Fall Symposium 2026

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Kelsie Carlton, LMFT

Kelsie Carlton, LMFT is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at Country Crossroads Counseling in rural Missouri and the founder of the their Community Crisis Coalition. A former athlete and current youth sports coach, Kelsie brings a unique perspective to the intersection of mental health and athletics. She is certified in both EMDR and Trauma-Focused CBT and specializes in trauma-informed care.

Panelists:

Jeni Watts, LCSW

Jeni Watts, LCSW is a clinical leader with more than 25 years of experience in social work and behavioral health, Jeni Watts has dedicated her career to supporting individuals and families through complex mental health and social challenges. Her experience includes work as a case manager, Children’s Division investigator and supervisor, emergency department social worker, crisis responder and therapist.

Jeni currently serves as Manager of Beacon Mental Health’s Older Adult Mental Health Program, where she focuses on promoting mental health, wellness, and connection among older adults and caregivers. She is particularly passionate about addressing the unique mental health needs of women across the lifespan, including the impact of trauma, grief, caregiving, loss, and life transitions.

Jeni has extensive training in trauma-informed and reflective supervision and is committed to supporting professionals experiencing secondary traumatic stress. She is trained in EMDR, ACT, CBT, IFS, and is verified Missouri DBT therapist. Her work reflects a strong commitment to compassionate, person-centered care and strengthening the mental health of older adults, women, families, and the professionals who serve them.

Kim Hawley, LMSW

Kim Hawley, LMSW, is a perinatal therapist and the founder and president of Whole Parent Foundation, a Kansas City-based nonprofit dedicated to providing free mental health support for all parents. She serves on the Missouri Maternal-Child Learning Action Network’s Core Team and served on the Missouri PQC task force that created the first guidelines for postpartum care in the state. She is the Postpartum Support International (PSI) State Lead Coordinator for Missouri and is a PSI national specialized coordinator for preeclampsia and long-term health conditions. Kim was recently a Nonprofit State Policy Fellow with the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. She has spoken about parental mental health for organizations including the Missouri Hospital Association, St. Luke’s Health System, Parents as Teachers, and Mental Health KC.

Lara Ashbaugh

Lara Ashbaugh has a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology, is a licensed Professional Counselor in Missouri and a Nationally Certified Counselor. She has worked in the field of community mental health for over 15 years. In that time she has worked in a crisis stabilization unit, residential facilities, outpatient case management and an outpatient counseling center. She currently provides clinical and administrative trainings as well as supervision and mentoring in her role as Senior Project Coordinator at University Health – Behavioral Health. She is passionate about finding and utilizing a person’s strengths to help them build the life they want.

Outside of mental health she teaches Lifespan Development Psychology and Abnormal Psychology at various community colleges and universities.

In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, seeing movies, and traveling the world.