Call for Proposals: OCD SoCal Sixth Annual (Virtual) Conference

OCD SoCal is now accepting proposals for our sixth annual OCD Southern California Conference. This conference is an opportunity to learn more about obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and its treatment, provide support for individuals with OCD and their families, and gain practical knowledge about a variety of issues that may arise with OCD and related disorders.

The 2022 conference will be a virtual conference, taking place on April 30th, 2022 from 9am-6pm PST. We expect attendees from other affiliates to attend, and we welcome submissions from professionals outside of California. The deadline for proposals is February 1, 2022.

Who attends this conference?
This event is particularly designed for individuals affected by OCD and related disorders as well as their families, however, we encourage clinicians, researchers, and students interested in learning more about OCD to attend. Conference attendees often include individuals with a great deal of experience with OCD as well as individuals and family members who may just be learning about the disorder and its treatment.

Who should submit a proposal?
We are looking for presenters with a breadth of personal and professional experiences with OCD and related disorders. In the past, our speakers have included OCD therapists, psychiatrists, individuals affected by OCD and related disorders, as well as family members. If you choose to submit as a panel, please limit participants to five members.

What topics are appropriate to submit?
You are welcome to propose your own topic that you feel will be of interest to attendees. Past topics have included: overview of OCD, OCD and families, taboo topics, OCD related disorders, recovery from OCD, ACT and mindfulness, medications, and ERP experiential workshop. Based on attendee feedback from past conferences, we particularly encourage submissions on the following topics:
– Finding treatment resources/connecting to care
– OCD and comorbidities
– OCD subtypes
– Lived experience/disclosure/self-advocacy issues
– Support for family members of children and adults with OCD
– Therapist-focused workshops
– OCD in the schools

What is the format for break out sessions?
Each breakout session will be one hour and fifteen minutes. We recommend the final thirty minutes of the presentation be left for audience questions. Breakout sessions will be held in the afternoon following the keynote presentation.

What information is required for proposals?
1) Contact information including name, email, and phone number.
2) Title of presentation.
3) Brief abstract describing your presentation, and the intended audience (maximum 200 words).
4) Learning objectives (3) for the audience of your presentation
5) Brief biography (short paragraph) describing your background and experience with OCD and/or OCD-Related disorders. If you have previous speaking experience, please include a summary.
6) CV if you are a clinician or are interested in providing CEUs.

How do I submit my proposal?
We prefer that speakers submit their proposal information here via Google Forms. However, if you do not have a Google-based email address and are unable to access the form, you may also email your submission to info@ocdsocal.org.

When is the deadline to submit my proposal?
The deadline to submit a proposal is February 1, 2022.

When will I hear if my proposal was accepted?
Presenters will be notified regarding whether their proposal was accepted by February 28, 2022.