Practicing Resilience Through Relationship Building

401 Fulton St. W,Grand Rapids MI 49504

13 April, 2023

Description

General Information: Registration and continental breakfast begin at 8:00am. Welcoming remarks begin at 8:30am. Boxed lunch provided: 11:45am - 12:45pm. Beverages available throughout the day and snacks provided in the afternoon. Family Futures and Grand Valley State University are pleased to announce our second annual Practicing Resilience Conference, titled Practicing Resilience through Relationship Building. We aim to help participants gain a deeper understanding of how to build resilience in individuals and our community by applying evidence-based strategies to create meaningful relationships. Our Keynote Speaker, Elizabeth Meins, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at the University of York, will join us virtually from the United Kingdom. Dr. Meins has studied how parents interact with their children for over 30 years and in 1997, she developed the concept of caregiver mind-mindedness: the ability to “tune in” to the baby’s thoughts and feelings. Description of Sessions:Keynote:9:00am - 10:30am Mind-reading for Beginners: The Role of Parents’ Mind-Mindedness in Predicting Children’s Development, Elizabeth Meins, Ph.D. This presentation will introduce research showing how early mind-mindedness predicts wide-ranging positive aspects of children’s development. It will also explain recent research developing interventions, such as a smartphone app, to facilitate mind-mindedness. Breakout Sessions:Making Grand Connections: Intergenerational Mentoring Programs and Their Impacts This session will look at studies that have investigated the outcomes of different intergenerational programs and discuss factors that have contributed to the success of these programs. This session will also introduce a GVSU intergenerational co-mentoring program in partnership with AARP and present what it has accomplished in the past two years since its creation. Strengthening Community Environments Through Relationship Building This session will provide background about Adverse Community Environments and introduce examples of evidence-informed practices and policies that strengthen communities through relationship building activities. Community Resilience and Sustainability Through Relationships Our Kitchen Table (OKT) was founded on the belief that building sustainable communities requires relationships. Learn how OKT’s food growing, healthy eating, and farmers market programs not only reach out to neighbors, but rely on them for wisdom, insight, and leadership. Building Relationships to Reduce Violence This session will provide background about violence in relationships and communities and introduce examples of evidence-informed, relationship-based violence prevention practices and policies. Shaping Culturally Responsive Relationships This is a panel where members will discuss their experiences working with immigrant, refugee, and New American populations and highlight culturally respectful, responsive, and relevant relationship building. Harnessing the Power of Relationships to Reduce Substance Use This session will explore how substance use impacts relationships and will introduce examples of evidence-informed programs and practices that capitalize on social relationships to reduce the harms associated with substance use. Building Relationships Using the Self-Healing Communities Model This session will introduce the Self-Healing Communities model with an emphasis on the many mechanisms by which this process can strengthen relationships and promote community resilience. Evidence-Informed, Relationship-Focused Practices within Promise Neighborhoods This session provides a historical overview of previous Promise Neighborhood grant recipients, including successful applications of this cradle-to-career approach. Sustainable practices with evidence-informed implementation will be reviewed through the lens of the Grand Rapids Southeast neighborhoods. Establishing Authentic Relationships with Families This is a panel where members will discuss the importance of building authentic relationships between community-based organizations and families. Our panelists will share their firsthand experiences of building trust, establishing relationships, the benefits of positive outcomes, and lessons learned along the way. Additional Information: If you are unable to secure registration costs through your organization, please contact Hillary Sawyer at [email protected] to inquire about the availability of a scholarship.Tickets are non-refundable, but can be transferred to another person if you are unable to attend. Please contact Hillary Sawyer at [email protected] to facilitate ticket transfer.Parking is available in the Seward Parking Lot Ramp. A map of parking on campus can be found here.If you have any allergies or dietary restrictions, please contact Hillary Sawyer at [email protected] follow the guidelines set by Grand Valley State University regarding COVID-19. You can find them here. For any additional questions, please contact Hillary Sawyer at [email protected] hope you are able to join us for this engaging event!