MPS Spring Education Program 2026
Saturday, April 25, 2026
8 AM to 5 PM, with award reception to follow
Courtyard by Marriott Edina Bloomington, Bloomington MN
Stigma leaves a mark.
The 2026 Minnesota Psychiatric Society Spring Education Program, Deconstructing Stigma: Breaking Down Barriers to Care, brought together approximately 50 psychiatrists, trainees, and mental health professionals for a day that tackled that reality head-on...through evidence, lived experience, and honest conversation.
Throughout the day, stigma was examined across its multiple levels - public, self, and structural - not as an abstract concept, but as something that shows up in clinical practice every day. A highlight was the keynote from Mark Rapaport, whose message was clear and direct: psychiatry has a critical role to play in changing the conversation now.
Sessions brought this into focus from multiple angles - clinical realities, professional monitoring, legislative barriers, health literacy, and community perspectives on trust and engagement. Across it all, one idea held steady: stigma separates “us” from “them,” when in reality, there is only us.
Program Speakers & Contributors (in program order):
Mark Rapaport, MD, DLFAPA — American Psychiatric Association President-elect (Plenary Keynote)
Kimberly Navarre, MS, LMFT — Minnesota Health Professionals Services Program
Izzy Rojas — Momentum Advocacy
Kathleen Yost, PhD — Health Services Research, Mayo Clinic
Maria de Guadalupe Jimenez Ayasta, MD — University of Minnesota
Michael Dinh, MD — University of Minnesota
Terence Meyerhoefer, MD, MS — Mayo Clinic
Monica Taylor-Desir, MD — Mayo Clinic (Panel Facilitator)
Nicholas Rasmussen — NAMI Minnesota
Jode Freyholtz-London — Wellness in the Woods
Chad Bolstrom, Richard Whitman, Michelle Tetreault — Vail Communities
Tolulope Ola, PhD, MPH — Restoration For All
Marnie Werner, MPP — Center for Rural Policy & Development
The program also featured 22 poster presentations that were smart, professional, and highly engaging - highlighting the strength of emerging research in the field.
Poster Award Winners:
Presenter and Author: Sophie Gorham, MD
“Pro-suicide and Pro-self Harm Internet Use – A Stigmatized and Underrecognized Risk Factor”
(Co-authors: Sean Holleback, DO; Diana Li, MD)
Presenters and Authors: Caylon Pettis, MD and Edward De Noir
“Mental Health Professionals' Firearm Risk Assessments: A Descriptive Study of Red Flag Reports under Minnesota's ERPO Law”
Presenter and Author: Hossam M. Ali
“GABAergic and Glutamatergic Modulation by Ketamine in Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Studies”
(Co-authors: Balwinder Singh, Alessandro Miola, Nicolas A. Nunez, Larry Prokop, Mark Frye, John D. Port)
The day concluded with an awards reception recognizing outstanding contributions to the field:
Gloria Segal Award: Justin Myrah and Lucia Ray
Presidential Service Award: Mark Frye, MD
Psychiatrist of the Year: Eduardo Colón, MD
The momentum started the night before at the Residents and Emerging Leaders Forum, where 24 residents and early career psychiatrists gathered at Pinstripes. Open-format mentoring roundtables with Drs. Mark Frye, Monica Taylor-Desir, and Mark Rapaport created space for candid conversation and practical guidance. MPS will continue building more opportunities like this.
Thank you to Lonnie Widmer, MD, for opening and closing the day, and to Monica Taylor-Desir, MD, for facilitating the community panel discussion.
Thank you as well to John Vuchetich, MD, and Michael Trangle, MD, for serving as award presenters.
Special appreciation to the MPS Program Planning Committee: Mark Frye, MD (Co-Chair), Ben Dralle, MD (Co-Chair), Karen Dickson, MD, Sheila Specker, MD, Tracy Tomac, MD, and Dionne Hart, MD.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At this time, the Program Planning Committee is not planning a Fall Program, as has been the case in previous years. That said, new ideas are already beginning to take shape. If you have an idea you’d like to explore or are interested in helping lead something, we’d welcome the conversation. Please reach out to Sonia Palmer at [email protected].
MPS Spring Education Program 2026
Saturday, April 25, 2026
8 AM to 5 PM, with award reception to follow
Courtyard by Marriott Edina Bloomington, Bloomington MN
Stigma leaves a mark.
The 2026 Minnesota Psychiatric Society Spring Education Program, Deconstructing Stigma: Breaking Down Barriers to Care, brought together approximately 50 psychiatrists, trainees, and mental health professionals for a day that tackled that reality head-on...through evidence, lived experience, and honest conversation.
Throughout the day, stigma was examined across its multiple levels - public, self, and structural - not as an abstract concept, but as something that shows up in clinical practice every day. A highlight was the keynote from Mark Rapaport, whose message was clear and direct: psychiatry has a critical role to play in changing the conversation now.
Sessions brought this into focus from multiple angles - clinical realities, professional monitoring, legislative barriers, health literacy, and community perspectives on trust and engagement. Across it all, one idea held steady: stigma separates “us” from “them,” when in reality, there is only us.
Program Speakers & Contributors (in program order):
Mark Rapaport, MD, DLFAPA — American Psychiatric Association President-elect (Plenary Keynote)
Kimberly Navarre, MS, LMFT — Minnesota Health Professionals Services Program
Izzy Rojas — Momentum Advocacy
Kathleen Yost, PhD — Health Services Research, Mayo Clinic
Maria de Guadalupe Jimenez Ayasta, MD — University of Minnesota
Michael Dinh, MD — University of Minnesota
Terence Meyerhoefer, MD, MS — Mayo Clinic
Monica Taylor-Desir, MD — Mayo Clinic (Panel Facilitator)
Nicholas Rasmussen — NAMI Minnesota
Jode Freyholtz-London — Wellness in the Woods
Chad Bolstrom, Richard Whitman, Michelle Tetreault — Vail Communities
Tolulope Ola, PhD, MPH — Restoration For All
Marnie Werner, MPP — Center for Rural Policy & Development
The program also featured 22 poster presentations that were smart, professional, and highly engaging - highlighting the strength of emerging research in the field.
Poster Award Winners:
Presenter and Author: Sophie Gorham, MD
“Pro-suicide and Pro-self Harm Internet Use – A Stigmatized and Underrecognized Risk Factor”
(Co-authors: Sean Holleback, DO; Diana Li, MD)
Presenters and Authors: Caylon Pettis, MD and Edward De Noir
“Mental Health Professionals' Firearm Risk Assessments: A Descriptive Study of Red Flag Reports under Minnesota's ERPO Law”
Presenter and Author: Hossam M. Ali
“GABAergic and Glutamatergic Modulation by Ketamine in Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Studies”
(Co-authors: Balwinder Singh, Alessandro Miola, Nicolas A. Nunez, Larry Prokop, Mark Frye, John D. Port)
The day concluded with an awards reception recognizing outstanding contributions to the field:
Gloria Segal Award: Justin Myrah and Lucia Ray
Presidential Service Award: Mark Frye, MD
Psychiatrist of the Year: Eduardo Colón, MD
The momentum started the night before at the Residents and Emerging Leaders Forum, where 24 residents and early career psychiatrists gathered at Pinstripes. Open-format mentoring roundtables with Drs. Mark Frye, Monica Taylor-Desir, and Mark Rapaport created space for candid conversation and practical guidance. MPS will continue building more opportunities like this.
Thank you to Lonnie Widmer, MD, for opening and closing the day, and to Monica Taylor-Desir, MD, for facilitating the community panel discussion.
Thank you as well to John Vuchetich, MD, and Michael Trangle, MD, for serving as award presenters.
Special appreciation to the MPS Program Planning Committee: Mark Frye, MD (Co-Chair), Ben Dralle, MD (Co-Chair), Karen Dickson, MD, Sheila Specker, MD, Tracy Tomac, MD, and Dionne Hart, MD.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At this time, the Program Planning Committee is not planning a Fall Program, as has been the case in previous years. That said, new ideas are already beginning to take shape. If you have an idea you’d like to explore or are interested in helping lead something, we’d welcome the conversation. Please reach out to Sonia Palmer at [email protected].
How To Claim Continuing Education Credit:
At the conclusion of the course, physician participants will be provided with a link to claim hours of participation and receive an official CME certificate by completing an online CME course evaluation. If you missed the link please email Sonia Palmer.
Non-physician participants can also receive a certificate of participation. At the conclusion of the conference, participants should complete the online conference evaluation in order to print a certificate of attendance.
Certificates will no longer be available after July 24, 2026.
Accreditation
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the Minnesota Psychiatric Society (MPS). The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Designation
The APA designates this live activity for a maximum of 7.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.