2023 Spring Conference

DAILY SCHEDULE:

Schedule – Friday, March 10, 2023

9:00 am – 9:45 am 

Welcome: The Power of Connection: Youth and Permanency

Presenter: Alicia Ajiboye, Executive Director of Focus on Youth, Inc

Keynote: The Forever Connection – Planning for Permanency by Building Parent Relationships

Presenter: Candace Caudill, Educator and Focus on Youth Foster Parent

10:00 am -12:00 pm

QPR: Question Persuade Refer Suicide Prevention

Presenter: Amy Shull, LISW-S, CTRP, Registered Play Therapist; Focus on Youth

This course will discuss facts verses myths of suicidal ideation. QPR will give tools to participants to address suicidal ideation in others while getting more professional help. Participants will be able to understand and utilize the ASQ screening tool in order to identify risk

 

Adoption: Loving Without Walls!

Presenter: Tova Rose, BS; Parent Educator

This training explores the adoption process and discusses with the parents their decision to adopt a child. The training also explores some of the taboo feelings that happen after a child (teen) is adopted. This training also helps foster/adoptive parents gain skills to ease the transition after adoption.

 

1:00 pm -2:00 pm

The Adoption is Final: Real Life Kicks In Part 1

Presenter: Anthony President, Presidential Consultants

In this course, participants will get clear on the real challenges that can appear after an adoption. Participants will be able to anticipate common challenges and proactively develop a mitigation plan for support the child. In addition, participants will learn the value of honoring the birth family, the child’s emotional state as well as their cultural and ethnic norms and habits to
that the child recognizes the value in themselves. Finally, participants will be empowered with tools to lovingly communicate and support their child to achieve post-adoption success.

 

Adoption Law

Presenter: Sarah Michel, Esq; Tibbs Law Office

This workshop will provide a legal overview of the adoption and foster care process. The trainer will discuss the legal rights of both biological parents and foster/adoptive parents and things that workers need to know to prepare families.

Wraparound Support for Adoptive and Permanency Families

Presenter: Chris Combs, Coalition of Care

Through this course attendees will learn about wraparound services offered by the Coalition of Care. Attendees will review the process to gain access to care, the referral process, and services offered by the Coalition of Care. Attendees will also learn about the process to begin support groups within their own church community.

 

2:15 pm-4:15 pm

GAP: Transition from Foster Care to Adoption

Presenter: Angela Buckalew, HTH Solutions

This Guided Application and Practice (GAP) session provides opportunity for foster and adoptive parents to learn from the experiences of the facilitator and from the experiences of each other. The facilitator, a former foster and an adopted child, will guide participants to think about how experiences with fostering/adoption have impacted their lives.

 

The Adoption is Final: Real Life Kicks In Part 2

Presenter: Anthony President, Presidential Consultants

In this course, participants will get clear on the real challenges that can appear after an adoption. Participants will be able to anticipate common challenges and proactively develop a mitigation plan for support the child. In addition, participants will learn the value of honoring the birth family, the child’s emotional state as well as their cultural and ethnic norms and habits to
that the child recognizes the value in themselves. Finally, participants will be empowered with tools to lovingly communicate and support their child to achieve post-adoption success.

Schedule- Saturday, March 11, 2023

9:00 am – 9:45 am 

Welcome: The Power of Connection: Youth and Permanency

Presenter: Alicia Ajiboye, Executive Director of Focus on Youth, Inc

Keynote: The Power of Connection- A Call to Action!

Presenter: Alicia Ajiboye, Executive Director of Focus on Youth, Inc

10:00 am -12:00 pm

Hope, Help, & Strength: Protective Factors & Resiliency

Presenter: Tarin Cook, 1N5

Utilizing the Sources of Strength wheel, this interactive, upstream prevention-focused training takes a strengths-based approach to explore the 8 evidence-based protective factors that increase resiliency and promote mental wellness. Through connecting, sharing stories, playing games, and reflecting, this training hopes to empower others to experience, practice, and spread the message of hope, help, and strength while promoting the use of protective factors when navigating hard times.

Dark Matter of Love: Science Can Change the Way You Love

Presenter: Tova Rose, BS; Parent Educator

This training explores the adoption process and discusses with the parents their decision to adopt a child. The training also explores some of the taboo feelings that happen after a child (teen) is adopted. This training also helps foster/adoptive parents gain skills to ease the transition after adoption.

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Nutrition and Health: Practical Ways to Help Kids Stay Healthy, Get Active and Receive Proper Nutrition

Presenter: Melissa Starks, West Chester Fit Body Boot Camp

This course will help parents to identify healthy habits that can be implemented at a young age to help with anxiety, mood, and overall good health of a child. This course will highlight different age groups and their growing nutritional/physical needs, along with interactive material to target their own specific child’s needs.

 

GAP: Transition from Foster Care to Adoption

Presenter: Angela Buckalew, HTH Solutions

This Guided Application and Practice (GAP) session provides opportunity for foster and adoptive parents to learn from the experiences of the facilitator and from the experiences of each other. The facilitator, a former foster and an adopted child, will guide participants to think about how experiences with fostering/adoption have impacted their lives.

2:15 pm – 4:15 pm

Advocating for School-Aged Children with Prenatal Substance Exposure

Presenter: Dr. Mindy Reichelt-Abell; Mt. Healthy City Schools

The course will begin with a review of the medical research regarding long-term effects from prenatal substance exposure. Then parents will create a “play book” for how to best address their child’s needs.  Plays will include strategies parents can use at home as well as “if then” charts to plan how to coordinate care with therapeutic providers and schools based on the symptoms associated with prenatal exposure that a child may or may not present in the future.

 

Working with Law Enforcement to Support Children in Care

Presenter: Corporal Melissa Abell; Springdale Police Department

This course will focus on how law enforcement can be a support and resource for foster parents and children. How we can work together to keep our kids safe. We will discuss indicators for Human Trafficking. Through this course, participants will learn when law enforcement should be contacted and how they can assist. Participants will also learn how to utilize community service officer/SRO or DARE.

A special thank you to all our generous SPONSORS.

This conference is hosted by Focus on Youth, Inc. A special thanks to Northeast Church of Christ for providing a space for this conference.

Thank you to our Conference Contributors:

Presenters

Amy Shull Focus on Youth Candace Caudill Focus on Youth Foster Parent	Amy Shull, LISW-S, CTRP, Registered Play Therapist is a behavioral health clinician. She has worked for Focus on Youth for 9 years and now serves as a Clinical Supervisor. Amy has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Cincinnati. Amy has been a certified QPR Gatekeeper Trainer since 2022. Candace Caudill is a professional educator in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her passion in the field of child welfare drives her to enhance knowledge and skills for current and prospective foster parents. Currently a mom of 6 (2 by birth, 3 by adoption, and 1 foster), she draws on her own lived experience to enhance these discussions. A self-ascribed “nerd,” her strength of curiosity energizes her to explore new things.
Angela Buckalew HTH Solutions	Angela Buckalew is originally from Athens Ohio but made the venture to the Queen City in 2010. With 15+ years in the healthcare industry providing hands on client care, Angela offers a unique training style that ensures students walk away with the knowledge and skills required to remain safe on the job, and possibly save a life!
Sarah Michel, Esq. Tibbs Law	Sarah Michel, Esq. is a lifelong resident of Mason, Ohio, and a proud graduate of William Mason High School. Sarah started her legal career in Dayton, Ohio where she worked for the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office in the juvenile division and in private practice before coming home to Cincinnati to practice with Tibbs Law Office in 2018. Sarah’s practice has taken her all over Southwest Ohio where she has practiced in several counties throughout the area. Sarah has committed her practice to helping families and children through their hardest moments, whether it be divorce, custody, or juvenile delinquency cases or their happiest moments of adoption and expanding their families. Serving the children and families of Cincinnati and surrounding areas is the most rewarding work Sarah does as an attorney.
Emily Ballard Focus on Youth	Emily Ballard is a trainer at Focus on Youth and has worked in the foster care system since 2016. Prior to working at Focus on Youth, Emily was an elementary educator in the heart of Columbus, Ohio. Her time in education launched her desire to learn more about trauma, its impacts, and how to best serve kids, their families, and the community. Emily is certified in Trauma Competent Care through Trauma Free World and is also a foster parent herself. Emily’s desire is to help kids heal by encouraging their families and caregivers to heal as well.
Corporal Melissa Abell, Springdale Police Department	Corporal Melissa Abell Corporal Abell has been with the Springdale Police Department for over 18 years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Transylvania University and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Cincinnati Bible Seminary. She is currently serving as the first shift supervisor for the Springdale Police Department, as well as the Health and Wellness Coordinator. She currently serves as an instructor for Crisis Intervention, which teaches Law Enforcement officers, in Hamilton County, how to recognize and responded to individuals with mental health crisis. She was also named Crisis Intervention Officer of the Year in 2022 by Mental Health of America.  In addition to Corporal Abell’s professional experience she is most proud of her wife and four beautiful children that were adopted through Hamilton Co. foster care system.
Anthony President Presidential Consultants Melissa Starks West Chester Fit Body Boot Camp	Anthony President is a Master Trainer, International Speaker, and author of the book “Invincible Social Worker”. Anthony President has empowered and inspired more than 100,000 people to perform, produce and partner better at their places of work. Anthony launched his firm Presidential Consultants in 2000.  Presidential Consultants had become the # 1 human services training firm in the State of Ohio, earning several awards from state and local governments along the way. Today, Anthony leads a team of over a dozen training, consulting, and learning development professionals and together, they impact the lives of more than 16,000 Helping Professionals each year across the U.S.  Prior to Presidential Consultants, Anthony launched his training career and gained his expertise in social services as the Senior Training Officer for the Cuyahoga County Department of Child and Family Services, the largest Human Services agency in the State of Ohio.  Anthony brings high energy and his signature humor to a wide range of topics including diversity & inclusion, leadership, workplace safety & wellbeing.     Melissa Starks CPT, Level 1 CrossFit, ACSM serves as the General Manager and Head Coach at West Chester Fit Body Boot Camp. Melissa has facilitated workout templates, while helping others reach their fitness goals. She has managed nutrition programs online and in-person. Melissa is a certified fitness coach and has worked in the fitness industry for over 20 years. Melissa has a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Physiology. She is an ACSM Group Fitness Instructor with CrossFit Level 1 Certification, NASF Personal Trainer, and Group Cycling Instructor, as well.

Dr. Mindy Reichelt-Abell Mount Healthy City Schools	Dr. Mindy Reichelt-Abell Mindy has spent the last fifteen years in education, both teaching and working as an administrator. With her work with at-risk children in schools, and as the adopted mother of four, understanding and advocating for children (especially those struggling due to trauma) is essential to her work. In 2021 she completed her doctoral degree: her research focus was care coordination and interventions for the long-term effects associated with prenatal substance exposure. She continues that work with research and outreach with the Cincinnati research and advocacy organization, Next Steps, formally Children of Addicted Parents. With four kids (yes, four!) and a full-time job, free time is a rare luxury, but when she can she enjoys reading, playing music (as a bass player in a Cincinnati-based bluegrass band), and researching and writing about interventions for the long-term effects of prenatal substance exposure.
Tarin Cook, 1N5	Tarin Cook, MSW, LSW has a Master of Social Work from Northern Kentucky University and a Bachelors of Social Science from Ashland University. Tarin is a licensed social worker, Sources of Strenth Trainer, and is Trauma Informed Care certified. Tarin is a QPR certified trainer and a PAX Community Educator. Tarin has enjoyed over 3 years of impacting the community in the HEMI and Launch to Independence Programs and served as a Case Manager for 5 years as she managed an average of 45 cases by providing mental health interventions.
Tova Rose Parent Educator	Tova Rose is a Trauma Competency Trainer, Motivational Speaker and Child Welfare Consultant, currently serving as a nurturing parent educator and regional trainer. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with an emphasis on trauma and behavior modification. 25 plus years as a social services professional, serving as a Child Welfare Caseworker, Grants Manager and National Trainer. She has developed trauma competency programs that prepare youth and families to navigate through the complexities of life. She continues to be recognized for her skillful presentations and unwavering commitment to see individuals heal. Combining solid research, humor and real-life experience to create a positive learning environment for a diverse audience.