Connections: Understanding Trauma & Psychosis

Presented by Amanda Zelechoski, JD, Ph.D. and Sripriya Chari, Ph.D.

Wednesday, June 17, 2026 • 8:00 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. CDT

Valparaiso University - Harre Union • 1509 Chapel Drive • Valparaiso, IN

Hosted by the Porter-Starke Services Foundation

Multiple Ways to Spend Your Day: Community Keynote Breakfast Presentation • Full Day • or BOTH!

This event is offered free of charge as a part of a public health effort coordinated by Porter-Starke Services, with funding support for First Episode Psychosis provided by the State of Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction.

Please join us at the 2026 Living Health•Balance•Hope Symposium featuring Amanda Zelechoski, JD, Ph.D. and Sripriya Chari, Ph.D. and expand your understanding of trauma and how it can connect with psychosis. Discover paths for providing effective and compassionate support and treatment. 

Connection Counts: Increasing Dots & Building Relational Health

Community Keynote Breakfast Presentation • 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

This community keynote will explore the transformative power of relational health as a primary intervention for childhood trauma. Challenging our reliance on increasingly limited clinical providers and isolated therapeutic interactions, Dr. Amanda Zelechoski will discuss the importance of empowerment and connection within and across our communities. Through the lens of Dr. Bruce Perry's Neurosequential Model, participants will examine new metrics for success that prioritize meaningful human connection as the cornerstone of trauma-informed systems.

Learning Objectives

●  Describe the impact of adverse childhood experiences on early development
●  Identify ways to decrease relational poverty and increase relational health
●  Recognize central components of a trauma-informed community

Beyond the ACE Score: Diagnostic & Assessment Strategies for Trauma

Clinician Session 1 • 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Moving beyond foundational trauma awareness, the use of structured assessment protocols and tools can provide a clearer roadmap for treatment and deepen our understanding of a client's experience. This workshop is designed specifically for mental health professionals who want to move beyond basic intake questions and incorporate formal trauma measures into their practice. The focus of this session is practical application over psychometric theory and research. Participants will learn about a range of assessment methods, including "gold-standard" diagnostic instruments and emerging tools that assess modern constructs, like historical and racial trauma.

Learning Objectives

●  Identify several well-established tools and methods for trauma assessment
●  Distinguish between trauma assessment types and purposes
●  Practice turning assessment results into clear, actionable treatment goals

Lunch is provided for Full Day Attendees • 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Trauma and Psychosis: Different Names, Shared Wounds

Clinician Session 2 • 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Explore an overview of psychosis, trauma, and connection between the two. Learn why understanding these connections is important and how it impacts treatment.

Learning Objectives

●  Describe the empirical and theoretical links between trauma and psychosis, including shared mechanisms and clinical implications
●  Identify evidence-based practices used in trauma treatment and psychosis care and explain how these approaches can be integrated across both domains
●  Evaluate current training gaps that contribute to the separation of trauma and psychosis treatment and articulate the clinical importance of cross-training in evidence-based practices

Listening Differently: How to Approach Trauma in Psychosis

Clinician Session 3 • 2:45 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

We will talk about why we care about treating trauma in people with psychosis, how to approach trauma assessment and formulation, and a brief overview of evidence-based trauma treatments in the context of psychosis.

Learning Objectives

●  Describe current research findings on trauma-focused treatments for individuals with psychosis, including evidence for safety, feasibility, and clinical outcomes
●  Apply trauma-informed formulation strategies to differentiate trauma-related phenomena from primary psychotic symptoms in clinical assessment
●  Evaluate common clinician concerns about providing trauma-focused interventions in the context of psychosis and identify evidence-based strategies to address these concerns in practice

Meet the Presenters

Continuing Education Units • The Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board has approved this organization to provide up to six (6) Category I Continuing Education for LSW, LCSW, LMFT, LMHC, LAC, and LCAC. However, licensees must judge the program's relevance to their professional practice. Indiana CEU Provider #98000555A.