Video Library

A Call to Action: Supreme Court Justice Max Baer

Act 91 Extension of Care

Act 91 Resumption of Jurisdiction

An Educational Video for Judges: Dependent Children of Incarcerated Parents This video includes Judges, Attorneys, Youth and a Therapist and is designed to educate judges and legal professionals on the issues faced by dependent children who have an incarcerated parent and to demonstrate that although unique challenges exist for this population of foster care youth, with individualized case planning, strong advocacy, and judicial oversight, many of these challenges and barriers can be overcome 

Caseworker Retention, its impact on Pennsylvania’s Child Dependency System and what can be done about it Critical information identified by the Pennsylvania State Roundtable’s Casework Retention Workgroup is being provided. Panelists discuss the impact caseworker turnover has on the county, court, agency and most importantly, the children and families served by the dependency system. Survey results from 1400 Pennsylvania Caseworkers and Supervisors identifying what would help in retaining caseworker staff are being presented. Finally methods that have proven effective in reducing turnover in several Pennsylvania counties are being shared. Click here for the panel presentation.

Comfort Dogs in Court Approximately one-third of Pennsylvania’s 60 judicial districts report that they either use comfort dogs in dependency court or are implementing a program to use them. The impact can be dramatic on the children they serve, according to judges and other judiciary personnel interviewed for this educational video on comfort dogs. This video includes Judges, dog trainer and a handler.

Current Trends in Substance Use Prevention, Intervention and Treatment Dr. Martz,  Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs discusses the heroin and opioid crisis; its impact on families and the stigma associated with addiction. He further answers critically important questions such as: When is it safe enough for children of addicted parents to visit or return home? What is good treatment and follow up? What is the role relationships play in supporting recovery and monitoring safety for children? Following his remarks, representatives from various counties share information on effective programs to address parental substance abuse and allow children to remain at home safely. Click here for a panel presentation.

Normalcy in Foster Care: 2015 Children’s Roundtable Summit: This video contains a panel presentaton provided to the 2015 State Roundtable Children’s Summit. The presentation is moderated by a Common Pleas Judge and include former foster youth, an Independent Living Co-ordinator, a county solicitor and a foster care representative!

Pre-Service DVD for Guardians ad Litem and Parent Attorneys: The Office of Children & Families in the Courts produced this video, which includes a Supreme Court Justice, a Superior Court Jude and two Court of Common Pleas Judges, to provide the basic understanding of practicing dependency in Pennsylvania. This DVD also serves as the mandatory minimum training for Guardians ad Litem to service once they are appointed

Protecting Children: What is safety? Safety underscores all decisions made in the Child Welfare System. For years, physical safety has been the primary focus. However, new emphasis is being given to emotional safety and well-being. This session focuses on understanding all elements of safety, applying that knowledge to decision making, and improving outcomes for children/families. Jennifer Renne, Esq. National, Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues, American Bar Association, Center on Children and the Law and Therese Roe Lund, Associate, Director, National Resource, Center on Child Protective Services, ACTION for Child Protection

Psychotropic Medication for Dependent Children Dr. Schuster presents an overview of the use of psychotropic medications in dependent children. He includes a review of the frequency of medication use, a discussion of the quality concerns and challenges with these medications, and next steps toward improving the quality of care that includes these medications. He also presents the results of a multiple stakeholder roundtable focused on this issue. James Schuster, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Community Care Behavioral Health Organization

Seeking Normalcy: A Youth’s Perspective This video provides two skits that illustrate the complexity foster children face in some placements. The video was created by the Selinsgrove Area High School Tolerance Troupe.

Sexual Exploitation of Children: An Overview of Pennsylvania’s Human Trafficking Law  Shea Rhodes, Esquire, Director of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation. This presentation provides an introduction to sex trafficking, including defining sex trafficking, identifying the perpetrators (both traffickers and customers), and how victims are lured into the life. It includes an overview of Act 105, Pennsylvania¹s comprehensive human trafficking statute. By highlighting specific provisions of the Act, the presentation provides guidance on how participants should identify victims, protect victims and provide care, and put in place preventative measures that combat human trafficking. Finally, ethical considerations regarding the oversight and treatment of these youth are being discussed. 

The Teen Species Why do teenagers do some of the seemingly thoughtless things that they do? While there are undoubtedly more than a few reasons, this talk focuses on the notion that it might be due to the fact that they are actually thinking too much, and feeling too little. While a great deal of attention has been paid to adolescent’s abilities (or lack there of ) to reason about the future, one area that has been overlooked is their ability to somatically feel potential outcomes of a decision. Evidence from both behavioral and functional imaging studies are being presented to suggest that while adolescents are able to cognitively understand potentially poor decisions, it is actually the lack of feeling potential consequences that underlies the lapses in judgment; lapses that so often leave adults scratching their heads in confusion and asking
“what were you thinking?” when perhaps the more revealing question would be “what were you feeling?” Abigail A. Baird, Ph.D. Vassar College

Transitional Youth: The connection between well-being and normalizing the foster care experience This video contains a 2015 State Roundtable Children’s Summit panel presentation. The presentation is moderated by a Common Pleas Judge and includes former foster youth and Independent Living Co-ordinator, a county solicitor and a foster care representative

Voices of Youth: A Call for Change We talk a lot about achieving certain outcomes, but behind the numbers we want the results of our child welfare system to translate into better lives for children and families. Implementing and changing a system that improves lives over the long haul isn’t an easy task. Neither is measuring our progress, which is why listening to the first-hand accounts of those we serve is so important. This panel presentation of youth and young adults who were in foster care provides a rich perspective on how we are doing and ways we might improve the system. The youth speaks, from their personal experience, on the various topics being highlighted at the 2011 Pennsylvania Children’s  Summit. Todd Lloyd, MSW, Child Welfare Director, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children

Dependency Court: A Supreme Court Justice, Common Pleas Court Judge and an Administrator talk about what happens in Court and who will be there? 

Defining “Normal” – Exploring Typical Adolsecent Behavior using Evidence-based Theories and Real Life Experience The concept of “normal” is often misunderstood by caregivers and adults involved in out of home care. Utilizing evidenced-based theories and a panel of teen peer educators, this presentation addresses stereotypes of “normal” adolescent behavior to enhance participants’ perception of typical adolescence. Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski, RNC, MA, EdD, Director Academy for Adolescent Health, Inc.

Establishing Normalcy for Youth in Foster Care This video includes a Supreme Court Justice, Court of Common Pleas Judge, Guardian ad Litem, a Hearing Officer and several Youth. It  provides an overview of the issue of normalcy in foster care, its importance to foster youth and what judges and hearing masters can do to meet judicial requirements ensuring foster youth are being provided opportunities for age and developmentally appropriate activities and experiences

Seeking Normalcy: A Youth’s Perspective This video provides two skits that illustrate the complexity foster children face in some placements. The video was created by the Selinsgrove Area High School Tolerance Troupe.. 

Act 91 Extension of Care

Act 91 Resumption of Jurisdiction

2015 Children’s Roundtable Summit: This video contains a panel presentaton provided to the 2015 State Roundtable Children’s Summit. The presentation is moderated by a Common Pleas Judge and include former foster youth, an Independent Living Co-ordinator, a county solicitor and a foster care representative!

A Parents Guide to Understanding Pennsylvania’s Dependency Process: A Supreme Court Justice, Court of Common Pleas Judges, Hearing Officer, Attorney’s and Parents share information about the dependency process in Pennsylvania. Click here to view a trailer of the video.

An Educational Video for Judges: Dependent Children of Incarcerated Parents: This video includes Judges, Attorneys, Youth and a Therapist and is designed to educate judges and legal professionals on the issues faced by dependent children who have an incarcerated parent and to demonstrate that although unique challenges exist for this populaton of foster care youth, with individualized case planning, strong advocacy, and judicial oversight, many of these challenges and barriers can be overcome 

Kinship Care: A Supreme Court Justice, Parent Attorney, Hearing Officer and a Guardian ad Litem speak to the importance of Kinship Care

Pennsylvania Dependency System: A Supreme Court Justice, Common Pleas Court Judge, County Commissioner and Children & Youth Administrator speak about what is expected in court

Educational Success Strategies: A panel of Judges, Child Welfare Administrators and Education Professionals from the 2015 Pennsylvania Children’s Roundtable Summit  discuss ways in which the Blue Print has been successfully replicated in Pennsylvania

Effective Strategies for Working with Families Affected by Substance Use Disorders  Pamela Petersen Baston, MPA, CAP, CAPP, President, Solutions of Substance, Inc. provides a compelling overview of the evolving understanding of substance use disorders and the associated underlying  values that can infl uence our eff ectiveness working with substance-involved families. She presents this information in the context of the life of a “typical” child welfare parent with substance use and/or co-occurring mental health disorders and examine the many other challenges they face. Viewers will be able to examine whether Pennsylvania’s child welfare, behavioral health, and court systems are aligned to maximize success with these high-need families and whether new approaches should be explored.

“From Here to Eternity”: Special issues in Alcohol and Drug Treatment This presentation explores essential issues in working successfully with children and families who are impacted by substance abuse, addiction, and co-occurring substance and mental health disorders. Mr. Walton begins with an overview summarizing the etiology of addiction and the key steps individuals must take to enter recovery, as well as avoid or recover from relapse. In addition, the connections between emotional problems in youth, illicit substance abuse, and the prescribing of psychotropic medications are being explored. Mr. Walton highlights ten “red flags” regarding the use of psychotropic medications. Finally, interventions for youth experiencing trauma, grief, and loss are being suggested. Terrance D. Walton, MSW, CSAC, Faculty National Drug Court Institute

Kinship Care: A Supreme Court Justice, Parent Attorney, Hearing Officer and a Guardian ad Litem speak to the importance of Kinship Care

LGBYQ Youth & Families in the Child Welfare System  Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or questioning (LGBTQ) youth are over-represented in the child welfare system and experience worse outcomes compared to their non-LGBTQ peers. Research and recommended practices for all types of child welfare professionals working with LGBTQ youth, families and foster and adoptive parents will be presented. In this interactive session, concrete tools will be provided, along with a basic overview of potential issues experienced by LGBTQ youth. Discussions surround law, policy and system changes on both the micro and macro level to ensure safe, and inclusive practices. Finally, ethical issues related to the oversight of these cases are being discussed. Amanda Williams Cruce, LCSW,
Consultant, Center for States; M. Curry Cook, Esq., Director of the Youth in Out-of-Home Care Project, Lambda Legal

Pennsylvanias Collaboration in the Dependency System A Judge, County Commissioner and a Children & Youth Administrator speak about collaboration in the dependency system

Protecting Children: What is safety? Safety underscores all decisions made in the Child Welfare System. For years, physical safety has been the primary focus. However, new emphasis is being given to emotional safety and well-being. This session focuses on understanding all elements of safety, applying that knowledge to decision making, and improving outcomes for children/families. Jennifer Renne, Esq. National, Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues, American Bar Association, Center on Children and the Law and Therese Roe Lund, Associate, Director, National Resource, Center on Child Protective Services, ACTION for Child Protection

Psychotropic Medication for Dependent Children Dr. Schuster presents an overview of the use of psychotropic medications in dependent children. He includes a review of the frequency of medication use, a discussion of the quality concerns and challenges with these medications, and next steps toward improving the quality of care that includes these medications. He also presents the results of a multiple stakeholder roundtable focused on this issue. James Schuster, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Community Care Behavioral Health Organization

Seeking Normalcy: A Youth’s Perspective This video provides two skits that illustrate the complexity foster children face in some placements. The video was created by the Selinsgrove Area High School Tolerance Troupe.

Sexual Exploitation of Children: An Overview of Pennsylvania’s Human Trafficking Law  Shea Rhodes, Esquire, Director of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation. This presentation provides an introduction to sex trafficking, including defining sex trafficking, identifying the perpetrators (both traffickers and customers), and how victims are lured into the life. It includes an overview of Act 105, Pennsylvania¹s comprehensive human trafficking statute. By highlighting specific provisions of the Act, the presentation provides guidance on how participants should identify victims, protect victims and provide care, and put in place preventative measures that combat human trafficking. Finally, ethical considerations regarding the oversight and treatment of these youth are being discussed.

The Teen Species Why do teenagers do some of the seemingly thoughtless things that they do? While there are undoubtedly more than a few reasons, this talk focuses on the notion that it might be due to the fact that they are actually thinking too much, and feeling too little. While a great deal of attention has been paid to adolescent’s abilities (or lack there of ) to reason about the future, one area that has been overlooked is their ability to somatically feel potential outcomes of a decision. Evidence from both behavioral and functional imaging studies are being presented to suggest that while adolescents are able to cognitively understand potentially poor decisions, it is actually the lack of feeling potential consequences that underlies the lapses in judgment; lapses that so often leave adults scratching their heads in confusion and asking
“what were you thinking?” when perhaps the more revealing question would be “what were you feeling?” Abigail A. Baird, Ph.D. Vassar College

Transitional Youth: The connection between well-being and normalizing the foster care experience This video contains a 2015 State Roundtable Children’s Summit panel presentation. The presentation is moderated by a Common Pleas Judge and includes former foster youth and Independent Living Co-ordinator, a county solicitor and a foster care representative

Voices of Youth: A Call for Change We talk a lot about achieving certain outcomes, but behind the numbers we want the results of our child welfare system to translate into better lives for children and families. Implementing and changing a system that improves lives over the long haul isn’t an easy task. Neither is measuring our progress, which is why listening to the first-hand accounts of those we serve is so important. This panel presentation of youth and young adults who were in foster care provides us a rich perspective on how we are doing and ways we might improve the system. The youth speaks, from their personal experience, on the various topics being highlighted at the 2011 Pennsylvania Children’s  Summit. Todd Lloyd, MSW, Child Welfare Director, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children

What’s Happening in Pennsylvania Educational Success on a State Level  A presentation from the 2015 Pennsylvania Children’s Roundtable Summit

How has the Permanency Practice Initiative improved the system? A Judge, County Commissioner and a Children & Youth Administrator share information about Pennsylvania’s Permanency Practice Initiative

Comfort Dogs in Court Approximately one-third of Pennsylvania’s 60 judicial districts report that they either use comfort dogs in dependency court or are implementing a program to use them. The impact can be dramatic on the children they serve, according to judges and other judiciary personnel interviewed for this educational video on comfort dogs. This video includes Judges, dog trainer and a handler.

Kinship Care A Supreme Court Justice, Parent Attorney, Hearing Officer and a Guardian ad Litem speak to the importance of Kinship Care

Trauma, Toxic Stress and Protective Factors: Influences on Decisions for Children and Families in Child Welfare Systems This session from the 2015 Children’s Roundtable Summit explores a framework for understanding the impact of trauma and toxic stress on children and families in child welfare systems. It includes a combination of research findings and best practice recommendations that promote child well-being. The workshop is designed to engage participants in a series of activities and discussions that will increase their awareness of the interplay of attachment disruption, trauma, toxic stress, and protective factors in the lives of children who come to the attention of the courts. Ann Adalist-Estrin, M.S., Director, National Resource Center on Children and Families, of the Incarcerated at the Family and Corrections Network, Rutgers University

Psychotropic Medication for Dependent Children Dr. James Schuster, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Offi cer, Community Care Behavioral Health Organization presents an overview of the use of psychotropic medications in dependent children. He includes a review of the frequency of medication use, a discussion of the quality concerns and challenges with these medications, and next steps toward improving the quality of care that includes these medications. He also presents the results of a multiple stakeholder roundtable focused on this issue.

Trauma: Explore the body’s physical and emotional response to trauma and learn strategies to reduce trauma for children, families, and the professionals serving them. Janine M. D’Anniballe, Ph.D., Director of Access, Emergency, and Community Services, Mental Health Partners

Where there is Breath there is Hope  Ms.Tonier “Neen” Cain, Director of Advocacy Services, National Association of State Mental Health Directors takes the audience on a journey to places and subjects that most find too difficult or uncomfortable to fathom. But it is Tonier “Neen” Cain’s joyous spirit and astonishing inner-strength that leaps directly into audience’s hearts, inspiring renewed hope and compassion for those still living on the fringes. For two decades, Neen hustled on the streets of Annapolis, Maryland, desperately feeding an insatiable crack addiction and racking up 83 arrests along the way. Rapes and beatings were a routine part of life; home was underneath a bridge or inside the locked cage of a prison. In 2004, pregnant and incarcerated for violation of parole, she was provided the opportunity to go to a community trauma, mental health and addictions program. Feeling safe for the first time in her life, Neen confronted the haunting childhood memories that she tried to numb with drugs: filth and chronic hunger, sexual assaults by neighborhood men, routine physical and mental abuse dished out by her mother. Realizing for the first time that she had been a victim, she began to heal and reclaim power over her life, embarking on a remarkable “upward spiral,” that has no limit. Today, she’s the founder and CEO of Healing Neen Inc., she works for the National Center for Trauma-Informed Care, dedicating her life to being a voice for those still lost and still silent. Traveling the world to give speeches and work one-on-one with women in prisons and hospitals, Neen continues to transform her own life while helping others to embrace her motto “where there’s breath, there’s hope.”