That’s a total of up to 15 hours of Category “A” ACSW Continuing Competency Activity!

This symposium will highlight strengths based, prevention and early intervention approaches to support at-risk children and families. Research, innovative programs, projects and practices that are making a difference will be featured. Special emphasis will be placed on supporting vulnerable Aboriginal families due to the over-representation of Aboriginal children in Canada’s child welfare system. To access the full (draft) agenda, click here.

Registration fees are as follows:

Registration Fee and Workshop Fee (May 28, 29 and 30): $325.00
After Friday May 18, 2012 - $375.00

Registration Fee - Conference Only (May 29 and 30): $250.00
After Friday May 18, 2012 - $300.00

Pre-Conference Workshop Registration Fee (May 28, 2012 Only): $75.00
After Friday May 18, 2012 - $100.00

Registration fees include all meals as indicated on the event agenda (which can be located by clicking here), access to all keynote presentations and concurent presentations.

MAY 28, 2012

The symposium is offering a day of pre-conference workshops (1 hour and 45 minutes each) or one full-day workshop on Monday, May 28, 2012. You are welcome to attend these workshops for an additional fee of $75. This fee will include a full hot-breakfast, lunch, coffee, tea and snacks during breaks and of course, access to the array of inspiring and information-filled workshops. For full descriptions of workshops, click here.

MAY 29, 2012

The symposium officially begins with a keynote presentation from Dr. William Bell, President and CEO of Casey Family Programs, a not-for-profit foundation that works to provide and improve - and ultimately prevent the need for foster care in the United States. Dr. Bell will speak about his foundation significantly reduced the number of caseloads in several states and improved the lives of children remaining in care.

The afternoon has been designed to provide the ultimate in strength-based approaches to supporting our at-risk children and families. Sessions have been grouped by thematic areas and each session involves five, twenty-minute presentations:

THEME A ~ Healing from Trauma/Violence Prevention

1. Addressing Legacy of Residential Schools and Historical Trauma - Sharon Steinhauer, St. Paul
2. The Children’s Project: Supporting Inner Strength and Hope - Carolyn Goard, Edmonton
3. Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence – a Primary Prevention Approach - Lana Wells, Calgary
4. Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Youth Restorative Action Project - Elly Hyun, Edmonton
5. Can We Come Home? Formerly incarcerated women engage the community with photography to raise awareness and encourage acceptance of themselves and their children - Barbara Pickering, Calgary

THEME B ~ Community Engagement/Supporting Positive Child and Youth Development

1. Community Evaluation, Positive Youth Development, Kim Pinnock, Peace River, AB
2. Positive Child/Youth Development – Building our Capacity, Tasha Allen, Hinton, AB
3. Partners for Kids and Youth: A Community Interdisciplinary Team in Action, Susan McKenzie, Edmonton
4. Lessons Learned from Evaluating Federal Community Based Programs for Early Childhood Development, Lori Crozier
5. The Implementation of Triple P – Positive Parenting Program in Alberta, Colleen Geake, Edmonton

THEME C ~ Provincial Initiatives/Child Welfare Practice

1. Outcomes Based Service Delivery (OBSD): The Process and Outcomes of Collaboration, Susan Gardiner, Calgary
2. Building a Collaborative Practice Model for Better Outcomes in Children’s Services, David O’Brien Lethbridge
3. Success in School for Children and Youth in Care: Provincial Protocol Framework, Cathy Mitchell, Edmonton
4. Child Welfare Practice: A Social Justice Perspective, Dr. Anne Marie McLaughlin, Edmonton
5. A Practice Model based on the Integration of Structured Decision Making with Signs of Safety, Jan Christianson-Wood, Winnipeg (To be confirmed)

THEME D ~ Research/Social Work & Education

1. The Overrepresentation of First Nations Children in the Child Welfare System: Findings from the FNCIS-2008, Vandna Sinha, Montreal
2. Community Networking as a Promising Practice for Aboriginal Child Welfare, Dr. Judy Gillespie, Kelowna
3. Operationalizing OCAP Principles for Ethical Research with Aboriginal Peoples within a National Child Welfare Quantitative Research Study, Monty Montgomery, Saskatoon
4. Collaboration or Competition? Generalist or Specialized? Challenges Facing Social Work Education and Child Welfare, Dr. William Pelech, Calgary

MAY 30, 2012

Day two begins a keynote presentation from Mr. Keith Pattison, Giving Our Kids What They Need to Succeed in Life. Keith has spent a lifetime working with children, youth and families focusing on practical strength-based strategies that engage youth and support them to achieve their potential. Mr. Pattison will educate delegates on the 40 Developmental Assets; common sense, positive experiences and qualities that help influence choices young people make and help them become caring, responsible, successful adults. The assets are grounded in extensive research in youth development, resiliency, and prevention.

Once again, to make the most of your time, we have packaged the morning and early afternoon concurrent sessions into four themes, each with four, twenty minute presentations:

THEME A ~ Health

1. Promoting Understanding of Sexual Development in Children: Sharing Sexual and Reproductive Health Information Project, Rotimi Orisatoki, Saskatchewan Prevention Institute  
2. The Edmonton Model for improving Delivery of Healthcare Services for Children in Care, Dr. Tami Masterson, Alberta Health Services
3. Edmonton Fitness Improvements Amongst Children in One Alberta First Nation After Eight Years Participatory Research and Community Commitment, Dr. Ellen Toth, Edmonton
4. Examining Health and Emergency Care Needs of Street Involved Youth, Dr. David Nicholas, Edmonton

THEME B ~ Literacy/Cultural Continuity

1. Singing for a Literature Future; A University, School and Family Collaboration, Dr. Amanda Montgomery, Edmonton
2. Enhancing Health Literacy and Community Participation in Relation to Active living with Edmonton’s Newcomer Youth and their Families, Dr. Gina Higginbottom, Edmonton
3. Listening to the Elders – Telling Stories – Sitting in a Circle, Walter Bonaise and Karen Hovelkamp
4. Cultural Continuity Among Aboriginal Families living off Reserve in Alberta, Dr. Navjot Lamba, Edmonton

THEME C ~ Mental Health

1. Community engagement in a research study on the determinants of prenatal depression in Aboriginal women, Amrita Roy, Calgary 
2. Evaluating Treatment Outcomes using the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) at a Child Mental Health Agency in Calgary, Bjorn Johansson, Calgary 
3. The Impact of Readiness for Change on Child Welfare Client Outcomes, Dr. Robbie Babins-Wagner, Calgary 
4. Mental Health of Young Aboriginal Children Living Off Reserve, Dr. Christine Werk, Edmonton

THEME D ~ Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

1. The Voices of Youth with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Transitioning from Care; What Child Welfare Agencies and Youth Practitioners Need to Know, Dr. Don Fuchs, Winnipeg 
2. Promising Child Welfare Practice for Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Dr. Dorothy Badry, Calgary
3. Hearing Their Voices: Perspectives of Women Who Have Completed A Mentoring Program for High Risk Substance Misuse, Dr. Linda Burnside, Winnipeg