Differential Diagnosis in the DSM Framework: Psychosis and Mood Disorders

Description

This course is a live, interactive webinar held on January 15, 2027, from 12pm-1pm Eastern Standard Time.

Registration closes at midnight (EST) the day before the event

When mood disruption and psychotic symptoms occur together, a single episode rarely tells the whole diagnostic story. Distinguishing bipolar I disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and substance- or medication-induced conditions requires careful attention to symptom timing, duration, thresholds, exclusions, and changes across the individual’s longitudinal course.

This focused live training offers mental and behavioral health professionals a practical opportunity to revisit essential DSM-5-TR diagnostic principles and develop a more systematic approach to complex presentations involving both mood and psychotic symptoms. By strengthening the reasoning behind differential diagnosis, clinicians can build clearer case formulations and make more informed treatment-planning decisions.

Jason Buckles, Ph.D., LPCC, brings more than two decades of experience teaching DSM-based assessment and treatment planning to graduate students, practicing clinicians, and other professional audiences. In addition to his work as a licensed counselor and longtime instructor, Dr. Buckles has served in statewide clinical leadership and consultation roles in New Mexico, providing training and developing behavioral support systems for people with co-occurring mental health and intellectual disabilities.

Dr. Buckles uses a straightforward, lecture-based approach grounded in current literature, clinical experience, and practice-based examples. He breaks down complex diagnostic distinctions into a replicable reasoning process, incorporating targeted assessment questions, brief case examples, and a basic diagnostic algorithm that participants can apply in their own clinical work.

The course begins by examining the diagnostic boundaries between bipolar I disorder and schizoaffective disorder, followed by a review of the symptom profiles and DSM-5-TR criteria associated with each condition. Participants will consider how duration, symptom thresholds, longitudinal course, newly obtained historical information, and periods of psychosis occurring outside mood episodes affect diagnostic conclusions. The training also addresses the possible contributions of substances, medications, and medical conditions; the temporal relationships needed to evaluate those contributions; and common diagnostic traps such as relying too heavily on one episode, overemphasizing substance use, or proceeding without a sufficiently detailed history.

Key Takeaways:

• Apply a structured diagnostic process: Use DSM-5-TR logic to distinguish bipolar I disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and substance- or medication-induced psychotic or mood disorders.
• Identify the most meaningful discriminators: Evaluate duration, symptom thresholds, longitudinal course, temporal relationships, and exclusion criteria rather than relying on isolated symptoms or a single clinical episode.
• Avoid common diagnostic pitfalls: Recognize how an incomplete history, disproportionate emphasis on substance use, or episode-based reasoning can lead to an inaccurate formulation and less targeted treatment planning.

Why This Course?

• A focused solution to a difficult clinical problem: In one concentrated hour, participants will examine a diagnostically challenging area in which symptom crossover and changing presentations can make best-fit diagnoses difficult to determine.
• Instruction grounded in extensive experience: Dr. Buckles combines more than two decades of DSM teaching with clinical practice, statewide consultation, behavioral health leadership, and specialized work with co-occurring conditions.
• Practical continuing education from TCI: Telehealth Certification Institute provides high-quality, clinician-centered education designed to help behavioral health professionals strengthen their knowledge, ethical reasoning, and ability to deliver effective care.

Learning Objectives

• Differentiate bipolar I disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and substance/medication-induced psychotic or mood disorders using DSM-5-TR logic.
• Use duration, symptom threshold, longitudinal course, temporal relationship to substances/medications, and exclusion criteria as the principal discriminators.
• Recognize diagnostic traps: failure to acquire a detailed history, overemphasis on substance use, having one episode dominate clinical reasoning.

Regardless of theoretical orientation, clinicians need a careful and consistent process for evaluating diagnostic possibilities and understanding how a client’s presentation has developed over time. This live webinar provides a manageable return to DSM-5-TR fundamentals, helping participants approach mixed mood and psychotic presentations with greater structure, clarity, and clinical confidence.

Format and Access

This course is a live, interactive webinar.

Course Details

Schedule: (listed in Eastern Standard Time)

• 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm Lecture
• 12:50 pm - 1:00 pm Q&A

How to Attend: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Who Should Attend: 

This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching Methods: 

This is a live, interactive webinar. Enrollment includes access to live event(s) but does not include recordings of the presentations.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

About Jason Buckles, Ph.D., LPCC

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Jason earned his Bachelor’s in Psychology at New York University in 1996. While there, he worked on diagnostic projects at Bellevue Hospital and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. He earned his Master’s in Counseling at The University of New Mexico in 2001 and his Ph.D. in Special Education at The University of New Mexico in 2016. His dissertation focused on the experiences of direct support professionals who support people with sexually challenging behavior. Since 2002 Jason has been the owner of Talkabout Inc., a Behavior Consultation agency specializing in support for people with intellectual disability and concurrent mental health diagnoses. From 2012 through 2016, Jason was the Statewide Clinical Director of the New Mexico Department of Health – Bureau of Behavioral Support, overseeing statewide systems of behavioral support consultation. From 2016-2019 Jason was the Executive Director of A Better Way of Living, a CQL-accredited agency that provides life-wide supports for people with intellectual disability. He is currently a contracting consultant with the New Mexico Department of Health, where he supervises the sexual risk screening program, and the ongoing development of behavior support systems, and provides statewide trainings on co-occurring mental health conditions for people with intellectual disability, among other topics. For several years Jason has also served as the Program Manager for the Developmental Disability/Mental Illness project with the University of New Mexico. For most of the past 20 years, he was a part-time instructor at both The University of New Mexico, teaching Introduction to Intellectual Disability, and at New Mexico Highlands University, teaching DSM Assessment for Counselors.

Disclosure Statement: 

The instructor(s) for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Hours

Credit Hours:

This course consists of 1 continuing education hour of credit.

Counselors:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.

Marriage and Family Therapists:

Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations.  You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.

Social Workers:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1 clinical continuing education credit.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.

Addiction Professionals:
 

This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.

Psychologists:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.

Art Therapists:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.

Other Professionals:

This course qualifies for 60 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations.  Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.

This course is an-interactive, live online webinar.

Participants may request a printed version of their certificate of completion to be delivered by mail. A shipping/handling fee of $6.95 will be charged per request. Shipping internationally may require an additional charge.

Agreement

By registering for this event you are agreeing to the following:

• 24 hour notice is required if you are not able to make it to a live event. Recordings are not provided to webinar registrants.
• To update and test using Zoom.us/test before the event to ensure you are ready for the event.
• Since this is a live interactive event it means that your interaction during the event is expected.  Your name and image will be visible to other participants during the live event. You will NOT be included in any recording made.
• An evaluation must be completed within one week of the event. Continuing Education credit(s) cannot be issued unless you attend the event and the evaluation is submitted.  (Evaluation is not mandatory for APA hours)
• Partial CE credits are not possible; therefore you are required to be present throughout the event in order to receive CE credits.
• Respect all other participants during the event as though you would if you were sitting with the other attendees at a conference table:
  • Dress appropriately
  • Be in a private location void of distractions
  • Do not multitask
  • Do not drive during an event
  • Remain on mute unless you are sharing with the group

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement