The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s (SAMHSA) Homeless and Housing Resource Network presents:
The Youth First Spotlight Series:
Strategies for Engagement and Education Webinar
June 16, 2016
2:00 – 3:30 PM EDT
The Strategies for Engagement and Education webinar is the first in a series of three webinars focused on youth homelessness. The webinar will provide a background on the factors leading to homelessness among youth and the prevalence and experiences of trauma among youth vulnerable to or experiencing homelessness. Building on this understanding, presenters will highlight methods and approaches for successfully engaging youth in housing and services, as well as educating youth on available services and helping them build support networks. Specialized engagement strategies for specific subpopulations of youth will also be addressed.
Upon completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Identify challenges and barriers faced by youth vulnerable to or experiencing homelessness;
- Explain the impact of homelessness on youth;
- Implement a harm reduction, trauma-informed care, and recovery-oriented approach when serving youth experiencing homelessness; and
- Identify effective services and recovery supports for youth experiencing homelessness.
Visit SAMHSA's event registration page to register for this webinar.
Please contact Joe Manney at jmanney@ahpnet.com for registration questions and assistance.
Presenters:
- Tammy Hopper, LCSW, is the chief strategic initiatives officer for the National Safe Place Network (NSPN). She has more than 25 years of experience working with youth in crisis, including runaway youth, street youth, and youth experiencing homelessness. She has provided clinical supervision to youth programs and has served on numerous national advisory groups dedicated to improving national youth policy. In her current role, Ms. Hopper also serves as the director of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Center (RHYTTAC), operated by NSPN and funded by the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB).
- Sue Smith, EdD, is a founding member of the Georgia Parent Support Network, is a founding member of Georgia’s Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, and has been recognized for her work as the recipient of the 2016 Voices for Georgia’s Children Award, 2004 Karl Dennis Unconditional Care Award, 1996 Rosalynn Carter Care Giver Award, 1995 Tipper Gore Remember the Children Award, and 1994 Mental Health Association of Georgia Child Advocate Award. Dr. Smith is the past president of the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, past president of Mental Health America, and the past chair of the Behavioral Health Planning Council of Georgia. In addition, she has consulted with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Macro International, Georgetown University, and she has consulted in forty-six additional states and service regions on issues regarding children with severe emotional disturbances and their families. She obtained her doctor of education degree in 2000 and has since taught courses at Harvard University, Emory University, and the University of Georgia. She is the adopted mother of one daughter and the foster mother of one daughter with severe emotional disturbances.
