Social Current

Creating Brain-Friendly Environments: The Key to a Strong Workforce
2025-11-13 14:00 - 15:15 (America/New_York)
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Recent reports from the National Council of Nonprofits and the Center for an Urban Future highlight the scale of the human services staffing crisis. A significant portion of nonprofits report job vacancies, with some estimates as high as 74.6%. This is fueled by high levels of stress and burnout—over half of respondents cited it as a key contributing factor. As leaders, what can we do about this?
Join Social Current’s experts in brain science and trauma-informed approaches for this free webinar that will offer insight into this pressing question. We will focus on how to move beyond top-down, employee recognition and self-care initiatives to authentically partner with staff to improve engagement, equity, communication, resilience, and retention. This requires empathy, connection, inclusivity, mindfulness, and gratitude from us as leaders.
While this is a lot to prioritize, the good news is there is a simple, foundational framework that underpins all these topics—our brain and stress response system. Understanding this is the key to creating brain-friendly work environments.
This session will explore concepts and strategies for aligning workplace environments with how the brain thrives. By embracing this orientation, organizations can cultivate a culture where employees can more easily plan, adapt, and innovate—increasing both personal and organizational success.
Takeaways

Foundational brain science concepts and how they can be applied to human services workplaces
Practical, research-backed strategies to foster executive functioning, psychological safety, and self-regulation
Guidance for setting healthy expectations that promote adaptability, collaboration, and well-being

Who Should Participate
Social Current is excited to invite all Network Champion members, as well as anyone interested in this topic.

Presenters

Karen Johnson

Senior Director of Change in Mind
Social Current

Kelly Martin

Director of Practice Excellence
Social Current

Delivering Impactful Advocacy Initiatives within Congress
2025-11-13 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Register

Effective messaging is essential for leading successful advocacy campaigns. Social Current’s November Grassroots Advocacy Network convening will discuss opportunities to tailor language and message framing to the unique priorities and concerns representatives have for their districts.
Our interactive session will focus on considerations to amplify your reach by leading impactful advocacy initiatives within Congress, especially through strategic timing, opportunities to broaden your outreach, and approaches to deliver targeted, effective policy requests.
Human and social services professionals are invited to join Social Current’s monthly Grassroots Advocacy Network Convening. Join the grassroots advocacy network online.
Social Current’s grassroots advocacy network is a rapid-response team for urgent policy and legislative issues that offers opportunities to exchange ideas, share solutions, and build lasting connections across the sector. By joining, you’ll receive alerts, advocacy opportunities, and access to workshops and training to sharpen your strategies and tools.
Takeaways

Increase confidence in developing and delivering a clear, actionable policy ask
Prepare to diversify messages according to your audience’s unique priorities and concerns
Review opportunities to strategically time your outreach

Who Should Attend

Members of the Social Current Grassroots Advocacy Network: Join online
Executive Directors and Senior Management: Leaders responsible for setting organizational strategy and engaging with policymakers and stakeholders
Advocacy and Policy Directors: Individuals who develop and implement advocacy strategies and engage in policy analysis and outreach
Communications and Public Relations Managers: Professionals focused on crafting and disseminating the organization’s message to the public and media
Program Managers and Coordinators: Staff who oversee program implementation and need to align program goals with advocacy efforts

Blair Abelle-Kiser, PhD

Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Biography

Blair Abelle-Kiser, PhD
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Blair Kiser, Ph.D., joined Social Current in 2022 after working in health policy on Capitol Hill, the non-profit sector, and as a biomedical researcher. Most recently, Blair served as Director of Government Relations & Advocacy for NephCure Kidney International.
During their time in public service, they served as a Professional Staff Member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. They led a corporate investigation regarding insider trading and financial improprieties, conflicts of interest associated with Operation Warp Speed’s leadership, and scientific information politicization. Prior to joining the Select Subcommittee, they worked for Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), where they served as a Health Policy Fellow. In Senator Brown’s office, they led a range of legislative and oversight efforts involving public health and healthcare. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they worked with several community hospice advocacy organizations and a Republican office to help craft the bipartisan COVID-19 Hospice Respite Care Relief Act of 2020.
Prior to public service, Blair spent several years as a medical research scientist on several industry and NIH-funded projects. Their work focused on developing research projects and clinical trials to improve the lives of African Americans with Sickle Cell Disease. They earned a doctorate in Biomedical Science from Morehouse School of Medicine in 2017 and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Kentucky in 2011.

Lessons From Within Our Reach: A Cross-Sector Conversation on Child and Family Well-Being
2025-11-04 12:00 - 2025-11-05 15:00 (America/New_York)
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This virtual convening is:

Tuesday, Nov. 4 from noon-3 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Nov. 5 from noon-3 p.m. ET

Join us for a powerful, cross-sector conversation rooted in the latest lessons from the Within Our Reach report on preventing child maltreatment fatalities from maltreatment.
Over two half days, this interactive virtual convening will bring together professionals from pediatric care, juvenile justice, child welfare, law enforcement, education, and community-based organizations to reflect on what’s working—and what must change—to create systems that are responsive, equitable, and family-centered. These leaders and lived experts reflect the truth that family wellness is not the responsibility of one system alone—it is a shared, community-wide commitment that calls for aligned action, empathy, and investment across many touchpoints in a family’s life.
With a focus also on building a shared safety culture, we will explore how systems can shift their thinking and action to proactively support families before a crisis occurs. Participants will explore how policy change, lived experience, and community-driven strategies can prevent child harm, reduce family barriers to wellness, and build trust across sectors.
Takeaways

Build a Shared Safety Culture: Learn how integrating safety-focused mindsets within and across agencies—alongside staff wellness—can reduce system-driven trauma and better support family resilience.
Expand the Definition of Family: Examine how elevating the lived voices of fathers, grandparents, kin caregivers, and youth leads to policies and practices that reflect real-life caregiving networks.
Strengthen Cross-Sector Collaboration: Gain concrete tools for breaking down silos and strengthening interagency partnerships to better coordinate supports for families, especially in moments of vulnerability.
Advance Equity Through Policy & Practice: Explore key policy strategies, such as reducing family financial burdens and embedding protective factors in service delivery, that help stabilize and empower families.
Translate Report Lessons into Local Action: Leave with actionable ideas, data-informed decision-making, and equity-aligned investments that can be applied at the local, state, or system level.

Presenters
Tuesday, Nov. 4

Romero Davis, senior director of practice excellence, Social Current
Kelly Martin, director of practice excellence, Social Current
Kimberly Heard, senior program manager of practice excellence, Social Current
Jody Levison-Johnson, PhD, president and CEO, Social Current
Michael Cull, PhD, associate director, Center for Innovation in Population Health and associate professor, Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Kentucky
Karen Johnson, senior director of Change in Mind, Social Current
Kara Georgi, MSEd, lead senior associate of parent partnerships, Children’s Trust Fund Alliance
Regina Dyton, MSW, consultant, R.S. Dyton Associates
Parent and community voices

Wednesday, Nov. 5

Churmell Michell, creator of Emotions You Know, and founder, A Father’s Voice Matters
Blair Abelle-Kiser, senior director of government affairs at Social Current
Scott Allen, executive director of community engagement, Cordata Healthcare Innovations, Inc., and criminal justice senior adjunct instructor, Curry College
Rachael J. Keefe, MD, MPH, FAAP, associate professor of pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine
Parent partners (Birth Parent National Network)

Who Should Attend

Educators and school support staff
Pediatric and behavioral health providers
Law enforcement and public safety professionals
Juvenile justice, child welfare, and youth-serving agencies
Policymakers, funders, and system leaders
Community-based organizations and advocates

Millions at Risk: Understanding the Shutdown’s Impact on Children, Families, and Human Services
2025-11-03 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
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The federal government shutdown is creating immediate and escalating risks for essential human services. Programs like WIC, SNAP, and Head Start are operating on limited or contingency funding and face rapid disruption as reserves run out. Nonprofits are already experiencing funding freezes, delayed reimbursements, stalled grants, and increased demand—all while operating without clear guidance from federal agencies.
This briefing will outline the current shutdown landscape, its impacts on nutrition and early childhood programs, and what community-based organizations should expect in the coming weeks. We will also cover practical and urgent advocacy steps organizations and individuals can take to protect children, families, and the social sector workforce.
Takeaways

How the federal shutdown is impacting WIC, SNAP, Head Start, and related human service programs, including funding timelines, operational risks, and state-level variations
The real-world consequences for nonprofits and communities, such as reimbursement delays, suspended grants, increased demand, and workforce strain
Key messages and advocacy strategies to mobilize communities, communicate with policymakers, and elevate front-line experiences
How to take action quickly, including through direct outreach to Congress, coalition engagement, and mobilizing local voices to protect critical services

Who Should Attend

Leadership, policy, and advocacy staff from community-based organizations
Executives and program directors overseeing WIC, SNAP, food security, housing, child welfare, or early childhood services
Communications and public policy professionals responsible for advocacy or mobilization
Front-line staff interested in how the shutdown affects program operations and families
Coalition partners and stakeholders supporting safety-net services

Blair Abelle-Kiser, PhD

Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Biography

Blair Abelle-Kiser, PhD
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Blair Kiser, Ph.D., joined Social Current in 2022 after working in health policy on Capitol Hill, the non-profit sector, and as a biomedical researcher. Most recently, Blair served as Director of Government Relations & Advocacy for NephCure Kidney International.
During their time in public service, they served as a Professional Staff Member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. They led a corporate investigation regarding insider trading and financial improprieties, conflicts of interest associated with Operation Warp Speed’s leadership, and scientific information politicization. Prior to joining the Select Subcommittee, they worked for Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), where they served as a Health Policy Fellow. In Senator Brown’s office, they led a range of legislative and oversight efforts involving public health and healthcare. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they worked with several community hospice advocacy organizations and a Republican office to help craft the bipartisan COVID-19 Hospice Respite Care Relief Act of 2020.
Prior to public service, Blair spent several years as a medical research scientist on several industry and NIH-funded projects. Their work focused on developing research projects and clinical trials to improve the lives of African Americans with Sickle Cell Disease. They earned a doctorate in Biomedical Science from Morehouse School of Medicine in 2017 and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Kentucky in 2011.

Advocacy Isn’t a Horror Movie – But It Sometimes Feels Like One!
2025-10-28 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
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Advocacy is one of the social sector’s greatest powers, but lobbying restrictions and common misconceptions can make it challenging to know when and how to advocate. This webinar will support organizations in engaging in responsive and strategic advocacy by reviewing the responsibilities of 501(c)(3) organizations. We will review case studies to outline key differences between lobbying and advocacy. We will also discuss 501(h) elections and considerations for nonprofit organizations should they elect to file.
Takeaways

Review key distinctions of advocacy and lobbying
Discuss responsibilities nonprofits hold because of their 501(c)(3) status
Strategies to support responsive, strategic advocacy

Who Should Attend

Members of the Social Current Grassroots Advocacy Network: Join online
Executive Directors and Senior Management: Leaders responsible for setting organizational strategy and engaging with policymakers and stakeholders
Advocacy and Policy Directors: Individuals who develop and implement advocacy strategies and engage in policy analysis and outreach
Communications and Public Relations Managers: Professionals focused on crafting and disseminating the organization’s message to the public and media
Program Managers and Coordinators: Staff who oversee program implementation and need to align program goals with advocacy efforts

Blair Abelle-Kiser, PhD

Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Biography

Blair Abelle-Kiser, PhD
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Blair Kiser, Ph.D., joined Social Current in 2022 after working in health policy on Capitol Hill, the non-profit sector, and as a biomedical researcher. Most recently, Blair served as Director of Government Relations & Advocacy for NephCure Kidney International.
During their time in public service, they served as a Professional Staff Member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. They led a corporate investigation regarding insider trading and financial improprieties, conflicts of interest associated with Operation Warp Speed’s leadership, and scientific information politicization. Prior to joining the Select Subcommittee, they worked for Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), where they served as a Health Policy Fellow. In Senator Brown’s office, they led a range of legislative and oversight efforts involving public health and healthcare. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they worked with several community hospice advocacy organizations and a Republican office to help craft the bipartisan COVID-19 Hospice Respite Care Relief Act of 2020.
Prior to public service, Blair spent several years as a medical research scientist on several industry and NIH-funded projects. Their work focused on developing research projects and clinical trials to improve the lives of African Americans with Sickle Cell Disease. They earned a doctorate in Biomedical Science from Morehouse School of Medicine in 2017 and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Kentucky in 2011.

Building Healthy Workplace Cultures in Challenging Times
2025-10-22 09:00 - 2025-10-23 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Hilton Chicago, 720 S Michigan Ave., Chicago, 60605, United States
Register Now

This workshop is a post-conference event of our SPARK 2025 conference in Chicago, but registration is separate from the conference.

Impact Partners and Organizations that Have Achieved COA Accreditation: $120

This discounted rate is made possible through support from an anonymous sponsor.

Other Organizations: $650
SPARK 2025 Participants: Free

Register for SPARK 2025 to receive you discount code to register for this post-conference session for free. The code will be included on the registration confirmation screen and in a follow-up email.

Staff at nonprofit organizations are facing change, stress, and conflict on multiple levels. Political polarization, isolation, and vicarious trauma are contributing to staff feeling drained and disengaged.
This workshop will equip leaders and supervisors with foundational knowledge and skills to help their teams manage uncertainty and interpersonal conflict so they can create a healthy and resilient organizational culture. To empower their staff, participants will learn about core strategies and tactics that are based in brain science research and trauma-informed approaches.
Presenters will address topics including increasing accountability, managing conflict, having crucial conversations, nurturing relationships, embracing equity, and achieving excellence.

Create Brain Friendly Environments

To be well at work, especially in stressful and uncertain environments, it is important to understand basic brain concepts and embrace practices that enhance its functioning. Stress, distress, and trauma can trigger a “fight or flight” response, which makes it difficult to think and problem solve. However, brain science offers tools for managing this response.
The first part of this workshop focuses on the importance of embracing brain science awareness at work. We explore the neurobiology of stress, distress and trauma; the arousal continuum; and daily regulation activities to practice at work.
Learning Objectives

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

Build Psychological Safety

Direct service staff face pressure from many different people and are often afraid of making a mistake that might harm those they serve, negatively impact others’ perception of them, or disappoint their supervisors or colleagues.
Prioritizing psychological safety is essential to reduce this worry and allow staff to speak and act freely. It involves creating an environment where staff feel safe to take risks and speak candidly without the fear of retribution. When we foster psychological safety, It leads to authentic conversations, trust, and innovation.
The second part of this workshop explores how to foster psychological safety in the workplace to support courage and vulnerability. It discusses strategies for leaders to respond to staff challenges by modeling authenticity, accountability, and compassion, all which promote safe risk taking and trust.
Learning Objectives

Components of psychological safety and the critical need to build it at work
The impact of courage and vulnerability in the workplace
Leadership strategies for increasing psychological safety in the workplace
Strategies for having crucial conversations

Prioritize Staff Culture

You’ve heard the adage, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” It’s true. If our organizational culture is unhealthy, we will struggle to get our work done. So, we must intentionally build a positive staff culture that reflects our organization’s stated values and beliefs and aligns with our strategy.
The third part of this workshop explores the ingredients of a positive staff culture and the steps needed to achieve it. Learn strategies for bringing your organizational values into daily interactions, set clear and realistic boundaries and expectations and align culture and strategy to build resilience and success.
Learning Objectives

Define organizational culture
How to realize organizational values in daily interactions
How to promote boundaries and expectations that support the organization’s mission and staff well-being
Steps for aligning organizational culture and strategy

Integrate Connection and Community

Now, more than ever, employees are looking for a sense of community at work. Our brains are hardwired for connection, and we crave belonging. When we build healthy connections with people at work, we are more equipped to tolerate differing perspectives, actively listen, demonstrate empathy, and have difficult conversations. In essence, a strong work community can hold an organization together, especially during challenging and uncertain times.
The fourth part of this workshop explores the components of healthy connections in the workplace and strategies for intentionally integrating connection and community across the range of employee experiences.
Learning Objectives

How connection is critical to feeling calm and regulated
Strategies for increasing connection in the virtual and hybrid workplace
Strategies for building community among employees with a range of experiences and preferences for ways to connect

Related COA Accreditation standards:

Human Resources (HR)
Training and Supervision (TS)

Learning Objectives

Brain science concepts, strategies, and tools to increase resilience in the workplace
Leadership strategies for increasing psychological safety in the workplace
How to align organizational culture, strategy, and staff well-being
Strategies for building connection and community

Who Should Participate

Managers and supervisors
Executives and senior leaders
Direct service staff
Human resource staff
Staff with responsibility for equity, diversity, and inclusion

Individuals who are champions for strengthening the workforce culture, regardless of their title, will also benefit. This guidance is relevant for all workforces that serve children, adults, and families, including at the community, systems, government, and policy levels.
Location, Lodging, and Meals
Hilton Chicago
720 S Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605
Social Current has arranged a limited number of rooms at a special rate of $259 for single or double occupancy, plus applicable taxes. To receive the discounted rate, book online or call the hotel at 877-865-5320 by Sept. 22 and mention the group name: Social Current SPARK 2025. This rate is subject to hotel availability at the time of booking.
Breakfast and lunch will be on your own, and break refreshments will be provided.

Presenters

Karen Johnson

Senior Director of Change in Mind
Social Current

Biography

Karen Johnson
Senior Director of Change in Mind
Social Current

Karen Johnson brings knowledge of the advancing science around resilience, brain development, adversity, toxic stress, equity, and trauma-informed approaches to the complex challenges we face. This expertise, coupled with her 28 years of experience in child welfare, behavioral health, and community services, enables her to successfully partner with leaders, staff, community members, and participants across numerous settings to promote individual and organizational resilience.
Johnson leads the development of Social Current’s Change in Mind Institute, leveraging the latest advances in neurosciences and trauma-informed approaches across sectors and at the practice, policy, and systems levels. She oversees the Texas Change in Mind Learning Collaborative, through which 10 organizations from multiple sectors across Southeast Texas are working to embed brain science and equity principles with the goal of improving outcomes for children and families, as well as their organizational cultures and ability to collaborate with partners.
During her five-and-a-half years on the National Council for Mental Wellbeing’s trauma-informed services team, and year-and-a-half as an independent consultant, Johnson trained and consulted with organizations, systems, and communities striving to strengthen their workforce and advance trauma-informed, resilience-oriented approaches. She worked in various roles in the treatment foster care department and led and developed community-based programs during her 19 years at Wellpoint Care Network in Milwaukee. Johnson combines the newest advances around adversity, relational health, and resilience to infuse hope and connection into our work.

Kelly Martin

Director of Practice Excellence
Social Current

Biography

Kelly Martin
Director of Practice Excellence
Social Current

Kelly Martin is the director of practice excellence at Social Current, with an emphasis on applied developmental psychology, healing-centered approaches, educational success, antiracism, workforce well-being, policy, and advocacy. In this role, she collaborates with stakeholders across the network to advance systems change through policy and advocacy efforts, and to build the capacities of leaders through networking, knowledge, and solutions. She has experience facilitating design sessions and learning opportunities with a wide variety of human service and education stakeholders which includes classroom teachers to frontline staff to executive leaders.
Prior to this role, Kelly was with the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities (Alliance), supporting internal and external efforts to advance equity, leading evaluation and research projects, and working closely with educational success stakeholders. Before joining the Alliance in 2016, Kelly was a researcher in the Developmental and Educational Psychology Departments at the University of Pittsburgh. She spent her time connecting with young people, families, and educators across the city of Pittsburgh, as well as collaborating with multi-sector leaders to infuse developmental theory, research, and best practices into local and state initiatives.  She was an adjunct instructor during her years at Pitt, teaching a graduate course in developmental psychology.
Kelly holds a master’s in applied developmental psychology, and a bachelor’s in psychology and sociology from the University of Pittsburgh. She is currently working toward the completion of Yoga Roots on Location® Certified Yoga Teacher Training, an anti-racist and social justice Raja Yoga teacher training offered through the Yoga Alliance’s 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) Certification.

The Intersection of Trauma-Informed Approaches and Quality Improvement
2025-10-21 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Hilton Chicago, 720 S Michigan Ave., Chicago, 60605, United States
Register Now

This workshop is a post-conference session of SPARK 2025 in Chicago, but registration is separate from the conference.
We know that data-informed decision making and continuous quality improvement (CQI) are critical to the success of any change initiative—including our trauma-informed efforts. However, two key barriers often hinder our ability to integrate a trauma-informed lens into data collection:

Emotional Resistance to Data Work– Clinical and program staff often avoid data collection because it can activate a survival response, making it difficult to stay engaged in the process.
Uncertainty About What to Measure – Organizations struggle to identify the right data that truly captures the essence and impact of trauma-informed approaches.

Join us for this workshop, where we will explore strategies to overcome both barriers.
By applying a trauma-informed perspective, we can reframe the conversation around quality improvement—from asking, “Why aren’t you embracing CQI?” to “What’s happening that’s preventing you from engaging?” Quality improvement in human services organizations is a centralized function that relies on data to drive meaningful outcomes. The way data teams collaborate with clinical and program staff is crucial in breaking down barriers, fostering trust, and using data technology to create positive, lasting change.
We also need to determine what data best measures the impact of our trauma-informed efforts and consider:

How do we quantify whether staff are consistently using trauma-informed approaches?
Are we effectively including all voices in our initiatives?
Are our staff development processes leading to meaningful organizational culture change?
Do staff and clients experience our environments as safe and supportive?

By using a trauma-informed approach with clinical staff who are charged with data processes, and by leveraging the right data, we can move beyond assumptions and ensure that our trauma-informed strategies are making a tangible difference.
Join us to be a part of this essential conversation and take your data collection and trauma-informed efforts to the next level.
Takeaways

Common triggers associated with data and quality improvement for clinical staff
The brain science behind the “window of tolerance”
How to use the “window of tolerance” as a guide for keeping clinical teams in optimal creative problem solving
How to identify and select the right metrics to effectively measure the impact of their trauma-informed efforts
Steps to encourage buy-in and develop shared language to add the “human” aspect into data collection

Who Should Participate

Quality improvement professionals looking to increase collaboration with program staff
Quality improvement supervisors
Quality improvement staff who feel they are spinning their wheels

Presenters

Tristan Keelan

Founder & CEO
QI Folio

Karen Johnson

Senior Director of Change in Mind
Social Current

SPARK 2025
2025-10-20 00:00 - 2025-10-21 23:59 (America/Denver) | Hilton Chicago, 720 S Michigan Ave., Chicago, 60605, United States
About

Pre- and Post-Conference Sessions

Workshops

Keynotes

Consultations

Sponsors

About

Register Now

When registering, you’ll be prompted to log in. If you do not have an account, create one for free by clicking: Create an Account.
SPARK 2025 will unite practice excellence, innovation, and federal policy advocacy to advance our sector’s impact and help all families and communities thrive. This in-person event will elevate important conversations around our most vexing challenges and showcase insight and expertise from the field.
This event is designed for leaders who are fueled by a commitment to improve the well-being of all people. Together, we will share inspiration and practical tools for implementing innovative practice, policy, and research. Our keynote speakers and breakout sessions will address new insight and promising approaches related to:

Brain-friendly and trauma-informed approaches
Child, family, and community well-being
COA Accreditation and data-driven strategies
Equity, diversity, and inclusion
Government affairs and advocacy
Leadership and organizational development

Justification Letter for Travel Request
This draft letter outlines the benefits of attending the SPARK 2025 conference, key dates, and expected travel costs. Use this template to communicate the return on investment with your supervisor:

Download the letter template
Download the letter template for COA Accreditation primary contacts

Who Should Participate

Executives
Director-level staff
Board members
Performance quality improvement staff
Professional and clinical services

Registration & Pricing

Registration must be received on or before Sept. 26 to receive the early bird rate. After that date, regular rates apply.
Impact Partners and/or Organizations that Have Achieved COA Accreditation
Early Bird Registration $625
Regular Registration $825
Other Organizations
Early Bird Registration $725
Regular Registration $925
Multiperson Registration Discount
Register two (2) full conference participants from the same organization and receive $50 off all subsequent full conference registrations from the same organization. Only one discount per person; no other discounts apply. Once two conference participants are registered, contact Social Current to receive the discount code for all subsequent full conference registrations.
Complimentary Trainings for SPARK 2025 Registrants
Social Current is including two additional trainings with SPARK 2025 registration.
Advocacy Amplified: Rapid Response & Readiness in a Shifting Policy Landscape
Sunday, Oct. 19 from 1-4 p.m. CT
Add this training when you register for the conference.
Building Healthy Workplace Cultures in Challenging Times
Wednesday, Oct. 21-Thursday, Oct. 22
Once you register for SPARK 2025, you will receive your discount code to register for this session on the registration confirmation screen and follow up email.
Cancellation by Participant
All cancellation requests must be made in writing. Conference cancellations are subject to a $100 processing fee. Cancellation requests received after Oct. 1 will not be refunded. Credit toward future Social Current events is not currently possible. Participants unable to attend the conference may send an alternate participant. Notice of written cancellation or alternate participant requests must be emailed directly to Social Current.
Cancellation by Social Current
If Social Current cancels this conference, all registration fees will be refunded in full.

Location & Lodging

Hilton Chicago
720 S Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605
Hotel Reservations
Social Current has arranged a special room rate of $259 for single or double occupancy, plus applicable taxes. To receive the discounted rate, book online or call the hotel at 877-865-5320 by Sept. 26 and mention the group name: Social Current SPARK 2025.
This rate is available for stays up to three days prior to and after the conference, but it is subject to hotel availability at the time of booking.

Schedule

Sunday, Oct. 19

9 a.m.-Noon
Intensive Accreditation Training (IAT)

12:30-4 p.m.
Registration Desk Open

1-4 p.m.
Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI) Training

1-4 p.m.
Advocacy Amplified: Rapid Response & Readiness in a Shifting Policy Landscape

1-5 p.m.
ELI Alumni: Unlocking Potential Because You Matter!

5:30-7 p.m.
Volunteer Appreciation Celebration

Monday, Oct. 20

8 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
Registration Desk Open

8-9 a.m.
Breakfast with Exhibitors

9-10:30 a.m.
Opening General Session

10:30-11 a.m.
Break with Exhibitors

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Session A Workshops

12:30-2 p.m.
Networking Lunch

1:15-1:45 p.m.
One-on-One Consultations

2-3:30 p.m.
Session B Workshops

3:45-4:15 p.m.
One-on-One Consultations

4:30-5:30 p.m.
Networking Reception

Tuesday, Oct. 21

7:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Registration Desk Open

7:30-8:30 a.m.
Breakfast with Exhibitors

7:45-8:15 a.m.
One-on-One Consultations

8:30-10 a.m.
Session C Workshops

10-10:30 a.m.
Break with Exhibitors

10:30 a.m.-Noon
Session D Workshops

Noon-1:45 p.m.
Lunch and Closing General Session

2-4 p.m.
The Intersection of Trauma-Informed Approaches and Quality Improvement

Sponsor & Exhibit

Social Current’s robust network of organizations and individuals across the country provides a unique opportunity for sponsors to reach C-suite decisionmakers in their target demographics. Simultaneously, sponsorship will allow brands to assess challenges unique to the sector, collaborate, and access network expertise.
Through our network, we can reach more than 12,000 human services professionals representing more than 1,800 organizations that serve nearly 11 million individuals.
View the SPARK 2025 sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities. Contact us to learn more.

Pre- and Post-Conference Sessions

Pre-Conference Sessions
Intensive Accreditation Training (IAT)
Oct. 19 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
The Intensive Accreditation Training (IAT) is designed to prepare organizations to get the most out of their COA Accreditation experience. It provides an overview of the COA Accreditation process and standards, tips on how to manage the work, and advice for preparing for the site visit. Registration for IAT is separate from the SPARK 2025 registration.
Performance and Quality Improvement Training (PQI)
Oct. 19 from 1-4 p.m.
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. Registration for PQI is separate from the SPARK 2025 registration.
Advocacy Amplified: Rapid Response & Readiness in a Shifting Policy Landscape
Oct. 19 from 1-4 p.m.
As federal priorities shift, nonprofit leaders must be prepared to respond swiftly and strategically. This condensed version of Social Current’s Advocacy Amplified training equips participants with the essential tools to navigate today’s policy environment, which includes increasing threats to equity; equity, diversity, and inclusion programs; and core social services funding. Participants will gain practical skills in policy analysis, narrative framing, and grassroots mobilization. Registration is free for SPARK 2025 participants.
Executive Leadership Institute: Unlocking Potential Because You Matter
Oct. 19 from 1-5 p.m. CT
For over 20 years, the Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) has established an incredible reputation for providing a quality peer learning experience that positively impacts the development of social sector leaders. This pre-conference convening is the first of its kind! We invite past, present, and future ELI participants to network with each other, engage in motivational storytelling about what’s shaped you as a leader, and discuss ELI’s transformative impact on both individuals and organizations. Registration is separate from the SPARK 2025 registration.
Volunteer Appreciation Celebration
Oct. 19 from 5:30-7 p.m.
We could not do what we do without our COA Accreditation volunteers. All active COA Accreditation volunteers are invited to join us as we gather and celebrate all that you do. Catch up with colleagues, share site visit stories from the road, and get ready for the start of SPARK 2025. There will be food, drinks, prizes, and a host of swag – so you will not want to miss this event. Registration for the Volunteer Appreciation Celebration is separate from the SPARK 2025 registration. To register, email Darrell Woodliff, director of volunteer engagement at Social Current.
Post-Conference Sessions
The Intersection of Trauma-Informed Approaches and Quality Improvement
Oct. 21 from 2-4 p.m. CT
By applying a trauma-informed perspective, we can reframe the conversation around quality improvement—from asking, “Why aren’t you embracing continuous quality improvement?” to “What’s happening that’s preventing you from engaging?” Quality improvement in human services organizations is a centralized function that relies on data to drive meaningful outcomes. The way data teams collaborate with clinical and program staff is crucial in breaking down barriers, fostering trust, and using data technology to create positive, lasting change. Registration is separate from the SPARK 2025 registration. SPARK 2025 participants receive a discount code to join for free.
Building Healthy Workplace Cultures in Challenging Times
Oct. 22-23 from 9-4 p.m. CT
This two-day workshop will equip leaders and supervisors with foundational knowledge and skills to help their teams manage uncertainty, stress, and interpersonal conflict so they can create a healthy and resilient organizational culture. Presenters will address topics including increasing accountability, having crucial conversations, nurturing relationships, embracing equity, and achieving excellence.

Workshops

Each workshop is identified as a “learner” or “doer” session:

Learner Sessions: For those with limited knowledge on the topic who are looking for an introduction
Doer: For those with prior knowledge and experience with a topic who are looking to advance their skill and mastery

Sort By:
Session Groups
Area of Focus

A (11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.)
B (2-3:30 p.m.)
C (8:30-10 a.m.)
D (10:30 a.m.-Noon p.m.)

Keynotes

Opening Keynote: Nonprofit 2.0: Navigating the Road Ahead
Today’s nonprofit leaders are navigating a landscape full of detours—AI, funding shifts, burnout, and declining trust. In this opening keynote, Suzanne Smith invites you to zoom out, re-center your mission, and rethink the map entirely. The road ahead won’t be paved with yesterday’s strategies—but with bold mindsets and adaptive systems designed for what’s next.
Suzanne also will present workshop D6: Better Together: Rethinking the Way Nonprofits Collaborate for the Greater Good.
Suzanne Smith
Founder and CEO
Social Impact Architects

Suzanne Smith has a deep belief that everyone is a changemaker. As a serial social entrepreneur, she strives to harness the powerful force of organizations, including nonprofits, foundations and socially responsible businesses, and individuals, to maximize the potential of the social sector to create real, scalable impact.
In 2009, Suzanne founded Social Impact Architects, a registered Benefit Corporation, to reshape the business of social change. She combines her MBA know-how with two decades of experience as a nonprofit innovator to serve as a consultant, advisor, and thought partner. She is also a highly sought-after public speaker at conferences nationwide, including TEDxTurtleCreekWomen. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Arlington. In this work, she has pioneered open-source frameworks for the creation of better social solutions, including layered logic models, ecosystem mapping, and social alchemy. For her outstanding work as a leading thinker, she was recognized with the Next Generation Social Entrepreneur Award by the Social Enterprise Alliance. Since 2015, Social Impact Architects was recognized as one of the “Best for the World” small businesses by B Corp.
Suzanne also authors Social TrendSpotter, one of the sector’s top blogs according to The Huffington Post. She is frequently interviewed by regional and national media on social entrepreneurship and has published articles in Forbes, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, See Change, Nonprofit Business Advisor, Upstart, and Grantmakers in Health.
Suzanne has been at the epicenter of game-changing social solutions for more than two decades as a social intrapreneur. Her first jobs at the City of Garland and Texas Municipal League taught her the power and potential of local government to impact change. Later, she worked for Phoenix House to scale evidence-based prevention and treatment programs and for the American Heart Association to build a national state advocacy strategy. One of her greatest achievements was co-founding the Alliance for a Healthier Generation – one of the country’s first movements focused on combating childhood obesity – with a team from the William J. Clinton Foundation. She also co-founded Flywheel: Social Enterprise Hub in Cincinnati to help nonprofits build meaningful and sustainable social enterprises.
Suzanne holds a master’s in business administration from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, where she was selected as the CASE (Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship) Scholar. Nationally, she was selected as a member of Peter Senge’s Society of Organizational Learning and has served on the national board of the Social Enterprise Alliance. She has advised many federal agencies on their efforts on social entrepreneurship and system change.

Closing Keynote: The Business of Impact: How Purpose Powers Prosperity

Join Dorri McWhorter for a dynamic conversation on how purpose-driven leaders can make bold money moves — building business models that uplift communities, unlock new funding streams, and expand resources beyond traditional philanthropy. It’s about staying rooted in your mission while reimagining what’s possible for impact, equity, and enterprise.
Dorri C. McWhorter
President & Chief Executive Officer
Executives’ Club of Chicago

Dorri McWhorter is renowned for her social enterprise business leadership. Crain’s Chicago Business lauded her as a “nonprofit disrupter” who turned around a major organization “by leading as if it’s a startup.” She is a 2019 Inductee into the Chicago Innovation Hall of Fame, and her work to create a new paradigm for the social impact sector is featured in the documentary Uncharitable.
Most recently, Dorri served as president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. Under her leadership, the YMCA modernized membership offerings and created partnerships with Nike and Peloton. She also worked to bring a new YMCA to Chicago’s west side as part of a new development to include a wellness center with health care, grocery store, and business incubator. Previously, Dorri served as CEO of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, transforming it from a traditional social service organization to a “21st century social enterprise.” She added 10 service locations, increased the operating budget by 300%, and established a retirement plan with options for child care providers and small business owners. She led the effort to develop an exchange-traded fund (ETF) for women’s empowerment (NYSE: WOMN) in partnership with Impact Shares.
Dorri prides herself on being a humanity-centered business leader and is committed to creating an inclusive marketplace by leveraging a cross-sector approach of engaging business, civic, and community partners. Dorri’s professional experience spans a variety of businesses and industries. Prior to taking on leadership roles in the social enterprise sector, she was a partner at Crowe LLP, one of the largest accounting firms in the U.S. Dorri serves on the board of directors for several companies including, LanzaTech Global, Lifeway Foods, William Blair Funds, NexPoint Capital, and Skyway Concession Company (Chicago Skyway). Dorri is also active in the accounting profession and serves on the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council and has served as a member of the board of directors of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and a past chairperson of the board of directors for the Illinois CPA Society. Dorri also serves as co-chair of the First Women’s Bank Advisory Board.
Dorri’s civic and philanthropic leadership includes the board of directors for Common Impact, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Civic Consulting Alliance, Civic Federation, Chicago Center for Arts and Technology, and Forefront. Dorri received a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a master’s in business administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Lake Forest College.

Consultations

Enhance your SPARK 2025 experience by booking a one-on-one consultation with Social Current. Our leaders offer subject matter expertise and have extensive experience in partnering with human and social services organizations to achieve meaningful change.
We have opened bookings for the free consultations. Register for SPARK 2025 to receive a follow up email with the link to book your timeslot. Please only reserve one consult per registrant.
Child, Family, and Community Well-Being
Romero Davis, Senior Director of Practice Excellence
Monday – 1:15-1:45 p.m. and 3:45-4:15 p.m.
Tuesday – 7:45-8:15 a.m.
Suggested topics:

Intentional community collaboration
Sustainability planning
Poverty/neglect conflation
Child welfare challenges

Government Affairs and Advocacy
Blair Abelle-Kiser, Senior Director of Government Affairs
Monday – 1:15-1:45 p.m. and 3:45-4:15 p.m.
Tuesday – 7:45-8:15 a.m.
Suggested topics:

Strategic policy navigation to understand, respond to, and influence complex federal and state policy environments impacting human services
Building grassroots capacity, engaging stakeholders, and advancing policy agendas aligned with each organization’s mission and community needs
Risk and resilience planning that assesses systemic threats, such as insurance instability or funding volatility, and through proactive strategies

Leadership and Organizational Development
Robena Spangler, Senior Director of Leadership and Organizational Development
Monday – 3:45-4:15 p.m.
Tuesday – 7:45-8:15 a.m.
Suggested topics:

Leadership development opportunities for frontline managers and executive leadership (on-site and virtual)
Customized leadership and organizational assessment
Board improvement strategies
Strategic planning

Workforce Resilience
Karen Johnson, Senior Director of Change in Mind
Monday – 1:15-1:45 p.m. and 3:45-4:15 p.m.
Tuesday – 7:45-8:15 a.m.
Suggested topics:

Creating brain-friendly work environments
Building psychological safety
Promoting positive staff culture
Creating connection and community at work

Meet Our Consultants

Romero Davis

Senior Director of Practice Excellence
Social Current

Biography

Romero Davis
Senior Director of Practice Excellence
Social Current

Romero Davis is a senior director of practice excellence at Social Current. A mentor for professional development and community justice champion, Davis has worked nationally with agencies in areas such as poly-victimization; trauma in families; equity, diversity, and inclusion; juvenile justice; and domestic violence.

Blair Abelle-Kiser

Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Biography

Blair Abelle-Kiser
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Blair Kiser, Ph.D., joined Social Current in 2022 after working in health policy on Capitol Hill, the nonprofit sector, and as a biomedical researcher. Most recently, Blair served as director of government relations & advocacy for NephCure Kidney International.
During her time in public service, she served as a professional staff member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. She led a corporate investigation regarding insider trading and financial improprieties, conflicts of interest associated with Operation Warp Speed’s leadership, and scientific information politicization. Prior to joining the Select Subcommittee, she worked for Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), where she served as a health policy fellow. In Senator Brown’s office, she led a range of legislative and oversight efforts involving public health and health care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked with several community hospice advocacy organizations and a Republican office to help craft the bipartisan COVID-19 Hospice Respite Care Relief Act of 2020.
Prior to public service, Blair 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.

Robena Spangler

Senior Director of Leadership and Organizational Development
Social Current

Biography

Robena Spangler
Senior Director of Leadership and Organizational Development
Social Current

Robena Spangler is an innovative senior executive with over 30 years of experience in behavioral health, human services, and advancing equity and inclusion work. The majority of her career has been dedicated to systems improvement within the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Spangler held several leadership roles in the public and private sectors. She has provided professional coaching and leadership development for teams and individuals on a national level.
In addition to her public and private sector work, she is an adjunct instructor at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS), responsible for facilitating accelerated programs in human services for adult learners. Her current role, as an EDI and leadership strategist, is to design and manage all aspects of Social Current’s leadership and organizational development portfolio. Spangler holds a bachelor’s in sociology and human services along with a master’s in leadership and professional advancement.

Karen Johnson

Senior Director of Change in Mind
Social Current

Biography

Karen Johnson
Senior Director of Change in Mind
Social Current

Karen Johnson brings knowledge of the advancing science around resilience, brain development, adversity, toxic stress, equity, and trauma-informed approaches to the complex challenges we face. This expertise, coupled with her 27 years of experience in child welfare, behavioral health, and community services, enables her to successfully partner with leaders, staff, community members, and participants across numerous settings to promote individual and organizational resilience.
Johnson leads the development of the Social Current Change in Mind Institute, leveraging the latest advances in neurosciences and trauma-informed approaches across sectors and at the practice, policy, and systems levels. She oversees the Texas Change in Mind Learning Collaborative, through which 10 organizations from multiple sectors across Southeast Texas are working to embed brain science principles with the goal of improving outcomes for children and families, as well as their organizational cultures and ability to collaborate with partners.
During her five-and-a-half years on the National Council for Mental Wellbeing’s trauma-informed services team, and year-and-a-half as an independent consultant, Johnson trained and consulted with organizations, systems, and communities striving to advance trauma-informed, resilience-oriented approaches. She also led and developed community-based programs during her 19 years at SaintA in Milwaukee. Johnson combines the newest advances around adversity, relational health, and resilience to infuse hope and connection into our work.
Johnson is a licensed clinical social worker certified in Dr. Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead and Daring Way and trained in Dr. Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics.

Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Supporting Sponsors

Exhibitors

Volunteer Appreciation Celebration at SPARK 2025
2025-10-19 17:30 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Hilton Chicago, 720 S Michigan Ave., Chicago, 60605, United States
We could not do what we do without our COA Accreditation volunteers. All active COA Accreditation volunteers are invited to join us as we gather and celebrate all that you do. Catch up with colleagues, share site visit stories from the road, and get ready for the start of SPARK 2024. There will be food, drinks, prizes, and a host of swag – so you will not want to miss this event.
Registration for the Volunteer Appreciation Celebration is separate from the SPARK 2025 registration. To register, email Darrell Woodliff, director of volunteer engagement at Social Current.
This reception is a pre-conference event of the SPARK 2025 conference.

Executive Leadership Institute: Unlocking Potential Because You Matter
2025-10-19 13:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Hilton Chicago, 720 S Michigan Ave., Chicago, 60605, United States
Register Now

This discounted rate is made possible through our sponsor Marsh McLennan Agency.
This convening is a pre-conference event of our SPARK 2025 conference in Chicago, but registration is separate from the conference.
For over 20 years, the Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) has established an incredible reputation for providing a quality peer learning experience that positively impacts the development of social sector leaders. We count on input and feedback from our current and past peer cohorts to advise and guide the program’s success. This pre-conference convening is the first of its kind!
We invite past, present, and future ELI participants to join us to catch up with fellow alumni, network with those who are interested in learning more about ELI, and discuss its transformative impact on both the individual and the organization. Come prepared to learn about the game-changing impact of ELI and engage in motivational storytelling about what’s shaped you as a leader.
ELI alumni Shannon Fisch and Kiera McGillivray, co-directors of the Brain Science Training Institute at Children & Families First Delaware, will share their leadership journeys and how ELI benefitted them and their organization. Developing the Brain Science Training Institute was the focus of their ELI projects and, in 2024, it was recognized as Social Current’s Innovative Impact Award winner.
One of ELI’s popular presenters, Brandon Pendleton, adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago, will engage participants in a session about activating the power of the sector through leadership development and ELI.
In addition, Eric Beck, senior vice president and National Non-Profit Practice leader at Marsh McLennan Agency, will lead an interactive session on the power of connection and networking. Networking and building centers of influence are vital to building your personal brand and your organization, but many people don’t know where or how to start. Participants will learn tricks and tips for becoming a successful networker and brand builder.

Who Should Participate

ELI alumni
Current ELI participants
Prospective participants interested in learning more about ELI

Presenters

Robena Spangler

Senior Director of Leadership and Organizational Development
Social Current

Brandon Pendleton

Adjunct Professor at Loyola University Chicago
Owner/Managing Director of 4 Jewels HR

Eric Beck

SVP, National Non-Profit Practice Leader
Marsh McLennan Agency

Advocacy Amplified: Rapid Response & Readiness in a Shifting Policy Landscape
2025-10-19 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Hilton Chicago, 720 S Michigan Ave., Chicago, 60605, United States
Register for this pre-conference session by registering for SPARK 2025.
As federal priorities shift, nonprofit leaders must be prepared to respond swiftly and strategically. This condensed version of Social Current’s Advocacy Amplified training equips participants with the essential tools to navigate today’s policy environment, which includes increasing threats to equity; equity, diversity, and inclusion programs; and core social services funding.
Participants will gain practical skills in policy analysis, narrative framing, and grassroots mobilization. With a focus on low-cost, high-impact strategies, this session is designed for organizations operating with limited capacity but high stakes. Whether you’re preparing for the annual Advocacy Amplified full summer training and Hill Day or need an urgent tune-up on federal advocacy, this pre-conference experience offers the insight and readiness you need now.
Takeaways

How to transform expertise, lived experience, and passions into impactful advocacy
Fundamental advocacy skills and advanced advocacy strategies needed for successful campaigns
Relationships with engaged and informed advocates from around the country

Who Should Participate
Any staff from community-based organizations. No prior experience or skills are required.

Presenter

Blair Abelle-Kiser

Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Biography

Blair Abelle-Kiser
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Blair Kiser, Ph.D., joined Social Current in 2022 after working in health policy on Capitol Hill, the nonprofit sector, and as a biomedical researcher. Most recently, Blair served as director of government relations & advocacy for NephCure Kidney International.
During her time in public service, she served as a professional staff member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. She led a corporate investigation regarding insider trading and financial improprieties, conflicts of interest associated with Operation Warp Speed’s leadership, and scientific information politicization. Prior to joining the Select Subcommittee, she worked for Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), where she served as a health policy fellow. In Senator Brown’s office, she led a range of legislative and oversight efforts involving public health and health care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked with several community hospice advocacy organizations and a Republican office to help craft the bipartisan COVID-19 Hospice Respite Care Relief Act of 2020.
Prior to public service, Blair 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.

Intensive Accreditation Training (IAT) and Performance Quality Improvement (PQI) at SPARK 2025
2025-10-19 09:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Hilton Chicago, 720 S Michigan Ave., Chicago, 60605, United States
Register Now

These in-person trainings are pre-conference sessions at our SPARK 2025 conference in Chicago, but registration is separate from the conference.
Intensive Accreditation Training (IAT) (9 a.m.-Noon CT)
Price: $400
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

Register Now

These in-person trainings are pre-conference sessions at our SPARK 2025 conference in Chicago, but registration is separate from the conference.
Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI) (1-4 p.m. CT)
Price: $400
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.
Who Should Participate

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

Special thanks to our PQI training sponsor QI Folio.
Learn more about COA Accreditation, a service of Social Current, and how to get started online.

Presenter

Darrell Woodliff

Director of Volunteer Engagement
Social Current

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

Introduction to COA Accreditation
2025-10-09 15:00 - 15:30, 2025-08-13 12:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York)
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.

Scenario Planning for Nonprofits: Building Resilience and Sustaining Impact
2025-10-01 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Register

Social Current Strategic Industry Partner Your Part-Time Controller will lead this presentation as part of its “Managing Through Uncertainty” series, which introduces nonprofit leaders to scenario planning as a strategic tool for navigating financial uncertainty and sustaining mission impact. It will outline a structured, step-by-step process for identifying risks, developing multiple financial scenarios, and assigning actionable strategies to prepare for a range of possible futures.
The session will emphasize the importance of revenue diversification, including using contributed and earned income strategies to strengthen financial resilience. Through practical examples, planning templates, and real-world considerations, the presentation will equip nonprofit professionals with tools to make informed decisions in times of crisis and opportunity.
Takeaways

How scenario planning helps nonprofits anticipate risks and prepare for multiple financial outcomes, not just a single forecast
A five-step process that includes: Assessing risks, identifying top uncertainties, creating scenarios, assigning actions, and implementing/monitoring
Why revenue diversification is essential and strategies, including donor cultivation, monetizing assets, and expanding earned income streams
Discuss tools that can help with scenario planning
Why clear timelines, responsibilities, and key performance indicators are critical for executing scenario-based action plans effectively

Who Should Participate

Executive directors and CEOs looking to lead their organizations through financial uncertainty
Finance and accounting professionals responsible for budgeting, forecasting, and risk management
Development and fundraising teams looking to diversify revenue streams and strengthen donor engagement
Board members involved in strategic planning and financial oversight
Program and operations leaders who need to assess and adapt service delivery under different financial scenarios

Presenter

Eric Johnson

Manager
Your Part-Time Controller

Biography

Eric Johnson
Manager
Your Part-Time Controller

Eric Johnson started his nonprofit accounting work with a national association management company in Chicago. He has nearly 20 years of experience in nonprofit accounting. Over the last decade, he has worked as a director of finance for a museum, theater, workforce development agency, and social service agency. He helped all the nonprofits work toward operational excellence by achieving best practices in accounting and financial reporting. He has overseen IT and human resources in addition to his accounting work, which included several software transitions of donor databases and payroll processing conversions. He’s a manager in Remote Services Operations-Elite (Midwest) and is part of YPTC’s Social Services specialization.

Sandra Magri

Director
Your Part-Time Controller

Biography

Sandra Magri
Director
Your Part-Time Controller

Sandra Magri is a Director at Your Part-Time Controller (YPTC), bringing over 20 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations. She first joined YPTC in 2015 as an associate in New York. Driven by her strong connection to her New England roots, Sandra relocated to Massachusetts in 2016, temporarily leaving YPTC. When the opportunity arose to help establish YPTC’s New England presence in 2021, Sandra eagerly rejoined the team, reaffirming her commitment to the organization’s mission and values. Throughout her career, Sandra has served nonprofits as an auditor, controller, and dedicated volunteer. She is passionate about leveraging her expertise to strengthen nonprofit organizations, specifically in the social services sector, enabling them to expand their mission and maximize their impact in the communities they serve. Sandra is a licensed CPA in Massachusetts and holds a bachelor’s from Merrimack College.

Strengthening Connections Between Federally Qualified Health Centers and Child Welfare
2025-09-24 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Register

This webinar with Social Current Strategic Industry Partner Sellers Dorsey will explore how Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) can collaborate more effectively with the child welfare system and other community partners to improve health outcomes for children and families. This session will highlight promising practices, policy opportunities, and actionable strategies for integrating FQHCs into child welfare at the community and systems levels. We will also discuss recent federal shifts that impact FQHCs.
Takeaways

The role FQHCs can play in improving outcomes for children and families involved with or at risk of involvement with the child welfare system
How to identify and partner with FQHCs
Opportunities to establish a bi-directional referral stream between child welfare agencies and FQHCs
FQHCs’ full scope of offerings for Medicaid-eligible foster populations and others
Opportunities to build stronger networks at the family, community, and state levels

Who Should Participate

Staff providing care coordination or direct services to children, adults, and families such as child welfare, behavioral health, school-based services, and/or community health
Staff responsible for developing local resource networks, provider networks, or referral sources
Staff responsible for community engagement strategy and relationship development

Presenters

Rachel Marsh (Facilitator)

Associate Director
Sellers Dorsey

Biography

Rachel Marsh (Facilitator)
Associate Director
Sellers Dorsey

An attorney and social worker with more than 24 years of experience serving children and families, Rachel joins Sellers Dorsey from the Children’s Alliance of Kansas where she served as CEO. In this role, she worked to transform child and family well-being systems in Kansas. Under her leadership, the organization achieved multiple public policy accomplishments, impacting workforce retention, prevention of foster care, kinship caregivers, and youth with complex behavioral health care needs. Prior to her public policy work, Rachel served as a child in need of care attorney with a community-based child welfare provider for 14 years. She supported case managers and judicial partners in resolving complex child welfare matters, developed trainings for case managers, attorneys, and judges, and supported community and policymaker engagement in multiple states. In her early career, Rachel worked in research and social work education in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Charles Barron Jr., MD

FQHC Chief Medical Officer

Biography

Charles Barron Jr., MD
FQHC Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Charles Barron’s unwavering commitment to education has led to him becoming a board-certified family practice physician and a well-respected chief medical officer in the Federally Qualified Health Center and community health sectors locally and nationally. Raised in Friars Point, Mississippi, Dr. Barron received an associate’s degree in biology from Coahoma Junior College in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and a bachelor’s degree in biology pre-medicine from Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi, both of which are among the ranks of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). He received his medical degree from the University of Iowa School of Medicine.
Following completion of his family practice residency at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago, Dr. Barron became employed as an attending physician under the residency program and the associate medical director of Access Southwest Family Health Center. Recognizing the importance of merging his vast medical background with advanced business acumen in the ever-changing healthcare industry, Dr. Barron pursued and received a master’s in business administration from Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, Illinois. Having the insight to enhance his qualifications was a major influence in Dr. Barron’s appointment as regional medical director of the Southwest 1 Region for Access Community Health Network. It is noteworthy to mention that Access is one of the nation’s largest private provider of federally qualified health care, providing a primary care medical home for over 200,000 patients annually. Dr. Barron’s commitment to lifelong learning is also demonstrated by obtaining a certification as a physician executive from the American Association for Physician Leadership, a Post-Masters Certification in Health Care Informatics from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a graduate of UCLA/Johnson & Johnson Health Care Executive Program.
Married to Dawn, Dr. Barron is the proud father of Charles III and Dalyn BarLo. He is a devoted member of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. Dr. Barron is committed to demonstrating and implementing the traditions of integrity, compassion, empathy, and interpersonal skills as he continues to be an integral part of the community.

Imani Lewis

Director
Sellers Dorsey

Biography

Imani Lewis
Director
Sellers Dorsey

Imani R. Lewis is a seasoned health care leader with extensive expertise across provider and managed care organizations. Currently serving as director of managed care business at Sellers Dorsey, she provides strategic and tactical guidance to managed care organizations (MCOs), provider-led entities (PLEs), and community-based organizations nationally. Imani also serves as adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, where she teaches the graduate-level course Socio-cultural Dimensions of Health Disparities Research. The course focuses on defining health disparities, health equity, and social/structural determinants of health; exploring models and techniques for planning, implementing, and evaluating health disparities research; and applying these concepts to real-world challenges.
Imani’s leadership journey includes serving as chief strategy officer for a prominent network of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in Chicago. In this role, she spearheaded initiatives to address health disparities, enhance access to medical, dental, and behavioral health services, and improve the nutritional and social outcomes for underserved communities. Previously, as vice president of quality improvement for Illinois’s largest Medicaid health plan, she oversaw accreditation, regulatory processes, and quality performance for over one million members across Medicaid, Medicare, Foster Care, and Marketplace products. Her career also includes leadership roles in FQHCs and hospital systems in Illinois, where she excelled in clinical operations, data strategy, practice transformation, and quality improvement.

Brittany McAllister

Associate Director
Sellers Dorsey

Biography

Brittany McAllister
Associate Director
Sellers Dorsey

Brittany McAllister is an accomplished health and human services policy and government affairs professional with extensive experience advancing Medicaid and other health and human services public policy initiatives. Before joining Sellers Dorsey, Brittany served as senior government affairs manager for The National Service Office for Nurse-Family Partnership and Child First. There, she helped states create continuums of care–from prevention to positive permanency—to support families in or at risk of involvement with the child welfare system. Brittany has experience designing Medicaid reimbursement structures to support clinicians delivering home visiting, nutrition, and nursing services. She possesses expertise in developing coalitions and partnerships to promote systems change across early childhood services, maternal and child health, child welfare, and more.
She has worked in most states across the country, bringing a national perspective to her work and a deep understanding of the diverse policy landscapes that shape health and human services. Brittany has also led federal and state Legislative and Regulatory Affairs for the American Nutrition Association, worked in state policy at The American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and conducted Medicaid policy research at The George Washington University. Brittany is passionate about promoting family stability and healthy child development. She has lived experience in kinship care and adoption and as a Medicaid recipient. At Sellers Dorsey, Brittany helps child and family well-being clients navigate challenges and opportunities related to public funding and partnerships. She translates policy changes and funding mechanisms into actionable strategies that drive sustainable impact.

Fostering a Culture of Advocacy: Building Policy Competence Across Your Organization
2025-09-23 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Register

Sustainable, transformative advocacy requires policy engagement to be woven into the culture of an organization—not just housed in one department. This webinar will explore how to build advocacy knowledge and readiness at all levels of your organization, from front–line staff to executive leadership. Through practical examples and implementation tips, we’ll help you transform policy fluency from a siloed skill into a shared value.
Takeaways

What policy competence looks like at all organizational levels
Strategies for embedding advocacy into daily operations
Models of organization-wide training and internal communication
Leadership’s role in advocacy culture
How to distribute advocacy capacity and readiness

Who Should Attend

Members of the Social Current Grassroots Advocacy Network: Join online
Executive Directors and Senior Management: Leaders responsible for setting organizational strategy and engaging with policymakers and stakeholders
Advocacy and Policy Directors: Individuals who develop and implement advocacy strategies and engage in policy analysis and outreach
Communications and Public Relations Managers: Professionals focused on crafting and disseminating the organization’s message to the public and media
Program Managers and Coordinators: Staff who oversee program implementation and need to align program goals with advocacy efforts

Blair Abelle-Kiser, PhD

Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Biography

Blair Abelle-Kiser, PhD
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Blair Kiser, Ph.D., joined Social Current in 2022 after working in health policy on Capitol Hill, the non-profit sector, and as a biomedical researcher. Most recently, Blair served as Director of Government Relations & Advocacy for NephCure Kidney International.
During their time in public service, they served as a Professional Staff Member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. They led a corporate investigation regarding insider trading and financial improprieties, conflicts of interest associated with Operation Warp Speed’s leadership, and scientific information politicization. Prior to joining the Select Subcommittee, they worked for Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), where they served as a Health Policy Fellow. In Senator Brown’s office, they led a range of legislative and oversight efforts involving public health and healthcare. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they worked with several community hospice advocacy organizations and a Republican office to help craft the bipartisan COVID-19 Hospice Respite Care Relief Act of 2020.
Prior to public service, Blair spent several years as a medical research scientist on several industry and NIH-funded projects. Their work focused on developing research projects and clinical trials to improve the lives of African Americans with Sickle Cell Disease. They earned a doctorate in Biomedical Science from Morehouse School of Medicine in 2017 and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Kentucky in 2011.

Kinship Care in Transition: Navigating through Changes and Centering Families
2025-09-22 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Register

Kinship care continues to be a vital part of the child and family well-being system, offering children safety, stability, and the comfort of familiar relationships. As federal policies evolve to better support kinship families, agencies and organizations must adapt to shifting standards while maintaining their commitment to equity, family voice, and culturally responsive care. This webinar is designed to help participants understand recent federal rule changes impacting kinship care and relevant updates to COA Accreditation standards and how to translate those changes into meaningful, family-centered practice.
This interactive webinar will also provide practical tools and strategies for engaging and valuing kinship caregivers as true partners in the system. Whether you’re a frontline worker, administrator, or advocate, you’ll leave with takeaways to strengthen kinship placements and elevate the voices of those caring for their own.
The session will clarify what’s changing, what remains consistent, and how organizations can remain compliant while also honoring the lived experience of kinship families. Participants will have a clearer understanding of recent federal rule changes, practical steps for organizational alignment, and approaches to supporting and empowering kinship families across diverse communities.

Takeaways

Participants will gain an understanding of federal rule changes to kinship care and the impacts.
Attendees will gain clarity on updates to COA Accreditation standards and compliance expectations for agencies working with kinship families.
Participants will learn practical strategies organizations can use to adapt to the new regulations while remaining family-centered and culturally responsive.
Attendees will identify actionable ways to engage, support, and value kinship caregivers as key partners in the care system.

Who Should Attend

Community-based organization staff
Court-appointed advocates and GALs
Foster care and kinship care trainers
Kinship navigators and family support workers
Child welfare agency staff and supervisors

Romero Davis

Senior Director of Child & Family Well-Being

Biography

Romero Davis
Senior Director of Child & Family Well-Being

Romero Davis is the senior director of child and family well-being at Social Current. A mentor for professional development and community justice champion, Davis has worked nationally with agencies in areas such as poly-victimization; trauma in families; equity, diversity, and inclusion; juvenile justice; and domestic violence. He is a member of the technical assistance team for Child Safety Forward.

Jordan Reinwald, LCSW

Practice Excellence Standards Specialist

Biography

Jordan Reinwald, LCSW
Practice Excellence Standards Specialist

Jordan Reinwald, LCSW is a Practice Excellence Standards Specialist with Social Current providing research, development, and ongoing technical assistance and maintenance of the COA Accreditation Standards. Jordan brings a mix of direct practice and policy development experience in child welfare to her work in standards research. Jordan has worked as a foster care social worker in Alabama and as a Clinical Specialist in the Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate, where she conducted reviews of critical incidents and recommended practice and policy changes to improve outcomes for children in foster care. She is passionate about promoting best practices in child welfare and human services to enhance the well-being of children and families. Jordan resides in West Hartford, CT.

September Grassroots Convening
2025-09-16 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York)
Register

Human and social services professionals are invited to join Social Current’s monthly Grassroots Advocacy Network Convening. We will lead an interactive session to assist nonprofits in developing effective values-based messages that connect across ideological divides and resonate with diverse viewpoints. Through an interactive session, participants will collaboratively develop language that captures attention, builds bridges, and motivates action.
Join the grassroots advocacy network online.
Social Current’s grassroots advocacy network is a rapid-response team for urgent policy and legislative issues that offers opportunities to exchange ideas, share solutions, and build lasting connections across the sector. By joining, you’ll receive alerts, advocacy opportunities, and access to workshops and training to sharpen your strategies and tools.
Takeaways

Opportunities to work alongside likeminded advocates to develop a messaging framework that resonates across diverse audiences
Techniques for values-based communication
Practice in refining messages for stakeholders representing unique populations

Who Should Attend

Members of the Social Current Grassroots Advocacy Network: Join online
Executive Directors and Senior Management: Leaders responsible for setting organizational strategy and engaging with policymakers and stakeholders
Advocacy and Policy Directors: Individuals who develop and implement advocacy strategies and engage in policy analysis and outreach
Communications and Public Relations Managers: Professionals focused on crafting and disseminating the organization’s message to the public and media
Program Managers and Coordinators: Staff who oversee program implementation and need to align program goals with advocacy efforts

Blair Abelle-Kiser, PhD

Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Biography

Blair Abelle-Kiser, PhD
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Blair Kiser, Ph.D., joined Social Current in 2022 after working in health policy on Capitol Hill, the non-profit sector, and as a biomedical researcher. Most recently, Blair served as Director of Government Relations & Advocacy for NephCure Kidney International.
During their time in public service, they served as a Professional Staff Member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. They led a corporate investigation regarding insider trading and financial improprieties, conflicts of interest associated with Operation Warp Speed’s leadership, and scientific information politicization. Prior to joining the Select Subcommittee, they worked for Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), where they served as a Health Policy Fellow. In Senator Brown’s office, they led a range of legislative and oversight efforts involving public health and healthcare. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they worked with several community hospice advocacy organizations and a Republican office to help craft the bipartisan COVID-19 Hospice Respite Care Relief Act of 2020.
Prior to public service, Blair spent several years as a medical research scientist on several industry and NIH-funded projects. Their work focused on developing research projects and clinical trials to improve the lives of African Americans with Sickle Cell Disease. They earned a doctorate in Biomedical Science from Morehouse School of Medicine in 2017 and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Kentucky in 2011.

On the Road: 2025 California Child and Family Services Conference
2025-09-02 00:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York)
Stronger Together

See You in Anaheim
Join us in Anaheim Sept. 21-27.
Are you attending this event?
Make sure to meet Rachael Rucker, manager of network engagement and growth, at our exhibit booth to learn all about Social Current’s complete range of solutions.
Don’t forget to attend the workshop “Stronger Together: Communities United for Child and family Wellbeing,” presented by our own Romero Davis, director of practice excellence, and Kimberly Heard, senior program manager. Come to this session to discuss experiences, best practices, and innovative solutions with Social Current’s experts dedicated to improving the lives of children and families.

About the Event
The California Child and Family Services Conference connects professionals in child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, and education for cross-sectional discussions about the field of child and family services. Gain new insights, earn CEUs, and leave with the tools and connections to create real change in your community.

Advocacy Ecosystems: Building Collective Power Across Sectors
2025-08-26 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Register

To create sustainable, lasting change, we need to build on strong advocacy campaigns with strong ecosystems. This session will explore the conditions and factors needed for strategic advocacy infrastructure, which connects individual voices to a broader movement. We’ll discuss the value of building coalitions, cultivating shared narratives, and coordinating action across sectors.
Takeaways

About an advocacy ecosystem and its components
Models of cross-sector collaboration and coalition work
Moving beyond single-issue advocacy toward long-term strategy
Tactics for integrating local, state, and federal action
How to think structurally, not just reactively

Who Should Attend

Members of the Social Current Grassroots Advocacy Network: Join online
Executive Directors and Senior Management: Leaders responsible for setting organizational strategy and engaging with policymakers and stakeholders
Advocacy and Policy Directors: Individuals who develop and implement advocacy strategies and engage in policy analysis and outreach
Communications and Public Relations Managers: Professionals focused on crafting and disseminating the organization’s message to the public and media
Program Managers and Coordinators: Staff who oversee program implementation and need to align program goals with advocacy efforts

Blair Abelle-Kiser, PhD

Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Biography

Blair Abelle-Kiser, PhD
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Blair Kiser, Ph.D., joined Social Current in 2022 after working in health policy on Capitol Hill, the non-profit sector, and as a biomedical researcher. Most recently, Blair served as Director of Government Relations & Advocacy for NephCure Kidney International.
During their time in public service, they served as a Professional Staff Member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. They led a corporate investigation regarding insider trading and financial improprieties, conflicts of interest associated with Operation Warp Speed’s leadership, and scientific information politicization. Prior to joining the Select Subcommittee, they worked for Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), where they served as a Health Policy Fellow. In Senator Brown’s office, they led a range of legislative and oversight efforts involving public health and healthcare. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they worked with several community hospice advocacy organizations and a Republican office to help craft the bipartisan COVID-19 Hospice Respite Care Relief Act of 2020.
Prior to public service, Blair spent several years as a medical research scientist on several industry and NIH-funded projects. Their work focused on developing research projects and clinical trials to improve the lives of African Americans with Sickle Cell Disease. They earned a doctorate in Biomedical Science from Morehouse School of Medicine in 2017 and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Kentucky in 2011.

On the Road: NFCC Connect 2025
2025-08-25 00:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York)
National Foundation for Credit Counseling Conference

See You in Washington D.C.
Join us in Washington D.C. for NFCC Connect 2025 from Aug. 25-27.
Are you attending this event?
Social Current’s Accreditation Coordinator Kathleen Hinostroza will be onsite at our booth to talk with attendees about COA Accreditation and our range of solutions. Don’t forget to grab some swag!

About the Event
NFCC Connect 2025 brings together professionals from the credit counseling and financial services sectors. Leaders from across the financial wellness field gather to discuss real solutions for life beyond debt. Attendees gain tools and strategies to help the people and communities they serve to improve their financial wellness & literacy.

On the Road: 2025 Texas Child Care Administrators Conference
2025-08-25 00:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York)
It takes a village to support children, youth, and families.

See You in San Antonio
Join us in San Antonio at TCCAC 2025 Aug. 25-27.
Are you attending this event?
Joe Perrow from our network engagement and growth team look forward to meeting you at the Social Current exhibit booth. Get the details on our impact areas and range of solutions and pick up some Social Current goodies to bring home.

About the Event
The Texas Child Care Administrators Conference is the state’s largest gathering of child welfare professionals, dedicated to strengthening care for children, youth, and families. Join us in San Antonio this August to connect, learn, and grow with over 1,500 fellow professionals working to make a difference in Texas.

On the Road: Florida Behavioral Health Conference
2025-08-20 00:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York)
It takes a village to support children, youth, and families.

See You in Orlando
Join us in Orlando at BHCon25 on Aug. 20-22.
Are you attending this event?
Make sure to meet Rachael Rucker, manager of network engagement and growth, at our exhibit booth to learn all about Social Current’s complete range of solutions.

About the Event
The Florida Behavioral Health Conference brings together clinicians, researchers, advocates, and administrative professionals from across the behavioral field to explore the developments and innovations happening across our work. With interactive workshops, inspiring keynotes, and hands‑on skill sessions, this conference is designed to spark innovation and strengthen your practice.

Deepening Quality Improvement Efforts: Real-World Success Stories
2025-08-14 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Register

Too often quality improvement conversations get lost in the philosophical nature of concepts and theory, and it can be difficult to distill ideas into positive action. For this free webinar, Social Current Strategic Industry Partner QI Folio has invited two Social Current network organizations to share their quality improvement initiatives and the achieved results.
Join us for this session to learn about real projects that are driving meaningful change:

Child & Family Service in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, will showcase how targeted chart audits revealed trends and led to focused staff training and EHR enhancements
Cornerstones of Care in Kansas City, Missouri, will highlight their transition from a tiered PQI model to EQUIP, a dynamic, cross-functional approach addressing safety, subcontractor oversight, assessment compliance, and client experience

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain actionable insights and fresh ideas you can bring back to your own quality improvement work. Whether you’re looking to strengthen your data reviews, engage your teams, or spark new quality improvement initiatives, this session will leave you inspired and equipped to take the next step.
The tools, frameworks, and strategies discussed during this webinar reflect the internal practices of participating organizations and are not required or endorsed by COA Accreditation, a service of Social Current. They are shared to illustrate how organizations can apply quality improvement principles in ways that align with and enhance their own goals and systems.
Takeaways

How to use chart audit scoring for targeting improvement areas
How to identify if chart audits are a staff issue or technology issue
How the EQUIP model can be applied within an agency
How to build and execute cross functional teams for effectiveness

Who Should Participate
Anyone responsible for organizational outcomes in quality
Presenters
Paige Webb
Senior Director of Performance Excellence
Cornerstones of Care
Christie Onato
Compliance Officer, Performance & Training Department
Child and Family Services
Dale Yoshioka
Compliance Specialist, Performance & Training Department
Child and Family Services

August Grassroots Advocacy Network Convening
2025-08-12 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Register

Human and social services professionals are invited to join Social Current’s monthly grassroots advocacy network virtual convenings. We will discuss key policy issues affecting our sector, opportunities for advocacy, and offer an opportunity to check-in with questions as the federal policy landscape continues to shift rapidly.
Our August meeting will center forward movement in appropriations, reductions-in-force, and a lawsuit affecting the Johnson Amendment. We will also discuss opportunities for advocacy through August recess.
Join the grassroots advocacy network online.
Social Current’s grassroots advocacy network is a rapid-response team for urgent policy and legislative issues that offers opportunities to exchange ideas, share solutions, and build lasting connections across the sector. By joining, you’ll receive alerts, advocacy opportunities, and access to workshops and training to sharpen your strategies and tools.
Takeaways

Understand key political events impacting our sector
Review opportunities to engage in August recess
Organizations will also have the opportunity to engage in a discussion regarding the current challenges they are facing

Who Should Attend

Members of the Social Current Grassroots Advocacy Network: Join online
Executive Directors and Senior Management: Leaders responsible for setting organizational strategy and engaging with policymakers and stakeholders
Advocacy and Policy Directors: Individuals who develop and implement advocacy strategies and engage in policy analysis and outreach
Communications and Public Relations Managers: Professionals focused on crafting and disseminating the organization’s message to the public and media
Program Managers and Coordinators: Staff who oversee program implementation and need to align program goals with advocacy efforts

Blair Abelle-Kiser, PhD

Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Biography

Blair Abelle-Kiser, PhD
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Blair Kiser, Ph.D., joined Social Current in 2022 after working in health policy on Capitol Hill, the non-profit sector, and as a biomedical researcher. Most recently, Blair served as Director of Government Relations & Advocacy for NephCure Kidney International.
During their time in public service, they served as a Professional Staff Member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. They led a corporate investigation regarding insider trading and financial improprieties, conflicts of interest associated with Operation Warp Speed’s leadership, and scientific information politicization. Prior to joining the Select Subcommittee, they worked for Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), where they served as a Health Policy Fellow. In Senator Brown’s office, they led a range of legislative and oversight efforts involving public health and healthcare. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they worked with several community hospice advocacy organizations and a Republican office to help craft the bipartisan COVID-19 Hospice Respite Care Relief Act of 2020.
Prior to public service, Blair spent several years as a medical research scientist on several industry and NIH-funded projects. Their work focused on developing research projects and clinical trials to improve the lives of African Americans with Sickle Cell Disease. They earned a doctorate in Biomedical Science from Morehouse School of Medicine in 2017 and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Kentucky in 2011.

On the Road: National Conference of State Legislators Summit
2025-08-04 00:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York)
See You in Boston
Join us in Boston at NCSL 2025 Aug. 4-6
Are you attending this event?
Kelly Barkley Mane, manager of government relations and recognitions, looks forward to meeting attendees in Boston to hear about their work and discuss how Social Current’s solutions can strengthen their impact.

About the Event
Since 1975, the National Conference of State Legislatures has had one mission: Strengthen state legislatures; support the people who make them work; and champion democracy, civility, and innovation. Now celebrating 50 years, NCSL is gathering workers across the country to meet in Boston to hear from public policy experts, connect with each other and prepare for the policy challenges that lie ahead.

Crafting a Powerful Story for Impactful Advocacy
2025-07-29 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Register

Your experiences are the foundation for powerful advocacy, offering lawmakers a blueprint for change. In this interactive webinar, you’ll learn how to tell your story in ways that are emotionally resonant, strategically focused, and aligned with current policy efforts. Through practical frameworks and peer engagement, we’ll help you build a story that empowers—not just informs—and drives action at every level.
Takeaways

How to link personal stories to policy change
Structure and strategy for ethical storytelling
How to elevate voice and experience as tools for systemic influence
Gain confidence in using lived experience to engage lawmakers

Who Should Attend

Members of the Social Current Grassroots Advocacy Network: Join online
Executive Directors and Senior Management: Leaders responsible for setting organizational strategy and engaging with policymakers and stakeholders
Advocacy and Policy Directors: Individuals who develop and implement advocacy strategies and engage in policy analysis and outreach
Communications and Public Relations Managers: Professionals focused on crafting and disseminating the organization’s message to the public and media
Program Managers and Coordinators: Staff who oversee program implementation and need to align program goals with advocacy efforts

Blair Abelle-Kiser, PhD

Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Biography

Blair Abelle-Kiser, PhD
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Social Current

Blair Kiser, Ph.D., joined Social Current in 2022 after working in health policy on Capitol Hill, the non-profit sector, and as a biomedical researcher. Most recently, Blair served as Director of Government Relations & Advocacy for NephCure Kidney International.
During their time in public service, they served as a Professional Staff Member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. They led a corporate investigation regarding insider trading and financial improprieties, conflicts of interest associated with Operation Warp Speed’s leadership, and scientific information politicization. Prior to joining the Select Subcommittee, they worked for Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), where they served as a Health Policy Fellow. In Senator Brown’s office, they led a range of legislative and oversight efforts involving public health and healthcare. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they worked with several community hospice advocacy organizations and a Republican office to help craft the bipartisan COVID-19 Hospice Respite Care Relief Act of 2020.
Prior to public service, Blair spent several years as a medical research scientist on several industry and NIH-funded projects. Their work focused on developing research projects and clinical trials to improve the lives of African Americans with Sickle Cell Disease. They earned a doctorate in Biomedical Science from Morehouse School of Medicine in 2017 and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Kentucky in 2011.

On the Road: National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors 2025 Annual Meeting
2025-07-27 00:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York)
See You in Washington D.C.
Join us in Washington D.C. at the NASMHPD 2025 Annual Meeting July 27-29.
Are you attending this event?
Visit Allysen Fang, commission coordinator for COA Accreditation, at the Social Current booth to learn about our range of solutions and our upcoming webinars and learning opportunities. Plus, you can take some Social Current goodies with you!

About the Event
Join leaders across the behavioral health field for two days of learning, connection, and skill-building. The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) represents the public mental health service delivery system serving all 50 states, 6 territories, and the District of Columbia. NASMHPD is the only national association to represent state mental health commissioners/directors and their agencies. Learn more.

On the Road: FFTA Annual Conference
2025-07-20 00:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York)
See You in New Orleans
Join us in New Orleans at FFTA25 July 20-23.
Are you attending this event?
Marisa Collins, director of strategic partnerships and partner communications, is staffing the Social Current exhibition booth to share all about our solutions, partnership opportunities, and hand out Social Current swag. Make sure to stop by and introduce yourself!
Social Current’s Karen Johnson, senior director of Change in Mind, will present on strategies for building workforce compassion resilience in their session, “Next Practices in Trauma-Informed Approaches: Building a Well and Resilient Workforce.”
Romero Davis, director of practice excellence, and Kimberly Heard, senior program manager, will be presenting the session, “Building the muscles to Shift mindset, culture, and behavior inside and out.”

About the Event
The FFTA Annual Conference is happening July 20–23, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans. Gain new tools, share your insights, and build lasting connections with others working to improve the lives of children and families.
