A Year of Resilience

September 29

Session 1

Trauma Lens Paradigm Shift – 4 Questions, 1.5 CEUs

Faye Hall & Jeff Merkert

Jeff and Faye partnered in 2000 and journeyed through mental health together being trained in models such as Theraplay, EMDR, DDP, Love and Logic, Circle of Security, etc. Through strong advocacy and collaboration with Rachel Kuhr at Jewish Family Service of Greater Harrisburg, Faye and Jeff began Healing Hearts: Attachment and trauma resolution family-based program in 2010. In 2019, they created Trauma Intensive Focused Family Support Service at Pa Child.  In 2021, Faye and Jeff became independent consultants for agencies and parents on early trauma and attachment. 

Their book Healing Traumatized Children was published October 2015. They facilitate a monthly support group for foster and adoptive parents in Marietta, Pa. and frequently train parents and professionals in early trauma and attachment disruptions.

FTC & FGDM: Partners in Recovery – 1.5 CEU’s

Carla Clark & Leslie Ward

Carla Clark is currently the FGDM supervisor at the Northumberland County Children and Youth Services. Carla has been employed by Northumberland County Children and Youth Services since May 1991.  Carla has worked in the permanency department as an adoption worker and termination specialist.  She has been the FGDM Supervisor since August 2011.  She currently serves on the FGDM Statewide Leadership Team. Carla graduated from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Welfare.  

Leslie Ward is currently the Director of Social Services over in-home services and Family Treatment Court at Northumberland County Children and Youth Services.  She had been the Family Treatment Court Supervisor from 2018 – 2020.  Prior to that she was in the General Protective Services Unit as a caseworker from 2014 – 2018.  Previous employment included a Drug and Alcohol Counselor at White Deer Run. Leslie graduated from Mansfield University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and in 2019 she graduated from Marywood University with a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Carla Clark is currently the FGDM supervisor at the Northumberland County Children and Youth Services.  

Carla has been employed by Northumberland County Children and Youth Services since May 1991.  Carla has worked in the permanency department as an adoption worker and termination specialist.  She has been the FGDM Supervisor since August 2011.  She currently serves on the FGDM Statewide Leadership Team.  

Carla graduated from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Welfare.  Leslie Ward is currently the Director of Social Services over in-home services and Family Treatment Court at Northumberland County Children and Youth Services. She had been the Family Treatment Court Supervisor from 2018 – 2020.  Prior to that she was in the General Protective Services Unit as a caseworker from 2014 – 2018.  Previous employment included a Drug and Alcohol Counselor at White Deer Run.  

Leslie graduated from Mansfield University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and in 2019 she graduated from Marywood University with a Master’s Degree in Social Work.

Improving Youth Outcomes Through Machine Learning

Shawn Peck

Shawn Peck is Vice President of Adelphoi Innovative Solutions.
Shawn was previously the SPEP™ Project Manager for the Evidence-based Prevention and Intervention Support (EPIS) at Penn State University where he oversaw the statewide implementation of the SPEP™. In this role, he assisted service providers and juvenile probation departments to apply research findings and improve data driven decision making. Prior to EPIS, he spent ten years as a service provider and held various leadership positions. Shawn holds a Master of Public Administration from Penn State University.

What Does the Future Hold for Behavioral Health Services?

Joan Erney

Joan Erney recently retired after over 35 years in the public behavioral health system. Starting her career as a direct services worker in crisis intervention services in Dauphin County, she was most recently the Chief Executive Officer at Community Behavioral Health, Philadelphia’s administrative management organization for the Health Choices behavioral health Medicaid program. During her tenure Philadelphia saw the expansion of Medicaid to over 700,000 Philadelphians. Joan was noted for developing a collaborative approach with providers, members, advocates and system partners to effect positive change to the Philadelphia behavioral health landscape. 

Under her tenure, CBH received National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) full accreditation status and launched numerous successful initiatives to improve access to and the quality of children’s services, including psychiatric residential treatment services. CBH also developed innovative approaches to address the opioid epidemic, support individuals on the Autism spectrum, and redesign day services for persons with serious mental illness.  Pay for Performance, enhanced use and payment for evidenced based practices and the development of value- based payment models were further developed and used to impact the quality of service delivery.   

Prior to her role at CBH, Joan was in senior leadership roles at SAMHSA and Community Care Behavioral Health and was the Deputy Secretary of the Office of Mental Health and Substance Use Services (OMHSAS) under the Rendell administration. In her state role, Joan closed three state hospitals, expanded the HealthChoices behavioral health system statewide; created a criminal justice initiative; saw the development and impact of peer services, created a robust advisory structure, and made numerous policy and program changes to enhance the services for children and their families with behavioral health challenges. Her prior experience also includes policy and legislative work with the PA Community Providers Association (now RCPA) and CEO of Community Behavioral Health Network of PA (now Perform Care). 

Post retirement, Joan has been consulting with PCCYFS to work with providers to expand and enhance behavioral health treatment services.  Joan has also consulted with the Disability Rights Network, is a member of the Spyglass Solutions Team, and currently serves as the VP of the CASA statewide organization. Joan is a graduate of Penn State University and received her JD from Widener School of Law.

Session 2

Best Practices to Avoid Abuse Incidents at a Provider Agency

Lisa Bellis

Ms. Bellis currently serves as the Senior Vice President in charge of Risk Management and Loss Control Services at Brown & Brown of Lehigh Valley.  She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Albright College in Business Administration and will complete her graduate degree from Moravian College in December.  Lisa is also currently pursuing her CPCU (Chartered Property/Casualty Underwriter) designation.  This past July, she was inducted as a Certified Praesidium Guardian, where she launched her idea for the RAAMP it Up™ Abuse Prevention Program as part of her Impact Project.  Lisa has served in the Commercial Property/Casualty insurance industry for over 32 years.  

Equine Assisted Therapy: Building an Innovative Practice

Heather Girvin, Ph.D., M.S.S. 

I am a lifelong horsewoman, academic, and social service professional and Founder of Lone Oak. I work to build community wellness by offering equine-assisted therapeutic and developmental programming.

I am currently an associate professor at Millersville University, earning my Doctorate from Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work & Social Research.  My practice experience centers on children and families, primarily in child protective services and foster care.  I have also worked in residential programs, public child welfare agencies, provided in-home services, and worked as an outpatient therapist. My research interests include trauma, social justice, and alternative interventions that are accessible, individualized, and effective.

Abigail Wilson, LSW, MSW

I am a Licensed Social Worker in Pennsylvania working towards a Doctor of Social Work degree at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. I received my Master of Social Work degree in 2016 with a Specialization in Child Welfare and Child Well-being from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice. Before that I graduated from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania with my Bachelor of Science in Social Work in 2014. I currently work at the Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth and Family Services as the Manager of Children’s Policies and Programs.

Sarah Primak, LCSW, MSW

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Lancaster County.  I have worked with various populations across all age groups to address complex social and mental health needs.  I received my MSW at Millersville University in 2011 and continue to adjunct for their School of Social Work periodically.  While social work is one of my greatest passions, being a mother is what makes me happiest.  My husband and I are currently certified foster parents and continue to work with a local agency to open our hearts and home to children who need it the most.  I believe in the powerful impacts of relationships with horses and am looking forward to sharing these experiences with others.

Katie Linebarger, LPC 

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and received a Master’s in Counseling from Messiah University (formerly Messiah College) in 2018, with an emphasis in School Counseling and Mental Health. I am also a National Certified Counselor (NCC). In the daytime I work as a School Counselor in alternative education. 

I have worked with children in the school setting since 2013 and spent several years as a Behavior Support Specialist for adults with Dual Diagnoses. My experience in the field of mental health has taken me on quite a journey. I have worked with children who are behaviorally and intellectually challenged and adults with an intellectual disability, suffering from various mental health concerns and trauma. I am trained to perform sexuality assessments for those with an intellectual disability and have spent a good portion of my time educating adults on “what makes a healthy relationship” and how to navigate through the day-to-day life in a relationship.

Lindsay Kelly, LSW, MSW

I am an LSW working full-time as a Therapist at a behavioral health hospital in Lebanon County. I earned my MSW from West Chester University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Delaware. My professional experience includes working with children, adolescents, and adults with a trauma-informed approach. I have specialized training in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). I also have several years of experience working with clients of varying levels of functioning on the Autism spectrum. I enjoy spending my free time knitting and crocheting fabric crafts. I enjoy being at the barn to spend time with a community that enjoys the horses and helping others in the community grow and learn.

Engaging Your Community Through Social Media Strategies

Emily Ferguson

Emily Ferguson is a Staffing Specialist with Sarah Reed Children’s Center in Erie, Pa.  She actively recruits candidates and assists in the onboarding and orientation of new hires.  Emily coordinates the employee rewards program and run the social media accounts for the agency.  Utilizing her art background, Emily creatively generates different ways to recruit new talent for Sarah Reed through advertisements, job fairs, and building connections within the Erie community.  She began her career with Sarah Reed Children’s Center as a Clinical Care Staff in the Residential Treatment program.  Emily received her BA in Dance Performance and is currently working toward her Master’s in Organizational Leadership at Mercyhurst University.

9 Transformational Competencies Needed by Today’s Nonprofit Leaders

Dennis Miller

Dennis C. Miller, the Founder and Chairman of DCM Associates, Inc., is a nationally recognized expert in nonprofit leadership executive search, strategic planning and board and leadership performance coaching with more than thirty-five years of experience working with nonprofit board leadership and chief executives across the country. Dennis is also a successful author of five books and over 100 articles. 

Dennis is also an expert in board governance, leadership development, philanthropy and succession planning. In addition, he is a sought-after motivational speaker, retreat facilitator and leadership performance coach. Dennis’ experience working with hundreds of nonprofit organizations has provided him with the knowledge and insights to understand the competencies required of today’s nonprofit leadership. 

Dennis has served in a leadership role on numerous national, state and regional nonprofit boards and business and trade associations. Passionate about leadership and governance, Dennis was the Founder of the Center for Excellence in Leadership, Governance and Philanthropy at Fairleigh Dickinson University and served as their Executive Director from 2012-2016. 

DCM Associates Inc. was founded in 2005 and is one of the most recognized national executive search firms for nonprofit leadership and the Center for Nonprofit Leadership & Board Performance www.dcm-associates.com

Session 3

An Appreciative Approach to Staff Retention

Stacy Taylor

Stacy Mae Taylor is an Ed.D. candidate at Concordia University Chicago. She is also the Vice President of Education at Hoffman Homes for Youth, serving as Director of Hoffman Academy. Her passion and work are focused on organizational leadership and transformation, promoting a work culture of person-centered learning, growth, and collaboration, inclusive of all people. Stacy believes and practices under the code success of a program is dependent on the success of its individual employees. The success of students is dependent on the success of their teachers. Therefore, a strength-based, appreciative approach to leadership will result in successful teachers, successful students, and program growth.

Autism & the Juvenile Justice System: How & Where Supporters Can Intervene

Kate Hooven & Lindy Mishler

Kate Hooven is the Justice System Project Coordinator for ASERT (Autism Services, Education, Resources and Training) where she is using her former background in PA’s Juvenile Justice System, and her passion for advocating for children and adults living with autism, by training probation officers, police officers, attorneys, judges, correctional officers and others employed in the justice system to raise awareness of the impact an autism diagnosis has on those individuals involved in our juvenile and criminal justice systems. Prior to her decision to stay home with her three children, one of whom has an Autism Spectrum Disorder, she was a Juvenile Court Consultant for the Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges Commission, a Home and School Visitor for Central Dauphin School District and a Juvenile Probation Officer for Dauphin County Juvenile Probation.

Lindy Mishler is a Clinical Consultant for the Office of Developmental Programs-Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations where she provides oversight of clinical implementation of service delivery in BSASP programs, provides consultation to providers, assists with mitigation plans to prevent crises, develops and oversees state policy execution and implementation, develops and facilitates trainings across the state, participates and assists with implementation of statewide survey and data analysis.

Measuring What Matters Most: The Power of Business Intelligence

Scott Bachik

Scott Bachik is the CEO of enkompas BI.  Scott has 27+ years of experience in healthcare, with a focus on strategic planning, organizational performance improvement, business intelligence (BI) and decision support systems (DSS). He is an entrepreneur and senior executive with a strong history leading healthcare, IT and consulting businesses. Scott’s robust consulting and IT background creates a focus to drive innovation and enhance information and knowledge sharing to improve overall organizational performance. He has designed and implemented BI and DSS in over 200 healthcare organizations across the U.S. and has been the lead in delivering BI for Behavioral Health and Human Service Providers through the creation of enkompas BI. Scott received his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management from Carnegie Mellon University, and his Master of Administrative Sciences from Johns Hopkins University.

Communicating Trust: A Strategic Approach to Reputation Management

Tracy Pawelski

Tracy combines strategic communications experience with a background in politics and public policy. Clients appreciate Tracy’s approach to problem-solving and coalition-building, her quick read on complex policy issues, and commitment to social responsibility. Her corporate background in media relations, crisis communications, reputation management and community engagement helps clients understand how to move the needle through proven tactics and inspired storytelling. At PPO&S, Tracy leads the agency’s reputation management and crisis communications functions, helping clients identify opportunities to strengthen trusted relationships and prepare for issues that can adversely affect brand loyalty and reputation. 

Tracy is the former vice president for a $26 billion grocery retail leader where she oversaw media relations, crisis communications, reputation management and community engagement. She served under Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge as the director of communications at the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. In that position, she spearheaded interagency and community-based partnerships to promote children’s health insurance coverage, the adoption of children in foster care through SWAN, and worked to reduce the stigma around mental health issues. 

Prior to her tenure in state government, Tracy worked in Government Relations for The Hershey Company. Before returning to her roots in Pennsylvania, Tracy worked in national politics for The White House and U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

September 30

Session 1

Effectiveness of Pre-Adjudicatory Diversion Panels in PA

Joseph I. Abraham, Ed.D

Joseph I. Abraham, Ed.D., is the co-founder and President/CEO of The IMPACT Project, Inc., in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.  IMPACT provides foster care, independent living programs, juvenile court evaluations, Community Justice Panels, Collegiate Mentoring Program, School Justice Panel Program, and counseling services to a variety of clients. The program specializes in working with problem adolescents, most notably, juvenile offenders.

Academically, Dr. Abraham holds a bachelor’s degree from Kutztown University, with a double major in Psychology and Criminal Justice. His master’s and doctorate degrees are from Lehigh University’s Counseling Psychology Department. He also served for ten years, as an adjunct faculty member at Lehigh University, in their graduate school’s Department of Counseling Psychology and their undergraduate Psychology Department. His specialty was coursework in Psychological Testing, Tests and Measurements, and Psychological Statistics.

Courtney Wagaman 

Courtney Wagaman began her career with IMPACT in 2006 after graduating with a Master’s Degree in Psychology from Villanova University.  While she began providing clinical services to clients, she quickly became enamored with the Case Management realm and moving into a supervisory role, eventually taking on the position of Executive Director in 2015. Under her guidance and supervision, Courtney has focused on program development, agency enhancement, and overall quality of service. She helped to mold a Case Management team and service delivery unmatched across the commonwealth in serving adolescents. Her direct supervision of the team has led to multiple county agency executives and judges to commend the services offered by the agency. Ms. Wagaman has also sustained a position as a sough-out member of various state led teams working with the Quality Improvement Initiative, Prudent Parenting Development, Child Welfare Council and multiple PCCYFS workgroups.

Stuck on Resiliency: A Paradigm Shift

Evette Clarke

Evette Clarke earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from Wesleyan University and her master’s in counseling psychology from the University of Baltimore. For the past 22 years, Evette led programs to support the mental and emotional health of children, youth, and families through her work at Progressive Life Center, a non-profit, child-welfare, human services organization.  She provided individual, family, and group counseling for adjudicated youth; managed the Healthy Families Program, a parental skill-building program that maximizes the healthy development of children from birth to age five. She directed the Kinship Care and Family Preservation programs to ensure safety, well-being, and permanency for children at risk of out-of-home placement due to allegations of abuse and/or neglect. She launched the African American Community-Based Bystander Prevention Program, a culturally specific training and education program addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. Evette was selected as a Fellow in Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE), “a nonprofit leadership development organization inspiring and supporting civic leaders to end the injustice of educational inequity.” She is the co-founder of EquityWorksBest, LLC a training and consulting firm supporting organizations in developing equitable practices in human services.

Precision Analytics & Machine Learning to Improve Mental Health

Kristen Gay

Kristen Gay serves as President/CEO of Gemma Services. She has devoted her career to serving children and families, previously at Silver Springs – Martin Luther School prior to its merger with theVillage; the combined organization is known as Gemma Services. After receiving a B.A. in Psychology from Franklin and Marshall College, and an M.Ed. in Psychological Services and a Ph.D. in School, Community and Clinical Child Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, Kristen joined the Silver Springs staff in 1999 and served in various roles throughout the organization, including: Clinical Intern, Foster Family Care Caseworker, Independent Consultant, Performance Improvement and Family Resource Services Director, Development Director, and Vice President. In addition, Kristen has clinical experience in Counseling and School Psychology and has served as an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Pennsylvania. Kristen’s diverse experience working within programs and administration informs her strong and passionate vision for the future of the organization, and the myriad ways through which Gemma Services brings hope and healing to children and families. A proven collaborator and decisive leader, Kristen is honored to lead Gemma Services and its many programs that provide hope, education, and healing for children, youth, and families in our region and beyond.

Peter York

Peter York is Principal at BCT Partners. He has over 20 years of experience as a consultant and researcher in the evaluation and nonprofit fields, as well as a national spokesperson for social impact and impact measurement issues. He has spent the last nine years developing analytic techniques that leverage machine learning algorithms and administrative data to create predictive, prescriptive, and rigorous evaluation (causal) models and tools for social change agents in many fields, including child welfare, juvenile justice, workforce development, adult justice and child mental health. He has published numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and a book on the topics of evaluation, impact measurement, nonprofit capacity building and the use of machine learning to improve program outcomes. He holds a BS in Psychology from Purdue University, a Masters in Social Service Administration from Case Western Reserve University, and has completed all but his dissertation towards a PhD in Social Service Administration.  

Kate Ryan

Kate Ryan is the Director of Special Projects at Gemma Services focusing on supporting the agency in utilizing data, project management, training and clinical support.  Kate is a Clinical Social Worker who received her BS from Drexel University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. Kate has experience in special education, positive behavior support programs, and clinical supports across the continuum of mental health services.  Kate is focused on data driven interventions to improve outcomes.     

How Green is Your Program Resiliency?

Andrea Richardson

Working with people who want to improve the lives of others is some of my most inspired work. As a Human Services Expert for Info-Matrix Corporation and founder of ICPromise, I leverage my 26 years of experience in human services and non-profit management to guide professionals by improving their skills as leaders and utilizing technology to make a difference! Let’s develop solutions together because Teamwork makes the Dreamwork!

Enhancing Provider-County Continuous Quality Improvement Under FFPSA

Kristine Creavey, PhD

Kristine Creavey, PhD, is a Research and Evaluation Specialist at the University of Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center. She assists internal and external stakeholders in utilizing an evidence-informed approach to decision-making. She also assists county and state organizations in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of their data. Kristine served on the PA Council Title IV-E Prevention Services Ad-Hoc Workgroup in an effort to inform the implementation and evaluation of evidence-based programs under the Family Frist Prevention Services Act. She will be serving as the lead program evaluator for Family First evidence-based programs in PA.

Andy Grimm, MSW

Andy Grimm, MSW, is a Quality Improvement Specialist at the University of Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center.  He supports Continuous Quality Improvement efforts across the state including Quality Service Reviews and Child and Family Services Reviews instrumental in gathering case review data to inform and improve child welfare practice.  He has been involved with supporting Pennsylvania in implementing and monitoring a Program Improvement Plan designed to improve outcomes for children, youth, and families served by the child welfare system.  Prior to joining the Child Welfare Resource Center he spent time teaching social work courses, serving as a program director working with transitional aged youth in California, and has had direct practice working with children youth and families in home and community based settings.

Promoting a Team Culture of Resilience

Susan Damico

Susan is a graduate of Bucknell University and received her master’s degree in social service administration from the University of Chicago. Prior to returning to graduate school, Susan worked in Washington, D.C., as a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill. Susan joined the Devereux Early Childhood Initiative after completing her graduate studies in 1996. In her current role, Susan is responsible for managing and coordinating all aspects of the now-named Devereux Center for Resilient Children, including: customer relations, marketing, funding and new resource development. Susan is also responsible for overseeing the development and delivery of DCRC resources electronically via web-based platforms.

2021 Employment Law Compliance Issues & Trends

Rick Hackman, Esq. & Sarah Ivy, Esq.

Rick Hackman, Esq. is Chair of the Labor & Employment Group at Saxton & Stump. He has been representing employer and management in all aspects of labor and employment matters for 25 years.  Rick’s experience includes representation of clients before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, similar state and local agencies, the National Labor Relations Board, the Department of Labor and numerous federal and state courts throughout the country.   He frequently litigates claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. As an employment counselor, Rick advises clients with respect to compliance with federal, state and local employment laws, including the FMLA, OSHA and the FLSA and provides training to employers on all issues related to employment law compliance.  Rick also counsels employers on minimizing risk during both the discipline and termination process, with a focus on being proactive versus reactive. A frequent lecturer, Rick presents to human resource groups and management on workplace investigations, terminations and layoffs, union matters, social media, as well as other employment law related issues.
Rick earned his J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law and his B.S. from the University of Dallas. 

Sarah Ivy, Esq. is a Shareholder at Saxton Stump where she focuses her practice in the areas of employee benefits law, executive compensation and taxation. She has more than 20 years of experience analyzing regulations under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and applying those rules to a range of benefits plans such as qualified retirement (401(k), 403(b), profit-sharing and pension plans), welfare benefits plan, non-qualified deferred compensation plans and equity-based compensation plans.
Sarah advises clients across all industries including both for-profit and non-profit organizations with respect to compliance with complex employee benefits regulations and employee stock ownership plan (ESOPs). Sarah earned her J.D. from The Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University and her B.S. in accounting from Frostburg State University.

Richard S. Calabrese, Jr., Esq., focuses his practice in employee benefits and executive compensation tax, corporate and business law, and is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). In his employee benefits and executive compensation practice, Rick is experienced with developing non-qualified deferred compensation plans, advising on compliance with Section 409A, mitigating qualified plan failures, and assisting with non-profit compensation analysis and review; and in his general business practice, he drafts operating agreements and shareholder (buy-sell) agreements with a focus on minimizing adverse tax consequences. Rick also provides advice regarding corporate and partnership tax planning and applying and interpreting state and federal tax law. He also negotiates and resolves client tax matters with various tax authorities. Rick earned his J.D. and L.L.M. in Taxation from Villanova University, School of Law and his B.S. from the University of Pittsburgh.

Current Adolescent Drug Trends

Matthew Null

After ten years as a science teacher Matthew took his teaching background to help educate the patients at The Caron Foundation. There, Matthew created and taught an original Life Skills Curriculum for the Adolescent and Young Adult Populations. Null then move back to the schools but this time in the form of Drug and Alcohol Certified Prevention Specialist. Working in three different counties Null held the positions of Curriculum Coordinator and Prevention Program Specialist. Matthew has personally thought several evidence based prevention programs and is most proud of getting AA/NA meetings in a high school during school hours. Matthew sits on numerous community and coalition groups and has provided services for many task forces and prevention/recovery organizations. Currently Matthew is the Referral Development Manager for Gaudenzia.

Cybersecurity: Things that Keep You Up at Night

Rex Johnson & Mark Fahnestock

Rex is the Cybersecurity Practice Lead for CAI. He has over 30 years senior level management experience encompassing IT, Cybersecurity, Privacy, Digital Forensics and Analysis, and Enterprise Risk Management.  He has assisted numerous organizations in assessing and reducing their risks leading to improved operations and security maturity. He has provided both technical and advisory services for a variety of industries; to include a cyber risk assessment of a major entertainment and resorts corporation. Prior to joining CAI, he held similar roles with Computer Science Corporation, Deloitte, and Cap Gemini. Rex is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the US Army. He has an MBA from the University of Kansas, graduated from the Command and General Staff college and National Defense University. He won an award for his thesis on “An Executive Approach to Cybersecurity” addressing the security risks with the US supply chain and national infrastructure. He is a frequent speaker on Cybersecurity, and has addressed national and international audiences with Gartner, Secure World, and the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, and others. He carries the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Payment Card Industry Professional (PCIP) certifications.

Mark has delivered projects for more than 25 years.  He has extensive experience in providing strategic solutions for complex projects, including implementing Medicaid Expansion for Pennsylvania, implementing child welfare systems, streamlining home and community-based service definitions, and developing regulatory guidance for program services.  Mark has implemented multiple Project Management Offices in state and federal government.  He delivered work to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Department of Defense, and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency in redefining Project Management methodologies and improving business operations.  He holds B.S. degrees in accounting and information systems and an executive M.B.A. from the Pennsylvania State University.  He has been a certified Project Management Professional for more than 19 years and a certified public accountant (CPA) for the past five years.  He has numerous other certifications, including Six Sigma, ISO, and more than 15 DAWIA certifications with Department of Defense.  Mark works as a public servant with the state and federal governments, focusing on bridging delivery and budget execution.

Competitive Recruiting & Retention Strategies for 2021

Nick Hill & Calyn Brewer

Nick is the Program Director for Bethany Children’s Home where is he passionate about the success of others through coaching supervisors and direct care workers to advance in their roles or supporting the residents to transition to their forever homes within the community. While he has had numerous contributions throughout his 6 years with BCH, Nick’s most impactful contributions have been guiding the organization through key structural improvements, supporting his programs through the pandemic, and nurturing relationships with external stakeholders. Nick earned his Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration through Alvernia University to kickstart his career in the human services field. Additionally, Nick serves as a member of the Program Advisory Committee for the Berks Technical Institute in Reading, PA. Outside of his work and community involvement, Nick enjoys spending time with his son and fiancé who can transform any of his mindset hindrances allowing him to bring his best self to serve the BCH residents.

Calyn is the current Director of Campus Safety for Bethany Children’s Home, where she has dedicated the past four years to culture improvement and growth. During her time with BCH, Calyn has led the Professional Learning & Development department, worked closely with HR on recruiting and the hiring process, and started the new Campus Safety department she currently leads. Calyn has a Chemical Technology A.A.S. and currently is studying Organization Development & Leadership through Saint Joseph’s University. In addition, she serves as the Board Treasurer for the nonprofit organization Project 13th Grade Fund and as a committee member for the Pennsylvania Council of Children Youth & Family Services Membership and Governance Committee. In her spare time, Calyn enjoys hiking with her husband Eric and two dogs, camping, and spending time with family.