Day 2 Workshop Schedule: Positive Change Conference
October 27, 2021
12:30pm – 1:45apm
Hold the Space: Validating the Collective Trauma Experiences of Youth and Families During COVID-19 by Leah Mundy-Maher, MSW, LWS
As youth-serving systems consider how to emerge from the collective trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic, children and adolescents will need our respect and empathy while transitioning to new routines in their academic, social, and personal lives. These shifts present challenges, as well as the opportunity to create new ways of connecting with each other. This discussion will focus on the power of holding space for young people’s emotions and behaviors across settings, addressing our own needs and experiences as we co-navigate new territory, and being intentional about the time we spend with youth to better support their strength, growth, and resilience.
1:45pm – 2:00pm
Network with our sponsors and other attendees through the Socio conference app.
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Working with Youth in a Digital World: Youth, Technology & Social Media by Ryan Klingensmith, LPC, NCC
Professionals working with youth are invited to join Shape the Sky, an organization dedicated to Creating Responsible Kids on Smartphones. Through parent, professional, and youth trainings, combined with online resources, Shape the Sky provides the community with the tools needed to raise digitally responsible citizens. The goal of this training session is to help adults educate and provide guidance for youth to create a digitally responsible culture among today’s digital youth.
This workshop will identify categories of social networking that professionals should be aware of and looking for with youth. Depending on the current trends, the presentation may review information on accessing the Dark Web through apps and web browsers, cyber-bullying resources, “parasite” websites, and popular apps such as Snapchat, Confide, TikTok, Tor, and VSCO. Attendees will learn tips on starting conversations on digital media with youth, and steps to protect kids in the digital age.
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Healer Heal Thyself: Burnout Prevention for the Helping Professional by Kimberly Ernest, PhD, LPC
The novel corona virus pandemic created a number of challenges within the direct services field, which has resulted in a higher client acuity, increased scarcity of resources, and reduction in normative self-care strategies. The result, has been an entire field of direct care professionals and support professionals who are experiencing increased levels of stress, burnout, and ultimately
choose to opt out of the field. This training will provide a theoretical introduction of various forms of stress, impact of stress, and ultimately review strategies that reduce the long-term negative impact of stress on the professional.
2:00pm – 3:00pm
SPF: Applying the Strategic Prevention Framework in a World Re-framed by Stephen Paseani, MTS, MA
This workshop will provide a basic explanation of the key elements of SAMHSA’s “Strategic Prevention Framework” (SPF). Designed to help communities promote healthy lifestyles by addressing substance use and other issues, the SPF is a framework to assist communities in achieving greater wellness across the lifespan. The five key steps of the SPF–assessment, capacity, planning, implementation, and evaluation–as well as the overarching themes of sustainability and cultural competence, will be explored. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a basic understanding of this integrated and comprehensive approach to an effective prevention approach.
3:00pm – 3:15pm
Network with our sponsors and other attendees through the Socio conference app.
3:15pm – 4:15pm
Understanding Behavior & Applying Responsive Techniques by Lauren Krebs, MA
Ever wonder why children and teens can be so challenging at times? Their physical, social, and emotional development is starting to ramp up and cause drastic changes; changes even they fail to understand. Their emotions, attitudes, and decision-making skills are all being tested and revised as they learn who they are in this world. This time of change is exciting and helps teens become unique, independent individuals. However, it can also result in complex and problematic behaviors, which can sometimes seem impossible to manage. As caregivers, educators, and counselors, it is imperative that we understand these behaviors and know how to respond to them.
This workshop offers a thorough insight into why we act the way we do, how behavior is learned and conditioned over time, and the stages of development individual experience throughout life. In addition to learning about behavior, participants will have the chance to evaluate their own behavioral tendencies. As professionals working with students in the Students Assistance Program, understanding common challenging behaviors and how to address them can be instrumental in connecting them to the right services.
3:15pm – 4:15pm
Digital Dilemmas: Ethical Considerations in Telehealth & Substance Use Disorders by Marcelle Giovannetti, MS, NCC, CADC, LPC, ACS, CCTP-II, EMDR
The recent pandemic has highlighted our reliance on telehealth and telemedicine which spans a continuum of technologies that offer new ways to deliver care. Clinicians need to provide competent care, respect patient privacy and confidentiality, and take steps to ensure ethical considerations associated with telemedicine particularly when treating substance use disorders. This presentation will address the barriers and benefits of using telemedicine to treat substance use disorders.
3:15pm – 4:15pm
Loot Boxes & Gambling: Where We Are and What’s Next by Josh Mountz, MEd
This presentation will look at Loot boxes and show their connections to gambling. Looking at recent studies we will see the reasons why young people purchase loot boxes and how that impacts their future risk for problematic gambling behaviors. We will also look at the current regulations or lack thereof. We will also look at trends and try to identify where the world of loot boxes could go in the future.
