Child Development Conference Call Series

The last Wednesday of every month from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. EST

The Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development is launching a conference call series for practitioners on the social-emotional development of young children. Topics such as early brain research, risk and resilience, curricula for promoting healthy social-emotional development, and the impact of maternal depression on young children will be covered.

To be added to the call, send an email to MelKisha Knight at mk73@georgetown.edu .

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Strength Based Services International Annual Conference

May 16–18, 2004—Richmond, VA

Members of Strength Based Services International are associated with treatment and educational programs whose mission is helping children and families by using strength-based empowerment principles. The following topics will be discussed during the conference: strength-based assessment; discipline, interventions, and practices; leading productive peer group meetings; teamwork; creating a change-oriented, strength-based milieu; research initiatives; and life space crisis intervention. Participants in the conference will include youth workers, social workers, probation officers, teachers, school psychologists, principals, and other youth professionals. Parents and foster parents are also welcome to attend.

To view additional information on the conference and for registration, visit http://www.empowerkids.org/pages/upcoming_events.html .

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First Annual Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) Conference

May 27–28, 2004—Chicago, IL

The Buddin Praed Foundation, Northwestern University's Mental Health Services and Policy Program, and the Consortium for Communication-Based Outcomes Management present the first annual Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) Conference. Join others who use the various versions of the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) tools in helping better serve children and families around the country. Topics will include integrating outcomes management tools and strategies into an evolving system of care; integrating families into assessment, quality improvement, and evaluation within a wraparound program design; and using the CANS for outcomes of a mental health juvenile justice initiative.

For additional information and a registration form, click here:

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Youth Court Training Seminars

May 17–19, 2004—Philadelphia, PA; Deadline for applications: April 2, 2004

July 12–14, 2004—Louisville, KY; Deadline for applications: June 2, 2004

September 27–29, 2004—Portland, OR; Deadline for applications: August 20, 2004

The National Youth Court Center, which is funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will conduct three training seminars to help jurisdictions develop and operate effective youth court programs. The seminars are designed for educators, juvenile justice system professionals, youth court coordinators, and others interested in establishing or strengthening local youth courts.

To obtain additional information and to apply or register, visit http://www.youthcourt.net/training_ta/current.htm .

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Global Health Council's 31st Annual Conference—Youth and Health: Generation on the Edge

June 1–4, 2004—Washington, DC

The Global Health Council is a world alliance dedicated to saving lives by improving health throughout the world. Its mission is to mobilize effective action by advocating for needed policies and resources; building networks and alliances among those working to improve health; and communicating innovative ideas, knowledge, and best practices in the health field. The Global Health Council's Annual International Conference for 2004 will be a forum for the exchange of ideas and lessons learned regarding health-related interventions initiated for youth and, increasingly, by youth.

For additional information on the conference and abstract submissions, visit http://www.globalhealth.org/forms/conf2004/abstracts/index.php .

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Mental Health and Juvenile Justice Policy Academy

June 2–4, 2004—Bethesda, MD

Deadline for applications: March 1, 2004

The National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice is coordinating a policy academy, Developing Collaborative Strategies for Improving Services for Youth With Mental Health and Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders in Contact with the Juvenile Justice System. The academy will give select jurisdictions the opportunity to develop improved, collaborative, community-based strategies to identify and respond to the needs of such youth. Multidisciplinary teams of policymakers and stakeholders from state, county, and local jurisdictions are invited to apply.

For additional information and an application, visit http://www.ncmhjj.com/ .

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Child Welfare League of America Juvenile Justice Summit

June 7–11, 2004–Indianapolis, IN

Advance registration ends on May 21, 2004

The theme of this Mid-West Region Training Conference and National Juvenile Justice Summit is “Let's All Get in the Victory Lane: Making Children a National Priority.” J. Robert Flores, Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, will be a keynote speaker at the conference, which will bring together administrators, advocates, policymakers, providers, practitioners, and others concerned with juvenile justice matters. Topics include alternatives to incarceration, capital punishment for juveniles, coordination among child-serving systems, disproportionate minority contact, effective community-based practices, and gender responsive services.

To obtain additional information and to register online, visit http://www.cwla.org/conferences/2004midwest.htm .

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National Mental Health Association's 2004 Annual Conference—Justice for All: Fighting for America's Mental Health

June 9–12, 2004—Washington, DC

This conference will focus on the barriers many people encounter in obtaining treatment for their mental illnesses. Special attention will be paid to the challenges faced by children, parents, and families when seeking care. Mental Health Associations and other partners will play significant roles in presenting workshops in five specific topic areas: advocacy, organizational capacity, public education, services and supports, and fundraising.

Conference attendees will advocate for the rights of people who have mental health disorders and their family members and friends. Of particular interest are the challenges faced by children, parents, and families when seeking care. Attendees will have the opportunity to network with fellow advocates and mental health stakeholders to discuss how to improve mental health services for all Americans and learn important lessons and tips about public education and advocacy best practices.

For more information on the call for presentations, visit http://www.nmha.org/annualconference/2004callforpresentations.pdf .

For more information on the conference, visit http://www.nmha.org/annualconference/index.cfm .

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Crossroads: Critical Issues in Community-Based Research Partnerships

June 10–13, 2004—Hartford, CT

The Institute for Community Research (ICR) is sponsoring this national conference , which will focus on the processes, designs, challenges, and successes of building community-based research partnerships, developing effective research methods and models, and integrating research findings and implementation strategies. It is designed for community-based researchers, nonprofit organizations, educators, funding organizations, public policy advocates, and others concerned with maximizing the benefits of community-based research in addressing community problems.

To obtain additional information and to register, visit http://www.incommunityresearch.org/news/crossroads.htm .

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2004 School-Based Health Care Convention

June 17–19, 2004—New Orleans, LA

The National Assembly on School-Based Health Care's core purpose is to nurture interdisciplinary school-based health care. The organization believes that c hildren and adolescents have the right to quality, accessible, confidential, culturally competent, and comprehensive health services. This year's conference will explore such issues as funding updates; collaboration with family, school, and community; evaluation and research; clinical skills building; advocacy and policy; and operations and administration.

For additional information on this convention, visit http://www.nasbhc.org/AM%20Save%20the%20Date.htm .

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Training Institutes 2004—Developing Local Systems of Care for Children and Adolescents With Emotional Disturbances and Their Families: Early Intervention

June 23–27, 2004—San Francisco, CA

The National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health, through Georgetown University, is offering Training Institutes on local systems of care for children and adolescents with or at risk for emotional disturbances and their families. The intent of the Institutes is to provide in-depth, practical information on how to develop, organize, operate, finance, and sustain systems of care and how to provide high-quality, effective, evidence-based clinical interventions within them.

The 2004 Institutes will include a special emphasis on early intervention, with a dual focus on providing mental health services to young children and their families and on identifying mental health problems at an earlier stage and providing appropriate interventions to maximize the likelihood of positive outcomes.

To obtain additional information and to register, visit http://gucchd.georgetown.edu/institutes.html .

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Positive Outcomes for Court-Involved Youth: Prevention, Education, Transition

June 24–26, 2004—Denver, CO

This national conference, sponsored by the National Center on Education, Disability and Juvenile Justice, will address key topics about youth with educational disabilities and poor literacy skills who are at high risk for school dropout, arrest, and incarceration. Conference participants will have opportunities to develop specific skills and practical knowledge organized within three strands: (1) delinquency prevention; (2) education and special education for detained and committed youth; and (3) transition from court-ordered placements to schools and communities. Interactive workshops, panel discussions, and plenary sessions will describe how to implement the latest, evidence-based practices to work with youth at-risk for contact with the courts and with youth already involved in the justice system.

To obtain additional information on this conference or to register online, visit http://www.edjj.org .

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The Changing Faces of Rural Mental Health

June 24–27, 2004—Boulder, CO

The educational goals of this meeting are to increase the research-based knowledge of professionals working with rural children, youth, and families; to enhance the cultural competence of mental health professionals to deliver services to diverse rural persons; and to strengthen the capacity of providers to deliver evidence-based practice.

This year's conference will offer more than 62 concurrent sessions, plenaries, social events, and exceptional networking opportunities that address relevant rural mental health issues, model programs, and science-to-service research. Plenary topics include an update on the Freedom Commission and Rural Subcommittee Report, Workforce and Best Practices Issues, Cultural Competence, and special Research Updates for Practitioners. In addition, exhibitors will be available throughout the conference to help attendees stay abreast of the latest products and programs available to practitioners and administrators.

To obtain additional information and to register, visit http://narmh.org/pages/04confra.html.

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Street Law's Teen Parents and the Law National Leadership Training

June 29–30, 2004—Joliet, IL

Additional Dates Upcoming

Street Law developed Teen Parents and the Law (TPAL) to strengthen families and prevent the occurrence of child abuse and neglect through law-related education. Through a 23-lesson curriculum, teen parents in TPAL will learn information about the law that is often missing from other parenting programs. In addition, students of the program will develop resiliency skills by forming connections to community resources, such as police officers, attorneys, and teachers. TPAL empowers young parents, providing them with useful information about the legal system and the law.

This conference will provide participants with the materials and training to implement TPAL in their communities. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in lessons from the TPAL curriculum and to learn teaching strategies.

To learn more about the Teen Parents and the Law program, visit http://www.streetlaw.org/tpal.html .

To register for a conference, contact Alexandra Ashbrook, Program Director, at 301-589-1130 ext. 248.

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Educating Minds and Hearts: Safe Schools, Healthy Character Development, Academic Success, and Social Emotional Education

July 6–9, 2004— New York, NY

This four-day Institute focuses on ways educators can establish effective, high-quality social emotional education (SEE) and character education programs in schools. The research-based social emotional and character education work presented here will synthesize research findings and practice from the following overlapping fields: health promotion, risk prevention, service learning, school-based mental health, and effective citizenry.

To obtain additional information, an agenda, and registration, visit http://www.csee.net/pdf/si04.pdf .

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Partners for Success: Linking Communities, Families, and Schools

July 11–13, 2004—Kansas City, MO

This annual conference is designed for people who are creating and operating school-based, school-linked childcare and family support programs. The conference focuses on how to strengthen the connections among communities, families, and schools and is appropriate for superintendents, school board members, principals, program directors, family support staff, and policymakers.

For additional information and registration, visit http://www.indep.k12.mo.us/ .

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Women Across the Life Span: A National Conference on Women, Addiction and Recovery

July 12–13, 2004—Baltimore, MD

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), is hosting this two-day conference to address current issues in providing gender-specific treatment to women throughout their lives. Speakers include nationally recognized experts on women's substance abuse treatment and front-line practitioners testing innovative and promising practices. Substance abuse treatment providers, health and human services providers, and administrators and policymakers at all levels will learn about best practices and proven strategies for helping the women and families that they serve.

To obtain additional information and to register, visit http://conferences.jbs.biz/women_and_childwelfare/ .

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Putting the Pieces Together: 1st National Conference on Substance Abuse, Child Welfare, and the Dependency Court

July 14–15, 2004—Baltimore, MD

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) are pleased to host this two-day conference to highlight innovative programs and policies and relevant research on improving outcomes for children and families in the child welfare system who are affected by substance use disorders.

Nationally recognized experts from across the nation were selected through a peer review process from more than 100 submitted proposals. Sessions will equip front-line practitioners, administrators of child welfare and substance abuse services and the dependency court, and policymakers and researchers with knowledge and best practices to address pressing cross-system issues and strengthen collaborative efforts.

To obtain additional information and to register, visit http://conferences.jbs.biz/women_and_childwelfare/ .

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Center for School Mental Health Assistance's (CSMHA) 4th Annual School Health Interdisciplinary Program (SHIP): Charting the Course for Our Children's Future

August 2–4, 2004—Ellicott City, MD

SHIP is an intensive training opportunity for all youth-serving professionals. Topics will include school mental health, school-based mental health centers, psychiatric disorders, alternative education, cultural competence, youth at risk, and other issues related to healthy youth development.

For additional information and registration, visit http://csmha.umaryland.edu/ship4.htm .

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Annual Conference on Advancing School-Based Mental Health: The School Mental Health Imperative

October 7–9, 2004—Dallas, TX

Participants will discuss critical issues in the field and the strategies to address these issues. In addition, they will explore trends and innovative practices in developing the full continuum of evidence-based mental heath promotion and intervention in schools.

Several specialty tracks will facilitate in-depth discussion and learning: (1) Advancing Advocacy and Building Infrastructure; (2) Doing and Coordinating What Works in Schools; (3) Enhancing Quality and Accountability; (4) Promoting Diversity and Culture Competency; and (5) Mental Health/Education Integration.

To obtain additional information for this conference and to register, visit http://csmha.umaryland.edu/natconf9.htm .