4th Annual DCF Resource Parent Symposium
SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2025 | 9:00am – 1:30pm
Join us for the 4th Annual DCF Resource Parent Symposium, where we celebrate YOU, invaluable members of our village!
This event is a testament to the power of community and your vital role within it. Throughout the day, we’ll engage in morning and
afternoon breakout sessions, offering workshops tailored to enhance your skills and knowledge as resource parents.
Together, we’ll continue to build a supportive environment where every member is inspired to thrive.
Thank you for your unwavering dedication and partnership in keeping New Jersey families safe, healthy, and connected.
We hope you can join us!
Space is limited, so kindly register. Registration has been extended to
March 27, 2025.
Includes light breakfast and lunch.
Childcare registration has closed.
You can still request the $15 per hour provided to you for a babysitter of your choice at home.
For those who were able to register for childcare, the activities for 1 year olds to teens is provided by:
Full Spectrum Therapy Partners, who offer inclusion based
behavioral health services to both the neurotypical
and neurodivergent communities.
Resource caregivers will receive
credit hours for attending.
Morning Breakout Sessions
This workshop will define trauma as well as PTSD and complex PTSD. It will provide resource families with an understanding of the Neurodevelopmental impact of trauma and the Autonomic Nervous System as it relates to children in care. Effective strategies to address complex trauma will be provided and discussed.
Presenter Information
Jennie Reitter, LCSW, is the co-founder of J&H Healing Therapy. Jennie has more than 20 years working in the clinical field of social work with extensive practice with youth and adults with trauma, emotional and behavioral health needs as well as substance abuse and co-occurring disorders.
Heather Thompson, LCSW, is the co-founder of J& H Healing Therapy. Heather has been working as a social worker since 2015. Heather has extensive experience working with individuals with neurodiversity. She is trained in a range of trauma informed therapeutic modalities.
This workshop will explore why connections and relationships with birth parents are so meaningful and beneficial to a child’s well-being while in care. Resource parents will learn ways to encourage and support the relationship between the child and their birth parents. They will develop skills to respond to challenges that may occur while managing complex family dynamics.
Presenter Information
Cynthia Lapidus, Assistant Director for NJ Adoption Resource Clearing House (NJ ARCH) and Kinship Care Clearing House (KinKonnect). Cynthia has 25 years of experience as an adoption social worker across the state of New Jersey. Cynthia is a proud mother of three, two biological and one by adoption.
Cecelia Gaines MEd, LPC, Children’s Aid & Family Services’ NJ Adoption Resource Clearing House (NJARCH) Warm Line Specialist and Trainer. Cecelia has been working in the counseling field for fifteen years in a variety of roles including working as an in home and outpatient therapist with foster children and children in pre-adoptive homes.
This workshop focuses on the impact of grief and loss on young people, exploring how these experiences shape their emotional, social, and mental wellbeing. It will begin with an overview of the types of loss youth may encounter, including death of a loved one, friendships, and/or family separation. The workshop highlights how children and adolescents process grief differently than adults, often expressing emotions through behavior.
Presenter Information
Jacquelyn Novick, MSW, LSW-Supervising Prevention Consultant for NJ4S (statewide initiative focused on providing early intervention and prevention services). Jacquelyn has been with Rutgers University Behavioral Healthcare for 10 years, contributing to both child/adolescent and adult inpatient units, as well as behavioral and prevention-based school-based programs.
Samantha Orefice, MPH, CHES- Supervising Prevention Consultant for NJ4S (statewide initiative focused on providing early intervention and prevention services). Samantha is certified as a Health Education Specialist through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. Samantha has worked for over six years in various roles focused on prevention, education, and behavioral health. Samantha’s current work with NJ4S focuses on supporting the mental and behavioral health of youth and families in New Jersey.
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
This workshop will define trauma as well as PTSD and complex PTSD. It will provide resource families with an understanding of the Neurodevelopmental impact of trauma and the Autonomic Nervous System as it relates to children in care. Effective strategies to address complex trauma will be provided and discussed.
Presenter Information
Jennie Reitter, LCSW, is the co-founder of J&H Healing Therapy. Jennie has more than 20 years working in the clinical field of social work with extensive practice with youth and adults with trauma, emotional and behavioral health needs as well as substance abuse and co-occurring disorders.
Heather Thompson, LCSW, is the co-founder of J& H Healing Therapy. Heather has been working as a social worker since 2015. Heather has extensive experience working with individuals with neurodiversity. She is trained in a range of trauma informed therapeutic modalities.
This workshop will examine the rising prevalence of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents, focusing on unique challenges they face in today’s world. It provides an overview of the symptoms, causes, and risk factors contributing to mental health conditions, including academic pressure, social media, and personal/family stressors.
Presenter Information
Ravjit (Ruby) Sekhon, MSW, LCSW- Program Director for NJ4S (statewide initiative focused on providing early intervention and prevention services). Ruby brings close to twenty years of extensive experience in the field of social work across diverse settings in non-profit and for profit sectors, spanning children, adults and community mental health. She currently works at Rutgers University Behavioral Health in addition to running her own psychotherapy practice.
Theia Smallwood, MSW, LCSW- Assistant Director for NJ4S (statewide initiative focused on providing early intervention and prevention services). Theia takes pride in providing quality mental health services and resources to populations of various ages, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
This workshop provides resource parents an in-depth understanding of New Jersey legislation related to court involvement in child welfare cases. Participants will explore the legal framework governing court proceedings, with a particular focus on the family’s permanency hearing and other critical judicial processes. The course will cover the rights and responsibilities of resource parents and youth when attending court hearings, guidance on how to prepare for these hearings, and practical strategies for meaningful participation.
Presenter Information
Chanel Dupree, Family Support Advocate at embrella. Chanel has spent more than 15 years working with vulnerable children and families, which allowed her to gain a wealth of knowledge regarding the Children’s System of Care. She has worked as a caseworker and a counselor who has served as a family advocate and educator. In addition, Chanel volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate in both Essex and Bergen counties, a Behavioral Assistant for Hudson County, and even worked for CP&P. She is also an unofficial/official foster child who happens to be a testament to the journey of teen parenthood and is a parent of a deaf individual.
Lazaro Lugo, Bilingual Family Support Advocate at embrella. The last seven years of Lazaro’s career has been dedicated to educating, mentoring, and empowering fathers/males as a Fatherhood Program Coordinator and Male Engagement Specialist with the National Healthy Start Association and NICHq (National Institute for Children’s Health Equity.)
DCF Resource Parent Symposium Registration Form
Childcare activities available for 1 year olds to teens or $15 per hour provided to you for a babysitter of your choice at home.
Thank you so much for your interest in the DCF Resource Parent Symposium. At this time registration has closed.
If you would like to join our waitlist please navigate to our waitlist form.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the Office of Resource Families at 609-888-7055 or email DCF.CPPOfficeofResourceFamilies@dcf.nj.gov. Thanks!