CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS

Click HERE for a copy of the Call for Presentations form.

Please join us as the Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children begins planning for their 2002 Annual Conference. This year’s conference will be held on April 23 – 25, 2002 at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel on Jekyll Island, GA.

This year’s theme, THE HEART OF THE MATTER, emphasizes the importance of remembering why we’re all in this field – to improve the lives and futures of Georgia’s children. This year’s conference will feature a wide spectrum of workshops with a focus on what really matters to our hearts – Georgia’s children and families.

We invite you to share your expertise in the form of a presentation to this year’s attendees, which will include administrators, clinicians, direct care staff, support staff, and state personnel from the Division of Family and Children Services, the Division of Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse, and other agencies. We will welcome presentations on such subjects as:

Ø Resources for children and families (grants, educational services, transportation, family-focused models of services, etc.)

Ø Specific populations, such as youth preparing for independent living, children who exhibit sexual behaviors, working with children with loss and grief issues, children impacted by domestic violence, and children and families in rural areas, etc.

Ø Skills development, such as counseling methods, group facilitation, crisis intervention, play and other experiential and recreational therapies, alternative therapies, team building, first aid and CPR and methods of effectively managing children without using physical restraints.

Ø Increasing organizational efficiency, including how to effectively recruit and retain quality staff and volunteers, board development, continuous quality improvement, routine/preventative maintenance, fundraising, strategic planning, agency liabilities, agency accreditation, professional certification, agency best practices, computer software skills, and other topics relevant to agency administration.

Ø Ethics

Ø Public/private sector collaboration and innovative approaches to service delivery.

Ø Personal and professional wellness including stress control, time management and relaxation techniques

In exchange for sharing their expertise, primary presenters ONLY will receive a complimentary admission to the conference on the day of their presentation. For presenters who wish to attend the entire conference, they may do so at a discounted rate. Travel, hotel, meals and miscellaneous expenses will not be reimbursed.

If you are interested in presenting, please complete the enclosed form and either fax or mail it to the address at the bottom of the page. Please include:

Ø A copy of your current resume or a brief biography with your submission.

Ø Specify what kind of audiovisual equipment you will need for your presentation. This equipment must be ordered in advance and you are encouraged to bring your own LCD projectors (there is a limited supply).

Thank you in advance for contributing to the training and education of Georgia’s child welfare staff. Please forward a copy of CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS SUBMISSION FORM to others in your organization that may be interested in presenting.