Hal Runkle 

Author, Executive Coach, Founder of The Leader’s Pause

Supervised visitation providers live inside triangles. Between parent and child. Between co-parents and their attorneys. Between court expectations and human reality.

This work demands that you be present in these relational dynamics—without becoming absorbed by them.

In this interactive breakout session, Hal Runkel and Hannah Munroe (MFT Graduate Student) will explore the concept of triangulation through a practical, real-world lens. Drawing from family systems theory and frontline experience, they will help participants identify when they are being pulled into a triangle—and what to do next.

Participants will gain:

• A clear understanding of how triangles form and behave under stress
• Language to use when being pulled to “take sides”
• Techniques for calming emotional intensity between others

You cannot eliminate triangles. Or escape them. But you can learn to become fused within them. This session will provide grounded, field-tested wisdom for staying steady in the most complex relational dynamics you face every day.

Lindsey Dula, LMSW

National Forensic Interviewing Network 

Feelings of doubt, shame, and embarrassment are only a few of the fears experienced by those who have survived child sexual abuse.

Practitioners and researchers have examined the prevalence of child sexual abuse since the 1970s, yet more than 50 years later, there remains a lack of understanding about the disclosure process for victims.

This session will explore the complexities and research surrounding disclosures, emphasizing how critically important it is for all professionals serving child victims to understand the barriers to disclosure.

Content will include discussions on adult survivors of child sexual abuse, the impact of trauma, and the benefits of understanding the complexities of disclosure for investigators and legal professionals.

Lindsey Dula served in the field for over 24 years as a specialized child protection worker & supervisor, a dedicated forensic interviewer, and provided oversight of various CAC programs, including establishing the MDT Coordination Program, & oversight for the Client Relations Specialist, Family Advocate, & Forensic Interviewing Programs and has conducted over 7,500 forensic interviews regarding allegations of sexual & physical abuse, medical child abuse, witnesses to DV/IPV, trafficking, drug endangered children, & homicides.  She is a proud TCU Alumna with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work & Psychology & has her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Texas in Arlington.

Kate Blair, Executive Director 

Claudia Williams, Bright House Program Director 

Brightside Child & Family Advocacy 

Supervised visitation programs play a vital role in supporting family connections and promoting child safety within complex systems of care. When cases involve child welfare or foster care, visitation becomes a key component of reunification and permanency planning, requiring coordination among multiple professionals and caregivers.

This workshop will help providers understand the essential dynamics of serving child welfare cases, including the role of visitation in family preservation and reunification. Equally important, participants will learn strategies for building effective partnerships with child welfare agencies, foster parents, and the courts. Drawing from Bright House’s experience, this session will highlight real-world practices that strengthen collaboration, reduce conflict, and keep the child’s needs at the center.

Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of what it takes to successfully serve child welfare and foster care cases, along with concrete tools to strengthen their partnerships with agencies and stakeholders in their own communities.

Kate Blair joined Brightside Child & Family Advocacy (previously Savannah CASA) as the Executive Director in 2018. During her time with Brightside, the organization has added 17 staff members, 200 CASA volunteers, and the Bright House, a supervised visitation and family support center. By remaining laser-focused on fundraising, community engagement, and growth, Brightside's team has achieved its ambitious goal of serving 100% of children in foster care and program expansion. Before joining, Kate served as the Director of Development & Communications with Step Up Savannah.

Her past professional and volunteer experience includes communications, corporate foundations, nonprofit leadership, board development, and fundraising. Kate has her BA in Professional Communications. She is a graduate of Leadership Savannah and a board member of Migrant Equity Southeast and Tharros Place. She and her husband Andy are the proud parents of two incredible teen boys, Tek & Firdawek. When Kate is not out shaking the money trees, she is typically found with a wine glass in hand while planning the next party or vacation

Claudia Williams is the Program Director of Bright House, Brightside’s supervised visitation and family support center in Savannah, GA. She leads the center’s mission to provide safe, neutral, and child centered visitation for families navigating private family law, foster care, and high conflict cases.

Claudia brings over 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, program development, and strategy. She holds a Master of Arts from Wheaton College. Prior to Bright House, she served in senior leadership roles with Resonate Global Mission and Covenant Life Church in Michigan, where she specialized in program growth and engagement.  As a bilingual immigrant from Panama, Claudia is passionate about creating spaces where families can heal and rebuild trust.

Breanna Allen

Chief Consultant Officer

All-En Training and Consulting

When families enter supervised visitation and child access programs, they often bring with them experiences of trauma, gender-based violence, and systemic inequities. This workshop explores the critical role of cross-disciplinary collaboration among advocates, law enforcement, courts, and medical providers in ensuring safety, healing, and justice for survivors and children.

Participants will engage with survivor-centered frameworks, case-based scenarios, and practical tools that can be immediately applied within their programs. Grounded in anti-oppressive and trauma-informed practice, this session highlights how collaborative response teams improve family outcomes, build survivor trust in systems, and strengthen the effectiveness of supervised visitation services. 

Attendees will leave with concrete strategies, reflection prompts, and a collaboration readiness checklist to bring back to their programs.

Breanna Allen, MPA, is a dedicated advocate and leader hailing from Toledo, Ohio. As the founder of All-En Consulting, Breanna is committed to dismantling systems of oppression, enhancing services for marginalized communities, and advancing the professional growth of BIPOC individuals. 

Her consulting firm supports national organizations in their efforts to provide comprehensive support to BIPOC survivors of crime, ensuring that every survivor is seen and valued in their full humanity. With over a decade of experience in the anti-oppression and anti-violence fields, Breanna has led advocacy departments with a steadfast focus on eradicating violence through survivor-centered approaches.

 Her work prioritizes inclusive and equitable engagement with stakeholders, ensuring that the needs and voices of all communities are represented. Breanna serves on the leadership team of the Women of Color Caucus and is a board member for Solace Health. She has been featured on the Equitas Health Cultural Connections Podcast and the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence’s Teal Talk Podcast. Breanna has trained nonprofit organizations nationwide on anti-oppressive engagement and holistic advocacy, empowering them to create more just and supportive environments.

 In recognition of her impact, Breanna was the 2022 Keynote Speaker for the University of Toledo’s multicultural graduation and the 2024 recipient of the Women of Color Caucus Rising Star Award. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Toledo and a master’s degree in criminal justice from Indiana University.

Merina Cameron, MSW

Florida State University 

Supervised visitation professionals often work at the intersection of trauma, family stress, and resilience. This workshop takes a hopeful, evidence-based look at how practitioners can support growth and healing in both the families they serve and themselves. 

Participants will explore three key protective factors: Posttraumatic Growth (PTG), Compassion Satisfaction, and Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs). Together, these concepts offer a practical framework for helping families recover and thrive after adversity while also promoting professional well-being in emotionally demanding work.

Through guided reflection, hands-on tools, and real-world examples, this session provides concrete strategies that can be applied immediately in supervised visitation settings to strengthen resilience, build connection, and support lasting stability for children and families.

Anna Swan

Calm Visitation

Emily Landrum, MAEd

Supervised visitation monitors play a vital role in ensuring child safety, maintaining neutrality, and facilitating peaceful connections between children and non-custodial parents. Yet one critical factor often overlooked in training and practice is the monitor’s own trauma history or unresolved triggers. When a monitor experiences stress, vicarious trauma, or personal unresolved experiences, it can unintentionally create barriers to safety, neutrality, and effective visitation.

This workshop will explore how trauma within the professional can affect judgment, reactivity, and interactions during high-conflict family visits. 

Participants will gain insight into recognizing early warning signs of secondary trauma, understanding the importance of boundaries, and integrating mindful self-check practices before taking on a case. Practical tools and strategies will be provided for cultivating resilience, prioritizing self-care, and ensuring that the monitor's wellness does not compromise the child's safety.

Attendees will leave with tangible methods to integrate into daily practice, fostering healthier monitors, safer visits, and more reliable outcomes for families. The workshop will also advocate for trauma-informed care in supervised visitation as a professional standard of practice.

Anna Swan was born and raised in Laguna Beach, CA. She earned her degree from

the University of California San Diego in Childbirth Education and Postpartum Care,

and subsequently raised three children, now adults.

Over the years, she has earned various licenses and certifications to not only understand, but advocate in the community for the safe, happy, and peaceful upbringing of families.

For more than 20 years, Anna has been a passionate advocate for trauma-informed care at birth, believing that all children deserve a safe space to live, grow, and thrive.

Emily Landrum, MAEd. is a School Counselor at Journey Charter School, a K–8 charter school in Orange County, California, where she provides counseling services to a caseload of over 600 students. She uses trauma-informed, restorative practices to support students’ academic, social, and emotional growth.

During her Bachelor of Social Work internship with the Orange County Department of Education, Emily led group and individual sessions for youth in detention centers, focusing on reducing recidivism and promoting rehabilitation through compassion and connection. Her academic research centered on restorative justice and trauma recovery within correctional settings.

Emily is passionate about fostering safe, healing environments for youth and families. Outside of work, she enjoys off-roading and connecting with nature. 

Nakia Austin, MA LPC

www.nakiaaustin.com 

This workshop gives men and women a raw, inside look at the aftermath of trauma in the lives of children. Nakia shares a powerful story of a cold and calculated abuser and how his torture affected the lives of two little boys. 

The discussion explores the behavioral, physical, and mental effects of trauma — and how to move forward in the healing process. We also examine statistical data and case studies. Finally, we discuss how to implement trauma-informed approaches when working with trauma survivors.

Nakia Austin is a nationally respected speaker, consultant, and licensed therapist with nearly two decades of experience in trauma-informed care, leadership, and communication. She is the Co-Founder of The Healing House, Inc., a nonprofit organization supporting women and families impacted by trauma.

 Nakia holds degrees from The Ohio State University and Marshall University Graduate College and multiple professional certifications in communication and leadership. She works with industry leaders, corporations, and nonprofit organizations to strengthen culture, improve communication, and implement people-centered, trauma-informed strategies that drive meaningful and sustainable impact. 

Outside of her professional work, Nakia is a devoted wife and mother who is deeply committed to faith, community, and empowering others.

The Honorable Kenlyn Foster 

Blout County Juvenile Courts

This dynamic and interactive workshop offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from the bench about how child welfare decisions are made—and what providers can do to support better outcomes for families. 

The session explores how judges interpret and apply child protection laws, balance safety and reunification goals, and respond to emerging issues such as trauma-informed practice, racial and cultural equity, and meaningful family engagement.

The workshop emphasizes the essential connection between courts and frontline providers, including how visitation professionals, caseworkers, and family service providers can work in alignment with judicial expectations. It will also explore how provider documentation, communication, and client interactions can influence the court’s understanding of a family's progress and needs.

Amy C Joyner DNP MSN-Ed BSN RN

Marymount University

Jill M. Flynn Ed.D M.Ed, BA

George Mason University

Trauma-informed care in infancy is about rewriting a child's story before it’s fully written—creating a foundation of safety, connection, and resilience that can last a lifetime. Trauma-informed care (TIC) for infants is a specialized approach that recognizes the profound impact early adversity can have on neurodevelopment, attachment, and long-term health outcomes. Infants, although preverbal, are highly sensitive to environmental stressors and their caregivers' responses.

This presentation integrates developmental science, relational principles, and evidence-based practices to support healing and resilience in the earliest stages of life. It is essential for professionals working with young children and families.

Dr. Amy Joyner: With 37 years as a Pediatric Nurse and a Board Certification in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, Dr. Joyner brings a wealth of clinical knowledge, experience, and expertise to those she has cared for and taught. With a DNP and MSN in Nursing Education, she brings the clinical perspective to trauma-informed care. 

Dr. Joyner is a Nursing Professor with extensive public speaking experience. She has presented nationwide on infant, child, and adolescent mental health, trauma-informed care, substance use disorder, and children's well-being. Dr. Joyner is a grandma, raising a grandson, and spends many hours on the soccer field with him! She spends her free time with her identical twin sister, Dr. Jill Flynn (a co-presenter)

Dr. Jill Flynn - With two decades of dedication to preK-12 and higher education, Dr. Flynn is a seasoned educator committed to fostering inclusive, experiential learning environments. Holding an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and a Master's  in Special Education, Jill has served as a faculty mentor and special education subject matter expert. 

Dr Flynn is a Behavior Intervention Specialist, University Professor, and established public speaker who presents nationwide on executive functioning, behavior interventions, trauma-informed care, and autism spectrum disorders. She spends time with her three adult children and is planning a Fall wedding with her oldest daughter. She enjoys time with her identical twin sister, Dr. Amy Joyner, a co-presenter.

Tammy Hopper, MSW, CYC-P

Chief Strategic Initiatives Officer 

National Safe Place

Whether a child and youth care professional is working in a shelter, group home, out-of-school-time program, detention center, as a child protective services worker, or in a youth development center, the shared commitment to positive and optimal youth development is more significant than the differences in these roles.

For more than 30 years, the movement to establish certification options for child and youth care workers has gained momentum, and a formalized process to recognize their competencies and skills is now available.

The Child and Youth Care (CYC) Certification, recognized by the Council on Accreditation, is available at the entry, associate, and professional levels. This session will feature an overview of the link between the certification process and ethics, decreased organizational risk, increased staff satisfaction, and improved employee retention.

Tammy L. Hopper, MSW, CYC-P, brings almost 40 years of experience as a professional youth care worker and clinician to her presentations and partnerships with organizations.  Tammy's role as the Chief Strategic Initiatives Officer within National Safe Place Network includes development and support for national initiatives and partnerships.  She has served as the Chair of the National Council on Youth Policy, the Director of Public Policy for the National Network for Youth and spent 20 years as a member of the National Safe Place Advisory Board. Tammy has conducted training in 42 states over the past 35 years and is recognized as a expert facilitator of group process. 

Tammy is a certified trainer in trauma-informed care, Youth Thrive, Families Thrive, Child and Youth Care Foundations Training, and others. Tammy has contributed to curricula for training on human trafficking, trauma-informed care, understanding evidence-based practices, developing outcomes, and positive youth development. 

Tammy was also on the subject matter expert team that developed the national certification exam for grants professionals. Tammy is an advocate and enthusiastic believer in youth development and is committed to working with individuals and organizations that embrace the power and promise that comes from partnering with youth. 

Marcie Smith 

Executive Director

The Children's Haven, Inc.

Empathetic distress is a mindset that can lead to serious problems for people in the workplace. While most professionals are motivated by a desire to help others, factors such as empathy fatigue, organizational distrust, and the overwhelming scale of social issues can result in burnout and feelings of disconnection from nonprofit missions.

Organizations offering supervised visitation programs often struggle to help their communities understand and connect with their work. Families separated due to foster care involvement participate in court-ordered supervised visitation as part of the reunification process. It is understandable that members of the community may assume children enter foster care solely because of abuse or neglect by parents or caregivers—and this is sometimes true. Yet fostering empathy for parents in these situations can feel difficult.

However, our organizations depend on community support—through advocacy, funding, and awareness. It is essential to use innovative storytelling, leverage partnerships, and increase understanding of our goals and impact to build stronger community connections. In supervised visitation, we are helping tell a family’s story, and our work requires garnering support for the family unit, not just the child. This workshop will share innovative strategies to engage your community and strengthen support for supervised visitation programs.

Empathetic distress and burnout affect not only service providers but also the people receiving services. This session will encourage participants to reflect on what it means to thrive as human beings and to develop tools for reconnecting with purpose, compassion, and self-compassion. These practices allow us to show up fully—for ourselves, our loved ones, our clients, and everyone we encounter—in the healthiest way possible.

As professionals, we have assumed a profound responsibility for the care and welfare of others. Yet when we are overwhelmed or distressed, we cannot access the wisdom needed to best serve our clients. This presentation speaks to all who work in stressful environments, addressing the fundamental aspects of being human while doing emotionally demanding work.

By shifting our mindset about how and why we do this work, we can cultivate happier, healthier lives—changes that naturally extend to every area of our personal and professional experience. This session invites reflection on how we wish to show up in the world, both for ourselves and for others, so that we may be of greater service to our communities.

Marcie Smith joined The Children’s Haven as Executive Director in 2018. Under her leadership, The Children’s Haven has quadrupled in size, receiving local, state, and national recognition for its programs serving children who’ve been impacted by abuse and neglect. Marcie has over 15 years of experience with nonprofit organizations focused on education, fundraising, homelessness prevention, child abuse prevention, and childhood cancer research.

Marcie holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Birmingham-Southern College and a Master’s degree in diplomacy and conflict resolution from Norwich University. She is a 2016 graduate of LEAD Atlanta and a 2022 graduate of Leadership Cherokee. She has previously served with the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Millennial Advisory Committee. 

She currently serves on the state Board of Directors for Georgia CASA and previously served on the state Board of Directors for Prevent Child Abuse Georgia. Marcie was recognized as a 2022 Georgia Trend Magazine 40 Under 40 honoree for the state of Georgia. She was also recognized as a recipient of the 2022 “Top Ten in Ten Young Professionals to Watch” by the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce and Enjoy Cherokee Magazine. She served as the Volunteer Coordinator for the HHC 201st Soldier Family Readiness Group of the Georgia National Guard during her husband’s 2023 deployment to Poland. 

Marcie stays connected to her hometown of Covington, Georgia by serving on the Salem Camp Ground Board of Trustees, a lifetime appointment and one held by only ten women in the church camp meeting’s 200 year history. In 2024, she graduated from the Chick-fil-A Impact Accelerator leadership program. Marcie has been a member of the Rotary Club of Canton since 2019. She was named the 2022 Rotarian of the Year and served as the 2024-2025 Club President. Marcie was recently recognized with the 2026 Heritage of Hope award for community service from the Service League of Cherokee County. 

Marcie is a “community builder” who is passionate about volunteer work, social innovation, family services, and collaborative efforts to work together to protect children and their childhoods. She lives in Woodstock, Georgia with her husband, Nate, and children, Elijah and Hadley. In her spare time, she shares nonprofit tips and advice through her Instagram @marciewithamission

Jennifer Landhuis 

Emma MacDonald 

Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC) 

Many offenders engage in stalking behaviors to perpetuate the cycle of abuse and control after a relationship has ended, and supervised visitation centers can become the front line of the offender's criminal behavior. It is imperative that supervised visitation centers and their staff are equipped to recognize and respond to stalking behaviors in order to promote safety and security for all participants.

This session will provide practical tools for identifying stalking behaviors within a supervised visitation center and offer guidance on how centers can structure their services to enhance safety for victims of stalking.

The session will also examine how technology plays an integral and unique role in facilitating this dangerous form of victimization and provide useful strategies for promoting digital safety among staff and visitation center partners.

Jennifer Landhuis (M.S.) brings over 25 years of experience as an educator and advocate on the issues of stalking, domestic violence, and sexual assault to her current position as the Director of the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC). As Director, she oversees the development and implementation of multi-faceted resources, programs, and publications on stalking, collaborates with national partners, and provides robust trainings to criminal justice and victim service professionals. Jennifer has led the SPARC initiative since its founding at AEquitas in 2017.

Prior to joining SPARC, Jennifer was the Director of Social Change at the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence. In this capacity, she managed a variety of projects — including the Idaho Coordinated Response to Sexual & Domestic Violence and the Idaho Victims Assistance Academy – and designed and facilitated state and national trainings to build the capacity of criminal justice systems.

Earlier in her career, Jennifer spent 11 years as an advocate and educator for local domestic violence/sexual assault community-based crisis centers. Her direct service experience includes providing crisis intervention and 24-hour enhanced on-scene advocacy for hospitals and law enforcement agencies.

Jennifer graduated from Midland University with a Bachelors of Arts in Youth and Family Ministry and the University of Cincinnati with a Masters of Science degree in Criminal Justice. She is an adjunct professor at Boise State University. Jennifer is based in Boise, Idaho.

Emma MacDonald is the Administrative Associate at the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC). Prior to this position, Emma worked for the Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter as a Project Coordinator to spearhead Nashua Meals for Kids, a city-wide initiative providing meals to food-insecure children in the community. As an undergraduate student, Emma interned with Physicians for Reproductive Health and conducted research on the relationship between insurance coverage and accessible abortion care in the United States. Emma earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Wagner College with a concentration in Academic Sociology and a minor in Gender Studies.

Emma regularly volunteers as a health center escort at Planned Parenthood and enjoys performing with North River Sing, a community choir based in Jersey City, NJ. Emma is proud to be working at SPARC and is grateful for the opportunity to advocate for victims and survivors in a professional capacity. Emma resides in the New York City area.

Emily McKee 

Kymari House 

Supervised visitation professionals carry the emotional weight of families in crisis while striving to maintain neutrality, safety, and empathy—a combination that can quietly lead to burnout if left unaddressed. In this session, participants will explore the realities of compassion fatigue in visitation work and learn sustainable, HOPE-informed strategies for balancing empathy with self-preservation.

Drawing from Kymari House’s experience in maintaining a stable, high-performing team with zero turnover, this workshop provides practical tools to strengthen resilience, foster reflective practice, and build a culture of wellness. Participants will leave with realistic, actionable steps to sustain both themselves and their teams, ensuring that compassion remains a renewable resource.

Emily McKee, MSSW, IMH-E is the Executive Director of Kymari House, Inc., the Middle Tennessee leader in Supervised Visitation and family support services. With nearly 20 years of experience in child and family serving roles, Emily brings a practitioner-to-leader perspective grounded in both frontline work and organizational stewardship. 

Since assuming her position, she has tripled Kymari House's operating budget, expanded services to multiple locations, increased staff compensation, and maintained 100% staff retention while meeting growing community demand. An Infant Mental Health endorsed master social worker and international training facilitator, 

Emily centers staff sustainability, reflective supervision, and trauma-informed systems as essential to quality service delivery. Her work reframes burnout as an organizational responsibility, offering practical strategies for leaders seeking to sustain compassion, safety, and excellence in high-stakes programs.

Dr. Richelle Whittaker 

Boys growing up in high-conflict families often face unique challenges that put them at risk for emotional distress, academic disengagement, and behavioral difficulties. However, research shows that protective factors such as positive parent-child communication, consistent support systems, and trauma-informed care can buffer against these risks and foster resilience.

In this engaging and practical session, Dr. Whittaker will introduce her STRONG Framework as a roadmap for equipping boys to thrive despite family instability. Participants will explore how everyday interactions, intentional advocacy, and collaborative partnerships with schools and service providers can disrupt cycles of conflict and nurture emotionally whole, confident young men.

This workshop will feature real-life case examples, interactive reflection, and actionable strategies that professionals can immediately integrate into their work with families.

Dr. Richelle Whittaker is an educational psychologist, maternal mental health expert, parent advisor, author of Strong Men Start Here: A Mom's Roadmap to Raising Confident and Emotionally Whole Sons, and host of the Raising Sons podcast. 

As a heart-centered leader, she is passionate about helping families win. Her work equips and empowers parents/caregivers with tools to close learning gaps, find work-life balance, and maintain mental wellness. She enjoys creating a space to help parents/caregivers explore tough topics and navigate solutions.

Dr. Whittaker is a mother and working parent, so she understands the challenges parents/caregivers face on multiple levels: at home, in school, and interpersonally. 

Her passion for cultivating resources and community for parents/caregivers actualizes itself through two businesses: Providential Counseling and Consulting, and Next Steps Coaching and Consulting.

Providential Counseling & Consulting Services offers services to schools and parents/caregivers to aid children academically and behaviorally. 

Next Steps Coaching and Consulting is comprised of two divisions – Next Steps @ Work, which partners with corporations to support working parents/caregivers, and Next Steps @ Home, which focuses on new parents/caregivers, those with children facing disabilities, and parents/caregivers raising boys. 

At its core, Dr. Whittaker’s work is about advocacy – being a voice and creating the space for families to thrive.