Conference 2012

Poster Session

Friday, November 18, 2011

5:45 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.

Climbing the LADDER to YouthDriven Care – Massachusetts makes the MAP!

Chandra Watts, YouthMOVE Massachusetts; Meri Viano, PPAL Statewide Regional Manager, Boston MA

YouthMOVE Massachusetts has youth in groups that help them to connect, fight stigma, advocate and speak. They will be offering information on how they continue to climb the ladder to be YouthDriven.

Samples of tip sheets will include:

• Youth Involvement on Conference Calls
• Youth Language in Educational Plans
• Youth Voice in Residential Settings
• Youth Run Focus groups to outline leadership

YouthMOVE will be available for questions, discussion and advice on how to be YouthDRIVEN!

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Understanding Child Trauma and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)

Jennifer Grady, MSSW, National Center for Child Traumatic Stress, Durham NC

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) is focused on changing the course of the lives of children and families affected by trauma by changing the course of their care.  NCTSN considers collaboration an essential part of its mission, and those involved with the NCTSN work together as researchers, providers, families, youth and representatives of service systems, professional and advocacy organizations. Participants will learn about evidence-based treatment and free child trauma resources and training.

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Effective Implementation of Cultural and Linguistic Competence (CLC) Trainings in Mental Health Settings

Maria Avila, MED, Vermont Child Mental Health Initiative (CMHI); Thomas Delaney, Vermont Child Health Improvement Program, University of Vermont, Burlington VT

Vermont developed a Cultural and Linguistic Competence training model that focuses on health disparities. The poster session will include core components of the training and review data attesting to the model’s effectiveness in increasing providers’ knowledge. To date, results from pre- and post-surveys indicate increases in participants’ knowledge across a number of areas including their ability to eliminate their own prejudices or assumptions about clients (21% pre vs. 79% post; p<.01).

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The National Directory of Family-Run and Youth-Guided Organizations for Children’s Behavioral Health

Kathy J. Lazear, M.A., Frank Reyes, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

Experience The National Directory of Family-Run and Youth-Guided Organizations for Children’s Behavioral Health. Search our database to find organizations across the country run by families or youth consumers that are working to support families with emotional and/or behavioral health challenges. Adding your organization or nominating an organization to the National Directory is completely free.

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Behind the Seen: Encounters with the Contemporary Family (Alamance Alliance for Children and Families) Jamestown, NC

Courtney Cormier, North Carolina Families United, Greensboro NC

“Behind the Seen: Encounters with the Contemporary Family” is a community art project that will bring 16 artists into the lives of four families to create unique interpretations of family dynamics and challenges. Finished pieces and documentary will provide a vehicle in which the community can start a conversation about mental health and diversity, effectively reducing stigmatizing judgments that often exist regarding families with young children suffering from emotional and behavioral health challenges.

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Teen FAST: A new way to give Youth and Parents a voice

Pat Davenport, Families and Schools Together Inc, Madison WI

This poster session focuses on a model program that engages teens and their parents to create a supportive school environment and build social support. Participants will learn how FAST, a youth-driven, multi-family group program empowers youth and parents, improves youth’s relationships with parents and teachers, and engages youth and parents in school and their community.

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Parents, First Responders, and Juvenile Justice Working for Successful Outcomes

Nelson Rascon, CPC; Curtis Dennis, CPC, Dads MOVE, Tacoma WA

Dads MOVE began a project to educate first responders about our kids and their specific needs, in Pierce County, WA. Parents receive organizational info and local resources to assist them while the officer is at the home.

We recently launched another project where parent partners who have been through the Juvenile Justice system with their own kids are available in the King County courtroom to educate, inform and support parents/caregivers to successfully navigate the system.

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Sustaining Family and Youth Organizations:  Implementing Family-Driven Business Practices

Nadia Cayce-Gibson, National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health; Bruce Jennings, Carlos Garcia NJ

Family organizations sometimes find it difficult to remain focused on their values and ensure long-term success, especially in these difficult financial times.  Project management is traditionally seen as a private sector strategy for ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in corporations.  Recently, non-profit organizations have been implementing various strategies of project management in their organizations and have demonstrated great success.  Let’s take private sector practices and infuse them with the values of family-driven and youth-guided practices to make sure family and youth organizations are strong and sustained!

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Disaster Preparedness: Families Prepare and Empower Themselves to Persevere Through Traumatic Events and Unexpected Disaster

Laurie Cavanaugh; Paige Cummings; Joy Hodgson, G.E.A.R. Parent Network of Maine

When disaster strikes, will you be ready? This poster session focuses on the reactions and needs of children and adolescents in times of unexpected disaster. Participants will learn how to engage their communities and emergency teams effectively.  Materials and strategies will be presented to prepare for an emergency evacuation and make the unforeseen event more bearable and less traumatic.

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Team Leadership, Family Fun, and Fundraiser – All-In-One!

Maryann Barber, Oregon Family Support Network, Salem OR; Jim Cantoni, GivaGeta, Glastonbury CT

Oregon Family Support Network (OFSN) has recently been using an innovation in learning that sparks meaningful conversation and  promotes teamwork, leadership skills, communication, positive character development, resiliency and more.  OFSN has been piloting the Teamwork and FamilyPlay™ family strengthening program.  Participants will enjoy hands-on activities as well as receive our preliminary data results.  Co-founder Jim Cantoni will share his family’s story and the vision that led to the creation of GivaGeta and The World’s Kindest Playing Cards™.

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Sustaining a Peer Youth Support Network

Brian Lombrowski, New York State Office of Mental Health, New York NY

New York City is home to approximately 30 hired peer youth advocate positions in the children’s mental health, child welfare and transition-age young adult systems. This presentation will highlight funding strategies and the training and ongoing supervision and support required to sustain these positions.

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Family Organization Strategies for Navigating Budget Cuts in Creative and Sustainable Ways

TJ Rosenberg, Nevada PEP; Retta Dermody, Las Vegas NV

Nevada PEP is a statewide Parent Organization that has been sustained for over 16 years. We have several ways of developing income including two major fundraisers each year. We can share what we have done in the past and what we are looking for in the future.

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Social Media Q and A

Brittany Smith Corey Brown, National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, Rockville MD

Most of us are using social media tools such as blogs, Facebook, and Twitter, but are we using it effectively? If you’re currently using – or want to use – social media but you’re not sure you’re doing it correctly, come to this session and get suggestions. A panel of experts (in their mid-twenties) will be at your disposal to answer any question you can think of.

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Engaging youth in partnership for social change: Understanding trauma and the impact on the transition to adulthood

Zakia Alavi, MD, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI; Joanne Riebschleger, PhD, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI; Sarai Embaye, BS Lutheran Social Services of Michigan, Detroit MI; Angelique Day, PhD, Wayne State University, Detroit MI

This study examines trauma faced by foster care youth who are transitioning to adulthood from the perspective of youth themselves.  This study also offers youth-guided solutions to address trauma. Two Kidspeak events provided opportunities for 43 foster youth from around the State of Michigan to testify in front of panels of policymakers. Qualitative data analysis involved an empowerment theory-driven, action research approach.

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Leveling the Playing Field: Resiliency for ALL Children, Youth and Families

Terre Garner, Ohio Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, Cincinnati OH

Resiliency is an expectation for ALL youth, across all cultures and communities for all health disabilities and challenges. Resiliency is an overarching framework for youth and family mental wellness and is foundational to strength-based, culturally competent mental health practice. Key approaches and supports to building resiliency in lives, as well as practices and policy strategies to build resiliency oriented mental health systems will be discussed.

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Building Resiliency in Survivors of Trauma

Terre Garner, Ohio Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, Cincinnati OH

Re-building fragile lives after trauma takes more than skilled caring clinicians. It takes the circle of care people in the child’s life to nurture their resilience; adult providers in all systems (schools, child welfare and beyond) to facilitate their resiliency; and the broader community to support resiliency within every child to ensure that our children not only survive, but also thrive.

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Resiliency in Suicide Prevention

Terre Garner, Ohio Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, Cincinnati OH

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 – 24 in the United States. It is a major public health issue not adequately addressed. From a resiliency perspective, youth and young adults (in person and through video) share how tapping into resiliency saved them from suicide.

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WIN Georgia: “You are Not Alone”

Theresa Varos, MS, WIN Georgia, Fort Oglethorpe GA

WIN (Wraparound Initiative Northwest) Georgia is a six year, $9-million cooperative agreement with Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). WIN Georgia is a regional effort to help “Build a System of Care” that works better for families and their loved ones. WIN provides wraparound to children between birth to age 21 with a diagnosed mental illness.

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Self-Care

Andrea Burleigh, Atlantic Cape Family Support, Northfield NJ

I have been diagnosed with depression/anxiety for over twenty years now, and I have one child that has bipopolar and borderline personality disorder and a son who suffers from anxiety.  I would like to share my experience of what I have learned throughout my journey in order to help parents and professionals understand the importance of self-care. It took me years to learn what true self-care is and another few years to actually do it – but what a change it has created in my life. Now when crises come (and they still do) I can handle them better and with a clearer head. In matter of fact, they don’t even seem unmanageable any more. Since this change I would really like to help other people get there and know their quality of life will be much better if they do this.

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Black Families Successfully Responding to Hazardous Adversity and Trauma

W. Henry Gregory, PhD, Rafiki Consortium, Woodstock MD

Presenters will share the findings and clinical implications of a study of black families who have successfully responded to hazardous adversity and trauma. Ten processes were identified that support the resilient behavior of the participant children and families. This combination of processes implies a cultural resiliency pattern that might be useful to those who are interested in implementing a competency or strengths-based approach to the service and treatment of black families.

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A Case of Betrayal: Resiliency of a Community Following the Trauma of The Worst Pedophile in U.S. History

Cathy Imburgia, Delaware’s B.E.S.T., Newark DE

The resort town of Lewes, Delaware was rocked when a trusted pediatrician was charged with sexual abuse of his patients. Accused of raping or assaulting 103 girls he treated, with most of his victims too young to speak and the attacks recorded on video, he is convicted of 24 counts of rape, assault and sexual exploitation of a child.

Learn how the community is recovering through intense support and responsive interventions with evidenced-based trauma treatments.

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Youth Engagement of Diverse Populations

Bruce Brumfield, M.S., ON CARE-CCA, Syracuse NY

This poster session will focus on the benefits and challenges of engaging youth from different and diverse backgrounds, experiences, sexual orientations, cultures and beliefs with emotional, behavioral and mental health challenges. During the workshop the youth will discuss the groups’ mission and the journeys they experience while being labeled, bullied and threatened because of their differences at home, in school and in community settings.  In addition, the poster session will offer strategies on how they have and are overcoming these challenges with the support of one another.

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Community Collaboration:  Working toward developing a school-based educational/mental health day treatment program for students

Ernest Fruge; Sherrie Raymond, RN,Calcasieu Parish School System, Lake Charles LA; Karen Gould, Institute for Health and Recovery;Norma Finkelstein, PhD, Cambridge MA

Positive Connections:  Calcasieu Academic and Treatment Center is a new concept in educational and mental health service delivery to children with serious mental illness in the Calcasieu Parish Public School System. The program takes a holistic approach to working with the family unit in that the parent, child, Positive Connections staff, home-based school and community agencies serving the student are involved with the plan of care for the student suffering with a serious mental illness and experiencing academic difficulties in school.  The program is open to both regular education and special education identified students.  Over the past three years, over 45 community agencies have collaborated and partnered with the Calcasieu Parish School System to bring the concept of Positive Connections:  Calcasieu Academic and Treatment Center to reality.

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