We are excited to announce the Parent/Professional Advocacy League (PPAL) will hold its 4th Annual Conference and Celebration for Families and Professionals on May 30, 2014 at the Best Western Royal Plaza & Trade Center, Marlborough, MA from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This year promises to be an outstanding event, gathering more than 500 attendees with a comprehensive agenda, including: workshops, speakers and a large and diverse Exhibition Hall filled with organizations and companies serving the children’s mental health communities.

We are also proud to present our Third Youth/Young Adult Conference Track, giving young people aged 16-25 the opportunity to develop their skills as leaders and advocates.

Our conference will feature amazing speakers with compelling personal stories. Our Keynote Speaker is Liza Long, author of the essay I Am Adam Lanza's Mother and a speaker at the TEDx San Antonio in 2013.  Our Featured Speaker, Jordan Burnham, is a mental health advocate whose compelling story has been featured on Good Morning America, CNN and People magazine.

 Title Sponsor

Keynote Speaker
                                     

Liza Long

Liza Long, aka, the Anarchist Soccer Mom, is a writer, educator, mental health advocate and mother of four amazing children, one of whom has a serious mental illness. She is the author of the essay, I Am Adam Lanza's Mother.

Liza, who earned a masters degree in Classics from UCLA, is a writer and editor. Her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, USA Today, Time,com and Boise State University's online journal, The Blue Review.  She was a speaker at TEDx San Antonio in 2013. She blogs at www.anarchistsoccermom.blogspot.com and you can follow her on Twitter at @anarchistsoccermom.

Her book, "The Price of Silence: A Mom's Perspective on Mental Illness" will be released by Hudson Street Press in August 2014.  Liza encourages everyone to speak up for kids and to help us end the stigma of mental illness/

Featured Speaker

J. Denee' Sergent 

J. Daneé Sergeant is a courageous and focused individual. She is a survivor of trauma, homelessness, and polysubstance abuse disorder who lives with bipolar disorder. Since getting the help she needed and deserved, Daneé has been empowering others to speak up, embrace who they are, and seek the help they need so that they can survive and thrive in college and beyond.

A graduate of Southern University at New Orleans, Daneé is currently a graduate student at the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service. She serves as a peer specialist at Rainbow Heights Club, an organization that provides advocacy and support to LGBT-identified mental health consumers, and she volunteers at a women’s shelter. Daneé is also a talented spoken word artist who enjoys sharing her feelings safely within audiences of her peers.

Workshops

Workshop 1.  Meeting the Behavioral Health Needs of Multi-Cultural Populations

 Presenter: Courtney Grey, Director Trauma Response and Recovery 

This workshop will explore the behavioral health risks to individuals, families, schools, and communities impacted by various forms of violence such as: homicide, suicide, accidents, and disasters such as the Boston Marathon incident. It will cover the innovative approaches that overcome issues like stigma and navigate affected individuals to needed services. 

Workshop 2.  Core Principles of Early Childhood Development

This presentation will explore physical, cognitive, and social emotional early childhood and      why responsive relationships and nurturing environments are necessary for optimal development. What are developmental milestones and how do you talk to parents about difficult issues. Participants will discuss strategies and resources to build adult capacity to support early childhood development.  

Workshop 3. Accepting the Challenge:  Best Practices for Students with Anxiety

Presenter:  Jessica Minahan, M.Ed., BCBA   

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that one in four 13-18 year olds has had an anxiety disorder in their lifetime.  Without intervention, these children are at risk for poor performance,  diminished learning and social/behavior problems in school.  Understanding the role anxiety plays in a student's behavior is crucial and using preventative strategies are key to successful intervention.  Effective behavior plans for these students must avoid the reward and punishment-based consequences from traditional behavior plans and focus instead on the sue of preventative stratgtis and on explicitly teaching coping skills, self-monitoring and alternative responses.  Easy to implement preventive tools, strategies and interventions for reducing anxiety, increasing self-regulation, executive functioning and self-monitoring will be discussed.

Workshop 4. The Power of Choice, Raising Confident & Resilient Youth

Presenter:  Judy Giovangelo

 Through this inspirational presentation and Judy’s story of life and loss, you will learn:

• The Power of Choice
• How to identify & embrace the inner bully/critic
• The Power of Intention in Action
• How to shift from competition (bully) to collaboration & contribution
• Tools to Reduce Stress and Increase Self Esteem & Confidence
• Positive Channels for Emotional Expression

Workshop 5.  "Keep it Frontal.  Don't Go Limbic"

Presenter:  Kimberly Fisher, Joseph Shrand, MD

Adolescent substance abuse is the number one public health problem in the U.S.  What is the real root of teenage addiction?  It all starts with the developing brain, one where impulses and feelings outweigh thinking things through.  "Keep it Frontal. Dont' go Limbic" provides an appoach to care for the addicted adolescent that is easy to apply at home, school and in the community.  Resources and access to care are presented.

Youth Track

PPAL and Youth MOVE Massachusetts would like to invite you to attend our Youth Track for youth/young adults in the age range of 16-25 yrs old. We are offering a unique and amazing opportunity to youth to gain friendships, professional development, and skills with their peers.  Youth MOVE Massachusetts believes in the peer to peer model of learning and development.

To register for the conference youth track, click here:

Youth track information is located here: 

Scholarships

Scholarships are available on a sliding scale fee.  Call 508-767-9725 for more information.

To download or print out registration, exhibit, sponsor or youth track forms go to here

Register Now!