Additional fee applies and pre-registration is required.

Launching a private practice demands more than clinical expertise—it requires strategic foresight, legal and financial literacy, and operational rigor. This session provides a comprehensive roadmap from concept to launch, guiding clinicians through entity formation, business planning, compliance setup, and the essential systems that create a foundation for long-term success.

Additional fee applies and pre-registration is required.

Financial management is a core competency for practice sustainability. This session demystifies the financial frameworks behind successful practices, including budgeting, cash flow management, tax strategy, and profitability analysis. Participants will gain actionable insights into aligning clinical goals with financial realities to ensure growth and stability.

Additional fee applies and pre-registration is required.

Understanding payer contracts and credentialing is crucial to maintaining both profitability and compliance. This session breaks down key contract terms, reimbursement structures, and negotiation tactics that protect clinical autonomy and optimize revenue. Attendees will leave better equipped to engage payers with confidence and strategy.

Additional fee applies and pre-registration is required.

Early private practice success depends less on cutting-edge innovation and more on choosing the right foundational tools. This session offers a practical, clinician-focused guide to building and evaluating a private practice technology stack—from digital phone systems and intake platforms to EHRs, billing software, patient portals, virtual assistants, and AI-enabled tools—through the lens of workflow efficiency, compliance, cost, and scalability. Attendees will learn how to determine what to implement now versus later, and where automation or AI can responsibly enhance efficiency versus when traditional software or human support remains the better choice for early-stage practices.

Lunch will be served. Seating is limited to 200 attendees and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please plan to arrive early to ensure a seat. No CE credits are offered at these programs.

Additional fee applies and pre-registration is required.

Starting a new clinical practice requires navigating complex legal and regulatory decisions early and often. This session provides a practical overview of the foundational legal considerations clinicians must address when launching or recently establishing a practice, including entity formation, employment and HR issues, telemedicine and licensure requirements, documentation and consent, and compliance risks related to billing and audits. Common legal pitfalls and real-world scenarios will be highlighted, with resource-rich slides designed to support continued reference after the session.

Additional fee applies and pre-registration is required.

Building the right team is essential to any thriving practice. This session covers recruitment strategy, staff retention, compensation models, and legally sound termination practices. Experts will outline practical HR frameworks tailored for small-to-medium private practices, helping clinicians create compliant, high-performing workplace cultures.

Additional fee applies and pre-registration is required.

In today’s digital-first world, visibility drives viability. This session provides a tactical guide to building and maintaining a patient pipeline through SEO, digital branding, and professional referral networks. Attendees will learn practical methods to enhance online discoverability, reputation management, and long-term referral partnerships.

Find out about all the great things Elevate has to offer and how to get the most out of your conference experience. Our Elevate Co-Chairs will provide insight into what you can expect to gain out of attending the conference, highlight important conference locations, go over how to use the Elevate conference app, and other tips and tricks for "elevating" your experience on-site.

Breakfast will be served. Seating is limited to 200 attendees and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please plan to arrive early to ensure a seat. No CE credits are offered at these programs.

Join our co-chairs as they kick off the conference with energy and excitement—plus a little morning karaoke fun—while also sharing a brief overview of what’s ahead for the day, including key sessions and events.

Join us for an exciting kickoff to Psych Congress Elevate 2026! This opening session will set the tone for four days of inspiration, connection, and practical education in psychopharmacology. More details to be announced soon.

Trauma and adverse experiences exist across a spectrum and patients with a high degree of adverse childhood experiences or repeated trauma are more likely to develop unstable mood symptoms. These patients may experience misdiagnosis or stigma, particularly borderline personality disorder or bipolar disorder, that can impede appropriate diagnosis and treatment. This session seeks to discuss the overlap of personality and mood features with complex trauma and allow clinicians to gain familiarity and competence with differential diagnosis of complex PTSD.

Discontinuing psychiatric medications should involve the same clinical thoughtfulness and compassion as starting them. This session reviews evidence-based deprescribing strategies for antidepressant medications to reduce the risk of withdrawal symptoms. In addition, faculty will explore the therapeutic side of deprescribing—how to navigate patient concerns and maintain trust during medication reduction. Attendees will leave with both clinical tools and relational strategies to guide safe, patient-centered deprescribing.

Early and accurate identification of bipolar disorder can dramatically alter a patient’s long-term trajectory, but misdiagnosis or delayed treatment remains common. This session provides a foundational look at symptom recognition across mood states, the importance of early intervention, and the range of treatments available to improve outcomes.

Clinical documentation is a critical part of psychiatric care—not just for billing, but for ensuring safety, communicating across care teams, and protecting both patients and providers. This session offers practical strategies for writing defensible notes that reflect clinical reasoning, address risk, and stand up to scrutiny. It will also explore commonly overlooked elements of documentation—such as email correspondence, patient portal messages, and the role of administrative staff—in shaping the clinical record. Attendees will leave with tools to document more clearly, efficiently, and intentionally, especially in high-stakes or complex cases.

Lunch will be served. Seating is limited to 200 attendees and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please plan to arrive early to ensure a seat. No CE credits are offered at these programs.

These highly interactive educational sessions offer a comprehensive and practical look into a diverse array of mental health conditions. With a focus on translating current research into practical, real-world applications, these sessions will help you to effectively integrate the latest advances in mental health care into clinical practice, enhancing your professional skills and improving patient outcomes. Both seasoned and early-career mental health professionals will benefit from these educational grant–supported sessions. Applications for commercial support from healthcare-related industries are pending. Commercial support will be acknowledged as it is received.

ADHD doesn’t look the same in a 7-year-old, a college student, and a 50-year-old executive—and neither should the approach to diagnosis or treatment. This session explores how ADHD symptoms shift across developmental stages and how to tailor assessment, medication selection, and psychosocial interventions accordingly. Attendees will gain practical strategies for managing ADHD in children, adolescents, and adults, including how to navigate common diagnostic challenges, address comorbidities, and support functioning across different stages of life.

As psychedelic therapies move toward mainstream psychiatric care, clinicians need to be prepared for the practical realities of implementation. This session offers a snapshot of the current psychedelic landscape and an overview of key agents in development as they approach FDA approval. Faculty will examine how these agents are likely to be implemented in practice and what clinicians should anticipate when treating patients in this evolving landscape. Whether you're curious, cautious, or already engaged, this session will help you understand where psychedelics fit into the future of psychiatric care.

Join your peers in the Exhibit Hall to engage with mentors, recruiters, and future employers, and learn about available pharmaceuticals and devices for your practice. Have your CV reviewed by a hiring expert (booth #327), get a professional headshot taken by our photographer (booth #627), and more! Stop by the Elevate with the Experts Booth (#626) to meet the Psych Congress Elevate faculty, and visit the Psych Congress booth (#523) to register with an exclusive Alumni rate for 2027, and to learn more about our other Psych Congress events.

Join us after the conference for drinks, games, networking, and meet and greet the faculty! Eat, drink, and mingle with your peers, faculty, and steering committee members.

Breakfast will be served. Seating is limited to 200 attendees and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please plan to arrive early to ensure a seat. No CE credits are offered at these programs.

Start the day with our co-chairs as they bring the energy, a touch of morning karaoke, and a quick preview of the day to come.

With patients increasingly turning to AI chatbots for mental health support, clinicians must be prepared to address the risks. This session explores how to screen for AI-influenced beliefs, guide patient conversations, and maintain diagnostic clarity in an era of digital tools. Attendees will learn strategies for risk mitigation, clinical documentation, and education, including when to adjust treatment plans or psychopharmacology based on harmful AI interactions.

With increased awareness of autism spectrum disorder through improved diagnostic screening, there is a need for clinicians to develop familiarity with autism across age groups. This session offers practical tools for recognizing autism in clinical settings across the lifespan, from early signs in children and adolescents to diagnostic considerations for adults who may have been missed or misdiagnosed. Attendees will explore the evolving presentation of autism over time, how to approach the diagnostic conversation, and strategies for supporting coping, communication, and function in both newly diagnosed and long-recognized autistic individuals.

Join your peers in the Exhibit Hall to engage with mentors, recruiters, and future employers, and learn about available pharmaceuticals and devices for your practice. Have your CV reviewed by a hiring expert (booth #327), get a professional headshot taken by our photographer (booth #627), and more! Take part in the Poster Pavilion to review relevant, cutting-edge research, keep up-to-date on innovative projects and programs, and learn from your colleagues in this peer-to-peer educational format. Stop by the Elevate with the Experts Booth (#626) to meet the Psych Congress Elevate faculty, and visit the Psych Congress booth (#523) to register with an exclusive Alumni rate for 2027, and to learn more about our other Psych Congress events.

These highly interactive educational sessions offer a comprehensive and practical look into a diverse array of mental health conditions. With a focus on translating current research into practical, real-world applications, these sessions will help you to effectively integrate the latest advances in mental health care into clinical practice, enhancing your professional skills and improving patient outcomes. Both seasoned and early-career mental health professionals will benefit from these educational grant–supported sessions. Applications for commercial support from healthcare-related industries are pending. Commercial support will be acknowledged as it is received.

Lunch will be served. Seating is limited to 200 attendees and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please plan to arrive early to ensure a seat. No CE credits are offered at these programs.

Many patients with serious mental illness (SMI) are often turned away or left behind by traditional systems of care. This session equips psychiatrists with practical strategies to engage and retain high-risk patients that others won’t treat. Attendees will explore intensive resources and approaches, community-based interventions, and flexible, harm-reduction-informed models that support therapeutic alliance, safety, and recovery for this often-overlooked population.

What patients eat—and what they’re missing—can significantly impact psychiatric symptoms, treatment response, and overall functioning. This session highlights key nutritional factors in mental health, with a focus on vitamin B12, folate, magnesium, zinc, and MTHFR-related pathways. Faculty will review how these deficiencies contribute to psychiatric presentations across diagnoses and provide evidence-based, practical strategies to guide supplementation that can be applied in psychiatric care.

Managing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) is a common challenge in psychiatric and primary care settings, particularly when clinicians feel caught between under-treating distress and overmedicating risk. This session offers a practical, foundational approach to evaluating and managing BPSD, including when and how to use medication in geriatric patients and how to prioritize strategies that support safety, dignity, and quality of life.

Depression frequently presents with anxious distress, subthreshold mixed features, and chronic pain—but distinguishing where one syndrome ends and another begins can be challenging in everyday practice. This session clarifies how these overlapping presentations influence diagnosis, treatment selection, and prognosis. Faculty will review the latest evidence on identifying mixed features in depression, understanding their relationship to anxiety symptoms, and recognizing how both contribute to pain amplification. Attendees will gain practical tools for assessment, medication planning, and strategies to help patients whose symptoms don’t fit neatly into a single category.

Join your peers in the Exhibit Hall to engage with mentors, recruiters, and future employers, and learn about available pharmaceuticals and devices for your practice. Have your CV reviewed by a hiring expert (booth #327), get a professional headshot taken by our photographer (booth #627), and more! Take part in the Poster Pavilion to review relevant, cutting-edge research, keep up-to-date on innovative projects and programs, and learn from your colleagues in this peer-to-peer educational format. Stop by the Elevate with the Experts Booth (#626) to meet the Psych Congress Elevate faculty, and visit the Psych Congress booth (#523) to register with an exclusive Alumni rate for 2027, and to learn more about our other Psych Congress events.

Join the Psych Congress Elevate Steering Committee, attendees, and peers for a poster reception with live music, hors d'oeuvres, and cocktails.

Sponsored by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc.

Breakfast will be served. Seating is limited to 200 attendees and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please plan to arrive early to ensure a seat. No CE credits are offered at these programs.

Start the day with our co-chairs as they bring the energy, a touch of morning karaoke, and a quick preview of the day to come.

Compulsive sexual behavior is increasingly recognized in psychiatric care, yet clinicians often feel unprepared to identify and manage this complex presentation. This session debunks myths, differentiates compulsive sexual behavior from consensual sexual diversity, and provides practical guidance for screening, interviewing, and identifying associated risks. The session also reviews evidence-based treatment approaches and referral considerations, with an emphasis on empathetic, ethical, and patient-centered clinical care.

Prescribing for children and adolescents requires a different clinical lens—from developmental factors and FDA guidance to communication with families and thoughtful dosing. This session equips early-career prescribers with practical strategies for initiating and monitoring psychotropic medication in youth, while also addressing early identification and intervention for high-risk conditions. Attendees will leave with confidence to manage complex cases, avoid common mistakes, and support families through challenging clinical decisions.

Join your peers in the Exhibit Hall to engage with mentors, recruiters, and future employers, and learn about available pharmaceuticals and devices for your practice. Have your CV reviewed by a hiring expert (booth #327), get a professional headshot taken by our photographer (booth #627), and more! Take part in the Poster Pavilion to review relevant, cutting-edge research, keep up-to-date on innovative projects and programs, and learn from your colleagues in this peer-to-peer educational format. Stop by the Elevate with the Experts Booth (#626) to meet the Psych Congress Elevate faculty, and visit the Psych Congress booth (#523) to register with an exclusive Alumni rate for 2027, and to learn more about our other Psych Congress events.

These highly interactive educational sessions offer a comprehensive and practical look into a diverse array of mental health conditions. With a focus on translating current research into practical, real-world applications, these sessions will help you to effectively integrate the latest advances in mental health care into clinical practice, enhancing your professional skills and improving patient outcomes. Both seasoned and early-career mental health professionals will benefit from these educational grant–supported sessions. Applications for commercial support from healthcare-related industries are pending. Commercial support will be acknowledged as it is received.

Lunch will be served. Seating is limited to 200 attendees and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please plan to arrive early to ensure a seat. No CE credits are offered at these programs.

Schizophrenia is a progressive and deeply human illness—one that affects far more than symptoms. This session explores how timely, sustained use of antipsychotics, including long-acting injectables (LAIs), can preserve gray matter, reduce relapse risk, and support meaningful recovery through consistent engagement, functional stability, and person-centered care. Attendees will gain insight into how LAIs can enhance adherence, improve continuity, and serve as a cornerstone of effective long-term management.

The substances patients are using—and how they’re using them—are changing fast. This session offers a forward-looking overview of emerging drug trends that psychiatric clinicians are increasingly encountering in practice. From the rise of kratom, xylazine, medetomidine, and loperamide (Imodium) to ongoing substances of concern, faculty will explore what these substances are, how they're being used, and their psychiatric implications. Attendees will learn how to recognize and manage substance use in real-world clinical settings—even when abstinence isn’t the goal—using harm-reduction-informed strategies and a practical, stigma-sensitive approach to care.

Whether you’re just starting out or years into your psychiatry career, professional roadblocks are inevitable. This session offers real-world strategies to navigate professional roadblocks and challenges and regain momentum. Walk away with tools to sustain your career with clarity, purpose, and confidence, even when the system feels stacked against you.

Optimal mental health outcomes often depend on the synergy between psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy — but in practice, collaboration is often fragmented by divides within the fields, historical boundaries, as well as provider perceptions, and communication barriers. This session explores practical strategies to improve interdisciplinary teamwork, including aligning treatment goals, navigating mismatched expectations, and coordinating care across different systems. Faculty will also highlight how self-awareness and relational qualities can serve as a foundation to strengthen both patient relationships and professional partnerships. Attendees will leave with tools to foster more cohesive, collaborative, and patient-centered care across disciplines.

Join your peers in the Exhibit Hall to engage with mentors, recruiters, and future employers, and learn about available pharmaceuticals and devices for your practice. Have your CV reviewed by a hiring expert (booth #327), get a professional headshot taken by our photographer (booth #627), and more! Take part in the Poster Pavilion to review relevant, cutting-edge research, keep up-to-date on innovative projects and programs, and learn from your colleagues in this peer-to-peer educational format. Stop by the Elevate with the Experts Booth (#626) to meet the Psych Congress Elevate faculty, and visit the Psych Congress booth (#523) to register with an exclusive Alumni rate for 2027, and to learn more about our other Psych Congress events.

Breakfast will be served. Seating is limited to 200 attendees and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please plan to arrive early to ensure a seat. No CE credits are offered at these programs.

Start the day with our co-chairs as they bring the energy, a touch of morning karaoke, and a quick preview of the day to come.

Pharmacotherapy remains the foundation of psychiatric treatment, yet medication-centered algorithms frequently fail to deliver sustained remission, particularly in depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and neurodevelopmental populations. Neuromodulation has traditionally been reserved for later lines of care; however, emerging evidence suggests a rapidly expanding role—earlier in illness course, in adolescents, and in combination with neuroplasticity-enhancing interventions. This session provides a concise critique of the limitations of medication-only paradigms, followed by a high-level overview of the current neuromodulation landscape, including TMS, ECT, VNS, and DBS. The majority of the session will focus on future-facing innovations and breakthrough therapies, including first-line and accelerated TMS protocols, adolescent and OCD-specific applications, combination approaches with neuroplasticity-enhancing agents, at-home neuromodulation, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and emerging indications beyond major depressive disorder. Through evidence-informed discussion and real-world clinical examples, attendees will gain a forward-looking framework to understand where neuromodulation is headed, how these advances may reshape treatment algorithms, and how to responsibly counsel patients amid rapidly evolving options.

Some of the most powerful moments in psychiatry happen in brief visits, not just through medications, but through meaningful connection. This practical session shares clinical pearls for weaving psychotherapy principles and wellness conversations into med checks, including how to ask the right questions, model emotional regulation, and bring depth to short encounters. Attendees will leave with actionable tips to strengthen therapeutic rapport and support whole-person care—even in 15 minutes or less.

These highly interactive educational sessions offer a comprehensive and practical look into a diverse array of mental health conditions. With a focus on translating current research into practical, real-world applications, these sessions will help you to effectively integrate the latest advances in mental health care into clinical practice, enhancing your professional skills and improving patient outcomes. Both seasoned and early-career mental health professionals will benefit from these educational grant–supported sessions. Applications for commercial support from healthcare-related industries are pending. Commercial support will be acknowledged as it is received.

Join the Steering Committee, attendees, and peers for a Poster Lunch & Learn. Food and beverages will be served!

Telepsychiatry has become an essential part of modern mental health care, but delivering high-quality, patient-centered treatment in virtual settings requires more than just logging on. This session offers practical guidance on bridging care gaps, building and maintaining therapeutic rapport through a screen, conducting effective assessments, and adapting communication techniques for remote visits. Whether you're new to telepsychiatry or refining an established workflow, this session provides tools to strengthen clinical impact in the digital space.

Perinatal mental health is complex and layered, encompassing a wide range of experiences and clinical presentations. This session equips clinicians to recognize risk across the perinatal mental health spectrum, provides evidence-based guidance on pharmacologic treatment, and outlines practical next steps for navigating complex clinical decisions and conversations with patients in the perinatal period.

Gambling isn’t just a behavior—it’s a window into how the human brain makes decisions under uncertainty. This high-energy closing session explores the neuroscience and psychology of gambling, impulsivity, and reward-based behavior, with direct links to conditions like bipolar disorder, ADHD, and substance use. Walk away with a deeper understanding of behavioral economics in psychiatry and how to apply these insights to improve patient engagement, decision-making, therapeutic outcomes….and your results on the casino floor. Whether you're walking back into a clinic—or a casino— on Monday, you won’t want to miss this one.