Sessions, Events and Networking Opportunities
Plan your day with the PCCYFS 2026 Conference Schedule, including Networking Events.
Networking Events
Networking
7pm – 9pm
Tuesday Evening – Trivia Night
Hotel Restaurant
One of your favorite networking events is returning this year! On Tuesday evening (4/7/26), early arrivals may join PCCYFS staff and other attendees at the hotel bar/restaurant for Tuesday Trivia Night.
PCCYFS will host trivia from 7 to 9 pm and award cash prizes. Play individually, as your own group, or partner with PCCYFS staff or others. It’s sure to be a good time!
Networking
6:30pm – 10pm
Wednesday Evening – Don’t Miss Comedian Robert Mac!!
Heritage Room
New for 2026!! On Wednesday evening, PCCYFS will host comedian Robert Mac. Conference attendees can watch the show for free!
Robert Mac was the grand-prize winner of Comedy Central’s national stand-up competition and has appeared on Last Comic Standing, The Learning Channel, Comedy Central, and many other shows. He’s performed at the prestigious Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, the San Francisco Comedy Competition, and the Boston Comedy Festival, to name a few.
Learn more about Robert Mac HERE.
This networking activity will occur Wednesday evening, and is sponsored by George Junior Republic.
You can also enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres, a variety of desserts, and enjoy drinks in our privately reserved bar area.
Conference Schedule
Wednesday, April 8
7:30-9
Registration & Hot Breakfast
7:30-5
Exhibit Booths Open
8:45-9
Welcoming Remarks
9-10
Keynote: Annie Meehan
Main Ballroom
Annie Meehan is a professional keynote speaker, author, and transformational coach who inspires, educates, and activates her audiences with a clear and compelling message: Be the Exception. With a warm and dynamic presence, she helps people break free from counterproductive habits, rise above the status quo, and live more meaningful, impactful lives—both personally and professionally.
A widely embraced international speaker, Annie has delivered powerful keynotes to corporations, associations, and nonprofits across the globe. Known for her signature blend of authenticity, humor, and actionable insights, she empowers teams to embrace change, eliminate long-held excuses, and leverage the power of words to unlock personal and organizational excellence.
Learn more HERE.
10-10:30
Break, Please Visit Our Exhibitor Booths
Session 1
10:30-12
Spreading HOPE: An Introduction to Positive Childhood Experiences
Speakers: Rijelle Kraft (1.5 CEUs Available)
Room Location TBD
We build HOPE when we promote access to key Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) that support children to grow into resilient adults and can mitigate the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Join this workshop to review research about the impact of PCEs and learn about the development of the HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) Framework developed by the HOPE National Resource Center at Tufts Medical Center. We will identify ways to prioritize equitable access to the Four Building Blocks of HOPE: Relationships, Environments, Engagement, and Emotional Growth. Leave with a renewed sense of HOPE and resources you can use in your work to support families.
Beyond Services: What Actually Changes Outcomes in Complex Cases
Speaker: Lukas Carothers (1.5 CEUs Available)
Room Location TBD
This session equips juvenile justice, education and human services staff with practical tools to manage the most complex, high-risk family cases. Rather than adding more services, we focus on understanding why cases get stuck, how trauma blocks engagement, and how system dynamics—not just family factors—drive crisis patterns.
Participants will learn how to step back and view a case as a full system, identify where responsibility and pressure truly sit across home, school, courts, and providers, and use clear, non-escalating strategies for caregiver resistance. The session offers guidance for stabilizing struggling placements, recognizing early warning signs before breakdowns, and making hard ethical decisions under competing pressures.
Workers will leave with simple frameworks, language, and decision tools they can use immediately to support families, reduce unnecessary moves, and stay grounded in this work without burning out.
Developing, Maintaining, and Promoting Your Program
Speaker: Jen Capitani, William Browning
Room Location TBD
Attendees will learn how to work with counties to develop, monitor, and measure their program outcomes; and how to justify their expenses adequately to help defend the county investment.
Learning objectives include developing service program descriptions designed to meet child welfare needs, identifying and measuring outcomes connected to child safety, well-being, and permanency, how to identify obstacles and pivot and align with agency-specific outcomes, justifying the expenses you need to deliver services to secure funding, and using outcomes to promote your service to county Children & Youth and Juvenile Probation Services.
12-1
Lunch – Networking Opportunity!!
Session 2
1-2:30
Trauma Tsunami: Building a Life Raft With Your Team
Speakers: Mandy Anderson, Carmen Naugle (1.5 CEUs Available)
Room Location TBD
We know that the trauma tsunami is on its way. We see it every day in the interactions of our staff with each other, their clients, and us as supervisors. More and more people are entering the work force with their own trauma experiences. This workshop will help dive into the six trauma informed principles, engage in group discussion about ways to integrate these principles into staff wellness plans, create plans with staff to address their needs, and utilize these tools in supervision as a means of staff support.
Helping CEO’s Manage for Success – A Roundtable Facilitation
Speaker: David Maola, Jessica Schidlow
Room Location TBD
THIS SESSION IS INTENDED FOR TOP EXECUTIVES AT PROVIDER AGENCIES ONLY
(CEO, President, Executive Director, etc…)
This session will be a facilitated roundtable covering many issues faced daily by CEOs of agencies across the Commonwealth including: Preparing for External Reviews and Audits, Documentation as a Legal Risk Tool, The Gap Between Written Policy and Practice, Organizational Blind Spots in Abuse Prevention, When Allegations Involve Staff or Affiliates, and Prevention Beyond Policy: What Actually Reduces Risk?
Ethical Allocation of Resources: Who Gets the Resources, Who Does Not?
Speakers: June Fisher (1.5 ETHICS CEUs Available)
Room Location TBD
Do no harm, support and assist, it is why we do what we do. Yet we do not have all the resources we need. We must make ethical decisions and policy that DO NO HARM. Attend this interactive workshop to learn and share with your colleagues the challenges of allocating resources equitably when resources are limited.
Challenging subjects will be discussed including: Who is placed in the most skilled resource home? How do we assign treatment providers? Do we allocate resources to salary and benefits or client services?
This session is eligible for ETHICS CEU’s.
2–3
Exhibitor Networking Ice Cream Social
Session 3
3-4:30
Medical Marijuana in the Workplace: Navigating Compliance, Safety and Employee Rights in Pennsylvania
Speaker: Laura Bailey Gallagher
Room Location TBD
Medical marijuana continues to create uncertainty for employers, particularly in highly regulated environments serving vulnerable populations. Employers must navigate conflicting legal requirements, state licensing rules, and safety obligations. This session will explore how organizations can create compliant policies, manage employee use, and minimize risk from a licensing and liability perspective.
The Crisis Access Link Model (CALM) Approach: Essentials of Placement Stability
Speakers: Christine Nichols, Elizabeth Pinckney (1.5 CEUs Available)
Room Location TBD
This presentation will equip participants with the knowledge, strategies, and practical tools to support placement stability of youth receiving foster care services. Through exploring the implementation of the Crisis Access Link Model (CALM) in Philadelphia, participants will learn more about the positive impact of rapid engagement, how to individualize targeted supports that stabilize resource and kinship homes, create Stability Plans to address emotional and psychological safety for youth and caregivers, connect them to essential services, and prevent both escalation to higher levels of care and further placement disruptions.
Participants will gain actionable strategies to implement stability interventions, enhance cross-system communication, establish shared goals, and foster integrated service delivery, ultimately supporting stable placements and positive outcomes for children and families.
When the Work Hits Home: Navigating Health Challenges in our Loved Ones as Human Services Providers
Speakers: Joseph Birli (1.5 CEUs Available)
Room Location TBD
This educational session will review, discuss, and consider the impact on members of the provider team when coping with an individual managing and/or coping with a mental health diagnosis (or undiagnosed) within their family/friend circle.
Can providers help their own family members? How can a provider best care for a significant other, child, sibling or parent struggling with mental illness and a mental health diagnosis? The presenter will share an educational case study of an experience related to a spousal mental health diagnosis. A review of the challenges in obtaining mental health services for family members or for the provider themself will be discussed. Resources in Pennsylvania will be shared and approaches to getting services for self and significant others will be explored.
4:45-5:45
Juvenile Justice Information Session for Providers
Location: Central Room D
5-6
PCCYFS Board Meeting
Location: Keystone Room
6
Dinner On Your Own But Not Alone
Join a group of your choice.
6:30-10
Networking Event
6:30-10 – Open Bar in the hotel “sunken lounge”, courtesy of The Academy Schools
7:45 – Comedian Robert Mac in the Heritage Room, courtesy of George Junior Republic
6:30 – Hot Hors d’oeuvres, courtesy of George Junior Republic
9:00 – Dessert Bar, courtesy of George Junior Republic
Thursday, April 9
7:30-9
Registration & Hot Breakfast
7:30-3:45
Exhibit Booths Open
9
Welcoming Remarks
9:15-10
Keynote: Valerie Arkoosh – Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS)
Main Ballroom
Valerie A. Arkoosh, MD, MPH, was appointed to lead the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services by Governor Josh Shapiro on January 17, 2023.
Prior to this role, Secretary Arkoosh served on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners for eight years, serving as Commission Chair from November 2016 through January 2023. As a physician and public health professional, Secretary Arkoosh was at the center of Montgomery County’s efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, leading a data- and science-driven approach to the unprecedented challenge. Arkoosh’s leadership was praised during the county’s response, especially her transparency and public communication throughout the pandemic.
Arkoosh is a graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Medicine and received a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She performed her residency at Jefferson Medical College in Anesthesiology with a special focus in Obstetrics. Prior to stepping into public service, Secretary Arkoosh was Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology and Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania.
Upon obtaining her Master of Public Health in 2007, Arkoosh became deeply engaged in the national effort to achieve comprehensive health care reform. She led the National Physicians Alliance, a national non-profit organization of physicians, who, putting their patients before profits, joined a broad-based nation-wide coalition for reform. During this time, she developed policy and legislative strategy, and promoted public engagement in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and throughout the country. Dr. Arkoosh maintains comprehensive knowledge of the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and its impact on individuals and the health care system.
10-10:15
Break, Please Visit Our Exhibitor Booths.
Session 1
10:15-11:45
Supporting a Holistic Perspective: Youth with Complex Needs
Speakers: Jonathan McVey, Emily Burger, Amy Kabiru
Room Location TBD
Join Jon McVey, Emily Burger, and Amy Kabiru to hear updates and engage them on the DHS Complex Needs Planning initiative. Topics include the Blueprint Workgroup, SR v. DHS, and the new Complex Needs Planning Referral Process. They’ll walk the audience through the referral process using examples and the application of a new best practice toolkit with time at the end for discussion.
Addressing Employee Needs During a Crisis
Speaker: Holly Morreels
Room Location TBD
Even in organizations that confront trauma on a daily basis, managers and leaders may struggle in their efforts to effectively support their employees when a workplace crisis happens and the actual trauma hits much closer to home. In this session we’ll explore foundational concepts of workplace crisis management, including employee needs in a crisis, recommendations regarding internal crisis communications, and response strategies for the first 24-48 hrs. Participants will also have the opportunity to discuss examples of effective crisis response they’ve witnessed and other times when it missed the mark, as well as lessons learned in each case.
How to do a More Effective Intervention in Suicide Prevention
Speaker: Govan Martin (1.5 SUICIDE PREVENTION CEUs Available)
Room Location TBD
Suicide prevention is a critical area of mental health that requires sensitive, skillful intervention. Whether you are a mental health professional, a community leader, or a concerned friend or family member, understanding how to intervene effectively can help save lives.
This session will discuss recognizing the warning signs, how to approach with compassion and non-judgment, how to ask directly about suicide, how to ensure immediate safety/safety-for-now, discuss sow to complete a good intervention and will break into groups to practice intervention techniques.
This session is eligible for Suicide Prevention CEU credits.
11:45-1
Lunch – Networking Opportunity!!!
Session 2
1-2:30
Aligning Provider Rate Setting and Budget Planning Across Agencies
Speaker: Melissa Erazo, Craig Adamson
Room Location TBD
As funding pressures and service demands evolve, provider rate setting and budget planning require thoughtful coordination. This session features a multi-agency panel discussion focused on aligning strategies for developing and supporting pre-contractual budget documentation for federal and state reimbursement while balancing budget realities. Panelists will share how their organizations approach rate analysis, lessons learned developing budgets with staffing, program requirements and responding to county service needs. Attendees will gain insight into common challenges and effective practices that can inform their budget planning efforts.
Building a Solid Workforce Through Employee Development, Organizational Expectations and Data-Driven Results
Speakers: Andrea Thomas, Heather Swartwood
Room Location TBD
Building staff competency to meet organizational expectations and ensure compliance through data-driven results involves a systematic approach that moves from defining expectations to continuous improvement using measurable data on a consistent basis. Measurable outcomes will include finding the deficits, filling the stopgaps and strengthening training approaches to meet the current need of a changing workforce.
An Invisible Injury: Identifying and Responding to Brain Injury in Children and Youth Involved in Public Systems
Speakers: MJ Schmidt, Erika Pae (1.5 CEUs Available)
Room Location TBD
Brain injury in children and youth is frequently unidentified, misattributed, or misunderstood, particularly among those involved in public systems such as child welfare, juvenile justice, and foster care.
This session will explore how brain injuries intersect with behavioral health, learning differences, and system involvement, often resulting in unmet needs, greater risk, and misinterpretation of behavior. Participants will learn how brain injury can affect cognition, emotional regulation, behavior, and executive functioning across development. The presentation will introduce a practical, screening tool to help professionals recognize possible brain injury histories. Pennsylvania-specific resources and a Toolkit to support youth and families will also be provided.
2:30-2:45
Break – Please Visit Exhibitor Booths
Session 3
2:45-4:15
Empowering Staff as Key Contributors to Organizational Safety for At-Risk Youth
Speaker: Scott Stahl (1.5 CEUs Available)
Room Location TBD
This session is designed to equip school and organizational personnel with the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills needed to play an active, empowered role in maintaining a safe environment for at-risk youth. The presentation emphasizes proactive strategies, structured training routines, and the use of real-time resources to ensure staff are prepared to recognize early warning signs, prevent escalation, and respond effectively during crises.
Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on Human Services
Speaker: Alvin A. Weaver
Room Location TBD
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the landscape of human services, offering both unprecedented opportunities and complex challenges for organizations, providers, and the clients they serve. This presentation explores how AI is reshaping access to care, service delivery, workforce practices, and organizational operations across mental health, child welfare, education, and community-based programs. Participants will gain a clear understanding of what AI is—and what it is not—through accessible explanations of machine learning, natural language processing, and generative AI.
Using real-world examples from intake, assessment, treatment planning, documentation, and quality improvement, the session highlights how AI can reduce administrative burden, enhance engagement, and support staff in delivering efficient, high-quality, trauma-informed services. At the same time, it addresses the critical ethical, legal, and equity considerations that must guide responsible use, including privacy, data security, bias mitigation, and transparent communication with clients and families.
The presentation provides practical frameworks for leadership and front-line teams to evaluate AI tools, establish safeguards, and prepare their organizations for thoughtful integration. Participants will leave with a grounded understanding of AI’s potential, its limitations, and actionable strategies to begin leveraging AI safely and effectively within their own programs—ensuring technology enhances, rather than replaces, the human relationships at the core of the human services mission.
The PCCYFS annual conference is primarily intended for professionals within the child welfare, juvenile justice, mental/behavioral health, and education fields. However, people from all fields are welcome.
The Pennsylvania Council of Children Youth & Family Services (PCCYFS) #SWPR004114 is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors to offer continuing education for social workers, marriage and family therapists and professional counselors. PCCYFS maintains responsibility for the program(s).
PCCYFS will maintain electronic and on-site records for 2 years; after 2 years, records will be sent to storage. Please note that you may only receive CEUs for courses that are marked as CEU-eligible. You may not receive more than one type of credit for a single course.
CEU’s are offered for FREE courtesy of our CEU Sponsor!!
