UNE's Shelley Cohen Konrad a keynote speaker at National Academies of Practice conference

Shelley Cohen Konrad, Ph.D., LCSW, FNAP, director of the Center for Excellence in Collaborative Education at the University of New England and professor in the School of Social Work, recently gave a keynote presentation at the 2022 National Academies of Practice (NAP) Annual Forum in San Diego — the first in-person meeting of its kind since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The forum’s theme was “Promoting Diversity, Resilience, and Interprofessional Collaboration in Education, Practice, and Research.”

Cohen Konrad was an invited keynote speaker along with Michael Blackwell, D.V.M., M.P.H., director of the Program for Pet Health Equity within the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee. Blackwell is the former chief of staff to the U.S. Office of the Surgeon General and chief veterinary officer of the U.S. Public Health Service.

Cohen Konrad’s keynote, “Resilience in Extraordinary Times: Coexistence and Coping in an Uncertain World,” explored the many impacts of the pandemic on resilience. Cohen Konrad offered a multi-layered narrative that wove together science, health, and social justice concepts, integrating the views of frontline workers, health setting administrators, and consumers to create a broad understanding of what resilience looks like and how it can be supported in the 21st century.

Cohen Konrad and Blackwell joined David Pole, Ph.D., M.P.H., from the Division of Family and Community Medicine at Saint Louis University, and Gail Jensen, PT, Ph.D., FAPTA, vice provost for Learning and Assessment and dean emerita of physical therapy at Creighton University — both leaders in the field of interprofessional education and practice — for a lively panel discussion at the forum’s conclusion, in which they envisioned the future of team-based care.

Cohen Konrad said she was touched by the audience response, which she said far exceeded her expectations.

“Perhaps the most moving comments came from those who had lost loved ones, whether from COVID or other circumstances,” she reflected. “They appreciated knowing that they weren’t alone and that others continued to feel vulnerable even when coping well.”

Founded in 1981, the NAP is a nonprofit organization comprised of peer-elected practitioners and scholars dedicated to advancing interprofessionality, fostering collaboration, and advocating policies in the best interest of individuals and communities.