A warm welcome from the Member Care Team! We are here to serve you. Feel free to contact us via WHOVA.

Roger Brown is a psychiatrist who served with Africa Inland Mission and was based in Nairobi, Kenya for 28 years where he worked at Tumaini Counseling Center providing debriefings, evaluations, counseling, and medication management for missionaries and their children. In addition, Roger provided consultations to organizations and served with the leadership team for Tumaini. After his internship, he completed a one-year program at Moody Bible Institute before training in both general psychiatry and child & adolescent psychiatry. His areas of special interest include ADHD, childhood anxiety, missionary stress, and conflict. Presently he and Shirley live in St. Louis, Missouri where he provides support services for the clinical staff at Tumaini, debriefs missionaries, screens new mission families, and they enjoy precious time with their 3 granddaughters and their parents. Roger will be facilitating “Living with a Loved One with ADHD” and “Anxiety and Children.” He will be at the conference for the first week till Sunday, April 28 and can be contacted via WHOVA.

Martha Carlough is a family physician who spent almost 10 years in Nepal with InterServe/United Mission to Nepal (1995-2004) in both clinical and public health aspects of maternal and child health before returning to the US and settling in North Carolina. She was on clinical faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill from 2004-2023 and recently transitioned away from academic medicine to serve as consultant faculty with the Theology, Medicine and Culture Initiative of Duke Divinity School and part-time practice at Samaritan Health Center in Durham, NC. Martha is a trained spiritual director in the Ignatian tradition with 20 years of experience, including working with missionaries. She first attended CMDE in Malaysia 25 years ago and has attended many times to learn and teach, but this is her first time back in a decade! Martha will be at the conference both weeks, and will be presenting on “Theology of the Body” and “Primary Care Dilemmas” but has lots of availability to listen, pray together, and/or explore spiritual direction. Please feel free to contact her through WHOVA. 

Alice Chen is a Canadian family physician who worked in Asia in clinical and preventative medicine, health worker training and member care from 1990-2016, before obtaining an MA in mental health counseling to support the training of Chinese counselors. As a long-term worker, Alice found CMDE to be a lifeline where she gleaned much wisdom and was deeply encouraged by others also called to international medical work; this is Alice’s 15th conference. Returning to Toronto in 2016 to support her aging parents, Alice supervises and mentors trainees in counseling individuals, couples, families and groups; many patients are survivors of trauma. Alice’s areas of interest are the care of international workers, complex PTSD, relationship stress, team dynamics, transitions, grief and loss, immigration stress, adult ADHD, challenges facing single workers and Asian international workers, and debriefing. She is a co-facilitator of sessions “Women in Medicine: Single and Single Again,” “Caring for Aging Parents,” “Living with a Loved One with ADHD,” “Post-Covid Recovery and Challenges” and a networking meeting for those interested in member care. Alice enjoys listening to people’s stories, and is glad to pray, support and help in whatever way is needed. Please feel free to contact her through WHOVA if you’re up for a walk or a cup of tea. She will be at the conference for both weeks.

Barney M. Davis Jr is a psychiatrist whose practice of consultation, counseling and assessment is now limited to global worker member care. Having been directly involved in the provision of member care services for most of the past 35 years, Barney’s areas of interest are psychiatric assessment, team relationship issues, grief, trauma, and loss. He will be co-leading sessions on “Grief and loss” and “Dealing with Trauma”, and will be co-presenting a Theme Day with Dr. Jim Ritchie on “Navigating the Spiritual and Emotional Whitewater of Serving in Healthcare”. Barney is available both weeks of the conference; you can find him by messaging on WHOVA.

As a psychiatrist, Elaine Eng has treated many patients suffering from anxiety and related problems. She lectures and writes on topics integrating faith, mental health and theology. Areas of ministry include leading special needs worship for disabled adults and children in her church. Elaine is blind but travels with her white cane, guide dog or friendly helpers along the way. She will be co-facilitating “Post-COVID Recovery and Challenges” and a networking meeting for those interested in member care. Elaine is available the second week to meet with anyone who can use her services. Please just tap her on the shoulder and request a meeting and/or a walk on the location. (WHOVA is not the best way for her to connect.) 

Paul Glaser is Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis and is also boarded in Pediatrics and Adult Psychiatry. Paul has 25 years of clinical experience and has been a CMDE faculty member since 2013, providing support, consultation, and advice to families for their biological and adopted children. In addition to childhood disorders, he is an expert in adult ADHD. His presentations include “Teens and Screens,” “Addressing The Mental Health Needs of Adolescents” and panels on “Gender Dysphoria” and “Caring for Children with Developmental  Disabilities.” He will also be holding a workshop for the teens on screen time and facilitating a discussion, “When Launching Adult Kids is a Challenge.” Paul will be at the conference for the second week and you can message him on WHOVA. 

Sheila Jowsey is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic where she specializes in the care of medical ill patients. She also has worked with Mayo staff physicians who need additional support related to work, family and other stressors. She has had a long-standing interest in resilience and the use of coping strategies that include optimism, reflecting on resilient role models, accessing one’s support network, exercise, acceptance, problem-solving, flexibility, humor, and helping others. She will be presenting “Evaluating and Managing Psychosis” and “Down but Not Out: Advances in Treating Depression.” Please contact her on WHOVA if she can be of assistance to you! She will be at the conference for both weeks.

Stephanie Lauden is a pediatric hospitalist with a background in global health, medical education, and mental/behavioral health. She completed her pediatric and global health training under Dr. Tina Slusher at the University of Minnesota. She has served abroad in Cameroon, is involved stateside in academic global health work, and supports the CMDE children’s ministry team. Personally, she currently lives in Denver, CO with her 9 year old daughter and bernedoodle. She is passionate about sharing her story of overcoming postpartum depression/anxiety and how God redeemed her family after divorce. Steph will be co-teaching PALS, will take part in “Women in Medicine: Single or Single Again” and will be at the conference both weeks. Please feel free to contact her through WHOVA.

Alvin Loh is a developmental pediatrician from Toronto, Canada. He provides developmental assessments for children and youth with developmental delays, autism, learning difficulties, and FASD. He leads a behaviour medical assessment clinic in Toronto and has learned some of the wisdom of behaviour analysts. After 17 years of practice, he cares for many transition aged youth with intellectual disability and/or autism and their families.  He has given seminars at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto about behaviour management and also uses counselling and psychopharmacology to decrease mental health symptoms.  He has been a site director of the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (now the Autism Care Network) in Toronto, and is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto.  Alvin will be leading a breakout session on “Autism and other Developmental Disabilities: Interactive Case Discussion” and participating in a panel on “Caring for Children with Developmental or Intellectual Disabilities.” He is available the second week of CMDE and is learning how to use WHOVA.

Jarrett (Jarry) Richardson was born and grew up in Nigeria. Growing up as the son of a physician and a pastor serving cross-culturally and visiting extensively with CMDE attendees over the years (this is his 36th conference!), Jarry understands cross-cultural medical workers. Boarded in internal medicine, psychiatry, sleep medicine, hospice and palliative care, addictions psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, and psychosomatics and in practice at Mayo Clinic in Rochester since 1979, Jarry’s psychiatric practice now focuses on those with severe mental illness and with colleagues in burnout. At CMDE, his time with medical individuals is spent listening, supporting, and advising informally as one would with a colleague about a surgical or medical problem; he does not do anything that would be considered practicing clinical psychiatry with conference attendees. Jarry will be meeting regularly with the non-medical male spouses as well as co-facilitating “Grief and Loss,” and “Discerning and Preparing for Vocational Shifts and Retirement.” He looks forward to being available during both weeks of the conference. Feel free to message him on WHOVA.

Teri Rummans is Donald and Lucy Dayton Professor of  Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at Mayo Clinic in both Rochester, MN and Jacksonville, FL. She is boarded in both Internal Medicine and Psychiatry with added board certifications in Consult-Liaison Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry. She has  served as Chair of Psychiatry at Mayo Clinic Florida and Vice Chair of Psychiatry at Mayo Clinic Rochester. She also has served on the governing boards of the  Mayo Clinic Rochester, American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry, Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and American College of Psychiatry. Being boarded in both internal medicine and psychiatry, Teri’s primary interest has been the interface between the two specialties and helping those with medical and psychiatric illnesses attain a better quality of life. Teri has attended numerous CMDE conferences and will be presenting “Global Substance Abuse.” Teri is available the second week. You can connect with her through WHOVA. 

Member Care Group Sessions

Thurs April 25, Dinner: 
“Discerning and Preparing for Vocational Shifts and/or Retirement”
Jarry Richardson and Martha Carlough
 A life stories-based conversation about discernment and decision making in different stages of life and shifts in vocation, leaning towards those possibilities that move us closer to the Lord as well as use our gifts and skills. We will touch on different models of discernment as well as consideration of biopsychosocial, spiritual and practical realities for those involved in global health work and their families. 

“Living with a Loved One with ADHD”
ADHD is a common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder that occurs in approximately 5% – 8% of youth and often persists to some extent even in adults. Global Workers and their families aren’t exempt from having this disorder. In fact, referrals from schools and parents for ADHD assessments were one of the more frequent reasons for Global Worker families to be initially seen at Tumaini Counseling Centre, in Nairobi, Kenya where Dr. Brown worked for 28 years. This particular discussion group will provide opportunity for participants to share some of their unique challenges and solutions in schooling, parenting, and their marriages as well as resources that they have found especially helpful. This group will be facilitated by Roger Brown and Alice Chen.

 “Anxiety and Children”
Parents are typically sensitive to helping their children overcome unrealistic fears. Global Workers can be surrounded by actual dangers and threats which can exacerbate preexisting tendencies to anxiety or create new challenges. How can parents support their children when their children are anxious?  What are the resources available to families with these types of needs? What have other parents found helpful? After hearing some general information about childhood anxiety, participants will be able to share some of the challenges their family have experienced as well as to hear what other families have found helpful. Roger Brown will facilitate this session.

Wednesday April 24 session 7: 
“Trying to Figure Out if I’m Stressed is Stressing Me Out”
A brief overview of the various categories of emotional “trauma”: burnout, compassion fatigue, campaign stress, PTSD, moral injury, ambiguous grief, etc. Definitions, overlaps, shared experiences, and brief discussion of generally accepted preventive/therapeutic responses will be shared, and there will be opportunity for attendee interaction. 

Friday April 26 session 7:
 “Grief and Loss” (Barney Davis and Jarry Richardson)
A time to share situations of personal loss and grief; a gentle review of the understanding of the process of grieving, usefulness of lament, where is God in the process?

“When Launching an Adult Child is Challenging” – Paul Glaser and Sandy Lee
Despite our best hopes and dreams for our children, not all will follow the path we start them out on. Alternative life-styles, drugs, and leaving the faith are some of the common issues we face as we launch our children into adult life. This will be a time to share our personal experiences and try to help understand why this happens and what we can do for our challenging children.

Saturday, April 27, supper: ​
“COVID: Finding  Our Oasis”
 Elaine Eng and Alice Chen
The early stages of the pandemic, marked by helplessness and horror, catapulted our profession to multiple roles and reactions -treatment, prevention, comforting others, and prayer. Job, when confronted with overwhelming traumas, lamented, “Even today my complaint is bitter; His  hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.” (Job 23:1). This discussion group will provide a venue for processing the impact of COVID on our spiritual, physical and mental health. It offers an opportunity to examine the effects on our patients, family members and colleagues. In the extraordinary difficulties of the pandemic, we hope to share God’s provision of an oasis in helping us cope with  the challenges of COVID on our life and mission.

Monday, April 29, session 7:
Member Care Connections
Alice Chen and Elaine Eng
This will be an informal networking time for those already involved in or interested in MC to network, to learn more about serving in this vital and personally stretching capacity, discuss challenges (such as personal self-care, ethical dilemmas, dual relationships, boundaries, confidentiality, etc.), share resources and opportunities for training, commiserate and provide mutual support, and discuss how CMDE can better resource MC needs.

Wednesday, April 24, supper 
Alice Chen, Steph Lauden, Martha Carlough, Tina Slusher
Singles Meet-up 
Following up on the 7th session of the day “Single and Single Again,” this is an informal time to share the highs and lows of serving solo as well as pearls re: travel, cross-cultural living, finding community, serving with married teammates and national colleagues, safety, dealing with stigma and bias, meeting needs for intimacy, etc.