Welcome to Our Past Speakers Page

What can we do to help children who have engaged in illegal sexual behaviors? 

This presentation will review definitions and statistics related to children who have engaged in illegal sexual behavior. Best practice recommendations from the association for the treatment and prevention of sexual abusers (atsa) for youth who have engaged in illegal sexual behavior will be summarized. Case examples will be provided to illustrate how best practice recommendations can be applied in an outpatient treatment setting. Treatment providers will find this information helpful to assess and improve their services in accordance with best practice recommendations. Referral resources such as case managers and law enforcement members will find this information useful in understanding treatment options for youth. 

 Cultural responsiveness in the helping profession: a therapist perspective.

Twenty years ago, Northern Virginia was considered unique for its diversity, but we have seen this shift occur throughout different regions of the state. This has prompted the need for us in the helping profession to be more aware. As a therapist that began working in the early 2000's, the concept of cultural responsiveness has remained the same. Culturally responsive services help build relationships, rapport and address key aspects that impact individuals and families we serve. By not addressing key aspects of one 's culture this can leave individuals feeling even more disconnected, disengaged, and disinterested. As a therapist working with children, adolescence, adults, and family's culturally responsive interventions are critical and can lay the foundation for a meaningful connection between the individual and professional. When our service design offers culturally responsive interventions, we as the helping profession can better engage, identify areas to address diverse, and promote success for those we work with. This presentation will focus on the importance of cultural responsiveness in service design and delivery.

Best practices in trauma informed supervision and leadership. 

This presentation will cover best practices in trauma informed leadership and supervision. Participants will learn the benefits of having a trauma informed approach as a leader. The presenter will share practical strategies for leading/ supervising that promote psychological safety, trust, and healthy teams. The presentation will include why and how to create a culture of wellness within your organization.

  Partners of Virginia Empowering Youth and Families through Peer Support

This will be a presentation facilitated by Cristy Corbin with family support partner and youth support partner who are supporting youth and families. They will share stories of engagement with the youth and family from their perspective when there is a youth support partner and family support partner working in collaboration with the team. We will share the work we have been doing in Fairfax and across Virginia, encouraging youth and families on their journey to healing and recovery by using our lived experience in a way that instills hope. There will be time for questions and discussion to ensure all participants leave with a better understanding of the role of youth support partners and family support partners.

 Why many clinical services are failing and the 5 phases to fix it. 

Clinical and non-clinical approaches are both falling short of success concerning rates in schools, communities, and prevention services. It is not because of the treatment or service being provided, but because of the lack of effective engagement going into the approach. Whether participants are experienced professionals, highly credentialed, or completely new to the field, preconceived notions will be challenged in this session. Perspectives will be developed and the opportunity to systematically increase the number of successful outcomes will be provided. The need for an understanding of a realistic approach to reach all demographics has become overwhelming in this field and resources are low. In this presentation, participants will be introduced to the 5 phases of human engagement (sphe©), an engagement approach that has been tracked since 2014 and has helped over 3,000 youth, families, and professionals. Sphe© is designed for all levels of professionals.