2020 Workshops

Day 1: September 21, 2020

Track: 101. Workshop #1: Introduction to Case Management in Tribal TANF

Case Management is the backbone of any Tribal TANF organization and it is critical that all new case managers have an in-depth understanding of Tribal TANF and its related best practices. This interactive session will begin with an overview of Tribal TANF, including the origins of the program, its intent and purpose and how federal and program policies relate to case management positions and service delivery, especially during times where shelter in place and social isolation are mandated or appropriate.

The diversity of case management in Tribal TANF settings will also be explored. Through this session, case managers will be empowered with the knowledge required to ensure successful coordination of Tribal TANF services for eligible participants, their families, and support systems. Topics include:

Role and function of case managers
Principles of case management: intake/eligibility, assessments of needs, service planning, plan implementation, service coordination, monitoring and follow-up, re-assessment, case conferencing, collaboration, crisis intervention and case closure
Relevant social work practice model overview
Client engagement
Common case management challenges
Documentation and case notes

Lisa Martin has over 12 years of experience working in Tribal TANF. Currently, she serves as a Regional Manager for California Tribal TANF Partnership, overseeing seven counties of service throughout Northern California. Prior to this, she was a Caseworker and Site Manager for the same program. Her various positions have provided her with an in-depth understanding of delivering direct services, case management practices, leadership and administrative responsibilities. Martin is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and holds a Bachelor’s degree in social work. Martin is currently completing her Master’s degree in social work, with a focus on working within Indigenous and rural communities. Martin enjoys working in the areas of data collection, progras development and staff training.

Track: Advanced Case Management. Workshop #2: Assessing Clients’ Resources for Successfully Transitioning from Tribal TANF Programs

Clients transition from Tribal TANF programs for a number of reasons. Some clients leave because they are self-sufficient, while others exit the program for less positive reasons. Regardless of the impetus for a client’s transition, case managers have an obligation to ensure the most successful exit possible. Accomplishing this goal requires a case manager who is knowledgeable, connected to resources, and skilled in assessing client needs and resources. This workshop will use small and large group discussions and activities to identify needs and explore best practices for both rural and urban programs. You will learn:

Tools for assessing client resources and needs
Strategies for connecting clients to resources
Ways to facilitate the creation of a support system for your client
Options for creating internal policies and procedures that support successful transitions

Perse Hooper-Lewis, Yomba Band of Shoshone Indians, has worked with Tribal nations and non-profit corporations since 2001 in a variety of capacities. She has worked with a number of tribal education departments in San Diego County, including the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, the Campo Kumeyaay Nation, the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, and the Pauma Band of Luiseno Indians. In 2009, she embarked on a career centered on Native non-profit management. She has worked with 501 c (3) corporations, as well as tribal Nations. Specializing in training and organizational management, she believes in the importance of utilizing the strengths found in American Indian communities to create impactful, effective, culturally-competent organizations and programs.

Track: Supervisory. Workshop #3: Coaching Your Team to Excellence

We believe the promise that coaching is a pathway to excellence; indeed, the highest-performing teams and individuals in the world have coaches. And at the heart of coaching is creating connection and trust, which sounds simple but is not always easy. The “secret sauce” of coaching is less about the technical skill of asking questions and more about the adaptive skill of showing up as a coach with your team. This workshop will blend technical skills with theory, focusing on how to create the most important aspect of coaching: bringing yourself to the coaching interaction as a caring, compassionate, curious human being with the intent to create an environment of trust and autonomy in order to bring out the best in your team.

Nancy Hafer, M.S.W., is the director of the Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, Human Services. In this role, Hafer provides expertise in developing and implementing programs that support children and adolescents, and she works with multiple sectors to build community partnerships. She has an extensive background in child and adolescent development with expertise in resiliency. Her most recent collaborative publication, The Coaching Toolkit for Child Welfare Practice, is intended to inform policymakers and guide agencies in instituting coaching within child welfare services. This toolkit aims to build a broad-based constituency to make investments in quality child welfare services in order to better serve children and families.

Alison Book, LCSW, is the director of the Northern Academy at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education – Human Services, where she leads a team that provides a full range of workforce and organizational development services to child welfare agencies, including training, consultation and technical assistance. Alison’s areas of expertise include child welfare leadership, coaching, implementation, Safety Organized Practice, the Integrated Core Practice Model, Child and Family Teaming, and the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS). Before joining the team at UC Davis, she worked in child welfare services in two California counties as a social worker, supervisor and manager.

Track: Leadership. Workshop #4: Leading Change in Times of Crisis: COVID-19

With the ever-changing landscape of Tribal TANF, human services policy, and client needs, along with the necessary adjustments to regular service provision as a result of COVID-19, it is of paramount importance that leaders, management, and supervisors positively nurture and facilitate the inevitability of program and organizational change. This workshop will review the dynamics of change and identify the necessary steps for utilization and development in any organizational or program change initiative and transition.

Glenn Basconcillo has over thirty years of public and tribal social services policy and program development. Basconcillo brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in human services delivery systems. His roles as Chief Operations Officer and TANF Director at Owens Valley Career Development Center, along with his collaborations with Tribal TANF leaders and programs, reflect a dedication to continuous policy and system improvements.

Afternoon Spotlight #1: Financial and Regulatory Impacts of COVID-19 on Tribal TANF Programs

With the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, Tribal programs are faced with significant challenges to provide responsive services in new and different ways to meet the needs for the most vulnerable populations. Tribal TANF programs continue to experience the financial and regulatory impacts of the pandemic. Program solutions for modified policies, enhanced delivery systems, improved technology, and effective communications to provide quality human services in these challenging times will be highlighted.

Glenn Basconcillo has over thirty years of public and tribal social services policy and program development. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in human services delivery systems. His roles as Chief Operations Officer and TANF Director at Owens Valley Career Development Center, along with his collaborations with Tribal TANF leaders and programs, reflect a dedication to continuous policy and system improvements.

Afternoon Spotlight #2: Cultural Awareness and Language Revitalization

Native Americans entering Tribal TANF programs have culturally specific needs but often face institutional barriers. It is paramount to implement educational strategies that are culturally infused for a lifelong understanding of indigenous identity. As TANF workers, one must be acutely aware of those factors recognizing the importance of language and cultural traditions of the Native communities in which they serve. This workshop shares some common needs of Native Americans and how culture and language revitalization can facilitate success.

Robert Geary is an enrolled tribal citizen of the Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians in Lake County, California, and a former CTTP participant. He is currently a Xaitsnoo language teacher, traditional ceremonial roundhouse leader and the Founder and President of the Clear Lake Pomo Cultural Preservation Foundation, a non-profit organization for protection and preservation of tribal cultural resources. Geary has been a guest speaker at several universities, including Stanford, UC Berkeley and UC Davis on language revitalization and cultural awareness. He is an advisor and co-presenter for the Jules Tavernier Exhibition for the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and the San Francisco DeYoung Museum. Currently he serves as the as the manager of Language and History at the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation’s Cultural Resources Department.

Quirina Luna Geary is Tamien and Mutsun Ohlone and is a former participant of California Tribal TANF Partnership. She is a cultural practitioner and has over 25 years of experience in language revitalization. She has co-authored several academic publications, including a 600-page Mutsun Dictionary and has collaborated on language projects with Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and the University of Arizona. She has given talks across the country advocating for Native language preservation and has initiated a call to reform the Institution of Linguistics to better serve and to include Tribal communities in the decision-making process.

Day 2: September 22, 2020

Track: 101. Workshop #5: The Impacts of Historical Trauma and the Power of Resiliency

Historical trauma has been defined as the cumulative, multigenerational, collective experience of emotional and psychological injury in Native American communities and in descendants. This injury is a result of federal policies that upended our traditional practices. While trauma continues to impact our clients and their families, resiliency has the power to promote healing, wellness, and ultimately, self-sufficiency. This workshop will discuss how experiences create trauma in our clients and the ways we can build their resiliency, resulting in better outcomes for them and their families. This workshop will use small and large group discussions and activities to identify needs and explore best practices for both rural and urban programs. Participants will learn:

The ways trauma is experienced in Native American communities
The symptoms of historical trauma in our clients
Best practices for practitioners working with traumatized clients
Supportive practices that impart the skills clients need to boost resiliency and self

Track: Advanced Case Management. Workshop #6: Serving Native Families Affected by Substance Use Disorders: Best Practices, Plans of Safe Care and Building on Common values

Substance use disorders among pregnant women and the number of infants born with prenatal substance exposure continues to rise. To address this, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) requires that states develop Plans of Safe Care and have policies and procedures to address the needs of this population. Presenters will briefly discuss the CAPTA requirements, some best practices and facilitate a conversation about how plans of safe care can be used by Tribal TANF programs to serve their families in culturally grounded ways. Then, presenters from the Yurok Tribe will engage participants in a discussion about how they worked across jurisdictions in a multi-disciplinary process to develop Plans of Safe Care and support families. Finally, the presentation will highlight a tool that can be used to better understand differences in values and beliefs in order to engage a team in meaningful ways.

Ken DeCerchio, M.S.W., CAP, currently serves as the program director of the In-Depth Technical Assistance Program of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, and the project director of the National Quality Improvement Center for Collaborative Community Court Teams, funded by the Children’s Bureau in the Administration on Children, Youth and Families. Prior to joining the staff of Children and Family Futures, DeCerchio served as the Assistant Secretary for Substance Abuse and Mental Health with the Florida Department of Children and Families Services from 2005 to 2007, and as the state Substance Abuse Director from 1995-2005. DeCerchio has been a volunteer Guardian Ad Litem for children in foster care since 2008.

Suzanne Garcia, J.D., is a Tribal Legal and Child Welfare Specialist for the Tribal Law and Policy Institute. Garcia has a broad range of experience and has facilitated various projects, including working with families affected by substance use; organizational change; trauma-informed communities of caring; the commercial sexual exploitation of children; Tribal/county/state collaboration; OCWA and more. Prior to working for the Center for Tribes, Garcia was assistant general counsel for the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California.

Stephanie Weldon, M.S.W., is a member of the Yurok Tribe in California and is also Tolowa and Karuk. She currently serves as Director of Yurok Health and Human Services. With more than 17 years of experience developing and administering social service programs in tribal, county and state settings, she currently serves as ICWA specialist for the California Department of Social Services and is a Tribal consultant for the Center for Tribes and others. Weldon was recently appointed to serve on the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) Board. Her goal is to provide culturally grounded prevention and intervention services to promote healing and wellness, and her passion is to advocate for tribal families and for tribal sovereignty.

Track: Supervisory. Workshop #7: Performance Management

This workshop introduces attendees’ to researched based approaches to enhance employee performance. Participants will be introduced to tools and models to better prepare employees to meet the demands of their current and future workplace.

Topics include:

8 Steps to High Performance
Skills Development
Mindset Shift to Enhance Success

Ray Weaver, PCC, is a coach and trainer with extensive experience in leadership, employee development, and family support in military and non-governmental organizations. An Air Force veteran, Weaver’s areas of expertise include organizational development, team building, conflict management and strategic planning. In his current work he helps individuals and agencies sustain healthy organizations, assess growth opportunities and develop actionable plans. The PCC designation indicates that Weaver is certified by the International Coaching Federation as a professional certified coach.

Track: Leadership. Workshop #8: Measuring Successful Program Implementation

This workshop will provide participants with skills and tools to enhance their ability to accurately evaluate program success and effectively identify what is working and what needs tinkering to improve its efficiency and efficacy.

Participants will:

Identify programs and Initiatives to measure
Recognize what success looks like for each program or initiative
Discern appropriate evaluation methods to utilize
Define the categories of a balanced scorecard
Explore how other organizations are measuring success

Glenn Basconcillo has over thirty years of public and tribal social services policy and program development. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in human services delivery systems. Basconcillo roles as Chief Operations Officer and TANF Director at Owens Valley Career Development Center, along with his collaborations with Tribal TANF leaders and programs, reflect a dedication to continuous policy and system improvements.

Afternoon Spotlight #3: CDSS Office of Tribal Affairs Panel

Grounded in meaningful tribal consultation, engagement of core stakeholders, and advising leadership, the Office of Tribal Affairs guides the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) efforts to help create and facilitate policies, procedures and programs that serve American Indian children and families. In this session, participants will receive information on policy changes, new program initiatives and resources, and have the opportunity for a Q&A.

Ryan Tsukiji, Manager, Tribal TANF Unit; Kristina Meza, Branch Chief, CalWORKs and Family Resilience Branch; Heather Hostler, Director, Office of Tribal Affairs; Julie McQuitty, Bureau Chief, Housing & Homeless Branch; Bob Lanter, Executive Director, California Workforce Association

Afternoon Spotlight #4: Financial Literacy: How Money Works!

Enhance your financial literacy. Enhance your life. In this presentation, you’ll learn the basics of how money works! With the current economic crisis, many are feeling insecure about their futures. Empower yourself to become financially independent by obtaining the tools you need to provide a better future for yourself and your family. Learn how to secure your financial future by designing your financial safety plan focused on reducing debt, saving money, and protecting those things most valuable to you. In this session, you’ll learn more about:

The 3 Rules of Money
Tax-Free Retirement Strategies
Asset Protection
Trust and Will Preparation
College Plans
Life Insurance with Living Benefits

Chris Johnson, MBA, is a licensed financial associate and educator. With over 17 years of experience in leadership, organizational development, and asset management in both the private and public sectors, Johnson guides and supports organizations, individuals, and families all across the country by designing their financial plans and preparing them for better futures. As a U.S. Coast Guard Veteran, Johnson holds values of integrity and respect; comes from a background of public service; and is an advocate of establishing financial literacy programs to educate veterans and their families about finances. He has assisted many in a time of need and has provided them with transformative solutions to secure their financial futures.

Day 3: September 23, 2020

Keynote: Supporting Healing and Empowerment through Educational Initiatives

The impacts of historical trauma are still present in individuals, families, and nations, as well as in land, water, and non-human communities. My presentation will discuss the ways in which specific educational initiatives and approaches in Native American Studies at UC Davis aim to support students to build skills to address trauma and support healing in communities and homelands.

Beth Rose Middleton Manning, Professor and Chair, Dept. of Native American Studies; Yocha Dehe Endowed Chair in California Indian Studies, University of California, Davis. Beth Rose’s research centers on Native environmental policy and Native activism for site protection using conservation tools, and her broader research interests include intergenerational trauma and healing, rural environmental justice, Indigenous analysis of climate change, African and Indigenous intersections in the Americas, and qualitative GIS. She is committed to participatory research that contributes to social justice, and to increasing underrepresented voices in academia and policy. Beth Rose received her BA in Nature and Culture from UC Davis, and her Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from UC Berkeley. She is the author of two books: Trust in the Land: New Directions in Tribal Conservation (University of Arizona Press 2011), which focuses on Native applications of conservation easements and land trust structures, and Upstream (University of Arizona Press, 2018), on the history of Indian allotment lands at the headwaters of the California State Water Project. She has published on Native economic development, political ecology and healing, Federal Indian law as environmental policy, using environmental laws for Indigenous rights, addressing challenges to cultural site protection, and Indigenous-led adaptations to climate change. Beth Rose is passionate about increasing under-represented perspectives, especially Indigenous perspectives, in academia and in environmental policy and planning.

Track: 101. Workshop #9: Staying in Your Lane: Reducing Stress and Frustration with Professional Boundaries

If you feel overwhelmed, stressed, burned out, or ineffective, then this workshop is for you. Participants will know the value of focusing only on what they can control, and reducing suffering by staying in their own lane. Learning objectives include:

Discover new ways to manage your energy
Create a list of professional boundaries
Commit to regaining control over your time and emotions

Tiffany Salcido has fourteen years of experience in human services and foster care programs. Salcido has experience in reception, CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, Foster Care, Aid to Adoptions, Kin-GAP, CAPI, Linkages, and Welfare to Work. She has been a Staff Development Trainer providing induction training and continuing education for eligibility, C-IV and Welfare to Work programs. She has been involved in policy development and change management. Salcido has developed curriculum and instructed classes for the Independent Living Program, designed for foster youth 16-24 years of age, and is a certified instructor for World Class Relationships for Work and Home.

Track: Advanced Case Management. Workshop #10: Healing Our Spirits: Wellness and Surviving through the Pandemic

Working in tribal communities is serious business and not for the faint of heart! As rewarding as it is, it can be very stressful. This interactive workshop is designed to assist participants with developing a personal wellness vision and wellness goals, especially during these difficult and tragic times. Strategies and skills for self-care, wellness and healing, addressing stress and burnout will be provided in a relaxed setting. If you are feeling overwhelmed, unappreciated, or tired, and need a refresher to remind you why you do what you do, this workshop might be just what you need. Whether you or your communities are struggling with the impacts of the pandemic or dealing with the added stress of balancing work and family life, it is important to find a semblance of wellness to be able to help yourself and others. Topics include:

Community Resilience Model: Creating Trauma-informed and Resiliency-focused Communities
Mental Health: Anxiety, Depression, Suicidal Ideations
Mindfulness and Wellness
Strategies and Tools for Coping
Moving Forward: Changes and Challenges of Post-Pandemic Client Management

Gayle Zepeda, Redwood Valley Little River Band of Pomo, has over 18 years of experience in asset-based community development and Tribal TANF policies and procedures. Zepeda has collaborated with the University of Oklahoma Health Promotion Programs, American Indian Training Institute, Northern Circle Indian Housing Authority, California Rural Indian Health Board, and California Tribal TANF Partnership. Zepeda’s areas of expertise in tribal government include group process, team building, historical trauma, issues of cultural competency, community wellness, helping skills, and mental health first aid.

Track: Supervisory. Workshop #11: Cross-Departmental Collaboration

This workshop provides helpful guidelines for developing collaborations between departments and agencies working with families to ensure professionals are closing gaps rather than duplicating services. Cross Departmental Collaboration assists in the delivery of cost-effective, and comprehensive services for children and families with diverse needs.

Maggie Guillen, MSW, has over 17 years of experience in Human Services as a provider of direct services, supervisor and administrator. Guillen’s passion is to serve those that assist and protect the most vulnerable populations. She’s held multiple roles in child welfare, eligibility, and staff development, as well as program development and implementation. Guillen’s areas of expertise include case planning, child abuse investigations, child welfare, court report writing, curriculum development and supervisory skills. She has developed and implemented program curriculum for social services and community agencies and is focused on empowering both Helping Professionals and the families they serve.

Track: Leadership. Workshop #12: Program Development Best Practices

This workshop is designed for leaders in the organization. Participants will have the opportunity to highlight innovative and effective strategies for instituting successful TANF programs. Participants will deliver 15-min presentations on a successful project and then host a Q&A session. To participate, you’ll need to complete an online submission form indicating which of the 4 Purposes of TANF the initiative addresses, provide a brief project mission statement, outline the objectives, and develop an implementation strategy and its results.

Glenn Basconcillo has over thirty years of public and tribal social services policy and program development. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in human services delivery systems. Basconcillo roles as Chief Operations Officer and TANF Director at Owens Valley Career Development Center, along with his collaborations with Tribal TANF leaders and programs, reflect a dedication to continuous policy and system improvements.

Cultural Exchange Event

The Cultural Exchange event will be an opportunity for participants to share their unique cultural expressions that make their tribes special. We’ll see a variety of cultural elements, including traditional clothing, instruments, dance, song, stories, rituals and other artforms. All participants are invited to join in the audience! This a long-time tradition at the Institute; and our goal is to make this years’ event, although now virtual, one of the liveliest yet!

Day 4: September 24, 2020

Track: 101. Workshop #13: Work Smarter, Not Harder

This workshop is designed for new case management staff, as well as experienced staff who may be new to working from home, who are looking to maximize their time and energy through a variety of techniques that emphasize efficiency and effectiveness. Concepts and components of time management and prioritization will be covered with an emphasis on the importance of organization, being effective, planning efficiently, and prioritizing tasks.

Carl Rabun, Ph.D., Chumash, has over 15 years’ experience training and consulting various public and private sector employees. Rabun has been an Instructor with the Center for Human Services since 2007, specializing in leadership skills, work-shop facilitation, motivation and engagement, building life skills, customer service, addressing barriers, team dynamics, strength-based coaching and goal setting. Rabun served as an employment services case manager, unit supervisor, and Employment Zone workshop facilitator at the Kern County Department of Human Services.

Track: Advanced Case Management. Workshop #14: Trauma-Informed Care Assessment Strategies

Becoming trauma-informed means recognizing that people often have many different types of trauma in their lives. Trauma affects not only the individual, but also families and communities. Understanding the impact of trauma is an important first step. We will be looking at different assessment strategies such as ACES to help identify trauma needs.

Heather Leaver, M.A., MFTI has been working in the mental health field for over 15 years. Leaver has worked with various populations, and has been conducting assessments for over 10 years. She earned her B.A. in Psychology at the University of California at Irvine and her M.A. in Clinical Psychology (with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy) at Pepperdine University. Leaver has worked in the community with mental health awareness, prevention, and education, and has also provided mental health services in the home, school, and community. Currently, she is the Assessment Coordinator for the Shingle Springs Tribal TANF Program.

Track: Supervisory. Workshop #15: Coaching and Mentoring Conflicts with a Focus on DiSC

This workshop will improve attendees’ ability to positively influence their relationships with their direct reports, peers, and superiors. Participants will be introduced to tools and models used by seasoned business and leadership coaches. Topics include:

Introduction to DiSC styles
Introduction to styles in conflict
Introduction to model to reduce internal conflict to support leading from your control and influence

Track: Leadership. Workshop #16: Creating Synergy Between Organizations

It’s one thing to working with a partner organization, it’s another thing to do it in a way that is efficient, effective and that benefits both organizations. This session explores the dynamics that exist between successful collaborations between organizations: common goals, strategic planning and communication.

Closing Address: Closing with Gratitude

Join us for our wrap-up session where Gayle and Carl will lead us through a session of appreciation and gratitude commemorating the end of our four-day journey. Through fun activities and a bit of introspection, Carl and Gayle assist in cementing our learning and prepare us for our next gathering in 2021.

Carl Rabun Ph.D., Chumash, has over 15 years of experience training and consulting various public and private sector employees. He has been an Instructor with the Center for Human Services since 2007, specializing in leadership skills, work-shop facilitation, motivation and engagement, building life skills, customer service, addressing barriers, team dynamics, strength-based coaching and goal setting. He served as an employment services case manager, unit supervisor, and Employment Zone workshop facilitator at the Kern County Department of Human Services. This year will be Carl’s 11th year participating at the Tribal TANF Institute.

Gayle Zepeda, Redwood Valley Little River Band of Pomo, has over eighteen years’ experience in asset-based community development and Tribal TANF policies and procedures. She has collaborated with the University of Oklahoma Health Promotion Programs, American Indian Training Institute, Northern Circle Indian Housing Authority, California Rural Indian Health Board, and California Tribal TANF Partnership. Her areas of expertise in tribal government include group process, team building, historical trauma, issues of cultural competency, community wellness, helping skills, and mental health first aid.