2025 Conference Registration

(Bobbie Legg, PhD, LCSW - Faculty Associate, Graduate School of Social Work)

This workshop will provide hands-on, evidence-based interventions using therapeutic writing to help youth safely express difficult and complex emotions. Learn applicable skills to use therapeutic writing as a one time brief therapy intervention, as a tool for mediation and conflict resolution, and as an on-going emotional well-being tool for individuals. Participants will learn to create and lead on-going therapeutic writing groups that can offer school wide support for students.

(Reagan North, Ph.D., Assistant professor, Liberty University)

How often does it seem like you are more committed to positive changes for your students than they are? Do you often work with students to create a detailed plan for change only to find that they didn’t follow through? Before students can increase grades, build healthy relationships, improve attendance, or pursue career plans in earnest, they have to be deeply motivated. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based counseling style that taps into students’ own motivation to make positive changes in their lives. Learn practical techniques to help students change their future trajectory for the better. In short, learn to motivate!

(Karina Haholy & Kaylene Ashbridge, School Bereavement Liaisons)

Grief is a complex process that impacts students emotionally, socially, and academically, yet it often goes unrecognized within school settings. This presentation explores the critical need for school personnel to recognize signs of grief and to respond effectively. Utilizing a Tier-1 approach, this framework offers practical tools and resources to create a supportive environment. Learn how to foster a culture that acknowledges grief, encourages resilience, and promotes mental well-being for all students.

Elizabeth Lightfoot, PhD- Distinguished Professor of Social Policy and Director, ASU School of Social Work)

This interactive session will provide an overview on supporting parents with all types of disabilities in school settings. Attendees will learn about the history and modern treatment of parents with disabilities. We will learn about best practices, current policies, resources, research on outcomes for children of parents with disabilities, and more. This session, appropriate for new or seasoned social workers, will draw on the growing international research and advocacy efforts related to supporting parents with disabilities.

(Elaine Mollindo, Professional Learning Specialist & Sophia Begody- Professional Learning Coordinator - ADE Office of Indian Education)

Research suggests that promoting positive identity development can make a large impact on a student's sense of belonging and academic success. In many Indigenous communities one's sense of self relates back to the family, group, and land. This workshop will provide participants the opportunity to reflect on the history of Indian education and consider its effects on the contemporary Native American student. Participants will explore research based, culturally responsive strategies that support Native American students’ sense of self and are good for all students.

(Sarah Grado, Chief Programs Officer & Elena Zavalza, Program Director, notMYkid, Inc.)

In today's world, teens face more challenges than ever, especially when it comes to substance use. To truly support them, we need to meet them where they are—no cap. This session will dive into the latest drug trends impacting youth, from vaping to fentanyl, and offer straightforward solutions for early intervention and prevention. The presenters, both experienced professionals working closely with teens and families, will share real-world examples that schools and social workers can apply immediately.

(Dr. Tim Grivois, Executive Director, TGS Educational Consulting)

This workshop will equip social workers with practical, research-based strategies to effectively support students with ADHD, even in the absence of formal diagnoses. You’ll learn how to help schools create inclusive environments where students with ADHD can thrive. Additionally, we will explore how unaddressed ADHD symptoms can contribute to teacher burnout and compassion fatigue, making it essential to provide classroom-possible solutions.

(Bryan Harris, Ed.D.- Associate Professor of Education, Arizona Christian University)

Stress is rampant among educators (Gallup, 2014). When stress levels are high (and not managed well), the results are devastating: high levels of turnover, burnout, increased absenteeism, and low levels of student achievement (Hechinger Report, 2019). In order to address the inherent stressors of the job, school-based staff need a specific set of research-based coping mechanisms and strategies. This session will provide strategies relevant for all levels of educators: social workers, leaders, teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents.

(Shauntia' D. White, LMSW, MS- Co founder & Ashley Blanchard, B.S.W., M.S.W,- YSocialWork, Inc. Rachel Jurkowski, Viva Peru, Carlos Casanova , Ph.D., Arizona State University, Carol Velandia, MSW, MBA, CHI, PMP, CEO, Equal Language Access, LLC)

This workshop focuses on empowering Latinx youth in AZ through culturally relevant, community-based programs. Arizona's Latinx youth comprise nearly 45% of the state’s public school students, yet these young people face educational disparities and limited access to culturally tailored support. Building on Casanova’s research, which highlights the critical consciousness and identity development fostered through participation in cultural and advocacy-focused programs, this workshop will equip participants with strategies to address these gaps.

(Angie Burleson, Executive Director -AZ ACEs Consortium)

Participants gain in-depth information on the value and importance of shifting to a strengths-based approach when working with people who have experienced trauma. We will explore the factors needed to create felt safety, address the difference between “being safe” and “feeling safe,” and help supportive adults understand that felt safety addresses physical, social, emotional, and psychological elements in the environment. Participants will learn how to build resilience as a protective factor to help mitigate the negative outcomes of toxic stress and trauma.

(Cami Taylor LCSW, PXU Lead Social Worker - Phoenix Union High School District. Dawn Baumgartner, LCSW, Coordinator of Social Services & Wellness, Phoenix Elementary School District)

This interactive session will introduce an innovative approach to defining, developing, and supporting the clinical practice of school-based Social Work through effective clinical supervision. Participants will gain helpful tips for explaining why licensure matters, learn specific strategies to introduce and implement clinical practice and supervision for School Social Workers. Participants will learn strategies to navigate the challenges and specific requirements of clinical practice and supervision in a school or other non-traditional setting following the AzBBHE guidelines.

(Zoe Reep, LMSW, PhD Student, Arizona State University School of Social Work)

This workshop will be a combination of lecture and break out activities. The lecture will cover the benefits of using experiential education methods to reach the intended population, the core components of experiential education, and how to implement this method with both individuals and groups in a school setting. The presentation will include numerous opportunities to become acquainted with the benefits of experiential education through interactive work; serving as models for practitioners to implement in their own settings.