November 13 - 17, 2013 Grand Hyatt, D.C.

2013 Conference Theme: “Children’s Mental Health Matters: Increasing Awareness and Improving Services”

The National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health Announces “Children’s Mental Health Matters: Increasing Awareness, Improving Services” as the theme of our 24th Annual Conference. Mental Health has been in the spotlight in the wake of several tragic events in the past year. The political and economic climate continues to threaten the infrastructure needed to provide the best supports and services for children and youth with serious emotional, social and mental health challenges and their families. This year’s conference will have as its focus strategies that increase awareness about mental illness and improve the children’s mental health delivery system.

We invite submissions for 60, 90 minute, 3 hour intensive workshops or poster session proposals that highlight best practices, research, provide current information and include mental health as a part of the overall public health agenda. We are most interested in proposals related to the conference theme and program tracks; but welcome fresh and innovative proposals relevant to the children and youth mental health arena.

The goal of the 2013 annual conference is to answer critical questions to forward our mission of increasing awareness and providing services and supports to children’s mental health care needs in our nation. Add your voice, knowledge and expertise in answering these questions:

• What are the elements of genuine excellence in children’s mental health in 2013?
• What creative, promising and proven strategies and approaches can we rely on to increase awareness and expand excellence to children, youth and families in all corners of our nation beyond 2013?

We will focus the content on several tracks throughout the conference agenda including:

Supporting Non-Profit Organizational Development and Sustainability & Current and Innovative Approaches to the Development and Sustainability of Family-Governed and Youth-Led Organizations

• Board development
• Developing diverse funding sources/grant writing
• Good business practices for non-profits
• Social and traditional marketing tools
• Engaging stakeholders and developing strategic partnerships
• Developing advocacy skills
• Planning Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week Activities
• Models of successful anti-stigma initiatives
• Integration of Primary and Mental Health Services
• Leadership in Systems of Care Expansion and Planning

Funding Children’s Mental Health & Innovative Strategies for Funding Children’s Mental Health Services

• Identifying family and youth support services that are Medicaid billable
• Implementing the affordable care act to support children’s mental health and systems of care expansion
• Working with State block grant initiatives
• Identifying local entities to support and fund family and youth governed organizations
• Innovative strategies for taking sstems of care to scale

Providing and Sustaining Peer Support Services

• Creating parent, youth and adult peer support services
• Partnering with provider agencies to support peer support services
• Understanding the peer support certification process (PSP Certification)
• Billing Medicaid for peer support services Accessing peer support services
• Putting self-determination and person centered planning into practice

Serving Special Populations within Children’s Mental Health​

• Working effectively with Military Families
• Increasing partnerships with school based mental health initiatives
• Involving juvenile justice and child welfare systems
• Supports and services for co-occurring substance abuse and mental health conditions
• Support and services for children and youth with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and mental health challenges
• Working effectively with first generation immigrant families
• Supporting the LGBTQ population

Developing Youth Leadership and Supporting Youth Engagement

• Youth Leadership Development
• Supporting and sustaining youth led organizations
• Sustaining youth voice
• Supporting youth expression through the arts
• Developing youth empowerment tools including youth advocacy skills

Presentation Proposal Submission Guide

Presentation Criteria:

• Relevant to conference theme, proposed tracks and/or children’s mental health
• Organized, concise explanation of workshop goals and objectives
• Clearly explain how workshop will achieve goals and objectives within the 60, 90 or 3 hour intensive time slot proposed
• Must include plans for interaction with audience
• Ensure presentation teams do not exceed (4) and include a family member with lived experience or youth
• Must provide hand outs and materials to audience
• Accepted proposals will participate at the time scheduled by the Conference Program Committee
• Agree to be recorded (if applicable), National Federation may be made available for purchase after conference to benefit the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health
• Accepted poster presenters will be provided a 6-foot skirted table. Any additional materials needed will be provided by presenter
• Presenters will be allowed to register for the conference at the membership rate.