Social Current

Advancing EDI for a More Perfect Union (May Session)
2023-05-04 11:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Register: May Session

Session Dates: May 4 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. ET, and May 11, 18 from 1-5 p.m. ET
Understanding how to build an inclusive and equitable culture is the task of every leader within an organization and is essential in building a perfect union. With the backdrop of voices pushing against a ‘woke’ culture and an ever-increasing need to raise the banner for justice on every front, advancing organizational equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is more critical than ever. The need for leaders across sectors, especially the social sector, to understand and engage the current environment is essential in creating an equitable society for all.
This journey begins by ensuring all people feel valued at work. It mandates the co-creation of an inclusive workforce that can foster a healthy, productive, and peaceful society where all people can reach their full potential. The journey continues by establishing a culture that supports equity for long-term, sustainable change by challenging the inequitable systems which marginalize, disconnect, and dismiss individuals from access and full participation in economic mobility and prosperity.
During this three-part virtual workshop presented by Social Current, participants will explore their relationships with EDI in a safe environment and make progress on developing an EDI action plan for their organizations.
Because advancing EDI requires more than just basic knowledge and the will to improve, presenters will help participants acknowledge their biases and the role of historical discrimination, non-inclusive behavioral actions, and culture in creating an unjust society. The workshop will include presentations of valuable information, facilitated discussions, and reflection opportunities.
Workshop Goals

Increase understanding of building an equitable and inclusive culture.
Understand the need to build psychological safety amongst teams, identify individual biases, and understand the role of inequitable systems.
Explore your relationship with EDI in a safe environment.

Who Should Participate

Staff responsible for diversity, equity, and inclusion
Human resources professionals
Organizational development professionals
Executives
Board members
Executive search firms

Presenters

Jerica Broeckling

EDI Consultant
Social Current

Romero Davis

Senior Program Manager
Social Current

Undraye Howard, PhD

Vice President of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Engagement
Social Current

Phyllis Richards

Director of EDI and Research
Social Current

Deb Smith

Executive Coordinator for the President/CEO
Program Manager, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Social Current

Sheryl White, PhD

Vice President of Training and Organizational Development
Neighborhood House Association

On the Road: NatCon23
2023-05-01 00:00 - 23:59
NatCon23: Momentum
May 1-3

Join us at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing’s conference in Los Angeles. Learn more and register for the event here.
Are you attending this event?
Come say hello to our staff at booth 616 and/or attend one of their sessions:
A13 – Leading Through Constraint: Successful Strategies for Surviving and Thriving

SC Presenter: Jody Levison-Johnson
Monday, May 1 from 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Location: 403 B, Level 2

B5 – Equity and Psychological Safety: The Necessity of Leveraging the Art of Being Uncomfortable

SC Presenters: Romero Davis and Undraye Howard
Monday, May 1 from 4:15-5:15 p.m.
Location: 502 B, Level 2

C7 – Creating Momentum in Challenging Times Through Accreditation

SC Presenter: Joe Perrow
Tuesday, May 2 from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: 304 ABC, Level 2

About the Event
Three days of leadership-building, organization-boosting learning from the best minds in health care –that’s what awaits you at NatCon23 from May 1-3 in Los Angeles, California. Join us for the largest conference in mental health and substance use treatment as we celebrate our shared commitment to transform communities and save lives.

Building a “How Might We?” Culture: Using Human-Centered Design to Strengthen Performance and Quality Management
2023-04-26 12:00 - 13:00
Register

As a follow up from the popular SPARK 2022 conference presentation, leaders from Congreso de Latinos Unidos will dive deeper into how they use human-centered design as a key component of their performance management and quality improvement strategy. This webinar will highlight several elements of Congreso’s homegrown design toolkit to demonstrate how they overlay client and staff experience in programs with data for progression towards outcomes. Congreso’s unique strategy couples design and experimentation to identify and test program and operational enhancements to increase performance.
In addition to being a learning opportunity, this webinar will also offer networking and discussion. Attendees will be given time to discuss their own current or potential strategies for incorporating design and innovation culture to improve performance management.
Takeaways

How Congreso applied key concepts in human-centered design to their performance and quality improvement strategies
Identify the impacts of shifting from a compliance culture to a culture of innovation, considering the experience of both staff and individuals served
Review Congreso’s human-centered design toolkit and discuss how it might be supportive to goals related to quality improvement and organizational culture

Who Should Participate

Executive and senior leaders
Performance and quality improvement professionals
Leaders in program design and innovation
Research and evaluation leaders
Grants management professionals
Program/department directors and managers

Presenters

Brendan Conlin

Chief Program Officer
Congreso de Latinos Unidos

Biography

Brendan Conlin
Chief Program Officer
Congreso de Latinos Unidos

Brendan Conlin is chief program officer (CPO) at Congreso. In this capacity, he oversees the agency’s three programmatic divisions; Education and Workforce Services, Healthcare Services, Family and Housing Services, as well as the agency’s new Innovation Manager. Since his start with Congreso in 2009 as an English as second language instructor, Conlin has risen through the various programmatic levels of the organization, including serving as the director of adult education and vice president of education and workforce services.
Conlin’s role as CPO is to drive Congreso’s strategic plan, titled Mission 2 Impact, to carry out Congreso’s mission to move clients towards economic self-sufficiency and wellbeing. Specifically, his work focuses on developing the infrastructure and capacity for using social innovation techniques to enhance Congreso’s services by embedding human-centered design and lean impact methods into the organization’s program design strategy. These methods help Congreso continuously analyze their 40+ programs for optimal effectiveness and client value, empowering teams to use rapid experimentation and innovation techniques to drive measurable impact for families.
In addition to serving as CPO at Congreso, he represents the organization and the needs of Congreso’s community across with city, overseeing its partnerships with Philadelphia Works, Inc., Philadelphia Youth Network, Lenfest Foundation, Eastern State Penitentiary, Penn State Abington, Harcum College, Temple University and other leading institutions throughout the region. He is most excited about how his work can influence systems affecting youth on the cusp of leaving school and gaining access to higher education and the workforce.
Most recently, Conlin launched Congreso’s first homegrown, web-based human-centered design toolkit within the agency and looks forward to continuing to optimize service delivery for Congreso’s clients, employees and community.

Jamie Hughes

Vice President of Programmatic Development
Congreso de Latinos Unidos

Biography

Jamie Hughes
Vice President of Programmatic Development
Congreso de Latinos Unidos

Jamie Hughes is Congreso’s vice president of programmatic development. In this role, she oversees Congreso’s grants team and grantwriting efforts, as well as works closely with agency leadership on mission to impact projects and vision to drive Congreso’s growth strategy. Hughes also works closely with Congreso’s administrative teams to maximize agency operations and systems for efficiency, including budgeting and contract management.
Hughes started at Congreso as an AmeriCorps VISTA member in the education and workforce services division, working with the adult education department to expand GED and English as a second language classes and testing programs. Since that initial role, she has served as education and workforce services division manager and most recently director of programmatic development to support the agency in a variety of programmatic and administrative capacities.
Prior to working at Congreso, Hughes worked for a nonprofit community development organization in the Dominican Republic for several years, working with communities across the country in education, health, and water system projects. She holds a BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies from American University in Washington DC, as well as certificates for Spanish and medical Spanish translation.

Introduction to COA Accreditation
2023-04-18 15:00 - 15:30, 2023-03-23 15:00 - 15:30, 2023-02-23 15:00 - 15:30
Register

This free 30-minute webinar provides an introduction to Social Current and COA Accreditation. It is perfect for anyone seeking accreditation for the first time, interested in what is required to become accredited, or mandated to become accredited by state or federal legislation. Participants will gain an understanding of the key concepts that define COA Accreditation, the steps toward becoming accredited, and the benefits of accreditation. There will also be a Q&A portion for us to answer any questions you might have.
Takeaways

What is the value of accreditation
What is the accreditation process
How to become accredited

Who Should Participate
Anyone who is interested in learning more about accreditation for their organization, whether it be first-time accreditation or reaccreditation.

Joe Perrow

Network Growth Manager
Social Current

Biography

Joe Perrow
Network Growth Manager
Social Current

Joe Perrow is the network growth manager for accreditation services at Social Current. His role allows him to work closely with organizations that are seeking accreditation for the first time by helping them to navigate standards, establish a timeline, and proactively prepare for the process. Perrow has a master’s in business administration from Campbell University and more than eight years’ experience in business development, marketing, and partner management.

Taking Back Your Narrative: About the New Congress
2023-03-22 14:00 - 15:00
Watch Recording

Taking Back Your Narrative is an exciting new webinar series from Social Current’s Public Policy & Government Relations office. This series will empower social sector organizations, staff, and volunteers to transform their expertise, lived experience, and passions into an effective advocacy strategy to create local, regional, and national change.
This webinar, the second in the series, will offer novice and seasoned policy and change advocates a concise and practical overview of the 118th U.S. Congress, including tips and tricks to advocate and educate members of Congress effectively.
Sessions in this Series

Advocacy 101 for the Social Sector: Feb. 22 from 2-3 p.m. ET
About the New Congress: March 22 from 2-3 p.m. ET
Policy Briefing (Topic TBD by the Network): May 2 from 2-3 p.m. ET

Takeaways

A fundamental understanding of the structure and political dynamics that animate the 118th Congress
Tips for being more comfortable when educating members of Congress and discussing social sector topics
About Social Current’s 2022-2024 federal policy agenda and how it is being implemented in the 118th Congress

Who Should Participate

Social Sector staff and volunteers with responsibility for or interest in federal policy advocacy.

Presenters

Blair Abelle-Kiser, Ph.D. (She/Her)

Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Biography

Blair Abelle-Kiser, Ph.D. (She/Her)
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Blair Abelle-Kiser is the senior director of government affairs at Social Current. She joined Social Current in 2022 after working in health policy on Capitol Hill, the nonprofit sector, and as a biomedical researcher. Before public service, Abelle-Kiser spent several years as a medical research scientist on several industry and NIH-funded projects. Her work focused on developing research projects and clinical trials to improve the lives of African Americans with Sickle Cell Disease.
She earned a doctorate in biomedical science from Morehouse School of Medicine in 2017 and a bachelor’s in biology from the University of Kentucky in 2011.

Maximize Your Social Current Engagement: Learning and Professional Development
2023-02-28 14:30 - 15:15
Register

Join this session to learn how you can support your staff’s professional development through Social Current—our online learning platform contains more than 100 courses in a variety of formats. Our offerings are aligned in key areas for advancing the impact of the social sector, such as equity, diversity, and inclusion; performance and quality improvement; COA Accreditation training; and more. To help you develop yourself and your team, we offer webinars, on-demand courses, workshops, blended learning, and in-person learning cohorts.
Social Current provides a robust set of learning solutions to support community-based organizations. From individual professional development opportunities to enterprise learning solutions, we can fill your learning needs.
2023 Social Current Engagement Webinar Series
Join us to learn how your organization’s team can benefit from a Social Current engagement package and the exciting opportunities that connect you with colleagues across the network. All staff at organizations with 2022 Social Current Engagement Packages—and those interested in learning more—are encouraged to participate in this webinar.
In addition to delving into the month’s featured topic, we will preview any new or soon-to-be-released products, services, tools, and engagement opportunities. This webinar will include ample time for Q&A, as you explore ways to maximize the engagement experience for your organization and colleagues.
Takeaways

Overview of the online learning platform
Overview of the Learning Exchange, which features courses developed by community-based organizations, for community-based organizations
How we can assist in promoting your courses to our national network; Social Current is especially interested in disseminating learning that has CEUs available, including NASW, APA, etc.

Who Should Participate

Any staff at organizations that have Social Current Engagement Packages
Any staff at organizations interested in Social Current Engagement Packages

Presenters

Linda Freeman

Director of Network Engagement
Social Current

Raquelle Solon

Learning Solutions Manager
Social Current

Taking Back Your Narrative: Advocacy 101 for the Social Sector
2023-02-22 14:00 - 15:00
Watch Recording

Taking Back Your Narrative is an exciting new webinar series from Social Current’s Public Policy & Government Relations office. This series will empower social sector organizations, staff, and volunteers to transform their expertise, lived experience, and passions into an effective advocacy strategy to create local, regional, and national change.
This webinar, the first in the series, will offer novice and seasoned policy and change advocates the chance to learn and grow in their advocacy skills. The first half of the session will include an overview of the U.S. Congress, the Social Current Public Policy and Government Relations Office, and Social Current’s 2022-2024 federal policy agenda. The second half of the presentation will feature a hands-on workshop to help participants turn expertise, lived experience, and passions into a novel and dynamic communication and advocacy strategy that can be applied in a variety of settings.
Sessions in this Series

Advocacy 101 for the Social Sector: Feb. 22 from 2-3 p.m. ET
About the New Congress: March 22 from 2-3 p.m. ET
Policy Briefing (Topic TBD by the Network): May 2 from 2-3 p.m. ET (Registration Coming Soon)

Takeaways

A fundamental understanding of the structure and function of the U.S. Congress, including its purpose, membership, and duties
An understanding of the Social Current Public Policy & Government Relations Office, including its staff, function, and responsibilities
Familiarity with the 2023 Social Current Federal Policy Agenda
A practical understanding of advocacy and how to translate expertise and lived experience into a powerful advocacy strategy

Who Should Participate

Social Sector staff and volunteers with responsibility for or interest in federal policy advocacy.

Presenters

Blair Abelle-Kiser, Ph.D. (She/Her)

Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Biography

Blair Abelle-Kiser, Ph.D. (She/Her)
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Blair Abelle-Kiser is the senior director of government affairs at Social Current. She joined Social Current in 2022 after working in health policy on Capitol Hill, the nonprofit sector, and as a biomedical researcher. Before public service, Abelle-Kiser spent several years as a medical research scientist on several industry and NIH-funded projects. Her work focused on developing research projects and clinical trials to improve the lives of African Americans with Sickle Cell Disease.
She earned a doctorate in biomedical science from Morehouse School of Medicine in 2017 and a bachelor’s in biology from the University of Kentucky in 2011.

Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI) — Sold Out
2023-02-06 13:30 - 16:30
This session is sold-out. Please see below for additional dates and register today.
This performance and quality improvement (PQI) training is designed to help organizations pursuing COA Accreditation develop a comprehensive approach to a quality improvement process that will advance an efficient and effective service delivery system and enhance organizational capacity to deliver quality services. This training will demonstrate how quality improvement is a catalyst for successful achievement of strategic goals and program outcomes.
COA Accreditation is offered as a service of Social Current. Learn more about COA Accreditation and how to get started online.
Takeaways

What it means to be outcomes focused
How to develop strong outcome statements
How to use logic models to outline program goals and client outcomes
Main components of a PQI process

Who Should Participate

Organization primary contacts
Senior leaders at organizations seeking COA Accreditation
Other staff involved in an organization’s accreditation process

Additional 2023 COA Accreditation Trainings

Oct

5

9:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT

Intensive Accreditation Training (IAT)

Oct

5

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT

Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI)

Dec

1

10:00 am – 1:00 pm EST

Intensive Accreditation Training (IAT)

Dec

1

1:30 pm – 4:30 pm EST

Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI)

View Calendar

Intensive Accreditation Training (IAT) -- Sold Out
2023-02-06 10:00 - 13:00
This session is sold-out. Please see below for additional dates and register today.
The Intensive Accreditation Training (IAT) is designed to prepare organizations to get the most out of their COA Accreditation experience. Topics discussed in this training include:

An in-depth overview of the COA Accreditation process, including key milestones
An overview of accreditation standards and the relationship between standards, evidence, and the rating indicators
How ratings are assigned by the volunteer review team and insight on the accreditation decision-making process
Tips on how to get organized and manage the work
How to prepare for the site visit

COA Accreditation is offered as a service of Social Current. Learn more about COA Accreditation and how to get started online.
Who Should Participate

Organization primary contacts
Senior leaders at organizations seeking COA Accreditation
Other staff involved in an organization’s accreditation process

Additional 2023 COA Accreditation Trainings

Oct

5

9:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT

Intensive Accreditation Training (IAT)

Oct

5

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT

Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI)

Dec

1

10:00 am – 1:00 pm EST

Intensive Accreditation Training (IAT)

Dec

1

1:30 pm – 4:30 pm EST

Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI)

View Calendar

Maximize Your Social Current Engagement: Learning and Professional Development
2023-01-25 12:00 - 12:45
Register

Join this session to learn how you can support your staff’s professional development through Social Current—our online learning platform contains more than 100 courses in a variety of formats. Our offerings are aligned in key areas for advancing the impact of the social sector, such as equity, diversity, and inclusion; performance and quality improvement; COA Accreditation preparation; and more. To help you develop yourself and your team, we offer webinars, on-demand courses, workshops, blended learning, and in-person learning cohorts.
Social Current provides a robust set of learning solutions to support community-based organizations. From individual professional development opportunities to enterprise learning solutions, we can fill your learning needs.
2023 Social Current Engagement Webinar Series
Join us to learn how your organization’s team can benefit from a Social Current engagement package and the exciting opportunities that connect you with colleagues across the network. All staff at organizations with 2022 Social Current Engagement Packages—and those interested in learning more—are encouraged to participate in this webinar.
In addition to delving into the month’s featured topic, we will preview any new or soon-to-be-released products, services, tools, and engagement opportunities. This webinar will include ample time for Q&A, as you explore ways to maximize the engagement experience for your organization and colleagues.
Register for upcoming webinars.

Jan. 25 at noon ET — Learning and Professional Development

Takeaways

Overview of the online learning platform
Overview of the Learning Exchange, which features courses developed by community-based organizations, for community-based organizations
How we can assist in promoting your courses to our national network; Social Current is especially interested in disseminating learning that has CEUs available, including NASW, APA, etc.

Who Should Participate

Any staff at organizations that have Social Current Engagement Packages
Any staff at organizations interested in Social Current Engagement Packages

Presenters

Linda Freeman

Director of Network Engagement
Social Current

Raquelle Solon

Learning Solutions Manager
Social Current

Core Strategies for Workforce Well-Being and Resilience
2023-01-24 14:00 - 15:00
Register

As workforce challenges continue to hinder human services organizations, leaders are searching for concrete action steps to support staff who are emotionally and physically exhausted. Though staff often enter the field excited to make a difference, it can be difficult to keep them connected to the vision and mission of the organization. Especially given the added stressors faced by direct service staff, organizations need proven approaches to address staff morale and mitigate the threat of high turnover.
During this webinar, Social Current’s experts on leadership excellence and trauma-informed, resilience-oriented approaches will outline the critical concepts of workforce resilience and well-being. They’ll touch on topics including:

Advancing a brain-science approach with staff
Building psychological safety
Strengthening a positive staff culture
Building connection in the workplace

Webinar participants will take away concrete strategies for increasing regulation, self-compassion, and connection. This webinar will preview the concepts and strategies that will be addressed in Social Current’s upcoming four-part webinar series, such as increasing accountability, managing conflict, nurturing relationships, embracing equity, and achieving excellence.
Takeaways

How regulation strategies can be practiced in the workplace to support wellness, especially in times of stress and challenge
Concrete action steps we can practice every day that build self-compassion, which is critical to well-being in the workplace
Why connection is the key to mobilizing an engaged and healthy workplace
Information about Social Current’s upcoming four-part webinar series, which will offer concrete guidance for building a foundation of well-being and resilience in your organization

Who Should Participate

Executive and senior leaders
Middle managers
Human resource staff
Staff with responsibility for EDI
Individuals who are champions for strengthening the workforce culture, regardless of their title, will also benefit. This guidance is relevant for all workforces across the human services ecosystem, including at the community, systems, government, and policy levels.

Presenters

Karen Johnson

Senior Director, Change in Mind Institute
Social Current

Kelly Martin

Director, Practice Excellence
Social Current

Strategies for Insuring the Sector
2023-01-18 12:00 - 13:00
Register

In February 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic reaching crisis levels, The Wall Street Journal wrote about the steady rising cost of insurance for U.S. businesses, highlighting an example of The Children’s Shelter in San Antonio, noting that their coverage premium went from $176,000 to an astonishing $750,000. That same month, the Insurance Journal outlined how carriers are getting out of certain markets in the nonprofit sector—including those who serve children and adults. Needless to say, the impact of those trends on community-based organizations’ risk management and sustainability since the start of the pandemic has not significantly improved.
What is the sector to do? The task and challenge of insuring nonprofit organizations is a complex one and agents, brokers, underwriters, and carrier representatives are more limited than ever for multiple reasons. This webinar from the Advancing Financial Sustainability SPARK Exchange will examine these challenges, including the state of insurance marketplace (where it’s going and where it’s been), where claims are originating from, the proper limits needed to protect your organization, corporate structure and risk mitigation, legislation and improved language, and how state governments and community-based organizations can work together.
About SPARK Exchange Groups
Social Current’s SPARK Exchanges unite social sector professionals around functional roles and key issue areas to collaborate, share, and/or access resources and solutions, discuss emerging trends, and receive policy updates and action opportunities.
Facilitated by staff at Social Current and led by a core team of group members, SPARK Exchanges provide specialized advice from peers throughout the country, as well as rich, timely content delivered through conference calls, webinars, discussion boards, and in-person and virtual networking events.
SPARK Exchanges are offered as a key benefit of Social Current’s engagement package. All staff at organizations that have enterprise-level engagement packages may join any of the SPARK Exchanges.
Takeaways

The driving factors behind the current market conditions impacting the nonprofit sector
How to position your organization for the best possible renewal outcome
Risk management best practices overview
How to get involved in advocacy opportunities

Who Should Participate

Engagement Package holders
Chief executives
CFOs
COOs

Presenters

Eric Beck

Senior Vice President and National Non-Profit Practice Leader
Marsh McLennan Agency

Biography

Eric Beck
Senior Vice President and National Non-Profit Practice Leader
Marsh McLennan Agency

Eric Beck joined Bouchard Insurance in 2003 and was invited into the ownership group in 2007. He became one of the majority shareholders and a board member. In February of 2019, Bouchard was acquired by Marsh McLennan Agency where he is a Senior Vice President and National Non-Profit Practice Leader. Prior to joining Bouchard Insurance, he worked in many social service settings, including residential group homes and as a teacher of severely emotionally disturbed middle school children.
Eric is active in many national and state non-profit associations and serve on numerous boards in leadership roles. He is the endorsed insurance agent for the Florida Association of Community Health Centers and the Florida Coalition for Children. Eric is a graduate of Leadership Pinellas and CEO Direct. He spends a lot of time working with clients to help defend their interests and funding sources. He regularly speaks at non-profit seminars on ways to reduce insurance costs and how to develop a sound risk management program. In 2016, 2017 and 2021 Eric was recognized as a top 100 insurance agent in the country by Business Insurance magazine.
He obtained his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Mississippi in 1996 and is certified in Adult Mental Health First Aid. He currently lives in Clearwater, FL with his wife Leah and their three children.

Introduction to COA Accreditation
2022-12-14 13:00 - 13:30, 2022-11-17 15:00 - 15:30, 2022-10-19 13:00 - 13:30
Register

This free 30-minute webinar provides an introduction to Social Current and COA Accreditation. It is perfect for anyone seeking accreditation for the first time, interested in what is required to become accredited, or mandated to become accredited by state or federal legislation.
Participants will gain an understanding of the key concepts that define COA Accreditation, the steps toward becoming accredited, and the benefits of accreditation. There will also be a Q&A portion for us to answer any questions you might have.

Presenter

Joe Perrow

Network Growth Manager
Social Current

Intensive Accreditation Training (IAT)
2022-12-12 13:30 - 16:30
Register

The Intensive Accreditation Training (IAT) is designed to prepare organizations to get the most out of their COA Accreditation experience. Topics discussed in this training include:

An in-depth overview of the COA Accreditation process, including key milestones
An overview of accreditation standards and the relationship between standards, evidence, and the rating indicators
How ratings are assigned by the volunteer review team and insight on the accreditation decision-making process
Tips on how to get organized and manage the work
How to prepare for the site visit

COA Accreditation is offered as a service of Social Current. Learn more about COA Accreditation and how to get started online.
2022 Intensive Accreditation Trainings
This training will be offered five times in 2022. Register now for any session:

Feb. 28
April 25
June 27
Sept. 15 in Baltimore as a post-conference session of SPARK 2022
Dec. 12

Who Should Participate

Organization primary contacts
Senior leaders at organizations seeking COA Accreditation
Other staff involved in an organization’s accreditation process

Maximize Your Social Current Engagement: Knowledge and Insights Center
2022-12-07 12:00 - 12:45
Register

Informing your work with relevant and trustworthy research is important—but it isn’t always easy to do. Information overload can be stressful. And exploring emerging data and trends can be time consuming. Luckily, the Social Current Knowledge and Insights Center can help.
Experienced librarians and other Social Current staff and partners with subject matter expertise provide professionals in the nonprofit social services sector with timely and useful information solutions. This includes on-demand, 24/7 access to thousands of online knowledge and resource assets, full-text articles, journals and publications, and real-world policies and procedures from social services organizations. Engaged organizations can also consult directly with librarians who provide reference services, such as research requests, subject compilations, and coaching to use information resources more effectively.
Join the Knowledge and Insights Center team for this session. They’ll provide an overview of services, instructions for using the online resources portal, and tips and tricks that make information searches and usage easier.
2022 Social Current Engagement Webinar Series
Join us to learn how your organization’s team can benefit from a Social Current engagement package and the exciting opportunities that connect you with colleagues across the network. All staff at organizations with 2022 Social Current Engagement Packages—and those interested in learning more—are encouraged to participate in this webinar.
In addition to delving into the month’s featured topic, we will preview any new or soon-to-be-released products, services, tools, and engagement opportunities. This webinar will include ample time for Q&A, as you explore ways to maximize the engagement experience for your organization and colleagues.
Register for upcoming webinars or download the recordings of past sessions.

Jan. 21 at 4 p.m. ET — Social Current Hub preview
Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. ET — Launch of the SPARK Exchanges
March 16 at 3:30 p.m. ET—Knowledge and Insights Center
April 21 at 12:30 p.m. ET — Public Policy Advocacy
May 20 2 p.m. ET — Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion offering
June 14 at 11:30 a.m. ET — Social Current Online HUB Demo
July 26 at 3 p.m. ET — Knowledge and Insights Center
Aug. 17 at 1 p.m. ET — SPARK Exchanges
Oct. 20 at 3:30 p.m. ET — Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion offering
Dec. 7 at noon ET — Knowledge and Insights Center

Takeaways

Recommendations on what types of information resources are best for specific needs
Tips and tricks on using business, research, and media databases effectively
Examples of reference requests that address specific organizational needs
Instructions on using the online resources portal
Q&A with Social Current staff

Who Should Participate

Any staff at organizations that have Social Current Engagement Packages
Any staff at organizations interested in Social Current Engagement Packages

Presenters

Kirstin Anderson

Director of Content Strategy
Social Current

Elizabeth Caldwell

Librarian
Social Current

Linda Freeman

Director of Network Engagement
Social Current

Cherie Yanek

Librarian
Social Current

Child Welfare’s 21st-Century Research Agenda: An Anti-Racist Approach to Child Neglect Investigations
2022-12-06 15:00 - 16:00
Register

This webinar will provide an historical and contemporary overview of child neglect and its link to structural racism in child welfare. Then, the presenter will engage the audience in variations of child neglect definitions and the nuanced interpretations in child neglect investigations. The presentation will conclude with strategies to address and combat racial bias in child neglect reporting and in the substantiation of these investigations.
The 21st-century research agenda for child welfare calls for addressing research gaps in the quality of child protective services (CPS) investigations. Specifically, we need to understand more about how child welfare is responding to allegations of neglect and how improvements can be made.

About the Webinar Series
This webinar is one session in Social Current’s five-part learning series on the 21st-century research agenda for child welfare.

Cutting through the Chaos by Reframing Childhood Adversity
Oct. 11 from Noon-1 p.m. ET
How Monthly Cash Gifts Are Fostering Infant Brain Development
Oct. 13 from 2-3 p.m. ET
Supporting Safe and Effective Investigations through Training Labs
Nov. 29 from 3-4:30 p.m. ET
Building Protective Factors through Family Resource Centers
Dec. 1 from 3-4:30 p.m. ET
An Anti-Racist Approach to Child Neglect Investigations
Dec. 6 from 3-4 p.m. ET

The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Casey Family Programs and the William T. Grant Foundation are leading an initiative, along with many partners, to identify research gaps related to community-based family support, child protective services, out-of-home care, and post-permanency services. The initiative is now working to conduct research, rooted in equity and co-designed by people with lived experience, to address these gaps and answer key questions, as well as increase the use of this research in decision making. Learn more about the 21st-century research agenda for child welfare online.
Takeaways

Historical overview of child neglect, poverty, and structural racism in child welfare
Variations of child neglect definitions in child welfare
How to address racial disparities in child welfare investigative policies/practices
Mandated reporting requirements
Recommendations/strategies to combat race bias in child neglect investigations

Who Should Participate

Social workers
Child welfare professionals
Law enforcement
Child welfare academic scholars
Individuals with lived experiences in child welfare system involvement

Presenter

Sherri Y. Simmons-Horton, Ph.D., LMSW

Assistant Professor
University of New Hampshire, Department of Social Work

Biography

Sherri Y. Simmons-Horton, Ph.D., LMSW
Assistant Professor
University of New Hampshire, Department of Social Work

Sherri Simmons-Horton is an assistant professor of social work at the University of New Hampshire. She has over 25 years of practice experience in the child welfare system, with a focus on addressing racial disparities present for Black children, youth, and families.
Simmons-Horton’s practice experience ranges from case management to supervision and consulting with private child-placing agencies in Texas. Her research focuses on youth involved in the juvenile justice and foster care systems (dual-status youth), systemic race inequities in the child welfare system, and resilience of Black youth and families. Simmons-Horton is an advisory board member with the Black Administrators in Child Welfare and a staunch child, family, and youth advocate, with a strong interest in practice and policy strategies to dismantle racial inequities oppressive practices in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

Child Welfare’s 21st-Century Research Agenda: Building Protective Factors through Family Resource Centers
2022-12-01 15:00 - 16:30
Register

During this webinar, participants will learn about Family Resource Centers (FRCs), a key community-based prevention strategy utilized in 37 states and the District of Columbia. Presenters, including members of Hartford, Connecticut’s Parent Engagement Group, will introduce the framework and protective factors that FRCs help families build and discuss the role protective factors can play in parents’ lives.
The 21st-century research agenda for child welfare identifies the importance of community-based prevention strategies and the building of protective factors to reduce child maltreatment. The overall agenda calls for advancing equity and underscores that true transformation will only happen with meaningful engagement of those with lived expertise to inform and interpret research findings.
About the Webinar Series
This webinar is one session in Social Current’s five-part learning series on the 21st-century research agenda for child welfare.

Cutting through the Chaos by Reframing Childhood Adversity
Oct. 11 from Noon-1 p.m. ET
How Monthly Cash Gifts Are Fostering Infant Brain Development
Oct. 13 from 2-3 p.m. ET
Supporting Safe and Effective Investigations through Training Labs
Nov. 29 from 3-4:30 p.m. ET
Building Protective Factors through Family Resource Centers
Dec. 1 from 3-4:30 p.m. ET
An Anti-Racist Approach to Child Neglect Investigations
Dec. 6 from 3-4 p.m. ET

The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Casey Family Programs and the William T. Grant Foundation are leading an initiative, along with many partners, to identify research gaps related to community-based family support, child protective services, out-of-home care, and post-permanency services. The initiative is now working to conduct research, rooted in equity and co-designed by people with lived experience, to address these gaps and answer key questions, as well as increase the use of this research in decision making. Learn more about the 21st-century research agenda for child welfare online.
Takeaways

Gain insight into Family Resource Centers as community-based prevention strategies
Reflect on how the protective factors framework can enhance your work
Learn about what role you can play in carrying out a 21st-century research agenda

Who Should Participate

Child welfare professionals including caseworkers, investigators, managers, researchers, and other social sector professionals who interact with the child welfare system

Presenter

Andrew Russo

Co-Founder & Director
National Family Support Network
University of Kentucky

Biography

Andrew Russo
Co-Founder & Director
National Family Support Network
University of Kentucky

Andrew Russo co-founded the National Family Support Network in 2011 and served as its co-chair until 2015, when he was hired as its director and relocated to Washington, D.C. He has worked and volunteered in the nonprofit social service sector at the direct service, management, and network levels for more than 25 years in Boston, New York, Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Taiwan.
In those roles, he co-authored landmark documents in the family support field including the San Francisco Family Support Standards, San Francisco Family Support Network Policy Platform on Family Economic Success, and nationally adopted Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening & Support.
Russo earned his bachelor’s in East Asian languages and cultures from Columbia University and his master’s in pastoral counseling from Loyola University Chicago.

Delmarys Serrano

Lead Parent
Parent Engagement Group
Hartford, Connecticut, Child Safety Forward Site

Biography

Delmarys Serrano
Lead Parent
Parent Engagement Group
Hartford, Connecticut, Child Safety Forward Site

Delmarys Serrano is a lead parent for the Parent Engagement Work Group of the Hartford, Connecticut, Child Safety Forward demonstration project. Serrano brings over two decades of community activism and organizing, as well as lived experience to this project. She serves on the boards of directors of Hartford Parent University (HPU) and Charter Oak Cultural Center. Serrano has also been a Girl Scout leader and delegate for the last several years. Serrano is a certified Triple P Facilitator, holds a certification on People Empowering People through the University of Connecticut, and participated in a Family Development Credentials Training. Finally, Serrano earned an associate degree at Charter Oak State College.
A primary motivation for her dedicated work is that her cousin, known throughout the Connecticut Child Welfare system as “Baby Emily Hernandez,” was raped and murdered by her stepfather when she was nine months old, following several failed attempts by family members to get authorities to respond properly. Serrano has and continues to blaze trails in memory of Baby Emily.

Kayla Waters

Member
Parent Engagement Group
Hartford, Connecticut, Child Safety Forward Site

Biography

Kayla Waters
Member
Parent Engagement Group
Hartford, Connecticut, Child Safety Forward Site

Kayla Waters is a member of the Parent Engagement Work Group of the Hartford, Connecticut, site of the Child Safety Forward demonstration project. She is a mother who is a strong advocate for her daughter’s education as well as for children in her community. Waters works as a personal care assistant, helping people with disabilities. She has been involved in several community-based groups in Hartford. She has worked from the ground up, helping to start a local nonprofit. She is a familiar face to city and state policymakers and department administrators, consistently and compassionately speaking truth to power. Waters is an example of working pain into power and healing, having lost her seven-month-old son in 2021.

The Elephant in the Room: Addressing Trauma in Your Organization
2022-11-30 12:00 - 13:00
Register

The expression “the elephant in the room” is a metaphor for a problem that everyone acknowledges is there, but no one is sure exactly what it is or what to do. In every organization, trauma is an elephant.
This webinar will highlight the work of Children & Families First (CFF). This multi-service organization has been supporting children and families across Delaware for decades, forging strong relationships with schools and other community partners to offer a wide array of services. Learn how CCF is applying brain science and trauma-informed leadership practices to build resilience within their organization and community partners.
The presenters will review the tools and resources CFF has developed to help community partners learn and apply brain science concepts in their work. Webinar participants will also learn about CFF’s “LeadU” training curriculum, which is focused on applying brain science principles to best practices in staff supervision and development.
Takeaways

Learn about Children & Families First, and how their expertise in trauma-informed approaches is the foundation for partnerships across the state
How the organization is supporting community leaders, organizations, and schools in embedding key brain science concepts in their work
Key components of their LeadU training
How the CFF team can support your work

Who Should Participate
Stakeholders in the Social Current network who are contributing to educational success in their communities by supporting students, families, and schools.

Executive and senior leaders in strategic partnerships, HR/leadership development, and innovation
Management and supervisory staff
Program directors
Educators
School partners

Presenters

Kiera McGillivray, LMFT

Chief Program Officer of School-Based Initiatives
Children & Families First

Biography

Kiera McGillivray, LMFT
Chief Program Officer of School-Based Initiatives
Children & Families First

Kiera McGillivray is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the chief program officer for school-based initiatives with Children & Families First (CFF). She is trained in several trauma-focused modalities including Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Trauma-Informed Yoga, Trauma Focused Expressive Arts Therapy, and Child-Centered Play Therapy with Neurorelational Emphasis. McGillivray has more than eight years of experience working with children and families in settings ranging from couple and family outpatient therapy to school-based counseling.
McGillivray earned her master’s in marriage and family therapy from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she later served as an adjunct instructor teaching undergraduate students on Contemporary Families. She is published in internationally peer-reviewed journals on the topics of trauma and children, and has presented to military personnel, clinicians, educators, law enforcement, and victim service professionals on trauma, children, EDI, resilience, and ethics. McGillivray is also a clinical supervisor, advisor to the LeadU and Workforce Resilience initiatives at CCF, and co-chair of the Brain Science Training Institute at CCF.

Shannon Fisch, LCSW

Compliance & Accreditation Manager
Children & Families First

Biography

Shannon Fisch, LCSW
Compliance & Accreditation Manager
Children & Families First

Shannon Fisch is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Delaware and is the compliance & accreditation manager for Children & Families First. Fisch received her post graduate certification in trauma from Widener University and her nonprofit management certification from University of Delaware. Fisch is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and several other trauma-informed treatment models.
Fisch has presented to clinicians, educators, public defenders, and human services personnel on the topic of trauma, adverse childhood experiences, and resilience. She is also a trainer for multiple evidence-based treatment and case management models. Fisch is an avid volunteer in her profession, currently serving as secretary and previously serving as the treasurer and president for the National Association of Social Workers – Delaware Chapter. Fisch is also a clinical supervisor and co-chair of the Brain Science Training Institute.

Building a Resilient Workforce: Embed Brain Science
2022-11-29 15:00 - 16:30
Register

Organizations that Have an Enterprise Engagement Package and/or Achieved COA Accreditation:

$50 per session

Other Organizations:

$65 per session
$235 for the entire series (use discount BUNDLE25 – series must be purchased in one transaction to obtain the discount)

The human services field has made strides in raising awareness around the urgency of building healthy brains in new babies and young children. Early childhood resilience strategies such as “serve and return” are now commonly built into trainings and practice. However, the field has been slow to translate emerging brain science into learnings and practices with adults and our workforce.
To be well at work, especially in complex and stressful settings, we need to understand basic brain concepts and embrace practices and behaviors that support optimal brain functioning. Stress, distress, and trauma interrupt our ability to access our “thinking brain” and, without intervention, keep us in our survival or lower brain, where we struggle to think, problem solve, focus, or manage conflict.
Regulation, a basic strategy for calming our lower brain, is integral to a health workforce. Practicing brain-based interventions, such as Dr. Bruce Perry’s sequence of engagement – regulate, relate, reason (3 Rs), helps us achieve better outcomes. Our staff will experience increased trust, stronger relationships, candid conversations, and more accountability.
This webinar, the first session in the Workforce Well-Being and Resilience learning series, focuses on the importance of embracing brain science awareness in our work settings. We explore the neurobiology of stress, distress and trauma, the arousal continuum, and strategies for practicing daily regulation activities at work and building a brain friendly culture that leads to resilience and success.
About the Webinar Series
As workforce challenges continue to hinder human services organizations, leaders are searching for concrete action steps to support staff who are emotionally and physically exhausted. Though staff often enter the field excited to make a difference, it can be difficult to keep them connected to the vision and mission of the organization.
This four-part webinar series will delve into core strategies and tactics for supporting staff, such as increasing accountability, managing conflict, nurturing relationships, embracing equity, and achieving excellence. Sessions in this series:

Embed Brain Science: Feb. 21 from 2-3 p.m. ET
Foster Candidness through Psychological Safety: March 21 from 2-3 p.m. ET
Create Culture around Shared Values: April 27 from 2-3 p.m. ET
Integrate Connection and Community: May 16 from 2-3 p.m. ET

Takeaways

Brain science concepts and strategies to increase resilience in the workplace
State dependent functioning and the arousal continuum, and their application to daily work
Practical tools and strategies for increasing regulation
Strategies for building a brain friendly culture that enhances our optimal functioning at work

Who Should Participate

Executive and senior leaders
Middle managers
Human resource staff
Staff with responsibility for EDI

Individuals who are champions for strengthening the workforce culture, regardless of their title, will benefit. This guidance is relevant for all workforces across the human services ecosystem, including at the community, systems, government, and policy levels.

Presenter

Karen Johnson

Senior Director, Change in Mind Insitute
Social Current

Kelly Martin

Director, Practice Excellence
Social Current

Child Welfare’s 21st-Century Research Agenda: Supporting Safe and Effective Investigations through Training Labs
2022-11-29 15:00 - 16:30
Register

Child protective services (CPS) can become more effective by investing in a safety culture, where mistakes made by child welfare workers are seen as opportunities to learn and improve. This webinar will discuss efforts to advance safety culture in child protection, including the University of Illinois Springfield’s simulation lab for training investigators. The two training labs, including a mock courtroom, are designed to offer a supportive and safe environment for training students, investigators, law enforcement, and other first responders to identify and respond in cases of child maltreatment.
Webinar participants also will learn about Cook County’s Project CHILD, national demonstration initiative to reduce child abuse and neglect fatalities and injuries through a collaborative, community-based approach. It is funded by the Department of Justice, with technical assistance led by Social Current. In addition, a professional with lived experience will address the importance of well-trained CPS staff.
Effective CPS investigations and contact with families is a component of the 21st-century research agenda for child welfare. It also focuses on equity and the value of lived experience in informing and interpreting research findings.
About the Webinar Series
This webinar is one session in Social Current’s five-part learning series on the 21st-century research agenda for child welfare.

Cutting through the Chaos by Reframing Childhood Adversity
Oct. 11 from Noon-1 p.m. ET
How Monthly Cash Gifts Are Fostering Infant Brain Development
Oct. 13 from 2-3 p.m. ET
Supporting Safe and Effective Investigations through Training Labs
Nov. 29 from 3-4:30 p.m. ET
Building Protective Factors through Family Resource Centers
Dec. 1 from 3-4:30 p.m. ET
An Anti-Racist Approach to Child Neglect Investigations
Dec. 6 from 3-4 p.m. ET

The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Casey Family Programs and the William T. Grant Foundation are leading an initiative, along with many partners, to identify research gaps related to community-based family support, child protective services, out-of-home care, and post-permanency services. The initiative is now working to conduct research, rooted in equity and co-designed by people with lived experience, to address these gaps and answer key questions, as well as increase the use of this research in decision making. Learn more about the 21st-century research agenda for child welfare online.
Takeaways

Gain insight into safety culture in child protection
Reflect on strategies such as simulation labs to improve investigations
Learn about what role you can play in carrying out a 21st-century research agenda

Who Should Participate

Child welfare professionals including caseworkers, investigators, managers, researchers, and other social sector professionals who interact with the child welfare system

Presenter

Michael Cull

Associate Professor of Health Management and Policy
College of Public Health
University of Kentucky

Biography

Michael Cull
Associate Professor of Health Management and Policy
College of Public Health
University of Kentucky

Michael Cull is the associate professor of Health Management and Policy in the College of Public Health at the University of Kentucky. He is also an associate director in the Center for Innovation in Population Health. Cull’s work focuses on quality improvement and system reform efforts in child welfare jurisdictions. He has specific expertise in applying safety science to improve safety, reliability, and effectiveness in organizations. His approach leverages tools like organizational assessment and systems analysis of critical incidents, including deaths and near deaths, to build team culture and help systems learn and get better.

Verleaner R. Lane

Project Director
Project CHILD

Biography

Verleaner R. Lane
Project Director
Project CHILD

Verleaner R. Lane is the project director for Project CHILD as a visiting project specialist and contracted employee within the Institute for Legal, Legislative, and Policy Studies (ILLAPS) at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Lane has over 32 years of child welfare experience, working with children and families.
Lane is the author of Why Didn’t He See the Beauty in Me? In 2018, she started her own motivational speaking company Pour into V’s Vessel Inc. Lane is a dedicated member of St. John Missionary Baptist Church, “a church where everybody is somebody.” She is a proud alumnus of Lane Technical High School where she continues to work with the Black Alumni raising monies for scholarships.
Lane completed her undergraduate work at Northern Illinois University, where she obtained a bachelor’s in sociology/criminology. While at NIU she was the president of Northern Black Choir. She attended graduate studies at Governor State University with a master’s in early childhood education.

Gaelin Elmore

Professional Speaker
Gaelin Speaks

Biography

Gaelin Elmore
Professional Speaker
Gaelin Speaks

From spending more than 10 years of his life in the foster care system to playing college football and eventually signing an NFL contract, Gaelin Elmore was driven by one singular thing—the need and desire to belong. That same desire fuels and drives his work today as a national speaker, facilitator, lived experience expert, consultant, and belonging champion. Only now, he is driven for the belonging of others! Through his unique perspective, Elmore has already inspired tens of thousands of people across the country to think differently about the work they do and its long-term impact. Elmore currently lives in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, where he gets to live out his dream as husband to his wife, Micaela, and #GirlDad to their two daughters, Laniah and Tatum.

Betsy Goulet

Clinical Assistant Professor
University of Illinois Springfield

Coordinator
UIS Child Advocacy Studies Program (CAST)

Biography

Betsy Goulet
Clinical Assistant Professor
University of Illinois Springfield

Coordinator
UIS Child Advocacy Studies Program (CAST)

Betsy Goulet is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS), Coordinator of the UIS Child Advocacy Studies Program (CAST), the academic program lead for the human services graduate program in the School of Public Management and Policy, where she has taught for 10 years.
For over 30 years, Goulet has worked in child protection, serving as the founding director of the Sangamon County Child Advocacy Center and working as the children’s policy advisor to the Illinois attorney general. Through a contract with the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services, Goulet developed a new model for child protection training that emphasizes experiential learning and the use of a residential simulation lab and mock courtroom on the UIS campus.
In 2020, the Capacity Building Center for States, part of the Children’s Bureau, created a new website for simulation training, featuring the UIS Training Academy. Goulet also serves as the principal investigator for an OVC Grant with Cook County Public Health focused on reducing childhood fatalities.

Live at the Virtual Barbershop: Misconceptions, Stereotypes and Truths of Black Fatherhood
2022-11-18 14:00 - 15:30
Register

Join us at the virtual barbershop as we talk about life … REAL life. Being Black in America means many things, but one of the most prevalent issues is experiencing racism daily on multiple fronts. From standard microaggressions on up to direct confrontations, the men who’ll be waiting on their haircuts at our barbershop have experienced it all.
Parenthood through the Lens of the Black Dad: The Misconceptions, Stereotypes, and Truths of Black Fatherhood
We must consider how culture has shaped fatherhood in families and name the misconceptions and stereotypes. These misconceptions and stereotypes often create barriers for fathers in need, especially in communities of color.
For centuries, there have been institutional barriers facing fathers, as well as common beliefs that family only includes mother and child, and that the father is just a “provider.” The importance of Black fathers is often overlooked and minimized.
In addition to discussing the these challenges this virtual barbershop will discuss the positive traits of Black fathers that often get ignored or misperceived. For example, the narrative of the “absent Black father” continues to live in the minds of most, like many other racial stereotypes.
Join African American male leaders from the sector as they dive into the value of Black fathers and discuss the long-lasting effects of systemic oppression, roles and norms of fatherhood, and the challenges of being a Black father. They will also discuss the joys, stories, and lessons learned from personal experiences and how community-based organizations can rethink strategies around supporting Black fathers and their families.
About the Virtual Barbershop
The barbershop is the one of the few safe places where Black men feel very comfortable in having candid conversations on just about anything. All over America, the barbershop continues to serve as a second home and place of refuge, healing, and compassion for Black men.
This virtual space will feature several Black male executives from around the country, sharing their experiences and recommendations for advancing anti-racist leadership and championing equity-focused action in human services organizations. Just like in any barbershop, anyone is welcome to drop in at any time based on their availability and interest.
Catch Up with the Barbers on Previous Visits

Black Men in Leadership—From Conversation to Sustainable Action
Leading Positive Change amid Social and Political Unrest
Black Male Executives on COVID-19
Addressing COVID-19 Disparities and the Vaccine Rollout
Building Family Resilience by Supporting Black Fathers
Supporting Black Students in the Classroom

Takeaways

Separating the stereotypes and truths of Black fathers
The importance of supporting fathers through family supporting services
How the current systems affect Black fathers today
Strategies to advocate, support, and give voice to Black fathers
Recognizing the strength and protective factors in Black fathers

Who Should Participate

Executives
Directors
Program managers
Human resources staff
Board members

The Barbers

Undraye P. Howard

Senior Director and Special Advisor to the CEO for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Social Current

Romero Davis

Senior Program Manager for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Engagement
Social Current

Waiting on a Haircut

Raphael Holloway

CEO
Gateway Center in Atlanta

Claude A. Robinson Jr.

Executive Vice President of External Affairs and Diversity
UCAN in Chicago

George Winn

COO
The Children’s Center in Detroit

Jesse McLean

Executive Director of Western Pennsylvania and Northeast Ohio
Pressley Ridge in Pittsburgh

Jonathan Palmer

Executive Director
Hallie Q. Brown Community Center in St. Paul, Minnesota

Julius Mullen Sr.

Executive Director
BASSE in Georgetown, Delaware

Reyahd D.J. Kazmi

Director of Business and Government Strategies
National Youth Advocate Program in Columbus, Ohio

Living a Meaningful Life: Focusing on You and Your Future
2022-11-14 11:00 - 12:30
Register

Because those in human services spend so much of their lives helping others and trying to have a positive impact on their communities, it is important to also practice self-awareness and be in tune with your own core values. This is challenging work, so we must try to identify and gravitate toward tasks, roles, and opportunities that give us energy. It is never too early to begin the process of designing a life beyond your current full-time work commitments. For leaders, particularly those beginning to think about retiring, this webinar will offer dedicated time and support in identifying and focusing on your values and priorities. As you look ahead and wonder what’s next, the question of what your life will look like and how to get there doesn’t need to feel daunting.
Through a short exercise that participants will complete before the webinar and with personalized guidance from presenter Harry Muir, you will begin to gain new perspective on your “work view” and “life view.” With this knowledge and skills used by design engineers to solve complex problems, you’ll learn how to envision a life’s work that aligns with your core values and gives you energy and meaning.
This webinar and 2023 online course start with the premise that we all need to take time to examine our lives, identify what is important to us, and consider how best to align our gifts and talents with the work we are doing and lives we are living. They also encourage us to consider that, with our many gifts, talents, experiences, and interests, there are multiple ways to continue to serve—possibly in ways we have never imagined.
This webinar is a precursor to a six-part online course that will start in early 2023. Participants will begin building foundations for a fulfilling career or second acts path. This webinar is offered through Social Current’s Executive Leadership Institute (ELI).
Takeaways

Outline your personal core values
Identify the work tasks that give you energy
How to align these elements with a meaningful work and life path beyond your current work
Create a personal “work life vision” plan for the next three to five years or your Second Act
Learn about the Second Acts: Designing My Life online course and complete the first course component if you choose to enroll

Who Should Participate
Anyone could benefit from this webinar, as participants will identify their core values and how their work and life views integrate, as well as draft a vision statement for the next three to five years.
However, the target audience is formal and informal leaders in human services who are asking themselves any of the following questions:

Is this all there is (in terms of their work and life relationships)?
Is my life/work making a difference?
Will I ever be able to do anything outside of or different from what my resume suggests?
What does the next three to five years of my life look like?
What am I going to do once my full-time work is done, or in my postretirement stage of life?
How could I better utilize my gifts and talents?
How can I live a well-lived, joyful life?

Presenters

Harry Muir

Encore Fellow
Lad Lake

Biography

Harry Muir
Encore Fellow
Lad Lake

Harry Muir teaches the Second Acts course for Social Current’s Executive Leadership Institute (ELI). Most recently, he taught a Second Acts life design course to 10 ELI mentors who, in turn, were able to share basic tenets of the course with their mentees. With a background in teaching educational leadership at the graduate level and providing staff development training in intergenerational communication, Muir brings over 20 years of teaching leadership development courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
After working in higher education for 40 years, he retired in January 2018. Two months later, he was engaged in his “Second Act,” promoting sustainable culture change at Lad Lake. In this role, he coordinated their intergenerational volunteer and college/university internship programs. Lad Lake is an organization that utilizes the talents of five generations within its workforce to achieve its mission.
While working at a community college in Tucson, Arizona, Muir helped to create a curriculum for a workforce development program, which trained encore-aged adults looking to re-enter the workforce. The biggest components were intergenerational communication and how to build positive relationships in the workplace. Most recently, Muir helped to create and teach a faith-based curriculum designed to equip adults age 50+ as they prepare for a meaningful post-career life.
Muir, he earned his Ph.D. in higher education administration with an emphasis in community education at Kansas State University.

Media Engagement and Crisis Communications Training: Shifting to More Proactive Strategies
2022-11-09 12:00 - 13:30
Register

This training webinar will first explore basic media engagement techniques, including responding to media inquiries, moving to a more proactive approach to media engagement, understanding media terminology, and engaging in social media platforms.
The second half will focus on crisis communications for communications strategies geared toward child welfare organizations. It will cover common types of crises, how to prepare ahead of time, and tips for activating your crisis plan.
Takeaways

How to effectively respond to media inquiries
How to engage in more proactive media engagement activities with a goal of shaping media messages
A strong understanding of the processes that guide media engagement
A set of processes for managing crisis communications
A set of tools that enable media engagement

Who Should Participate

Communications directors and executives and public information officers who are tasked with responding to media inquiries and developing and implementing media strategies for their organizations, agencies, and jurisdictions.

Presenters

Jennifer Devlin

Communications Consultant
Social Current

Biography

Jennifer Devlin
Communications Consultant
Social Current

Jennifer Devlin is a communications consultant with more than 30 years of experience in strategic planning, communications, writing, and media relations. She specializes in communications strategies for child welfare and social sector organizations. She served as media specialist to the Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities, a role she held for more than two years in support of the commission’s efforts to issue a report to the president and Congress to reduce child abuse and neglect deaths. She currently serves as the technical assistance coordinator for communications for the Child Safety Forward initiative, a Department of Justice-funded demonstration initiative aimed at reducing child abuse and neglect fatalities and the National Partnership for Child Safety, a Casey Family Programs initiative. Previously she served in the White House as director of communications to Tipper Gore and press secretary to the Gore family.
Devlin currently serves as a member of the U.S. State Department’s American Speakers Bureau, providing communications training for American allies abroad. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in speech communications and radio, television and motion pictures. She is listed in Who’s Who in Industry and Finance and Who’s Who of American Women.

Kasey Iranon

Senior Account Executive
RALLY

Biography

Kasey Iranon
Senior Account Executive
RALLY

Kasey Iranon (she/her) is a seasoned communications strategist who enjoys employing her experience in campaign management, research synthesis, and message development to advance social justice causes. Born and raised near Seattle, she is inspired every day by her clients who advocate for a more equitable and just Washington state. Iranon has worked on a wide range of projects and campaigns, including ones specific to racial and gender equity, fighting for reproductive justice, and finding solutions to homelessness. As a proud Asian-American and the granddaughter of immigrants, she believes in the transformative power of storytelling to uplift the strength and resilience of diverse communities.

Jared Robinson

Account Executive
RALLY

Biography

Jared Robinson
Account Executive
RALLY

Jared Robinson is a communications strategist using his experience in storytelling, coalition management, event planning, and project management to fight for progress. Born and raised in Olympia, Washington, Robinson has worked in partnership with Washington-based organizations on issues ranging from education equity and child welfare to global environmental conservation. Inspired by his time working alongside nonprofits, schools, governments, and foundations, Robinson brings a tailored, community-based approach to his work and understands the value of uplifting diverse voices when advocating for change. In his free time, you’ll find Jared playing strategy games, enjoying local breweries, and exploring the Pacific Northwest.

Advancing EDI for a More Perfect Union (November Session)
2022-11-01 12:00 - 16:00
Register: November Session

Register: IDI

Session Dates: Nov. 1, 8, 15 from Noon-4 p.m. ET

Workshop: $650
Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI®): $288

Given the continued emergence of an interconnected society, an ever-evolving pandemic, calls for racial and social justice along with heightened polarization across many fronts, building organizational capacity for advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion is more critical than ever. The need for leaders across sectors, and especially within the social sector, to understand and engage the current environment is essential in building an equitable society for all.
This journey begins by ensuring all people feel valued at work. It mandates the co-creation of an inclusive workforce that can foster the development of a healthy, productive, and peaceful society in which all people can participate and reach their full potential. The journey continues with building a culture that supports equity for long-term sustainable change and engaging the inequitable systems, which marginalizes, disconnects, and dismisses individuals from having access and full participation in reaching economic mobility and prosperity.
During this three-part virtual workshop presented by Social Current, participants will explore their relationships with equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in a safe environment and make progress on developing an EDI action plan for their organizations.
Because advancing EDI requires more than just basic knowledge and the will to improve, presenters will help participants understand their own biases and the role of historical discrimination, non-inclusive behavioral actions, and culture in creating an unjust society.
The workshop will include presentations of valuable information, facilitated discussions, reflection opportunities, and dedicated planning time. In addition to learning about core concepts, participants will put ideas into action with facilitated planning time. Everyone will begin developing action plans for their organizations or build on existing plans. Organizations are encouraged to send multiple employees to build or work on current EDI plans for advancement.
About the Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI®)
To be equipped to advance equity within your community, organization, and beyond, it is essential to also understand and advance your personal journey. Enhance your participation in this workshop with the Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI®), which provides valuable and actionable information about your own mindset/skillset toward cultural difference and commonality. The IDI®, a 50-item online questionnaire, has been developed and tested using rigorous cross-culturally validated psychometric protocols with over 220,000 respondents from a wide range of cultural groups and countries.
Add this assessment to your workshop registration to receive practical and in-depth information. Individuals will receive a customized IDI® Individual Profile Report and participate in a 60-minute one-on-one debrief session with Social Current Director of Evaluation and Research Phyllis Richards to discuss their results and develop a plan to meet their personal intercultural development goals. Richards is a qualified administrator of the IDI® and has more than a decade of experience in working collaboratively to address systemic racism and improve cultural competency.
Workshop Goals

How EDI has changed over time within the U.S. as a result of legislation
Understand the skills needed to advance your EDI personal journey
How biases, racism, and incivility are barriers to building an EDI-enriched workplace culture
Understand their organization’s phase of EDI maturity, and how to move to the next phase
A multi-faceted approach for co-creating an organizational culture that fosters EDI
Options for addressing critical current issues
How to structure an organizational plan to advance EDI using results-based strategies
Create the skeleton plan with facilitator support

Who Should Participate

Staff responsible for diversity, equity, and inclusion
Human resources professionals
Organizational development professionals
Executives
Board members
Executive search firms

Presenters

Undraye Howard, PhD

Senior Director and Special Advisor to the CEO for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement
Social Current

Jerica Broeckling, M.A.

Engagement Partner

Sheryl White, PhD

Vice President of Training and Organizational Development
Neighborhood House Association

Phyllis Richards, M.A., M.S.

Director of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Research
Social Current

Black Women in Leadership Affinity Group Presents: Changing the Narrative from Angry to Phenomenal
2022-10-28 13:00 - 14:00
Register

This webinar is the third in a three-part series presented by the Black Women in Leadership Affinity Group that will explore the many dimensions of the Black woman in the workplace.

These dynamic discussions will navigate the negative perceptions of the Black woman, the impact of our commitment to resilience, and how we use our influence to elevate our communities.

Part 1: The Angry Phenomenal Black Woman (April 22)
Part 2: It’s All Good … But It’s Not! (July 20)
Part 3: Changing the Narrative from Angry to Phenomenal (Oct. 28)

During this webinar, the final session in this three-part series, presenters will synthesize prior discussions and demonstrate that Black women are not angry; we are rewriting the narrative—we are phenomenal! The panelists will discuss how we can leverage our voices to advocate for others, get seats at the table, and encourage others to advance our collective agenda.

About the Black Women in Leadership Affinity Group
We are a courageous group of Black woman leaders who support one another to nurture and live our power, bolster engagement in personal and professional development, and leverage our network to be a catalyst for positive change in our communities. Given the impact of historical and existing structural racism that we must surmount, the affinity group aims to engage authentically, bringing our talent and vulnerability together to transcend societal norms. Through trainings, conversations, topical education, tools, and other resources, Black women leaders will learn and practice the teaching principles and habits of EDI-focused adaptive leadership skills.
The Social Current Leadership Through Affinity groups support leaders with shared cultural backgrounds as they build relationships, develop professional networks, and engage in training.
Current* groups include:

Black Women in Leadership Affinity Group
Latinx Leadership Affinity Group
Allies for Equity, Justice & Inclusion
Black Men’s Barbershop Affinity Group

Through the work of the affinity groups, emerging and senior leaders will develop solutions and address barriers that keep persons of color from advancing at rates equal to their counterparts. These leaders will have access to trainings that include adaptive leadership, psychological safety, and revolutionary leadership. Leaders will also receive mentoring from EDI cohort leaders.
* These four affinity groups are the result of a grant-supported inaugural project, but they are just the beginning. We recognize that there are marginalized groups not represented here and we hope to expand to other racial, ethnic, or cultural backgrounds, including, but not limited to, LGBTQ+, those with disabilities, and those considered Second Acts. Interested in forming a new leadership affinity group? Please contact Deb Smith to learn more.
Learning Objectives

Navigating the negative perceptions of the Black woman
Using the influence of Black women to elevate communities
Self-care strategies that use an EDI lens to build personal and professional strength and resilience
Solutions for supporting and advancing women of color in leadership roles
Concepts of EDI, including psychological safety and implicit bias

Who Should Participate

Focus on managers and supervisors
Emerging and senior leaders
Executives

Presenters

Dr. Robin Beavers

Vice President of Philanthropy & DEI Initiatives
Trillium Family Services

Biography

Dr. Robin Beavers
Vice President of Philanthropy & DEI Initiatives
Trillium Family Services

Dr. Robin Beavers is a community engagement and outreach specialist dedicated to developing and managing programs that promote the wellness, equity, and inclusion of all people in our society. For over 20 years she has served as a higher education and career development professional. In recent years, she has moved into the world of philanthropy, hoping to inspire others to invest time and finances to help all communities thrive. She currently serves as the vice president of philanthropy & DEI initiatives at Trillium Family Services located in Oregon.

LaTasha Roberson-Guifarro

Associate Vice President of Child Welfare, Strategy & Organizational Excellence and Privacy Officer
Lutheran Child & Family Services

Biography

LaTasha Roberson-Guifarro
Associate Vice President of Child Welfare, Strategy & Organizational Excellence and Privacy Officer
Lutheran Child & Family Services

LaTasha Roberson-Guifarro is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker that believes all should aspire to make an indelible impact of excellence in our world. She has committed to being a thought leader and executor of achieving systemic results in human service and technology sectors through learning, creating, and implementing solutions in collaboration with children, families, communities, and institutions. She has held direct service and progressing levels of leadership roles in child welfare, clinical services, training, policy development, advocacy, program and risk management, strategic planning, and continuous quality improvement (CQI). Roberson-Guifarro currently serves as the associate vice president of child welfare, strategy & organizational excellence, privacy officer at one of the largest child welfare and adoption agencies in Illinois, Lutheran Child & Family Services. She describes her role within her organization as a call to inspire, challenge, and equip stakeholders to consistently ask, answer, and respond to: How are we doing? How do we know? How do we prove and/or improve our efforts and strategically achieve desired social impact results? Roberson-Guifarro earned her master’s in social work from Washington University in St. Louis. She serves as a COA Accreditation peer reviewer, and she is the leader/member of various agency, state, and national advisory boards geared toward resource and systems transformation, children and family advancement, workforce professional development and stability, race and LGBTQI+ equity and affirming care, social justice, and innovation. Roberson-Guifarro shares her ultimate aim is to electrify sustainable, collective power and capacity for evolving our tomorrows.

Dr. Natasha Watson Mack

Senior Administrator
Child Protective Services

Biography

Dr. Natasha Watson Mack
Senior Administrator
Child Protective Services

Dr. Natasha Watson Mack has over 20 years of human service experience as a certified domestic violence and sexual assault counselor working with men who have been physically, emotionally, sexually, psychologically, and economically abusive to their partners, and as crisis intervention counselor at an agency for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. She does extensive work with teens in the area of sexual dating violence and safer sex practices. She served as COO of a nonprofit men’s program for seven years. She currently serves as a senior administrator in child protective services supervising directors who work primarily with child survivors of sexual assault. Mack’s core expertise is in counseling, education, program management, and operations.
She attended City University of New York for her undergraduate education. She then attended Lincoln University, where she studied human services and earned a master’s degree. At Widener University, she studied human sexuality earning her second master’s degree. She also obtained her doctorate in human sexuality at Widener University. At Cornell university, Mack earned a certification in Diversity and Inclusion. She has also established her own professional relationship and sexuality coaching, counseling, and educating business. She does individual sessions as well as groups, workshops, seminars, and professional presentations. She created a series of seminars titled “Developing Healthy Sexuality through Sisterhood,” which were designed to empower women to live sex-positive lives and has most recently developed a “Healing Space” for women to discuss trauma around sex and relationships. In addition, she does sexual harassment trainings for private businesses and corporations.
At present, Mack is a member of The National Association of Forensic Counselors, The Alliance of Black Social Workers, The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, The American Association of Sex Educators Counselors and Therapists, Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in the Social Sciences, Gamma Eta Rho National Honor Society in Human Sexuality, Iota Iota Iota National Honor Society in Women’s and Gender Studies, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. She brings a tremendous amount of insight to services, reflected in the success stories of the populations she serves.

Maximize Your Social Current Engagement: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
2022-10-20 15:30 - 16:15
Register

It is clear that advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion is important for the social sector. However, it can be difficult to know where to start. It also can be daunting as to how to ensure the changes gain momentum and have lasting impact for the organization and community. Social Current’s approach to EDI positions organizations for success by focusing on organizational culture and addressing equity at multiple levels.
Join this session to learn more about Social Current’s approach to EDI, which is based on years of experience in partnering with community-based organizations to help them set and reach their equity goals. Participant will also gain tips for how to be successful in advancing equity at your organization.
Takeaways

About Social Current’s approach to embedding equity at the person, organizational, and systems levels
Essential element for success in advancing EDI
Social Current resources for advancing EDI

2022 Social Current Engagement Webinar Series
Join us to learn how your organization’s team can benefit from a Social Current engagement package and the exciting opportunities that connect you with colleagues across the network. All staff at organizations with 2022 Social Current Engagement Packages—and those interested in learning more—are encouraged to participate in this webinar.
In addition to delving into the month’s featured topic, we will preview any new or soon-to-be-released products, services, tools, and engagement opportunities. This webinar will include ample time for Q&A, as you explore ways to maximize the engagement experience for your organization and colleagues.

Register for upcoming webinars or download the recordings of past sessions.

Jan. 21 at 4 p.m. ET — Social Current Hub preview
Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. ET — Launch of the SPARK Exchanges
March 16 at 3:30 p.m. ET—Knowledge and Insights Center
April 21 at 12:30 p.m. ET — Public Policy Advocacy
May 20 2 p.m. ET — Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion offering
June 14 at 11:30 a.m. ET — Social Current Online HUB Demo
July 26 at 3 p.m. ET — Knowledge and Insights Center
Aug. 17 at 1 p.m. ET — SPARK Exchanges
Oct. 20 at 3:30 p.m. ET — Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion offering
Dec. 7 at 10 a.m. ET — Knowledge and Insights Center

Who Should Participate

Any staff at organizations that have Social Current Engagement Packages
Any staff at organizations interested in Social Current Engagement Packages

Presenters

Romero Davis

Senior Program Manager
Social Current

Linda Freeman

Director of Network Engagement
Social Current
