Parenting Matters Conference

Bradley Hospital, the nation’s first psychiatric hospital for children, and Brown University Health Community Health Institute present the 34th Parenting Matters conference as a virtual event, via Zoom. This half-day event offers parents, childcare providers, social workers and teachers a unique opportunity to learn from top child development and behavior professionals in a casual setting.

Keynote Presentation

Jacqueline Nesi, PhD, will present "Supporting Youth Mental Health in the Digital Age: Smartphones, Social Media, and Your Child."

Find out more

Agenda

Breakout Sessions

At the Parenting Matters conference, parents, caregivers, and professionals can benefit from the wisdom of top child development and behavior professionals. Breakout sessions will be chosen with the chat feature on Zoom.

Making Sense of Functional Neurological Diseases: What Parents Need to Know

Presented by Rawya Al-Jabari, PhD
During this workshop participants should gain an understanding of what functional neurological diseases are. While learning the different treatment approaches and help themselves and their families as it relates to family functioning.

The learning objectives of this workshop include participants:

• Obtaining general understanding of functional neurological disorder.
• Better understanding approaches to treatment.
• Learning how to help themselves and their families as it relates to family functioning.

Rawya Al-Jabari, PhD, is a clinical psychologist on the medical-psychiatric inpatient adolescent unit at Hasbro and a clinical assistant professor at Brown's Warren Alpert Medical School. She specializes in acceptance and commitment therapy in her clinical work with individuals and families in inpatient and outpatient settings. She received her doctoral training at the University of North Texas, and specialized training in couples and family therapy at the Ralph H. Johnson VAMC. 

Navigating the Eligibility Process for Section 504 and Special Education

Presented by Trish Martins, MEd
This workshop will focus on the regulatory aspects of Section 504 and The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) related to eligibility. Participants should walk away with a thorough understanding of the requirements to receive services as well as the steps to navigate the process.

The learning objectives of this workshop include:

• Learning the regulations governing Section 504 and The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) related to eligibility.
• Gaining understanding of the eligibility requirements for Section 504 and IDEA Special Education.
• Learning the qualifying criteria for 504 and special education and the continuum of services available.
• Learning steps you can take to navigate this process.

Trish Martins, MEd, is the director of education for The Bradley Schools in Connecticut and Rhode Island. She has worked in the special education field for over 38 years in both Rhode Island public school districts as well as private special education programs. She has served on many local and statewide committees regarding education, and has earned recognition for program development as well as her work as a special education administrator. Martins frequently presents to groups on varied topics in special education. She has particular interests in creating an optimal educational environment for learners with diverse needs, teaching students with developmental challenges, and integrating social-emotional learning into the school environment.

Meeting the Need: A Comparison of In-Person and Virtual Mental Health Care Options for Youth

Presented by Shivana Naidoo, MD
During this workshop participants can expect to learn about the pros and cons of virtual vs. in person mental health care. Gain the tools to identify which form of treatment is best for them. As well as tips to advocate for their best care.

The learning objectives of this workshop include:

• Exploring the pros and cons for youth and parents who obtain mental health care in the in-person and virtual setting.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of providing youth mental health care in the virtual vs in-person setting.
• Recognizing the additional positive benefits for providers who treat patients using virtual modalities.
• Identifying the types of youth who may best benefit from virtual vs in person mental health care.
• Learning advocacy tips to help empower parents and youth to obtain their ideal mental health care regardless of modality.

Shivana Naidoo, MD, is a double board-certified child/adolescent psychiatrist and adult psychiatrist and certified in nutritional psychiatry. Over the past decade, she has practiced mainly in the outpatient/clinic setting, but also worked in emergency rooms, on the consultation liaison service, and covered the adolescent inpatient unit at Bradley Hospital. Dr. Naidoo currently works at the Bradley REACH Virtual PHP program as a child psychiatry attending and is a clinical instructor at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She is the creator/host of the podcast Thinking It Through with Dr. Naidoo - Child Psychiatrist and the founder of DoBetterMD, her integrative psychiatry private practice and consulting firm. She is also the lead psychiatrist for Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program, an initiative to help further support primary care to address the current youth mental health care crisis in her home state of Arizona. She has spoken nationally on topics such as concussion and youth suicide risk, empowering parents to prevent suicide, reframing the safety plan as a tool for patient and provider resilience, and helping our kids thrive. 

Registration

Registration for this virtual event is free. Professional development credits are available for $10.

More Information

Continuing education credits are available for early learning professionals, social workers, and licensed mental health workers. A Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) certificate will be provided for educators that can be submitted to leadership for credit.

To learn more about Parenting Matters, call 401-444-8009. For information about exhibiting in the Family Resource Center or advertising in the program book, please call 401-444-8009.