Presenters

The Family Well-Being module will provide stakeholders in the child welfare system with a basic understanding of child development, family dynamics and the impacts of abuse and neglect on children, youth and families.  Other topics covered include: attachment theory, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE), and trauma. (PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A FULL DAY MODULE. PARTICIPANTS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN THIS SESSION THE ENTIRE TIME.)

Presenter

Dr. Laura Jones is a clinical-child psychologist, who has been in private practice in Anchorage for over 25 years. Dr. Jones works with children and families who are addressing mental and behavioral health challenges. Over the years, Dr. Jones has conducted evaluations on children and families who are involved in the child welfare system, particularly evaluations focused on understanding children’s relationships, including their attachment relationships, with the important people in their lives. She has presented frequently on the importance of attachment relationships for children and she is eager to help find ways to improve children’s outcomes by enhancing family well-being.

The Healthy Families curriculum has been used for thousands of years with the Yupik people. Although some may not realize this, everyone who is raised in a Yupik home uses it, and is still using parts of it today. It is a process where participants are reminded that all the wisdom, knowledge, cultural practices, beliefs and values that have been passed on for generations and is possessed by each person. This workshop provides an introduction and overview of the week-long program.

Healthy Families began in June 2008 as a parenting class under ONC’s Family Support Services Department. This cycle was constructed by a group of 10 people with the guidance of elder Peter Jacobs during a Regional ICWA conference in January 2008. Peter Jacobs was able to sit with us to help us gain a good understanding of the Yupik cycle of life and how our teachings, our values and traditions are applied throughout the developmental process in order to live a healthy balanced adult life.  Included are the knowledge and skills to fulfill the roles of a productive member of a community, a healthy parent, a spouse, a teacher and the skills to assume the role of eldership.

Originally, Healthy Families consisted of 9 sessions with a final 10^th session dedicated to a celebration honoring the participants who attended each session. An additional session was added in 2009 in an effort to integrate a session on healthy relationships into the cycle.

In May 2010, a gathering of elders was held in St. Mary’s to get their input and advice on strengthening the cycle.  After presenting the information before the elders, they were asked for their input.

Our people in our villages are asleep Those who know

 should wake us up. We need to prepare food because

when they wake up, they will be hungry. So you need to

 prepare to feed them when they wake up.

~Peter Jacobs

Presenters

Winifred Kelly-Green was born in Mountian Village, a Yup’ik village on the Yukon River. Her family moved to St. Mary’s when it was time for school. Wini graduated from St. Mary’s High School in 1980. She has worked in the field of Domestic Violence for seventeen years. She has recently been doing community outreach for the last five years along with coordinating the Rural Human Services Program for the Association of Village Council Presidents. Wini’s current position is the Healthy Families Coordinator. Wini is a graduate of RHS program and is currently enrolled in BSW program through University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Joseph Green is the son of Esther and Evan Green. He was raised in Eek, Alaska, and moved to Bethel to attend school. Joe was raised by his grandparents Lucy and George Jacobs and had a traditional, cultural upbringing. Joe is an RHS graduate in 2000. He has been the substance abuse field for fourteen years. His current position is a cultural, traditional, holistic healing for those seeking services from trauma. Joe is married to Winifred Kelly-Green. Winifred and Joe have five children and four beautiful grandchildren.

Lucy Mochin - born in Bethel.  From Akiachak and Nunapitchuk.  She is married to Glen Mochin and have 7 children, daughter in law and 2 grandchildren.  She grew up with her grandparents in Nunapitchuk.  She started off facilitating Healthy Families with ONC in Bethel in 2010 and moved to AVCP as Healthy Families Facilitator.

Hear from three professionals who are working to activate a multidisciplinary response to Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking in Alaska. Each presenter will share their area of expertise in regards to the issue followed by a panel discussion. Attendees can expect to gain an understanding of the problem of Commercial Exploitation and Sex Trafficking in Alaska, what is being done about it and how they can be part of the solution

Presenters

Robin Bronen works as a human rights attorney and has been researching the climate-induced relocation of Alaska Native communities since 2007. Robin has a PhD from the Resilience and Adaptation Program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and received her Juris Doctorate from the University of California at Davis. Robin is a senior research scientist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Institute of Arctic Biology. Robin also works as the executive director of the Alaska Institute for Justice, a non-profit agency that is the only immigration legal service provider in Alaska, houses a Language Interpreter Center, training bilingual Alaskans to be professional interpreters, and also is a research and policy institute focused on climate justice issues.

Jolene Goeden received her appointment as a Special Agent with the FBI in March of 2004 and was assigned to the Anchorage Division. Jolene primarily works Human Trafficking and Crimes Against Children violations. She is assigned to the Child Exploitation Task Force which is focused on investigating offenders who exploit children through commercial sex and child pornography. Jolene holds an MA in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and is partnered with the Anchorage Police Department Vice Unit on this task force.

Josh Louwerse is a Youth Engagement Program Coordinator at Covenant House Alaska.  Josh oversees CHA’s outreach team, drop-in center and components of the shelter programming while leading CHA’s response to Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Domestic Sex Trafficking. Josh is a trainer of the Girls Encouragement and Mentoring Services CSEC and Domestic Sex Trafficking training and provides training around the state regarding identifying and serving victims. He has an MA in Global Urban Leadership and has been working with at-risk youth in Anchorage for 8 years.

A broad overview of therapeutic courts statewide, this presentation will provide a brief history of therapeutic courts nationally and in Alaska.  Highlighting the difference between traditional court and the therapeutic court model, it will describe the various services offered to participants in the therapeutic courts.  Court locations, eligibility criteria and program requirements for participants will also be addressed. 

Presenter

Michelle Bartley is currently employed by the Alaska Court System as their Therapeutic Courts Program Coordinator.  She obtained her undergraduate degree from Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage, and has worked in the behavioral health field since 1987.  In her current position, Michelle is responsible for the implementation, coordination, and oversight of therapeutic courts and therapeutic justice projects throughout the state.

Advocating for Alaska Native Children using Culturally Sensitive Communication

Always being mindful of the sensitivities of other cultures so as not to offend another's traditions and values, while being able to collaborate with agencies and systems such as OCS, Public Defender Agency, OPA, Healthcare Systems, Judges/Magistrates and Educators and using culturally respectful approaches with children, family (foster care/birth/extended family members) and various agencies is essential in order to effectively advocate for the best interest of youth in state custody.

Presenters

Monica Leinberger: Yup’ik Eskimo woman born and raised in Bethel, AK.  Mother of 3 beautiful children that are bilingual in Yup’ik and English. Experience: Guardian ad Litem, Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP); Bethel, AK Feb 2015-current. Appointed by the court to represent the best interests of a minor for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. One of two, first Yup’ik Eskimos hired as GALs for the region and state. Educator with the Lower Kuskokwim School District beginning Spring 1998 to Spring 2014 in various positions ranging from Interpreter for the Deaf, FASD/Behavior Specialist/Itinerant Special Ed Teacher, Reading Interventionist, Classroom Teacher. Adjunct Faculty; University of Alaska-Kuskokwim Campus; Bethel, AK Fall 2004, Spring 2006. Taught ASL I, Introduction to American Sign Language. Education: B.Ed. in elementary education from University of Alaska-Fairbanks 1997.

Deanna Heckman: My name is Deanna Beans-Heckman. I am originally from Mountain Village, AK. I am the oldest of 4.  My parents are Chris and Carol Redfox. I have been married to Art Heckman Jr. for 13 wonderful years and we have 2 beautiful children, Art III and Tazlina. I graduated from Alaska Pacific University with a BA in Psychology and Education and am 6 credits shy of my Masters in counseling. I am currently living in Bethel, Alaska working as a Guardian ad Litem for AVCP. I love it. I cannot see myself doing anything else. I advocate for children involved with the Office of Children Services.  The children are Alaskan Native from the Southwestern region of Alaska, which I love because it brings me back to my roots and being able to serve the communities where I grew up as a child. Being able to provide a positive service helps me move forward in my position because I am advocating for the best interest of the children I am representing in court. 

When I first graduated with my BA degree in Education and Psychology I moved to Pilot Station in Aug. 2006 to work for the Lower Yukon School District for 2 years where I was hired as a float Student Support Coordinator. I covered 11 villages on the Lower Yukon River mainly with high school students as their counselor, helped them work through high school, work towards getting higher education after they are done with high school. I was also the High School girls’ basketball coach for 2 years and the cross country coach also for 2 years it was the best 2 years of my life because I was fresh out of college and I worked with over 400+ high school students up and down the Yukon River.

I moved back to Anchorage August of 2008 to work on my Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. I have been in and out of college since then I had a tragic loss in my family. I lost my brother Jerel in January 2010 that was my last year in college and I had to drop my 2 classes to be with my family and mourn the loss of my brother in a proper way and since then I haven’t gained the energy or motivation to get back into college to finish up my last 2 classes. I plan to do so within the next year. I believe I am at that point in my life where I am ready to move forward and get back to school and finish off my life long goal of getting my Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and then towards my PhD.

The Child and Family Services Plan (CFSP) is the five year strategic plan to assist OCS in meeting outcomes related to safety, permanency, and well-being for children. This session will provide an overview of the purpose of the CFSP and annual reporting requirements, as well as information about the strategies and objectives included in the plan for improvement. If you want to learn more about the Office of Children's Services, this presentation will provide a "big picture" overview.

Presenters

KariLee Pietz has worked in Child Welfare since 1994.  After working as a Child Protection worker in Minnesota for eleven years, she moved to Juneau and began work with OCS in 2006.  Ms. Pietz has held a variety of roles with OCS, including Family Services Supervisor, Southeast Regional Adoption Specialists, Statewide Adoption Program Coordinator, and Resource Family Unit Program Officer.  In her current role, Ms. Pietz manages the OCS "five-year" plan and annual reporting, oversees Policy unit, Services Array unit, and the Resource Family unit.

Bernita Hamilton MSW, Social Services Program Officer, Office of Children’s Services, Anchorage, AK. Ms. Hamilton is a long term employee of the Office of Children’s Services having served both in direct service, supervisory, and management positions. Prior to joining OCS, Ms. Hamilton worked in substance abuse and in residential care for children. Ms. Hamilton currently serves as the manager of the Evaluation Unit which leads statewide activities for Continuous Quality Improvement and Quality Assurance. This includes coordinating the statewide case review system for adherence to the Child and Family Services Review standards. Ms. Hamilton is a member of the Child Fatality Review Team. Ms. Hamilton holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Welfare from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and a Master of Social Work from AZ State University. She has served as adjunct faculty for the School of Social Work for fifteen years.

Mental Health and Foster Youth

Facing Foster Care in Alaska (FFCA) empowers current and former foster youth to improve the child welfare system through sharing personal experiences. In this workshop current and former foster youth discuss mental health treatment, the use of psychotropic medications, and alternatives to traditional therapeutic services. Youth share personal experiences about life in foster care and mental health treatment, and identify key strategies to engaging youth in appropriate treatment planning and monitoring.

Presenters

FACING FOSTER CARE IN ALASKA is an organization of Youth and Alumni from the foster care system of Alaska. This statewide advocacy group seeks to improve the child welfare system through sharing their experiences, supporting and educating youth and social services, and implementing positive change in society as a whole.

Public Law 113-183 Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act of 2014

Public Law 113-183 was signed into law in September 2014.  The Office of Children's Services has been partnering with community and tribal partners for the past year to develop and implement policy and program changes to address the requirements of this law. This presentation will provide information about OCS policy changes to address: 1) Identification, reporting, and determining services to victims of sex trafficking; 2) The reasonable and prudent parent standard for children in foster care; and 3) New case plan and case review system requirements for youth with a plan of APPLA and children over age 14.

Presenters

KariLee Pietz has worked in Child Welfare since 1994.  After working as a Child Protection worker in Minnesota for eleven years, she moved to Juneau and began work with OCS in 2006.  Ms. Pietz has held a variety of roles with OCS, including Family Services Supervisor, Southeast Regional Adoption Specialists, Statewide Adoption Program Coordinator, and Resource Family Unit Program Officer.  In her current role, Ms. Pietz manages the OCS "five-year" plan and annual reporting, oversees Policy unit, Services Array unit, and the Resource Family unit.

Aileen McInnis, Ed.M., is currently the Director of the Alaska Center for Resource Families and has worked with foster and adoptive families for over 20 years throughout Alaska.

This session will review FASD terminology and prevalence, key prevention strategies, physical findings linked to prenatal alcohol exposure, common age-based manifestations, primary and  secondary disabilities, and the FASD evaluation process.

Presenter

Marilyn Pierce-Bulger, ANP   Owner/Manager FASDx Services LLC - Marilyn is a family nurse practitioner and certified nurse-midwife with 40 years’ experience providing care and creating services in the field of maternal and child health.  She worked for many years at the Alaska Native Medical Center/Southcentral Foundation and created Nutaqsiivik, a home visitation program to address the disparity in post neonatal infant mortality for Anchorage Urban American Indian/Alaska Native infants. Her work in that program led to her interest in FASD and she founded the multidisciplinary Anchorage FASD Diagnostic Team in 2009 (at Assets, Inc.) The team’s growth and logistical needs led to the creation of FASDx Services LLC (September 2014) a business that she now owns and manages as the coordination hub for the team.  She has worked as a consultant for the State of Alaska, Divisions of Behavioral Health and MCFH, University of Alaska (UAA) Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services, and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Healthy Native Babies program. The FASD team and coordination hub is supported by a State of Alaska FASD Diagnosis Provider Agreement and the Alaska Mental Health Trust. 

Participating Judges: Judge Andrew Guidi, Anchorage; Judge Anna Moran, Kenai; Judge Michael McDonald, Fairbanks; Judge Trevor Stephens, Ketchikan

Moderator: Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Craig T. Stowers

Facing Foster Care in Alaska (FFCA) empowers current and former foster youth to improve the child welfare system through sharing personal experiences. This workshop explores key  concepts to authentic youth engagement in permanency planning. “It’s better to plan for the battle, than battle the plan” — Abraham Lincoln. Current and former foster youth share personal expertise about life in foster care, engagement in case planning, and exploring permanent connections. Youth share strategies to youth engagement and new federal requirements

Presenters

FACING FOSTER CARE IN ALASKA is an organization of Youth and Alumni from the foster care system of Alaska. This statewide advocacy group seeks to improve the child welfare system through sharing their experiences, supporting and educating youth and social services, and implementing positive change in society as a whole.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) studies demonstrate the link between early family dysfunction and poor social, economic, and health outcomes in adulthood.  Alaska's data indicates the need to be smart about trauma's impacts.  Understanding this information is essential for professionals working with people who experience the fallout from ACEs in their lives.

Presenter

Patrick Sidmore is a Health and Social Services Planner for the Alaska Mental Health Board and Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.  He holds degrees in both economics/management and social work.  He has been instrumental in surveying Alaskan adults about the Adverse Childhood Experiences which occurred while they were growing up.  He manages the website "Overcoming ACEs in Alaska" and coauthored the State of Alaska document "Adverse Childhood Experiences - Overcoming ACEs in Alaska" and an article in the Alaska Justice Forum titled "Adverse Childhood Experiences and Their Association with Alcohol Abuse in Alaskan Adults.  He has a focus on early childhood mental health and has presented to more than 2,000 people in Alaska about the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences.  As a social worker, he has worked with Alaskans of all ages from infants and toddlers to elders in the Pioneers' Homes.

Mental Health First Aid will help address some CINA issues and help you offer support to a young person experiencing a mental health challenge, mental health disorder, or a mental health crisis. The first aid is given until appropriate help is received or the crisis resolves.

Presenter

Tim Booth - I'm Pima (Mother) from Gila River Tribe in Arizona, and Tsimshian (Father) from Metlakatla in Alaska. I am of the Eagle Clan and have 3 children (each are of the Raven Clan), and 1 granddaughter. Married 19 years, divorced 6 years. My experience is as follows: USMC, Law Enforcement, Substance Abuse Counselor, Youth Detention Officer, Middle School Teacher, Tribal Social Worker, Clerk of Court, Tribal Administrator, Suicide Prevention Specialist. College in Criminal Justice, Human Services and Social Work. I've seen and dealt with CINA issues for over 20 years in various capacities, primarily in Native/Indian Country (10 different tribes or villages and in the following states - Alaska, Washington, California, Montana).

The Key to Family Engagement: Using Motivational Interviewing

What we know is that client-centered engagement is the key to helping change behavior. Partnering with parents/caregivers helps them understand the role of the worker is a helping one. Motivational interviewing empowers the family to make sustainable changes. The premise that the families we work with are the experts in their own lives is paramount to MI. In this workshop you will learn the basics of Motivational Interviewing and practice using different types of questions that will help the families you work with move towards a sustainable change to be able to care for the children ensuring safety, permanence and well-being. 

Presenters

Cory Bryant, Trainer, Alaska Child Welfare Academy, University of Alaska Anchorage: Cory is a Child Welfare Trainer and provides training and technical assistance to professionals who work in the child maltreatment field.  Additionally Cory is trained in Leadership Coaching and is provides coaching to leadership in the child protection agency. For 13 years Cory managed the daily operations of Alaska CARES, the Child Advocacy Center in Anchorage. Cory has a master’s degree in social work, and 25 years of experience working with abused and neglected children and families.

Tom McRoberts, MSW, Trainer, Alaska Child Welfare Academy, and University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA): Tom is a trainer, consultant, and coach for professionals who work in the field of child welfare.  His focus is on interviewing, assessment, decision making, and helping vulnerable children and parents heal from abuse and neglect.  For 6 years, he worked in various roles at the Office of Children’s Services before beginning work at the Child Welfare Academy in 2008. He teaches social work courses at UAA where he also received his Master of Social Work degree. He has 18 years of experience working in the field of child welfare.

(optional: facilitated discussion topics)

• Intro to Knowing Who You Are

valerie dudley was born and raised in Bethel and now lives in Wasilla with her husband and 3 sons. She was recently hired as a Trainer for Alaska's Child Welfare Academy. Valerie became a Knowing Who You Are facilitator 4 years ago and is passionate about promoting cultural competence among all professionals who work with youth in foster care. In her free time, she serves as a member of the Mat-Su Borough School District’s Indian Education Parent Advisory Committee and as a CASA volunteer in the Valley.

• Fostering Futures Alaska

FACING FOSTER CARE IN ALASKA is an organization of Youth and Alumni from the foster care system of Alaska. This statewide advocacy group seeks to improve the child welfare system through sharing their experiences, supporting and educating youth and social services, and implementing positive change in society as a whole.

• Friends of Alaska CASA

This workshop will discuss common misconceptions about child sexual abuse which negatively impact the system response to victims and families, therefore compounding trauma to children and allowing perpetrators to continue to amass victims. Attendees will learn about Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) in Alaska and their important role in child sexual abuse investigations 

Presenter

Pam Karalunas, a life-long Alaskan, has worked in the field of child sexual abuse for over 25 years, 17 of those providing coordination, information, education & support services to non-offending parents in families where child sexual abuse had occurred. She worked with many of those families over a number of years and thus was able to follow their progress and the outcomes of the system intervention. Ms. Karalunas was the founding manager of the CAC in Fairbanks, Alaska for six years and is presently the Chapter Coordinator of the Alaska Children’s Alliance. She assisted with a therapy group for convicted Sex Offenders. Pam has provided many workshops, lectures and trainings on child sexual abuse throughout Alaska as well as nationally.  She testifies as an expert in both civil and criminal court cases.

Attendees will receive an introduction to resources for adolescents aimed to connect and communicate important information on health subjects.  Attendees will also participate in a skill building session using the Teen Safety Card, to help teens recognize domestic and sexual violence as well as understand consent and healthy relationships. 

Presenter

Jenny Baker is the Adolescent Health Project Coordinator for the Adolescent Health Program within the Women’s, Children & Family Health Section of Alaska’s Department of Health and Social Services.  She is interested in primary prevention, community engagement and institutionalizing best practices of quality youth development within state and community programs.  She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Alaska Pacific University in 2009.  Currently, she assists the advisory and community intervention efforts of the Youth Alliance for a Healthier Alaska, and coordinates the programmatic and evaluation efforts of the Alaska Promoting Health Among Teens peer education program.  She has previously worked in the juvenile justice and youth enrichment fields in Oregon and in Alaska.  She has been in Alaska for 10 years and loves recreating in the Alaska outdoors.

In this workshop we will explore various methods for both identifying and researching your CASA youth(s)’s family members, focusing specifically on how you can utilize technology to efficiently find the information needed to assemble an accurate family tree and identify possible placement opportunities.

Presenter

Greta Kopperud holds a B.A degree in Psychology and is a Licensed Private Detective. She has worked as a social worker in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley for the past 6 years. Her experience working with children in the foster care system led her to become interested in the CASA program. Greta is an active Valley CASA volunteer with four children on her caseload.

Derrick Pennington has a Bachelor's of Science in elementary education. He has worked in public and private schools, children's mental health, and as a butcher, a baker, and hopefully someday, a candle stick maker, just to round out his resume. He currently works for LINKS as an aging and disability resource specialist and specializes in technology and Medicare. Derrick has been a CASA in the valley for 10 months and should be wrapping his first case up in a few months, thanks in part to Greta's work in finding more information on the family.

Timeline

Submission Deadline:	July 25, 2015
Notification Date:	August 30, 2015
Conference:	October 22- 24, 2015

Selection Criteria

Presentations are encouraged on all aspects of child welfare and advocacy, including but not limited to substance abuse, family violence, innovative programs and practice, and kinship care. Presentations should be 90 minutes in length. PLEASE NOTE: WORKSHOP PROPOSALS ARE BEING SOLICITED FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY ONLY. (Thursday is a pre-conference training day to pilot modules from a new "CINA 101" curriculum under development by the Court Improvement Program.)

Special consideration will be given to proposals on topics in one of our workshop subject focus areas:  

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Identity
• Youth Voice
  
• Best Advocacy Practices
• Abuse & Neglect
  

Content of presentations will be reviewed according to:

• Clarity of the workshop’s purpose, description and design 
• Relationship to building cultural competency
• Balance and diversity of sessions and presentations
• Degree of participant involvement (active learning, skill-building, content-rich discussions) 
  

Selected presenters receive complimentary conference registration in appreciation for their time.

Alaska CINA Conference Audience

The 2015 conference is a merging of two previously separate conferences: the Alaska Court System's CINA conference, and the Alaska CASA/GAL Conference. The expanded conference and expanded audience includes approximately 200 program staff, CASA volunteers, GALs, tribal representatives, judges, social workers, attorneys, and other child welfare professionals from across the state who are expected to attend this year's conference. Conference attendees’ levels of experience vary from seasoned veterans to new volunteers and staff members.

Alaska Court System - Court Improvement Program

The CINA Court Improvement Program monitors and improves the way the court system handles child in need of aid cases, and enhances coordination between the court system and other agencies and Tribes involved in CINA cases. Members of the statewide CIP committee are appointed by the Chief Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court. Current members include judges, the Director of the Office of Children's Services, Tribal representation, and representation by other state agencies including the Department of Law, the Public Defender Agency, the Office of Public Advocacy and the Director of the Division of Behavioral Health.

Alaska CASA

Alaska CASA supports and promotes volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children so that they can thrive in safe, permanent homes. Local CASA programs throughout the state recruit, train and supervise nearly 200 volunteer advocates who serve over 400 children each year.  CASA volunteers in state court cases team up with a professional guardian ad litem (GAL) to provide the best possible advocacy for each child and youth represented.

This conference is a collaboration between the Court Improvement Program, Alaska CASA / Office of Public Advocacy, Friends of Alaska CASA and Facing Foster Care in Alaska