13th Annual School Climate & Anti-Bullying 2023 Virtual Conference Schedule
May 24, 2023
Opening & Welcome
10:00am – 10:15am EST
9:00am – 9:15am CST
8:00am – 8:15am MST
7:00am – 7:15am PST
Keynote Presentation
10:15am – 11:15am EST
9:15am – 10:15am CST
8:15am – 9:15am MST
7:15am – 8:15am PST Workshop Title: School-Based Behavioral Threat Assessment: An Approach to Provide Opportunities for Intervention to Prevent Targeted Attacks Presenter(s): Jeffrey Gale Zoom Link:
Description: This session will inform participants of behaviors associated with individuals potentially escalating toward acts of targeted school violence. Recognizing warning signs is one key to intervention and prevention of school violence. In this session the “Pathway to Violence” will be discussed, as well as methods to construct school-based Behavioral Assessment Teams which can be used to recognize such behaviors and assist in implementing appropriate interventions.
Break
11:15am – 11:25am EST
10:15am – 10:25am CST
9:15am – 9:25am MST
8:15am – 8:25am PST
Concurrent Session I
11:25am – 12:25pm EST
10:25am – 11:25am CST
9:25am – 10:25am MST
8:25am – 9:25am PST
Workshop A Workshop Title: Healing in the Collective: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as a Framework for Suicide Prevention
Presenter: Susan Tellone, MSN & Kalisha Smith, LCSW Zoom Link: Description: While all communities are impacted by mental health concerns and suicide, youth of color, LGBTQ+ youth and youth from other underrepresented groups, are uniquely impacted due to various compounding factors. Racial trauma, socio-economic gaps, disparities in mental health care access, stigma, lack of equitable and inclusive providers and resources, and lack of family/peer acceptance are just a few factors that increase the risk levels of these diverse populations. This complicates the process of building a competent, caring community with a mental health wellness focus which is crucial for creating a climate where youth feel comfortable, respected, and supported in reaching out to a trusted adult when facing difficulties.
This workshop will assist participants in becoming empathic bridges to, or trusted gatekeepers within, diverse communities by utilizing cultural humility, evidence-based practices and strengths-based perspectives, resulting in a competent community dedicated to suicide prevention. Participants will analyze their role in building this competent community and will learn strategies to engage youth in high-risk populations, such as creating safe spaces that allow all underrepresented voices to be heard.
Workshop B
Workshop Title: Prioritizing Relationships Through Restorative Practices in Schools
Presenter(s): Anne Gregory, Ph.D. Zoom Link: Description: Dr. Gregory will share the guiding principles of restorative practices. She will then synthesize recent research on restorative practices and describe ways schools are prioritizing relationship-building in classrooms and schools. She will discuss how Equitable and Systemic social emotional learning can be aligned with restorative practices to promote student healing and growth. Dr. Gregory will then offer 12 indicators of comprehensive restorative practice implementation, which can support school leaders as they initiative a large-scale change effort.
Lunch Break
12:30pm – 1:00pm EST
11:30am – 12:00pm CST
10:30am – 11:00am MST
9:30am – 10:00am PST
Concurrent Session II
1:05pm – 2:05pm EST
12:05pm – 1:05pm CST
11:05am – 12:05pm MST
10:05am – 11:05am PST
Workshop A Workshop Title: Utilizing Existing Resources to Strengthen School Climate and Culture
Presenter(s): Jackie Collard, MSW and Erin Bruno, MA Zoom Link: Description: Students, families and staff members are still struggling to heal, grow, teach and learn in a post pandemic world. To address these challenges, our anti-bullying specialists and school counselors have built upon our strength as a district-wide cohesive team, and have formed a partnership with the Hudson County STOP Violence and Mental Health Program. Through this partnership we are developing a district-wide team of students from grades K through 12 who are working with us to help strengthen our school climate and culture through positive and healthy peer connections. We have all heard the expression, “together everyone achieves more”. Please join us in this interactive workshop as our staff and students TEAM up to share with you, what it has been like, what we are doing to create positive change, and what we expect to accomplish as a result of our TEAMwork.
Workshop Title: Back to Basics: Fostering Connection on the Front Lines of Youth Mental Health
Presenter: Lorraine Gehrig Mullins, LCSW, VP, Care Plus NJ’s School Based Services Zoom Link: Description: Youth mental health is a topic that has received much attention post-pandemic. As a teacher, counselor or administrator on the front lines you know that youth are presenting with higher rates of anxiety and depression, along with significant challenges attending to the daily expectations of in-person learning. Having experienced a shared crisis, we realize that the number of students that need support far outnumbers the students who will be identified for treatment by a mental health professional. In this workshop you will learn how an investment in intentional kindness and compassion can foster positive well-being for you, your students and your school community. All participants will gain a scientific foundation for getting back to basics, learn field-tested strategies for engaging even the most challenging youth and gain an understanding of when additional referral is needed.
2:05pm – 2:15pm EST
1:05pm – 1:15pm CST
12:05pm – 12:15pm MST
11:05am – 11:15am PST
Concurrent Session III
2:15pm – 3:15pm EST
1:15pm – 2:15pm CST
12:15pm – 1:15pm MST
11:15am – 12:15pm PST
Workshop A Workshop Title: Standing in Solidarity with AAPI Children Presenter: Kani Ilangovan, M.D. & Christine Huang Zoom Link: Description: This presentation will share strategies on dealing with race-based stress and how educators can best support their Asian American and Pacific Islander students. An AAPI student will also share from their own experience of dealing with racial bullying and what they would have found helpful from educators. In addition, we will share some resources for AAPI LGBTQIA+ youth and families.
Workshop Title: Addressing the Needs of our Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender-Diverse Students Presenter: Damien Alan Lopez Zoom Link: Description: This module focuses specifically on transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. Participants will learn the terminology surrounding transgender identities and will also become acquainted with the challenges faced by transgender and gender non-conforming individuals in various settings. Participants will also learn strategies to help create inclusive and affirming spaces for transgender and gender-creative individuals.
3:15pm – 4:25pm EST
2:15pm – 3:25pm CST
1:15pm – 2:25pm MST
12:15pm – 1:25pm PST
Concurrent Session IV
3:25pm – 3:25pm EST
2:25pm – 2:25pm CST
1:25pm – 1:25pm MST
12:25pm – 12:25pm PST
Workshop A
Workshop Title: Affirmation, Action, and Joy: LGBTQ+ Visibility and Inclusion in School Curricula and Beyond Presenter: Kate Okeson Zoom Link: Description: Using dispatches from the classroom, we will discuss what compels us to create and implement inclusive curricula and the requisite climate and support necessary to follow through on our commitment to improving LGBTQAI+ student outcomes.
Workshop Title: Fight, Flight or Freeze: How to know and intervene when you or your students have shifted into trauma response Presenter: Emily Sommerman, Psy.D. Zoom Link: Description: The first mission of our glorious and complex brain is to protect us from danger. We can automatically fight off danger when possible, run or get away when necessary or just hold still and wait for danger to pass if all else fails. But what happens when protective trauma response gets activated even when the danger is no longer present? In this experiential workshop, we’ll explore how the brain functions to protect, how to identify a trauma response in yourself or students you work with and techniques that help to come back safely to the present.
Using dispatches from the classroom, we will discuss what compels us to create and implement inclusive curricula and the requisite climate and support necessary to follow through on our commitment to improving LGBTQAI+ student outcomes.
Final wrap-up
4:30pm – 5:00pm EST
3:30pm – 4:00pm CST
2:30pm – 3:00pm MST
1:30pm – 2:00pm PST
Zoom Link: