Calendar
This webinar will explain the concept of a Caregiver Will, a tool to ensure every parent of a minor child can designate chosen guardians in case they become unable to care for their child either temporarily or permanently. Based on longstanding Supreme Court recognition of parental rights to raise and care for children, this tool is grounded in legal precedent and state and federal statutory authority in family law and child welfare law. The Caregiver Will emphasizes how important it is for parents to be able to exercise their constitutionally protected rights when it comes to defining their own family’s village and determining what community support and collective efforts may best meet their family’s needs and rights in the face of unexpected events.
ABA Resolution 610: Caregiver Wills: https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/directories/policy/annual-2025/610-annual-2025.pdf
REGISTER HERE
Continuum of Care: Mental Health & Substance Use Across the Lifespan
You are invited to join us for two days of professional education focused on the continuum of life. Our breakout sessions will be divided into six categories!
- Childhood and Adolescence
- Young Adult
- Cross Cutting Topics
- Substance Use
- Adulthood
- Older Adults
We will begin each day at 9:00am and end at 4:30pm. Continuing education credits are available for those who wish to earn them. Please select the registration option that fits your professionalism needs. Certificates of Attendance will be available for all categories of participants.
Opportunities for sponsorship and exhibits are available! Click here for more information.
Information for discounted rooms at the Four Points by Sheraton will be posted shortly. This hotel is adjacent to the conference location and will have state travel rate rooms.
Lunch will be provided both days.
Questions? Contact Team Dynamics – sharon@teamdyn.com or susan@teamdyn.com
REGISTER HERE
Deficits in sensory integration are among the most common difficulties children with prenatal substance exposure experience. This training session will define sensory processing and discuss the continuum of sensory challenges faced by this population of children. The goal of the session is to help caregivers and professionals recognize sensory processing difficulties and their implications for daily living.
Trainers:
Ira J. Chasnoff, M.D., an award-winning author, researcher and lecturer, is President of NTI Upstream and a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. He is one of the nation’s leading researchers in the field of child development and the effects of environmental factors on the developmental trajectory of children and adolescents. Dr. Chasnoff’s work encompasses community approaches to the integration of behavioral health services into primary health care, the schools, and the other multiple systems that serve children and families.
Christine Schmidt, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist who has specific interest and expertise in working with youth and families impacted by prenatal substance use and pre- and post-natal trauma. Most recently, Dr. Schmidt co-directed a three-year grant designed to help address the impact of secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma on professionals working with youth in the child welfare system. Dr. Schmidt has been a member of NTI Upstream’s training faculty for over 15 years and provides consultative psychological services to administrators, caseworkers, and other professionals.
Amy Groessl, PhD, a licensed clinical social worker, brings extensive expertise in treating children and adults with complex trauma histories, neurocognitive challenges, attachment disorders, and adoption-related issues. She is based in Chicago and provides psychotherapy, clinical supervision, and consultation through her private practice. Dr. Groessl has been with NTI Upstream’s Training Faculty since 2016. She is also a Core Faculty member at the Institute for Clinical Social Work, where she teaches courses on qualitative research, trauma, attachment theory, and neuropsychology.
Sue Green, OTR/L, has practiced as a pediatric occupational therapist since 1987, culminating in over three and a half decades of knowledge. Currently, Sue is the Pediatric OT/PT supervisor at The Chautauqua Center, Inc in Jamestown, NY, providing early intervention, preschool and pediatric outpatient services to those who need it most. Sue has been a member of NTI Upstream’s senior faculty since 2023, providing education and training to healthcare and social service professionals who share a common goal of enhancing positive outcomes for the children and families they treat.
REGISTER HERE
Children affected by Prenatal Substance Exposure face increasing neurodevelopmental challenges as they grow and develop. These challenges translate into behavioral difficulties in the classroom and in the home. This training session will translate the conceptual framework for understanding the behavior and learning difficulties of children with prenatal substance exposure from a regulatory perspective and discuss how this framework can be applied to the development of behavioral and educational interventions as well as strategies for managing prenatally exposed adolescents’ online risk and behavior.
Trainers:
Ira J. Chasnoff, M.D., an award-winning author, researcher and lecturer, is President of NTI Upstream and a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. He is one of the nation’s leading researchers in the field of child development and the effects of environmental factors on the developmental trajectory of children and adolescents. Dr. Chasnoff’s work encompasses community approaches to the integration of behavioral health services into primary health care, the schools, and the other multiple systems that serve children and families.
Christine Schmidt, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist who has specific interest and expertise in working with youth and families impacted by prenatal substance use and pre- and post-natal trauma. Most recently, Dr. Schmidt co-directed a three-year grant designed to help address the impact of secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma on professionals working with youth in the child welfare system. Dr. Schmidt has been a member of NTI Upstream’s training faculty for over 15 years and provides consultative psychological services to administrators, caseworkers, and other professionals.
Amy Groessl, PhD, a licensed clinical social worker, brings extensive expertise in treating children and adults with complex trauma histories, neurocognitive challenges, attachment disorders, and adoption-related issues. She is based in Chicago and provides psychotherapy, clinical supervision, and consultation through her private practice. Dr. Groessl has been with NTI Upstream’s Training Faculty since 2016. She is also a Core Faculty member at the Institute for Clinical Social Work, where she teaches courses on qualitative research, trauma, attachment theory, and neuropsychology.
Sue Green, OTR/L, has practiced as a pediatric occupational therapist since 1987, culminating in over three and a half decades of knowledge. Currently, Sue is the Pediatric OT/PT supervisor at The Chautauqua Center, Inc in Jamestown, NY, providing early intervention, preschool and pediatric outpatient services to those who need it most. Sue has been a member of NTI Upstream’s senior faculty since 2023, providing education and training to healthcare and social service professionals who share a common goal of enhancing positive outcomes for the children and families they treat.