Conference Schedule

Thursday, June 27, 2024

In-person or Online
The Hyatt Regency, downtown Milwaukee, or via Webex Events and Zoom

Cost: $329
Early Bird Rate of $259 will be available until May 30, 2024.
CEUs: 0.6 CEHs: 6.0

Register Here!

 

For sponsorship benefits, please visit our Sponsorship Page.

When you register you will choose to register for in-person or online participation. In-Person will take place at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, 333 W. Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee, WI, from 7:15am to 4pm. Online will take place via Webex Events and Zoom from 7:15am to 4pm and will include virtual networking, keynote speakers, the closing panel and a preselected session for each of the breakout periods.

Online and in-person participants will use the Webex app to access conference information, create profiles, connect with participants and speakers and view sponsor booths.

7:15-8am - Registration, Breakfast, Networking

8-8:30am - Opening Remarks

8:30-9:30am - Keynote Speaker – Dr. Deborah Prothrow Stith

Community Violence as a Public Health Concern

Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Ph.D.

Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith will dive into the critical issue of community violence as a public health concern, recognizing its far-reaching impact on individuals and society. By approaching violence through a public health lens, communities can explore comprehensive strategies that go beyond traditional law enforcement measures. She will discuss root causes prevention programs and highlight the importance of community engagement in creating safer environments. Join us as we address the urgent need for a holistic and collaborative approach to tackle community violence and promote the well-being of all individuals.

9:30-10am - Milwaukee Perspectives

Milwaukee Perspectives

Ben Weston, MD, MPH , Chief Health Policy Advisor, Associate Professor, Milwaukee County, Medical College of Wisconsin; Connie Kostelac, Assistant Professor; Director, Division of Data Surveillance and Informatics MCW; Ashanti Hamilton, Director, Office of Community Wellness and Safety

Explore Violence Prevention efforts spanning County, City, and community initiatives, focusing on strategies, collaborations, and impact. Engage in a dynamic Q&A session to gain insights, share experiences, and foster dialogue on bolstering safety and well-being in our neighborhoods.

10:15-11am - Breakout Session 1 – Public Health: Promoting Resiliency

Please choose one session below to attend.

Trauma Quality of Life Clinic’s Holistic Approach to Firearm Injury

Colleen Trevino, PhD, FNP, AGACNP, Associate Professor of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW)

Discover comprehensive strategies and approaches aimed at enhancing the well-being and recovery of individuals who have experienced firearm injuries. The session will cover aspects related to trauma care, quality of life improvement and follow-up support, providing valuable insights into addressing the unique challenges associated with firearm injuries. Participants can expect to gain a deeper understanding of holistic approaches to promote healing and resilience in the aftermath of such traumatic events.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Recall and describe strategies for trauma care, quality of life improvement and follow-up support for firearm injury survivors.
  • Explain the importance of holistic approaches in promoting resilience.
  • Evaluate and understand integrating trauma care, quality of life improvement and follow-up support for firearm injury survivors.

Healing Havens: Empowering Communities through Mental Wellness

Dr. Lia Knox, Mental Wellness Expert, Co-founder of Black Space Inc., CEO of Knox Behavioral Health Solutions 

Embark on a transformative workshop by Black Space, co-founded by Dr. Lia Knox, Corey Fells and Darius Smith, providing beautiful spaces for free group therapeutic experiences led by licensed therapists. Tailored for educators, school and youth counselors, social workers, therapists, psychologists, parents, foster parents, students and more, this workshop addresses the urgent need for mental health support in communities facing economic suppression and racial disparities. Guided by mental wellness expert and lead facilitator Dr. Lia Knox, each session imparts crucial mental health knowledge, focusing on signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, strategies for effective management, the importance of self-care, conquering generational trauma, recognizing triggers, overcoming racial disparities and building community. Join us in creating resilient, supportive spaces that celebrate the beauty of healing while empowering individuals with essential mental health education.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Cultivating Trauma-Informed Healing: Develop a trauma-informed lens to address the specific challenges faced by Black and Brown communities. This objective aligns with Black Space’s mission by fostering an understanding of trauma’s impact and nurturing environments that facilitate healing within these communities.
  • Practical Integration for Immediate Impact: Gain practical tools and strategies rooted in cultural competence, directly applicable to their roles in supporting mental wellness within Black and Brown communities. This objective aligns with Black Space’s goal of providing tangible resources for immediate implementation.
  • Collaborative Resilience for Community Well-Being: Leave with actionable steps to contribute to Black Space’s vision of creating beautiful and safe spaces, fostering collaborative resilience within the communities burdened by economic suppression and racial disparities. The workshop aims to instill the importance of community-building in addressing mental health disparities.

Healing Communities: Role of Social Determinants of Health

Emmanuel Ngui, DrPH, MSc, Associate Professor, Community and Behavioral health Promotion, Director of Master of Public Health (MPH) and the Maternal and Child Health Graduate Certificate and Catalyst Training Program, Joseph J. Zilber College of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

This session will focus on the importance of understanding the social-economic determinants of health and how these factors impact individual and community health and wellbeing. Social determinants which according to the World Health Organization refer to the “the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age” consist of both upstream and downstream determinants which are critical determinants of overall health and illness in communities. In the United States, health outcomes and inequalities are largely socially patterned across the life span by poverty, unemployment, social exclusion/discrimination, housing and transportation, factors that have deep historical connection to racial/ethnic stratification, racism and unequal distribution of resources and power. Public health strategies and policies that delve into dismantling these root causes of health and illness are likely to be more effective in eliminating health and social inequalities and promoting health equity.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Provide an overview of social determinants of health (connecting the tree to the forest).
  • Discuss the role of social determinants of health on community health and health inequalities.
  • Discuss strategies and importance of considering and addressing social determinants of health in promoting community health and serving populations.

11:15am-12pm - Breakout Session 2 – Populations Served: Tailoring Approaches

Please choose one session below to attend.

Overcoming Barriers to Wellness in the Veteran Community

Rae Anne Ho Fung, PhD, Trauma Psychologist, OIF Veteran, Executive Director of Clinical Integration at Rogers Behavioral Health

Despite soaring rates of mental health conditions in the United States and among the Veteran community, fewer than half of those in need seek mental health services. Learn about the barriers to care, including cultural and practical barriers, as well as strategies to overcome these barriers.

Learning Outcomes:

  • List at least three mental health challenges Veterans face
  • Identify at least two barriers to accessing mental health care in the Veteran community
  • Identify at least two strategies for increasing access to care for our Veterans

Advocating for Compassionate Schools

Sara Daniel, Executive Director, Daniel Educational Services

Schools can often be places where stress can create challenges for both students and adults. That challenge can be even more significant when someone is facing a mental health challenge or has been impacted by trauma. For those of us in the position of advocating on behalf of a student, it feels like we sometimes face roadblocks or resistance. Join this interactive session to learn tips and tools for successfully engaging a school in trauma informed practice that promotes compassion, empathy, responsibility and repaired relationships.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Understand the primary characteristics of a compassionate school and how to advocate effectively with a clear vision of desired outcomes.
  • Learn how to use language that promotes both empathy and responsibility and tips with coaching using this language.
  • Use a debriefing interview guide that encourages both student and adult self-reflection on problem solving and steps to repairing relationships.

Trauma-Informed Approach to Service Provision

Omar Mohamed, Program Manager for LSS WI Refugee Department, Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, Inc.

Join Omar Mohammed for an insightful breakout session that explores the complex challenges faced by refugees and the imperative need for a trauma-informed approach in their resettlement. Explore the diverse forms of trauma experienced by refugees, from displacement to violence and understand the profound impact on their lives. Cultivate empathy and cultural sensitivity towards refugees, acknowledging their diverse backgrounds and the abrupt disruption of their normal lives. Learn strategies to help refugees adjust to and navigate the intricate systems of the host country. Address the literacy challenges faced by refugees due to cultural and linguistic differences and explore effective ways to support them in starting afresh. Discuss the challenges faced by professional refugees, including the void and feelings of insignificance. Understand the importance of being cognizant of refugees’ backgrounds in case work and explore ways to assist them in restarting their lives with cultural sensitivity.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Understand the importance of transparency in service provision, avoiding over promising and ensuring clear communication.
  • Explore the significance of giving refugees agency in the care/service profession.
  • Gain insights on being mindful of refugees’ trauma without re-traumatization. Promoting respectful and empathetic interactions.

12-12:45pm - Lunch and Announcements

12:45-1:15pm - Lunch Speaker

Cultivating a Resilient Inner-Ally

Jennifer Vondracek, Certified ACE Trainer, Certified Trainer for the Center for Nonviolent Communication, a Certified Facilitator of Trauma Art Narrative Therapy and a Training Partner with the Holistic Life Foundation in Baltimore

As humans, compassion is one of the qualities that binds us together, making it possible for us to overcome hardship. Compassion enables us to recognize pain and compels us to do something to help. Compassion is not complete unless we afford ourselves the same care, patience and support that we bring to others. In this session, you will learn the science and skill of mindful self-compassion, along with tools to transform how you treat yourself in the face of difficulty.

1:30-2:15pm - Breakout Session 3 – Healing Strategies: Exploring New Methods

Please choose one session below to attend.

Creating Space for Trauma to Heal 

Carmen Pitre, BA, President and Chief Executive Officer , Sojourner; Terri Strodthoff, PhD, Founder and Executive Director of the Alma Center, Inc.

Join Carmen and Terri in exploring an approach for creating a conscious, purposeful, compassionate, and respectful practice of trauma awareness and wellness that incorporates the best evidence-based strategies that allow space for trauma to heal. Gain an introductory explanation of the ways that traumatic adversity happens to a person, the varied impacts of trauma that happen inside a person when the adversity is left unresolved, and the various approaches that enable trauma resolution and healing.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Gain a deeply informed and practical answer to the question, what is trauma?
  • Understand and recognize the imprint of trauma on the body, particularly how it impacts brain development and embeds in the nervous system.
  • Explore the ways that unresolved trauma continues to manifest in people’s self-concept, worldview, thoughts, emotions and behaviors.
  • Obtain a well-founded and pragmatic answer to the question, what is healing?
  • Acquire an understanding of what is required and necessary to support trauma resolution and healing.

Healing Through Self-Mastery

Jojopahmaria Nsoroma, Owner and Steward, Higher Expectations Consulting Collaborative ; Floyd Rowell, II, Leader, Steward and Senior Facilitator of the Wisdom Walk to Self-Mastery Program at the Alma Center, Inc.

This breakout session is designed to introduce participants to the foundational ancient African wisdom that fuels the trauma resolution methodology of The Wisdom Walk to Self-Mastery program. Facilitated in-person by Floyd Rowell, who leads the Alma Center version of this approach, and virtually by Jojopahmaria Nsoroma, the innovator of the approach, participants will receive generative information and the opportunity to interact with each as Self-Masters.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Integrate spiritual and emotional intelligence into human services methodology
  • Apply cultural anthropology and mythology to resolve deeply impeded ancestral wounds
  • Embrace the use of higher consciousness learning to support self-mastery as a viable discipline and practice for transforming embedded pain

Circles of Support with Project RETURN

Amanda Smit, Program Coordinator , Project RETURN

Dive into “Circles of Support” with Project RETURN! These small groups have proven to significantly reduce recidivism rates in both the United States and Canada. Members of each circle include formerly incarcerated individuals, a trained circle keeper and community volunteers. Explore the structured process that facilitates growth, shared learning and community healing. This breakout session isn’t just informational – participants will have the opportunity to engage in a sample Circle of Support, experiencing firsthand the power of collective understanding and collaboration. Join us for an immersive session that goes beyond traditional reentry programs, actively involving you in the journey of community healing and reintegration.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Develop an understanding of how Circles of Support go beyond traditional reentry programs to actively contribute to community healing.
  • Engage in collaborative discussions, share experiences and contribute to collective understanding.
  • Participate in a sample Circle of Support to apply insights about community healing and reintegration.

2:45-3:45pm - Healing Trauma as a Public Health Priority Panel

Healing Trauma as a Public Health Priority-Closing Panel

Gabriela Diéguez Hurtado, MSW, LCSW, Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers; Rashaan Cherry, Interim Associate Director for Children’s Community Mental Health Services and Wraparound Milwaukee, Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services ; David Muhammad, Deputy Director and Chief Operations Officer of Milwaukee County’s Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS); David Sinclair, Outreach Supervisor

Close our time together with a panel discussion, featuring professionals connected with key programs in Milwaukee County aiming to address Trauma and Community Violence.

Credible Messenger Program – David Muhammad

Milwaukee County Credible Messenger effort (CM) launched in 2020 to promote public safety by intervening in gun violence and support positive outcomes for Milwaukee youth—with an emphasis on those in the youth justice system. The effort focuses specifically on impacting youth at all points of system involvement by coordination amongst various partners, including community-based organizations, public health entities, academic institutions and government agencies. The effort is staffed by individuals with lived experience and previous justice involvement who support youth by transformative mentoring. In its first year, youth involved reported a 77% success rate for recidivism and pro-social behavior. The program has served over 280 youth and since expanded to include six community agencies and all-girls intervention team.

Trauma Response Team – Rashaan Cherry

The Trauma Response Team (TRT) is a joint venture between Children’s Community Mental Health Services and Wraparound Milwaukee, the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Police Department to respond to youth between the ages of 6 to 17 years old in the Milwaukee County area that have been exposed to trauma or stressful experiences such as serious accidents, sudden death, shootings, violence or domestic violence.

Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers – Gabriela Diéguez Hurtado

Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers will work to narrow health disparities and access gaps and improve the environment where people live, work, learn and play. To deepen our impact on people’s lives, our care will extend beyond the vital and high-quality care provided within our clinics and will also extend beyond the four walls of our exam rooms to give individuals and families the support, services and self-empowerment they need to make wellness a sustainable reality. We will leverage an organization-wide system to address the social and environmental needs of our patients, clients, participants and community by leveraging collaborations with the robust network of partner agencies and organizations addressing needs of individuals and families.

414 Life Violence Interrupters – David Sinclair

414LIFE focuses on reducing the burden that gun violence places on individuals and families in Milwaukee County by treating gun violence as a disease. A key element to the success of the 414LIFE program is engaging community members as “violence interrupters” in neighborhoods across Milwaukee County and in the hospital setting. These violence interrupters are equipped with the skills, relationships and credibility to be able to mediate conflict within their communities.

3:45-4pm - Conference Closing