TITLE IV-E STUDENT DAY
2015
FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015
CHAMINADE RESORT & SPA
SANTA CRUZ, CA
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed
citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
— Margaret Mead
Welcome from the Student Day Coordinators
The Title IV‐E Student Day Planning Committee welcomes you to this year’s Student Day
Conference. We are so thankful that you are able to join us today by participating in this
important learning opportunity. The theme for this year’s Student Day conference is
“Advocacy & Empowerment in Action: Social Justice in the 21st Century,” a theme we
hope expresses what we as social work students and practitioners embrace as we
engage in our work as researchers, clinicians, administrators, and organizers.
We would like to thank all the Title IV‐E Student Representatives who gathered over the
last several months from 21 universities throughout California. Together we worked as a
team to create a theme, develop informative and creative workshops, find exhibitors,
and collect donations in hopes of making this event as fruitful as possible. We would like
to thank CalSWEC and the Project Coordinators for their direction, support, and
generosity in providing us with this opportunity. We also appreciate the support of the
many presenters, exhibitors, and donors who have been so gracious with their talent,
time, and resources. With everyone’s hard work, patience, and dedication, we have
arrived at this day and are in store for a wonderful event.
This year’s Student Day Conference will provide training on current practices and policies
in child welfare while also providing an opportunity for you to network with current and
future child welfare practitioners. As social workers, it is integral that we engage in
dialogue with one another and produce enriching collaborations to better serve our
clients. It is our sincerest hope that each of you finds enrichment and inspiration in this
experience as well.
Student Day Coordinators:
Stephanie Rush, California State University, Los Angeles
Cynthia Fajardo, California State University, Northridge
Victor Leche, California State University, San Jose
Rhonda Holmes, Humboldt State University
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Student Day 2014–2015 Planning Committees
Welcome/Registration
Exhibitor/ Raffle
Media/ Alumni
Workshop
Eva Bermudez
Paola Najarro
Cynthia Fajardo
Alex Lesniak
Andres S Fierro
Stephanie
Funston
Brandly Ervin
Lucia Holguin
Tina Firmanski
Knar Kahejiam
Taylor Mountjoy
(Johnson)
Joseph Aparicors
Amanda Frumento
Sarah K. Wilkinson
Elliett Alomar
Michael Pacia
Angela Miranda
Grecia Sanchez
Rhonda Holmes
Joanna “Jo” Catalina
La Torre
Ranecia Cormiuer
Melinda Whiteley
Maria Elena Aguilera
Judy Yuen
Melissa Castillo
Diana Trinidad
DeAndrea Knight
Sky Gomez
Victor Lecha III
Sachelly Ramos
Kelly Burgos
Misa Duong
Rebecca Leach
Exhibitors
NASW
Sponsors
National Association of Social Workers—CA
California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC)
University of California, Berkeley
Special thanks to
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), California Chapter for its generous
contribution to this conference. NASW has worked closely with CalSWEC since its founding and
continues as an important member of the CalSWEC consortium.
The Title IV-E Student Day Conference is funded by CalSWEC, through a contract with the California
Department of Social Services. CalSWEC is the nation’s largest coalition of social work educators
and practitioners.
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Program
8:00–8:45 am
Continental Breakfast | Sunset Restaurant
Registration | First Floor
8:45–9:15 am
The following all take place in the Santa Cruz Room.
 Welcome: 2014–2015 Student Day Coordinators
 Introduction of 2015–2016 Student Day Coordinators
 Remarks by Atea Baxter, Chair, NASW Santa Cruz Unit
9:15-10:00 am
Keynote Speaker—Dr. Michael Yellowbird: Minding the Indigenous Mind: Stories of Liberation,
Brain Waves, Mirror Neurons, and Healing
10:10–11:10 am—Workshop Session 1
1. Trauma Informed Practice in Child Welfare
2. LGBTQQIA/Advocacy for Transgender Youth
3. Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC)
4. Foster Youth in Juvenile Justice
Seascape | 2nd Floor
New Brighton | 1st Floor
Capitola | 1st Floor
Natural Bridges | 2nd Floor
11:20 am–12:20 pm—Workshop Session 2
1. Youth Empowerment (Restorative Justice)
2. Decolonization of Social Work
3. Job Skills Workshop
4. Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC)
Natural Bridges | 2nd Floor
Seascape | 2nd Floor
New Brighton | 1st Floor
Capitola | 1st Floor
12:20–1:30 pm—Lunch/Raffle | Santa Cruz Room
1:40–2:40 pm—Workshop Session 3
1. Trauma Informed Practice in Child Welfare
2. LGBTQQIA/Advocacy for Transgender Youth
3. Foster Youth in Juvenile Justice
4. Youth Empowerment (Restorative Justice)
Seascape | 2nd Floor
New Brighton | 1st Floor
Natural Bridges | 2nd Floor
Capitola | 1st Floor
2:50-3:30 pm
Title IV-E Alumni Panel | Santa Cruz Room
3:30–4:00 pm
Reconvene/Closing Remarks & Evaluations | Santa Cruz Room
4:10–5:30 pm
Reception—Sponsored by NASW | Sunset Patio
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Chaminade Resort & Spa
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Keynote Address
Minding the Indigenous Mind: Stories of Liberation, Brain Waves,
Mirror Neurons, and Healing
Michael Yellow Bird, M.S.W., Ph.D.
Dr. Michael Yellow Bird is a citizen of the Three Affiliated Tribes, the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara. He
grew up on the Fort Berthold reservation in White Shield, North Dakota, an Arikara community. He has
15 siblings (10 brothers and 4 sisters) and many, many, many extended relatives. He has a B.S.W.,
M.S.W., and a Ph.D. in social work. After completing his M.S.W., he served as the Tribal Health Director
and Human Resources Administrator for the Three Affiliated Tribes.
During his academic career Dr. Yellow Bird has held faculty appointments in the Schools of Social
Work at the University of British Columbia, University of Kansas, Arizona State University, and Humboldt
State University. During his last academic appointment at the University of Kansas (2004–2009) he was a
member of the faculty in American Studies and Indigenous Studies and served as the Director of
Indigenous Nations Studies. From 2009–2014 he was a Professor and the Director of Graduate Studies in
the Department of social work at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California. He is currently a
Professor of Sociology and the Director of the Tribal and Indigenous Peoples Studies program at North
Dakota State University.
Dr. Yellow Bird has served as a consultant to many different Indigenous nations in the U.S. and
Canada, and presented his research and writing, and been a keynote speaker and workshop presenter,
in many different local, national, and international venues.
Dr. Yellow Bird is the author of numerous scholarly and community articles, Brown papers,
newspaper columns, book chapters, and the co-editor of four books: For Indigenous Eyes Only: The
Decolonization Handbook, 2005 (with Dr. Waziyatawin); For Indigenous Minds Only: A Decolonization
Handbook, 2012 (with Dr. Waziyatawin); Indigenous Social Work around the World: towards Culturally
Relevant Education and Practice, 2008, 2010 (with Professors Mel Gray and John Coates); and
Decolonizing Social Work, 2013 (with Professors Mel Gray, John Coates, and Dr. Tiani Hetherington).
His most recent co-edited book, Decolonizing Social Work published by Ashgate Press, was selected
as a 2014 Choice Outstanding Academic Title by Choice Magazine. Choice Outstanding Titles are given
extraordinary recognition by the academic community and are designated to be “the best of the best.”
Dr. Yellow Bird is currently working on his next two books entitled, An Indigenous Social Worker’s
Manifesto: Dissident, Decolonized, and Sometimes Compassionate Social Work Writings from the Rez
(forthcoming); and Neurodecolonization: Indigenous Peoples’ Liberation Begins in the Mind
(forthcoming).
Dr. Yellow Bird’s teaching, writing, research, and community work focuses on Indigenous Peoples’
health; cultural and political rights; Empire and Imperialism; Indigenous Peoples in the US military;
Indigenous sovereignty; Neurodecolonization; the benefits of Paleo and ancestral eating; the continuing
effects of colonialism and the promise of decolonizing theory, research, and practice. His most recent
writings and presentations have focused on Indigenous Peoples prophecies; decolonizing trauma and
addiction; decolonizing suicide; decolonizing social work education; decolonizing the mind; and
Indigenous Peoples and American Exceptionalism. He is also a co-investigator of an Arikara ethnobotany
and ethnopharmacology project that is examining the myriad health benefits of Arikara ancestral foods.
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Workshops
Trauma Informed Child Welfare Practice
Child traumatic stress refers to the physical and emotional responses of a child to threatening events.
Trauma may overwhelm a child’s capacity to cope and may evoke intense emotional and physical
reactions that impair the psychological sense of safety. This workshop will present how trauma affects
children and families, and ways to integrate trauma awareness and care into social work practice.
Presenter: Dr. Monique LeSarre holds a doctorate in Clinical Psychology, a master’s in Clinical Psychology
and a bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies. She has many roles in her community, teaching and
professional work, engaging the community through providing trainings, coaching, workshops and
consultation on both a local and statewide levels. She also teaches in both the bachelor’s and master’s
programs at the California Institute of Integral Studies.
Dr. LeSarre also currently works with incarcerated men in San Quentin, as the co-creator and codirector of the First Step Curriculum, designed to bring restorative justice practices to a curriculum
focused on psycho-educational awareness of the impact of trauma and childhood development on
behaviors, thinking, and actions that have led the men to commit their crimes.
Dr. LeSarre’s passion in teaching and community work is best described by Cornell West’s quote,
“Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.” She believes that in order to create individual
and community healing, it is most effective to work on multiple levels of the system, beginning with
individuals, families, and groups, and on academic, training, research, advocacy, and policy levels. Her
community advocacy also involves public speaking, curriculum development, and consulting with Bay
Area clinics, schools, community based organizations, and public health agencies.
LGBTQQIA/Advocacy for Transgender Youth
How prepared and knowledgeable are you to serve transgender clients? Providers with great intentions
may not have the skills and comprehension needed to provide fair and effective support. This workshop
is for service providers who want to become more comfortable and competent working with people
whose are trans and/or gender-nonconforming.
Participants in this training will identify their own understandings and assumptions about gender
and explore how those understandings may affect their work. This training will offer tools to develop
culturally competent practices to communicate respect and understanding to trans and gendernonconforming people.
Presenters:
 Tiana Vargas works at the Pride Center at San Diego State University and specializes in gender
and sexual identity sensitivity trainings for professionals. Her pronouns are they, them, and
their.
 Prizila Vidal, a former foster youth, is a transgender and youth activist who works as a Foster
Residential Specialist. Her pronouns are she, her, and hers.
Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC)
Exploited children are sexually exploited for profit, victims of a modern form of slavery. Many such
children have previously left home due to neglect or physical abuse. This workshop will debunk the
common myths of human trafficking and explore the lives of commercially exploited children. In
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addition, the workshop will present methods of control used by perpetrators and discuss engagement
strategies and interventions.
Presenter: Brianne Baker is currently a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California.
She started her journey working with autistic clients during her undergraduate years at Claremont
McKenna College. She went on the receive her M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the University of San
Francisco.
In the last 13 years Ms. Baker has participated and developed several mental health and
wraparound programs in Santa Clara County, reaching the community’s highest risk children. In the last
two years she worked with a special collaborative team that included a non-profit, Department of
Family and Children Services, local law enforcement, and mental health services to address the needs of
Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) in the community. As such, she has delivered many
trainings and workshops to social workers, therapists, law enforcement, CASA workers, and mental
health professionals in an effort to bring together our community support systems to address this highrisk population. Her other work has included residential care, therapeutic behavioral services, trauma
focused work with children and their families, and DV batterers groups.
Decolonization 101: Strategies, Processes, and Stories of Decolonizing Social Work
This workshop defines, contextualizes, and shares the theories, goals, and philosophies of
Decolonization - and why it is necessary and important for the social work profession. A number
of process and strategies that are relevant to decolonizing social work practice, education, social work
agencies, and the mind of the social worker are shared.
Presenter: Michael Yellow Bird, M.S.W., Ph.D. (see page 4 for Dr. Yellow Bird’s biography.)
Job Skills Workshop
This workshop is intended for those who were unable to attend one of the regional Job Prep workshops
during the previous academic year. It will cover ways to navigate the county employment process
including how to engage the panel, the types of questions that candidates are asked on both written and
oral exams, and how to increase your score and improve your ranking on the hiring lists.
Presenter: Donna Thoreson, M.S.W., has 20 years of experience as a child welfare worker and supervisor
in Contra Costa County. As a field instructor for the Intern Unit there for 10 years, she trained over 95
IV-E second-year grad students from various Bay Area universities. Prior to Contra Costa, Ms. Thoreson
spent 11 years in Butte County as an Employment and Training Specialist and as a child welfare social
worker. A 1996 Title IV-E MSW graduate of UC Berkeley, she taught many graduate social work courses
and worked as a Field Liaison at CSU, East Bay between 2004 and 2014. Ms. Thoreson has been the
Workforce Development Coordinator for CalSWEC since November 2010.
Title IV-E Alumni Panel
The Alumni Panel is designed as an opportunity for future Title IV‐E alumni to ask questions of alumni
who have been in the child welfare field for some years. The panelists practice in different areas
of child welfare and will share with students the different paths and opportunities available as
Title IV‐E alum.
 Winona Aubrey-Herzog , LCSW, is a Yurok Tribal member. She graduated from Humboldt State
University with her bachelor’s degree in Native American Studies in 2008. She took a number of
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sociology classes and during the course of a class on altruism, it was recommended she consider
the social work program. When looking at the HSU MSW program, she was encouraged to apply
to CalSWEC. Her internships were a paid summer internship with the Yurok Tribal Social
Services, an internship in behavioral health at United Indian Health Services, and an internship
at Humboldt County Child Welfare Services in the ongoing program. Ms. Aubrey-Herzog
graduated from Humboldt State University in 2010 with her M.S.W.
In 2010, she was hired by Humboldt county Child Welfare Services. She worked for two years in
the emergency response unit. She then moved to the program where she currently is
employed, working with families in voluntary family maintenance, court family maintenance,
family reunification, post permanency, guardianship with dependency, and non-minor
dependents. While working for Humboldt CWS, she has been part of the CAPP advisory
committee and completed her clinical hours for licensure.
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Kristin Erickson earned her M.S.W. from San Diego State University in May 2014. She is
currently employed by the County of San Diego where she is a Protective Services Worker.
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Breandan “Bre” Ramsey, M.S.W., graduated in spring 2014 from Humboldt State University.
She works for Lake County in the Emergency Response Unit. She states, “CalSWEC helped me to
change directions in my career and prepared me to work in the child welfare system. “
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Melissa Walker, B.A.S.W., attended Humboldt State University as the only B.S.W. student in my
cohort. She states, “I chose CalSWEC because I knew it was the best option academically and
financially. Since I knew I wanted to explore child welfare and also couldn't afford college
without student loans, this was the door that would lead to endless opportunities. I am now
employed as a social worker with Child Protective Services in Mendocino County. I LOVE my
position.”
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Patrick Jones , received his M.S.W. from San Diego State in 2012 and B.A. from Dartmouth
College in 2006. He is an Intake (aka Investigations/Emergency Response) worker in San
Bernardino County. He has worked in the city of San Bernardino for the past two and one half
years investigating child abuse and neglect referrals. During this time, he served on the
Improving Quality System-Wide Advisory Board (IQSAB), where he developed a proposal for
Intake workers to have scheduled periods of time off rotation in order to catch up on work
without having to use their vacation time. This proposal was implemented this past January.
Prior to my current job, Mr. Jones spent a year’s internship in Orange County in Emergency
Response. He also worked in group homes and in the field of autism.
Mr. Jones participated in the 2010 Student Day Conference where he led the Donations
Subcommittee. Each Title IV-E program collected donations to present to a local charity on the
day of the conference. The subcommittee had previously been used to collect parting gifts for
the students in attendance.
NASW Representative
Atea Baxter, M.S.W.
Atea Baxter is the co-chair of the newly formed Santa Cruz Unit of the National Association of Social
Workers. She has been involved with the NASW and its goals since 2012 and has attended Social Work
Lobby Days for the past two years. Ms. Baxter is now working with the local Santa Cruz community to
facilitate local growth and collaboration through the Santa Cruz NASW Unit.
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In addition to macro-level involvement, Ms. Baxter works as psychiatric social worker for Santa Clara
County Mental Health Department, providing micro-level services to individuals with a wide range of
backgrounds. She graduated from San Jose State University with an M.S.W. and is currently working
toward an LCSW.
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