2024 2024 Conference Schedule
You could earn up to 6 CE Credits for this event. WellSpan Philhaven is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists, Pennsylvania Licensed Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Licensed Professional Counselors.
Check-In
Please join us for check-in and networking.
Lee Westgate
Unshakeable Hope in Action: Our Enduring Tradition of Caring
In his work, “September 1, 1939”, poet W.H. Auden began with, “All I have is a voice” and went on to reflect upon the power of that voice in disrupting divisive narratives spun. The divided world that we collectively occupy does not feel far away from the urgency embedded in Auden’s reflection. This divided context has a unique effect on helping professionals across all practice and service spaces – whose collective calling is intrinsically linked to community, beneficence, and connection. This makes it all the more essential helping professionals to reflect upon our expansive tradition of caring and the ways in which that tradition remains both unshakable and a mechanism to enact change during critical moments in human history. This keynote will reflect upon our collective traditions of social and political action and will explore the transformative and essential power of what it means to courageous care in the face of division.
This sessions is eligible for 1.0 CEs.
Stretch Break
Thirty minute break for coffee, stretching, brain breaks.
Ali Mailen Perrotto
Cultivating Resilience in Social Service Professionals
Social change work can take a toll on the change makers. This keynote will review the intersections of oppression and impacts on our communities and our work. Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue can feel unavoidable in our work to create healthier, more equitable communities. Research from the fields of psychology, sociology, and neurobiology can help to arm change makers with the tools they need to meet these challenges head on. Individuals and organizations can employ strategies that promote resilience and reduce the physical, psychological, and emotional impacts of vicarious trauma. This workshop will specifically explore one local organization’s approach to enhancing structural approaches to promoting vicarious resilience in care-workers.
This sessions is eligible for 1.5 CEs.
Choose 1 of 3 morning break-outs.
Melvin Frye, MSW
Trauma Informed Care: Addressing Alternative Narratives of Men and Boys of Color Viewed through the Lens of the Black Cowboy Part 2
The Black Cowboy is a symbol of survival even when being ignored and discredited for their contributions to North America. It is imperative that therapists’ welcome Black males to dream outside of the typical narratives, such as depictions of Black males in the media. Black boys and men should be allowed to dream of the many possibilities of being a man. Black masculinity is not one of a predetermined identity. As such it is a necessity for therapists to nurture and validate masculinities that are outside of the stereotypes that surround Black masculinity. In this follow-up to Trauma Informed Care: Addressing Alternative Narratives of Men and Boys of Color Viewed through the Lens of the Black Cowboy, we will examine the impact of historical trauma on Black males. What does it mean for a Black male to freeze, fight, or flee when faced with obstacles? We will address ways in which Black masculinity can be uplifted to celebrate the accomplishments of Black male existence. The mantra for this session is Black boys and men should be allowed to dream of the many possibilities of being a man.
This sessions is eligible for 1.5 CEs.
Choose 1 of 3 morning break-outs.
Dr. Towahna D. Rhim
Personal Resilience: An Interventional Strategy to Reduce Clinician Burnout
Clinician burnout is a common problem in modern medicine. Depersonalization, a sense of a loss of autonomy, and emotional exhaustion are all contributing factors. Medical burnout has a detrimental effect on a clinician's capacity to deliver exceptional patient care. Poor conduct, mental illness, despair, drug and alcohol addiction, suicidal thoughts, and death by suicide are all signs of clinician burnout. Given the detrimental effects of clinician burnout, it's important to know what preventative measures are readily available to counter this phenomenon. Through the administration of 10 researcher-developed interview questions, this study aimed to investigate personal resilience as an interventional technique to lessen clinician burnout through the lived experiences of clinicians who self-identified as burned out.
This session is eligible for 1.5 CEs.
Choose 1 of 3 morning break-outs.
Lunch and Networking
Dr. Gretchel Hathaway
Understanding the Intersectionality of Our Identities: How Personal Bias Influences Interactions with Clients
As practitioners, we uphold the ethical standards of our professional organization. In addition, we bring to our work our own identities which include cultural and spiritual worldviews, political views, gender, race, etc. The intersectionality of our identities are important aspects of our view of the world, other people and cultures. Our identities influence how we speak to others; how our professional offices are designed; how we hold and lean into conversations- which includes code switching; and how we interact with others especially those who are ‘not like us’. Therefore, as we work with our clients/patients/students our personality, identity and viewpoints may be a welcoming moment for some or an uncomfortable moment for others. This workshop will lean into challenging conversations about how we can be intentional and more aware of the impact of our individual identity, and recognize the intersectionality of our identity that may bring unexpected explicit and implicit bias into our interactions with others.
This sessions is eligible for 1.5 CEs.
Break
Enjoy a fifteen minute brain break.
Bob Reilly
Advocacy 101 - Review and Readiness
An overview of the local political landscape and meaningful strategies for connecting with local legislators.
This session is eligible for 1.5 CEs.
Choose 1 of 3 afternoon break-outs.
Sarah Yanosy
Intersections of Lived Experience and Organizational Trauma
This workshop will explore the concept of “wounds of othering” based on research on racial trauma. The presenter will describe creating cultural safety as a requirement for trauma informed practice. The presenter will frame organizational stress and power dynamics as exacerbating factors to existing experiences of interpersonal trauma and exposure to systems of oppression. Further discussion will include strategies for creating cultural safety using trauma-responsive skills overlayed with the Privilege and Subjugated Task Model developed by Kenneth Hardy.
This session is eligible for 1.5 CEs.
Choose 1 of 3 afternoon break-outs.
Dr. Livingston
Who Is Doing the Caring Matters - Solution-Oriented Discussion About Maternal Health Equality
Provide updated maternal health data related to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Discussion regarding the root causes of health disparities and solutions to them will be examined.
This session is eligible for 1.5 CEs
Choose 1 of 3 afternoon break-outs.