Rodney Raasch - Co-Occurring Disorders, Substance Dependence, and Mental Illness

Abstract:
Recent shootings at various schools around the country have brought to our attention the dangerous mental health of some of our youth. Rates of major depression and suicide have been increasing dramatically. Drug use, after dropping during the early 1990s, is now on the rise, even among middle school age youth.

Individuals with a history of substance dependence, particularly those in early recovery and those who are older, can exhibit significant cognitive deficits. Individuals with major depression also have significant cognitive impairment. Understanding lectures is difficult enough for students with impaired concentration. The two together create twice the difficulties in thinking and learning.


Presenter Bio:
Rodney received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of North Dakota
and his Masters of Education in Counseling and Guidance, from North Dakota State University.
In addition he has doctoral level course work in Educational Psychology and Counseling from
the University of South Dakota.

He has twenty years professional experience as a Certified/Licensed Chemical Dependency professional. His positions have included direct service, clinical supervision, and program administration. He has been associated with both public and private agencies/programs serving adults, adolescents, families, minorities, homeless, as well as middle and upper socioeconomic levels.

He currently serves as a member of the Mental Health Advisory Committee as well as a past member of the Human Resources Council for Scott County, Minnesota. He also served as a member of a Mental Health Initiatives Committee at Century College. This was an Award for Excellence project designed to research the Mental Health and Chemical Dependency needs and resources of students, staff, and faculty and make recommendations for improvements, additions, and implementation.

He currently is an adjunct instructor at Normandale Community College teaching in Psychology.
Additionally, he teaches at Century College in Psychology and Chemical Dependency and at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, in Psychology.

AnDrea Cleaves - You May Take My Body, But Not My Soul: Sex, Murder, and ‘The Confession of Letitia Wigington…’

Abstract:
17th Century Britain was a deadly era for many of its citizens: Political and criminal violence were rife both on the streets and in the home, and offenses were prosecuted without ample protection for defendants – especially women. It’s no wonder, then, that single mother and businesswoman Letitia Wigington was tried and executed without provision of a forum for response. Yet, does this mean that working-class women were denied all opportunities to have their voices heard?

In this presentation we will consider a 17th century pamphlet, The CONFESSION AND EXECUTION of Letitia Wigington of Ratclif… through the lens of the pamphlet writing genre. In exploration of the possibility of the text’s female authorship, the research establishes a historical context for pamphleteering and provides evidence of middle class literacy. We will examine the 17th century pamphlet genre (specifically, the crime/scaffold speech pamphlet) within its historical context, the connections between women’s literacy and pamphleteering, and apply these connections to the deconstruction of Letitia’s confession pamphlet.

Related Links:

Original Pamphlet Text - "Confession and Execution of Letitia Wigington"
London School of Economics - Pamphlet Collection
Literacy
Feminist Rhetoriticians