Each year The Alliance brings together top mental health providers, counselors, therapists and trauma experts around the Greater Sacramento Region to provide valuable training on the effects of childhood trauma and strategies to build connection and promote healing.
Join us in-person for our 8th annual conference with a wide variety of valuable sessions for parents, caregivers, foster/adoptive families, professionals and anyone working or volunteering with kids in our community. Our theme will be RESILIENCE and the power to overcome past circumstances.
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This year's conference will be fully in-person and we've made some exciting updates including a shorter format, lower prices, and built-in time to connect and process the great new concepts presented. We can't wait to see you there!
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*Resource Families are eligible to earn certificates for Parent Training hours. See details below.
EDUCATION &
CONFERENCE BENEFITS
Resource Parent Training Hours
Certificates for
3 hours of Resource Parent Training provided at the end of the conference
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Connection
Time
This year we built in optional time at the end of the conference to process what you learened & connect with our speakers and other attendees.
In-Person
Extras
Coffee & Great Snacks ​
Conference Swag Bag
Prize Give-Aways
Chair Massages
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CONFERENCE
SCHEDULE
8-8:30am Conference Check-In
8:30-9:10am Main Session 1
9:15-10am Breakout Session 1
10-10:20am Coffee Break
10:20-11:05am Breakout Session 2
11:15am-12pm Main Session 2
12pm Conference Program Ends
12-12:45pm Optional Connection Time
title Conference Sponsor
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<1% Defying All Odds
Ar'mone Clemmons, LCSW​
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Hear the powerful story of a former foster youth that defied the statistics, overcame typical obstacles and now using his knowledge and past experience to create of firm foundation of love and support for others.
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The Psychology of Resilience
Panel facilitated by Dr. Stephanie Caine​
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Listen in as an expert panel of Psychology Professors explore the mental strategies and emotional strengths that kids can employ to overcome adversity and thrive in challenging situations.
Main sessions
Breakout Sessions
Mental Health Resources for Kids and Teens
Charlotte Fritz, LMFT | Marriage & Family Therapist, TBRI Practitioner
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In our trauma-filled world, the mental well-being of our youth has become more critical than ever and it’s important for us as adults to recognize the signs that the kids in our lives may need help. This breakout session is dedicated to exploring the wide array of mental health resources available to children and teens and the benefits of different forms of therapy. We will also share practical ways to encourage conversations about mental health and ways to introduce counseling or other services that will help kids engage and get the most out of treatment.
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Understanding the Teen Brain
Laura Frederick, LMFT | Marriage & Family Therapist, Professor-Jessup University
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Big, important changes happen in the brain during the teenage years including lots of fine-tuning to areas of the brain responsible for skills like planning, prioritizing and making good decisions. Join experienced clinician and adoptive parent Laura Frederick for this workshop which provides anyone parenting, teaching, leading, or coaching teenagers with insights regarding their communication, behaviors, decision-making, and negative risk-taking tendencies with acknowledgment of the effects of trauma. We’ll also review practical strategies for addressing common concerns and ways to help teens thrive.
Navigating Compassion Fatigue, Vicarious Trauma & Burnout
Debbie McJimsey, LMFT | Marriage & Family Therapist, TBRI Practitioner
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Compassion fatigue is the emotional and physical exhaustion that can result from the constant demand for empathy when caring for a child or teen with a trauma history. This essential workshop is designed to help parents, caregivers, and mental health providers understand, recognize, and manage the unique challenges they face. We will dive into the concepts of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction along with the risks and management of vicarious trauma and burnout. As part of this session, you will receive a practical assessment tool to monitor your well-being and evaluate self-care strategies. Join us as we learn new ways to build resilience while continuing to provide exceptional care.
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Breaking Generational Cycles Using a Faith-Based Framework
Ar'mone Clemmons, LCSW | Clinical Social Worker, Owner of private practice Defying All Odds​
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Generational trauma, often passed down through families, can deeply affect kids’ mental and emotional well-being, shape their behaviors, and even lead to PTSD. If typical trauma responses are normalized instead of being addressed, children and teens cannot reach their full potential or break free from destructive patterns. In this session, we will explore the cycles of trauma, anxiety, depression, and anger from a Christian perspective. Then, using a cognitive-behavioral therapy approach, we will learn how to challenge negative thoughts by embracing God's promises and love. The tools provided in the workshop will help both kids and adults respond more effectively to life's challenges and avoid perpetuating harmful generational cycles.
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Speakers
Ar'Mone Clemmons, LCSW
Clinical Social Worker | Kaiser Permanente & Private Practice (Defying All Odds)
Ar’mone is an experienced mental health clinician and a licensed clinical social worker. He has a professional background working with level IV maximum security inmates at the Psychiatric Inpatient Program (PIP) with the State of California Health Care Facility (CHCF) / Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR); additionally, outpatient for county mental health. He has also provided Readjustment Counseling Services for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and currently serves as a full-time adult outpatient mental health provider at Kaiser Permanente instructing various brief and long-term evidence based therapy model interventions.
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Charlotte Fritz, LMFT
Marriage & Family Therapist, TBRI Practitioner | Private Practice
Charlotte has been married to her husband Scott for over 15 years. They adopted two beautiful children locally through foster-adoption over the course of the last decade, and fostered two other children who later reunited with their birth family. Charlotte has been a Marriage and Family Therapist since 2007, and currently specializes in working with families who are raising children who have experienced trauma. Charlotte is a certified TBRI provider and her passion is connecting foster and post-adoptive families with the resources they need.
Debbie McJimsey, LMFT
Adoption Therapist, TBRI & Nurtured Heart Practitioner | Private Practice
Debbie is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in West Roseville. She is a Certified Adoption Competent Therapist and a Certified Trainer for The Center for Adoption Support and Education's TAC program. She has postgraduate training in Trauma therapy and EMDR, TBRI (Dr. Karyn Purvis's Trust Based Relational Intervention), and Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples counseling. She has served as trainer for Resource Parents at Lilliput (Wayfinder) Families and for mental health providers who are seeking post-graduate certification in Adoption Competence. Debbie has been married for 31 years and is the parent of three children: two biological and one through international adoption.
Laura Frederick, LMFT
Marriage & Family Therapist | Private Practice
Professor of Psychology | Jessup University
Laura is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a local counseling practice. She launched the Soul Care Center at Bridgeway Church in 2008 and began teaching for several area universities in 2015. Laura and her husband, Jason, have been married for over twenty years and have three teens, one of whom began the journey of integrating into their family at age seven.
Dr. Stephanie Caine, LPCC
Program Director & Professor of Psychology | Jessup University
Dr. Stephanie Caine holds a doctorate degree in counseling. She has worked in education and counseling with a variety of populations including children, students, families, and adults for over 20 years. Dr. Caine is currently a professor of psychology and counseling at Jessup University, the Program Director for a Master’s of Counseling Psychology program, a therapist, and the Director of The Cheatcode Academy which trains people to become mental health strengthening coaches in the area of trauma. Most importantly, she is a proud wife to Jason Caine and mother to amazing twins Joelle and Jason.