2012 Family Strengths Symposium

Center for Family Strengths Presents: The Third Annual Family Symposium: Community Partnerships and Programs for Evidence Based Child and Family Well-Being.

September 5-6, 2012 • Houston, Texas 77002

The first day of the Symposium will focus on evidenced based programs which enhance child and family well being through parenting programs. The second day will highlight outstanding Harris Country and Texas Department of Family and Protective Services family programs.

The family education day of the Symposium will gather a diverse audience and experts to address the parenting and evidence-based prevention strategies as these inform and impact the well-being of the family. The day will emphasize prevention approaches that have been proven effective in four core areas:

1. direct service, including child protection
2. health
3. education
4. community change

Through engaging presentations, innovative panel discussions involving experts on each topic, breakout sessions and networking opportunities, colleagues will become better acquainted with programs and strategies whose applications will positively contribute to a cohesive and productive overall family well-being.

Conference Overview

September 5, 2012 - Program at a Glance

• 8:00 - 8:30 Registration
• 8:30 - 9:30 Keynote Dr. Roger Friedman
• 9:45 - 10: 45 Break-out #1
• 11:00 - Noon Break-out #2
• Noon - 1:30 Luncheon
• 1:45 - 2:45 Break-out #3
• 3:00 - 4:00 Panel with a representative from each of the tracks

Workshop Topics:

Preventing Intimate Partner Violence: Health Care Approaches to Healthy Interactions
Eileen Giardino, PhD, Associate Professor of Nursing, University of Texas Health

Triple P: Decreasing Child Maltreatment in High Risk Families
Julie Crowe, LMSW Manager, Prevention & Early Intervention Services, DePelchin Children's Center

Cultural Competency of Parent Education Programs
Ashley Butler, PhD, Assistant Professor, Baylor College of Medicine

The Role of the Caseworker in Refugee Family Resettlement Issues
Noel Bezette, PhD, Assistant Dean College of Public Service, University of Houston-Downtown Gina Young, LMSW, Coordinator of Case Management Services for the Alliance for Multicultural Community Services Sophia Banu, M.D, Assistant Professor, Menninger Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine

Social Disparities and Child Health and Well-Being
Christopher Greeley, MD, Associate Professor, UT Houston School of Medicine

Strategies for Systemic Change: A Macro Level Response to Family Preservation
Katherine Barillas, MSW, PhD, Director of Child Welfare Policy & Governmental Relations, One Voice Texas

Childhood Obesity; Environmental and Family-Based Approaches
Teresia O'Connor, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine Jay Mendoza, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine

An Evidence Based Program for Parents to Gain Control and Restore Lost Nurturance
James N. Whitehead, LCSW Triad Program Manager, Harris County Protective Services

Parenting as a Public Policy Priority
Bob Sanborn, EdD, CEO/President, CHILDREN AT RISK Nancy Correa, MPH, Director, Center for Parenting and Family Well-Being, CHILDREN AT RISK

How to Effectively Advocate and Lobby
Mandi Kimball, MSW, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs, CHILDREN AT RISK

Putting Parents in Charge of Education Reform
Matthew Barnes, Masters in Public, Executive Director, Families Empowered

Conference Overview

September 6, 2012 - Program at a Glance

• 8:00 - 8:30 Registration
• 8:30 - 9:30 Keynote Dr. Roger Friedman
• 9:45 - 10: 45 Break-out #1
• 11:00 - Noon Break-out #2
• Noon - 1:30 Luncheon
• 1:45 - 2:45 Break-out #3
• 3:00 - 4:00 Panel with a representative from each of the tracks

Workshop Topics:

Harris County Juvenile GIRLS Court
Olivia McGill, PhD Specially Court Psychologist, HCJPD

JP Court Wraparound Program: Partnering to Improve Outcomes for Youth and Families Involved in the Justice Courts
Jeff Alexander, M.A, JP Court Program Manager, HC Protective Services for Children and Adults Larry Brown, JR, JP Court Wraparound Supervisor, HC Protective Services for Children and Adults

Telling our Story: The Partnership for Family Success Begin with Youth
Deborah Green, MSW, MAC, CDVC-III, CCJS CPS Service Program Administrator, Department of Family Protective Services

Texas Child Protective Services and African-American Families Affected by a Substance Use Disorder: Can the Link be Broken?
Milton Ayala, MSW, MA Substance Abuse Program Specialist, Department of Family and Protective Services

Double Danger: When Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence Intersect
Donna Wood, MA, Community Affairs Liaison, Child Protective Services Jolynne Batchelor, LCSW, Domestic Violence and Kinship program Specialist, Texas Child Protective Services Maggy McGiffert, MA, Texas Council on Family Violence

Got Sufficient Information? A Case Consultation
Lori Lewis-Conerly, MSW, Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS) Program Specialist, Texas Department of Family & Protective Services Doris Thomas Buckler, Ph.D., CCC, Program Director of one of FBSS, Texas Department of Family & Protective Services

Ride the Bus: An Experiential Learning Experience
Tanya Rollins, MSW, Disproportionality Manager, Texas Department of Family Protective Services Sheila Sturgis Craig, MA, Disproportionality and Disparities Project Manager, Center for Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities Mia Williams, BSCJ, MAC, Disproportionality and Disparities Specialist, Canter for the Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities

Systems of Care: Uniting Families and Professionals
Pam Schaffer, DM, LMSW-AP, Clinical Director/Program Manager, Harris County Systems of Hope

Kashmere School-Based Wraparound Project (SWAP)
Pam Schaffer, DM, LMSW-AP Clinical Director/Program Manager, Harris County Systems of Hope

Self-Relaxation to Prevent Violent Behavior in Families
Monit Cheung, PhD, LCSW Professor, University of Houston

Experiential, Overnight Camping For Kinship Care Families
Roger Friedman, PhD, Adjunct Faculty, University of Maryland School of Social Work

Child Abuse: A National Epidemic
Sgt. Bill Davis, Retired Beaumont Police Dept.

Comprehensive Sources to the Infant Toddler Drug Court
Twila Ross, LMFT, Permanency Program Manager, Harris County Protective Services