Speaking of Children Conference
Speaking of Children is a two-day conference at Embassy Suites Omaha-La Vista Conference Center including phenomenal plenary presentations and breakout sessions for professionals in the fields of law enforcement, social work, medicine, advocacy, education, and mental health.
Resilient Voices: Transforming Foster Care Journeys into Pathways of Hope
Speaker: Tristian W. Smith MSEM, CBCP, CHPP, PMP
Tristian Smith shares his powerful journey from navigating nearly 30 foster homes and overcoming immense adversity to becoming a leading advocate for systemic change. Drawing from themes in his memoir Against All Odds, Tristian explores how resilience, community engagement, and advocacy can redefine the future for foster youth.
9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Break
9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Morning Breakout Sessions I
Omaha Police Department Case Study
Session repeats in Morning Breakout Session II.
Speakers: TBD
Presentation description coming soon.
How to Bring Light to the Darkness
Session repeats in Morning Breakout Session II.
Speaker: Sean Haley, LIMPH
This session explores how youth trauma survivors and family systems can navigate and integrate difficult life experiences, including tragic or unwanted events. Participants will learn strategies for processing emotions, supporting others without over-identifying, and avoiding the savior complex common in trauma work. The session introduces the concept of “good selfishness”—a framework for managing secondary trauma, validating emotions, and seeing challenges as opportunities for growth rather than burdens.
Using Self-review in Clinical Supervision to Develop Family Advocates
Speakers: Colleen Brazil, MSW, LIMHP and Tess Willis
Effective clinical supervision supports family advocates by incorporating reflective practices that enhance professional growth. This session will explore strategies supervisors can use to engage family advocates in reflective supervision, fostering skill development and professional efficacy. Strengthened efficacy can, in turn, promote greater engagement, role satisfaction, and retention.
Consent, Autonomy, and Trust: Building Trauma-Informed Relationships with Neurodivergent Youth
Session repeats in Morning Breakout Session II.
Speaker: Sam Marion, MSW, LCSW
This session explores how trauma and neurodivergence intersect and offers strategies for trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming care. Participants will examine how power imbalances, systemic betrayal, and lack of choice affect youth and families, and learn how well-intentioned practices can unintentionally retraumatize. Participants will learn practical tools to support autonomy, strengthen family partnerships, promote authentic youth participation, and build resilience.
Working with Justice Impacted and System Involved Youth in Child Abuse Investigations
Speaker: Rita Farrell
All alleged child victims should be entitled to a multidisciplinary (MDT) process and forensic interview that is aligned with best practice, research-based, and developmentally and culturally appropriate. This session explores best practices for serving justice-impacted youth—including those currently or formerly incarcerated or previously accused of crimes—and examines how their experiences within the justice system influence their needs during the MDT process.
Harnessing the Science of Hope, Creating Hopeful Hallways and Hearts for Students and Staff
Repeats in the Afternoon Breakout Sessions.
Speaker: Tracy Logan
In this session, Tracy shares how Holling Heights Elementary integrates the Science of Hope into daily practice. She will outline practical strategies for teaching students and staff to set realistic goals, create pathways to success, and build the willpower to achieve them. Tracy will also discuss how a shared, hope-focused language and consistent systems foster resilience, problem-solving, and a supportive school culture. Academic and engagement data will highlight the measurable impact of hope on student and staff outcomes.
The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide: Going Beyond Risk Factors
Speakers: Nick Zadina, MA and Kyle Kinney, LMHP
This session explores Dr. Thomas Joiner’s Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, which examines the interplay of cognitions, intentions, and capabilities to better understand suicide risk. Participants will learn the theory’s framework, origins, and hypotheses, and how it informs crisis hotline assessment and intervention. Case studies will illustrate practical applications for supporting individuals who disclose suicidal ideation.
Macro Issues at the Micro Level
Repeats in the Afternoon Breakout Sessions.
Speakers: Nick Juliano, Shawne Coonfare, Salvador Hernandez, Phillip Burrell, Dr. Suzi Yokley-Busby
Presentation description coming soon.
10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Morning Breakout Sessions II
Supporting Youth Facing Attachment Challenges in System Settings
Repeats in the Afternoon Breakout Sessions.
Speaker: Deb Wesselmann
Youth with disrupted attachments often face behavioral and mental health challenges that increase their involvement in the juvenile justice system. This session explores strategies to build connection, trust, and co-regulation, while discussing system-level approaches to provide emotionally corrective experiences and support positive outcomes for these youth.
How Parentification and Adultification Bias Affect Child Abuse Investigations Involving Teens
Speaker: Rita Farrell
Many misconceptions exist about how children disclose abuse and how they “should” behave. In reality, victims’ experiences and coping mechanisms vary widely—especially for youth who have been parentified, display adult-like behaviors, or experience adultification bias. This session explores how these dynamics affect disclosure and engagement, and how child advocacy professionals can better support these youth within multidisciplinary and child-centered systems.
The New Sex Education: Understanding Pornography's Impact on Youth
Repeats in the Afternoon Breakout Sessions.
Speakers: Whitney Anderson
This session addresses the growing issue of pornography exposure and uses among children and adolescents. Participants will examine the developmental, psychological, and social impacts of early exposure, as well as risk factors for problematic use. Through discussion and evidence-based strategies, attendees will learn to identify concerns, engage families in open conversations, and promote healthy, age-appropriate sexual education and media use.
How Adversity Shapes the Developing Brain: Insights into Risk and Resilience
Repeats in the Afternoon Breakout Sessions.
Speakers: Giorgia Picci, PhD
This session explores how adverse childhood experiences shape brain development, stress responses, and puberty, increasing vulnerability to emotional and behavioral challenges in adolescence. Dr. Giorgia Picci will highlight how this critical period also offers opportunities to promote resilience and share research-informed strategies for prevention and intervention in child welfare practice.
Medical Aspects
Speakers: Jessica Tippery, APRN-NP and Emma Wright
This presentation examines the major types of child abuse—neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse—and the medical provider’s role in identifying and addressing them. Participants will learn the purpose of the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) medical exam and how it differs from other exams. The session also covers medical conditions that may mimic signs of abuse and dispels common myths and misconceptions.
12:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch Break
Performance by The La Vista Middle School Show Choir
1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Afternoon Breakout Sessions
A Collaborative Response to Truancy
Session repeats in Morning Breakout Session II on Thursday, April 23.
Speaker: Machaela Hackendahl, LIMHP
Chronic absenteeism—missing 10% or more of school days—affects about 2% of Nebraska students and disproportionately impacts students with disabilities, students of color, and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This panel will feature professionals from diverse systems sharing strategies to reduce absenteeism and improve student engagement, with a focus on collaboration to enhance collective impact.
Preparing Children for Court: Building Trust, Reducing Trauma, and Supporting Testimony
Speaker: Dara Delehant and Jill Kates
This training equips mental health and legal professionals with strategies to improve clarity and effectiveness in courtroom testimony. Participants will learn to distinguish forensic and clinical roles, ethically elicit behavioral and emotional indicators, and collaborate with attorneys to reduce miscommunication and enhance the quality of mental health testimony.
2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Break
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Plenary Presentation
Violence: Fragmented Pieces: A Story of Intimate Partner Violence and Resilience
Speakers: Dr. Stefania M. Agliano, Ed.D, LMSW and Bryan Hall II, LCSW, MSW
This keynote provides a compelling, multi-generational exploration of intimate partner violence and trauma. Told by a survivor of childhood trauma, it weaves together her experiences with those of her mother, brother, and father, offering a unique lens on how violence and systemic barriers affect an entire family. Through the mother’s audio narration, participants gain insight into parenting, immigration, and navigating systemic responses, while understanding the lasting impact on the children she raised. The father’s story further highlights how unaddressed trauma and toxic masculinity can perpetuate cycles of harm.
Thursday, April 23, 2026
7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Networking and Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Morning Breakout Sessions I
Three Communities, Three Journeys: Standing with Missing and Trafficked Youth
Repeats in the Afternoon Breakout Sessions.
Speakers: Taylor Newton, Samuel Vaughn, LCSW, Shannon Lukowski, and Andrea Ramos-Topper
Many agencies serving youth and families struggle to effectively support young people who exhibit high-risk behaviors, such as chronic running or complex trauma histories. This session highlights how three communities have confronted these challenges by adopting a coordinated, cross-sector approach. Presenters will share insights from Omaha; statewide initiatives in New York; and community-level efforts in Buffalo and Suffolk County. Each community brings a unique model, yet all are learning from one another as they build more effective responses for high-risk youth. Participants will hear how these initiatives began, how they have evolved, and the key lessons learned along the way—offering practical strategies that agencies can apply in their own settings.
Violence: Beyond the Myths: Addressing Unhealthy Masculinity and the Hidden Struggles of Male Victims of Sex Trafficking and Violence
Session repeats in Morning Breakout Session II.
Speakers: Dr. Stefania M. Agliano, Ed.D, LMSW and Bryan Hall II, LCSW, MSW
This session examines how childhood trauma, toxic masculinity, and systemic inequities shape violent behaviors in males, especially young men of color. Participants will explore the impact on mental health, substance use, relationships, and communities, and consider strategies to interrupt cycles of harm.
From Harm to Help: Mapping Your Community's Journey Toward Domestic Violence Proficiency in Child Welfare
Repeats in the Afternoon Breakout Sessions.
Speakers: Leah Vejzovic, Machaela Hackendahl, LIMHP, Liz Bartels
Child welfare systems vary widely in how they address domestic violence—from approaches that harm survivors and children to those that prioritize safety, accountability, and collaboration. Where does your community fall on this continuum? This interactive session uses the Safe & Together Institute’s Domestic Violence-Informed Continuum of Practice to help participants assess their current practices and identify key shifts in policy, language, and response. Through frameworks, real-world examples, and peer discussion, participants will gain practical strategies for strengthening domestic violence-informed practice across their systems.
Building Bridges: Practical Strategies for Supporting Youth Aging Out of Foster Care
Repeats in the Afternoon Breakout Sessions.
Speaker: Tristian W. Smith MSEM, CBCP, CHPP, PMP
Join Tristian Smith for an engaging and practical session focused on empowering youth transitioning out of the foster care system. Building on the powerful insights from Against All Odds, Tristian shares real-world strategies to help young adults develop independence, resilience, and long-term stability.
Technology Facilitated Child Victimization
Session repeats in Morning Breakout Session II.
Speakers: NCMEC
Presentation description coming soon.
Healing Attachment Injuries in Struggling Youth
Speaker: Deb Wesselmann
This session explores integrated approaches for treating attachment-challenged youth, addressing trauma, developmental deficits, and fostering trust and connection. Participants will learn the P-A-C parts model, family therapy adaptations, and strategies for creating therapeutic stories to make sense of past trauma, with optional integration into EMDR or CBT.
9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Break
10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Morning Breakout Sessions II
Familial Trafficking
Repeats in the Afternoon Breakout Sessions.
Speaker: NCMEC
Presentation description coming soon.
"No Wrong Door" The Philosophy of the new Behavioral Health and Wellness Center at Children's Nebraska
Repeats in the Afternoon Breakout Sessions.
Speakers: Amy Puglsey and Renee Rafferty
Families often turn to primary care or emergency services during a child’s mental health crisis, yet these settings are rarely equipped to provide the specialized support needed. The new Behavioral Health and Wellness Center at Children’s Nebraska embraces a “no wrong door” philosophy—ensuring every entry point connects families to the right care, right away. This people-centered model streamlines access, reduces wait times, and prioritizes mental and behavioral wellness while helping to de-stigmatize seeking help.
Ditch the Scare Tactics! Teaching Safety and Consent: The Real Prevention Power of Effective Sex Education
Speakers: Lisa Schulze and Cassie Neal
This workshop challenges fear-based myths about sex trafficking and highlights how inclusive, age-appropriate sex education is a powerful prevention tool. Participants will learn strategies to reframe prevention conversations, advocate for evidence-based practices, and normalize comprehensive sex education to promote safety, consent, and healthy relationships across the lifespan.
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Keynote Luncheon with Kevin McNeil
Speaker: Kevin McNeil
Kevin is a renowned speaker who shares lessons from his own life experiences that transform, motivate, and inspire an individual’s mindset and potential. Kevin served eight years as a Police Officer and twelve years as a Special Victims Unit Detective in DeKalb County, Georgia. Through his service, he realized that placing offenders in jail and responding to acts of abuse or trauma simply was not enough.
1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Speaking the Same Language: Legal and Clinical Collaboration in Testimony
Speakers: Katie Good, LIMHP, NCC, Amanda Kuszak, and Dara Delehant
This session explores practical strategies for preparing child victims to testify, emphasizing trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate approaches. Participants will learn how to build rapport, communicate expectations, and support children through the trial process. Attendees will gain concrete tools to help child victims and their families feel safe, prepared, and empowered during criminal justice proceedings.
2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Break
2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Plenary Presentation
Small Things That Matter
Speaker: Sam Stecher
You know what’s great about Random Acts of Kindness? It’s the Kindness part. What’s not so great? The Random aspect. If kindness is so important and impactful, why are we so eager to relegate it to a random occurrence? Let’s take the Random out of Random Acts of Kindness. If you are interested in changing the world one intentional interaction at a time, this is how to make it happen. No additional cost. No additional training. Just reprioritizing a few minutes every week.
3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Closing Remarks
Cost to attend the conference is $350. Please contact training@projectharmony.com with questions about the conference.
Each session at Speaking of Children is eligible for continuing education. Attendees will be awarded a certificate at the end of the conference to document the maximum number of hours earned.
Traveling from out of town?
Check out VisitOmaha.com for restaurants, hotels and things to do in Omaha.
We wish to thank you for your hospitality and the wonderful program and tour of Project Harmony. We are so fortunate to have an organization acting on the behalf of our children with such outstanding enthusiasm and dedication.
- Rotary Club of Omaha Northwest
Thank you so much for coming to Children’s and speaking to our staff. Your talk on “Understanding Poverty” was excellent, and I could see “wheels turning” as some staff members commented on simple ways their interactions might make a difference for children and parents.
- Patty Carrell, CMSW
I have felt that my input has been highly valued and respected when it comes to doing my job, and that is something that speaks volumes to the working environment here at Project Harmony.
- Brenda Jewell
We began collaborating with the Project Harmony through their Connections program last year, and we’ve continued the partnership. Connections represents an extremely valuable partnership and an opportunity to provide our students with a bridge to mental health services.
- Papillion La Vista Community Schools
Our experience and partnership with Project Harmony/Connections has been fantastic! It is a comfort knowing we have a partner who can connect our students and families with the appropriate resources in times of crisis or trauma.
- Millard Public Schools
This shadowing experience actually made me very interested in this field. One aspect that helped me narrow my choice of careers is the environment that Project Harmony had. It was very upbeat, cheerful and bright.
- UNMC High School Alliance Program – Student Journal
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Project Harmony for planning and delivering professional development to our 70 counselors, social workers and community counselors. We feel fortunate to have such a valuable resource in our community to partner with.
- Millard Public Schools
You have a top rate program – really national quality. I’m totally impressed.
- Lisa Fontes
At our last D2 Center Board meeting, I was describing the training and professional development we provide for our staff. At the top of the list was Project Harmony. Please know that you are providing an invaluable service to nonprofits in our community.
- Greg Emmel
Congratulations on the great media coverage of your Stewards class at Project Harmony on WOWT. You did a great job articulating the importance of prevention, and Susan was amazing too. Thank you so much for your partnership and all the important work you are doing.
- Cindy McElhinney – Darkness to Light
Just wanted to know that you made a difference in my life, and I will be using that momentum to make a difference in the lives of others. You are truly a rock star and a role model for me. Thank you for a new life I’m getting the chance to live.
- Anonymous
Many children through my caseload have received a backpack generously donated to the Project Harmony Triage Center. I have witnessed many faces light up when given the opportunity to pick out a new backpack, and I am very grateful for the generosity of the Junior League.
- DHHS – Children & Family Services
I have never felt as valued at other organizations like I do at Project Harmony. I really feel that the culture of a working environment is incredibly important. If an employee feels respected, valued and supported, that person will likely give more to fulfill the mission.
- Javier Castellote
Nick and Javier were great teachers and role players. It gave us an opportunity to see how someone in that situation would have reacted to our questions. They did a great job at showing us the difference between sympathy and empathy.
- Anonymous
I was able to shadow Mr. Nick Zadina. He was in charge of dealing with abused kids and help them. I am thankful to know all the information I learned during shadowing because it was eye opening.
- UNMC High School Alliance Program – Student Journal
The experience at Project Harmony was a deepening reminder of empathy that will be vital in my career as a nurse. I felt my perspective was widened on how others think, especially when discussing the assumptions we make.
- Anonymous
I didn’t know how many people work at Project Harmony, so I drew a lot to show how much Project Harmony means to me!
- Project Harmony Client
As difficult as a removal is on a child, the backpack they receive at Project Harmony provides a sense of belonging and hope. It truly is amazing something that seems so simple can change the perspective and shine light on these children.
- DHHS – Children & Family Services
Great leadership for a wonderful cause with outstanding long-term goals. Keep on doing all the good you do.
- Bill & Jean O’Conner
Project Harmony is the reason I started my journey in college. I just finished my associates and I'm going for my bachelors now in Child Protection and Juvenile Justice. Y'all helped my daughter back in early 2013 and I knew what I wanted to do with my life — help children.
- LaLa Ann
A young lady who works in our field told me that she loved what we do here at Project Harmony — she had been to Project Harmony seven years ago for a forensic interview. She said her positive experience was the biggest reason she is doing the work that she is today.
- Trainee
I found out that my foster son is going to have a forensic interview here at Project Harmony soon. It’s been interesting being on the other side of things and feeling so reassured that the child I care so deeply about is in very caring and capable hands.
- Jessica Kroeker
Nick demonstrated how one person could impact a huge group of student nurses by just attending his presentation. He gave me the reason, the courage to act, and the knowledge how to save victims that I will face in my future nursing career.
- Anonymous
I recently attended the Testifying Training course. Since that class I have been subpoenaed three times, and I had to testify at each hearing. Without this class I would have been less than prepared and too nervous to be credible. Thank you so much!
- Jenny Lewis
You are part of the solution.
The cycle of abuse does not have to continue, but we can’t end it alone. Anyone has the power to be someone who makes our community a safe place for all children.