SYFC Registration Open

Registration has opened for the 14^th Annual Strengthening Youth & Families Conference, which will be held beach-side this year at the San Luis Resort, Spa and Conference Center in Galveston.

Professionals and volunteers who serve youth, as well as family members, are invited to attend the interagency-sponsored conference, set for Nov. 5-8.  The conference features workshops related to the promotion of positive youth development and the prevention, intervention and treatment of high-risk behaviors in youth. Workshops are expected to qualify for continuing education credits (up to 27 hours) for social workers, mental health providers, juvenile justice providers, and law enforcement.  

Shandra Carter, deputy director of State Services for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), will headline the event as the first keynote speaker, opening the session on Nov. 6. An accomplished mental health professional with 20 years of experience in the human services field, Carter will speak on the Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) model, which focuses on seeing challenging behaviors as a symptom of survival rather than an act of disobedience. A TBRI approach maintains that when behaviors are viewed as a discharge of trauma, professionals can develop responses focused on healing. Understanding the influence of the traumatized youth's brain and nervous system is foundational to developing effective trauma-informed care.

Carter has dedicated her career to serving vulnerable populations, especially children who have suffered from sexual exploitation and abuse, and recently helped Houston-area programs that serve child sex trafficking victims implement the TBRI model of care. She is now working to integrate the TBRI model into the rehabilitation and treatment program at TJJD, serving the state’s most serious youthful offenders.

Before joining TJJD, Carter served as Project Director for the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University. She earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology and Law, Societies & Justice from the University of Washington. She has a Master’s in Social Work from Eastern Washington University. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Supervisor and a Licensed Childcare Administrator.

Register before Sept. 30 for the annual SYFC conference to get the best rates. Call the hotel directly to reserve a room. More information at the SYFC website. A limited number of scholarships are available to assist with registration fees and travel expenses for those who might not otherwise be able to attend. To apply for a conference scholarship, see this link.