About this Webinar
This 1-hour interactive webinar will share how a nationally recognized leader in preserving families, while supporting innovative whole-person care. Specialized Alternatives for Families & Youth’s (SAFY) approach for health equity moves from a compliance-based model towards a trauma-informed success-based care. A team of panelists will share ways providers of care, including administrators, direct-care staff, foster parents & youth can build a climate and culture of healing, health & hope.
Attendees will have an opportunity to learn and share with individuals from across the country & beyond ways have a larger impact on family preservation and ending stigma attached with child-welfare involvement. The panel will include leaders from SAFY-Nevada, where this incredible team will provide an outline how Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics or NMT has been incorporated into every aspect of the work with children, youth, and families. NMT developed by Dr. Bruce Perry, and his team at the Child Trauma Academy in Texas. NMT encapsulates a “developmentally sensitive, neurobiologically informed approach to clinical work.”
Your Host
Kenneth McGill, EdS LMFT
Solution-Focused Care Senior Scientist at Opeeka
Panelists
Melinda Rhoades
Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Hypnotherapist at SAFY
Melinda Rhoades is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a certified hypnotherapist in the state of Nevada. Melinda began her child welfare career as a clinical case manager. Continuing her education, her master’s program sparked and strengthened her passion for supporting those who are on the journey to overcome the effects of developmental and complex trauma. Melinda has continued to follow her passion in her 18 years at SAFY of Nevada. She is currently serving the community as the Clinical Treatment Director for SAFY of Nevada. She leads and supports the SAFY clinical team as they implement trauma informed treatment approaches with each client they serve. Melinda is eager and excited to implement the tools she has learned from her recent certification in Neuro-Sequential Model of Therapeutics. Extensive healing and trauma resolution have been positive outcomes from this model.
Valerie Hicks
MSW, LISW, Executive Director at SAFY of Nevada
Valerie Hicks, MSW, LISW, Executive Director SAFY of Nevada. Ms. Hicks is responsible for the treatment and care of youth and families throughout the state for the fiscal and contractual viability of all Nevada programs and services. Prior to being named Executive Director, Valerie served as treatment director in SAFY of Ohio’s Cleveland division. She managed and coached high performance treatment teams providing Intensive Case Management, Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC), Home/Family Preservation and Outpatient Services. Before joining SAFY of Nevada, Valerie was a program director at the Adoption Network Cleveland, Vice President of Community Relations at Beech Brook, Cleveland and the Executive Director of Kids Health 2020. Ms. Hicks has a Master of Social Science Administration from Case Western Reserve University, and a Bachelor of Social Work from Ohio University.
Kristi Bonfils
Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Therapist at SAFY
Kristi Bonfils is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and therapist in the state of Nevada. Kristi began her child welfare career as a Psychosocial Rehabilitation Specialist at SAFY in 2012. While beginning her education in psychology, her role within SAFY exposed her to the dynamic roles of social work. She decided that Social Work was a better fit and obtained her master’s from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Kristi continues to follow her passion in her 9+ years at SAFY of Nevada. She recently accepted a clinical lead role, wherein she supports the SAFY front-line staff as they implement trauma-informed treatment approaches with each client they serve. Kristi is eager and excited to implement the tools she has learned from her recent Phase I certification in Neuro-Sequential Model of Therapeutics as well as her ongoing education to become a trainer in the model.
