2019 Mental Health Summit

Presenter: Authentic Family Engagement: What it is and how to do it

Karen Buetens LICSW, is currently the family and community engagement coordinator at the elementary level for the South Kingstown School Department. Buetens has an extensive clinical background as well as expertise in program development, community organizing and creating social justice initiatives.

Presenter: Self Care and Wellness for Educators

In 2005, Autumn Francesca completed her MA in Ed thesis, “A conscious breathing practice in the classroom can help students with focus and concentration.” She primarily taught secondary math in Washington State.  Today, Autumn teaches mindfulness to middle and high school students, as part of school wellness programs, with the Center for Resilience in Providence.  She also mentors teachers in nonviolence principles and is the Program Director for Nonviolent Schools RI.  Autumn has been practicing self-care and wellness from a variety of modalities for over twenty years. She is passionate about the journey to heal ourselves so that we can fully express our greatness. 
 

Presenter: Trauma-Informed Schools

Dana Osowiecki, Ph.D.  is a clinical neuropsychologist who specializes in working with students of all ages and supporting schools in understanding the needs of diverse learners and students with a variety of challenges that impact learning.  She has worked in Rhode Island ever since coming to Brown University in 1996 to complete her Internship and Post-Doctoral studies in neuropsychology and has expanded her evaluation and consultation services through the Center for Psychology and Learning, with additional staff who share the same approach to problem solving and interventions.  She has a particular interest in anxiety and executive functioning, factors that play a role in student success across diagnostic categories.  She works from a strengths-based model and is always exploring how to make connections between neuropsychology and everyday life. 

Presenter: From ACEs to Resiliency

Lisa Parker, LICSW, began her school career as an elementary teacher 33 years ago and soon after earned her Masters in Social Welfare from UCLA. She has worked in multiple settings in CA and RI serving children and their families including outpatient counseling in community agencies and her own private practice, as well as school social work. Lisa is currently the School Social Worker at Cumberland High School where she works together with students, teachers, and families to help all students thrive. She has also created a self-worth discussion/support group in collaboration with a school advocate from Sojourner House. Lisa is deeply passionate about social justice and equity, and this passion drives her work in making meaningful connections with students and helping to maintain an inclusive and compassionate learning environment. This year she is also serving as a Fellow Advisor for the Yale Childhood-Trauma Learning Collaborative. When not working, she can be found rejuvenating by camping with her wife and puppy or traveling to visit her three children in NC and WA.

Presenter: Fostering Connection in Schools

Kim Pristawa has been a school psychologist for the past 17 years at Burrillville High School.  She also served as Interim Pupil Personnel Director in Burrillville for two of those years and is currently serving as the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Delegate for RI. She developed the Connections Survey in 2010 and has presented on this topic at the state and national levels.
 

Presenter: Authentic Family Engagement: What it is and how to do it

Kelsey Trubia, LCSW is currently the family and community engagement coach at the secondary level for the South Kingstown School Department. In addition to working directly with students and families, Trubia expertise includes collaborating with nonprofits, agencies, charities, and local resources to reduce systemic barriers and assist with basic needs.  

Presenter: Social and Emotional Learning, Embedding Standards into Instruction

Alice Woods is at the RI Department of Education in the Office of Student, Community, and Academic Supports and currently leads the statewide initiative on Social and Emotional Learning. RI is a member of the Collaborating States Initiative with the Collaborative for Academic and Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and Alice is the RI representative and liaison for this work.