Thursday, April 16

 

7:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Registration​​

 

8:30 - 8:45 AM

Conference Welcome

Hon. Sarah M. Moore

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Judge Sarah M. Moore serves as Presiding Judge of the Separate Juvenile Court of Sarpy County, where she has distinguished herself as a thoughtful and forward-thinking leader since her appointment in 2022. With almost two decades of experience, she brings deep expertise and unwavering dedication to the bench.

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Prior to her judicial appointment, Judge Moore built an accomplished prosecutorial career, serving as Deputy County Attorney in Douglas County and later as Lead Deputy County Attorney in Sarpy County’s Juvenile Division. In these roles, she handled complex juvenile matters, collaborated with multidisciplinary teams, and helped shape policies designed to promote accountability while prioritizing rehabilitation and long-term success for youth.

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Beyond her courtroom responsibilities, Judge Moore is a respected leader serving on multiple Nebraska Supreme Court committees focused on probation services, judicial education, and advancing evidence-based practices that improve outcomes for justice-involved youth.  She is the chair of the Sarpy County ‘Through the Eyes of the Child’ initiative, where she collaborates with various local stakeholders.  Her work reflects a steadfast commitment to strengthening systems that support children and families.

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Judge Moore earned her Juris Doctor from Creighton University School of Law and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. She is widely recognized for her integrity, collaborative leadership, and dedication to building a more responsive and effective juvenile justice system.

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8:45 - 10:15 AM

Keynote Speaker

 

Mike Smith – Founder, The Bay

Continuing Education: 1.5 (TBD)

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Mike Smith is the Founder of The Bay, a nationally recognized nonprofit focused on youth empowerment through skateboarding, creative arts, and community engagement. Through innovative programming, The Bay creates safe, inclusive environments where youth develop leadership skills, resilience, and purpose. Mike shares practical strategies for increasing youth voice, strengthening adult-youth relationships, and building community spaces that reduce risk factors and promote long-term success.

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This keynote explores how intentional disruption can transform organizations, communities, and the systems we work within. Drawing from 15 years of building The Bay from a founder-led, funded & inspired movement into a board-led, funded, and directed organization, Mike shares real-world lessons on innovation, risk, and scaling impact without losing soul. Participants will examine how some of the most innovative brands in the world, including Red Bull, Vans, and X Games, break rules inside the lines to stay culturally relevant while operating at scale. Through practical design-thinking tools and candid stories from the front lines of youth culture, attendees will learn how to challenge assumptions, redesign constraints, and lead disruption with intention rather than chaos. This session emphasizes innovation within systems, creative problem-solving, and building cultures that empower young people rather than control them. Attendees will walk away with practical frameworks, adaptable design tools, and renewed confidence to think differently, act boldly, and create impact that lasts.

 

Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to

1. Understand the principles of “breaking the rules inside the lines” to drive innovation within structured environments.

2. Apply practical design-thinking tools to reimagine programs, policies, and partnerships.

3. Identify strategies used by leading cultural brands to remain relevant and mission-aligned.

4. Translate disruption into sustainable systems that empower youth and strengthen organizational impact.

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10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Morning Breakout Sessions and Vendor Display

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Supporting the Smart Gen: Frontline Providers and Digital Wellness

Theresa Hamer – Smart GEN Society

Continuing Education: 1.5 (TBD)​

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Theresa M. Hamer, M.A., serves as Program Manager and Education Facilitator for Smart Gen Society in Omaha, Nebraska. She delivers preventative education programming designed to empower children, families, and community professionals to stay safe online through open communication and practical digital wellness strategies. Theresa researches and develops curriculum, leads community initiatives, and supports departmental leadership efforts. In addition to her work with Smart Gen, she serves as an Adjunct Practitioner Instructor in the Wake Forest University Department of Counseling, where she teaches graduate-level counseling courses. Theresa previously worked as a high school counselor and 504 Coordinator, supporting students’ academic, social, and emotional development. She holds a Master of Arts in School Counseling from Wake Forest University and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology Education from the University of Northern Iowa.

 

This presentation will examine the impact of social media, digital exploitation, and other online experiences on our youth. Best practices for frontline professionals will be explored with an emphasis on open communication and practical approaches to keeping children safe. Attendees will walk away with deeper understanding of how to promote clients’ online safety and empower families to make better choices for their digital wellness.

 

Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to

1. Increase provider knowledge of youth digital risks.

2. Strengthen professional communication strategies.

3. Enhance provider capacity to promote digital wellness.

4. Learn techniques that we can also share with the youth and families we work with.

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Public Health Prevention Strategies for Justice-Involved Youth

Jennifer Benitez – Douglas County Health Department

​Continuing Education:1.5 (TBD)

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Jennifer Benitez-Albiter works as a harm reduction and overdose prevention Community Health Educator at Douglas County Health Department. She provides education and information on community resources to organizations that work with people who use drugs and are most at risk for fatal and non-fatal overdoes. She is passionate about helping historically disenfranchised populations and has a background in public health and reproductive justice.

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An introductory overview of opioid overdose risks and strategies to reduce overdose in your community. This workshop includes recommendations on communication skills for improving daily interactions with people who use drugs.

 

Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to

1. Understanding the principles of harm reduction and spectrum of harm reduction strategies.

2. Discuss risk factors and signs of opioid overdoses including long-term physical and psychological effects.

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Working with Native American Survivors and Tribal Communities

Kirby Williams – Nebraska Tribes Addressing Violence Coalition (NETAV)

Continuing Education: 1.5 (TBD)

 

Kirby William (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) is the executive director of Nebraska Tribes Addressing Violence Coalition (NETAV). She holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology. Since 2014, she has worked in her professional and personal life to raise awareness and promote prevention of intimate partner violence and has conducted numerous trainings nationwide on service Native American survivors of these crimes. For her work in violence prevention, she was named an inaugural recipient of the Cherokee Phoenix’s Seven Feathers Award and the Nebraska recipient of the 2022 National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s (NSVRC) Visionary Voice Award.

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This workshop will focus on working with Native American survivors of intimate partner violence and tribal communities from a trauma-informed, survivor-centered, and culturally relevant perspective.

 

Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to

1. Demonstrate understanding of home crime victimization affects Native American populations.

2. Identify best practices for working with tribal; Understand the basics for jurisdiction, full faith & credit, and enforcement of tribal protection orders

 

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Innovation By Design

Mike Smith – Founder, The Bay

Continuing Education: 1.5 (TBD)

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Mike Smith is the Founder of The Bay, a nationally recognized nonprofit focused on youth empowerment through skateboarding, creative arts, and community engagement. Through innovative programming, The Bay creates safe, inclusive environments where youth develop leadership skills, resilience, and purpose. Mike shares practical strategies for increasing youth voice, strengthening adult-youth relationships, and building community spaces that reduce risk factors and promote long-term success.

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This interactive workshop explores how organizations can ideate, prototype, and reframe limitations into innovative opportunities while working within structured systems. Participants will examine how leading brands such as Red Bull, Vans, and the X Games “break the rules inside the lines,” using constraints as a catalyst for creativity, impact, and growth. Mike introduces practical innovation tools that help participants challenge assumptions, strengthen culture, and create environments where new ideas can emerge and be tested.

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Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to

1. Understand the principles of “breaking the rules inside the lines” to drive innovation within structured environments.

2. Apply practical design-thinking tools to reimagine programs, policies, and partnerships.

3. Identify strategies used by leading cultural brands to remain relevant and mission-aligned.

4. Translate disruption into sustainable systems that empower youth and strengthen organizational impact.​​

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12:00 p.m. - 1:00 PM

Lunch and Vendor Display

Visit our vendors and sign up to win prizes!

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1:00 - 2:30 PM

Afternoon Breakout Sessions

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The Pharmacotherapy of Mental Health Drugs

Dr. Ally Dering-Anderson - University of Nebraska Medical Center

Continuing Education: 1.5 (TBD)

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Dr. Ally Dering-Anderson, BA, PharmD, RP, FAPhA, is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice & Science at the University of Nebraska College of Pharmacy.  She coordinates and teaches the Law & Ethics Classes, OTC & Self Care Products, Point-of-Care Testing, Advocacy, Medical Cannabis, and Immunizations. She is also the preceptor for a Public Policy experiential rotation for senior level pharmacy students. Ally is a graduate of Doane College in Crete, Nebraska and the University of Nebraska College of Pharmacy.  She has been a licensed and practicing pharmacist in Nebraska and Iowa since 1986.  Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Nebraska she served as the Assistant Executive Director of the Nebraska Pharmacists Association and worked the “vampire shift” for Walgreens.​

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This program will allow for discussion of the pharmacotherapy of drugs used in a variety of mental health diagnoses, including side effects, anticipated efficacy, dosing challenges, and general cost.

 

Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to

1. List at least three (3) drugs used to treat depression and their mechanism of action;

2. Recognize common side effects of drugs used for mental health diagnoses;

3. Explain potential reasons for non-adherence to recommended mental health therapies; and

4. Describe “off label use” of drugs for mental health diagnoses in juveniles.

 

 

The Voice of the Unheard: What Systems Learn when Misfits Lead

Rachael Parker – Reimagine Omaha

​Continuing Education: 1.5 (TBD)

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Rachael Parker is an enrolled member of the Umonhon (Omaha) Tribe, a lifelong community member, and a person with lived experience whose work is grounded in advocacy, healing, and systems change. She currently serves as the Training and Lived Experience Director and a co-founder of Reimagine, an organization built to center frontline and lived experience voices within the homeless response system. In this role, she leads training, professional development, and meaningful engagement efforts that elevate lived experience as expertise and drive more human-centered systems. She is also the Executive Director of Red Sky Nation, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) crisis and supporting the families and communities impacted by this epidemic. Across all her work, she brings a powerful combination of lived experience, cultural knowledge, and leadership to create spaces for truth, accountability, and transformation.

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Lived experience voices carry knowledge shaped by survival, resilience, and direct interaction with systems that are often designed without those most impacted at the table. Elevating these voices transforms stories into expertise, challenges harmful assumptions, and drives more just, effective, and human-centered policies, practices, and solutions.

 

Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to

1. Increase understanding of lived experience as expertise that informs youth behavior and system involvement.

2. Strengthen trust and engagement with youth impacted by homelessness and justice systems.

3. Apply trauma-informed, developmentally responsive practices grounded in lived experience.

4. Identify and reduce system-driven barriers that impact youth outcomes.

5. Improve collaboration between providers and juvenile justice professionals.

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Understanding Youth Who Sexually Harm: Trends, Adolescent Development, and Best Practices

Dr. Kristan Russell

Continuing Education: 1.5 (TBD)

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​Kristan N. Russell, PhD is the Director of the Juvenile Justice Institute (JJI) within the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Social Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno. She has previously worked in research roles at each of these institutions, as well as in the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center and the National Center for Juvenile Justice. With over a decade of experience in applied and academic research, Dr. Russell’s work centers on improving outcomes for youth involved in the justice and child welfare systems through evidence-based programs and research translation. A significant portion of her scholarship focused on youth who sexually harm—examining public and practitioner perceptions, policy responses, and best practices for intervention. She has authored numerous publications on these topics and frequently provides training for practitioners on emerging trends, adolescent development, and effective, developmentally informed approaches to this population.

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Youth who sexually harm represent a small but complex subset of the Juvenile Justice Population. Misconceptions about this population often shape policy and practices in ways that do not align with what research demonstrates are best practices. This session will provide an overview of trends in youth sexual offending, explores developmental and contextual factors that influence harmful sexual behavior, and highlights research on public perceptions and real-world consequences. Dr. Russell will share evidence-informed strategies and key considerations to support more effective responses and improve outcomes for youth, victims, and communities.

 

Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to

1. Describe current research and trends related to youth who sexually harm.

2. Explain developmental and contextual factors that contribute to sexual harm.

3. Recognize the role of perceptions in shaping responses to this population.

4. Identify evidence-based and developmentally appropriate practices for effective intervention.

 

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When Juvenile Justice and Adolescent Development Collide

Lindsay Meyer – Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation

Continuing Education: 1.5 (TBD)

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Lindsay Meyer is the Juvenile Justice Reform Specialist within the Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation (AOCP) Juvenile Services Division. Lindsay obtained a bachelor’s degree in social work from Nebraska Wesleyan University. She began her work in this field as a high-risk juvenile probation officer in District 3J in Nebraska working with a wide variety of youth who presented with significant risk, needs, and responsivity struggles. Lindsay joined the Administrative Office in July 2021 and in her current role she oversees implementation of enhancements to the juvenile justice system guided by best practice research and recommendations made through the Probation System Review conducted in 2021 and 2022 by the Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice. Lindsay's passion is seeing the potential in all justice involved youth and supporting our justice system workforce.

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During this workshop, participants will learn about the importance of integrating the science of adolescent development and the components of positive youth justice into the juvenile justice system. Learning will occur through activities designed to encourage participants to share in the experience of adolescents and how justice system professionals can support youth in their developmental journey. Participants will also learn the potential impact that the justice system can have on a young person's development.

 

Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to

1. Define Juvenile Justice, adolescent development, and positive youth development.

2. Review research of best practice approaches in applying adolescent development in juvenile justice settings.

3. Discuss how to best support youth on their developmental journey when involved in the juvenile justice system.

4. Recognize the impact the juvenile justice system can make on a youth’s development.

5. Identify national resources for professionals.

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Breakout Session TBA

Catie Niedermeyer, Ed.S

Continuing Education: 1.5 (TBD)

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2:30 - 2:45 PM

Break and Vendor Display

Visit our vendors and sign up to win prizes!

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2:45 - 4:15 PM

Afternoon Plenary

Keynote Speaker

Understanding Emerging Adults: Barriers, Breakthroughs, and What Actually Works

​​RISE

Continuing Education: 1.5 (TBD)

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Four individuals on a panel through RISE will be sharing their stories and lived experiences on adolescent hood to emerging adulthood. There will be time for questions.

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Emerging adulthood is a critical developmental period, and justice-involved young adults often face additional barriers that affect their ability to succeed. This workshop is designed to give providers, probation staff, and community partners a deeper understanding of the developmental, social, and systemic factors that influence outcomes for emerging adults. Participants will explore real-world challenges such as identity development, mistrust of authority, emotional regulation difficulties, inconsistent support systems, and economic instability, while identifying practices that promote engagement, stability, and long-term success.

 

Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to

1. Increase understanding of developmental and environmental factors that affect justice-involved emerging adults.

2. Identify common barriers, including mistrust of systems, emotional regulation challenges, and unstable supports, that can hinder successful reentry and community functioning.

3. Strengthen provider strategies to build trust, promote resilience, and support positive outcomes for emerging adults in juvenile justice and community-based settings.

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4:15 – 6:15 PM

Happy Hour

Grand Foyer
Vendor Raffle Prizes Awarded

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Friday, April 17

8:30 - 10:00 AM

Keynote Speaker

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Connecting the Dots: Using Medical Diagnoses to Unlock Education Rights in Juvenile Cases

Lauren Micek Vargas – Education Rights Counsel
Continuing Education: 3.0 Total (TBD)

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Lauren began her career in education when she was offered a prestigious opportunity to be a Teach for America Corps member, and moved to New York City, where she taught school for New York City Public Schools in The Bronx while working toward her master’s degree in special education. In her classroom and as a teacher coach, Lauren experienced firsthand the lack of services and supports her students needed and realized that their rights were governed by federal and state law that most teachers were not familiar with. Lauren applied to law school to gain the skills needed to advocate for children in the school setting. Upon graduation she became an Assistant Public Defender (PD) in Douglas County, Nebraska, focused on juvenile law and criminal defense. During this time, she saw the gap in educational supports that children in the system were suffering, and co-founded Education Rights Counsel (ERC) in 2017. ERC’s mission is to create systemic change by removing legal barriers to educational equity. ERC has served several thousand Nebraskans through direct representation, training, and research services. Under Lauren’s leadership, ERC has been recognized by the Omaha Bar and the Nebraska State Bar association for advancing the legal profession, the administration of justice, and public interest. Lauren is personally a recipient of multiple awards for her leadership and engagement with children. Lauren’s experience in the education sector and juvenile court has cultivated her passion for working to improve educational outcomes and legal access for ALL children.

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Attendees will examine the critical intersection of education law and juvenile law with a particular focus on how medical and mental health diagnoses in juvenile court can be leveraged to better support system-involved youth. Too often, children in the juvenile system face overlapping educational, behavioral, and health challenges that are overlooked or misunderstood. This session will provide practitioners with the knowledge to connect medical diagnoses to potential legal entitlements and practical supports within schools, ensuring that youth receive the interventions they need to thrive. Attendees will receive a clear overview of schools’ obligations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, with emphasis on how a formal diagnosis can open doors to specialized services, accommodations, and protections.

 

Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to

1. How to use medical documentation and school records to advocate for a youth’s educational rights and supports.

2. Practitioners will be empowered to more effectively ensure that vulnerable youth have access to the resources they need for long-term success.

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10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

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Intersection of Juvenile Law and Education Law

Lauren Micek Vargas – Education Rights Counsel

 

Education law is not well understood by a majority of advocates, parents, lawyers, judges, and even school staff. This especially applies to special education. For families, it can be daunting. This session aims to provide a general overview of the obligations of schools, special education law (IDEA, ADA, 504), student discipline, and best practices for parents and guardians. Attendees will gain a solid foundation to help them more effectively advocate for and navigate services on behalf of the children and youth they serve.

 

Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to

1. Increase provider understanding of education law and student rights.

2. Strengthen advocacy skills with families and schools.

3. Improve provider capacity to support equitable access to services for youth.