Thursday, April 11

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8:15 - 8:30 a.m.

Presentation & Opening Remarks

Presentation of Colors by Boys Town ROTC Color Guard
Opening Remarks by HJSA Board President Jeremy Hugins

 

8:30 - 8:45 a.m.

Welcome

Mike Donahue, Value Up

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8:45 - 10:15 a.m.

Keynote Speaker

Empowering At-Risk Youth: Strategies for Positive Outcomes

Dr. John Gaines

Continuing Education: 1.5 JJS

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John “Push” Gaines is a former at-risk kid turned CEO/Founder of nonprofit PUSH for Dreams, a Best-selling author, renowned speaker, leadership consultant, and mentorship advocate.  Dr. Gaines has heartfelt enthusiasm for his audience and embraces crucial subject matter with a highly organic, kind-hearted approach fueled by positivity and the intrinsic desire to unite communities. His message of pushing through adversity and defying the odds has transformed classrooms, school districts, and businesses across the nation. This keynote session will focus on empowering at-risk youth by highlighting strategies for positive outcomes. It emphasizes the importance of an individual’s belief in the potential of these youth.  The session aims to explore practical ways to inspire and motivate at-risk youth. 

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10:30 - 12:00 p.m.

Breakout Sessions and Vendor Display

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Growth Resilience in At-Risk Youth: Grow Your Resiliency in Order to Inspire It in Youth

Dr. John Gaines

Continuing Education: 1.5 JJS

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This workshop by Dr. Gaines will be a practical workshop aiming to teach attendees how to foster resilience within themselves and inspire it in at-risk youth.  Participants will acquire practical skills and knowledge to enhance their personal resilience, and they will also learn ways to effectively inspire and guide at-risk youth in building resilience.

 

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Building Resiliency in Our Personal Lives and Workspaces

Greg Sunderman

​Continuing Education: 1.5 JJS, ABHS, SA

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Greg Sunderman is a court staff trainer for the Nebraska Supreme Court’s Judicial Branch Education Division.  Greg has a degree in Psychology and is a certified trainer of Real Colors Personality Testing and QPR Suicide Screening/Prevention program.  Greg regularly trains on topics of trauma recovery and resiliency.  This presentation examines ways to increase personal resiliency in our private lives and at work.  Warning signs and characteristics of compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma will be examined as well as self-care techniques that can increase resiliency and combat or alleviate symptoms of burn out.

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Identifying and Engaging with Youth Who Self-Harm or Exhibit Suicide Risk

Ciara Warden

Continuing Education: 1.5 JJS, SA

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Ciara Warden  is a Licensed Independent Social Worker in the State of Iowa.  She is currently employed by the University of Nebraska at Omaha in the Grace Abbott School of Social Work and co-owns a private practice while working on her PhD in Gerontology.  At UNO, Ciara serves as a full-time faculty member and specializes in mental health issues surrounding the issue of suicide.  This training will provide a comprehensive introduction to the topic of self-harm, with a focus on reasons young people self-injure, ways to recognize self-harm, and the triggers and predictors to self-harm.  Useful interventions and therapeutic modalities will also be discussed as well as an examination of the differences between non-suicidal self-injury and genuine suicide risk.  As a result, participants will learn how to effectively assess suicide risk and develop a plan for safety. 

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Adolescent Brain Development

Dr. Janee Pannkuk

Continuing Education: 1.5 JJS

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Dr. Janee Pannkuk has worked with justice involved juveniles and adults for over 30 years.  As a psychologist, she worked with the Nebraska Department of Corrections, as well as several non-profits. She currently serves as the Assistant Deputy Director for Reentry for the Nebraska Department of Corrections.  In this workshop, Dr. Pannkuk will provide strategies for professionals who work with justice involved youth, with an emphasis on youth who have experienced trauma during adolescence.  Participants will have an enhanced understanding of adolescent brain development, trauma, hyper-vigilance, and human connectivity on brain development. Strategies will be provided to support communication, de-escalation, supervision, and accountability.

 

 

Understanding Street Gang Affiliation, Mentality, and Culture

Diante Jones

Continuing Education: 1.5 JJS

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Diante Jones is the founder of View Point Services, a gang intervention program which serves the gang population of Omaha, Nebraska.  Diante has personal experience living within the gang lifestyle, and he was fortunate to break free from the chains of the gang mentality.  Having worked with at-risk youth for over 17 years, Diante’s experience has allowed him to help others understand what it takes to disconnect from gang involvement.   Diante’s workshop will allow participants to better understand street gang culture, gang affiliations, code of conduct and tiered levels, and modern day indicators of street-gang affiliations.  He will also share an overview of his street-gang intervention program. 

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

Lunch and Vendor Display

Don't forget to visit our vendors and sign up to win prizes!

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1:00 - 2:30 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

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Effective Communication with At-Risk Youth: Tools for Connection and Engagement

Dr. John Gaines

Continuing Education: 1.5 JJS

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This session by Dr. Gaines will focus on teaching effective communication strategies specifically tailored for interacting with at-risk youth.  Attendees will learn methodologies for connection and engagement to promote a better understanding of an individual’s needs and aspirations. 

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​Transition from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to a Local Behavioral Health, Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Crisis Line in Nebraska

Kyle Kinney – Boys Town NE, Michelle Nunemaker – DHHS Division of Behavioral Health

​Continuing Education: 1.5 JJS, ABHS, SA

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Kyle Kinney is a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner who serves as the program manager of the 988 NE Crisis Line and the Nebraska Family Helpline.  During his nearly 20-year career serving Nebraska, Kyle has provided support to children in the juvenile justice system, the child welfare and foster care system, at-risk students, and the children and families who remain outside “the system.”  Kyle completed his undergraduate work in Psychology at Grace University and his graduate work at Bellevue University, earning an M.S. in Human Services – Mental Health Counseling.  Presenting with Kyle is Michelle Nunemaker, who has dedicated her professional career to working with children, youth and families since graduating from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in 2004. Michelle works for DHHS Division of Behavioral Health and in 2021, Michelle was designated as the State Planner for the implementation of 988 in Nebraska.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline transitioned to 988 in July of 2022. Nebraska has administered this change and will continue enhancing this service as they move forward. 988 is a more robust, coordinated, statewide access point for any behavioral or mental health concern, with a three-digit number that is easier to remember. Join this session to learn more about what the 988 roll-out has meant for Nebraska, where they are heading with this service, and how you can get involved in building awareness for your clients’ utilization of 988.  
 

 

 

Drug Identification and Current Trends

Wes Tjaden – Grand Island Police Department

​Continuing Education: 1.5 JJS, ABHS, SA

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Wes Tjaden is a law enforcement officer in Grand Island, Nebraska with over a decade of experience providing drug education to law enforcement and service providers.  In this workshop, Wes will discuss types of commonly used drugs, forms of drug paraphernalia, current trends for youth and adults, and how to identify a drug impaired person.

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Intersection of Education and Juvenile Law

Lauren Micek-Vargas

Continuing Education: 1.5 JJS

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Lauren Micek-Vargas started her career in New York City as a special education teacher and development coach receiving her Master’s Degree in Secondary Education and Special Education from Pace University.  Seeing a gap in the system Lauren went on to complete her Law Degree at Creighton Law School then worked as an Assistant Public Defender with Douglas County focusing on juvenile law and criminal defense.  Lauren founded the Education Rights Counsel in 2017 and has grown it both in staff and recognition on the state level and has earned several outstanding awards.  Lauren will bring her expertise and experience in education and juvenile law together in this workshop where participants will enhance their understanding in the difference between federal and state laws governing education, to include ADA, 504, and IDEA.  Participants will be able to: identify a school’s responsibility when a student has a mental health diagnosis; understand the rules that regulate manifestation determinations and student discipline; and identify children who may need to be evaluated as dictated by “Child Find”.  Lauren wants to ensure practitioners will be able to have a general overview of special education law and be able to recognize issues of school responsibility as well as available resources for education and support staff. 

 

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Improv Skills for Professionals and Others Working with Justice Involved Youth and Juvenile Service Systems

Mark Ward, Reed Campbell, and Dr. Mike Smith

Continuing Education: 1.5 JJS, SA

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This is a fun, entertaining, and informative workshop where participants will learn and participate in improv exercises targeted at core skill areas of empathy, listening, non-verbal communication, growth, emotion, and well-being.  While improv is often thought of as funny, it is not always that way.  The core skills of improv are to know your audience and to ultimately connect with others “on stage” in real and meaningful ways.  This workshop will tend to be light-hearted and yes, funny too.  Participants will learn and practice communication skills associated with effective personal and professional relationships in complex situations including issues of low self-control, antisocial behaviors and thinking, problematic peer relationships, early developmental trauma, problems in education, and of leisure/recreation, and substance use.  These are all concerning variables with at risk and justice involved youth. 

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2:30 - 2:45 p.m.

Break and Vendor Display

Don't forget to visit our vendors and sign up to win prizes!

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2:45 - 4:15 p.m.

Afternoon Speaker

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Nebraska Children’s Foundation and Project Everlast

Staff and Youth Panel from Project Everlast

Continuing Education: 1.5 JJS

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Project Everlast is a statewide, youth-led initiative that is committed to providing resources, connections, and support to young adults who have no family support.  Project Everlast’s young adult services help ensure a smooth transition to adulthood.  Their goal is to empower youth to build successful lives as independent adults. This session will consist of a small group youth panel.  Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and have conversations so as to better understand the impact that various systems have had on youth, as well as what services, agencies, and programs positively influenced their transitions into adulthood.
 

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Friday, April 12:

8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

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Understanding Our Identity and Bias

Dominic Green and Amber Strozier
Continuing Education: 1.5 JJS, ABHS, SA

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Dominic Green has been with Inclusive Communities since 2020 and oversees the agency’s programmatic efforts. He went to college at the University of Nebraska Omaha and holds a bachelor’s degree in General Studies with an emphasis on music and secondary area in criminal justice. 
He is joined by Amber Strozier who is a Training Coordinator for Inclusive Communities. 
 

This workshop will help you understand multiple identities and how they all intersect with each other to create the lens through which we see and are seen by others.  Participants will start to understand how our identities and the way we are socialized can form our own biases and the way we interact with others. 

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This Keynote Session will be provided in three parts. 

 

Part 1: Identities & Reflections: Participants will be able to understand the concept of personal and social identity, as well as how identity is constructed.
 
Part 2: Life Experiences Activity: In this activity participants will be asked a series of questions about life experiences they may or may not have had. Through this activity, participants will better understand how we often make assumptions and expectations about each other's more visible identities and understand the complex variables that make up an individual's identities within a community. 
 
Part 3: Cycle of Socialization and Unconscious Bias: This final portion of the workshop will discuss four states of socialization and the relationship between these stages and learned thoughts and behaviors including discrimination.  Participants will understand how they are socialized to believe or act a certain way and how influence comes from many sources as well as processes for breaking cycles of thinking that are toxic.  Participants will also begin to understand how to recognize and deconstruct Unconscious Bias.