8:30 AM CST
Opening Session and Keynote: Wellness for Home Visitors: Prioritizing Self-Care for Sustainable Service
Kai Belton,  Road to Resilience LLC
This presentation will focus on the importance of self-care for home visitors, who often work in emotionally and physically demanding roles. We will explore practical wellness strategies, including stress management, work-life balance, and maintaining mental and physical health. Attendees will learn how taking care of themselves enhances their ability to provide high-quality care to the families and individuals they serve, while also preventing burnout and improving overall well-being.

9:45 AM CST
Physical Safety
Jodi Clary, Kansas Highway Patrol
This presentation provides information about being aware of your environment and provides some practical tips and skills to identify potential dangers and avoid risky situations in home visiting.

The Power that Play Gives
Ellen Drolette, Positive Spin LLC
The potential for play is powerful. Creating a playful, joyful environment where all children feel included and supported is imperative in making sure that all children make gains. Join me for play! This is an active session with several activities!

Perinatal Substance Use and Behavioral Health Screening and Referral
Patricia Carrillo, The University of Kansas
Mental health conditions impact an estimated 20% of individuals during pregnancy or post partum and substance use disorder are estimated to co-occur at a rate of 19%. This presentation will review relevant terminology, prevalence, signs, and symptoms and discuss best practices for screening, brief intervention, and referral for this population.

11:15 PM CST
Mandated Reporting and Best Practices for Supporting Families
Kelsee Fout, The Kansas Department of Health and Environment
This presentation is intended to build provider capacity and knowledge of best practices in supporting perinatal families impacted by substance use. This training will present an abridged overview of the Kansas Mandated Reporting Requirements, especially as they relate to the perinatal populations and review risk factors for abuse and neglect in the perinatal period. Presenters will provide an overview of the perinatal provider workflow focused on Pregnant Women Using Substances intended to increase access to treatment and connection to community support services. Participants will learn from case examples taken from the perinatal period.

Home Safe Home
Cherie Sage, The Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Simple prevention steps can help ensure that home is a safe space for family. Learn about common injury risks in the home and the simple steps you can take to prevent serious and disabling injuries.

Safe Sleep Showdown: Tackling the Challenges and Myths
Maria Torres, Kansas Infant Death & SIDS
Attendees will learn about the successful outcomes of the Kansas Infant Death and SIDES (KIDS) Network’s Safe Sleep Instructor (SSI) certification program, including significant knowledge gains and high recertification rates. This session will highlight the impact of the SSI training using implementation science methodology, RE-AIM framework, and a shared risk protective factors approach, demonstrating the program’s effectiveness in promoting safe sleep practices.

1:45 PM CST
New Findings and Emerging Trends in Postpartum Mental Illness
Dr Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, CEO of Praeclarus Press, Editor in Chief of Psychological Trauma, International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant
Depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder are common in pregnant and postpartum women, with some groups at especially high risk. Some high-risk populations include women who have experienced violence, women in the military, and immigrants. Smoking has also emerged as a risk factor. Researchers continue to learn more about perinatal mental health, such as who is at a higher risk, and what clinicians can do about it. Recent world events, such as COVID 19, wars, and terrorist attacks, also increase womens’ risk of depression, anxiety, and post traumatic stress disorder. This session highlights particularly interesting emerging trends on risk factors and treatment innovations including medications for severe depression, repetitive transcranial stimulation, acupuncture, and types of community support. This session is based on the new edition of Depression in New Mothers, Vols I and II (2023, 2024, Routledge UK)

Overdose Prevention and Naloxone Training
Stacy Haines, DCCCA
In this training, participants will: learn about the impact of the opioid crisis nationally and in Kansas, develop their ability to prevent, recognize, and respond to an opioid overdose, explore resources associated with opioids in Kansas, and learn how to administer Naloxone if an opioid overdose is suspected. We will also cover the identification of drugs and paraphernalia that may be in the home.

Engaging Foster Parents During Home Visits and Your Vital Role in their Success
Danie Lee, DCCCA
Foster parents… one of the unspoken heroes of the world. These selfless individuals bring children into their homes to love and parent on a daily basis. Being a foster parent is a subculture in itself, and often foster parents are an underserved population. Join us as we discuss how home visitors can engage foster parents during their home visits and the vital role that home visitors play in the lives of not only foster parents but the children in the foster homes as well. The goal of this session is that participants will walk away with knowledge of how to engage foster parents, the importance of engaging, and the encouragement that home visitors are vital to foster parent success.

Practicing Self-Compassion
Vanessa Lohf, Wichita State University
When we are under stress often the last person we take care of is ourselves. In this session, we will talk about what self-compassion is and what it isn’t. We will explore how our experiences impact how we think about “self care” and discuss strategies that can help in the moment and over time.

Supporting Families with Children on the Autism Spectrum through Home Visiting
Amber Dejmal, Behavioral Training Solutions
This presentation will explore effective strategies for supporting families with children on the Autism Spectrum through home visiting programs. Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) challenges faced by families with children on the spectrum, and practical strategies and tools for home visitors.

Advocacy 101: Sharing your Story and Building Family Friendly Futures
Logan Stenseng, Thrive Allen County
Join us to learn about the national movement to invest in early childhood systems and supports for families and how Kansans can get involved! In this session we’ll learn how to take advocacy action on the local level to join the movement, how to effectively share your advocacy story and build relationships with policy makers, and answer any and all of your policy/legislative questions form our lobbyist Logan Stenseng!