WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13
8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
Coffee Connection
8:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
Welcome
8:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Opening Keynote - Kelly Bazzani
Turning Trials Into Triumphs With Resilience and Purpose
Join addiction and recovery expert, acclaimed author, speaker, podcaster and CEO of Maximum Resilience Inc. Kelly Bazzani for an inspiring exploration of resilience and purpose. Drawing from her triumph over adversity, Bazzani will reveal the key to achieving optimal performance and fulfillment. She will explore the connection between resilience, purpose and success, leaving audiences with actionable insights. Attendees will learn to cultivate personal resilience, navigate challenges gracefully and harness intrinsic motivation. Bazzani empowers individuals to form deep, authentic connections, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose. With practical strategies and real-world examples, Bazzani demonstrates how to turn setbacks into growth opportunities, embrace change and take bold action toward goals. Participants will leave inspired, empowered and equipped to make a lasting impact.
10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Break
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
WORKSHOP SESSIONS 1
- Achieving Excellence in Customer Service
- Attend this workshop to acquire new skills and strategies to deliver exceptional customer experiences. Through interactive sessions and real-world case studies, attendees will explore the importance of customer satisfaction and its impact on business success. This workshop will delve into effective communication techniques, active listening and problem-solving approaches tailored to diverse customer needs and preferences. Participants will also learn how to handle challenging situations with empathy and professionalism, turning potential conflicts into opportunities for positive outcomes. By the end of the workshop, attendees will be empowered to consistently exceed customer expectations and foster long-lasting relationships built on trust and loyalty.
Instructor
Tamera Trotter - Building Personal Resiliency
Resiliency is defined as the capacity to withstand and/or recover quickly from difficulties. Life (both personal and professional) is full of challenges and difficulties. What can help us to overcome these challenges? How can we develop and continue to build our resiliency? Why is it important that we do so?
This workshop will help answer those questions, as well as provide ten practical tips to build our resiliency. Benefits of resiliency include but are not limited to better job performance, improved leadership skills, better professional relationships, acquiring new skills and better overall health. If these are benefits you would like to enjoy, come learn more about them in this workshop.
Instructor
Antonio Lopez- Demystifying Cal-OAR
- The Cal-OAR (California CalWORKs Outcomes and Accountability Review) is a complex multi-year state-driven continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiative that asks two key questions about a county’s CalWORKs program: what are we doing and what can we do better? Cal-OAR requires deep communication between internal and external stakeholders and requires counties complete complex deliverables. In this workshop, participants will explore the Performance Measures of Cal-OAR, learning how they are calculated and what they can tell us. This workshop also covers and examines the main deliverables of the Cal-OAR process, the Cal-CSA, the Self-Assessment, and Cal-SIP, the Systems Improvement Plan.
By the end of this workshop, attendees will be able to:
• Understand the structure and flow of the Cal-OAR cycle including the pacing and sequence of key deliverables
• Identify how Performance Measures are calculated and understand their importance
• Understand the Cal-CSA with a special focus on stakeholder identification and engagement
• Better understand how to take information gathered in the Cal-CSA and craft goals for the Cal-SIP
Instructor
Jeremy Duvall - Developing the Public Assistance Professional: Personal Growth & Team Contribution
- This workshop empowers public assistance professionals to perform their role with excellence as an invdividual and as a member of their team. The pathway to enhanced job performance and team contribution is examined through “professionalism.” The course begins by asking, “What does it mean to be a professional?” Learners will then explore characteristics long considered hallmarks of professional behavior, such as accountability, dependability, responsibility, integrity, appropriate boundary-setting and setting high standards for one’s work.
Instructor
Cindy Caruso
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14
8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
WORKSHOP SESSIONS 2
- Being Autonomous in your Role as a Leader
- Explore what it means to be autonomous and how to take personal agency in decision-making and taking action independently in your role as a leader. The guided discussions will take learners through a journey of self-realization to unpack the strengths and barriers of making choices that align with your team's values and goals. To be autonomous, you must have a clear sense of self-awareness and self-confidence, and be willing to learn from your mistakes and take risks. It also means being able to adapt to change, set boundaries and communicate effectively with others. By cultivating self-reliance and a strong sense of personal agency, you can become more resilient, adaptable, and successful as a leader.
Instructor
Derrin Ford
- DiSC in the Workplace: Effective Communication Strategies
- Self-awareness allows supervisors to identify the gaps in their leadership skills, revealing the areas in which they are most effective and where growth opportunities may occur. Learners will complete a DiSC self-assessment to increase their self-knowledge, becoming more aware of their motivators, conflict styles, stressors and problem-solving skills. After learning the basics of DiSC and how each style functions, participants will indentify insights to be share with their respective teams to integrate DiSC concepts into the workplace.
Instructor
Tamara Trejos - Foster Care Eligibility Updates
- Attend this workshop for the latest updates to Federal and State policy changes impacting Foster Care Eligibility in California, including the latest information on the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) Part IV, which amends the Title IV-E foster care program. This workshop also includes a FAQ portion for participants.
By the end of the workshop, attendees will be able to:
• Understand new FFPSA Part IV placement requirements and how they apply to counties and youth in congregate care settings.
• Comprehend the importance of meeting foster care eligibility requirements and the impact on funding out-of-home placements.
• Know the basics of how federal Title IV-E Eligibility Reviews are conducted in California.
Instructor
John Sanfilippo - Self and Social Management of Conflict
- Conflict may be inevitable, but combat is not! This workshop explores healthy and unhealthy responses to conflict. We will apply the emotional intelligence competencies of accountability and communication in managing ourselves and our relationships with others when conflict arises in difficult conversations and situations.
By the end of the workshop, attendees will be able to:
• Recognize sources of and healthy responses to conflict
• Acknowledge the bridge between Emotional Intelligence competencies and managing ourselves and others during conflict
• Practice the art of assertive communication
• Collaborate with peers to produce team task responses
Instructor
Nora Gerber
10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Break
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
WORKSHOP SESSIONS 3
- Eligibility Program Updates
- This workshop will provide current regulation updates for the CalWORKs, CalFRESH and Medi-Cal programs for the 2024-20245 fiscal year.
Instructor
Dan Witherell - Strength-Focused Interviewing with the Unhoused Population
- Despite the ever-increasing number of unhoused individuals in California, many of these individuals continue to feel unseen. Some of the most vulnerable unhoused individuals, those struggling with mental health issues alongside their living situation, are left feeling discarded by society. This belief is exacerbated and even nurtured when an unhoused individual encounters a government employee who do not treat them with respect. This workshop provides new tools and strategies that can help Human Services workers go the extra mile engaging with and helping unhoused individuals achieve better outcomes.
By the end of this workshop, attendees will be able to:
• List the cultural, personal and community-based biases we hold within ourselves, and learn how to set these feelings aside to provide service with the most added value to each individual client as a whole
• Empower clients with new tools toward becoming more self-reliant
• Connect clients with resources in the community that champion strengths-based approaches
Instructor
Cristobal Delosreyes - Unveiling Your Future: Career Exploration and Connecting to a Purpose
- Embark on a transformative journey to illuminate your career path and learn how to align it with your deepest sense of purpose. In today’s rapidly evolving world, finding a career that resonates with your core values and aspirations is more important than ever. This course is crafted to guide you through the intricate process of self-discovery, career exploration and the art of making meaningful connections within your professional sphere.
By the end of the course, participants should be able to have a clear understanding of:
• Empowered self-discovery and purpose-driven career mapping: Delve into self-assessment and deep self-reflection to uncover unique strengths, values, and passions, using these insights to map out a career path that is not only fulfilling but also aligned with deeper sense of purpose.
• Strategic career planning and adaptability: Develop strategic, purpose-aligned career plans with clear, actionable steps that incorporate both short-term and long-term goals.
• Purposeful career alignment and impactful contribution: Align participants' career paths with their personal and professional purpose, encouraging them to pursue roles that not only fulfill their aspirations but also contribute positively to their communities and society.
Instructor
Misty Kerrigan - Wellness Catalyst: Strategic Integration for Performance, Productivity and Profitability in Counties
Explore the strategic integration of wellness practices within California counties to enhance organizational performance, productivity and profitability. Through interactive discussions, case studies, and practical exercises, participants will learn how to leverage wellness initiatives as catalysts for driving positive outcomes and fostering a culture of well-being within their county organizations.
After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:
• Understand the strategic significance of wellness in county operations
• Develop a tailored wellness strategy aligned with county priorities
• Implement and sustain wellness initiatives for long-term success
Instructor
Kimberlé Smith Austin
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15
8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
WORKSHOP SESSIONS 4
- CalWORKs 2.0 Concepts: The Impact of Poverty and Scarcity
Join this workshop to explore the CalWORKs 2.0 approach as we highlight the crucial link between successful Employment Services participation and the challenges faced by individuals dealing with poverty and scarcity. We will look into both the emotional and practical effects of living with limited resources. Participants will gain insights into strategies for assisting those with scarcity-related stress and improving client interactions. Key topics covered include empathy, active listening skills, and trauma-informed approaches. This engaging workshop will deepen your understanding and empower your work in supporting vulnerable populations.
InstructorKelly West-Binning
- Foster Care Eligibility Fundamentals
- Determining foster care eligibility requires a wide range of knowledge about the differing requirements of several funding sources. Eligibility for Federal AFDC-FC funding is a priority for maximizing funding for foster care placements. This workshop will provide an overview of the benefits of strong agency partnerships and allow participants to explore opportunities to maximize federal AFDC-FC funding, including identifying ways to ascertain whether federal AFDC-FC requirements are being met.
By the end of the workshop, attendees will be able to:
• Understand the importance of communication and collaboration between foster care eligibility staff and placing agencies.
• Understand the importance of meeting federal AFDC-FC requirements to maximize the availability of federal funding.
• List the Federal AFDC-FC Eligibility Requirements.
Instructor
Yvonne Freeman - Managing Triggers with Emotional Intelligence
- Emotions are all around us! For helping professionals, it's important to understand how to harness them to cultivate productivity and positive relationships. This course is designed to help you identify your emotional triggers and develop skills to manage them well. This includes perceiving yourself accurately, exercising emotional self-control and managing your trigger response system. By better understanding yourself, you can learn to control your reactions and interact more effectively with the children, families and communities you serve.
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
• Define emotional awareness and describe how it factors in at work with clients and colleagues
• Identify trigger responses
• Apply emotional control techniques, including the four-step practice of state-shifting
• Discover concrete techniques for raising your own “EQ”
Instructor
Dom Waltower - Resilient and Conscious Leadership: Becoming a Beacon of Excellence During Turbulent Times
- Embark on a journey of self-discovery and leadership growth to gain the tools and insights needed to navigate today's complex challenges with strength and confidence. As leaders, we face unprecedented levels of uncertainty, change and adversity. This workshop equips you with the wisdom and strategies to not only survive, but thrive in this demanding landscape. You'll delve into the core principles of conscious leadership, exploring how resilience becomes the cornerstone of effective decision-making, communication and team empowerment. We will guide you through real-world scenarios, helping you harness the transformative power of resilience to lead with unwavering clarity and purpose.
By the end of this session, you'll emerge as a resilient conscious leader, capable of inspiring and guiding your team through unique challenges and leaving a positive impact in both your professional and personal spheres. Join us and become a beacon of leadership excellence!
Instructor
Kelly Bazzani
10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Break
10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Closing Keynote - Kimberlé Austin-Smith
UNSTOPPABLE: Thriving in Resilience and Purpose for a Brighter Future
In this dynamic closing session, we will explore the transformative potential of resilience and purpose in navigating life's challenges and working toward a future filled with hope, opportunity and fulfillment. Drawing upon inspiring stories, practical insights and actionable strategies, we will uncover how resilience and purpose empower us to overcome adversity and thrive. From building emotional strength to aligning our actions with our deepest values, we will discover how embracing these qualities unlocks our limitless potential. Whether facing personal setbacks or professional obstacles, this keynote provides tools, inspiration and motivation to embrace challenges and create a better future. Get ready for a journey of transformation, empowerment and UNSTOPPABLE growth.