The 58th Annual NAPSA Conference is set! This year’s conference will be held from October 20-23, 2024 at the Drury Plaza Hotel in Richmond, Virginia and will feature an outstanding array of presenters who will provide invaluable information on the most pressing topics pupil services administrators are facing today. This year’s conference theme is “Navigating the Roadblocks to Education.” So, plan on joining NAPSA for a terrific professional development experience in the beautiful and bustling city of Richmond!
This year’s presenter line-up is as follows:
- Dr. Jessica Sprick is a consultant and presenter for Safe & Civil Schools and a writer for Ancora Publishing. She is the lead trainer for Safe & Civil Schools’ model of absenteeism prevention and intervention and is a coauthor of the following attendance resources: Functional Behavior Assessment of Absenteeism & Truancy; Absenteeism & Truancy: Interventions and Universal Procedures; Foundations: A Proactive and Positive Behavior Support System (3rd Edition); Functional Behavior Assessment of Bullying; Bullying: Universal Procedures and Interventions; Teacher’s Guide to Tackling Attendance Challenges; and School Leader’s Guide to Tackling Attendance Challenges. Her keynote session is titled “Addressing Chronic Absenteeism and Homelessness: Effective Solutions.”
- Fiona Brown is a Student Assistance Specialist with over 10 years of experience in mental health and substance use treatment. She is licensed as a professional counselor and supports the Sources of Strength initiative by leading trainings and providing consultation to staff. She is the author of Read This and Call Me in the Morning: A Prescription for Teen Substance Use Prevention *with Cartoons. Her keynote presentation is titled “Teen Substance Abuse: How to Effectively Intervene.”
- Betsy Bell is the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Programs Coordinator the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services Center for School and Campus Safety. She has been recognized by the National Center for School Safety for her work implementing Handle with Care. Her presentation is titled “Trauma-informed Schools: School Climate Considerations.”
- Gabrielle Sereni, Esq. is the founding member and full owner of Sereni Law Group, LLC. Recognized as a Superlawyer, she has represented both school districts and parents over the past 25 years, litigating matters from administrative hearings through appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Her presentation, titled “Legal Issues Related to Pupil Services,” will cover the most salient issues currently being encountered in the field of pupil services and special education.
- Sarah Bazemore is the School Counseling Specialist and Student Assistance Systems Coordinator within the Office of Student Services at the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). Sarah works with school divisions and school counselors throughout the state to encourage best practices in the development of students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs. Sarah’s work focuses on infusing equity and trauma-informed practices, building mental-health supports, fostering a positive school climate, integrating alternatives to suspension, supporting community school implementation, promoting best practices. She has authored 39 resources for use by educators K through 12. Sarah’s presentation is titled “Intentional and Impactful Practices for Supporting Educator Well-Being and Enhancing Social-Emotional Capacity.”
- “Beyond Threat Assessment: Don’t Drop the Ball on Student Wellness” will be presented by an excellent team of pupil services professionals from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) including Alexandra Javna, VDOE Social Work Specialist; Sarah Bazemore, VDOE School Counseling Specialist; and Martha Montgomery, VDOE School Psychology Specialist. Alex is the Lead Coordinator for the Virginia Tiered Systems of Support (VTSS) and Martha is the coauthor of Trauma Informed IEP’s: Embedding Trauma Sensitive Practices into IEP Development.
- Dr. Monica L. Williams is the Coordinator of Wraparound Services for Norfolk Public Schools with an enrollment of over 27,000 students. Her presentation is titled “Providing Student Services through a Tiered Framework.”
- Justin Rubenstein is a NAPSA member and the Supervisor of Student Services in the Central Bucks School District. He has served as a former alternative school teacher, school psychologist, brain injury consultant, adjunct professor, author, and is the President and Chief Collaboration Officer for Solutions for Education. NAPSA member and Central Bucks Director of Pupil Services Alyssa Wright and Justin will present “Increasing Opportunities for All: Revamping a Student Services Department Considering School Size and Demographics.”
The NAPSA Executive Board, VDOE, and select presenters will host a panel discussion focusing on “Important Issues in the Field and How to Address Them.” Conference attendees will have an opportunity to provide questions to the panel.
To learn more about the conference, please access the conference schedule at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18GrJK0mrKXfdwRT09ravChJ-rHL_MoAy
To register for the conference go to:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FXcqrXXLqFtXsfB_2QVEYmQd6eMU-LQs
or
See you in Richmond!!