Speakers

As of October 8, 2024 please check with the 13^th Annual CSA Conference Guidebook App for the latest information relating to this conference.

Keynote Speaker

Beth Macy is a Virginia-based journalist who writes about outsiders and underdogs. Raised poor in a small Ohio community, she is the award-winning author of three New York Times bestselling books examining rural communities left behind by corporate greed and political indifference. Her first book, Factory Man, explored the aftermath of globalization and won a J. Anthony Lukas Prize. Dopesick was short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, won the L.A. Times Book Prize for Science and Technology, and was described as a “masterwork of narrative nonfiction” by The New York Times.

Dopesick was made into a Peabody- and Emmy Award-winning Hulu series; Macy was an executive producer and cowriter on the show. Her 2022 book, Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, and the Future of America’s Overdose Crisis, was a follow-up to Dopesick and explored on-the-ground solutions to the nation’s drug epidemic.

A 2010 Nieman Fellow for Journalism at Harvard and a 2023 Guggenheim Fellow, Macy has also written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post. Her next book, Paper Girl, is a combination memoir and reported examination of the rural-urban divide told through the lenses of declining upward mobility, political polarization, and the decimation of local and regional news.

_{Beth Macy is represented exclusively by the BrightSight Group}

Pre-Conference Session

 Tuesday, October 15, 2024

 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Dr. Sobia Khan is the Director of Implementation at The Center for Implementation. She is an award-winning expert on how to practically implement complex initiatives in complex systems. Globally, she has supported and advised both researchers and practitioners on over 100 change initiatives across 5 continents, integrating multiple fields such as implementation science, systems thinking, and social network theory to achieve meaningful and large-scale change. She emphasizes pragmatic and equity-driven approaches, with a particular focus on the need for relationship building, advocacy, and collective action to create change at all levels of the system. 

 Wednesday, October 16, 2024

 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

CSA Data & Continuous Quality Improvement Introduction
Carrie Thompson, Research Associate Senior, Office of Children's Services

FAPT and CPMT Roles and Responsibilities
Courtney Sexton, BA Political Science/Criminal Justice, Program Consultant, Office of Children's Services and Mary Bell, MAFP, Program Consultant, Office of Children's Services

Unlocking the Doors to Systemic Improvements - 2024 OCO Annual Report Findings, Data, and Trends
Eric Reynolds, Director, Office of the Children's Ombudsman, Frank Green, Investigations Analyst, Office of the Children's Ombudsman, and Jamie Anderson, Senior Investigations Analyst, MSW, LCSW, Office of Children's Ombudsman

The Hot Stepper:  Special Education is a Stepping Stone, not a Stigma on the Road to Success
Jaclyn Walker, EdD in Educational/Leadership/Administration, Virginia Department of Education License, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, New Story Schools:  Rivermont

One Mile in Foster Shoes:  A Foster Care Simulation
Olivia Snoke, Creator of One Mile in Foster Shoes, IL Social Worker, Foster Care Alumni, CEO, Emerging Phoenix

Educational Stability for Children and Youth in Foster Care (Session 1)
Patricia Popp, Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership - Special Education emphasis, EHCY State Coordinator, VDOE Liaison to VDSS for Educational Stability of Students in Foster Care, Project HOPE – Virginia, and Kristi Schabo, Senior Policy and Planning Specialist, Office of Children's Services

Bridging Gaps:  Strengthening Kinship Families through Public-Private Partnerships
Nina Marino, MSW, LCSW, Director, Community Engagement & Government Affairs, United Methodist Family Services (UMFS), Tracy Johnson, CSA Coordinator, Henrico County, Alexa Reitz, LCSW, Community-Based Program Director, United Methodist Family Services (UMFS), and Mandi Green, MSW, Assistant Director of Service Programs, Henrico County Department of Social Services, and Velda Chambers, Kinship Guardian

Engaging Families:  Are We the Barriers?
Karen Rice, MSW, LCSW, Director, Therapeutic Resources, Virginia Home for Boys and Girls

Fueling Connection:  The Role of Parent Reps on FAPT
Cristy Corbin, CPRS, HFW-FSP, President, Family Support Partners of Virginia and Anna Antell, LCSW, Lead Program Consultant, Office of Children’s Services

Don't forget the parents!  The key to the sustainability of family progress.  Family Check-Up & Functional Family Therapy
Nicholas Sturdifen, DSL, MA, MBA, President, Life Push, LLC, Bevin Lovelace, LPC, Director of Family Services, Life Push, LLC, Larry Burrell, LMHP-R, Regional Director, Life Push, LLC, and Esteban Hernandez, QMHP-C, Regional Director, Life Push, LLC

 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

CSA Basics 101:  System of Care, Eligibility, and Funding* ** ***
Carol Wilson, Senior Program Consultant, Office of Children’s Services

Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) Hot Topics
Laura Reed, LCSW, Behavioral Health Senior Program Advisor, Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), Lisa Jobe-Shields, Ph.D., LCP, Behavioral Health Division Director, Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), Adrienne Fegans, Deputy Director for Programs and Operations, Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), and Christine Minnick, MSW, Child Welfare Program Specialist, Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS)

VADJJ Implementation of the Standardized Program Evaluation Protocol (SPEP TM) – A Validated, Data-Driven Tool for Evaluating Services Provided to Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth
Andrea McMahon, MS in Criminal Justice, Deputy Director of Placement and Program Implementation, Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice, Christina Zember, Quality Assurance Manager, Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice, and Justin Woodley, Quality Assurance Specialist, Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice

High Fidelity Wraparound:  Underexplored Potential in Virginia
Emily Clark, LCSW, VWIC Senior Project Manager, UMFS, Felecia Cook, MDiv, VWIC Trainer, UMFS, and Anna Antell, LCSW, Lead Program Consultant, Office of Children’s Services

Educational Stability for Children and Youth in Foster Care (Part 2)
Patricia Popp, Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership – Special Education emphasis, EHCY State Coordinator, VDOE liaison to VDSS for Educational Stability of Students in Foster Care, Project HOPE – Virginia and Kristi Schabo, Senior Policy and Planning Specialist, Office of Children’s Services

The Missing Link:  Integrating Caregivers for Better Health Outcomes
Natalie Handy, MSW, CEO, CareForward

COVID in Retrospect:  The genie that won't back in the bottle
Patrick Slifka, LCSW, CAC, Director, Leadership and Management Development, National Counseling Group/ncgCARE and Stephan Stark, Vice President of Customer Experience, National Counseling Group/ncgCARE

Developing Agile Leaders in Human Services:  Are you asking the right questions?
Claudette Carter Henderson, DSL, MS, Doctorate level studies in Human Services Development, CSA Program Coordinator, Lancaster County

 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Audits and Data Integrity - Why It Matters * ** ***
Stephanie Bacote, Program Audit Manager, Office of Children’s Services, Annette Larkin, Program Auditor, Office of Children's Services, Rendell Briggs, Program Auditor, Office of Children's Services, and Rachel Friedman, B.S., Program Auditor

Empowering Families:  Enhancing Virginia's Kin First Culture through the implementation of the Parental Child Safety Placement Program
Lauren Weidner, MSW, Project Manager, Virginia Department of Social Services, and Jacqueline Withers-Johnson, MSW, Change Management Specialist, Virginia Department of Social Services

Addressing Unmet Needs of High Acuity Youth:  Safe and Sound Updates, Perspectives, and Practical Applications – A Panel of State and Local Leaders
Mira Signer, LMSW, Special Advisor, DBHDS, Assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, Em Parente, LCSW, Ph.D., Assistant Director, Family Services, Virginia Department of Social Services, Kari M. Savage, M.S., Director, Office of Child and Family Services, Virginia Department of Health, and Amanda Long, Director, Youth Network, Culpeper County; and Andrew Crawford, LCSW, Director, Bedford County Department of Social Services

Beyond Graduation:  Preparing Students with Disabilities for Life's Next Chapter
Kelly Conn-Reda, Master of Education, Murray State University/Ph.D. student at George Mason University, Senior Manager, Multi-Agency Services, Office of Special Education and Procedural Support, Fairfax County Public Schools, and Christina Hunt, LCSW, School Social Worker, Fairfax Public Schools

The Importance of Blending Neuroscience and Clinical Interventions and Strategies for Better Outcomes
John Ross Murray, Jr., MSW, President/CEO, Families First of Virginia

Plotting Prevention:  Navigating Virginia EBPs for Children and Families
Ashley Sandman, Partner Engagement Director, Center for Evidence-based Partnerships (CEP-Va), VCU, and Ashley Robinson, Data Director, Center for Evidence-based Partnerships (CEP-Va), VCU

PEP Talk!  How Enhanced Technical Assistance Helps Local CSA Programs Reach Their Potential
Courtney Sexton, BA Criminal Justice/Political Science, Program Consultant, Office of Children’s Services, Glenda Collins, CPMT Chair, Executive Director, Lonesome Pine Office on Youth, Heather Kesterson, MPhil, MBA, CSA Program Manager, Franklin County, Reesa Moore, MA Marriage and Family Counseling, QMHCM, FAPT Chair/Sussex County, FAPT Member/City of Hopewell, District 19 Community Services Board and Stephanie Pfeil, MSW, CSA Coordinator, Floyd County

Becoming what I needed:  One Mom's Journey to Becoming a Family Support Partner
Kirstan Ann Knipple, CPRS, FSP, HFW-SP, Culpeper FAPT Parent Representative, Encompass Community Supports

It's a Balancing Act:  Reclaiming Yourself Through Self-Care and Wellness
Tina Norris, Certified Self-Care Coach, Certified Bullying Prevention Specialist, Certified Healing Centered Engagement Practitioner, Family Engagement Specialist, PEAT-C

In My Coaching Era:  Upskilling Through Coaching and Feedback
Erica Mann, LCSW, Director of Learning and Special Projects, UMFS, and Emily Clark, LCSW, Senior Project Manager, VWIC, UMFS

 Thursday, October 17, 2024

 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Measuring Progress:  Continuous Quality Improvement After Strategic Planning * ***
Carrie Thompson, Research Associate Senior, Office of Children’s Services

Alphabet Soup:  What CSA Personnel Need to Know about Special Education and the CSA * ** ***
Kristi Schabo, Ed.S., Senior Policy and Planning Specialist, Office of Children’s Services

Reducing Adolescents’ Self-Harming Behaviors and Risk of Suicide in Outpatient Settings
Angelique Caley, LCSW, LSATP, CSOTP, CAADC, CASAC, C-DBT, EMDR Certified Clinician, Owner and Clinician, Child & Adolescent Trauma Services, LLC

Therapeutic Cognitive Training:  Enhancing Therapeutic Engagement Holistically
Daniel Brooks, LCSW, Founder, Motivate the Game

Trauma Systems Therapy
Kelly Perrel, LCSW, TST Clinical Consultant, Family Preservation Services/Clarvida, Danielle Calhoun, State Program Director, Family Preservation Services/Clarvida, and Brandy Carraway, LCSW, TST Program Director, Family Preservation Services/Clarvida

Hanover CSA Review Committee - Continuous Quality Improvement on State and Local Partnership
Julie Dubee, CSA Coordinator, Hanover County CSA, Anna Antell, LCSW, Lead Program Consultant, Office of Children’s Services, Karen Butler, CSA UR Specialist, Hanover County CSA, and Daricka Jones, Director, Hanover County Department of Social Services 

The Secure Child:  Caregiving Security as a Healing Intervention (Session 1)
Somer George, Ph.D., LPC, Clinical Director, Secure Child & Virginia Attachment Center, and William Whelan, Psy.D., Program Director, Secure Child & Virginia Attachment Center

Changing the adage:  People leave managers, not companies
Brittney Hyer, SPHR, Senior Director of Human Resources, New Story

The Excellence Ethos:  Leading a Culture of Continuous Improvement
Brandi Tinsley, LCSW, Assistant Director of Quality Improvement & Risk Management, UMFS, and Molly Icban, BA, QI Coordinator

 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

CSA Basics 201 – “Can CSA Pay?”  How do your FAPT and CPMT make this decision? * ** ***
Carol Wilson, Senior Program Consultant, Office of Children’s Services

OCS Finance – Overview of the CSA funding and reimbursement process * ***
Kristy Wharton, Chief Financial Officer, Office of Children’s Services

The Continuum of DARS Transition Services for Students with Disabilities
Patti Hodge, MA, CRC, Statewide Transition Specialist – Staff Development, Department for Aging and Rehabilitation Services (DARS)

Introduction to Coordinated Specialty Care for First Episode Psychosis
Cathy Brown, LCSW, Division Director for Child, Youth, and Family Services, Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare, and Erica Vest, LCSW, Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare

The Virginia Mental Health Access Program (VMAP):  Overcoming Resource Shortages Through Connections
Julia Richardson, MSW, LCSW, VMAP Lead Licensed Mental Health Professional, Virginia Mental Health Access Program at the Inova Kellar Center, Hanna Schweitzer, MPH, VMAP Program Administrator, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), and Kimberly Anderson, VMAP Lead Care Navigator, Virginia Treatment Center for Children (VTCC), Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU

The Secure Child:  Caregiving Security as a Healing Intervention (Session 2)
Somer George, Ph.D., LPC, Clinical Director, Secure Child & Virginia Attachment Center, and William Whelan, Psy.D., Program Director, Secure Child & Virginia Attachment Center

Family Matters:  Exploring the Importance of Kinship Care
Samantha Chillious, Trainer/Instructor III, Virginia Department of Social Services – Local Training Division

Vicarious Trauma:  An Overview
Stacie Vecchietti, MSW, Policy Specialist, Virginia Department of Social Services, and Laurie K. Crawford, MPA, Director of the Office of Trauma and Resilience Policy, Virginia Department of Social Services

The Doodling Collective:  Leadership as a Creative Endeavor
Amanda Noell Stanley, MS, ACC, CEO/Founder, The Artisan Leader, and Katie Means, MA, Managing Consultant for Culture and Strategy, The Artisan Leader

Speaker Information is available in Guidebook for each session.

CONTACT: Liz Fillman, Virginia Tech Richmond Center
Email: lfillman@vt.edu