Keynote Presentations

I. Personal Story Keynote Presentation: Before, During and After a Tragedy: Sandy Hook and Beyond                                                                                    
by Nelba Marquez-Greene, LMFT                                                                                                                   

Through personal recollections of a tragedy that took her daughter, Nelba, will speak about the trauma she and her family experienced before, during and after the tragedy at Sandy Hook. As both a parent and a professional in the field, Nelba will discuss how human service workers can think through their role as helper. She will introduce strategies to help identify what helps families after tragedy and loss. Finally, she will discuss the importance of moving forward after a tragedy and how individuals and agencies can avoid the pitfalls of larger systems mismanagement following tragic events. Nelba will discuss the impact of the trauma of violence on herself, her family and the community she is a part of and how she and her community has moved on since the tragedy.        

 II.  Keynote Presentation: 

Stress, Trauma, Loss, Rage- The Need for a New Narrative

 by Kenneth Hardy, Ph.D.                              
    

Many of our young people are under tremendous stress, “When these young men and women behave in ways we don’t like, what we should be asking them is not ‘What’s wrong with you? but ‘What happened to you?’” Displaying the same symptoms of trauma, like hyper-vigilance and emotional numbing, as soldiers returning from a war zone -- many of the young people caught up in the cycle of violence are not inherently bad people needing punishment, but are injured people who need healing. Once we observe this trauma and rage happening, how can we help heal it? Dr. Hardy proposes a new strength based narrative for working with these youth. 

III. Keynote Presentation: Working with Trafficked Girls in the United States 
by Paola Michelle Contreras, PsyD    

The presenter will review human trafficking trends in the United States. Research on socio-psychological factors that contribute to human trafficking will be discussed including consideration of the context where human trafficking unfolds; traffickers motivated by cycles of demand; the individual vulnerabilities of specific groups with a special focus on women and girls; and contributing societal issues.. The challenges of engaging trafficked persons in comprehensive services with approaches to address barriers will also be reviewed, including strategies and tools to minimize provider burnout. The presenter will utilize case examples and current research findings to highlight the presentation’s content.

                                                                                                               

  

Workshop Descriptions:

A. The Ana Grace Project
by Nelba Marquez-Greene, LMFT
This presentation will examine a collaborative model of community trauma awareness building. Learning how to build authentic community engagement is more meaningful than ever and will be addressed in this presentation. Participants will identify meaningful ways to bring trauma/loss work into the community through this workshop as well.

 

B. Teens Who Hurt: Clinical Interventions to Break the Cycle of Adolescent Violence
by Kenneth Hardy, Ph.D.
Offering a fresh perspective on treatment, this workshop will present an overarching framework and specific strategies for working with violent youth and their families. Dr. Hardy will shed light on the complex interplay of individual, family, community, and societal forces that lead some adolescents to hurt others or themselves.

C.  Comprehensive Care for Sex Trafficked Women and Girls: Peer Mentors and Professionals Working Together
by Paola Michelle Contreras, PsyD
This workshop will describe how services are being offered to sex trafficked women and girls from different perspectives. Tools to identify human trafficking within the practice of each discipline will be reviewed. The presenter will outline the benefits of using a multidisciplinary approach to work with trafficked persons. The workshop will include case examples and active learning exercises.

 

D. Understanding the Impact of Trauma on Very Young Children: It’s All About the Relationship  
by Carmen Norona, LCSW, MS.Ed.,CEIS 
Via didactic presentation, case and video vignettes, and group reflection this workshop will provide an overview of the impact of traumatic events (with particular attention to domestic violence) from the perspective of the very young child, the caregiver/parent and the child-caregiver relationship. It will discuss relationship-based and culturally-responsive interventions to promote stabilization and the restoration of the child-caregiver attachment as the vehicle to help young children recover from trauma.

E. Vicarious Traumatization and Self Care for Human Health Providers
by Linda Sanford, LICSW
Working with traumatized people has a profound impact on human service workers personal lives. Although clients often give hope and restore belief in the resiliency of human beings, the work can challenge or disrupt a persons sense of well-being. This workshop will explore the highly individual ways that the work affects human service workers as well as offering several strategies for chronic self-care. Participants are welcome to share professional and personal experiences during this time, however, the workshop may also have value for those who listen, reflect and choose not to share.

F. Trauma and Micro-aggressions in the LGBTQ Community                                                      
by MIssy Mae Sturtevant, LCSW                                                    
LGBTQ people exist in communities that are constantly sending messages that LGBTQ people hold less value. What effect does that have on the health and well-being of LGBTQ people? What can service providers do to shift micro-aggressions – the small messages that devalue LGBTQ experiences – into micro-affirmations that heal trauma? This workshop will include a brief refresher of terminology around LGBTQ identities.

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