Conference 2012

Concurrent Workshops – Saturday 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Saturday, November 19, 2011

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Youth Track
Circus– VIVA VOX – Session I

Circus Harmony, St. Louis, MO

We teach the art of life through circus education. We work to build character and expand community for youth of all ages, cultures, abilities and backgrounds. Through teaching and performance of circus skills, we help people defy gravity, soar with confidence, and leap over social barriers, all at the same time.
~ Jessica Hentoff, founder of Circus Day Foundation~

Participants will be invited to learn and perform circus skills packed with tumbling, flying, flipping, juggling and magic thereby forming their own circus!

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Promoting children’s mental health and resiliency through “healthy policy” initiatives: the role of family leaders

Joyce Sebian, MS Ed, Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, National TA Center for Children’s Mental Health, Washington D.C.; Lynn Todman, Ph.D., The Adler School, Chicago IL; Cathy Ciano, Executive Director, Parent Support Network of RI, Johnston RI

Multiple public systems and sectors make policy decisions that shape the environments where children are born, grow, live and learn. These policies impact children’s mental and behavioral health, their resilience and their ability to manage trauma.  This session explores how a public health framework can guide family leaders in efforts to improve social conditions for children, examines the benefits of “Healthy Policy” initiatives, and describes how Mental Health Impact Assessment can help create “Healthy Policy”.

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The Healing Circle

Terry Ellis, LCSW; Nicolette Bannister, NARA Northwest, Portland OR

Western trauma-related intervention casts the major focus of the work on the traumatized individual, instead of the traumatized family and community. It is very difficult for a child to be healthier than his or her family. This is why there is an urgent need to develop further practices related to helping families recover, heal and grow beyond their trauma experiences. The search for answers related to healing the wounds of chronic stress, multi-generational and present day discrete trauma events that are being processed and influenced by the continuing context of historical trauma and continuing cultural genocide led to our initial work related to the development of a culturally specific model of trauma intervention. This model is known as the “Healing Circle.”The “Healing Circle” focuses not only on creating healing and resiliency, but also on post-traumatic growth in an effort to develop wisdom, vision and knowledge from devastation, trauma and loss.

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Challenging the Cradle to the Prison Pipeline: Taking Ownership for Systemic Trauma of Boys of Color

John Cruz, NJ Alliance of Family Support Organizations, Neptune N.J.; Bruce Jennings, N.J. Alliance of Family Support Organizations, Atlantic City N.J.

“Cradle to the Prison Pipeline” shocked America’s child serving systems by holding them accountable for contributing to the incarceration of Hispanic/Latino and African American men.  The report clearly indicates the challenges of the child welfare system as a critical determinant for adult correction involvement.  Through understanding the report, sharing national data and personal testimony, learn about the trauma faced by Hispanic/Latino and African American boys involved in the system.  As a context for discussion, consider your role with youth of color.  Do you contribute to this phenomenon?  Explore strategies for challenging the nation’s “Cradle to the Prison Pipeline.”

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Families and Youth: Our Greatest Natural Resource

Malisa Pearson; Jane Shank; Connie Conklin, ACMH, Lansing MI

Michigan, partnered with ACMH, Michigan’s statewide family network, has spent several years creating a place for family members and youth within the mental health workforce. Parent Support Partners, now available in over 11 counties, have blazed the path with Youth Peer to Peer, which is expected to launch sometime in 2012! Learn how Michigan is utilizing the expertise of families and youth to transform the mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice and educational systems in Michigan to become more family-driven and youth- guided!

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Addressing Historical Trauma for African American Children, Youth and Their Families

Vivian Jackson, Ph.D., Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development; Henry Gregory, Jr., Psy. D., Rafiki Consortium, LLC, Woodstock MD; Amber Price; Florence Blas, MSW, SOC Community Karinu; Gary Macbeth, MSW, Georgetown Child and Human Development Center; James Wotring, MSW, Georgetown Child and Human Development Center

This workshop will explore the concept of “historical trauma” as applied to African Americans. The legacy of slavery, segregation and continued social oppression has taken a toll on African American families. However, interventions that stress resiliency, cultural legacy and strengths related to African heritage, such as Rites of Passage programs, enable recovery. Listen to the journey of this former participant as she describes her journey as part of her healing.

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Youth Track
Recipe for Success: Collaborative Strategies for Great Ideas

Ryun Anderson, MSW, Youth MOVE Maine, Lewiston ME; Laurie Cavanaugh, GEAR Parent Network, Lewiston, ME

This workshop will focus on the value of collaborating with people who have different ideas than you to get a job done. We have learned that when we bring different ideas together, our solutions make more sense, are easier to implement, have greater staying power, and reach more people.  Of course, there are always challenges along the way, and we’ll talk about these challenges and ways to overcome them.

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After a Suicide – Strategies to Respond

Steve Roggenbaum, M.A.; Kathy Lazear, M.A., University of South Florida, Tampla FL; Larry English, BA, Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, Hillsborough County, Tampa FL

An effective suicide prevention program should not limit its scope to include only preventative and intervention measures, but should also address postvention measures, or measures that are taken after a suicide crisis.  Postvention strategies can reduce subsequent death by suicide and reduce the onset and degree of debilitation by psychiatric disorders. After a suicidal crisis, friends and family are at an increased risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder, as well as relying more heavily on alcohol and drug use to numb the pain.

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Youth Track
Keepin’ It Real: When Bad Stuff Happens

Vikki Rompala, La Rabida Children’s Hospital; Akil Smith, Chicago Child Trauma Center, Chicago IL; Tricialouise Gurley, YouthMove Maryland

Youth will present educational and personal information about trauma and when bad stuff happens. They will talk about ways to cope and resources that may exist for youth to help themselves and others. Youth will also share the different ways that they have educated others.

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Understanding Adoptive Families and Accessing Appropriate Resources

Emma (Gerri) Mullendore, Oklahoma Systems of Care, Oklahoma City OK; Marie Niarhos, M.Ed., National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, Rockville MD; Sharon Hunt, AIR, Washington DC

Adoptive parents know that their children’s life experiences can be complex and that growth, development and behavior can be impacted.  Trauma probably has affected their family connections.  Experienced adoptive parents will provide an overview about the challenges of adoptive parenting, specific needs of children who were adopted, and resources that are available.  All who work with families formed by adoption are encouraged to attend.

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National Military Family Association

Barbara Cohoon, PhD, National Military Family Association, Alexandria, VA

 The National Military Family Association will provided: our Association’s mission; demographics related to Service, deployments, family makeup, injuries, etc.; risk factors causing mental health stress; our research on the war’s impact on children and caregivers; ways attendees can help our military and their families in their community; and the importance to focus on preventive programs to keep our military families healthy rather than to wait only provide treatment programs at the time of crisis.

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From Trauma to Triumph

Howard Overby, Mississippi Families as Allies, Jackson MS

Witness two personal accounts from a youth and a parent on how they were able to overcome traumatic events with the help of family-driven and youth-guided supports, partnered with case management and therapy. Hear how physical and verbal abuse, economic hardship and a tragic death led to a dangerous combination of substance abuse and gang activity. These stories not only detail their struggles but show their resiliency as well.

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What’s the Deal with Eating Disorders?

Kiran Iqbal, MD, University of Maryland, College Park MD; Gary Blau, PhD,  SAMHSA, Rockville MD

Many youth struggle with self-image such that it affects their eating habits in unhealthy ways. Youth who have eating disorders or eating disorder symptoms are often not adequately assessed by their mental health providers. This session will focus on helping child psychiatrists learn more about how to communicate with youth about eating disorders with the goal of developing a screening tool.

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Art Expression Room: Create Art Work that Showcases what Inspires You During Times of Difficulty

This room is setup to provide our more artistic participants the opportunity to express their thoughts, feelings and emotions through art! Participants 18 and under will have the opportunity to submit their art work for the 2011 Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day poster contest.  For more details on this option, please visit the poster contest section of our website.

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To Speak or Not to Speak – That is a Family’s Question. Let’s Talk About It

Mary-Therese Edgerle, G.I.F.T.S. Guam’ Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, Florence Blas, SOC Community Karinu, Agana, Guam

Trauma affects families on many levels in multiple ways. A single trauma can affect a family for generations. A Family Driven approach to trauma means partnering, speaking up and going outside comfort zones. A family may panic or become silent when questioned. How do families cope talking to outsiders? What builds a family’s trust to talk? How does it affect a family when trust is broken by a family member seeking outside help? What helps overcome the feeling of being shut down and invalidated? How do families find courage when scared? Reliance, skills, feeling safe, building trust, and partnering with providers just doesn’t happen automatically. We’ll address these questions and others in this discussion forum.

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IDEA Consultation Room
Dixie Jordan, Cora, WY

Got a question about IDEA? Come to the IDEA Resource Room to get answers! Dixie Jordan will be available throughout the conference to answer your questions, share information, and offer workable strategies tailored to your specific situation.

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