Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences Hosts Mental Health CME Conference
West Des Moines, IA (08/31/2026) — Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences will host the Psychiatry for Non-Psychiatrists CME conference on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. This conference equips non-psychiatric health care professionals with practical knowledge and skills to recognize, assess, and manage common mental health concerns encountered in clinical practice.
Topics will include benzodiazepine addiction and management, somatic symptom and related disorders, personality disorders, recognizing and managing trauma in primary care, psychiatric management of traumatic brain injury, decision-making capacity, and pediatric autism.
"The demand for mental health services has grown steadily and outpaced the supply of psychiatrists. Non-psychiatric clinicians are increasingly being called upon to provide vital mental health care in primary care clinics, hospitals and community health centers," says Autumn Brunia, DO, a psychiatrist at Des Moines University Clinic - Behavioral Health and alumna of DMU. "This conference will provide additional support and tools to these clinicians so that they are better prepared to meet the mental health needs of their patient populations."
Julia Van Liew, PhD, associate professor at DMU and licensed clinical psychologist, is the co-activity director and speaker at the conference. "We designed these sessions around topics non-psychiatric clinicians encounter regularly but rarely get trained on in depth-personality disorders, somatic symptoms, trauma histories-so attendees leave with practical skills they can use with their very next patient."
The expert speaker line-up for the conference includes additional DMU alumni:
Alexandra McMullen, DO'24
Sean O'Keefe, DO'24, MPH'23
Eric Parrot, DO'19
Event Details
Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
DMU32 Health and Business Complex, Olsen Center, 3200 Grand Ave., Des Moines
A virtual option is available via Zoom. The cost to attend is $99.
Continuing Education Credits
Up to 7.0 credit(s) for physicians, nurses, social workers and other health care providers.
The partners collaborating to offer this conference include DMU, Broadlawns, UnityPoint Psychiatry Residency Program, and the Iowa Veterans Home.
Media Attachments
Autumn Brunia, DO, a psychiatrist at Des Moines University Clinic — Behavioral Health and alumna of DMU who will speak at the conference.
Julia Van Liew, PhD, associate professor at DMU and licensed clinical psychologist, will serve as an activity director and speaker at the conference.
