Super Sessions
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
9:00 am – 12:30 pm

Advancing Excellence in Residential Transformation: Practice, Policy, and Funding
The growing movement to improve the outcomes of residential interventions/services has generated a host of different responses. This timely super session will highlight work taking place by public and private agencies across the country to improve the outcomes of the children, youth, and families that are touched by residential interventions/services. Participants will hear about the best practices that public and private agencies are using to improve the quality of residential services and how they are funding their efforts. Their challenges and lessons learned will also be shared. A special panel of representatives from the Administration for Children and Families, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will share what their department is doing to support the efforts to improve the outcomes of the children, youth, and families that are touched by residential interventions/services. Session participants will have opportunity to: 1) talk about their funding and policy challenges with the panel representatives; and, 2) what would be helpful for the departments to consider in order for public and private agencies to successfully improve the outcomes of those touched by residential interventions/services. The final part of the session will focus on CWLA’s work regarding the existing policy issues that need to be addressed, the proposed legislation that will potentially impact, and recommendations from participants for moving forward.
Presenters: Julie Collins, CWLA, Washington, DC and Kari Sisson, American Association of Children’s Residential Centers. Milwaukee, WI

Emerging and Promising Practices for Addressing the Unique Needs of Immigrant Children and Families
As the population of children in immigrant families increases in the United States, child welfare agencies will need to develop strategies that respond to their unique needs. This supersession, presented in partnership with The Center on Immigration and Child Welfare (formerly the Migration and Child Welfare National Network), will provide promising strategies being implemented by child welfare agencies to address these needs and facilitate positive outcomes for children in immigrant families. Strategies will focus on engaging immigrant families and addressing unique barriers that may impact service delivery to promote safety and well-being. Specific strategies for fostering participation of detained and deported parents will also be addressed, as well as implications of recent immigration actions including the Parental Interests Directive.
Presenters: Alan J. Dettlaff and Lyn Morland, Center on Immigration and Child Welfare, Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL; and Christina Richie Cooper and Scott Trowbridge, American Bar Association, Center on Children and the Law, Washington, DC

Engaging Fathers in the Child Welfare and Related Child & Family Systems
This Super Session will include an overview of the history of the fatherhood movement and how it intersects with child welfare, information about the role that fathers play in advancing child well-being, and an opportunity to discuss the policy and practice challenges that child welfare and related fields experience in engaging fathers. The session will feature individuals who have worked on this issue at the national level and a panel of individuals from organizations that have active community-based father engagement efforts.
Presenters: Rufus Sylvester Lynch, Bryn Mawr College, Philadelphia, PA; Teresa Thompson, Catholic Community Services, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, PA; Kerry Krieger, Delta Community Supports, Glenside, PA; Jeffrey Shears, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC; Kirk E. Harris, Fathers, Families and Healthy Communities, Chicago, IL; Alan-Michael Graves, Children’s Institute, Inc., Los Angeles, CA; Raul E. Monfort, Congreso De Latinos Unidos, Inc., Philadelphia, PA; and Judith Knittel, Contra Costa County Children and Family Services, Pleasant Hill, CA

Supporting Youth in Moving Toward Permanent, Productive Futures
It has been recognized that too many youth involved in the child welfare system transition to independence and adulthood without command of the life skills, adequate supports, and preparation for challenges faced by young adults. This Super Session focuses on programs and strategies to assure that youth have what they need to achieve educational and employment success, secure and maintain stable and adequate housing, build effective financial literacy, and develop self-advocacy skills. The session provides an opportunity to hear and learn about effective program designs, collaborative strategies within and across organizations, and approaches specifically designed to engage and create opportunities for youth confidence, competency, and development.
Presenter(s): Paige Fern Chan, Alliance for Children’s Rights, Los Angeles, CA; Peter Samuelson, First Star, Los Angeles, CA; Victoria Mahand, One Circle Foundation, San Rafael, CA; Jessica Trombetta, New Jersey Department of Children and Families, Trenton, NJ; Leigh Mahoney, RKF Children’s Action Corps, Boston, MA; Jesica Maxwell, The Children’s Aid Society, New York, NY; Kathleen Savino, The Connection, Inc., Hartford, CT; Tara Linh Leaman, Westchester County Department of Social Services, White Plains, NY; and Desmond Brown, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Washington, DC