Waynesburg University's Regional Counseling Symposium
Elevating Voices: Adverse Childhood Experiences
Symposium Materials
Waynesburg University's counseling symposium, Elevating Voices: Adverse Childhood Experiences, will be held March 15, 2024, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in Southpointe.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Dana Milakovic
Keynote Session Title: Building Bridges, Not Walls: How Relationships Can Help Us Heal and Thrive
About Dr. Dana Milakovic
Dr. Dana Milakovic serves as the Mental Wellness & Trauma Specialist with the Office for Safe Schools for the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). As a passionate mental health and trauma specialist with over 20 years of experience in school mental health, community mental health, pediatric neuropsychology, school administration, and school psychology, she supports schools as the trauma lead for PDE.
Dr. Milakovic also supports Pennsylvania in moving forward as a trauma-informed state by participating on the leadership team for HEAL PA, as well as serving as the co-chair of the educational committee and participating on several other committees.
Dr. Milakovic also provides consultation around threat assessments and serves as a statewide trainer for safety as a PREPaRE crisis prevention and response trainer. Her current focus is on strengthening schools through the development of equitable, trauma-informed learning environments that support the academic, physical, and psychological safety and well-being of students and staff.
Conference Agenda
|
|
Event |
Breakout 1 |
Breakout 2 |
Breakout 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
8:00 - 8:30 a.m. |
Registration |
|
|
|
|
8:30 - 9:15 a.m. |
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Dana Milakovic, PsyD, NCSP Building Bridges, Not Walls: How Relationships Can Help Us Heal and Thrive |
|
|
|
|
9:30 - 10:20 a.m. |
50 Minute Session |
50 Minute ACEs in Neurodiverse Populations Presenters: Tyler Breninghouse and Devon Bowser |
50 Minute Cracking Complex Cases: Understanding ACEs, treatment barriers, and effective treatment modalities Presenters: Brooke Lewis and Lauren Steele |
50 Minute The Impact of SUD and Recovery on Families Presenter: Beth Bitler |
|
10:30 - 11:20 a.m. |
One 50 Minute Session and Three 20 Minute Sessions |
50 Minute Toxic Stress: Helping Students and Families Overcome Trauma Presenters: Barbara Brady and Tricia Kingery |
20 Minute
|
|
|
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. |
Roundtable |
Inspiring a Collective Effort to Understand, Overcome, and Prevent ACES Presenters: Barbara Brady and Tricia Kingery |
Unraveling School Avoidance: Exploring Risks, Underlying Factors, and Implications for Student Well-Being Presenter: Courtney Wolf |
Second Career Counselors: Pros, Cons, and their views Presenters: Matthew Grimm and Jamie Crowell |
|
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. |
Poster Sessions |
Can you Hear me Now? Extending Trauma and Addiction Counseling to Rural LGBTQIA+ Clients Presenters: Amanda Maple and Nate Stringer |
Correlations between Childhood ACE scores and the Legal System Presenter: Rebecca Salsbury |
How to Be a Human: Interventions to Assist Children to Navigate a World of Adverse Childhood Experiences Presenter: Nicole Merietta |
|
12:00 - 1 p.m. |
Lunch |
|
|
|
|
1:00 - 1:50 p.m. |
50 Minute Sessions |
Healing Adverse Childhood Experiences with Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) Presenter: Nickolas Summa
|
Use of Self: Integrating self-awareness, disclosure, and reflection into everyday practices. Presenter: Kayla Tandarich |
The Impact of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Recovery on Parenting and Children Presenter: Beth Bitler |
|
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. |
Two 50 Minute Sessions and Three 20 Minute Sessions |
50 Minute Re-grounding our Response: ACEs and Substance Use Disorders Presenters: Barbara Brady and Tricia Kingery |
50 Minute From Fiery Foes to Cooperative Co-parents: Interventions for Working with Families Experiencing Divorce Presenter: Daria Minton |
20 Minute
|
|
3:00 - 3:45 p.m. |
Panel Discussions |
Nurturing Resilience: Unpacking the impact of adverse Childhood Experiences in Child Welfare |
Creating a Collective Effort to Understand, Overcome, and Prevent ACES |
|
|
3:45 - 4:00 p.m. |
Adjourn |
|
|
|
Conference Details
Date: Friday, March 15, 2024
Time: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: Hilton Garden Inn, Southpointe
1000 Corporate Dr., Canonsburg, PA 15317
Guest Recommendations
Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program
The purpose of the BHWET Program for Professionals is to develop and expand experiential training opportunities, such as field placements and internships, to improve the sustainability of the behavioral health workforce. The BHWET program emphasizes relationships with community-based partners to increase access to quality behavioral health services in high need, high demand, and medically underserved areas. Special attention is given to vulnerable populations, such as children, adolescents and transitional-aged youth, who are at risk for behavioral health disorders as well as individuals with substance use disorders.
The Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for Professionals is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,069,240 over a four-year period from 2021 to 2025 with 0% financed with non-governmental sources.
Master of Arts in Counseling
Waynesburg University's 60-credit Master of Arts in Counseling program prepares students with the academic requirements needed to become Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC). This program offers concentrations in Clinical Mental Health counseling and Addictions counseling, and is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP).
Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision
Waynesburg University offers a 54-credit Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision program for students looking to work as counselor educators in colleges and universities, or as leaders in clinical mental health, addictions or school counseling. This program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP).
Certificate in Addictions Counseling
Waynesburg University offers a 12-credit, non-degree, post-baccalaureate Certificate in Addictions Counseling for individuals interested in becoming certified as an alcohol and drug counselor. This certificate is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
Certificate in Clinical Supervision
This 12-credit, non-degree, post-baccalaureate certificate is offered 100% online and can be successfully completed in as little as two semesters. Upon completion, licensed professionals will be well positioned to pursue the Center for Credentialing and Education Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) credential and non-licensed professionals may qualify for the Pennsylvania Certification Board's Certified Clinical Supervision (CSC) credential.
Meet the Department
Devon Bowser
Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies, Director of the Graduate Counseling Programs and Associate Professor of Counseling
View Bio
James Hepburn
Professor of Psychology
View Bio
Kelley McNichols
Assistant Program Director for the Master of Arts in Counseling and Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Education, Assistant Professor of Counseling and Grant Advisor
View Bio
Andrew Nocita
Professor of Psychology
View Bio
Michelle Steimer
Director of Veteran and Military Student Services
View Bio
Charles Stoddard
Grant Program Manager and Training Coordinator and Assistant Director of Veteran and Military Student Services
View Bio
Dennis Winkler
Assistant Professor of Graduate Counseling
View Bio