SFTI: Strengthening Families Training Institute

Every year the Idaho Children’s Trust Fund convenes the Strengthening Families Training Institute (SFTI) which brings together over 200 child advocates, prevention practitioners, educators, and parents from throughout Idaho to learn how to prevent child abuse and neglect from national and local experts and to share their experiences with each other.

2024 SFTI Wrap-Up

Theme: It Takes A Whole Community

The meeting format was very familiar to previous SFTI attendees: an opening keynote, followed by a workshop by the keynote, 4 parallel workshop sessions, a final panel discussion, and the conference culminated in an awards ceremony where several organizations were commended for their contributions to preventing child abuse and strengthening families in their Idaho communities.

Jeff Todahl delivered the keynote speech on the 90by30 Initiative. This was based around Oregon’s 90by30 Initiative, an 11 year ongoing effort with one aspirational goal- a 90% reduction in child abuse and neglect in one U.S. County. Jeff outlined Lane County’s process of community engagement, core beliefs and strategies, successes, challenges/barriers, and key lessons learned. This keynote included evaluation efforts, a recent 10-year retrospective, and current shifts underway. The presentation emphasized reasons for optimism, a role for inclusion, and encouraged participants to acknowledge and celebrate Idaho’s efforts as we look ahead to next vital steps.

Dr. Todahl also led the all-Institute workshop to continue to develop plans for how you could implement a similar approach where you live. What if we could really prevent 90% or –let’s think even bigger—100% of child abuse and neglect? They call that a BHAG for a big hairy audacious goal.
Attendees engaged in small group discussions to share ideas and experiences and left with some BHAGs of their own to build communities focused on child wellbeing.

Participants then had their choice of 10 workshops. On Day 2, there were more workshops and we closed the event with awards and an inspiring panel of relatives raising their grandchildren or their siblings’ children that highlighted the challenges families face today and what they wish others knew to help better support them and their needs. The panel was moderated by Debora Kasten and panelists were Racquel Broncheau, Feather Holt, and Tammy Creswell.

The Ed Van Dusen Legacy Award

The Idaho Coalition for Community Schools is a group of Community Schools practitioners, leaders, and partners who are committed to promoting the Community School strategy throughout the state of Idaho. Their purpose is to provide a means for local and state community schools stakeholders to connect, deepen knowledge and skills, and advocate for supportive policies.

The Pinwheel Awards

In 2016, the Idaho Children’s Trust Fund Board began a new tradition to recognize people and groups who have made significant contributions in the past year. The Pinwheel Awardees for 2023 -2024 are:

Children’s Village— Children’s Village, Inc. is a nonprofit children’s residential care facility in Coeur d’Alene, serving children displaced from their families due to abuse, neglect, or severe family crisis. Children’s Village has taken on the development of northern Idaho’s assessment center.

Idaho Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics— The Idaho Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics mission is to promote the health and welfare of Idaho’s children by influencing policy on any and every issue affecting child health: immunizations, air pollution, and so much more. The AAP has been a supporter of CAP Month for several years and has committed to increasing their involvement.

Lakeside Pediatrics—Lakeside Pediatrics in Coeur d’Alene strongly believes in well-childcare and preventative medicine. Lakeside was an early adopter of practice recognizing the importance of ACEs and resilience in overall health. They have integrated behavioral health into their practice, understanding that physical and behavioral health are integrally connected.

Nez Perce Child Support Program—The Nez Perce Child Support Program has chosen a unique and culturally significant approach to parenting education by using cultural practices to teach parenting. While building hand drums or sewing moccasins, the parenting curriculum is presented. The practice itself is healing as many have struggled with their cultural identity and parenting roles that were upended through historical trauma and dislocation. Culture is prevention when it helps to heal the wounds that have made it hard to parent.

Workshop Resources:

Workshop 1A: Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Jeff Todahl

Workshop 1B: Everything I needed to know about protective factors I learned from… Amanda Mills

Workshop 1E: Trauma Stewardship KJ Brant

2A: Data in the Real World Kim Hemmert

Workshop 2B: Picture Books Build Protective Factors Jen Redford

3A: Population Health Data for Idaho Joe Pollard

2024 PROGRAM

2024 SFTI REGISTRATION OPEN NOW

2023 SFTI Wrap-Up

Theme: Building Blocks of HOPE

Dr. Robert Sege delivered the keynote speech on HOPE – Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences provides a new framework to work with children and families. Based on years of research, HOPE puts the positive childhood experiences that children need to thrive at the center. By identifying, honoring, and promoting family and personal strengths, HOPE creates the conditions for trust and respect that help providers, parents, and children address challenges. In this keynote address, Dr. Sege will discuss new knowledge of the scientific basis of HOPE, offer examples of HOPE in practice from far and wide, and help attendees take the leap and put HOPE into practice! The keynote and accompanying workshop will offer the knowledge and skills needed to bring HOPE into practice.

Dr. Sege also lead the all-institute workshop: Continuing the discussion of HOPE from the keynote address, focusing on organizational transformation into HOPE-informed practice. The presenter will be joined by Idaho HOPE trainers with a focus on the four steps to transformation: (1) Leadership support, (2) examination and revision of key policies and practices, (3) staff training, and (4) Continuous quality improvement. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in small group discussions to share ideas and experiences and will leave with 30- and 90- day goals to bring HOPE into practice.

Through collaboration across health, education, social services and with families and communities, we can implement the science of thriving and create a joyful process that establishes the transformational resilience needed to face current challenges with hope, creativity and commitment to the well-being of all children, families, communities and ourselves.

Participants then had their choice of 8 workshops. On Day 2, there were more workshops and we closed the event with awards and an inspiring panel of youth speaking about mental health and the increased stress they are experiencing–especially post-pandemic. This “What I Wish You Knew” presentation will be one of many to be presented statewide this next year.

The Ed Van Dusen Legacy Award

Full Circle Health, formerly the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho, trains pediatricians and family medicine practitioners to work in Idaho with emphasis on underserved and rural areas. Members of this teaching faculty have committed to screening for parental ACEs and PCEs and developing the skills to assist parents who may be parenting with their own ACEs to find support or interventions to strengthen their parenting. By starting early in parents’ parenting journeys with early well baby checks physicians can play a powerful role in the trajectory of that journey. Screening for both positive and adverse childhood experiences provide the starting point for a conversation with the parent that builds on strengths rather than deficits so as to build resilience. This work will impact generations of new parents.

The Pinwheel Awards

Foster + Heart— Foster + Heart’s mission is “to ignite the hearts of our community to foster + meet the needs of children in foster care.” They operate a home for children who are transitioning to foster care. The home was created to provide a place for children to go while the Department of Health and Welfare finds children the right home for them based on their unique and individualized needs.

Hope on the Homefront– The Coeur d’Alene School District 271’s McKinney-Vento program/Team is called “Hope on the Homefront”. Their goal is strengthening students and families by removing barriers to academic excellence, building bridges to improve family situations, and establishing community connections to support families.

Second Chance Family Resource Center, Coeur d’Alene— 2nd Chance Ministries Family Resource Center officially opened in Jan 2022 as part of the 2nd Chance Disciples Ministry in Coeur d’Alene. 2nd Chance FRC is located in downtown CDA and provides necessary services to low income and homeless families.

The Village— The Village is a foster care closet serving the 17 counties of Southeastern Idaho and operated by the Idaho Foster & Adoptive Parent Association. Their mission is easing trauma, building self-esteem, and showing love to Idaho foster children.

Voices for Children— Idaho Voices for Children provides voice for people without a vote and without a lobbyist: the children of Idaho. Their work has resulted in expansion of home visiting, improvements in the foster care system, and critical funding for childcare programs.

Workshop Resources:

4C) Libraries, Laudromats, and Learning in Community Spaces

1B) Harnessing the Power of the Voices that Matter the Most

Workshop 1B Harnessing the Voices Beneficiary Guidebook

1A) ICARE

1A) ICARE Stewarding the Journey

Keynote on HOPE by Dr. Sege

Closing Panel What I wish You Knew

Assessment Centers with Holly Walund

Katie Francis Presentation

2023 Registration NOW OPEN

SFTI 2023 Flyer

2022 SFTI Wrap-Up

Theme: Planting the Seed of an Idea: Bringing our Work to Scale

After two long years of no in-person events, we were all anxious to gather together. This year’s SFTI was so special as we got to reunite. Most of the meeting format was very familiar to previous SFTI attendees: an opening keynote, followed by a workshop by the keynote, 3 parallel workshop sessions, a final panel discussion, and the conference culminated in an awards ceremony where several organizations were commended for their contributions to preventing child abuse and strengthening families in their Idaho communities.

Christina Bethell delivered her Keynote “From Awareness to Action: Taking the Leap to Bring Healing, Equity, and Flourishing to Scale” Dr Bethell’s keynote had a focus on promoting child, family and community flourishing, even amid the adversity and trauma present in society today. Steps and skills to shift to a flourishing paradigm will be outlined, including key skills, enabling policies and foundational mindsets essential to restore innate capacities for individual, relational and community resilience and healing.

Participants then had their choice of 8 workshops. On Day 2, there were more workshops and we closed the event with awards and an inspiring panel with Luis Granados and students from the Breaking Chains Academy of Development.

The Ed Van Dusen Legacy Award

Bikers Against Bullies USA is a not-for-profit group created by bikers, but not limited to bikers, that is committed to creating awareness and educating both children and adults on the benefits of living in a society of respect for each other combined with self-empowerment.

What do we do to impact the kids?

1-We do an interactive assembly in schools. We teach the kids to be themselves and to accept others differences as well.

2- We place buddy benches in the schools and teach the kids what the meaning of a buddy bench is. The Buddy Bench is a place where children can go if they have no one to play with. Kids who see someone on the bench can then go over and ask them to play.

3- We go to kid’s residences that have been bullied and empower them. We let them know they have people who care about them and their situation.

4- We work with Clandestine Kringle and take 5 families each year and do a special Christmas event for them. We buy all the gifts for the families from proceeds throughout the year and from sponsors.

5- We work with many resources like Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center, Food Bank, etc., and make sure families are cared for and getting the proper help to address the types of abusive behaviors in their lives.

Why does our program work?

We use the power of the motorcycle to open the kids’ eyes and ears in what we call the wow factor. We get to know them better and do interactive skits to show them how to deal with a bully as well as who to speak with if a situation arises. Most importantly, we teach them to be kind to each other with non-violent actions.

We strive to create a society in which our mutual respect will create a new role model for others, and through our actions enable others to have the confidence to emulate non-violent behavior and reiterate our positive message of inclusion for others. Our hope is to provide early intervention within the schools and other community resources that work with youth, providing education on the difference between abusive (bullying) and non-abusive behaviors.

The Pinwheel Awards

Idaho Public Television – When the idea for a documentary focused on how Idahoans faced with adversity developed resilience was presented, IPTV did not flinch. Resilient Idaho: Hope Lives Here has become a tool for learning about ACEs and how we can prevent and respond to them.

Upper Valley Child Advocacy Center– Faced with the community trauma of a school shooting, UVCAC brought its skills in dealing with individual trauma to the community level. Upper Valley has consistently placed prevention alongside their intervention work.

Imagination Intitative – When schools went online in North Idaho, this project went to work rehabbing computers and making them available to families that didn’t have adequate technology. Over 250 families have been helped since Imagination Initiative Inc. started in 2020.

United Way North Idaho– Advancing the common good in a community is less about helping one person at a time and more about changing systems to help all of us. We all win when a child succeeds in school, when families are financially stable, and when people are healthy. These successes alone surely help diminish community issues of child abuse, neglect and sexual abuse.

Region I CASA—Over the years CASA NI recognized the need not only to help the children per se but to also assist reunited families. Recognizing the positive aspects of providing “concrete support” as a foundation of Strengthening Families NI CASA added Project Permanency to their task list.

2022 SFTI Materials

2022 Keynote and plenary workshop RECORDING

2022 Capnote RECORDING

Christina Bethell Keynote

Workshop 2B Child Welfare in the Age of Family First

Workshop 1C Creating the Conditions for Thriving Children, Families, and Communities

2022 Brochure

Workshop 4A Libraries Help Families Build Protective Factors

Workshop 4B The Community School Strategy: Strengthening Families and Building Resilience

Workshop 1D It Isn’t Just for Parents TBRI Intro

Workshop 1A Children’s Issues in Indian Country

2021 SFTI Wrap-Up

The 2021 annual Strengthening Families Training Institute was held online!

BrochureSFTI2021

Day One KEYNOTE: The Power of Prevention

Melissa T. Merrick, PhD, is President and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America, the nation’s oldest nonprofit organization dedicated to the primary prevention of child abuse and neglect. She has nearly 20 years of clinical, research, and leadership experience related to the etiology, course, and prevention of child abuse and neglect.

Previously, Dr. Merrick was a senior epidemiologist at the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in Atlanta, and served on a detail in the Office of the Commissioner at the Children’s Bureau in the Administration for Children and Families. In partnership with the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Child Abuse and Neglect, she served as the lead scientist for the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study at CDC for 8 years. Dr. Merrick successfully leverages her clinical and research experiences to communicate and disseminate the critical public health importance of preventing early adversity to key stakeholders with diverse priorities, backgrounds, and knowledge, including legislators, business and civic leaders, and members of the academic and medical communities.

Dr. Merrick received her BA in psychology, magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from the San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, joint doctoral program in clinical psychology, where she served as a program coordinator for the San Diego site of the Longitudinal Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect consortium. Dr. Merrick was a National Institutes of Health-funded postdoctoral fellow at the University of Miami Child Protection Team (CPT), where she was involved in a multi-site program of research that examined child maltreatment risk and protective factors in families evaluated by CPTs across the state of Florida.

Dr. Merrick is married and has two young children who keep her grounded, thankful, and hopeful for a brighter future for all children.

Day 2 Keynote: Dr. Sarah Watamura

Sarah Enos Watamura, PhD, Professor & Chair, University of Denver

Dr. Sarah Enos Watamura is Professor and Chair of the Psychology Department at the University of Denver where she directs the Child Health & Development Lab and co-directs the Stress, Early Experience and Development (SEED) Research Center. After training with Megan Gunnar, PhD, at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development, she received her PhD from the Department of Human Development at Cornell University in 2005. She has longstanding interests in children¹s physiologic regulation, their development within caregiving contexts, and in understanding mechanisms and trajectories from early life stress to later physical health, mental health, cognitive/educational, and socio-emotional outcomes. Her work focuses on the unique stressors and buffers in families experiencing poverty and among newly immigrated and refugee families and includes testing promising intervention approaches. Recent projects test and develop interventions to support families facing adversity, including those that target the wellbeing of the adults in children’s lives who themselves may have history of adversity.

CAPNOTE: Corey Best and a panel to discuss race equity in Idaho

Corey B. Best is first, a dedicated father. While originally from Washington, DC, he now resides in Florida. This is where Corey began his transformation into leadership training, systems building, family engagement, anti-oppressive practice, promoting protective factors, social equality and highlighting “good enough parenting” for those impacted by the child welfare system.

Mr. Best is commonly known as a leader and skilled facilitator that brings a combination of lived and professional experience as he organizes for child welfare justice and transformation. His innovative style and approach led him to receive the 2016 Casey Family Programs Excellence for Children’s Award. This work has allowed Corey to take leadership to the next level. His perspective is that a leader must have a set a values and behaviors that embrace diversity, shared power and social contribution to see lasting changes within our communities.

Corey is Certified in the National Alliance of Children’s Trust and Prevention Fund’s Bringing the Protective Factors to Life in Your Work. In addition to several speaking and technical assistance opportunities, he proudly serves as an active member Board member with Alia. His role has also morphed into a Professional Guide for the Alia Innovation Cohort. Corey has also mobilized countless communities to intentionally share power, while infusing perspectives of constituents in practice and policy changes that directly impact communal wellbeing. In short, Corey’s mission is to positively influence the lives of children, families, and communities through curating emotionally safe and racially equitable relationships.

2020 SFTI Wrap-Up

Theme: Flourishing In Hope

After postponing from March due to the coronavirus, this years’ SFTI was a fully virtual format and was held on September 2-4. Despite the distance between us, we embraced the new format and delieved all the elements that make our in-person conferences so special. Most of the meeting format was very familiar to previous SFTI attendees: an opening keynote, followed by a workshop by the keynote, 3 parallel workshop sessions, a final panel discussion, and the conference culminated in an awards ceremony where several organizations were commended for their contributions to preventing child abuse and strengthening families in their Idaho communities.

Dr. Sege and his team from Tufts University in Boston presented a keynote focused on “Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences” (HOPE) with a follow up workshop to help us learn to use new tools for building Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs).

On Day 2 participants had their choice of 8 workshops. On Day 3, there were more workshops and we closed the event with awards and a panel of formerly homeless mothers who talked about their experiences raising children while dealing with unstable housing. CATCH’s Abby White helped guide the discussion.

Link to Worskshop Presenters handouts and slide presentations: Conference Padlet

We assembled all the recordings of our recently wrapped SFTI2020 onto our YouTube channel. So much important and inspiring information was conveyed during the 3 days of the conference and we want it to make it available to as many people as possible! If you attended but missed a workshop, you can now watch it; and if you didn’t attend the conference at all, you can now obtain the valuable information conveyed as if you did.

SFTI2020 Online YouTube Channel with all conference recordings: SFTI2020YouTube

The Ed Van Dusen Legacy Award

Protect Idaho Kids Foundation (PIK) was founded by Bruce Wingate in 2011 in the wake of the death of Robert Manwill from unthinkable abuse. Hundreds of people came out to look for Robert before he was discovered dead in a canal near his home. Bruce was so moved that he felt he needed to do something to make sure nothing like that would happen again. For the last five years, PIK has organized groups working to change the religious exemption to medical neglect in the community and at the legislature.

Bruce and PIK have been champions for children’s rights and protections. Like Ed Van Dusen, Bruce has a passion for protecting kids who need adults in their corner. He and the organization he heads received well-deserve recognition for never giving up on these kids.

The Pinwheel Awards

Janet Goodliffe – as a member of ICTF’s board for 15 years and previous work with Madison School District, Madison Cares, and other community involvement, she has shown incredible dedication to improving the lives of Idaho families.

Idaho Resilience Project – for bringing Idaho together to build resilience. IRP has accomplished a lot in a year including creation of the Resilient Idaho collaboration with Idaho Public Television and the launching of 2C Kids Succeed as a place-based initiative.

Panhandle Health District – has played a strong role in strengthening families through a variety of strategies including WIC, two home visiting programs, and pro-moting literacy through collaborations with local libraries.

Idaho Commission for Libraries – for promoting strong families through its network of over 150 libraries throughout Idaho. The Commission’s efforts in concert with library staffs in small and large Idaho cities, afford re-sources to Idaho families that help them learn skills and resil-iency to prevent abuse and neglect

Thomas Patterson, MD —for leadership in encouraging use of ACE and resilience screening tools for medical practices in Idaho. His enthusiastic and passionate efforts kicked off a learning collaborative statewide that now involves several practices throughout the state.

2019 SFTI Wrap-Up

Theme: Sharing Our Stories

The momentous 20th Anniversary of our Strengthening Families Training Institute for 2019 was held March 7- 8. Thanks for joining us in Boise for “Sharing Our Stories”, this year’s theme. Patrick Mitchell, the “Down-to-Earth Dad” was our keynote and addressed the conference on “Getting and Keeping Good Men Engaged”. (Click on the image below for 2019’s conference program.)

Ed VanDusen Award

The Ed Van Dusen Award for Exemplary Practice in Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention, or The Ed! for short, is presented each year to a program selected by the Idaho Children’s Trust Fund’s Board of Directors, which exemplifies deep commitment to and successful practice in preventing child abuse and neglect. This year we celebrate the work of The Mahoney House.The Mahoney House is a great example of the kind of work that can be done in a rural and isolated community–of which Idaho has many! Because it is a small agency in an isolated rural community, The Mahoney House staff has to wear a lot of hats. Although organized as a domestic violence program, it has taken on youth empowerment, protective factors based parenting classes and a broad effort to educate about ACES and protective factors. The Mahoney House staff has worked with schools, the local hospital, social service organizations, and city government to increase awareness of the impacts of adverse childhood experiences and the importance of building protective factors in an impressive way. Through an ICTF grant The Mahoney House trained its staff in the STRONG curriculum and has been providing parenting classes.

Pinwheel Award Winners:
Wickes MacColl— Stewards of Children Instructor and early pioneer in Idaho’s use of this child sexual abuse prevention curriculum.
Katie Simmons— Director of ICARE, a project of St. Vincent de Paul, Coeur d’Alene.
Jane Zink— Leadership Director, IdahoSTARS Project, Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children.
Advocates Against Family Violence in Caldwell serves victims of domestic abuse and their families in Canyon County.

Workshop Handouts
Here are the Powerpoint presentations and other documents that select workshop speakers were willing to share with participants:

Jane Zink / Maureen Durning: What Connects Us

Rama Dean / Kevin Smith: Strengthening Families During Resettlement

Dr. Sheila Sturgeon Freitas: In-Depth Look at Resilience for Children Raised with Trauma

Lori Watson: Pick a Model – Ethical Decision-Making

Phyllis Vermilyea / Audra Green: Increase Access & Decrease Barriers Through 5 Protective Factors

Julie Meek: Hand Model of Brain
Mission Statement
COMPASSION SATISFACTION AND COMPASSION FATIGUE
Self-Care Assessment
Self-Compassion Meditation
Resiliency Plan
Resiliency Plan 2
Symptoms of Secondary Trauma & Stress
The Healthy Mind Platter
The Rain of Self-Compassion
Three Good Things
Caregiving Timeline

SFTI 2018 Wrap-Up

Theme: Together We Build Hope

2018’s SFTI Conference Brochure

The 2018 Strengthening Families Training Institute was held March 6-7, 2018 at the Riverside Hotel. The theme was “Together We Build Hope” and the keynote address was from Dr. Beverly Fortson from the CDC

2017 SFTI Wrap Up

Theme: “We’re All in this Together”

Conference Brochure
Keynote Speaker: Dr. David Sanders
Evolution of Hope: How we can ensure the safety and success of every child in America
Workshops

1A: Getting the Word Out – Using Data to Tell Your Story

1B: Housing First! A Concrete Support that Strengthens Families

1D: Building Strong Families to Prevent Child Neglect: The Colorado Community Response Program

2A: Protective Factors for Families Dealing with Mental Illness

2A: Resources

2B: Parenting and Culture

2C: The Protective Factors and Practical Practice

2D: Social Media: It’s Essential!

3A, 4A: Protecting Against Neglect, Parts 1&2

3C: Proactive Media Relations: Taking Control of Your Story

3D: Self Care is Self Regulation

4C: Social Workers Advancing Social Change: Our Ethical Responsibility to Engage in Advocacy & Organizing

4C: Handout

4D: Raising a Child with a Disability: Real Stories About How the Protective Factors Promote Strong Families

The Ed Van Dusen Award 2017 is presented to Family Services Alliance of Southeast Idaho
The Ed recognizes and rewards a particular child abuse prevention effort in Idaho that is
creative, innovative and impacts the community in a positive way by preventing the abuse
and neglect of children.

Sarah O’Banion FSA Staff Members
SFTI 2017 Pinwheel Awards:
Recognizing individuals and organizations whose work embraces the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect

Boise School District Buhl school District

Parma School District Janet Guerin

Our Refugee Panel:This panel of trained refugee storytellers shared their challenges, insights,
and experiences of parenting or growing up in their home countries and now in Idaho.