under Georgia Board Rule 135-9-.01(2)(e)(3), qualifying continuing education approved by a licensing or certification board in another jurisdiction may be accepted toward Georgia licensure renewal requirements. For composite boards, the activity must be specifically approved for the licensee's professional specialty.
Acceptance and classification of continuing education hours remain subject to the applicable licensing board's requirements, including whether hours qualify as core, related, or professional ethics education.
Georgia Board Rule 135-9-.01(2)(b) requires professional ethics continuing education to be completed through synchronous educational activities. This summit is conducted live and in person.
Participants who complete the full summit will receive a certificate documenting six continuing education hours, including 1.5 hours designated as professional ethics.
View approval here:
Attendance and Certificates
Participants seeking the full 6.0 continuing education hours must attend all four educational sessions and complete the required attendance verification and program evaluation procedures.
Continuing education certificates will document the instructional hours completed and the applicable credit categories.
Partial attendance does not qualify for the full six-hour certificate. Any partial credit must be separately verified and documented in accordance with applicable provider and board requirements.
Certificates will be given out at the end of day once an evaluation is completed.
Presenter Disclosures
All presenters have reported no relevant financial or nonfinancial conflicts of interest related to their educational presentations.
Commercial sponsorships, if applicable, will be identified separately. Sponsors and exhibitors do not control the educational content or selection of clinical recommendations.
Accessibility and Accommodations
Coastal Empire Continuing Education Institute is committed to providing an accessible learning environment. Participants requiring disability-related accommodations should contact the organizer in advance of the summit to discuss their needs.
Contact: (912) 732-8796
Website: https://heidihilllcsw.com
Refunds and transfers: Coastal Mind & Body Privacy Policy