FOCUS 2020
A Clear Vision of Trauma-Informed Education
Day One: Dr. Ross Greene; Ph.D.
8 a.m.-4 p.m. with an hour break for lunch
• Lost at School
• Lost and Found
• The Explosive Child
• Raising Human Beings
The Kids We Lose
FOCUS 2020 attendees will receive a special access link to screen Dr. Greene's documentary The Kids We Lose!
Day Two: Jessica Minahan; M. Ed, BCBA
9 a.m.-3 p.m. with an hour break for lunch
• The Behavior Code
Dr. Ross Greene, Ph.D.
Ross W. Greene, Ph.D. is the originator of the innovative, research-based model of intervention now known as Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) as described in his influential books The Explosive Child, Lost at School, Lost & Found, and Raising Human Beings. Dr. Greene is also the Developer and Executive Producer of The Kids We Lose.
Dr. Greene served on the faculty at Harvard Medical School for over 20 years, and is now on the faculty of the Department of Psychology at Virginia Tech and on the Faculty of Science at University of Technology Sydney in Australia. He is also the Founding Director of the non-profit Lives in the Balance (www.livesinthebalance.org), which aims to disseminate the CPS model through no-cost web-based programming; advocate on behalf of behaviorally challenging kids and their parents teachers, and other caregivers; takes a strong stand against the use of corporal punishment at home and school, the use of restraint and seclusion in schools and restrictive therapeutic facilities, and the use of detention, suspension, and expulsion in schools, preschools, and daycare settings; and encourages the use of non-punitive, non-adversarial interventions. His research has been funded by the Stanley Research Institute, the National Institutes of Mental Health, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group. He lectures and consults extensively to families, general and special education schools, inpatient psychiatry units, and residential and juvenile detention facilities throughout the world.
Website: https://www.livesinthebalance.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drrossgreene/
Twitter: @LITB_
Jessica Minahan; M.Ed, BCBA
Jessica Minahan is a licensed and board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA), author, special educator, and consultant to schools internationally. Since 2000 she has worked with students who struggle with mental health issues and challenging behavior in public school systems. She specializes in training staff and creating behavior intervention plans for students who demonstrate explosive and unsafe behavior. She also works with students who have emotional and behavioral disabilities, anxiety disorders, or high-functioning Autism. Her particular interest is to serve these students by combining behavioral interventions with a comprehensive knowledge of best practices for those with complex mental health profiles and learning needs.
She is a blogger on The Huffington Post, the author of The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students, with Nancy Rappaport (Harvard Education Press, 2012), and author of The Behavior Code Companion: Strategies, Tools, and Interventions for Supporting Students with Anxiety-Related or Oppositional Behaviors (Harvard Education Press, 2014).
She holds a BS in Intensive Special Education from Boston University and a dual master’s degree in Special Education and Elementary Education from Wheelock College. She has a certificate of graduate study (CGS) in teaching children with Autism from the University of Albany and received her BCBA training from Northeastern University in Boston. She is sought-after internationally to speak on subjects ranging from effective interventions for students with anxiety to supporting hard-to-reach students in full-inclusion public school settings.
Website: https://jessicaminahan.com
Facebook: facebook.com/TheBehaviorCode/
Twitter: @jessica_minahan
The Kids We Lose
A collaboration between Lone Wolf Media and the non-profit Lives in the Balance, The Kids We Lose is a 90-minute documentary film about the human side of being a child or student with behavioral challenges, and the struggles faced by parents, educators, staff in facilities, mental health clinicians, and judicial and law enforcement professionals in trying to ensure that these kids receive the help they need. The Kids We Lose also exposes the often brutal, inhumane ways in which kids with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges are treated in schools, inpatient psychiatry units, residential facilities, and prisons. Their hopelessness, misery, and frustration are palpable. The human toll is hard to fathom. But these are also the most expensive kids in our society. Doing the wrong thing costs a fortune. When we don’t help our most vulnerable kids, we all lose.
The Kids We Lose is intended to heighten awareness and galvanize people to advocate for change. If you’re interested in getting involved, become a Lives in the Balance Advocator. There’s a lot to be done, and Lives in the Balance Advocators are leading the way. For free resources on reducing (and ultimately eliminating) the use of restraint and seclusion, visit www.truecrisisprevention.org.
The Kids We Lose has already won many accolades, including:
Best Documentary, 2019 Whistleblower Summit and Film Festival, Washington, DC
Best Feature Documentary, 2018 New Hampshire Film Festival
Best Feature Documentary, 2019 Women’s Film Festival, Philadelphia
Best Feature Documentary, 2019 Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival
Website: https://www.thekidswelose.com
Twitter: @kids_lose
FOCUS 2020 Committee
Jennifer Peter; jpeter@plaea.org
Courtney Cook; ccook@plaea.org
Kristy Liechti; kliechti@plaea.org
Shawna Badenhorst; sbadenhorst@plaea.org
Connie Johnson; cjohnson@plaea.org