Welcome to The Yellowstone Conference: Community Strategies to Prevent Youth Violence! Join us on Thu Oct 10 2024 at 08:30 AM for a day of learning and collaboration at 1701 Ray of Hope Ln. Billings, MT. This event will bring together community leaders, educators, and youth advocates to discuss effective strategies for preventing youth violence. Come share your ideas, network with like-minded individuals, and make a difference in your community. Let’s work together to create a safer and more peaceful environment for our youth. We look forward to seeing you there!

Panel Topics & Descriptions:

• Strengthening Family’s in Preventing Youth Violence ~ Moderator: Mary Hash, Administrative Director for Community Based Services. What can we do to help prevent adverse childhood experiences and help create a safe, stable, and nurturing environment for our children to help them reach their full potential? Nearly one in six adults have experienced four or more types of ACEs. This diverse panel will provide the audience information regarding protective factors, resiliency, and resources to help families achieve optimal success.

• Panelists
  • Brian Dennis, President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Yellowstone County
  • Carrie Porter, Program Manager and Intake Specialist for CASA of Yellowstone County
  • Laura Narum, Family Programs Resource Coordinator and Interim Director of Emergency Services at District 7 HRDC
  • Jen Daniels, Supervisor of the RFS (Resource Family Specialists)

• Partnering With Schools ~ Moderator: Kristin Mathison, Administrative Supervisor in Community Based Services. During this panel we will discuss the importance of creating strong partnerships with schools to assist and support students and staff. Fostering effective collaboration between schools and community health and behavior health partners have significant benefits that include improved academic performance, physical and psychological safety, reduced disciplinary action, lower dropout rate, lower substance abuse and less involvement in the criminal justice system. Each panelist will have an opportunity to speak to why these partnerships are important, how they have seen the systems work together or even what they would like to see improve.

• Panelists
  • Randy Shipman, Superintendent of the Dillon Elementary School District #10
  • Regina Griemsman, Head of School for Grace Montessori Academy (GMA)
  • Christina Peterson, Director of Student Services at Laurel Public Schools.
  • Amity Burkhardt, Coordinator of the Wellness and Resiliency Grant for Billings Public Schools

• Counteracting Drug Culture ~ Moderator: Jessica Kiedrowski, LAC, BS, MCRMHC. During this panel we will discuss the warning signs and appropriate interventions that come with childhood substance use. This includes the importance of creating strong connections with family members and community resources to help keep the public informed on what is being advertised to our youth, how it affects the body, and why youth are drawn to it. Staying away from substance use has shown to be directly tied to improvement on grades, school attendance, career progression, and developing healthy relationships with their peers. Youth who struggle with substance use will report troubles with breathing, coping with anxiety, being alone with their thoughts, joining activities that do not allow them to use, and increased emotional dysregulation. Each panelist will have an opportunity to speak to on the different warning signs, how to intervene, what the consequences of use are, what we are seeing used the most often in our communities, where to receive support, and answer questions given by the crowd.

• Panelists
  • Bryn Kojetin, Juvenile Probation Officer
  • Dr. Malcom Horn, Clinical Supervisor for Rimrock
  • Stacy Zinn, Retired Head of the Montana DEA office
  • TBA

• Collaborating With Government and Institutional Responses ~ Moderator: Mike Chavers, CEO of Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch. Collaborating with government and institutions is an important factor in providing services for at-risk youth and their families. We will focus on the impact to Montana youth and families.

• Panelists
  • Sierra Riesberg, Executive Director of Behavioral Health Alliance of Montana
  • Michael “Mike” Yakawich, Montana House of Representatives from the 51st district
  • Pat Cates, Senior Manager for Student Support Services for the Montana Office of Public Education
  • Meghan Peel, Deputy Administrator for the Children’s Mental Health Bureau

Special Keynote Speaker, Dr. Erwin Garcia, Billings School District 2 Superintendent

To purchase tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-yellowstone-conference-community-strategies-to-prevent-youth-violence-tickets-1004714647557

5.75 CEUs and 6 OPI credits are available upon request and the conference will be offered both in-person and virtual. Lunch will be included for in-person attendees!

Conference Agenda:

o Registration 8:30am-9:00am

o Welcome 9:00am-9:15am

o Strengthening Family’s in Preventing Youth Violence Panel 9:15am-10:30am

o Break 10:30am-10:45am

o Partnering With Schools Panel 10:45am-12:00pm

o Lunch 12:00p-1:00p

o Counteracting Drug Culture Panel 1:00pm-2:15pm

o Break 2:15pm-2:30pm

o Collaborating With Government and Institutional Responses Panel 2:30pm-3:45pm

o Keynote Speaker-Dr. Erwin Garcia, Billings School District 2 Superintendent 3:45pm-4:30pm

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch would like to invite you to attend our seventh annual Yellowstone Conference: Caring For The Caregiver being held on our main campus in Billings, MT on Thursday October 19^th, 2023. This year’s conference is focused on the caregivers that provide care to Montana’s youth and families with professional panel discussions on:

• Human Resources: Recruiting & Retention ~ Moderator: Lance Moyer, Human Resources Director for Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch

This panel discussion will focus on the changing recruiting & retention landscape, and the challenges faced by behavioral healthcare organizations in attracting and retaining employees that support the organization’s culture.

• Preventative Resiliency ~ Moderator: Taylor Clark, OTD R/L, Occupational Therapist for Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch

This panel will focus resources in the community, as well as strategies caregivers can build into their own lives to support both themselves and, by extension, those they care for.

• Applying Emotional First Aid to Caregivers ~ Moderator: John Dailey, Training Specialist for Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch

This panel will focus on providing emotional first aid immediately after a traumatic event reduces the psychological stress while strengthening existing coping skills and building community supports which have a positive impact on the retention and resilience of caregivers.

• Systemic Supports-Collaborating for Outcomes ~ Moderator: Mike Chavers, CEO of Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch

The Systemic Supports-Collaborating for Outcomes panel will focus on how the systems and principles that can aid and impact caregivers for Montana youth and families.

5.75 CEUs and 6 OPI credits are available upon request. The conference will be offered both in-person and virtually again this year.

Conference Agenda:

Check-in starts 8:30am-9:00am

Welcome 9:00am-9:15am

Human Resources Recruitment Panel 9:15am-10:30am

Break 10:30am-10:45am

Preventative Resiliency Panel 10:45am-12:00pm

Lunch 12:00pm-1:00pm

Applying Emotional First Aid to Caregivers  1:00pm-2:15pm

Break 2:15pm-2:30pm

Collaborating for Outcomes panel 2:30pm-3:45pm

Keynote Speaker 3:45pm-4:30pm

 Click Here to purchase tickets!

Spring is almost over, and man has it been a busy one at YBGR.

The youth enjoyed the second annual Spring Social Supper on May 12^th.  This year’s event featured a fantastic meal from Sodexo that the youth got to pre-ordered on RSVP cards; a candy bar full of treats thanks to a generous donor; and whimsical decorations in the dining hall thanks to some wonderful neighbors that wanted to help make the night a hit.

The youth went thrifting at Goodwill to find attire for the event and to take their turn at the photo booth.  They also got to practice their social and coping skills in a festive environment and enjoyed the night off from chores as staff and volunteers did all the serving and cleaned up.

On May 26^th YA and YBGR celebrated six youths that have overcome a lot in their short lives and earned the honor of graduating high school. Youth were celebrated by their families, staff, and peers in the Chapel and enjoyed a cupcake reception after the ceremony.

The following week was a blur of activity as the kids were getting ready for school break and the annual Spring Fling Clean-up on June 1^st. Youth and YA staff have been getting ready for the annual clean-up since late January when they headed into the greenhouse to plant seeds. They nurtured their seedlings to life and learned a lot along the way, from growing in a greenhouse, how to remediate less than ideal soil, not to over or underwater, and patience. Their efforts paid off and the campus is abuzz with happy bees from the seven hives YA has going this year flitting from flower to flower gathering their pollen to make some delicious honey!

Montana’s Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch will be offering free access to Karyn Purvis’ world renowned, Empowered to Connect simulcast.

Empowered to Connect (ETC) is an attachment rich community focused program that exists to support, resource, and educate caregivers. ETC’s resources and trainings are especially helpful for caregivers of children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), toxic stress, and maltreatment. ETC relies heavily on the model of Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) created by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross at the TCU Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development.

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch staff will be on-hand to facilitate discussions throughout the presentations in order to dig deep into how these parenting techniques can be implemented in our daily lives.  

Join trauma specialist, author and national trainer, Megan Howard, LCSW, CCTP, for this intensive 3-day EMDR training that will provide you the knowledge and skills needed to use EMDR safely and effectively. Through lecture, live and videotaped EMDR demonstrations, and supervised experiential exercises, this training will provide you with an in-depth knowledge of trauma theory, principles, diagnosis and EMDR treatment.

The stage model remains today’s state-of-the-art treatment approach for all but single-incident trauma. During this training, you will learn the goals of each stage, along with the therapeutic tools to reach those goals.

You must be present for all 3 days of EMDR training to receive the hours of training certificate. CEUs will be emailed by PESI after paperwork has been processed.

Cost is $700.00 per ticket 

Purchase Tickets

Schedule:

Wednesday January 8th, 2020

• Registration 7:30am-8:00am
• Training 8:00am-11:50am
• Lunch 11:50am-1:00pm (Lunch on your own)
• Training 1:00pm-4:00pm 

Thursday January 9th, 2020

• Training 8:00am-11:50am
• Lunch 11:50am-1:00pm (Lunch on your own)
• Training 1:00pm-4:00pm 

Friday January 10th, 2020

• Training 8:00am-11:50am
• Lunch 11:50am-1:00pm (Lunch on your own)
• Training 1:00pm-4:00pm 

Program Outline:

Neuroscience of Trauma, Effective Assessment and DSM-5® Diagnostic Criteria

Neuroscience’s Current Trauma Paradigm

Biological nature of trauma

• Triune Brain, The Autonomic Nervous System and the Stress Response
• The Polyvagal Theory
• Traumatic Stress: normal, prolonged, complex and developmental

Specific trauma symptoms

Primary treatment issues in trauma therapy

Trauma’s Somatic and Sensorimotor Sequelae

• Hyperarousal
• Hypoarousal
• Dissociation, body memories and “flashbacks” Affect dysregulation

Trauma and Attachment

The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACE Study)

Attachment Essentials

• Baby/momma trauma
• Insecure Attachment Styles Assessment and Primary Treatment Issues of:
• Avoidant
• Preoccupied
• Disorganized type

Assessment and Diagnosis of Trauma Disorders

Current Trauma Diagnoses:

• Acute Trauma Disorder
• PTSD and subtypes
• Dissociative
• Preschool
• Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Proposed Trauma Diagnoses

• Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD)
• Complex PTSD

Trauma Treatment: Effective Tools, Treatment Modalities, and an Introduction EMDR

The Stage Model of Treatment

• Assessment, Rapport, Psychoeducation
• Developing the “Skills to Stay Stable”
• Trauma Tools for Affect Regulation
• Recognizing and regulating affect
• Dissociative episodes and “flashbacks”
• Grounding clients in their bodies and back in the present in the here and now
• Mindfulness/bodyfulness (including somatic exercises)
• Multisensory Guided Imagery
• EFT (meridian tapping)
• Reduction of physiological arousal
• Recognizing and up & down regulating arousal levels
• Containment and self-soothing
• Stage One: Stabilization and Safety

Stage Two: Working Through Traumatic Memories

• Brief overview of the theory and applicability of three trauma processing modalities:
• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP)
• Somatic Experiencing (SE)
• EMDR

Practice EMDR for both Resourcing and Trauma Processing

Live EMDR demonstration followed by experiential sessions

Under Supervision, Learn and Safely Practice the Skills of EMDR for Both Phase One and Two

Phase One Work: Imaginal Resourcing

• Containment Imagery
• Comfortable Place Imagery
• Protection Imagery and/or Nurture Imagery

Phase Two Work: Reprocessing Traumatic Memories

Limitations of Research and Potential Risk

• Contraindications and precautions for reprocessing trauma
• Differences in theory and in the associated neurophysiological models are a matter of ongoing discussion

Objectives:

1. Evaluate the biological nature of trauma and how trauma is stored in the body and limbic system, creating physical and psychological symptoms to better understand your clients.

2. Differentiate between sympathetic (activated) freeze response and the parasympathetic (deactivated) dorsal vagal immobilization response your clients experience.

3. Distinguish between the following types of traumatic stress: normal, prolonged, complex and developmental and articulate treatment considerations for each.

4. Ascertain the clinical implications of traumatic stress symptomology, including hyperarousal, affect dysregulation, dissociation, body memories, and flashbacks.

5. Employ effective somatic techniques to reduce/eliminate client’s body memories, “flashbacks” and dissociation.

6. Summarize the landmark study: Adverse Childhood Experiences Study and understand the ten adverse childhood experiences studied as they related to clinical diagnosis and assessment.

7. Evaluate the clinical presentation of the following attachment styles as it relates to your clinical assessment: secure vs insecure; insecure; organized vs insecure disorganized.

8. Designate two different treatment strategies, once attachment style has been ascertained, based on your clients’ attachment style.

9. Demonstrate strategies to help clients build skills to be prepared to process trauma via EMDR, including safety within the therapeutic alliance and skills for self-regulation.

10. Determine when/if your client is prepared to safely process trauma memories via EMDR.

11. Create and employ client-driven imagery for safety and containment during trauma processing.

12. Utilize clinical techniques to help with grounding and centering traumatized clients in-session.

13. Prepare clients with various trauma tools; mindfulness, guided imagery and meridian-based techniques to decrease client’s arousal levels and modulate affect.

14. Analyze and critique the original eight phases of EMDR’s standard protocol (Shapiro) as it relates to clinical treatment.

15. Determine Parnell’s four essential elements of each EMDR session and how it relates to client treatment.

16. Practice under supervision Parnell’s Modified EMDR protocol to prepare for work with your clients in-session.

17. Practice under supervision the skill for resourcing a client with imaginal resources prior to processing traumatic material.

18. Practice under supervision the trauma processing modality and EDMR tools for processing traumatic memories with your clients.

19. Utilize and practice two “cues for safety” with your clients based on Steve Porges’ Polyvagal Theory.

Continuing Education Credits – all 3 days

Addiction Counselors: This course has been approved by PESI, Inc., as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for 19.0 CE in the Counseling Services skill group. NAADAC Provider #77553. PESI, Inc. is responsible for all aspects of their programming. Full attendance is required; no partial credit will be awarded for partial attendance.

Counselors: This intermediate activity consists of 19.0 clock hours of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please save the course outline, the certificate of completion you receive from the activity and contact your state board or organization to determine specific filing requirements.

Montana Counselors: The Montana Board of Behavioral Health no longer pre-approves any courses or sponsors. Each licensee is responsible for taking courses which contribute to their competence and directly relate to their scope of practice as defined in board statute (MAR 24-219-32). Licensees must keep CE documentation for three years in case of an audit. This intermediate level activity consists of 19.0 clock hours of instruction.

Marriage & Family Therapists: This activity consists of 1140 minutes of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. You should save this course outline, the certificate of completion you receive from the activity and contact your state board or organization to determine specific filing requirements.

Montana Marriage & Family Therapists: The Montana Board of Behavioral Health no longer pre-approves any courses or sponsors. Each licensee is responsible for taking courses which contribute to their competence and directly relate to their scope of practice as defined in board statute

(MAR 24-219-32). Licensees must keep CE documentation for three years in case of an audit. This intermediate level activity consists of 19.0 clock hours of instruction.

EMDRIA: This training is not affiliated with EMDRIA and does not qualify towards EMDRIA credits or training.

Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, and Clinical Nurse Specialists: PESI, Inc. is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

• Nurses in full attendance will earn 19.0 contact hours. Partial contact hours will be awarded for partial attendance.

Psychologists: This live activity consists of 19.0 clock hours of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please save the course outline and the certificate of completion you receive from this live activity. Contact us for more information on your state board or organization specific filing requirements. American Psychological Association credits are not available.

Montana Psychologists: This live activity is designed to meet the criteria requirements of the Montana Board of Psychologists and is a PESI-approved continuing education and qualifies for 1140 instructional minutes. Please save the certificate of completion you receive from this live activity.

Social Workers: PESI, Inc., #1062, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: January 27, 2017 – January 27, 2020. Social Workers completing this course receive 19.0 Clinical Practice continuing education credits. Course Level: Intermediate. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance. A certificate of attendance will be awarded at the end of the program to social workers who complete the program evaluation.

Montana Social Workers: The Montana Board of Behavioral Health no longer pre-approves any courses or sponsors. Each licensee is responsible for taking courses which contribute to their competence and directly relate to their scope of practice as defined in board statute (MAR 24-219-32). Licensees must keep CE documentation for three years in case of an audit. This intermediate level activity consists of 19.0 clock hours of instruction.

Other Professions: This activity qualifies for 1140 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Save your course outline and certificate of completion, and contact your own board or organization for specific requirements.

Speaker Megan Howard, LCSW, CCTP was trained on the use of EMDR as a treatment protocol through EMDRIA and uses EMDR in her practice to achieve improved outcomes with a broad spectrum of clients in the areas of trauma, abuse, and substance abuse.

She is certified as a Clinical Trauma Professional through the International Association of Trauma Professionals and currently owns and operates one of the largest treatment centers for substance abuse and trauma in the state of Idaho.

She has been invited to train internationally at the International Society of Addiction Medicine in India and at the International Conference on Addiction Research and Therapy in Amsterdam.

Ms. Howard earned her Masters in Clinical Social Work from Northwest Nazarene University and is a member of EMDRIA and the International Society of Addiction Medicine..

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial: Megan Howard is the owner of Addiction and Trauma Recovery Services. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc.

Non-financial: Megan Howard has no relevant non-financial relationship to disclose.