CWVE 2024 Agenda
Child Welfare Virtual Expo 2024: Leading From Where You Are
Wednesday and Thursday, May 22–23, 2024
Day One - Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Opening Remarks
Child welfare professionals respond positively to leaders who inspire them to find purpose and meaning in their work by fostering collaboration, supporting professional development, and investing in their staff. Leaders play a critical role in their workforce's well-being, resilience, and dedication, and such leaders exist at all levels of child welfare systems. In the opening remarks, participants will hear from Administration on Children, Youth and Families Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston and others exploring and reflecting on transformational leadership and its importance in child welfare. In addition to Commissioner Gaston's opening remarks, participants will also be oriented to the CWVE conference platform, its unique features, the Exhibit Hall, Resource Gallery, one-on-one virtual chats, and more. Throughout the CWVE day, jurisdictions will share their leadership stories and experiences, from how one charted a course to a culture equipping their workforce for success to how another's culturally responsive approaches helped address tribal community needs, and so much more! Participants will start the CWVE ready to get inspired and inspire others to create positive change in child welfare.
Presenters:
- Bianca Bennett-Scott, Capacity Building Center for States
- Rebecca Jones Gaston, Administration on Children, Youth and Families
- Belinda Kjensrud, Capacity Building Center for States
Shifting Workforce Culture: A Road Trip Toward Safety, Trust, and Alignment
Hop into the passenger seat for a road trip with South Carolina's Child Welfare Division. Hear how they left a culture and climate driven by compliance and fear in the rearview mirror and made their way to a destination point of a flourishing culture grounded in safety, trust, and alignment among professionals at all levels of the agency. In this session, department and division leaders will share their journey, highlighting adaptive and technical leadership approaches that have led to successful transformation. Hear perspectives from leadership staff at all levels on their experiences and contributions throughout the trip. Leave the session inspired to chart your course to a culture in which the child welfare workforce is equipped for success.
Presenters:
- Sharvon Banks, South Carolina Department of Social Services
- Nikita Harrison, South Carolina Department of Social Services
- Jessie Heckenmueller, Child Welfare Information Gateway
- Josie Jones, South Carolina Department of Social Services
- Michael Leach, South Carolina Department of Social Services
- Emily Medere, South Carolina Department of Social Services
- Tumeka Watson, South Carolina Department of Social Services
Journey to Equity: Leaders' Perspectives on Transformative Tribal Child Welfare Leadership
Hear powerful leaders from tribal communities share their stories and experiences in driving transformative change within child welfare systems. From fostering bravery to facilitating transparent conversations and prioritizing lived experiences, this session delves into the heart of effective leadership strategies. Discover how these leaders have navigated challenges, built trust, and empowered their communities to shape a more equitable and compassionate future for Indigenous children and families.
Presenters:
- Abby Abinanti, Yurok Tribe
- Daniell Breland, Turtle Mountain Child Welfare and Family Services
- Claudia Chavez, Pala Social Services
- Donalyn Sarracino, New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department
- Kendra Lowden, Families Rising and Center for Workforce Equity and Leadership
Collective Leadership and Building Psychologically Safe Teams
During this session, participants will collaborate with fellow child welfare professionals to strengthen their ability to foster psychological safety, promote bravery, and cultivate resilient and supportive workplace environments. They will engage in interactive learning and discussion, exploring practical strategies and resources to nurture supportive cultures and enhance well-being. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of these concepts by delving into topics such as psychological safety, brave spaces, inclusive teaming, power sharing, and resilience. Ultimately, participants will depart the session with actionable insights and a renewed commitment to creating environments that foster growth, inclusivity, and resilience.
Presenters:
- Tiffany Haynes, Capacity Building Center for States
- Chanetta Stewart, Capacity Building Center for States
Cultivating Communities of Care to Transform Child Welfare Leadership
"Transformational leadership" is a trending phrase in child welfare, but what does it really mean to motivate and be motivated by professionals at all levels of the workforce? In this session, presenters will share their experiences with leading and being led by those around them in child welfare and offer practical strategies for child welfare professionals, no matter their role, to lead and support each other in leading. The session will also highlight how authenticity and awareness of positional power can help shape leadership journeys and explore how engaging a community of care supports can get anyone started on developing the skills they need to lead and be led.
Presenters:
- Nicole Barnes, ICF International Inc.
- Aprille Flint-Gerner, Oregon Department of Human Services
- Nathan Ross, Families Rising
Building Bridges to Improve Mental Health
In this session, participants will learn about the positive impact of collaboration between child welfare and mental health systems. Join to hear from leaders of The National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services, which seeks to improve mental health access and outcomes for children and families by strengthening collaboration and coordination between these systems nationwide. The session will explore a variety of tools and strategies to enhance participants' collaboration skills and explain how participants can get involved with The National Center's services.
Presenters:
- Debbie Riley, National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services
- Mary Wichansky, National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services
Leadership Roles and Opportunities in the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR)
This workshop will consist of a panel presentation sharing experiences with the CFSR. Panelists will focus on leadership engagement in driving foundational change, how the CFSR can lead to foundational change, and how to ensure leadership is engaged in the CFSR work of foundational change. It will be followed by breakouts where participants will be given scenarios and strategize how to address them. Participants will hear strategies that can be used to foster foundational change, how to ensure leadership is effectively engaged in the CFSR, and the changes it can bring about.
Presenters:
- JoDene Bogart, Missouri Children's Division
- Carla Carpenter, Capacity Building Center for States
- Haley Inman, Indiana Department of Child Services
- Sheila Kadoi, Nebraska Children and Family Services
- Teresa Strom, Capacity Building Center for States
Closing Remarks
In the closing remarks on day one, participants will hear from the Capacity Building Center for States Family Consultants and Young Adult Consultants reflect on the key themes and learnings from day one of the 2024 CWVE. They will also learn what to expect from day two's programming, including additional opportunities to make peer connections and advance leadership skills.
Presenters:
- Bianca Bennett-Scott, Capacity Building Center for States
- Belinda Kjensrud, Capacity Building Center for States
Day Two - Thursday, May 23, 2024
Opening Remarks Day 2
Please join us for the opening remarks for day two of the Child Welfare Virtual Expo (CWVE). Participants will have the opportunity to hear from Capacity Building Center for States (Center) Family Consultants and Young Adult Consultants with lived experience on the critical role leaders play in advancing the well-being, resilience, and dedication of the child welfare workforce and how such leaders exist at all levels of child welfare systems. Additionally, representatives from the Children's Bureau will deliver brief remarks on transformational leadership and its key components, echoing the theme of this year's CWVE—Leading From Where You Are. Participants will start CWVE on day two ready to advance their leadership skills, get inspired, and learn how to lead from where they are while also inspiring others to make positive changes in child welfare and the lives of the children, young people, and families they serve.
Presenters:
- Wyjuana Montgomery, Capacity Building Center for States
- Brina Williams, Capacity Building Center for States
Shattering Ceilings: The Bold Ascent of Two Black Women Into Leadership
In an empowering narrative of resilience and leadership, this session will spotlight the inspiring journeys of two Black women who have ascended to executive roles in child welfare. Attendees will be immersed in the transformational leadership journey of the Presenters and take an intimate look at the strategies that propelled their careers forward, despite the systemic challenges often faced by Black women in the professional sphere. This dialogue seeks to shed light on the real-world impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, with a particular focus on how they support and uplift Black women in the workforce. Join us for a candid discussion about overcoming obstacles, advocating for change, and engaging in the collective effort required to foster a truly inclusive environment.
Presenters:
- Ligia Cushman, Families Rising and Center for Workforce Equity and Leadership
- Sharonlyn Harrison, Public Research and Evaluation Services, Inc.
- Tamara Jones, Capacity Building Center for States
Reframe, Rename, Reclaim: A Participatory Approach for Recruiting Child Welfare Workers
Recruiting and retaining child welfare workers are recurring challenges faced by public child welfare systems. Many factors—e.g., poor public perception, inadequate resources, a lack of evidence-based strategic supports and initiatives, and few participatory, collaborative models—negatively contribute to this persisting challenge. Using an innovative child welfare workforce recruitment, education, and retention program launched at the University of Kentucky, this session will illustrate how leveraging technology can enhance marketing practices and strategies and help improve the outcomes of child welfare employee recruitment and retention initiatives. The session will also explore components of the program, including learning more about customer relationship manager applications, persuasive communication, personalized user engagements, and marketing best practices, and how each can foster an unparalleled pathway for recruiting, supporting, and retaining a vibrant and dynamic child welfare workforce.
Presenter:
- Justin Miller, University of Kentucky College of Social Work
Collective Leadership and Building Psychologically Safe Teams
During this session, participants will collaborate with fellow child welfare professionals to strengthen their ability to foster psychological safety, promote bravery, and cultivate resilient and supportive workplace environments. They will engage in interactive learning and discussion, exploring practical strategies and resources to nurture supportive cultures and enhance well-being. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of these concepts by delving into topics such as psychological safety, brave spaces, inclusive teaming, power sharing, and resilience. Ultimately, participants will depart the session with actionable insights and a renewed commitment to creating environments that foster growth, inclusivity, and resilience.
Presenters:
- Tiffany Haynes, Capacity Building Center for States
- Eshawn Peterson, Capacity Building Center for States
Cultivating Communities of Care to Transform Child Welfare Leadership
"Transformational leadership" is a trending phrase in child welfare, but what does it really mean to motivate and be motivated by professionals at all levels of the workforce? In this session, Presenters will share their experiences with leading and being led by those around them in child welfare and offer practical strategies for child welfare professionals, no matter their role, to lead and support each other in leading. The session will also highlight how authenticity and awareness of positional power can help shape leadership journeys and explore how engaging a community of care supports can get anyone started on developing the skills they need to lead and be led.
Presenters:
- Nicole Barnes, ICF International Inc.
- Aprille Flint-Gerner, Oregon Department of Human Services
- Nathan Ross, Families Rising
Building Bridges to Improve Mental Health
In this session, participants will learn about the positive impact of collaboration between child welfare and mental health systems. Join to hear from leaders of The National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services, which seeks to improve mental health access and outcomes for children and families by strengthening collaboration and coordination between these systems nationwide. The session will explore a variety of tools and strategies to enhance participants' collaboration skills and explain how participants can get involved with The National Center's services.
Presenters:
- Debbie Riley, National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services
- Mary Wichansky, National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services
Leadership Roles and Opportunities in the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR)
This workshop will consist of a panel presentation sharing experiences with the CFSR. Panelists will focus on leadership engagement in driving foundational change, how the CFSR can lead to foundational change, and how to ensure leadership is engaged in the CFSR work of foundational change. It will be followed by breakouts where participants will be given scenarios and strategize how to address them. Participants will hear strategies that can be used to foster foundational change, how to ensure leadership is effectively engaged in the CFSR, and the changes it can bring about.
Presenters:
- JoDene Bogart, Missouri Children's Division
- Carla Carpenter, Capacity Building Center for States
- Haley Inman, Indiana Department of Child Services
- Sheila Kadoi, Nebraska Children and Family Services
- Teresa Strom, Capacity Building Center for States
Closing Remarks
In the closing remarks of day two, participants will hear from the Capacity Building Center for States Family Consultants and Young Adult Consultants reflect on the day's key themes and learnings and how they can continue to grow in their personal leadership journeys. They will also hear about how they can expect to access resources, revisit session recordings, and receive news and updates after the CWVE.
Presenters:
- Wyjuana Montgomery, Capacity Building Center for States
- Brina Williams, Capacity Building Center for States
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Questions?
Learn how we can help your agency build the capacity to thrive.
Email: capacityinfo@icf.com
Phone: 1.844.222.0272
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