Third Annual Building a Culture of Health Conference

Plenaries

Adverse Childhood Experiences: Arturo Brito, MD, Executive Director, The Nicholson Foundation

Lead: Elizabeth McDade, Program Manager, The Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning

Resilience and Interventions: Renee Boynton Jarrett, MD, Founding Director Vital Village and Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Boston University

The Facts About Lead Exposure in Newark: Diane Calello, MD, Medical and Executive Director, NJ Poison Information and Education System

Breakout Sessions

Adverse Childhood Experiences: Envisioning a Trauma Informed Newark
The achievement of a goal starts with a dream and a plan. Be a part of the solution-building as we consider “what is needed for Newark to realize its fullest potential as healing-centered city, what roles each of us can plays, and who else is needed as part of this movement?”
Moderator: Catherine Wilson - President & CEO, United Way of Essex and West Hudson

Panelists:

• Aqeela Sherrill - Executive Director, Newark Community Street Team
• Collette Lamothe-Galette - Senior Program Officer, The Nicolson Foundation
• Lakeesha Eure - Newark Anti-Violence Coalition

Adverse Childhood Experiences: Addressing ACEs in Schools
Recognizing that disruptive behavior is the symptom of a deeper harm, rather than willful defiance or disrespect, how can we shift from harsh discipline to best supporting the restoration of a student’s well-being?Moderator:  John Monney - CEO and Founding Editor, NJSpotlight

Panelists:

• Akbar Cook - Principal, West Side High School
• Lauren Meehan - Director, Newark Arts Education Roundtable 

Adverse Childhood Experiences: Creating a Trauma Informed Criminal Justice System
Recognizing that healing and well-being are fundamentally political, and a function of the power and control people have, we will consider how policies, practices and political decisions harm people and focus on solution-oriented concepts such as liberation, emancipation, oppression and social justice.

Moderator:

Panelists:

• Will Simpson - Senior Strategist, Equal Justice USA 
• Kelly Mulligan-Brown - Project Director, Newark Community Solutions 
• Retha Onitiri - Director of Community Engagement, NJ Institute for Social Justice

Adverse Childhood Experiences: Building Resilience in Lead and/or Trauma Exposed Children - What Can Parents and Teachers Do? 

Recognizing that the mind, body and spirit are one, we will examine strategies to regulate ourselves and connect with one another to improve the health and well-being of children and adults.

Moderator: Keri Logosso-Misurell - Executive Director, Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition

Panelists:

• Stephanie Bonne - Director, University Hospital Violence Intervention Program 
• Jennifer Kohl - Founder & Advisor to Mayor Ras Baraka, Lotus Yoga
• Kelly Moore - Program Manager/Project Director, Children's Center for Resilience and Trauma Recovery, Rutgers Health, UBHC
• Manuel Jimenez - Assistant Professor of Pediatrics & Family Medicine and Community Health, Director of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatric Education, The Boggs Center on Developmental DisabilRutgers Robert Wood Johnson medical School

Lead-Safe City: Housing Justice

Recognizing that lead disproportionately impacts low-income children and that housing justice requires a home free from lead hazards, how can we shift lead safety policies, programs, and regulations at all levels of government to focus on prevention –removing lead from all homes proactively rather than waiting for children to be exposed?

Moderator:

Panelists:

• Shonda Bryant, Program Coordinator, Childhood Lead Prevention, City of Newark Department of Health and Community Wellness 
• Peter Rose, Managing Director, Isles, Inc 
• Jose Ortiz, Esq., Deputy Director of Essex-Newark Legal Services

Lead-Safe City: Public Education/Advocacy

A lead-safe future for Newark will require a community that is lead-aware and lead-informed. But lead is not an easy topic to communicate to residents. Recognizing that lead exposure is a critical factor in lifetime health but is a silent and often invisible problem, how can we develop public health education and advocacy to make lead and healthy homes an ongoing priority for families, educators, and community leaders’ minds?

Moderator:

Panelists:

• Constance Edouard, Community Health Educator, United Way of Essex and West Hudson 
• Kim Gaddy, Environmental Justice Organizer, Clean Water Action of New Jersey
• Elyse Pivnick, Senior Director, Environmental Health 

Lead-Safe City: Water Infrastructure

Moving towards a lead-safe future for drinking water in Newark will require big investments in water infrastructure. The City of Newark has already taken substantial steps towards replacing lead service lines, increasing water sampling and modifying corrosion controls. What other steps could Newark undertake that would help build a truly lead-safe drinking water system?

Moderator:

Panelists:

• Chris Daggett, Chairman, Lead in Drinking Water Task Force
• Karen Yi, NJ Advance Media
• Shawn Latourette, Chief of Staff, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection