2024 Partnerships for Well-Being Institute Helps Human Services Professionals Empower Children and Families
More than 850 participants explored the different facets of the System of Care and reconnected with the ‘why’ of helping professions
From June 12-14, 2024, UC Davis Human Services welcomed hundreds of practitioners serving the children and youth System of Care at the 2024 Partnerships for Well-Being Institute (PWBI) in Garden Grove, California. Hosted in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and other state agencies, the biennial event brought human services professionals working in child welfare, behavioral health, education, probation, regional centers and tribal communities together to explore how the human services field can best support vulnerable children, elevate relationships with families and enhance the role of parent and youth partners.
With more than 850 participants in attendance, the biennial event enjoyed the highest turnout in more than a decade.
Keynote speakers Gaelin Elmore and Trinity Wallace-Ellis bookended the conference, each exploring the profound impact of belonging and resilience on vulnerable children. They highlighted the importance of intentional support and empowerment for youth and families involved in the child welfare system by sharing their own experiences with overcoming adversity. Both presentations emphasized the need for advocacy and systemic changes to create environments where vulnerable populations feel valued and supported enough to break negative cycles.
Elmore kicked off the event with his opening keynote address, Be the Difference: Your Commitment to Belonging Changes Lives. He focused on the fundamental need for belonging as a crucial aspect of personal growth and development, examining the neuropsychological impact of the disruption in family, school and community that youth in the child welfare system experience. Elmore’s presentation aimed to equip participants to address and bridge the ‘belonging gap’ by sharing his own journey of finding belonging.
“Very moving, personal and engaging,” one participant said of Elmore’s keynote. “Really captured the essence of belonging.”
Wallace-Ellis's closing keynote "You were born for this!” was a powerful call to action for child welfare professionals to support vulnerable youth by reconnecting with their core motivations and advocating for the most marginalized voices. Her personal journey of overcoming abuse and system involvement demonstrated the transformative power of resilience and emphasized the need for breaking societal barriers to empower both foster youth and the professionals dedicated to their support.
One participant called Wallace-Ellis' keynote, “the perfect message to end the institute with a reminder of our ‘why’," saying the message helped them reconnect with their desire to create a better future for the people they serve.
The event also offered more than 70 workshops in 9 tracks, covering topics including Kin-First Culture, Wraparound, Safety Organized Practice and Complex Trauma. More than 125 presenters led these workshops, using their expertise in social work, mental health, education and other human services professions to deliver insightful and interactive presentations. The event held more than 25 sessions featuring the invaluable perspective of those speaking from lived experience.
"[The speakers] are doing such amazing, important work. You can tell the personal investment that goes into the families [they] serve.”
– Infusing Trauma Informed Adoption Competency Into Post-Adoption Wraparound Workshop Participant
When asked to offer post-event feedback, participants praised the warm and impactful environment the speakers created, expressing their excitement at taking the ideas they learned back to their respective agencies and workplaces. Some even said they wished the workshops had been longer.
"I cannot believe all the practical information I received attending all the workshops, the keynotes and panels,” one participant enthused. “I learned so much. I can't wait for the next one!"
Some highlights of the PWBI were the Family and Youth Panels, which gave participants the opportunity to listen and learn from youth and family members about their firsthand experiences with the System of Care.
Among the Family Panel’s ranks was Harmony Hutchins, who spoke about her experience with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). Harmony’s story was highlighted in the Center for Excellence’s Family Stories video series. She shared her experience with having her children removed and placed into foster care while she was struggling with addiction, and how the ICWA helped her reunite with one of her children with the support of her family members.
The Youth Panel shined a spotlight on the experiences of youth who have been in the child welfare system. Participants found the panel to be incredibly moving, expressing their amazement at the panelists’ resilience and their feeling that their contributions will impact generations to come. “I feel more confident and encouraged to speak out,” said one panelist after the event. “The experience is something I’ll never forget!”
The PWBI also recognized exemplary champions of human services work in a series of awards. Congratulations to the following recipients!
- Anthony Williams, California Parent Partner Award winner
- Karen Eley, Wraparound Champion Award winner
- Kristina Tanner, Youth Champion Award winner
- Tracy McNight, Collaboration and Integration Award winner
- Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Collaboration and Integration Award winner
The Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice at UC Davis Human Services would like to express deep gratitude to the planning committees, state agency partners, speakers, workshop presenters, participants and staff who made the 2024 Partnerships for Well-Being Institute an emphatic success.