KPA 2025 Fall Conference
Online via Zoom
November 7, 2025, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
6 hours CE (1 hour ethics)
- 9am- Marissa Roffler, PhD — Building Community: How to Engage the Disengaged in the Classroom
- 10am- Katrina Markowicz, PhD — Gender Affirming Care
- 11am- Noah Cole, PsyD — Assessment Consideration for First American Communities
- 12pm- Lunch break
- 1pm- Tyler Staples, PsyD — The Unique Impact of Moral Injury on Clinicians
- 2pm- Stephen Gillaspy, PhD — Health Care Financing: Billing, Coding, and Policy Update
- 3pm- Bruce Liese, PhD - Excellent Therapy is Ethical Therapy ((Provides one credit towards ethics requirement for Kansas Licensed Psychologists)
Presenters/Abstracts
Marissa Roffler, PhD- Building Community: How to Engage the Disengaged in the Classroom
Abstract: In the post-COVID 19 academic setting, students have had to shift back to in-person classrooms from mostly online learning environments. Students are struggling to engage in the classroom and do not see academic engagement as a part of their larger self-growth (Yukhymenko-Lescroart, 2022). It is possible that students do not know how to get the most out of their classroom experience or how to connect with others in the classroom. What can we do as instructors to encourage engagement and facilitate academic motivation? This session will focus on how instructors can leverage what we know about belonging and community to boost engagement in academic classrooms. We will engage with each other in the session to discuss what others have observed, what has worked (or not worked) for instructors, and potentially identify new assignments or activities to try out in our classes.
Objectives: Participants will be able to recognize and describe how belonginess and intrinsic motivation relate to student engagement.
Participants will identify, evaluate, and create or revise an assignment or activity they intend to use to cultivate engagement and facilitate connection between learners.
Bio: Dr. Roffler is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Rockhurst University who has over 10 years of experience teaching cognitive neuroscience and quantitative methods. One area of her research focuses on the scholarship of teaching and learning. She is interested in how students engage with the learning process, navigate ambiguity, and most notably, how they deal with statistics anxiety! Throughout her teaching career, she has attempted to engage students in unique ways and facilitate an open classroom environment that invites communication about difficult topics. Additionally, she mentors student research projects through her lab and enjoys helping students reach their professional goals. In 2022 the student body at Rockhurst University awarded her Faculty Member of the Year and in 2024 she was again acknowledged for her teaching with the Rockhurst University Teaching Excellence Award.
Katrina Markowicz, PhD - Gender Affirming Care
Bio: Dr. Katrina “Kat” Markowicz is a Child and Adolescent Psychologist specializing in neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, and medically complex youth. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and completed her training at Children’s Mercy Kansas City. Dr. Markowicz provides inclusive, evidence-based care using CBT, ACT, and behavior strategies to help children and teens with ADHD, autism, anxiety, sleep, and identity concerns. She also conducts comprehensive psychological assessments, emphasizing collaboration and clarity for families. Passionate about advocacy and health equity, she creates affirming, strengths-based spaces. Outside work, she enjoys board games, aerial arts, nature, and time with her fiancé and cats.
Noah Cole, PsyD - Assessment Considerations for First American Communities
Abstract: This course will discuss the historical, cultural, and identity concerns that lead to the challenges faced by providers conducting psychological assessment in Indian Country. This didactic course will discuss the different factors to consider when conducting psychological assessments with first American people. This training relates to the doctoral level of practice since doctoral level practitioners are the ones who provide these services (at least in Oklahoma). Participants in this course should hopefully have a better understanding of (1) cultural values and the historical trauma endured by First American Americans and (2) factors to consider when conducting assessments with first American people.
Objectives: Participants in this course will have a better understanding of (1) cultural values and the historical trauma endured by first Americans and (2) factors to consider when conducting assessments with first American people.
Bio: My name is Dr. Noah Cole, and I am a psychologist for the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma. I went to Kansas City University for my doctorate and spent two years at the Indian Health Board of Minneapolis before going back home. I am enrolled in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and I am a member of APA and the Society of Indian Psychologists. I enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, and hunting, and I am a rabid fan of Chelsea Football Club. My work consists of conducting assessments on Chickasaw and other first American citizens, consultation with our team of therapists, and providing training opportunities for practicum students and therapists within the Chickasaw Nation health system.
Tyler Staples, PsyD- The Unique Impact of Moral Injury on Clinicians
Abstract: Moral injury refers to the psychological and spiritual distress that occurs when a person engages in, witnesses, or is unable to prevent actions that violate their deeply held moral beliefs and values. Though not formally recognized as a psychological disorder, it has long been indicated in research as a contributor to negative mental health outcomes, especially in healthcare workers (HCWs). In this presentation, we will learn what the research says about the sources of moral injury for HCWs along with its impact on their physical and mental health. We will then discuss steps that HCWs can take to mitigate the negative impact of moral injury to help them care more effectively for their patients — and for themselves.
Dr Staples specializes in clinical child psychology with an emphasis in providing therapy to teens, young adults, and their families, as well as offering psychological assessment for children, teens, and adults. Though generally eclectic and highly individualized in his approach to therapy, he has been formally trained in the areas of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
(CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), with additional training in other evidence-based therapies such as DBT and other mindfulness-based approaches. Additionally, he has been formally trained for neurodevelopmental assessment (ADHD, ASD, IDD, & Learning).
His assessment specialization includes psychological assessment for neurodevelopmental disorders (Autism, ADHD, Learning Disorders, and Intellectual Disorder) in children, teens, and young adults with clinical specialty to include working with anxiety and depression in teens and young adults.
Stephen Gillaspy, PhD- Health Care Financing: Billing, Coding, and Policy Update
Abstract: Dr. Gillaspy will discuss the value of psychologists' engagement in advocacy and recent outcomes. He will also discuss the relationship between state and federal advocacy regarding health care financing. There will also be discussion of recent coding. Lastly, he will discuss current issues around reimbursement for behavioral health services and access to care.
Objectives: 1. Describe health policy and healthcare financing advocacy efforts and outcomes at the state and federal level. 2. Explain recent CPT and HCPCS coding changes for behavioral health and future directions.
Bio: Stephen Gillaspy, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist with extensive experience integrating psychological services into larger healthcare systems. Dr. Gillaspy is recognized throughout the field of clinical psychology for his hard work and dedication as a Health Psychologist, as well as a vital member of American Psychological Association (APA) staff, serving as the Senior Director of Health and Health Care Financing August 2019 – December 2024, and now serving as the Deputy Chief for Health Policy and Healthcare Financing. He has also been long-standing, active representative of APA to the American Medical Association, and currently serves as the Alternate Advisor to the Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) and the CPT Editorial Panel. Prior to joining APA staff, Dr. Gillaspy was a Professor and Director of Pediatric Psychology in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma, College of Medicine. During his tenure in the Section of General and Community Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC), he served as the Director of Research, the Director Clinical Psychology, and Associate Section Chief. He is also a past President of the Oklahoma Psychological Association (OPA), served as Director of the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline, and has authored or co-authored numerous articles published in scientific journals.
Bruce Liese, PhD
Title: Excellent Therapy is Ethical Therapy (Provides one credit towards ethics requirement for Kansas Licensed Psychologists)
Bio: Dr. Bruce S. Liese, PhD, ABPP, is a Professor of Family Medicine, Community Health, and Psychiatry at the University of Kansas. A board-certified Family Psychologist, he trained under Dr. Aaron T. Beck at the University of Pennsylvania. His work focuses on cognitive-behavioral therapy, addiction, psychotherapy, and clinical training. He has authored over 75 publications and three books with Dr. Beck, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy of Addictive Disorders (2022). A Fellow of APA Divisions 29 and 50, Dr. Liese has received multiple national awards for his teaching, leadership, and community service, including APA’s Distinguished Career Contributions to Education and Training.