2026 Virtual Series:
Navigating Your Career Path: Considerations for a Lifelong Career in Psychiatry
About this Series:
Psychiatry is a fulfilling career path with numerous avenues for practice. Psychiatrists can focus on certain settings, such as inpatient or outpatient, work in specialized systems, such as the VA or corrections, or create their own combination of numerous contracts and practice settings. With so many options, it can be difficult to choose a particular path or determine the best path forward when looking to change career paths or jobs. Join IPS for our next virtual series as we explore “Navigating Your Career Path: Considerations for a Lifelong Career in Psychiatry.” We’ll be joined by experienced panelists who will lead us in learning about considerations when transitioning between positions, all things private practice, best practices for testifying in commitment proceedings with a focus on outpatient commitment processes, and working in specific, specialized clinical systems. Whether you’re looking for advice for locating your first job, your fifth job, or information about opening your own practice, our panelists will be able to offer considerations and answer questions based on their personal experience. Please join us as we explore the many facets of psychiatric practice together!
This is a 4-part series with sessions falling on the third Thursday of the month between January and April 2026. (01/15, 02/19, 03/19, 04/16) Sessions will run from 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Session 2: Best Practices for Court Testimony on Involuntary Treatment and Admissions Cases/IL Mental Health Court and Therapeutic Jurisprudence
March 19, 2026 | 6:30-8:00 PM (CST)
Panelists:
Maureen Ward Kirby, Circuit Judge
John W. Whitcomb, JD
Joe Willuweit, JD
Panelists will discuss:
This session will highlight how participation in mental health court can be a "tool in the toolbox" for psychiatrists and related behavioral health professionals. Drawing on judicial and practitioner perspectives, the presenters will focus on outpatient proceedings and how to engage both consumers and the court to improve clinical outcomes and post-discharge engagement with services. Best practices for participation in involuntary treatment proceedings will also be discussed.
About Our Panelists:
Maureen Ward Kirby is the Presiding Judge of the County Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County and has been on the bench for over 18 years. She has presided over hundreds of hearings seeking involuntary admission to a mental health facility or involuntary treatment. She also presides over the AOT (Agreed Outpatient Treatment) call and is a frequent lecturer on civil mental health law.
Judge Kirby has presented to her colleagues at the biennial Judicial Education Conference on involuntary treatment proceedings (2026), interacting with litigants with mental health challenges (2018), involuntary commitment proceedings (2020) and the opioid epidemic (2020). In 2023, she was a co-presenter at three sessions of the Civil Mental Health Proceedings series spearheaded by the Illinois Supreme Court Judicial College and the Illinois Mental Health Task Force.
She is a frequent lecturer on civil mental health law having presented at the Illinois Psychiatric Society, the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health, the Chicago Bar Association, the Center for Disability and Elder Law, the Cook County Center for Elder Law, the Chicago Police Department CIT training, Prairie State College, State mental health facilities, private mental health facilities and at NAMI-Illinois and NAMI-Chicago.
She currently serves on the Illinois Supreme Court Special Advisory Committee for Justice and Mental Health Planning where she is the co-chair of the Civil Compliance Sub-Committee and the Illinois Judicial Conference. She is a Supreme Court approved new judge mentor and has served as a new judge orientation cohort co-leader. Judge Kirby is a member of the Board of Directors of both the Illinois Judges Association and the Illinois Judges Foundation.
John W. Whitcomb joined Monahan Law Group, LLC on January 5, 2015, and became a partner in 2018. Mr. Whitcomb has over 30 years of experience representing clients in State and Federal trial and appellate court. At Monahan Law Group, Mr. Whitcomb is part of the mental health team that specializes in questions regarding the Mental Health Code and representing clients in the State Mental Health court. Mr. Whitcomb also specializes in questions or confidentiality of records. John also heads the appellate practice for Monahan Law Group, including guardianship appeals, decedent’s appeals and other appellate matters regarding confidentiality of records. Mr. Whitcomb has represented clients and organizations in both direct appellate litigation and amicus briefs.
Prior to joining Monahan Law Group, LLC, Mr. Whitcomb was a Senior Attorney at Equip for Equality for 15 years. In his capacity as Senior Attorney, Mr. Whitcomb represented clients in issues relating to guardianship, the Illinois Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act, the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code, and community placement of disabled individuals in the community.
Joe Willuweit concentrates his practice in mental health law, risk management, health care law including professional licensure, and guardianship. In his practice, he represents providers of every size from hospitals to community agencies, private practices, and individual practitioners in matters relating to inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services. Mr. Willuweit regularly advises clients on regulatory and statutory compliance, confidentiality, and complex operational issues. In addition to regularly appearing in mental health court on behalf of providers, he counsels family members of loved ones with serious mental health issues in navigating and accessing services.
Joe is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Loyola University Chicago School of law, where he also received his J.D. He served as Senior Editor of the Annals of Health Law and was involved with the Beazley Institute for Health Law and Policy. He received his undergraduate degrees from Loyola University Chicago where he graduated from the Interdisciplinary Honors Program and was active in the Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity.
Upcoming Sessions:
Session 4: Exploring Practice Settings
April 16, 2026 | 6:30-8:00 PM (CST)
Past Sessions:
Session 1: Transitions Between Positions - January 15.
Session 2: All Things Private Practice - February 19