Child Abuse Prevention Awareness WEBINAR - Nurturing Healthy Families: Promoting Effective Safe Care Plans for Substance-Affected Families

Event Agenda:  CMSN April 12 Agenda.pdf

Register Here:  https://psu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2Y6MjYKxQVqbohG6WMQgPA

A Plan of Safe Care serves as a guiding document that directs services and supports to ensure the safety and well-being of substance-affected infants and their caregivers. This event will equip professionals across child welfare, healthcare, behavioral health, and early intervention sectors with valuable insights into the research findings and practical challenges inherent in implementing Plans of Safe Care. Presentations will offer a deeper understanding of state approaches and opportunities for innovation, highlighting the critical intersection of child welfare, healthcare, and public health in protecting vulnerable populations. Given the significant number of young children entering foster care due to parental substance misuse, the event will address the pivotal role of Plans of Safe Care in prevention and intervention efforts.

Margaret Lloyd Sieger, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut, School of Social Work. Dr. Lloyd Sieger’s research focuses on practice and policy addressing substance use disorders in child welfare, with particular attention to families with infants and young children. Her current research, funded by NIDA and NIJ, examines state-level changes to policy on substance exposed infants, family treatment court effectiveness, and best practice standards implementation. She has published 50 articles and chapters in peer-reviewed literature on these topics. She teaches MSW-level courses on social policy, program evaluation, research, and substance use disorders. She earned her doctorate at the University of Kansas, masters at Avila University, and bachelors at the University of Arizona.    

Sean Couch and Kate Rocke serve as Senior Program Associates at the Center for Children and Family Futures (CFF), a nonprofit organization providing consultation, training and technical assistance, and evaluation services focused on improving practice and policy at the intersections of child welfare, substance use and mental disorder treatment, and court systems.  CFF operates the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, providing technical assistance at the state and local levels to build collaborative capacity to improve outcomes for infants and families affected by prenatal substance exposure.  

Robin M. Boyer, MSW, is the Director of Intake Services, Lancaster County Children and Youth Agency.

Jayme Shaffer, LSW, is the Program Specialist, Fayette County Plans of Safe Care, Fayette County Children and Youth Services.

Kelly Primus is the Deputy Secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.

Laval Miller-Wilson is the Deputy Secretary for the Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF) within the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS). Secretary Miller-Wilson is an attorney by training and is deeply committed and passionate about ensuring that vulnerable populations receive the care and resources they need and deserve.

Additional PA state and local speakers TBA