Empower Virtual Summit:

The Presentation will address the opportunities and potential barriers associated with implementing Evidence Based Practices in community-based settings.  Specific tips will be included for EBP selection, team composition, and organizational readiness.   The presentation will include lessons learned from statewide implementations and how practitioners, organizations, and payers can design EBP implementations to be successful.

Andrew "Andy" Cleek
Deputy Executive Director of the McSilver Institute at NYU

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Andrew "Andy" Cleek

Dr. Andrew F. Cleek is an expert on the scalable implementation of systems change initiatives, particularly related to healthcare reform, value based payments, Medicaid managed care, and trauma-informed services. He is the McSilver Institute’s Deputy Executive Director, where he oversees a portfolio of technical assistance offering training and support to all behavioral health, agencies in New York State. He additionally directs a number of initiatives involving trauma-informed care, early childhood mental health and the implementation of healthcare reform in New York, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Prior to his tenure at the McSilver Institute, Dr. Cleek was the founding director of the Urban Institute for Behavioral Health, an association of 15 nonprofits dedicated to the implementation of evidence-based models in real-world settings. Dr. Cleek has 15 years of experience leading local and statewide, and national technical assistance activities to help nonprofits improve business, clinical, and administrative operations.

Orbis Partners will introduce the Youth Assessment and Screening Instrument (YASI), a risk, needs and strengths-based assessment tool for justice-involved youth. YASI has been implemented state-wide in 15 jurisdictions and in numerous counties and youth service organizations across the country. The session will draw on participation from representatives of YASI implementations who will discuss recent YASI initiatives in their jurisdictions and describe their successes and challenges. The session will be of interest to jurisdictions, large and small, already using YASI as well as summit participants who want more information about YASI and strength-based approaches for at-risk youth. Time will also be devoted to presenting some of the recent validation research conducted in a number of YASI jurisdictions.

David Robinson, Ph.D. Robinson, Ph.D.
Orbis Partners | Chief Executive Officer, Director of Assessment

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David Robinson, Ph.D. Robinson, Ph.D.

Dr. David Robinson has more than 40 years of experience conducting research, developing assessments, and carrying out program evaluations in both youth and adult justice. He was a founder of Orbis Partners (2001), where he is Director of Assessment. He holds a doctorate in forensic psychology from Carleton University (1990) and a Master’s in Sociology (1982). During his graduate years he was a team member on the development of such assessment tools as the adult LSI (Level of Service Inventory) and the youth version (YLS-CMI). After a research career in federal corrections (Canada), Dr. Robinson returned to a focus on developing and implementing innovative risk, needs and strength assessment tools. He has directed program evaluations on, substance abuse treatment, cognitive skills, drug courts, boot camps, programs for females, case management models, and juvenile diversion. He has particular expertise in youth justice assessment and has led state-wide implementations of the Youth Assessment and Screening Instrument (YASI) in fifteen jurisdictions. This work has involved planning, training, quality assurance, and validation of assessment tools developed and implemented by Orbis Partners. In addition, he has been immersed with a team of developers in developing and enhancing web-based applications for assessment and case planning for case managers in human services. Recently Dr. Robinson has made research advances with his academic colleagues related to the contribution of strength assessment in predicting outcomes and helping practitioners develop effective and collaborative success plans for justice-involved youth and adults.

The Incredible Years® (IY) program series is a set of interlocking and comprehensive early intervention training and curriculum program sets for parents, teachers, and children. This presentation briefly reviews the theoretical foundations, goals, and research underlying these programs.  Dr. Carolyn Webster-Stratton will present her "building blocks" for scaling up an evidence-based program. She will describe how the IY programs have been scaled up slowly and carefully with fidelity by engaging in a collaborative building project with strong links between the developer, agency or school administrator, mentors, coaches, clinicians, and families using eight foundational building blocks or fidelity tools.

Carolyn Webster-Stratton, M.S., M.P.H., Ph.D.
Incredible Years | Founder & Program Developer

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Carolyn Webster-Stratton, M.S., M.P.H., Ph.D.

Dr. Carolyn Webster-Stratton, Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington, is the founder of the Incredible Years® Series for Parents, Children, and Teachers. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and nurse practitioner. During her time at University of Washington, Dr. Webster-Stratton was Director of the UW Parenting Clinic. Forty three years ago she began developing and researching the Incredible Years programs. She has conducted numerous randomized control group studies to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention programs for promoting social and emotional competence, school readiness skills and preventing conduct problems in high risk populations. She has also evaluated teacher, parent and child treatment programs for children diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder and ADHD.

This session will introduce you to the Functional Family Therapy model including the basic principles, expected outcomes, and how to start an FFT team at your agency. Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is an evidence-based intervention for youth and families. This high-quality, strength-focused family counseling model is designed primarily for at-risk youth who have been referred by the juvenile justice, mental health, school, or child welfare systems. Services are short-term and conducted in both clinic and home settings, and can also be provided in schools, child welfare facilities, probation and parole systems, and mental health facilities.

Alexandra "Alex" Louis
Clinical FFT Supervisor for Southwest Key Programs

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Alexandra "Alex" Louis

After earning a Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Massachusetts, Boston in 2006, Alex has been working with diverse populations, ranging from the elderly to adolescents and children. Throughout her career, her main focus has been on motivating individuals and families to overcome their most challenging life obstacles. Alex strongly believes in incorporating cultural diversity and awareness into her counseling practice and is particularly passionate about helping clients from disenfranchised backgrounds find their voice and empower themselves. She was first exposed to FFT in 2015 as a therapist and currently serves as a Clinical Supervisor for Southwest Key Programs where she oversees FFT therapists in South Florida serving families referred by the Department of Juvenile Justice. Alex's work with marginalized communities who experience racial trauma/oppression is at the heart of her practice and she is dedicated to providing a safe space for people to heal and grow. "The first time I was introduced to FFT I knew it was something special. I felt drawn to the methodology and philosophy behind it. I believe, then and now, that it really is the missing piece for families with extreme challenges. Seeing the impact FFT has on underserved communities continues to reinforce my commitment to and championing of this model." Alex hails from the Northeast, but was raised and cultivated in Miami, FL. She enjoys all things Marvel or Start Wars and enjoys traveling to immerse herself into new cultural experiences.

This session will offer participants a framework that has been successfully used in a statewide implementation project that utilizes FFT and other EBP’s. In an effort to provide technical assistance to Maryland providers of FFT, The Institute for Innovation & Implementation instituted a framework that integrates both qualitative and quantitative data to guide technical assistance to Maryland’s EBP’s.  The Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) serves as a tracker for stakeholders and providers to address barriers and uphold successes in model implementation.  Representatives from the Institute, along with FFT’s Implementation Director and a Maryland FFT provider will share how this useful tool can be used to enhance practice for providers and larger statewide projects.

Helen Midouhas, Ph.D., L.P.C.
FFT Implementation Director

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Helen Midouhas, Ph.D., L.P.C.

Helen is the Implementation Director for FFT LLC. She has been involved with FFT since 2002 in different capacities, including serving as a model expert/liaison to large-scale implementation projects, providing stakeholder and implementation training, education, and consultation, analyzing and reporting data and outcomes, supporting research efforts, and planning for project sustainability. She is both a Nationally Certified Counselor and a PA Licensed Professional Counselor. Her Masters is in School and Community Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Her Doctorate is in Community and Organizational Leadership Studies from Alvernia University. Before FFT she worked in roles involving administration, program implementation, and clinical supervision. “My graduate and doctoral level training focused on research, outcomes, and prevention. The concept of evidence-based programming was taught and discussed as a possible trend. Around 1995, there was talk of focusing mental health initiatives towards a prevention angle, but little happened at the local level. It wasn’t until I was introduced to FFT through an opportunity to implement it that I saw outcomes and prevention become a reality, and this began my love affair with the model. Over the years I have had the fortune of watching ideas turn into realities, through youth and families experiencing improved relationships and less conflict, and organizations encountering success in their delivery of the model, to states generating larger system impacts and cost savings using FFT.” Helen lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband.

Lauren Coleman, MSW, LCSW-C
Evidence-Based Training and Technical Assistance Manager | The Institute for Innovation and Implementation | University of Maryland School of Social Work

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Lauren Coleman, MSW, LCSW-C

Lauren Coleman is a Training and TA Manager on the EBP team at The Institute for Innovation and Implementation, University of Maryland School of Social Work. In this role, she supervises, coordinates, trains, and coaches to support implementation of evidence-based programs in the state of Maryland under FFPSA for child welfare and juvenile services. Lauren is a clinical social worker and has a background in individual and family therapy for children, adolescents, and families in a variety of settings in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maryland.

Regina Mayers, M.S, NCC, LPC
Multisystemic Therapy (MST) Expert for Maryland | The Institute for Innovation and Implementation | University of Maryland School of Social Work

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Regina Mayers, M.S, NCC, LPC

Regina Mayers, Multisystemic Therapy (MST) Expert for Maryland, has over 20 years of experience with MST. She is a skilled MST trainer and coach accomplished at building the capacity of MST teams and stakeholders. In her role as Expert, she additionally provides quality assurance to ensure model fidelity. In her role as MST Network Partner Director, Ms. Mayers is skillful in community and system stakeholder engagement to support the program's success and address system-level barriers. To ensure team sustainability, Ms. Mayers can support organizations with managing MST Teams, including providing guidance on MST budgeting and hiring. She is trained and approved by MST Services to develop new MST teams in new and existing organizations. Ms. Mayers started her work implementing MST as a family therapist in Washington, D.C. in 2004, and in 2006, she completed her training as an MST Program Supervisor. She participated in MST start-up/expansion efforts in North Carolina and Washington, D.C., providing training, consultation, and clinical development to multiple teams in those jurisdictions. Ms. Mayers received her B.A. in Psychology from Salisbury University in 2002, her M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Northeastern University in 2004 and received her professional license in 2006. As part of this initiative, she will fulfill the duties of MST Expert and Network Partner Director and lead the MST Program Development. Ms. Mayers is currently 100% funded through state contracts with The Institute.

Joe Robertson
VisionQuest MD FFT Program Director

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Joe Robertson

Joe Robertson is currently the FFT Program Director for VisionQuest National for the state of Maryland programs. He resides on the Easternshore of Maryland and completed all his schooling through the University of Maryland system. He started his career over 25 years ago and worked in Assertive Community Treatment on the Easternshore as well as Baltimore City for the U of MD psychiatric dept. His passion in his career was enhanced by the structure and relational worldview of Functional Family therapy 17 years ago when he joined VisionQuest as an FFT therapist. Over the years, he has had the opportunity to supervise new therapists, help implement new programs in the state, and promote the EBP of FFT. In his 17 years, he has proudly moved the program from serving 15 families to now serving a capacity of 165 families at any given time through DJS and DSS contracts.

Now deemed an essential approach, trauma-informed care is transforming how we think about our work across sectors and can ensure the effective application of evidence-based practices. Significant numbers of the clients we work with are living with the impacts of traumatic experiences every day. Interventions that are not trauma-informed take a considerable toll on clients, become barriers to engagement, and compromise staff wellbeing. This presentation will review cutting-edge information on the neurophysiology and ecology of trauma and resilience, including strategies that we can use to transform interactions and outcomes with clients and maximize our wellness and impact while engaging in our day-to-day work. Attendees will be introduced to strategies that can strengthen their agency culture, including the cutting-edge trauma-informed communication model, Creating Regulation and Resilience (CR/2™). CR/2™ helps us bring the principles of trauma-informed care to life in every interaction, enhances client safety and engagement, supports staff wellness, and ensures the successful application of evidence-based interventions. Designed for professionals who work in early childhood and education, behavioral health, juvenile and adult justice, and other sectors, this promises to be a practical and motivating session, with content applicable to work with clients of all ages and information on how agencies can build their capacity to attend to trauma and its impacts and cultivate resilience at the client, staff and organizational levels.

Alyssa Benedict, MPH, PhD
CORE Associates

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Alyssa Benedict, MPH, PhD

Dr. Benedict is the founder and Executive Director of CORE Associates and has been working to improve human service systems for over 20 years. A public health practitioner and psychologist, Benedict works across sectors and integrates knowledge and research from a variety of disciplines to create engaging and dynamic learning experiences for her clients. She has sub-specialties in organizational development, and the design and implementation of gender responsive, culturally inclusive and trauma-informed policies and practices. Benedict encourages international learning and engagement and has explored human service systems and individual and social trauma and resilience in the US, Canada, Germany, South Africa and Thailand. In addition to her direct service work, Benedict has worked across sectors throughout the United States to provide training and technical assistance to organizations seeking to improve their policies, practices and outcomes. She has extensive implementation experience, including multi-site statewide initiatives and specialized approaches in institutional and community corrections, education, child welfare, and residential and community-based behavioral health. Her approach to organization and system-level enhancement is collaborative and dynamic. Benedict is a thought leader and change agent regarding the implementation of trauma and resiliency informed approaches and has developed a variety of practical resources designed to assist professionals and improve system and organization level outcomes. This includes pioneering work in gender responsive, trauma-informed and culturally responsive program assessment, behavior motivation, program culture and staff wellness and communication. She has authored, co-authored and contributed to various publications and models designed to support administrators and staff, is co-founder of The Women’s Justice Institute (WJI), has served as a consultant and faculty member on various federal initiatives, and is an advocate of evidence-based practices and ongoing innovation to ensure that systems can offer effective services to children, youth and adults that have a sustainable impact.

The 8 Keys to Success, tied to criminogenic needs, identifies specific skills that can assist community supervision staff in making long-term behavioral changes with individuals they work with. The workshop will demonstrate how probation officers can take theories and often complicated language and obtain buy-in from justice-involved individuals while providing easy-to-understand real-world strategies and techniques that they can use to effectively make positive changes.

Rick Parsons
Carey Group | Deputy Director

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Rick Parsons

Richmond "Rick" Parsons joined Carey Group in 2022 as deputy director after 30+ years of probation and parole experience in two Pennsylvania counties. In addition to his leadership roles at the county level, he served on the Governor’s Advisory Board of Probation, the executive board of the County Chief Adult Probation and Parole Officers Association of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Evidence-Based Practices Implementation Team. He is a founder and past president of the Mid-Atlantic Region Chapter of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers. He specializes in identifying organizational roadblocks and facilitating needed organizational changes.

Are you looking for the best outcomes for at-risk youth in your community but unsure how to implement evidence-based services? Are you concerned that an evidenced-based model won’t be unique for the clients or families you serve or will not provide the flexibility and support your staff needs? If so, this session is for you! We will share real-world examples of how communities successfully implement evidence-based services. Participants will learn about different MST treatment types, how they were developed and transported, the populations served, and outcome objectives for each. We will explore how implementation is continuously monitored and transportation adjusted to ensure that it is working today and will continue to work in our ever-changing world.

Angelia Watson
Manager of MST-CAN Transport | MST Services

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Angelia Watson

Angelia Watson, MA is the current Manager of MST-CAN Transport at MST Services. Prior to joining MST Services in 2013, she was an MST Expert for a Network Partner of MST Services. Areas of expertise are, child maltreatment, antisocial behaviors, counseling, program management, program implementation, strategic planning and staff development. Angelia has assisted numerous evidence-based programs with program stabilization and start up and has been instrumental in developing strategies to enhance the quality of services provided by various organizations. Additionally, Angelia has international experience providing consultation and assisting with cultivating and sustaining stakeholder relationships in Canada, The United Kingdom, Australia, Norway, The Netherlands, and Switzerland. She has dedicated her work to assisting programs with developing best practices, increasing positive relationships with stakeholders and with effective program implementation.

Laurie Spivey
Manager of Network Partnerships | MST Services

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Laurie Spivey

Laurie Spivey is Manager of Network Partnerships and coaches and oversees MST Expert Consultants in the MST-FIT and MST-Psych treatment types as well as supporting MST’s partnership in Norway. Following her work with youth in community settings, Laurie began her career in MST as a therapist in rural East Tennessee in 2004. Laurie then became a Clinical Supervisor and Program Manager in Dallas, TX before moving into the role of MST Expert for MST Services in 2014 where she supported international and domestic teams and worked as an MST and as an MST-FIT Expert. Laurie lives in Fort Worth, TX with her husband and three children.

Remember when you heard, “Collect all the data you can! We’ll figure out what to do with it later…” In today’s environment, many organizations suffer from having too much data rather than too little. Now that we’re all swimming in data, the question is: how do we utilize it and harness it to maximize program impact and to grow it moving forward? How do we move from measuring outputs to measuring outcomes? In this session, we’ll discuss ‘what’s our Why’ questions related to data collection and management, explore common challenges related to data collection in behavioral health, and identify strategies for overcoming those challenges. We’ll share some of the principles built into the continuous quality improvement (CQI) processes that have helped evidence-based programs like Multisystemic Therapy (MST) achieve remarkable success in this domain.

Dan Edwards
Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives | Empower Community Care

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Dan Edwards

Dan is a clinical psychologist and implementation scientist who has enjoyed a 25+ year career training, consulting, and researching evidence-based practice implementation. He’s been part of leadership teams at both MST Services and EBA, and he looks forward to advancing conversations on behalf of Empower with innovative agency leaders who serve at-risk children, youth, and families. He holds a master's degree from Harvard University and a doctorate from the University of Florida.

Nicole Janer
Senior Director of Operations | Evidence-Based Associates

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Nicole Janer

Nicole Janer is the Senior Director of Operations for Evidence-Based Associates (EBA). Her role incorporates her desire to provide quality, evidence-based services for youth and families while shaping public policy. Janer's past experiences as a vocational counselor, director of a parent advocacy and training organization, implementer of a federal demonstration project for system changes and an administrator of a provider organization have all proven to be beneficial in her role with Evidence-Based Associates. She has provided statewide support and has helped child-serving agencies to achieve statewide success in the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, New York City, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia through a variety of projects in partnership with leaders in state juvenile justice, child welfare, and behavioral health systems. She shares great enthusiasm for building local teams that include state or county government officials, legislators, treatment model representatives, and direct service providers of evidence-based treatment services.