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Family Social Science hosts first Medical Family Therapy Intensive Conference
The Department of Family Social Science hosted a Medical Family Therapy (MedFT) Intensive Conference that explored the roots, growth, and future of the MedFT discipline. The conference was sponsored by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy's (AAMFT) Family Therapists in Healthcare Settings Topical Interest Network.
The two-day event featured a showcase of presentations, discussions, and breakout sessions, as well as a research poster session within the MedFT community. With almost 50 combined in-person and virtual attendees from around the country, the event brought together field leaders across first/founding-, second-, and third- generation scholars, alongside undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students.
Organizing and co-hosting the conference were Tai Mendenhall, FSoS professor, Medical Family Therapist and director of the mental health teams in the UMN’s Medical Reserve Corps, and Lisa Zak-Hunter, UMN Family Medicine and Community Health associate professor and director of Behavioral Health at St. John's Family Medicine Residency/Phalen Village Clinic. The conference was held in McNeal Hall on the University's St. Paul campus, and they were assisted by a dedicated group of student volunteers who worked tirelessly throughout the event.
Bill Doherty, FSoS professor emeritus, and Mac Baird, professor emeritus and retired Dept Head of the UMN's Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, gave an exceptional opening plenary on Friday night (pictured right). Considered to be two of the key founders of the discipline, their wisdom and insights from their long careers were delivered with humility and humor during their memorable session.
The “second generation MedFT” presentation was delivered by a national panel of scholars and practitioners, including: Tai Mendenall; Angela Lamson, professor of Human Development and Family Science at East Carolina University; Randall Reitz, director of Behavioral Medicine at St. Mary's Family Medicine Residency, Colorado; Jerica Berge, director of the Adult and Child Center for Outcomes Research and Delivery at the University of Colorado; and Jackie Williams-Reade, professor and therapist at Loma Linda University, California. The group’s personal stories and professional achievements in the field were very impactful for the audience.
Presenting the closing plenary that examined the future vision and direction of MedFT were representatives of MedFT’s “third generation”, including: Deepu George, associate professor of Family Medicine at the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley; Ruth N. Faucette, psychotherapist and executive leadership consultant; and Gunnur Karakurt, professor at Case Western Reserve University, Ohio.
In addition, Saturday featured a poster session from students and faculty representing multiple institutions, including: Saint Louis University, East Carolina University, the University of Minnesota, Texas Women’s University, St. Mary’s University, and Wake Forest University.
More about the Family Therapists in Health Settings TIN
Family-centered work in health care, medicine, training programs, mental health settings, and communities is central to the Family Therapists in Healthcare Settings Topical Interest Network in AAMFT. The meeting was convened as a launch point for new initiatives in the field.