Course Description
Difficult conversations are an inevitable part of psychiatric pharmacy practice, whether engaging with patients, learners, or colleagues. Without effective communication strategies, these high-stakes interactions can undermine trust, collaboration, and patient care. Participants will explore frameworks for preparing for and navigating challenging conversations by distinguishing facts from assumptions, fostering psychological safety, and learning structured communication techniques. Leave with evidence-informed strategies to approach emotionally charged discussions with greater confidence, clarity, and effectiveness across a variety of professional settings.
Learning Objectives
- Identify characteristics of high-stakes conversations commonly encountered in psychiatric pharmacy practice, including discussions with patients, learners, and interprofessional team members.
- Differentiate observable facts from assumptions when preparing for difficult conversations.
- Describe structured communication strategies for navigating high-stakes conversations in patient care, training, and professional practice settings.
- Choose communication techniques that promote psychological safety and productive dialogue during emotionally charged conversations.
Target Audience
If you are a pharmacist, nurse practitioner, or other health care professional involved in the comprehensive medication management of individuals living with mental health and/or substance use disorders, we invite you to participate in this online course.
Faculty
View biographical information
Maria Blaze, PharmD, BCPP
Mental Health Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner
Memphis VA Medical Center
Memphis, TN
Dr. Maria Blaze is a Board-Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist at the Memphis VA Medical Center, where she serves as an outpatient Mental Health Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner. In her clinical practice, she provides comprehensive medication management for Veterans with complex mental health and substance use disorders, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to improve access to and quality of psychiatric care.
Dr. Blaze is dedicated to educating and mentoring the next generation of pharmacy professionals. She leads and contributes to interdisciplinary education within her facility and is an experienced national speaker who has delivered multiple presentations on navigating difficult and high-stakes conversations for professional pharmacy organizations, healthcare audiences, and community leadership initiatives.
As a trained Crucial Conversations facilitator, Dr. Blaze is passionate about equipping individuals with practical communication strategies that promote confidence, empathy, and mutual respect. Drawing on her experience in clinical practice, professional education, and community leadership, she emphasizes fostering psychological safety, building trust, and strengthening relationships among learners, preceptors, colleagues, interdisciplinary teams, organizational leaders, and community members. Her goal is to empower individuals to engage in meaningful dialogue, navigate conflict constructively, and cultivate environments where collaboration can thrive.
Course Requirements
To receive ACPE credit for this session, you must:
- Register for this course.
- Review the full content of the activity and reflect upon its teachings.
- Complete the evaluation at the end of the activity.
- Provide the necessary details in your profile to ensure correct reporting by AAPP to CPE Monitor.
Continuing Education Credit and Disclosures
Activity Dates: 4/5/2027-4/5/2030
ACPE Contact Hours: 1.0
ACPE Number: 0284-0000-##-###-###-P (Knowledge)
Nursing Credit Reminder: Note that ACPE credit is accepted for ANCC Certification Renewal and AANPCB advanced practice provider content. For specific questions related to your organization's acceptance of ACPE continuing education units, please contact your organization directly.
The American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.
View AAPP's Disclaimer and Disclosure Declarations
AAPP Disclaimer: Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.
Unlabeled Use Disclosure: Faculty of this CE activity may include discussions of products or devices that are not currently labeled for use by the FDA. The faculty have been informed of their responsibility to disclose to the audience if they will be discussing off-label or investigational uses (any uses not approved by the FDA) of products or devices. The faculty, planners, and American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists do not endorse the use of any product outside of the FDA labeled indications. Medical professionals should not utilize the procedures, products, or diagnosis techniques discussed during this activity without evaluation of their patient for contraindications or dangers of use.
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It is the policy of AAPP to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in continuing education activities. Those involved in the development of this continuing education activity have made all reasonable efforts to ensure that information contained herein is accurate in accordance with the latest available scientific knowledge at the time of accreditation of this continuing education activity. Information regarding drugs (e.g., their administration, dosages, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, special warnings, and precautions) and drug delivery systems is subject to change, however, and the reader is advised to check the manufacturer’s package insert for information concerning recommended dosage and potential problems or cautions prior to dispensing or administering the drug or using the drug delivery systems.
Fair balance is achieved through ongoing and thorough review of all materials produced by faculty, and all educational and advertising materials produced by supporting organizations, prior to educational offerings. Approval of credit for this continuing education activity does not imply endorsement by AAPP for any product or manufacturer identified.