This Conference is designed to provide training, guidance, knowledge, and resources for kinship providers, foster parents, adoptive parents, social workers, clinicians, adoption workers, CASA volunteers, judges, attorneys, educators, and other child & family advocates so they can be better prepared to handle complex issues as families open their hearts and homes to children.
If you do not plan on paying with a credit card, please print off the registration form (page 10 of the conference brochure) below and mail your completed form to Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine, Inc. 34 Main St. Orono, ME 04473. To register online with a credit or debit card click the registration button on the right side of the screen. If you have any questions about registering for the conference, please contact Travis or Cindy at 1-800-833-9786 or e-mail travis@affm.net or cindy@affm.net. Thank you, and AFFM looks forward to seeing you at this year's conference.
20th Annual Spring Conference Brochure
Registration fees
Adoptive/Foster/Kinship Provider Closed
Sign up as a couple and add another particapent to receive a $5 discount
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$70.00Feb 23 - Apr 19
Professional Closed
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$85.00Feb 23 - Apr 19
Key Note Speaker
Dr. Huey has been working with troubled youth since 1994. He started his career in the helping professions as a therapist in community mental health. He then spent time in private practice where he did custody evaluations and provided expert witness testimony for courts in Indiana. Upon graduating from Purdue with his Ph.D., Dr. Huey worked as a therapist, Clinical Director, and Business Development Director in residential treatment. This changed the course of his career. Being adopted himself, Dr. Huey was always drawn to the large population of other adoptees in residential treatment. He ultimately became convinced that this population needed specialty care and in November of 2006, Dr. Huey founded Calo. Calo grew to a 200 plus employee organization with about the same numbers of teen clients served each year. He sold Calo and retired in June of 2015. He came out of retirement in 2017 and founded Kokua Recovery, residential drug and alcohol treatment headquartered in the Boulder, Colorado area. Dr. Huey presents at conferences around the country on issues of trauma, parenting, recovery, and residential care. He served on the boards of the Attachment and Trauma Network (ATN), the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP), and the Association for Treatment of Trauma in the Attachment of Children (ATTACh). He and his wife, Jo, live in Linn Creek, Missouri, and are the parents of 6 children. They recently welcomed their first grandchild into the family.
Donna Butts has been the Executive Director of Generations United (GU) since 1997. Previously she served in leadership positions at several youths serving organizations including the YWCA, National 4-H Council, and Covenant House. An internationally known speaker, author, and advocate, Butts frequently addresses intergenerational connections, grandparents raising grandchildren and policies effective across the lifespan. She has served on four United Nations expert panels. Butts is a graduate of Stanford University’s Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders, and she was recognized in 2012, 2013 and 2014 by The Nonprofit Times as one of the Top 50 most powerful and influential nonprofit executives in the nation.
Workshop Information
Friday, April 21st Morning Workshops (10:10 am— 12:10 pm)
A. Trauma Informed Addiction Treatment: Healing the Soul, Not Just the Behavior
Presented by Dr. Ken Huey
The roots of addiction are not found in genes but the childhood environment. Developmental trauma and its impact on relationships and relationship formation drive later addictive behavior. This presentation will consider how trauma creates fertile ground for later addiction. It will then provide a trauma-informed template for healing the soul of an addict, creating change from the inside out
B. Allegation Prevention Protocol
Presented by Bette Hoxie
This workshop will assist families in asking "the right questions" before placement, provide helpful hints on what and when to document events, provide creative ways to prioritize and reduce conflicts between adults and children, provide a basic understanding of confidentiality rules, and the respecting and valuing of privacy.
C. Meeting the Health Care Needs of Maine’s Children in Care
Presented by Adriane Carmack
Initial presentation by Dr. Adrienne Carmack, MD on the health care needs of children in out of home placements, including foster care and kinship placements will be followed by panel discussion. The Panel will consist of medical and mental health providers familiar with caring for children in foster care, as well as representatives from the Office of Child and Family Services. The panel will discuss statewide initiatives to meet the health care needs of children in foster care in Maine. Time will be allowed for case presentations, questions, and discussion.
Friday, April 21st Afternoon Workshops (2:00 pm— 4:00 pm)
D. Retirement Vs. Raising Grandchildren: Opiates and Options
Presented by Donna Butts & The Kinship Panel
This workshop will provide a state and national perspective about the increase in kinship care (indicatively due to the increased use of opiates). The panel will consist of kinship family advocates, a kinship parent, and a lawyer versed in kinship legal issues. The panel will share their life experiences and provide information as to what worked well for them. During this training, participants will receive guidance and resources on how to approach some of the most difficult situations experienced by kinship families.
E. "Can You Hear Us Now?'
Presented by the Youth Leadership Advisory Team
"In this workshop, we will practice strategies and activities that can help caring adults engage youth in planning and preparing for meetings and decisions about their lives while building a personal connection with the young person. This workshop was developed with OCFS staff and youth in care and has been delivered to caseworkers across the state. This session will be facilitated in partnership with youth in care."
F. Successfully Working with Birth Families
Presented by Cindy Downey
After completing this training participants will be able to: Identify how perception can have negative and positive impacts on relationships with birth parents; List 4 Types of permanence in foster care and the impact on the child ; Discuss the importance of communication in the foster parent/birth parent relationship; Identify how Fostering Triangles impact communication within the foster/adoptive system; Identify ways to build and maintain relationships with birth parents.
Saturday, April 22nd Morning Work Shops (10:00 am—12:00 pm)
G. Trauma & Substance Use, Abuse, and Addiction
Presented by Cindy Downey
After completing this training, participants will be able to: Identify how trauma experiences can impact drug and alcohol use in teens; Identify risk factors for substance abuse; List protective factors against substance abuse; Discuss treatment for substance abuse and addiction.
H. Parents, Kids, and Dating Abuse
Presented by The Hope & Justice Project
This workshop will focus on teen dating abuse. You will learn how to recognize it, reject it and respond to it through a very interactive setting that will include a 16 Person Skit and a demonstration of “Where Do We Stand.” Concluding with a conversation that looks at victims, their circle of support and safety planning techniques for all those affected.
I. Pre-placement Planning; Communicating what’s best for your family
Presented by Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine, Inc.
This training will help participants know and understand the questions to ask before, during, and after a child moves into their home. Participants will gain skills and strategies that families can use to increase their success with transitions. AFFM will share a variety of supports that can be provided to the family when a child transitions into care.
Saturday, April 22nd Afternoon Work Shops (1:20 pm— 3:20 pm)
J. Sensory Integration
Presented by Ryan & Bethany Whitehouse
Sensory Integration is the body's process of taking in and organizing information from the environment to create an effective response. Kids with sensory integration dysfunction can't do this for some reasons. Learn to recognize the signs of modulation disorders, as well as the types of sensory defensiveness (auditory, visual, etc.) and how to make real life change in a kid's life and ability to learn
K. Transitions to Permanency
Presented By Barbara Ford
In this workshop participants will gain usable tools for making transitions as smooth and healthy as possible for everyone involved. These transition tools include dealing with the emotional aspects for Resource Parents of saying good-bye to children they have cared for, decision making in permanency planning, and tips for an ongoing relationship. This workshop is valuable for child welfare staff, as well as resource parents to explore and appreciate the roles of each person involved in the transition.
L. “There are No Strings on Me”; Building Bonds and Bridging Gaps for Healthy Attachments
Presented by Natalie Plourde
Embark on a journey with LCSW, Natali Plourde as she explores, through the life of Pinocchio, the trials and triumphs of severed attachment strings and remapped connections. Answers to questions like, what is an attachment and what happens when an attachment is interrupted, how do we know we need help, is there hope after you hear “attachment disorder” and how do I care for me while caring for them are the core elements of this engaging workshop. Whether the child in your care is yours for a season or a lifetime, whether it is you alone or an entire team, equip your child with the tools necessary to create and form healthy connections wherever their paths may take them.
Award Nominations
Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine would like to recognize the hard work, dedication, and collaboration child welfare workers and families exhibit across the state by honoring the individuals who go above and beyond for their efforts to include all team members in a determination to help provide a safe and permanent home for children. The Categories in which AFFM will be honoring are:
- Kinship Advocate of The Year
- Child Protective Social Worker of The Year
- Permanency Social Worker of The Year
- Adoption Social Worker of The Year
- Licensing Worker of The Year
- Program Administrator/Assistant PA of The Year
- Private Agency Worker of The Year
- Guardian Ad litem of The Year
- Champions of Fostering Maine's Future Award
- Child Welfare Advocate of The Year
- Community Partner of The Year
Event schedule
- Fri, April 21, 2017 7:30 AM - Registration
- Fri, April 21, 2017 8:30 AM - Keynote
- Fri, April 21, 2017 10:10 AM - Morning Breakout Sessions
- Fri, April 21, 2017 12:30 PM - Lunch
- Fri, April 21, 2017 2:00 PM - Afternoon Breakout Sessions
- Fri, April 21, 2017 4:00 PM - If you are only attending on Friday Please pick up your certificate
- Sat, April 22, 2017 8:00 AM - Day 2 doors open
- Sat, April 22, 2017 8:30 AM - Anouncements
- Sat, April 22, 2017 10:00 AM - Day 2 Morning Breakout Sessions
- Sat, April 22, 2017 12:15 PM - Day 2 Lunch
- Sat, April 22, 2017 1:20 PM - Day 2 Afternoon Breakout Sessions
- Sat, April 22, 2017 3:20 PM - Pick up certificates
Contact information
- Event contact
- Cindy Lilley or Travis Bryant
- travis@affm.net
- Phone
- +1 800-833-9786
- Website
- Visit website