CCE: 13th Annual Conference on Urban Mental Health

Friday, March 27, 2026, 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Rutgers NJMS, 185 South Orange Avenue, MSB B-552, Newark, NJ

This educational activity addresses gaps in knowledge and skills related to violence, trauma, and behavioral health challenges in urban communities. Through expert-led presentations, case-based discussions, and skills demonstrations, participants will explore the psychological, cultural, and systemic factors that contribute to aggression, trauma exposure, and safety risks in clinical and community settings. The program emphasizes evidence-based, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive approaches to assessment, communication, and de-escalation. Learners will gain practical strategies to enhance patient care, strengthen safety practices, and improve outcomes for individuals and communities affected by violence.

1. Identify key psychological, social, and environmental contributors to violence and aggression in urban communities and describe their implications for clinical practice.
2. Apply trauma-informed and culturally responsive approaches when assessing and supporting immigrant patients who have experienced violence or displacement.
3. Explain the psychological mechanisms and clinical relevance of humor in the context of violence, including its potential adaptive and maladaptive functions.
4. Demonstrate evidence-based verbal de-escalation techniques appropriate for use in hospital and community behavioral health settings.
5. Differentiate between psychological and physical de-escalation strategies and determine appropriate use to promote safety for patients, staff, and the broader care environment.

General Registration Fee + CE Certificate:  $100 

This includes admission, a delicious continental breakfast, lunch, a refreshment break, CE letters of attendance/certificates.

Full-time students, interns, residents, and fellows are eligible for a reduced registration fee of $50. Registration should be accompanied by a program director’s letter confirming the full-time trainee status; please forward the email to [email protected]

*Registration for this course will close on 3/26/26. Full refund, less $20 cancellation fee, by March 26, 2026. If you would like to be added to the registration after this time, please contact: UBHC Center for Continuing Education (CCE). Refunds cannot be given for "No shows". 

This is an in-person conference and will not be recorded. Payment for this event can be made via personal check or secure payment portal via credit card. 

*Walk in attendees can only be accommodated if space permits. Please have access to your registration confirmation page at the time of admission. 

 

In support of improving patient care, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences 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.

Nurses: This activity is awarded 4.5 contact hours (60 min CH). 

Physicians:  Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences designates this live activity for a maximum of 4.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

Pharmacists: The knowledge-based activity qualifies for 4.5 contact hours of continuing pharmacy education credit. UAN #: JA0000855-0000-26-006-L01-P

As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 4.5 (clinical) continuing education credits.

Psychologists: Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences maintains responsibility for the program and its content. (4.5 CE Credits).   

Certified Counselors:  Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6198.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. (4.5 Clock Hours)

Licensed and Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselors:  This course will count for 4.5 recertification credits for Addiction Professionals as approved by The Certification board of NJ, Inc. Approval numbers for this course is #200032726REC4.5

Certified Recovery Support Practitioner:  Each course will count for 4.5 recertification credits towards Certified Recovery Support Practitioner as approved by the Certification Board of NJ, Inc. Approval numbers for this course is #200032726REC4.5

Marriage and Family Therapists: This course will count for 4.5 recertification credits for Marriage and Family Therapists as approved by The Certification Board of NJ, Inc. Approval number for this course is #200032726REC4.5

Peer Review Statement:
In order to help ensure content objectivity, independence, and fair balance, and to ensure that the content is aligned with the interest of the public, RBHS has resolved all potential and real conflicts of interest through content review by non-conflicted, qualified reviewers. This activity was peer-reviewed for relevance, accuracy of content, and balance of presentation by: Stephanie Marcello PhD, Laura Burns, LCSW, and Michele Miller, MSN, RN of Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care Dr. Petros Levounis, MA, MD, Dr. Clement Chen, PharmD, BCPS, MPH Candidate, of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Disclosure: In accordance with the disclosure policies of Rutgers and to conform with Joint Accreditation requirements and FDA guidelines, individuals in a position to control the content of this education activity are required to disclose to the activity participants: the existence of any relevant financial relationship with any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients, with the exemption of non-profit or government organizations and non-health care related companies, within the past 24 months; and the identification of a commercial product/device that is unlabeled for use or an investigational use of a product/device that is not yet approved.

Faculty:
The following faculty have no relevant financial relationships to disclose: Petros Levounis, MD, Najeeb Hussain, MD, Rijul Asri, Mannat Dhaliwal, MD, Taylor Anthony, MD, Kathy Chen, MD, Aislinn Black, MD, Novneet Sahu, MD, Douglas Opler, MD, Eric Jarmon, MD, Joselino Ulanday, RN, BSN and Emmanuel Owuor, RN.

Peer Reviewers: The following peer reviewers have no relevant financial relationships to disclose: Stephanie Marcello PhD, Laura Burns, LCSW, and Michele Miller, MSN, RN of Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care Dr. Petros Levounis, MA, MD, Dr. Clement Chen, PharmD, BCPS, MPH Candidate, of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Planners:
The following planners have no relevant financial relationships to disclose:
Petros Levounis, MD, MA; Najeeb Hussain, MD, and Lisette Nazario, CPLC

Off-Label/Investigational Use Disclosure: Faculty are required to disclose discussion of off-label/investigational uses of commercial products/devices in their presentation. These disclosures will be made to the audience at the time of the activity.

Content Disclaimer: The views expressed in this activity are those of the faculty. It should not be inferred or assumed that they are expressing the views of any manufacturer of pharmaceuticals or devices, Rutgers University RBHS and New Jersey Medical School (NJMS).

It should be noted that the recommendations made herein with regard to the use of therapeutic agents, varying disease states, and assessments of risk, are based upon a combination of clinical trials, current guidelines, and the clinical practice experience of the participating presenters. The drug selection and dosage information presented in this activity are believed to be accurate. However, participants are urged to consult all available data on products or procedures before using them in clinical practice.

Copyright © 2026. Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. All rights reserved including translation into other languages. No part of these activity may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences. 

Questions: Please direct content, CE-related or technical questions or concerns to Rutgers UBHC (CCE) by email at [email protected].

AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (4.50 hours), ACPE Credits (4.50 hours), ANCC Contact Hours (4.50 hours), ASWB ACE Credit (General) (4.50 hours), General Attendance (4.50 hours), LPC/LAC: NBCC CE Clock Hours (4.50 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (4.50 hours), Psychologist: APA CE Credits (4.50 hours)

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

All relevant financial relationships for all individuals in control of content have been mitigated.

Friday, March 27, 2026

Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences has received no commercial support for this activity.