2021 Juvenile Facilities Virtual Conference – April 26-30, 2021

The MBA 2021 Juvenile Facilities Virtual Conference was designed specifically to address the training needs of staff in juvenile facilities by:

• Selecting topics that are relevant to the duties of staff working in juvenile facilities,
• Selecting presenters who have experience in working in juvenile facilities and have established themselves as experts in the field,
• Delivering topics in a way that employees will not have to be away from the work stations for long periods of time,
• Providing training in a format that eliminates travel costs for participants, and
• Giving employees an option of registering  for individual workshops or for the entire conference.

 

AGENDA

April 26, 2021, 2 pm – 4 pm Central Time

Creating a Healthy, Nurturing, Trauma-Responsive Environment in Confinement by Richard Gentry, Director, Ingham County Youth Center, Lansing, Michigan

 A secure environment can be a traumatizing experience for many youths triggered by locked doors, security cameras, handcuffs, leg irons, metal detectors, strip searches and the many other aspects of  secure facilities. These triggers can lead to highly dysregulating responses (the inability to effectively manage and respond to an emotional experience) and heightened degrees of anxiety and stress which oftentimes cause youths to develop

a fight or flight mentality. Emotional dysregulation plays a major role in a youth’s inability to follow basic instructions, redirects, developing pro-social skills and achieving academically. The good news is leaders in justice can mitigate some of the traumatizing factors associated with a secure environment with the knowledge of strategies and techniques to reduce these environmental triggers in an effort to regulate youth (and staff) and the will to implement them. Participants will be introduced to some practical regulation techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, aroma therapy and essential oils, therapy dogs, yoga, stress balls, kinetic sand, weighted blankets, music, painting and other strategies that will compliment behavior management programs in secure facilities from an administrator who has “walked the talk.”

 

April 27, 2021, 11:45 am – 1:45 pm Central Time

Designing Discipline: The Modern Day JSO is Past Aware, Present Focused, Future Oriented by Greg Sumpter, Assistant Director, Grayson County (TX) Juvenile Probation Department and author of  Exception: A Texas County’s Dream for Realizing Juvenile Justice

 This session will revisit our reference of time related goals in juvenile justice, and will do so by delving into discussions about meeting the current and future needs of juveniles, the continuum of discipline and the implications of choices we make to design our programs, and how an officer and agency’s approach impacts success. We will touch on the topics of our natural patterns as a launching point, a few x/y axis intersections along the journey, some mindfulness, and (mental) time travelling.

 

April 27, 2021, 2 pm – 4 pm Central Time

See You at the Crossroads: The Intersection of  Mental Health and Behavioral Health by Spencer Washington,  MBA Training Associate

 This course will provide participants  with an overview  of the complexities of mental and behavioral health.  The most common mental and behavioral disorders will be discussed with a special focus on the sometimes confusing similarities between these disorders.   Participants will explore  the various impacts  of trauma  on cognition, behavior, emotion regulation, and mental health. This seminar will conclude with an in-depth investigation into the history of rehabilitative efforts, the behavioral health needs of those who are incarcerated, and evidence-based therapeutic interventions that can assist staff in best meeting the needs of their resident populations.

 

April 28, 2021, 2 pm – 4 pm Central Time

 Effective Communication and Team Building by Mack McGhee, Director of Secure Programs, District of Columbia Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services

 During the last 27 years  Mack McGhee  has had the opportunity  to be a part of  a  number of teams and work in various jurisdictions around the country.  One of the most important things to an organization’s overall success is the ability to effectively communicate and work effectively as a team.  In this workshop he will share his vast

experience from learning to be a team player to building effective teams that work together to achieve the Mission and Vision of the Organization.  During this webinar participants will explore:

• Effective Communication and why it is important,
• Establishing an effective team,
• How Trial & Error help us to grow as a team,
• Identifying Disconnecting Relationship Habits,
• Identifying Connecting Relationship Habits, and
• Creating Quality Professional Relationships.

 

April 29, 2021, 11:45 am – 1:45 pm Central Time

Perspectives:  How Your Thoughts Affect Your Actions by Anthony DeNino, Keynote Speaker, Trainer, and Consultant for businesses and nonprofit organizations.

The roles you handle can be mentally exhausting throughout the course of the day.  This session will change the way you look at things, recharge your batteries, reinvigorate your soul, and upon completion, will have you excited about getting back to positively impacting the lives of the youth you work with.  Among the things you’ll discover are:

• How to overcome negative thoughts in 30 seconds,
• Adjusting your mindset,
• The role that effective communication plays,
• Why YOU are the key to an improved work environment, and
• How to be the difference maker.

 

April 29, 2021, 2 pm – 4 pm Central Time

Communicating the Write Way by Mel Brown, President/CEO of Mel Brown and Associates who has an extensive background in juvenile facilities and his doctoral dissertation dealt with training needs of juvenile facility staff.

During this interactive webinar, participants will:

• Lead a report provided by the instructor and participate in an exercise to determine whether statements the instructor asks about the report are true, false or there is not enough information to determine whether they are true or false,
• Discuss the benefits of effective report writing,
• Explore the steps in the process of effective report writing, and
• Discuss the four Cs of effective report writing.

 Participants who apply the knowledge and skills taught in this webinar will find that completing shift logs, incident reports and other reports is less difficult and the comprehension of the readers of those reports will improve.

 

April 30,  2021, 2 pm – 4 pm Central Time

 How to Stay Positive When You are Surrounded by Toxic Employees by James Bell, Program Manager for City of Houston Community Reentry Network Program.  Former Branch Manager for Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department in Houston, Texas 

 Participants in this highly interactive training will:

• Learn to identify the characteristics of both toxic and potentially toxic employees,
• Be provided tips on how to deal with the toxic employees and prevent their toxins from contaminating the culture of the organization,
• Obtain information on how to create and sustain a positive working environment even when everyone else is negative, and
• Leave this workshop with helpful tips and techniques which will enable them to thrive in any toxic/negative working environment.

The in-person presentations of the workshop have been described as “very enjoyable, extremely insightful and highly motivational.”