PPAL's 14th Annual Children's Mental Health Conference

PPAL's 14th Annual Children's Mental Health Conference

Providing hope for children with mental health needs and their families through education, advocacy, outreach and support.

By Parent/Professional Advocacy League (PPAL)

Date and time

Fri, May 30, 2025 6:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT

Location

Online

Refund Policy

Refunds up to 7 days before event

Agenda

This is the day of the conference agenda.

TO REGISTER, click the orange button on the right and choose your workshops.

9:00 AM

Doors Open

9:15 AM

Youth Performance

9:30 AM

Welcome from PPAL Executive Director

Pam Sager

Parent/Professional Advocacy League (PPAL)

9:40 AM

Welcome from Department of Mental Health (DMH) Commissioner

DMH Commissioner Brooke Doyle

Department of Mental Health (DMH)

Welcome from Department of Youth Services (DYS) Commissioner

Cecely A. Reardon

Department of Youth Services (DYS)

9:45 AM

Keynote Presentation

Hasan Davis, J.D.

Hasan Davis Solutions LLC

Hasan Davis, known as the Hope Dealer, is a lawyer, juvenile justice advocate, and motivational speaker. He is unwavering in his commitment to improving the lives of young people and adults wherever ...

Morning Workshops

See descriptions below. TO REGISTER- click the orange button on the right-hand side of this page.

10:45 AM

1. Suicidality Through a Cultural Lens: Supporting Loved Ones

Vesper Moore (they/them)

Chief Operating Officer, Kiva Centers

When a family member or friend is struggling with thoughts of suicide, cultural beliefs and traditions often shape how support is given and received. This presentation explores how diverse cultural p...

10:45 AM

2. Nuts and Bolts of CRAs

Rebecca Amdemariam, Esq. (she/her/hers)

Catherine A. Madsen, M.A., Esq. (she/her)

Committee for Public Counsel Services

A CRA, or "Child Requiring Assistance," is a case in which parents, guardians, or school officials ask the court to help supervise a child. A CRA means court involvement. CRAs do not offer any other ...

10:45 AM

3. Breaking Barriers: Overcoming Systemic Trauma

Dr. Christian H. Bijoux

Bijoux Consulting Group

Breaking Barriers: Empowering Families & Professionals to Overcome Systemic Trauma: Systemic trauma affects families, professionals, and communities, creating barriers to success and well-being. In t...

10:45 AM

4. Understanding and Responding to Self-Injury in Adolescents and Young Adults

Barent Walsh, Ph.D

Executive Director Emeritus and Senior Clinical Consult

Recent statistics from the Mass. DOE report that 19.7% of high school students (up from 16.4%) and 26.5% of middle school students (up from 16.8%) have reported “injuring self intentionally without w...

10:45 AM

5. Understanding Teen Depression

Rebekah Gibbons, LICSW

Florcy Romero

Families for Depression Awareness

One out of every five teenagers struggles with depression. Depression can interfere with everyday life for teens and can lead to academic failure, substance abuse, bullying or being bullied, eating d...

10:45 AM

6. Derechos en educación especial para estudiantes y familias multilingües

Diana I. Santiago, Esq.

Legal Director, Mass Advocates

6. Derechos en educación especial para estudiantes y familias multilingües e inmigrantes: Con un enfoque en los estudiantes con discapacidades emocionales, este taller describirá las protecciones le...

12:00 PM

Lunch

12:30 PM

Children's Mental Health Awards Ceremony

Afternoon Workshops

See descriptions below. TO REGISTER- click the orange button on the right-hand side of this page.

12:50 PM

7. Gut Health and The Connection to Mental Health

Olivia Nakimera, Functional Medicine Certified Health Co

Liv Wellness Coaching

All health starts in the gut. In this session, learn about how you can be empowered to add health and hope to your everyday, through small shifts in choices we make that affect our gut health, and me...

12:50 PM

8. WhatsOK? Promoting Safe and Healthy Development in Youth Sexual Behaviors

Jenny Coleman, MA, LMHC

Stop It Now!

WhatsOK was developed by Stop It Now! to meet an urgent need for resources to support youth and young adults who have questions about their own concerning sexual behaviors. There are few resources av...

12:50 PM

9. The Five Principles To Better Supporting All Children

Guy Stephens, Founder and Executive Director of AASR

Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint (AASR)

In the name of behavior, many children are chronically misunderstood. These children are more likely to be subjected to punitive and exclusionary discipline, leading to trauma and harm. Traditional s...

12:50 PM

10. Early Psychosis: Symptoms, Identification, and Treatment

Emily Gagen, PhD – Director of M-PATH

Tanya Trevett, M.Ed. – M-PATH Family Consultant

Natalia Nodiff, Young Adult Peer Mentor, M-PATH.

M-PATH Massachusetts Psychosis Access and Triage Hub

Psychosis is commonly misunderstood, and may be more common than you think, given that around 3-5% of individuals will experience psychosis at some point in their lifetime. Psychosis is not a dia...

11. Addressing Anxiety in Children: A Comprehensive Approach

Marsha Charlton, NP, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Pra

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress, but excessive anxiety can lead to a disorder characterized by persistent worry and fear. Anxiety affects approximately 7.1% of children aged 3-17 in the U.S. (...

12:50 PM

12. Comprendiendo La Depresión En Los Adolescentes

Florcy Romero

Jorge Enrique Rivera Peña, Psy D.

Como puedes preguntar si tu adolescente se siente deprimido/a/x? Esta programa es presentado por una professional en la salud mental. Participantes aprenden como reconocer las simptomas de depression...

Closing and Thank You

Pam Sager, PPAL Executive Director

About this event

  • Event lasts 6 hours

Click the orange button to register, submit your contact information, then choose your morning and afternoon workshop!

You will receive the zoom link a week before the conference.

This year's conference promises to be an outstanding event, with our community gathering virtually to recognize the importance of lived experience, award our Children's Mental Health Community Awards, and attend morning and afternoon workshops on a wide variety of topics within Children's Mental Health. Enjoy a day of learning and leave feeling inspired and connected!

Frequently asked questions

How do I register?

Click the orange button on the right-hand side of your screen! It will bring you to an initial registration where you will fill out your contact information. After you submit that, it will bring you to a page where you can select your morning and afternoon workshops!

Tags

Organized by

Parent/Professional Advocacy League (PPAL)
US$0 – US$75