2025 Child, Adolescent and School Health Conference

Presenter: Antoine Crowder, Restorative Practitioner, Restorative Life Solution

In an ever-changing landscape of child and adolescent health, professionals are faced with growing  complexities that extend beyond physical care. Emotional well-being, social relationships, and mental  health are critical aspects that need to be addressed to truly support young people. Restorative practices  provide a powerful, holistic approach to meeting these evolving needs, offering tools to build trust, resolve  conflicts, and foster a sense of community.

This engaging workshop will introduce participants to the transformative potential of restorative practices in child and adolescent health. Attendees will learn how restorative methods - such as restorative circles, conflict mediation, and open dialogue - can enhance communication and emotional safety, creating environments where youth feel seen, heard, and supported. The session will provide practical, evidence-based techniques for fostering stronger relationships among health professionals, children, and families in the health and education sectors.

Presenter: Lindsay Townes, Child & Adolescent School Health Epidemiologist, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Epidemiology

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data from 2023 have been recently released, giving us a second data point for the changing landscape of adolescent health in a post-COVID-19 restriction world. There will be a focus on indicators related to home and school safety, mental health and sexual health, with an emphasis  in vulnerable populations, including LGBT youth and adolescents of color. We will also discuss the use of youth Online, the CDC’s YRBS online data portal. This will give attendees the opportunity to dig into their  own variables of interest, while learning how to make comparisons between populations and over time. We will discuss what kinds of questions YRBS data can help answer and how these data can be used to improve  adolescent care. We will also look at other sources of child and adolescent health data available online that can provide depth and context to needs assessments and grant applications.

Presenters:
Sarah Niskanen, CSCHA-MI Consultant, School-Community Health Alliance of Michigan
Christie Wilkewitz, CSCHA-MI Consultant, School-Community Health Alliance of Michigan

This presentation will bring together school-based/linked health center professionals to share proven tips and tricks for effectively engaging youth in their communities and regions. Through real-world  insights, we will explore the challenges and successes of building meaningful connections with young  people. The session will also focus on fostering collaboration with school staff and community partners to  ensure their support in youth-focused initiatives.

Presenters:
Cindi Thronson, Project Manager, Michigan School Safety Initiative
Sarah Stilwell, Research Investigator, Michigan School Safety Initiative
Heather Murphy, School Safety Specialist, National Center for School Safety

This engaging and forward-thinking workshop will redefine what it means to create safe schools. We’ll shift the conversation from traditional safety measures to a more comprehensive, student-centered approach -  one that nurtures emotional, social, and academic well-being. We’ll dive into the latest data and national  trends, unpacking why a holistic approach to school safety is not just important but essential for the future  of education. Attendees will discuss what comprehensive school safety is, and why it is important, situated in data of the modern school and national school trends. The workshop will be framed around a conceptual model that describes a positive youth development approach to school safety. 

Participants will work together to think about how they currently implement different approaches to school safety within their contexts. Participants will learn how trauma-informed care is an aspect of school safety, how to shift towards equity-centered trauma-informed education, and leverage what they learned in this session to develop approaches to school safety that are comprehensive through interactive dialogue and worked examples.

Presenters:
Dayna Bennett, State School Nurse Consultant, Michigan Department of Education
Hendrina Cupery, MSN, RN, NCSN, President, Michigan Nurses Association

Overdose education with naloxone distribution (OEND) is a proven public health strategy that reduces opioid overdose deaths in adults. Naloxone implementation in schools offers an opportunity for education and  prevention of fatal overdose in a space where students spend substantial time. In October 2023 the U.S. Department of Education and Office of National Drug Control Policy issued a letter to schools warning schools of the rise of illicit fentanyl and trafficking via social media and called for schools to develop plans to educate students and personnel on overdose response. It is critical that youth and school personnel can access naloxone on school grounds during and after school. This presentation will provide educators information on why opioid overdose is occurring, who opioid overdose is affecting in Michigan, what opioid overdose looks like and how to respond to opioid overdose in schools.

Presenter: Becky Halamka, LLPC, School Counselor, Superior Educator Wellness Services

Educator burnout has reached critical levels, with increasing demands on teachers and school staff creating a perfect storm of stress, exhaustion, and disengagement. This presentation provides a comprehensive and actionable framework for reducing burnout and fostering a culture of wellness within school districts focused on educator wellness.

Participants will explore the key drivers of burnout in education, including workload, emotional labor, and systemic pressures, while also delving into the psychological and physical toll these factors can take. Through a blend of data, storytelling, and interactive activities, attendees will developer a deep understanding of how to identify early signs of burnout and intervene effectively so that educators can thrive, not just survive, in their roles.

Presenter: Hilary Marine, NP, Founder and Trainer, Pathwaves Partnership

We often hear a common phrase, hindsight is 20/20, which it is. We can’t change the past, but we have the opportunity to change the future. This awareness is crucial when we know that our lived experiences, our behaviors, our choices, and our environments carry to the next generation. Data continues to reveal that when children have positive experiences, their mental and physical health as adults is more likely to thrive, even in the face of adversity. These experiences can mitigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The HOPE National Resource Center (NRC) has compiled data from many studies surrounding positive childhood experiences and other experiences deemed as having a positive impact on the health outcomes for children and into adulthood. From that data, the HOPE NRC developed 4 Building Blocks (Relationships, Environment, Engagement and Emotional Growth), which are the buckets, so to speak, that these key experiences reside within.

Presenters:
Tony Tendero, Ed.D., Fellow in Residence, Safe Haven Ministries
Mykal Ward, Training and Education Manager, Safe Haven Ministries
Raquel Rodriguez, Violence Prevention Coordinator, Safe Haven Ministries

Through case studies, best practice demonstrations and guided application for their own communities, participants will experience and reflect upon the Safe and Thriving Project, which seeks to saturate a neighborhood with violence prevention principles and practices. This session will highlight three dimensions of the Safe and Thriving Project: Grow, Engage, Read, Imagine will focus on how practitioners can increase parent engagement by giving caregivers and parents tools and resources to help guide meaningful conversations with their child(ren) around important topics; My Voice Matters will focus on our work in schools and how to build tiers of relevant content for youth. Participants will experience an overview of My Voice Matters and the content development process with a spotlight on transferable best practices for their work in communities; and Creating a Safe Haven will focus on our work with the surrounding community with an emphasis on how to develop fluency in the language of organizations like health care, the workplace and faith organizations.

Presenters:
Paige Allia, Program Manager, Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence
Amanda Barratt, Associate Director, Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence
Jessica Edel, Evaluator and Program Director, Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence

This interactive workshop will engage participants in a conversation around access to childcare and early education as an evidence-based strategy for the primary prevention of domestic violence. Access to affordable, high quality early education and childcare to increase family financial security has the potential to impact a range of positive community health outcomes, including the prevention of domestic violence. We will collaboratively explore challenges and discuss opportunities related to availability and cost of childcare and early education, transportation limitations, and outreach to underserved populations. This strategy has been effective in addressing factors that increase or decrease the risk of domestic violence, other types of violence, and social inequities.

Presenters:
Robin Batten, MS, Program Director, Prevention Education, Washtenaw Area Council for Children
Lily Rosenberg, MS, Prevention Specialist, Cyber Safety Facilitator, Washtenaw Area Council for Children

This workshop addresses relevant topics for youth and adults navigating the digital world and social media. This Digital Age workshop addresses current issues young people face online that affect their home, social, and school lives. It addresses ways parents and youth-serving professionals can support students confronted by bullying/cyberbullying, sexting, sextortion, online predators/human traffickers, and online privacy concerns. Participants will learn tips that help create an environment that reinforces healthy digital habits, mental health, and well-being. This workshop also includes a discussion of the Cyber Crime Laws.

Presenters:
Lynn Nee, MSW, Homeless Youth and Runaway (HYR) Program Specialist, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Dr. Celia S.D. Thomas, ACHE, Chief Operating Officer, Alternatives for Girls
Jasmine Calhoun, MPH, MS, President and CEO, Saginaw County Youth Protection Council

Young people experiencing homelessness or housing instability are often facing complex home lives that can include family poverty/homelessness, conflict, involvement with child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and youth and/or family substance use and mental health disorders. These challenges can subsequently leave a youth with adverse childhood experiences, issues with trust, trauma, a lack of safety, and their own physical and mental health issues. Youth of color and those who are LGBTQIA2S are disproportionately impacted by homelessness and housing instability.

This session will share how Michigan’s runaway and homeless youth system works to prevent and end youth homelessness through the provision of inclusive, trauma informed services that use a positive youth development framework. We will also discuss new innovations in services for young people experiencing homelessness, as well as housing initiatives specifically geared towards youth aging out of foster care. Attendees will walk away with a greater understanding of programming available in Michigan for youth as well as how providers are able to effectively outreach, engage, and serve youth during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Presenter: Caitie Rossman, LMSW, University of Michigan RAHS

The presentation will address how to incorporate neurodiversity-affirming supports in 504 plans as well as IEPs, and how teachers and special education staff can offer accommodation that meet the needs of these students. With an overall theme of changing mindsets, actionable takeaways that individuals can immediately start to use in their practice setting will be presented. The information and skills presented can be expanded beyond schools and used in any organization that works with youth in any setting. The framework for viewing neurodiversity has the potential to change how anyone who works with youth thinks about them and their behavior.