Annual Conference
Pre/Post Conference Institutes
This year, several Pre Conference and Post Conference Workshops are under development. These intensive sessions are 3 hours in length and will cost $60 per workshop.
May 5, 2010 9AM-Noon
Bringing Back the Dads; Parenting Time with Non-Resident Fathers
Presenters: Karen Jenkins and Myles EdwardsTrack: Fatherhood
Because women are typically the primary caregivers of children, consistent efforts by the Child Welfare System to involve fathers in parenting time have not always been made. However, in the past decade there has been a movement nationwide towards more father involvement in the lives of their children, which includes involving fathers in parenting time, as well as placement considerations, case planning, decision making, and service provision in child welfare cases. Research demonstrates when fathers are safely and actively engaged with their children better safety, permanence, and well-being outcomes are achieved.
The purpose of this workshop is to review best practice for parent/child parenting time specifically related to non-resident fathers and to explore the question: are there any differences between mother/child parenting time and father/child parenting time. This includes differences between fathers and mothers in communication and in parenting styles that may affect how parenting time is structured and facilitated. Included in the workshop presentation is the 40 Developmental Assets research and how to incorporate developmental asset building as a tool during father's parenting time to build protective factors and minimize risk factors in vulnerable children. This would provide specific suggestions about what fathers might do during supervised visitation sessions.
Become knowledgeable about current research related to level of engagement between the child welfare system and non-resident fathers. Ability to describe best practice for supervised visitation for fathers and awareness of the differences between parenting time for fathers vs. mothers and how those differences may impact structure and dynamic of visitation. Development of knowledge and skill for effective engagement strategies with fathers to support the retention and ongoing involvement of fathers with their children.
Presenter Bios: Karen Jenkins, MS, has over 25 years of experience in the public child welfare system at both the county and state level. Ms. Jenkins held the position of Program Director for the Office of Children and Youth Services (OCYF) for the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. As Program Director she was responsible for the implementation of numerous statewide initiatives including fatherhood grants, family centers, community collaborative boards, independent living grants, Children's Trust Fund Legislated Board, delinquency prevention grants, State Foster Parent Association, Pennsylvania State Adoption Network, Parent Child Home Visiting Program, and Family Group Conferencing Initiative. Most recently Ms. Jenkins was the Assistant Administrator for Dauphin County Social Services for Children and Youth (DCSSCY). Currently she is the Director of Public Child Welfare Initiatives for American Humane located in the state of Colorado.
Cost=$60
Young children and Trauma: Understanding the behavior of traumatized children in a supervised visitation context
Presenter: Jennifer Rhodes Psy.D and Robert Geffner, PhdTrack: Child Welfare
This workshop will help supervised visitors and their supervisors identify symptoms in trauma in young children and learn ways to handle this in a supervised visitation session. Discussion of child development and attachment will help supervised visitors understand how best to intervene non-intrusively and difficulty parent-child dynamics.
The parent-child relationship is a key factor in a young child's social and emotional development. Through the development of an attachment to the caregiver, children learn to regulate their emotions and to form positive relationships with others. However, in instances of child abuse, neglect and domestic violence, this relationship is disrupted. This workshop will discuss the development of attachment relationships in young children and discuss what the consequences are of this disrupted relationship. An overview of the behavior of young traumatized children will provide the necessary developmental background for professional supervised visitors to understand the dynamics of the parent-child relationship. Videotape of parent-child observations and case examples will provide an interactive component to the workshop such that participants can begin to learn about the behavior of young children and learn non-intrusive methods of intervening in difficult parent-child dynamics.
Presenter Bios: Jennifer B. Rhodes, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist. She received her undergraduate and master's degrees in Liberal Arts and Child Development from Sarah Lawrence College in 2001 and 2003, respectively. Dr. Rhodes received her master's degree in School Psychology and doctorate degree in School and Clinical Child Psychology from Yeshiva University in 2008. Prior to graduating, Dr. Rhodes trained at NewYork Presbyterian Hospital, Westchester Division; Bellevue Hospital; and the NYU Child Study Center. She also participated in a pilot program at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Early Childhood Center where she engaged in therapeutic visit coaching at a local foster care agency. She completed an APA Accredited Internship in Clinical Psychology at Tulane University where she worked as a member of the Tulane Infant Team. As a member of the Tulane Infant Team, Dr. Rhodes provided intensive assessment and treatment of maltreated infants and toddlers in foster care. In 2009, Dr. Rhodes completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Infant Mental Health and Child Forensic Psychology at Tulane University where she continued her work with the Tulane Infant Team. Additionally, Dr. Rhodes received specific training in child custody evaluations and divorce meditation, as well as in parenting coordination. Dr. Rhodes has presented at the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts annual conference and has consulted with judges, attorneys, and forensic psychiatry fellows on issues related to attachment and young children. Dr. Rhodes' current research interests focus on the intersection of Infant Mental Health and child forensic psychology. Dr. Rhodes joined the forensic consulting team at the FVSAI, functioning under the supervision of Dr. Geffner as a postdoctoral fellow in forensic psychology, in August 2009. In addition, Dr. Rhodes is an Adjunct Instructor in the Psy.D. program and in the Infant-Preschooler Mental Health Certificate program at Alliant International University.
Robert Geffner, Ph.D., is: Founder and President of the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Institute in San Diego, CA; President of Alliant International University's (AIU) Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT); Clinical Research Professor of Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology, AIU, San Diego; Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in California and Texas; Editor-in-Chief of Haworth's Maltreatment and Trauma Program, which also includes being the Editor/Co-Editor of four internationally disseminated journals; and former clinical director of a large private practice mental health clinic in East Texas for over 15 years. He has a Diplomate in Clinical Neuropsychology and in Family Psychology. He served as an adjunct faculty member for the National Judicial College for 10 years, and was a former Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Tyler for 16 years. He has also been a researcher and consultant for more than 28 years.
Cost = $60
May 8, 2010 9AM-Noon
"Guy Fi" Defiance
Presenter: Dr. Chris KilmartinTrack: Fatherhood
A workshop on teaching masculinity and helping young men to negotiate cultural pressures. It is very difficult to resist a pressure that one cannot name, and yet masculine gender pressure is largely unexamined by most of mainstream U.S. Culture. This workshop is aimed at helping participants to understand masculine gendering at a deeper level and then use it in their work. The format will be mostly discussion. Goals:
- To understand how masculine gender pressure operates in mainstream U.S. culture.
- To apply the negative aspects of masculine gendering to relationship problems for men and their partners.
- To work with men in SV settings to counteract the effects of toxic masculinity Presenter Bio: Dr. Christopher Kilmartin is a college professor, author, stand-up comedian, actor, playwright, consultant and professional psychologist. He is a Professor of Psychology at The University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA. He holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a licensed clinical psychologist who has a great deal of experience consulting with businesses, college students, human services workers, and counselors. In 2007, he was the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Gender Studies at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria, one of only 39 such honors awarded annually worldwide.
Cost=$60
Testifying In Court
Presenter: Marilee McWilliamsTrack: Court Related
Give information and examples of effective court room presentation, preparation and how to deal with cross examination. Discuss trial tactics and how to withstand an aggressive attorney. Allow for audience participation in the process of preparing for testifying in Court. Give examples of effective testimony as well as ineffective testimony. Allow for role playing with various types of questions and answers regarding fact patterns. Explain the court process and the necessity of witnesses for full information to be provided in dependency and neglect cases.
Presenter Bio: Marilee McWilliams is the Assistant County Attorney, Arapahoe County Colorado and has handled all aspects of dependency and neglect cases from initial filing through termination of parental rights, as both a prosecuting attorney and as a Guardian ad litem; handled delinquency defense cases; handled truancy cases; sat as Special Judge in juvenile matters and child support cases; handled adoptions; handled domestic violence divorce cases; worked in a battered woman's shelter; expert in the dynamics of domestic violence; expert in the Indian Child Welfare Act; member of sexual offender review board State of Tennessee; participated in child protection team meetings; participated in fatality reviews; participated in team decision making committee; provided caseworker training on a variety of topics. She has provided state wide training to County Attorneys practicing in the areas of child protection, delinquency, mental health, alcohol commitment and adult protection. She has been a Foster parent, State of Tennessee and an adoptive parent of former foster child.
Cost=$60