International Mental Health Advocate S.J. Hart to Lecture at Springfield College
June 14, 2011SPRINGFIELD, Mass., June 14, 2011 – S.J. Hart, author and international advocate, will present at Springfield College on Monday, June 20, at 4 p.m., in Locklin Hall, Room 105.
Hart’s internationally renowned book “Lies in Silence: Lessons About Bipolar and Co-Occurring Disorders Learned Through Advocating for Appropriate Treatment for My Family” provides a stunning account of the onset of psychiatric disability over multiple generations. She has become an international educator on the topic, speaking publicly in a variety of forums.
Hart is a clinician, educator, author, trainer, and advocate for mental health, and she speaks openly about three generations of psychiatric disabilities in her own family, including her parents, siblings, children, and herself. Master’s trained and certified in the field of addictions and mental health, she specializes in the treatment of co-occurring disorders. Hart has more than 25 years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families who suffer from genetically transmitted mental illnesses. Along with John Hart, Hart provides training and education through their company, SJ Hart and Associates – International Advocacy.
In addition to her own experiences, Hart will address advocacy for treatment and diagnosis of co-occurring disorders in Massachusetts, covering the national and international aspects of the topic.
Hart’s lecture will be part of a psychiatric rehabilitation and substance abuse counseling graduate course taught by Michael P. Accordino, D.Ed., Springfield College associate professor of rehabilitation and disability studies. The lecture is open to the public free of charge.
Springfield College offers a master’s degree program in rehabilitation counseling and services with concentrations in alcohol and substance abuse counseling, counseling and case management, pediatric and developmental disability, special services, and substance abuse and psychiatric rehabilitation counseling. The college also offers bachelor’s degree programs in rehabilitation and disability studies with concentrations available in addictions and mental health, children’s developmental services, and medical rehabilitation.
