Napa Valley Wellness Conference

Coming Soon...

Speakers

Dr. Judy Ho

Flourish and Flow Presentation Judy Ho pdf

Thursday March 6, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am PST
Ballroom

Keynote

10:45am PST

Building a System Within a System: The Intersection of Public Education and Mental Health

Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST

Napa Hall

Outline of session:

-A Brief History of School-Based Wellness Centers
-Overview of the initiation of the Wellness Program in SRCS
-Challenges & Successes of building “a system within a system”
-Cultural & Community reception and perception of mental health
-Hopeful Future Goals for Wellness in Schools

Take-aways will include an overview of:

-How to manage funding challenges
-How to navigate staffing challenges
-How to respond to/manage staff, student & parent ideas about wellness/mental health
-How to build a strong program that will last

Speakers

Judy Schwerin

Judy Schwerin is the Wellness Coordinator/ Clinical Supervisor at the San Rafael High School Wellness Center and the continuation school on campus Madrone High School. The mission of the Wellness Center is to provide a supportive space and reduce barriers for students to access... Read More →

Nicole Janson

Wellness Coordinator, San Rafael City Schools

Nicole Janson is the Wellness Coordinator/Clinical Supervisor at the Terra Linda High School Wellness Center. The mission of the Wellness Center is to provide a supportive space and reduce barriers for students to access mental health, substance use/misuse, sexual health services... Read More →

Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST
Napa Hall

Host Organization San Rafael City Schools/Terra Linda HS & SRHS/Madrone

10:45am PST

Dynamic Mindfulness- Building Trauma-Resilient Schools

Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST

● Participants will learn the background of Dynamic Mindfulness (DMind), a
research-validated movement-based mindfulness practice.
● Participants will have the option to join in an experiential practice of Dynamic
Mindfulness, which includes moving the body, breathing intentionally and centering the
mind.
● Participants will learn how DMind is a trauma-informed practice and how to share it with
others using trauma-informed delivery.
● Participants will learn strategies for how to integrate Dynamic Mindfulness into their
workplace, school and classroom settings.
● Participants will walk away with a new set of tools to reduce stress in their personal and
professional lives.

Speakers

Daniel Duarte

Dynamic Mindfulness Specialist & Program Coordinator, Niroga Institute

Daniel Duarte is a Dynamic Mindfulness Specialist for Niroga Institute, teaching full time at Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco. He brings over 10 years of experience in education and mindfulness, serving in various capacities including as a behavior interventionist... Read More →

Lily Gates-Tilles

Programs & Partnerships Manager, Niroga Institute

My journey with Mindfulness started when I was in high school and dealing with some severe emotional and behavioral problems. Not only did the practice change my life, it saved it. Thankfully for me, I had a network of support around to seek out therapies and practices that could... Read More →

Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST
Sutter Home

Host Organization Niroga Institute

10:45am PST

Empowering Clinical Supervisors: The Vital Role of Supervision in Trauma-Informed and Culturally Responsive Allyship for School-Based Mental Health, While Building Sustainable Services through Internship Programming Strategies

Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST

- Developing Sustainable Wellness Programs: Learn how to lead the creation and implementation of sustainable wellness programs by engrafting mental health interns, strengthening community partnerships with local universities, and fostering long-term mental health support structures in schools.
- Leading Efforts to Address Racial Inequities: Understand the role of clinical supervisors in promoting mental health programming that addresses racial inequities and prioritizes culturally responsive care, creating an environment where all students feel supported and valued.

Speakers

Hannah Bales

Clinical Services Supervisor and Intern Coordinator, Solano County Office of Education

My name is Hannah Bales, and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of experience as a Behaviorist, Clinician, and Supervisor. My background spans mental health, special education, crisis intervention, and behavior management. I have extensive experience in school-based... Read More →

Dr. Staysha Veal

Clinical Supervisor and Intern Coordinator, Solano County Office of Education (SCOE)

Hello. My name is Dr. Staysha Veal, and I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy specializing in culturally responsive and trauma-informed mental health within school settings. My dissertation focused on supporting underserved populations... Read More →

Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST
Vintner's Court

Host Organization Solano County Office of Education

10:45am PST

Recharging the Well-being of Teachers and Staff Through Mental Fitness

Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST

Mental Health continues to be a top priority for employers and employees across the country. Organizations have an opportunity to move toward a proactive approach to support teachers, administrators and staff by incorporating a mindset of mental fitness. Mental fitness is a combination of activities, habits, and attitudes that contribute to overall emotional health and wellness. Like physical fitness requires activity to get and stay fit and prevent health risks, mental fitness means actively doing things to manage and respond to stress and keep our emotions and mental state healthy. We will focus on how incorporating mental fitness into your organization’s culture can lead to greater workplace well-being, satisfaction and safety.

Speakers

Christina Bernard

Senior Director, Workforce Health Consulting, Kaiser Permanente

Christina Bernard, MBA is passionate about the role that employers can play in supporting the health and well-being of the workforce.She oversees workforce health consulting for Kaiser Permanente in the California and Hawaii markets. Christina has 20+ years of experience in healthcare... Read More →

Caretia Silva

Senior Mental Health and Addiction Medicine Consultant, Kaiser Permanente

Caretia Silva, LCSW, LSSBB, SEP is a Licensed Clinical Social worker of 20+ years.  She has been with Kaiser Permanente since 2015 as a mental health clinician, performance improvement consultant for care delivery teams and is now a National Senior Mental Health and Employee Assistance... Read More →

Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST
Louis M. Martini

Host Organization Kaiser Permanente

10:45am PST

The Story of Toolbox Project: The Discovery of Children's Innate Capacity

Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST

Ballroom

The 12 Toolbox practices and strategies of Toolbox Project are unlike any other SEL curriculum because they were developed in a K-8 school with students over an 8-year period. The Toolbox Project's approach is innovative in discovering and uncovering the students’ innate capacity for wholeness, which fosters genuine personal and systemic change in their lives. Welcome to the story of Toolbox Project as we share the key components that create positive lasting life long change.

Speakers

Mark Collin

Founder/Author, Toolbox Project PBLLC

Mark is the founder of the Toolbox Project. The Toolbox Project began to emerge in 1993 while Mark was serving as a school counselor for disadvantaged children. Since then, Mark has worked in and with schools for over 30 years developing and teaching Toolbox Project: now serving over... Read More →

The Story of Toolbox Project (v2) docx

Napa Wellness Story of Toolbox Project pdf

Thursday March 6, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST
Ballroom

Breakouts

12:15pm PST

Lunch

Thursday March 6, 2025 12:15pm - 1:15pm PST

Terrace

Thursday March 6, 2025 12:15pm - 1:15pm PST
Terrace

1:30pm PST

Improve Workplace Well-being: Concrete Strategies to (Re-)Commit to Your Craft

Thursday March 6, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST

Too often, individuals and school site leaders are left to figure out well-being on their own. It does not have to be that way! This session reorients us from simply "preventing burnout" on our own to proactively, intentionally promoting well-being for all staff so that we can together create the teaching and learning environments we aspire to with our students. Our well-being strategies can be used individually, but we will work through them collaboratively. We will also interact with the first educator generated measure of workplace well-being (see https://www.educatorsthriving.org/6-factors for more information) and learn how educators across the country use this tool to improve well-being.

Speakers

Laura Andersen

Co-Founder, Educators Thriving

Educators Thriving is an evidence-backed, hands-on support system dedicatedto enhancing educator wellbeing. We make it easy to activate proven, powerfulprograms that help teachers and staff reconnect with their peers and their purpose.Our professional learning programs are driven... Read More →

Rocquel Colbert

High School Principal, Educators Thriving/Hercules High School

Napa Valley Wellness Session Deck pdf

Thursday March 6, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST
Sutter Home

Breakouts

1:30pm PST

Pathways to Success: Integrating Academics and Mental Health Supports in Continuation Schools

Thursday March 6, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST

This session will highlight the innovative work being done at Olympic High School, a continuation school, to implement multiple learning pathways tailored to meet the diverse academic and mental health needs of students. By combining structured learning pathways with correlating mental health supports, we have created an environment where students are not only able to recover credits and succeed academically but also receive the emotional and psychological support they need. This presentation will cover the development, implementation, and monitoring processes of these pathways, with insights from our staff on how we integrate mental health services, individual counseling, and group support. Data on student progress, case studies, and challenges will be shared to inspire new approaches in addressing the holistic needs of students in alternative education settings.

Speakers

Courtney Lyon

Principal, Mt. Diablo Unified School District

Emilio Perdomo, LCSW

Social Work Specialist, Mt. Diablo Unified School District

NVWC Presentation Pathways to Success MDUSD pdf

Thursday March 6, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST
Louis M. Martini

Breakouts

1:30pm PST

SEL and The Arts

Thursday March 6, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST

Napa Hall

This Social Emotional Learning & the Arts Professional Development session explores how to use the arts as a vehicle for social-emotional learning (SEL). Participants will discover the five social-emotional learning competencies while integrating the arts with SEL. Participants will examine art lessons combined with SEL competencies conducive to a variety of instructional times.

Additionally, strategies and activities for arts-based SEL across visual and performing arts will be explored. At the culmination of the session, participants will be able to create or transform their own existing lessons to reflect SEL competencies taught through the arts.

Speakers

Chris Read

VAPA Coordinator

Chris Read is a dad, an artist, educator, and arts leader with a passion for integrating the arts into education. He studied Conceptual Information Arts at San Francisco State University and earned a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction specializing in Integrated Teaching Through... Read More →

Thursday March 6, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST
Napa Hall

Host Organization West Contra Costa Unified School District

1:30pm PST

Supporting the Needs of Newcomer Youth and their Families

Thursday March 6, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST

Ballroom

Mentis is passionate about providing equitable, accessible, and effective mental health care to the youth in our valley. Our mission is based on educating, inspiring, and supporting the mental health needs of the community, including those with limited access to care. During this panel presentation, we are collaborating with various agencies to discuss our joint efforts in supporting the needs of newcomer youth and their families. The panel will discuss current trends, impacts of immigration on mental health, barriers to accessing care, and our successes. Furthermore, the panel will emphasize how each organization plays a crucial role in supporting youth and families during this period of transition.
The key takeaways from this panel include raising awareness about the experiences of newcomer youth, emphasizing the importance of offering a diverse range of resources, and highlighting the impact of community agencies working together as a united front.

Speakers

Jessica Zepeda

Prevention Program Manager, Mentis

Jennifer Padilla

Program Director, ALDEA

Jennifer Padilla serves as the Program Director of Behavioral Health Services at Aldea's Napa clinic. She oversees both mental health and substance use programs, bringing over a decade of experience with the agency. Jennifer is a bilingual and bicultural Licensed Marriage and Family... Read More →

Marcela Rodriguez

Education Program Manager, UpValley Family Centers

Marcela Rodriguez is the Education Program Manager for UpValley Family Centers, overseeing our children, youth and schools programming. As the Education Program Manager, Marcela oversees a range of prevention and early intervention activities including early childhood programs, youth... Read More →

Roxana Plancarte

Coordinator, Student Wellness and Support, Napa Valley Unified School District

Rubi Pelayo

Assistant Clinical Manager for Youth Programs, Mentis

Rubi Pelayo, LCSW is the Youth Clinical Assistant Program Manager at Mentis. She is responsible for the daily operations of the program, in addition to program implementation and program coordination. Rubi has experience in providing therapy to youth of all ages, from elementary to... Read More →

Thursday March 6, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST
Ballroom

Host Organization Mentis

1:30pm PST

Trauma-Informed Education

Thursday March 6, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST

Session topic will cover best practices for teaching and supporting students who have experienced trauma, the impact of trauma on the brain and learning process, and the power of healing student/educator relationships in learner outcomes.

Speakers

Caitlin MacCalla, LMFT

Student Support Counselor, Oakwood School

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has worked in the mental health and social services field for over 20 years in both public and private education, non-profits, Dependency and Family Court, forensic psychology, and private practice. I currently work as the Student... Read More →

Dr. Melinda Gonzales, Ph.D.

Psychologist, Harker School

A clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience specializing in adolescent mental health and well-being. I have been at the Harker School for 17 years and play a pivotal role in advancing social-emotional learning initiatives. I co-founded Harker’s LIFE Wellness program—a... Read More →

Thursday March 6, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST
Vintner's Court

Host Organization Oakwood School

3:00pm PST

Building Community and Using Parent Workshops to Overcome The Stigma of Mental Illness.

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST

Building Community, showing empathy and a degree of self-disclosure is key to earning the trust of families to understand, see the benefits of and consent to counseling and mental health services for their students.
Showing how at Cerritos we have used parent workshops, presentations, and Wellness Room visits we have seen great strides in getting parents on board with mental health services and helping to break the stigma of these important servives.
We educate families by providing key facts and data about mental health, describe the response to intervention and 3 tiers of mental health supports at our site, we allow for open communication, address their concerns directly, highlight positive aspects of seeking help, and community engagement. We provide a tour of our Student Wellness Room so they parents can see what we are doing to help support mental health and social emotional learning.
As a community school we have partnered with local mental health agencies to bring the mental health services to our student at our school site. We also link and refer tier three cases with wrap around services if needed.

Speakers

Diana Hernandez

Glendale Unified School District

Diana Hill

School Counselor, Glendale Unified School District

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST
Louis M. Martini

Host Organization Cerritos Elementary Computer Science Immersion MagnetSchool

3:00pm PST

Effective Classroom Practices to Facilitate Equity in the Classroom

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST

In this session, participants will learn about Effective Classroom Practices to encourage equity and belonging within the classroom community. Participants will gain knowledge on the 18 Effective Classroom Practices and the concepts behind each, connections of the practices to student culture, current research behind the practices, and how to implement the practices within the classroom effectively. These Effective Classroom Practices will specifically facilitate equity, belonging and a stronger classroom community for historically marginalized groups.

Speakers

Christopher Caston

Crystal Stone

Program Specialist- School Climate and Culture (Tier 1 & Tier 3), Student Wellness and Support Services, SWSS

Ms. Crystal Stone is a Program Specialist within San Bernardino City Unified School District. She provides support to over 13 school sites K-12 in Student Wellness and Support Services. This is her thirteenth year within education. Her experience began in a charter school organization... Read More →

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST
Vintner's Court

Host Organization San Bernardino City Unified School District

3:00pm PST

Engaging Grassroots Organizations in Student Wellness

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST

Napa Hall

The dynamic collaborative, SHINE Napa Valley, is a group of the five largest mental health nonprofit partners in Napa County. They banded together in 2022 to develop a shared vision of how to best support local school wellness programs. They spearheaded a community mapping tool to find gaps in services, and built an aspirational network of care model to guide their work. Learn more about how to partner with local providers to find common goals and use data to explore ways to improve student wellness at your schools.

Speakers

Jennifer Ocon

UpValley Family Centers of Napa County

Kerry Ahearn

Robert Weiss

Amber Twitchell

On The Move

Jennifer Stewart

Community Based Collaborative, SHINE Napa Valley

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST
Napa Hall

Host Organization SHINE Napa Valley

3:00pm PST

Envisioning the School as the Hub of Health and Wellness

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST

Participants will first explore ways to enhance student resilience by teaching concrete skills (12 Tool Practices) and learn how to create a safe, caring environment that supports students' resilience and health. Then, we will briefly examine each Tool practice before exploring how to integrate the tools beyond the classroom and into the school community. Next, we explore the benefits of expanding the use of the tools into the family setting using visual cues (posters), home connection letters, and back-to-school activities. Lastly, we examine the introduction of the Family Toolbox. This allows the school to be reinvented as a health and wellness hub.

Speakers

Mark Collin

Founder/Author, Toolbox Project PBLLC

Presentation Overview pdf

Napa Valley Wellness Envisioning School as Hub pdf

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST
Sutter Home

Host Organization Toolbox

3:00pm PST

Insight to Action: Practical Approaches to Elevate Student Well-Being

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST

Ballroom

This session will explore how schools can create nurturing learning environments that enhance student well-being and academic success. Participants will examine survey data trends from the Challenge Success Student Experience Survey, administered to over 350,000 middle and high school students and focused on student well-being, belonging, and engagement. They will gain valuable tools and strategies to improve student well-being and learn how schools across the country have used critical insights about the student experience to change policies and practices.

Speakers

Megan Pacheco

Executive Director, Challenge Success

Megan Pacheco, M.A., is the Executive Director for Challenge Success. She has more than 20 years of experience helping to transform schools. She has served in a variety of roles, including teacher, school coach, and organizational leader. Prior to joining Challenge Success, she was... Read More →

Napa Valley Wellness Conference 2025 V2 pdf

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST
Ballroom

Host Organization Challenge Success

4:15pm PST

Reception hosted by Napa Valley Vintners

Thursday March 6, 2025 4:15pm - 6:00pm PST

Terrace

Speakers

Napa Valley Vintners

Thursday March 6, 2025 4:15pm - 6:00pm PST
Terrace

8:00am PST

Coffee & Registration

Friday March 7, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PST

Terrace

Friday March 7, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PST
Terrace

9:00am PST

Cultivating Belonging: Tools to Create Racially Just and Welcoming Schools

Friday March 7, 2025 9:00am - 10:15am PST

Ballroom

Napa Adult SEL Superpowers Resilience Skills for Connection and Belonging 250307 pdf

Coming Soon...

Speakers

Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith

Allison Briscoe-Smith is a child clinical psychologist. She has combined her love of teaching and advocacy by serving as a professor, by directing mental health programs for children experiencing trauma, homelessness or foster care and developing her own consultancy. Much of her... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 9:00am - 10:15am PST
Ballroom

Keynote

10:45am PST

Adult SEL Superpowers: Resilience Skills for Connection, Growth, and Healing

Friday March 7, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST

Napa Hall

Participants will gain 1) A deeper connection between emotional balance, mindsets, and stress response. 2) Understanding how Protective and Cultural Patterns influence equity, cultural responsiveness, and bias. 3) Open Educational Resources (OER) that teach skills in Centering, Connection, and Collaboration.

Speakers

Emily Selim, M.S., Ed.

Director of Educational Partnerships, Dovetail Learning

I am passionate about creating a sense of belonging and social-emotional wellbeing in schools for both children and adults. I brought the We Are Resilient™ approach to Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, and to numerous workshops in the state as a former county office Continuous Improvement... Read More →

Kate Westrich

Director, Sonoma County Office of Education

Friday March 7, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST
Napa Hall

Host Organization Sonoma County Office of Education

10:45am PST

Creating a Sustainable School-Wide Wellness Vision: Best Practices and Implementation Strategies

Friday March 7, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST

In this session, participants will explore the essential components for establishing and maintaining effective, sustainable school-based wellness programs that support both students and staff. Using the Appreciative Inquiry framework, attendees will engage in a collaborative process to envision a wellness program implementation model, along with actionable best practices that can be tailored to any school community. This interactive session will guide participants through strategies for embedding wellness into the school culture, ensuring that mental health, well-being, and long-term support are prioritized for both educators and students. Participants will leave with a clear vision and concrete steps for fostering a school environment that promotes lasting wellness for all.

Learning Goals and Takeaways:
1. Attendees will actively participate in using the Appreciative Inquiry framework to design a customized wellness program model for their school or district.
2. Participants will learn the essential elements needed to create effective, long-lasting wellness programs that support both students and staff.
3. Participants will leave with actionable best practices and strategies for embedding wellness into the fabric of their school culture, making it adaptable to their specific educational environment.
4. Attendees will be guided through creating a sustainable vision for wellness in their schools, with a focus on fostering mental health and well-being over the long term for both educators and students.

Speakers

Fran Kenton

Friday March 7, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST
Louis M. Martini

Host Organization Autonome

10:45am PST

Re-imagining School-Based Wellness Programs: Building Sustainable Solutions for Mental Health, Racial Equity, and Youth Empowerment

Friday March 7, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST

This presentation will focus on strategically building and sustaining effective school-based wellness programs prioritizing mental health, racial equity, and youth empowerment. By bringing together best practices from school-based clinicians and administrators, we will explore innovative strategies that schools can use to address both the emotional and social needs of their students, especially in marginalized communities affected by trauma. Attendees will also learn how to actively engage youth voices and tackle the mental health stigma among students of color while leveraging new methods to expand services that address the social determinants of health. Presenting bold, innovative strategies will inspire schools to re-imagine how they support the mental well-being of all students, creating more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable communities.

Speakers

Dr. Yvette Beavers

Denise Moreno

Michelle Paronia

Kwasi Reed

Friday March 7, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST
Sutter Home

Host Organization Hayward Unified School District

10:45am PST

The Intersection of Mental Health and School Attendance

Friday March 7, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST

Our session will highlight and discuss how both a mental health clinician and district social worker have been able to partner with school sites to increase school attendance and navigate school refusal/truancy. Anticipated take-away will be an understanding of the intersection between mental health and it's impact on school attendance and concrete strategies for partnering with families, students and school sites.

Speakers

Sofi Gomez

District Social Worker, San Mateo-Foster City School District

I am a district social worker for SMFC. I support 10 school sites by providing case management support for families, consultation, facilitating groups and if needed, work with students individually. I have a decade of school social work experience working with both low incident special... Read More →

Iliana Parsons-Barillas

Intersection of Mental Health and School Attendance zip

Friday March 7, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST
Vintner's Court

Host Organization San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District

10:45am PST

Whole-Student Approach: Transforming Education with TIC

Friday March 7, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST

Ballroom

1. Inspire Innovative Thinking: Encourage participants to question traditional methods and explore creative, out-of-the-box strategies for supporting students.

2. Understand TIC: Provide a comprehensive overview of Trauma-Informed Care, including its principles, benefits, and the crucial role it plays in the classroom.

3. Advocate for TIC Certification: Discuss the importance of TIC certification for educators, alongside first aid and CPR, and why it should be a priority in California and beyond.

4. Practical Application: Share actionable strategies for integrating TIC practices into daily routines, creating a safer and more supportive environment for all students.

5. Call to Action: Motivate educators to take the next steps in advocating for and obtaining TIC certification, thereby becoming champions for their students' well-being.

Speakers

Dr. Sita Marie Pillay

Psychologist and Program Developer, Hanna Institute

Sita-Marie K. Pillay, Psy.D. (she/they), is a licensed clinical psychologist and Trauma-Informed Care Program Developer at the Institute, as well as a School Psychologist at Hanna Academy. Dr. Pillay specializes in a person-centered, multi-theoretical approach to therapy, utilizing... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm PST
Ballroom

Host Organization Hanna Institute

12:15pm PST

Lunch

Friday March 7, 2025 12:15pm - 1:15pm PST

Terrace

Friday March 7, 2025 12:15pm - 1:15pm PST
Terrace

1:30pm PST

Building Bridges: Trauma Affected Systems to Post Traumatic Growth

Friday March 7, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST

Employees in community behavioral health and education settings are regularly exposed to traumatic material. Students and clients carry trauma exposure ranging from difficult school transitions, immigration traumas, and intrafamilial violence. This manifests in school and treatment settings in increased mental health struggles and often problematic behaviors including but not limited to violence. Holding space for students and clients amidst their trauma response undoubtedly affects the good people working with them. Witnessing matriculated struggles, managing to keep milieus safe, and witnessing treatment and/or education “failures” can be a heavy weight for professionals to carry. Many training courses in trauma exposure focus on defining compassion fatigue, secondary and vicarious trauma, and exploring elements of self-care. This interactive presentation will focus on building a community of care and developing intention in navigating trauma affected systems to a place of post traumatic growth.

Presentation objectives:
• Understand what makes a trauma affected system
• Understand the difference between sustained trauma exposure in systems and single incident trauma
• Understand how trauma exposure effects professionals in trauma affected systems
• Understand meaning making and post traumatic growth
• Discuss and explore intentional strategies of self-care, and to build communities of care

Speakers

Mark Mautner

Aldea

Katie Stith

Friday March 7, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST
Louis M. Martini

Host Organization Aldea, Inc.

1:30pm PST

Dynamic Mindfulness – Tools for Stress Resilience and Emotion Regulation

Friday March 7, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST

Participants will learn the background of Dynamic Mindfulness (DMind), a research-validated, trauma-informed, movement-based mindfulness practice.
Participants will have the option to join in an experiential practice of Dynamic Mindfulness, which includes moving the body, breathing intentionally and centering the mind.
Participants will learn how DMind builds stress resilience and enhances emotion regulation in themselves and their students.
Participants will learn strategies for how to integrate Dynamic Mindfulness into their workplace, school and classroom settings.
Participants will walk away with a new set of tools to reduce stress in their personal and professional lives.

Speakers

Daniel Duarte

Dynamic Mindfulness Specialist & Program Coordinator, Niroga Institute

Lily Gates-Tilles

Programs & Partnerships Manager, Niroga Institute

Friday March 7, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST
Sutter Home

Host Organization Niroga Institute

1:30pm PST

Guiding Growth: The Art of Providing Clinical Supervision for School-Based Mental Health Staff

Friday March 7, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST

Napa Hall

Quality supervision leads to quality mental health services. Learn best practices for supervising school-based mental health staff who provide tiers II and III services. Gain tips and strategies for supporting staff growth, monitoring service fidelity, and maintaining quality supervision during the busy school year.

Speakers

Gina Karabinis

Coordinator of Mental Health & Wellness, Placer County Office of Education

Gina Karabinis, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Coordinator of Mental Health and Wellness through Placer County Office of Education (PCOE). Her current work includes assisting in the development, expansion, and coordination of mental health supports for PCOE, County... Read More →

Ali Murphy

Mental Health Director, Placer County Office of Education

Ali Murphy, LMFT, is the Director of Mental Health in the Prevention Supports and Services Department at the Placer County Office of Education. Within this role, Ali oversees school-mental health program integration including the implementation of Wellness Centers and school-based... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST
Napa Hall

Host Organization Placer County Office of Education

1:30pm PST

Resilience in School Environments: Understanding and Practice (RISE UP) Recognizing & Regulating Stress Response

Friday March 7, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST

In this workshop, participants will engage in a social emotional arts and theatre-based approach to explore stress and its effect on the body, identify their own stressors, experience different ways to become aware of their stressors, and practice tools and exercises for regulating the nervous system.

• Utilizes theatre and social emotional arts and learning to give adults experiential learning and opportunities to practice regulating themselves and co-regulating others.
• Promotes destigmatizing and understanding stress through theatrical, experiential, and social emotional learning.
• Engages participants in regulation activities and practice teaching these activities to co-regulate young people or adults. All regulatory practices are grounded in science.
• Explores our individual brains and bodies and how they react to stress to become aware of when self-regulation is needed.

This workshop utilizes group drumming for regulation and to build core strengths such as focusing and listening, team building, leadership, expressing feelings, managing anger/stress, empathy, and gratitude. These practices come from the evidence-based Beat the Odds® program.

Speakers

Caretia Silva

Senior Mental Health and Addiction Medicine Consultant, Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente Educational Theatre

Friday March 7, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST
Vintner's Court

Host Organization Kaiser Permanente Educational Theatre

1:30pm PST

Wellness Workshops: Hands-On Mental Health Education Led by Students

Friday March 7, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST

Ballroom

Participants will learn about the importance of the peer-led model, hear from youth mental health advocates, and participate in a variety of wellness activities hosted by students. Participants will also learn about Bring Change to Mind (BC2M) and our resources for our mental health awareness clubs in high schools across the country, including Napa, CA.

Speakers

Divya Bhatia

Program Manager, Bring Change to Mind

Divya Bhatia is a young global health professional passionate about public mental health. She prioritizes community-based engagement to tailor culturally-competent and trauma-informed healing methods to various groups through programming, research, and advocacy. She holds her B.A... Read More →

Jessie Bucci

Northern CA Regional Manager, Bring Change to Mind (BC2M)

Jessie Bucci, M.Ed. Northern CA Regional Manager (BC2M)Jessie graduated with her Master’s Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State University. Her work experience began with children and adults on the Autism spectrum, and she then transitioned into the mental health... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm PST
Ballroom

Host Organization Bring Change to Mind (BC2M)

3:00pm PST

Empowering Student Leaders: Best Practices for Reducing Stigma and Addressing Racial Inequities in School-Based Wellness Programs

Friday March 7, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST

Napa Hall

This 75-minute workshop will provide school-based mental health professionals and administrators with a comprehensive framework for building sustainable wellness programs that actively engage student leadership. Focusing on reducing mental health stigma and addressing racial inequities, this session will offer practical examples and evidence-based strategies to create culturally responsive mental health initiatives in schools. Participants will explore how to address racial trauma, integrate social determinants of health, and create systems that support all students, particularly those from marginalized communities.

By the end of the workshop, participants will:

1. Gain insight into how mental health stigma affects student well-being and understand the importance of student leadership in reducing this stigma.
2. Learn best practices for developing sustainable, student-centered wellness programs that address racial inequities in school-based mental health services.
3. Understand how to address racial trauma in students and incorporate culturally responsive practices into their wellness initiatives.
4. Explore strategies for integrating social determinants of health into wellness programming, expanding services to better support diverse student needs.

Speakers

Krystalynn Williams

Krystal Clear Mind

Friday March 7, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST
Napa Hall

Breakouts

3:00pm PST

Staff Relaxation Zones

Friday March 7, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST

Participants will:
- Walk through the four steps to guide the implementation or improvement of staff relaxation zones at schools or across districts. (1)Set a goal, (2)make a plan, (3)take action, and (4)sustain and evaluate.
- Learn best practices and see examples to inform their plans.
- Receive tips to support equitable access to established relaxation zones.

Core Concept:
Staff Relaxation Zone – a space like a staff lounge or break room that is boundaried and intentionally set up for all staff to relax, decompress and attend to their wellbeing.

Speakers

Kristy Weber

Project Manager, Northern California, Alliance for a Healthier Generation

Kristy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development and a Master of Science in Child, Youth, and Family Studies. Kristy is an advocate for whole child health, committed to enhancing community well-being through relationship building and advocacy for young people and their families... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST
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