Iowa HHS and NAVIGATE providers will participate in a panel discussion which will include an overview of the model and of each NAVIGATE program in Iowa.

Learning Objectives:
Participants will:

1. Learn about the NAVIGATE team-based model and its effectiveness for persons experiencing a first episode of psychosis;
2. Learn about Iowa’s implementation of the NAVIGATE model through the Mental Health Block Grant;
3. Learn how three Community Mental Health Centers in Iowa have implemented NAVIGATE including successes and challenges in implementing the model.

Laura Larkin, BA Sociology, MS Human Resources, LMSW
Executive Officer 2, Iowa Health and Human Services

Bio: Laura has worked for Iowa HHS in behavioral health policy for 18 years focusing on development and oversight of community-based behavioral health services and is the Project Director for Iowa’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Demonstration program. Laura has over 30 years of human services and mental health experience and worked for 10 years as a mental health clinician in a variety of school, home, and clinic-based settings.

Michaela Jens, LISW
Team Lead – First Episode Psychosis Program, UnityPoint – Eyerly Ball

Michaela Jens, LISW, is a licensed clinical social worker that oversees the first episode psychosis program at Eyerly Ball. Her program welcomes young adults experiencing their first schizophrenic episodes with wrap around programming. She strives to not only return clients to baseline functioning, but also use their experiences to improve the quality of their lives.

Sabrina Dedore, LISW
Team Lead, Outpatient Therapist, Abbe Center for Community Mental Health- UnityPoint

Sabrina DeDore is the Team Lead of the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids First Episode Psychosis teams. She has been working with Abbe Center for Community Mental health for 4 years. On top of being the team lead, she continues to see therapy patients in an outpatient setting at the clinic, as well as oversee intern students in Social Work or related programs. Sabrina completed her MSW at the University of Iowa School of Social Work in 2016.

Leslie McDonald-Gonzalez, LISW
Clinical Director/FEP Team Lead, Siouxland Mental Health Center

Leslie McDonald-Gonzalez was born and raised in Siouxland. She received her MSW from the University of Iowa School of Social Work in 2011. She worked at a local Community Health Center for almost 18 years before accepting the FEP Team Lead position at Siouxland Mental Health Center. She assisted with the development and implementation of Team Harmony in the fall of 2017. Their team-based treatment has continued to grow and develop over the last 8 years. She is passionate about helping others and making a difference in the community in which she lives.