2026 Title IV-E Summit: In-Person Event Dashboard

Sustaining the Work: Supporting Well-Being for Families and Social Workers

Friday, April 24, 2026 | 9:00 AM–4:00 PM PST

DoubleTree by Hilton San Francisco Airport

Program At a Glance

Thursday, April 23 

Friday, April 24

Hotel Parking & Shuttles

• The DoubleTree offers a complimentary 24-hour shuttle to and from San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Shuttle service is available every 15 minutes from 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM and every 30 minutes from 1:30 AM to 5:00 AM. Note that shuttle service is not available from either San Jose International Airport or Metropolitan Oakland International Airport.
• Self-parking at the DoubleTree (835 Airport Blvd., Burlingame, CA 94010-9949) is available for this event.
  • Overnight hotel guests: your room key will allow you to enter and exit the parking lot. You do not need to request a parking ticket or placard upon check-in and you do not need to validate your parking during your stay
  • Local participants/day guests: When you enter the parking lot, you will receive a parking ticket that will allow you to exit at the end of the day. You can validate your parking by scanning your ticket at the validation machine located outside the Redwood Room.
• Please note that hotel checkout time is 12:00 PM.

Check-In & Registration

• Check-in will be open 9:00–10:00 AM on Friday, April 24, 2026. Please note that all attendees must check-in prior to attending any sessions. For 2026, we will be using the Whova event and conference app to enhance the Summit experience for all participants. With Whova, you can check in seamlessly, review program details, get in-depth information on speakers, and more. To make the most of your Summit experience, download Whova for iOS or Android.
• Optional dress code is business casual

Full Program Details 

All Presenter Handouts & Resources

Breakout Sessions (Concurrent, 10:45 AM-12:00 PM)

• Radical Hope in Action: Students, Systems and Community Care - Panel (Redwood Room)

• This panel introduces Radical Hope as an emerging practice orientation in public child welfare that supports ethical action, collective care, and workforce sustainability during times of crisis and constraint. Panelists representing social work education, public child welfare practice, student leadership, and community-based infrastructure explore how Radical Hope moves from counter-storytelling to material action through grassroots food distribution, cross-sector collaboration, and relational care. Drawing from sustained food justice efforts led by Transitions in Motherhood and supported by Radical Hope Project students, participants will engage in reflective dialogue on reducing isolation, meeting families’ basic needs with dignity, and sustaining well-being for families and social workers.
  
  Panelists: 
  Dr. Lisa Ibanez (DSW): Dr. Lisa Ibanez (she/her) is a social work and Title IV-E educator at California State University, Long Beach and faculty advisor to the Radical Hope Project. She serves as Board President of SPIRITT Family Services and has coordinated student and community partnerships addressing food insecurity with dignity and care. Recognized by the City of Montebello as Citizen of the Month in January 2026, her work centers on Radical Hope, critical consciousness and workforce sustainability in public child welfare. She is developing an emerging Radical Hope framework to support ethical action and collective healing within child welfare systems.
  
  Tara Farajian (LCSW): Tara Farajian (she/her) is a licensed clinical social worker and Founder and President of Transitions in Motherhood, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing isolation and supporting families through the stages of motherhood. Since 2020, Transitions in Motherhood has served as the lead agency acquiring food, diapers, wipes, baby formula and essential supplies through grassroots food justice efforts. Tara's leadership demonstrates Radical Hope as sustained community infrastructure rooted in dignity, consistency and collective care.
  
  Kevin Mora (MSW student): Kevin Mora (he/him) is a social work student at California State University, Long Beach and a student leader with the Radical Hope Project. He has participated in monthly grassroots food distribution efforts in partnership with Transitions in Motherhood and SPIRITT Family Services, supporting families during periods of heightened fear and instability. Kevin's work reflects student-led ethical action grounded in dignity, solidarity and community care, illustrating how Radical Hope shapes emerging professional identity in child welfare and community-based practice.
  
  Vanessa Cervantes (MSW): Vanessa Cervantes (she/her) is a Resource Family Support Children's Social Worker with LA County Department of Children and Family Services and a Title IV-E student. She is co-founder and student leader of the Radical Hope Project, where she launched the Radical Hope Project podcast to amplify counter-stories of resilience and resistance. Vanessa bridges frontline child welfare practice and community engagement by supporting families' material needs through food distribution partnerships and advocating for dignity-centered, relationship-based practice within complex systems.
  
  Annthonet Hunt (MSW student): Annthonet Hunt (she/her) is a bridge builder at heart. Born and raised in Panama City and proud to be Afro‑Latina, she brings a rich cultural lens to everything she does. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the Universidad de Panama and has served in roles such as child and family specialist, early childhood interventionist, and behavioral specialist. Deeply grounded in her love for nature, culture, and human connection, she is driven by a passion to create spaces where every individual—especially those with special needs and disabilities—feels seen, valued, and supported in fully engaging with their communities. Annthonet believes our differences are not barriers, but beautiful strengths that, when embraced, allow us to grow into a more connected and compassionate society. 
  
  Presenter Handouts & Resources

• Shine Your Light While Protecting Your Peace in Child Welfare, Even Now (Tiburon Room)
• How do we focus on well-being in the current socio-political climate, where child welfare workers and the families they serve face increasing levels of scrutiny and surveillance? Child welfare workers both witness and experience high levels of stress, all while navigating roles that blend the delivery of social care with the exercise of social control. These unique stressors are further compounded by reports that ICE officers have entered communities and demanded access to homes by claiming to be social workers. Workshop participants will engage in structured self-reflection and intentional commitment-setting focused on wellness for ourselves, our colleagues and the families we serve.
  
  Presenters: 
  Christiana Feliciana (MSW, LCSW): Christina Feliciana (she/her) is mixed race/Black and was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. She earned her MSW at UC Berkeley and was a Title IV-E recipient. Christina served as a child welfare worker for two years in Alameda and San Francisco counties in dependency investigations, family maintenance and family reunification. She later took a position as a school social worker and the coordinator of their Foster Youth Services program. Christina was hired at San Francisco State in 2002 and coordinated their PPSC (Pupil Personnel Services Credential) program from 2006-2018. She joined the faculty of UC Berkeley's School of Social Welfare in 2007 where she supports their MSW practicum program as a liaison to students and agencies and facilitates seminars.
  
  Christine Scudder (MSW, LCSW): Christine Scudder's (she/her) holistic perspective on serving families stems from her background in public child welfare, domestic violence and mental health. She has held multiple roles at San Francisco State University's School of Social Work and at UC Berkeley, including instructor, practicum education consultant and director and Title IV-E Project Coordinator. Her experience includes consultation and clinical supervision for public child welfare social workers and non-profit organizations in California and she has also served as guest faculty with the Judicial Council of California. She is currently the Southern Region Program Supervisor for the California Title IV-E Education Program at UCLA.
  
  Presenter Handouts and Resources
   
• Rooted in Resilience: Trauma-Informed Yoga to Reclaim Healing for Families (Sonoma/Mendocino Room)
• This is a skills-based workshop for social workers in the child welfare system. Grounded in the Eight Limbs of Yoga and trauma neurobiology, it teaches movement (asana), breathwork (pranayama) and mindfulness to build body awareness, emotional regulation and resilience. Participants will gain practical tools for families, explore yoga philosophy for safety and connection and learn practices to reduce burnout and foster healing.
  
  Presenter:
  Christine Mark-Griffin (LCSW, RYT): Christine Mark-Griffin (she/her) is a renowned expert in EMDR therapy for children and the author of the award-winning EMDR Workbook for Kids. Her approach to healing blends her clinical expertise with her passions for yoga, music, movement and fitness, offering a unique and playful way to help others heal and grow. She is the clinical director of Spark All Wellness, a small group practice in San Francisco, California, that specializes in EMDR and trauma-informed yoga therapy for women and children. Christine is also the founder of EMDR for Kids, where she is dedicated to providing therapists, parents, and children with the resources, tools, and advanced training they need to overcome trauma and build resilience. Christine is an acclaimed trainer in the field of psychotherapy, having trained thousands of clinicians worldwide in integrating EMDR, play therapy, and yoga into their practice. Her diverse professional background-spanning non-profits, child welfare, juvenile justice, community mental health, schools, and higher education-has given her a deep understanding of complex trauma and a firsthand view of the resilience and healing that is possible. 
  
  Presenter Handouts & Resources
   
• Survivor-Informed Systems: Building Well-Being in Child Welfare (Sequoia Room)
• Drawing from over 20 years of experience in human trafficking prevention and response, executive leadership and lived experience in the commercial sex industry, this interactive workshop explores how survivor-informed practices strengthen worker well-being, improve youth outcomes and sustain child welfare systems. Participants will examine how systems unintentionally replicate harm, identify protective practices that support both families and professionals and learn practical strategies for integrating survivor wisdom without tokenization. The session blends storytelling, systems analysis and applied tools relevant to Title IV-E students, educators and child welfare partners.
  
  Presenter: 
  Nola Brantley: Nola Brantley (she/her) is a nationally recognized leader, trainer and advocate whose work has transformed how communities, systems and professionals understand and respond to trauma, exploitation and the needs of vulnerable youth. Nola began her career as a Program Director at a nonprofit organization, where she led the Parenting and Youth Enrichment Department for seven years. Under her leadership, the department expanded from a single program into a robust network of seven initiatives serving parents, youth, and girls at risk. During this time, as awareness of child sex trafficking grew nationally, Nola emerged as a key figure in her community-building partnerships among law enforcement, child welfare, juvenile probation, the district attorney's office, public defenders and behavioral health agencies. Motivated by the urgent need for survivor-centered solutions, Nola went on to found and serve as Executive Director of a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting trafficked and at-risk youth. In 2013, Nola founded Nola Brantley Speaks!, a private consultancy and training firm that has since reached more than half a million professionals nationwide. Nola's trainings explore the intersections of trauma, race and systemic inequity-addressing not only individual trauma but also historical and generational trauma experienced by communities impacted by oppression and colonization. As a survivor of child sex trafficking, Nola's voice carries both professional authority and personal authenticity. Her work bridges systems and stories, empowering professionals and survivors alike to create environments rooted in empathy, equity, and transformation.
  
  Presenter Handouts & Resources
   
• Centering Black Girls: Identity, Healing and Collective Care (Sausalito Room)
• This workshop centers Black girls' identity as a critical component of sustaining well-being for families and social workers. Participants will explore how racialized gender expectations, adultification bias and systemic inequities impact Black girls and the professionals who support them. Through guided reflection, small-group discussion, and applied practice scenarios, attendees will learn identity-affirming, trauma-informed strategies that promote resilience, reduce burnout and support collective care across families and systems.
  
  Presenter: 
  Jaylyn Maxwell (MSW, ACSW, JD 1L): Jaylyn Maxwell (she/her) is a social worker and leader with experience in child welfare and community-based practice. Her work centers culturally responsive, trauma-informed approaches that support Black girls' identity, family well-being, and social worker sustainability. Grounded in lived experience and systems-level practice, she brings a justice-oriented lens focused on resilience, collective care, and long-term well-being for families and the professionals who serve them.
  
  Presenter Handouts & Resources

Plenary Sessions (1:15-4:00 PM, Sierra Ballroom)

• Youth Rights and Workforce Well-Being: Ombudsperson Tools for Sustainability (1:15-2:30 PM)
• This session will be an interactive experience that teaches participants about the California Office of the Foster Care Ombudsperson (OFCO) and its role in sustaining children, families and social workers. Participants will learn about the Foster Youth Bill of Rights (FYBORs) and Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standards (RPPS) and how they work together to ensure that children have the supports to thrive in safe nurturing environments and that families are supported through the process. Participants will learn how the OFCO provides technical assistance to our social work partners, so they also feel valued and supported as they support children and families.
  
  Presenters:
  Kendra Jackson (MA): Kendra Jackson (she/her) serves as the Statewide Juvenile Justice and Education Specialist within the Office of the California Foster Care Ombudsperson. Kendra joined the office as a Graduate Student Assistant in 2019 and has advanced to her current role as a Manager I Specialist. While obtaining her BA in Social Work (2018) and her MA in Sociology (2022), Kendra worked for the Guardian Scholars Program as a Supplemental Instruction Leader where her work focused on helping foster youth, former foster youth and youth impacted by the juvenile justice system in reaching their academic goals. Kendra has proudly represented CSU as a Guardian Scholar, a Project Rebound Scholar, a Cooper-Woodson Scholar, a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and a Sally J. Casanova Pre Doctoral Scholar with a doctorate degree on the horizon. Kendra's MA research, Education, Intervention Strategies, and Juvenile Detention: A Closer Look at the School-to-Prison Pipeline, addresses the barriers that youth face in accessing education within the juvenile justice system and school-related influences that promote inequitable and disproportionate practices within both the educational and juvenile justice systems. Kendra is the first former foster youth to hold her position with the OFCO.  
  
  Presenter Resources & Handouts
   
• Power-Sharing for Well-Being: Equity-Aligned Child Welfare Practice (2:45-4:00 PM)
• This workshop explores how an equity-aligned practice supports power-sharing engagements that strengthen family partnership while sustaining practitioner well-being. Join us as we explore how identity, bias and systemic inequities shape daily decision-making and emotional labor. Through reflective activities and practical tools, attendees will embrace strategies for sharing power with families and honor voice and choice that support collaborative and responsive relationships. This session offers sustainable approaches that support both family thriving and practitioner resilience.
  
  Presenter:
  Dionne Puckett (MSW): Dionne Puckett (she/her) is a visionary-equity strategist, instructor, and organizational change consultant with over two decades of experience designing and delivering transformational learning experiences across public agencies, nonprofits and academic institutions. Adept at building inclusive environments, facilitating cross-sector collaboration and translating complex systems into accessible, actionable tools. Dionne is passionate about empowering diverse communities through education, coaching and equitable practice engagements.
  
  Presenter Resources & Handouts

Accessibility Notice: 

UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education is committed to providing a website and learning environment that is accessible to all users, including individuals with disabilities. If you experience any difficulty accessing the material inked above, we are here to help. Accommodation may include alternative formats or other support services. Please contact us at [email protected] to report an accessibility issue and/or request assistance. We encourage you to reach out as early as possible so we can best support your experience.

Dining & Menus (Subject to change)

Thursday, April 23 

Friday, April 24

Vegan (vg), vegetarian (v), gluten free (gf), lactose free (lf), nut free (nf), soy free (sf); Menu items are subject to change.

Presenter Handouts & Slides

All Presenter Handouts & Resources

Questions: 

• Q: I have a question about the Summit. Who do I contact?
  • A: You can contact Summit organizers by email at [email protected]

Acknowledgements: 

The 2026 Title IV-E Summit would have been impossible without the hard work and dedication of our Student Planning Committee, comprised of IV-E students from across California. The Title IV-E Summit is generously sponsored by the National Association of Social Workers-California Chapter and is made possible with support from the California Department of Social Services.