SESSION A
A-1: Trauma Responsive Care: Part 1
Presenters: Ami Davis, The Acadami, Founder
Aisha Salinas, The Acadami, Administrative Assistant
This workshop will be part 1 of 2. Part 1 will go over the mechanism of trauma, toxic stress, and explore overact stress response systems. We will discuss the stress response continuum and what this can look like, feel like, and sound like. The goal here is to appropriately be able to identify toxic stress response and understand how and why this happens for some people. Part 2 will discuss and share what we can do about it.
A-2: Current Trends in the Opioid Epidemic: Perspectives from Addiction Medicine and Child Psychiatry.
Presenters: Dr. Jonathan Avalos, San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health, Addiction Medicine Physician
Dr. Rishi Parikh, San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health, Program Medical Director for Children’s Services
A-3: Who Are We? What Do We Need? A survivor’s perspective on how to care for survivors of sexual assault and their family members.
Presenter: Martha Wade, A Quarter Blue, Executive Director
Discovering a child has been molested, wreaks havoc on individuals and family systems. Each person reacts differently to this secret being exposed, and develops coping strategies. As professionals, we can help minister to their individual needs if we have a heightened understanding of the tendencies of primary and secondary victims. We also can better help them navigate through the healing process, even while performing our jobs, which may not be linked to therapy.
A-4: Empowering Youth through the Arts
Presenters: Edwin Johnson, CHORDS Youth Enrichment Program, CEO & Founder
Samuel Montes, CHORDS Youth Enrichment Program, Team Member
This workshop will show the power of arts and how youth can have a better outcome in life if they participate in more arts-based program. CHORDS program uses music, dance, poetry, and the reflective writing method to teach youth how to express themselves appropriately and confidently. Many youths today feel they do not have a voice, and this often leads to depression, low self-esteem, and poor relational skills we have come up with a method that gives youth the confidence by encouraging them to focus on their unique gifts and not only practice it but use those gifts in way that can be impactful for the community, we encourage them to tell their story for all to hear. All the arts we do is campaign based this workshop will give educators ideas on how to become culturally relevant to our youth in order to have a better understanding when it comes to engaging youth especially those that are challenging.
A-5: Latest Trends among the Young
Presenter: Greg Jones, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Sheriff
There are thousands of ways young people today can get into trouble, and they seem to be taking advantage of all of them. Plus, those methods of self-endangerment seem to change daily. In this workshop, you will gain a bird’s eye view of the world of juvenile mischief and mayhem in the 21st century: everything from social media misdoings, to the latest fads in self-intoxication, to how adolescents are taking the world’s oldest profession onto school campuses, to how gangs and gang tactics are morphing before our very eyes.
SESSION B
B-1: Trauma Responsive Care – Part 2: Instigating Resilience through Self-Regulation
Presenter: Ami Davis, The Acadami, Founder
This workshop will build off of part 1 and move into what we can do to help those experiencing toxic stress responses, including ourselves. We will discuss multiple prevention and intervention techniques and activities; all founded in self-regulation and de-escalation.
B-2: Collaboration as a Mechanism against Childhood Adversity
Presenters: Christine Brown, LCSW, Give Something Back, Regional Director
Robin Daughenbaugh, Resilience Institute for Childhood Adversity, Medical Social Worker/Forensic Interviewer
It seems somewhat cliché to once again say, “It takes a village to raise a child,” but it’s hard not to champion that truth. When we discuss collaboration, we are really discussing what it means to be a village or community. When we look up those words, village and community, we find the following synonyms: kinship, unity, cooperation and spirit. Encompassing all of these ideas, collaboration is a necessary instrument in making change and building success as we examine the foster care crisis within our community. In 2019 there were 2,622 children who entered foster care in San Bernardino County [indicators.sbcounty.gov]. Many of these children will receive inadequate medical care and mental health services while in foster care, they will have a less than fifty percent rate of graduating high school (less than three percent will go on to college), and they will have a fifty percent rate of homelessness. These individuals have been plagued with trauma and lack the support they need to be healthy and successful adults. The Resiliency Institute for Childhood Adversity (RICA) was created with a vision of collaboration to help combat the challenges that face such a vulnerable population.
RICA is an interdisciplinary, integrated approach to prevent and combat the toxic effects of childhood adversity and trauma. RICA includes the Children’s Assessment Center (CAC), the Pediatric Resiliency Clinic, and the Give Something Back program. Our partners include various departments within the County of San Bernardino (including Children and Family Services, Behavioral Health, Children’s Network, and First Five), as well as Children’s Fund, local law enforcement, and multiple school districts.
The CAC is a trauma focused center which provides forensic interviews and evidentiary medical examinations to assist in the evaluation of child abuse allegations. Through a collaboration of services, the CAC seeks to reduce the amount of trauma a child and their family experience.
The Pediatric Resiliency Clinic offers long-term integrated medical care and mental health services to high-risk children including those in the foster care system. All providers on the resiliency team have specialized training in understanding and delivering holistic trauma-informed care.
The Give Something Back program provides holistic long-term student coaching, student support services, and financial assistance among students who have experienced economic hardships and other adversities. Students are selected as early as middle school and benefit from programming and mentorship that prepares them for college and career pathways including technical certifications.
Our village strives daily to collaborate with our community partners and passionate professionals from multiple disciplines to build and strengthen our relationships. This unique collaboration of professionals engages children who continue to be underserved within our community. Our goal is to remove the barriers that plague our youth and prevent them from receiving the appropriate health care and education services that should be inherent for all. As a village, we strive to provide our disadvantaged youth with strong and supportive relationships, improving their opportunities for success. Together we can fill the gaps that we cannot fill alone.
B-3: Surviving Motherhood: Trauma and Triumphs
Presenter: Kendra Flores-Carter, DWS, California Baptist University, Associate Professor
This workshop will discuss trauma experienced by some women through our motherhood journey. The untold truths about transitioning into motherhood. Though motherhood has its challenges often the only things shared are the triumphs/good times. This will be a get real look into motherhood and how many women struggle to keep it all together further traumatizing themselves and breaking down in silence over time.
B-4: A Comprehensive Look at Child Physical Abuse: A forensic medical and forensic interview perspective.
Presenters: Komal Aziz, MD, Children’s Assessment Center, Fellow, Forensic Pediatrics
Veronica Flores, Children’s Assessment Center, Therapist
There are nearly 700, 000 children abused in the United States annually with varied rates of disclosure. Some children present with obvious injuries that are indicative of physical abuse, but what if they don’t disclose abuse? Looking through a trauma focused lens helps build an understanding of how a child may disclose abuse, why they may not disclose abuse, and the behaviors they may exhibit prior, during, and after a disclosure of abuse. Creating a safe child friendly environment is essential as well as taking into consideration developmental abilities, potential outside influences, and readiness to share when speaking to children about abuse. Even with all these considerations and best intentions, some children may not disclose the abuse they have endured. Join us in taking a closer look at a specific child abuse case where we explore physical abuse and neglect injuries, medical findings and examine the process of disclosure for these children.
B-5: Facility Dogs 101
Presenters: Flerida Alarcon, San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Victim Services Special Victims K-9 Unit, Victim Services Chief
Miriam Torres, San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Victim Services Special Victims K-9 Unit, Victim Advocate/K-9 Handler
The workshop will provide participants the opportunity to learn how the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office Special Victims K-9 Unit has committed to serving our most vulnerable victims, our children.
The workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to learn about the role of a facility dog and the victim advocate/handler. Participants will explore how facility dogs have had a positive effect on children that are part of the criminal justice system. This workshop will also assist attendees with determining the steps needed to implement a facility dog program within their respective agency.
The benefits of a facility dog program can extend beyond the courtroom. Attendees will learn how the Special Victims K-9 Unit have deployed after incidents of mass violence to support families and survivors.
SESSION C
C-1: Building Nurturing Families and Communities through Addressing ACEs and Social Determents of Health
Presenters: Kim Kimpel, Walden Family Services, Nurturing Families Program Director
Sue Evans, Walden Family Services, Chief Operating Officer
The term Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) comes from the landmark 1998 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Kaiser Permanente of California. ACEs describe 10 categories of adversities experienced by the age of 18. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) experienced without the protection of nurturing caregivers in safe environments can lead to the development of a toxic stress response with may impact the brain and body development of key systems.
ACEs are associated in a fashion indicative of higher number of exposures correlating with a higher risk for some of the most common and serious health conditions seen in our society, many which are leading causes of death today. 4 or more ACEs correlated to larger percent increase of risk for severe physical and emotional conditions such as attempted suicide, depression, asthma, and heart disease. Identifying a history of adverse experiences and responding with trauma informed care can improve the health and well-being and lower long term healthcare needs.
Youth who have been abused and neglected and their parents often have higher ACEs scores and less protective factors to buffer the effects. The resulting trauma response and long term physical toxic stress response increases the risks even further.
By providing education and supportive services focused on the development of skills needed to form nurturing relationships, we impact the likelihood of youth experiencing further ACEs. We also help mitigate the effects of ACEs in the relationships and parenting skills of the parents. This allows for better long-term outcomes for parents and children related to connections and building positive relationships moving forward.
Parents encompass many types including birth parents, foster/resource parents, relatives, and other caregivers. They come from many backgrounds and experiences with a variety of unique cultural identities, strengths, needs, abilities, and preferences. They also have diverse positive and adverse experiences. One pillar of importance is the ability to come from a position of cultural humility to listen, learn, and respect the unique cultural identity of each person we work with.
Traditionally, families at risk of children’s services involvement are provided with parenting classes and some case management in a fragmented format from a deficit based prospective. This approach may lead to some gaps in services and minimal long-term change.
One key intervention strategy integrates skill acquisition related to key relationships and parenting categories with the assessment of social determinants of health and targeted case management support to stabilize these social determinants. This includes assessment and assistance in areas such as; safety, housing, food security, social connections, and education.
The approach of combing these two interventions into one service delivery model helps to streamline efforts; families do not have to tell their story more than once and helps to develop a stronger relationship with the staff that works with them to teach skills and utilize those skills in practical application.
Case management and support builds on and reinforces skills leaned and utilizes a “warm hand off” when referring families to key community partners. Case managers focus on what they learn about the persons cultural identity and strengths to solidify positive change and implementation of skills and concepts learned.
This workshop will provide an overview and example of a skill development and supportive services delivery model. We will provide groundwork and an outline of this model as an example for others to build off of and impact their own communities.
C-2: The San Bernardino County Response to Human Trafficking
Presenter: Angel Magallanes, MSW, San Bernardino County Children’s Network, C.A.S.E. Coordinator
C-3: What’s in a Name? Adopting a thorough understanding of the changes within identity and orientation.
Presenter: Michelle L. Manning, MLM, LPCC
Between pronoun preferences, rejection of gender binaries, and at least eight identities and orientations (LGBTQQIA …), relating and connecting to those we serve can be confusing. And that’s an understatement!
What’s in a Name? will clear up any confusion by taking a pragmatic approach to understanding the ever-evolving changes to identity and orientation.
When service providers are intent to support children and adolescents in need, that support can be hindered without common ground or an ability to connect. The two most essential components of support.
Yet as daunting as it is to stay abreast of such ever-evolving changes, it can be even more daunting when expected to accurately use labels and terms with those we serve. However, when we examine the need for evolving language, as well as historical contexts influencing such changes, new language and terms become relatable. Thus, facilitating connection and deeper insight into those we serve.
C-4: Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs)
Presenters: Doreen Ivery, MSW, San Bernardino County Children’s Network, Mentoring Resource Coordinator
Xeneida Brown, MPH, San Bernardino County Children’s Network, Child Abuse Prevention Coordinator
Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs) acknowledges that adverse childhood experiences and positive childhood experiences work together, for our entire lives. Discussions on ACEs have always included information on resilience, but only addressed it as a mitigating factor in overcoming the effects of ACEs. Joining adverse and positive experiences better reflects the direction this movement has been going. In this training we will discuss:
- What prompted this new movement?
- Discuss the integration of trauma-informed care, strengthening families and protective factors.
- The power of positive experiences.
C-5: QPR Suicide Awareness and Prevention
Presenters: Karena Garcia, Victor Community Support Services, Victorville Campus, Family Support Counselor/Mental Health Specialist
Augusto Huerta-Minakata, LMFT, Victor Community Support Services, Victorville Campus, Clinical Supervisor
Q.P.R (Question, Persuade, & Refer), is a suicide awareness and prevention training intended to offer hope through positive action. In this workshop we will discuss various warning signs; risk factors, verbal, behavioral, and situational cues that increase a person’s risk of contemplating and/or attempting suicide. You will learn tips on how to effectively approach, talk to, and support the individual considering suicide. By the end of the workshop, you will have gained confidence in suicide awareness and how to offer hope which could save a life.