Healing the Generations 2026:
The Power of Community
About the Conference
A powerful gathering focused on
healing childhood and intergenerational trauma.
Join us March 25, 26 & 27 for the sixth Healing the Generations conference, hosted in person at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT.
“We are stronger, gentler, more resilient, and more beautiful when we are together.”
— Audre Lorde
The concept of “community” can also be interpreted as “coming in unity.” Coming in unity to build connection, heal, and to truly transform!
This conference is dedicated to exploring the transformative power of community in healing. In these times of heightened stress, constant digital distractions, and uncertainty about the future of human service systems, we come together — to reconnect, reflect, and restore.
Our gathering is intended to be a respite from the pressures of daily life, offering space to focus on the healing dimensions of trust, connection, and community.
Throughout these three days, speakers from across the country will share innovative models for building community and strengthening resilience. The program will include lectures, films, and interactive opportunities to engage, learn, and enjoy the company of others who are mission-driven and united by a common purpose — to help and to heal.
We are honored to welcome a multidisciplinary audience of community health workers, clinicians, faith-based leaders, child welfare advocates, social service professionals, policymakers, and artists.
Our hope is that this shared time together will offer rest, inspiration, and renewed energy — reminding us all that healing begins and deepens in community.
Continuing Education Unit (CEU) Credits Available!
Registration
Registration Deadline is March 13, 2026
Registration Deadline is March 13, 2026
March 25th
Pre-Conference Single Day Registration
Early Bird Registration
(Dec. 1 - Feb. 15)
$100
Standard Registration
(Feb. 16 - Mar. 13)
$120
March 26 & 27 Conference
2-Day Registration
Early Bird Registration
(Dec. 1 - Feb. 15)
$350
Standard Registration
(Feb. 16 - Mar. 13)
$450
March 26 OR 27 Conference
Single Day Registration
Early Bird Registration
(Dec. 1 - Feb. 15)
$225
Standard Registration
(Feb. 16 - Mar. 13)
$250
March 25, 26 & 27 Conference
3-Day Registration
Early Bird Registration
(Dec. 1 - Feb. 15)
$400
Standard Registration
(Feb. 16 - Mar. 13)
$500
Registration to the March 26 & 27 conference includes:
Breakfast & Lunch
Inspiring Keynote Presenters (2 per day)
5-10 breakout workshop opportunities to choose from each day
Thursday evening networking event and book fair
The “Care Café” will be open 9:00am - 5:00pm on both days, and feature the movie Resilience - shown throughout each day.
ACCOMODATIONS
A limited number of rooms are available at a reduced rate of $129 for the conference.
(*room tax, resort fee, incidentals not included)
Room reservation deadline is March 4
350 Trolley Line Boulevard
Mashantucket, CT 06338-3777
Conference Schedule
Pre-Conference
Wednesday, March 25th
9:30am - 4pm
9:30am -4:00pm: - Multiple, day-long workshops are planned. Attendees can choose whichever one workshop suits their needs best. Breaks and lunch to be determined by workshop leaders. There are multiple lunch options for participants to explore nearby.
Thursday, March 26th
9am - 7pm
9:00am - Opening ceremony & breakfast
9:30am - Keynote Speaker Radha Agrawal
10:45am - 11:00am: Morning Break
11:00am - 12:00pm: Session A Breakouts
12:15pm - 1:10pm: Lunch
1:10pm - 2:00pm: Keynote Speaker Iva GreyWolf
2:00pm - 3:30pm: Session B Breakouts
3:30pm - 4:00pm: Afternoon Break
4:00pm - 5:15pm: Session C Breakouts
5:30pm - 7:00pm: Networking Hour and Book Fair
7:00pm - 8:30pm: Screening of the film “Resilience”
Friday, March 27th
9am - 4pm
9:00am - Breakfast
9:30am - Keynote Speaker Charles Vogl
10:30am - 10:45am: Morning Break
10:45am - 11:45am: Session D Breakouts
11:45am - 12:30pm: Lunch
12:30pm - 2:00pm: Keynote Fireside Chat with Robert Anda & Laura Porter
2:00pm - 2:15pm: Afternoon Break
2:15pm - 4:00pm: Closing Keynote with The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond
Keynote Presenters
Radha Agrawal
Radha is the founder of The Belong Center, a nonprofit working to end loneliness through Belonging Ambassadors and large-scale connection programs. She created the Belonging Method™ and is the best-selling author of BELONG, with a new book underway on friendship and connection in the age of AI.
Keynote Presentation: Belonging
Dr. Iva GreyWolf
Dr. Iva GreyWolf, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist and President of the Society of Indian Psychologists, with over four decades serving Native communities in rural and remote settings. She is a national and international trainer on complex trauma, grief, resilience, and supervision.
Keynote Presentation: Opening the Bentwood Box: How We Heal
Dr. Robert Anda
Robert (Rob) Anda, MD is a physician-epidemiologist and co-founder/co-principal investigator of the landmark Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. His CDC career and ACE research have reshaped global understanding of how childhood trauma impacts lifelong health and community well-being.
In addition to co-hosting the Keynote Fireside Chat - Rob will be co-presenting a breakout with David Brown, “Understanding the Impacts of Accumulation: How ACEs and Interacting Factors Drive Risk Across the Life Course”
Laura Porter
Laura Porter is Co-Founder of ACE Interface, LLC and a national educator on applying ACE and resilience science to community change. She partners with leaders across states, agencies, and Tribal Nations to translate data into practical healing strategies.
Keynote Presentation: Fireside Chat - Creative Leadership in Public Health: Navigating Paradigm Change, Resistance, and Purpose
In addition to co-hosting the Keynote Fireside Chat - Laura will be presenting the breakout “From Neurodevelopment to Life-Course Change: Applying a Keystone Risk Framework to Trauma-Informed Practice”
Charles Vogl
Charles Vogl is an adviser, speaker, and author, including the bestseller The Art of Community. He advises Google’s School for Leaders and Vitality Lab, helping develop managers and address health challenges, and works with organizations worldwide, including Airbnb, LinkedIn, Amazon, and the US Army, to strengthen leadership and community-building programs.
Keynote Presentation: Power of Community
Dr. Ronald Chisom
Dr. Ronald Chisom is co-founder of the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond and an Ashoka Senior Fellow. A longtime organizer and strategist, he has led national and international work on community organizing and leadership, and is widely recognized for advancing racial justice and equitable representation.
Dr. Kimberley Richards
Kimberley Richards, EdD, is an educator, evaluator, and nonprofit leader with decades of experience in community development, racial equity, and educational change. She has served as Interim Executive Director of the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, leading evaluation, training, and organizational development across schools and communities.
Keynote Presentation: Humanistic Organizing
Workshop Presenters
Workshops will be broken into sessions throughout the 3-day conference. The workshops held during the pre-conference are day-long sessions.
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SAM is a StriveTogether partnership in Spartanburg, South Carolina, focused on cradle-to-career success for all children. SAM advances place-based, trauma-informed approaches that strengthen systems and community resilience.
Presenters: Jennifer Parker, Ph.D., LPC & Keisha Grey
Workshop: Trauma-Informed, Place-Based Interventions: The SAM Model
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Nelba Márquez-Greene is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and founder of This Grieving Life, specializing in grief, trauma, and healing after loss. She speaks from both clinical and survivor perspectives on how communities respond to mass tragedy and rebuild hope. Nelba will be presenting with her son and Sandy Hook survivor, Isaiah Márquez-Greene.
Workshop: Community Response to Grief
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Elizabeth Manley, LSW is Faculty and Senior Advisor at the Innovations Institute and a national leader in children’s behavioral health and systems design. Formerly New Jersey’s Assistant Commissioner for Children’s System of Care, she led major trauma-informed system transformations.
Workshop: New Jersey System of Care
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New England Children’s Behavioral Health Network (NECBHN) will lead a dedicated track at the conference themed “Reimagining Family Support Through Community Health Workers”. The track will elevate how community health workers serve children and families with behavioral health needs, showcasing regional best practices, systemic challenges, and vital policy.
Presenters include Ellen Hallswoth and Aishwarya Sreenivasan
Pre-Conference Learning Track: Community Health Workers
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Krista Goldstine-Cole, M.ED, EdD is Assistant Research Professor and co-director of the DART Lab at the University of Montana, studying how developmental adversities impact the brain, body, and life outcomes. Her research explores the timing, sequencing, and accumulation of risks leading to high-cost outcomes like incarceration and homelessness. Previously, she served as Education Director for the Washington State Family Policy Council and as a policy advisor on human services and corrections for the Washington State Senate Democratic caucus.
Workshop: Who Are the Leaders? One Community’s Journey to Self-Healing and Housing
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The Connecticut Women’s Consortium (CWC), founded in 1998, is a nonprofit dedicated to advancing trauma‑informed, gender‑responsive behavioral health care. Originally focused on substance‑abusing women and their children, it expanded statewide to support women’s mental health, advocacy, and policy development. CWC provides training, workshops, and conferences for clinicians, social workers, and organizations, promoting safety, dignity, and equity. It engages in legislative advocacy, partners with state agencies, and hosts community programs to strengthen services for women. Through education, collaboration, and policy work, the Consortium fosters a behavioral health system that is accessible, holistic, and equitable for all women in Connecticut.
Presenters include Alicia Feller, MA and Kelvin Young, RSS
Workshops: Restoring Balance & Movement as Medicine
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Pat will be co-presenting with Maya Matthews, BA, CNE. Many enter nonprofit work driven by compassion, yet the demands of the field—stress, staffing gaps, and systemic challenges—can lead to burnout, vicarious trauma, and fatigue. This interactive panel gathers experienced leaders to explore the personal and organizational toll of nonprofit work and strategies for sustainable, trauma-informed care. Challenging common self-care myths, the session emphasizes staff wellness as essential for sustaining compassionate services. Participants will learn practical tools, structural and leadership approaches, and ways to build community support, leaving with renewed energy, actionable strategies, and a sense of solidarity in navigating the challenges of this vital work.
Workshop: Beyond Burnout: Restoring Energy, Hope, and Humanity in Non-Profit work.
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Rev. Odell Montgomery Cooper, PhD is Executive Director of Interruptions: Disrupting the Silence (IDS), a nonprofit rooted in her lived experience of loss to gun violence. IDS addresses mental health inequities and structural racism through shared stories, creative arts, and community education.
Workshop: When Faith Hinders Healing: Balancing Belief and Mental Health
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Since opening the first outpatient mental health clinic in the U.S. in 1913, Clifford Beershas been helping children, teens, and adults with trauma-informed mental health care. Serving as a safety net for families in the greater New Haven area, Clifford Beers offers accessible care to those who cannot afford or access private services, using a whole-family approach to reduce stress and build strong, supportive, healthy relationships.
Presenters : Carly Trask-Kuchta, MA, PsyD, Kiara Lemon, PsyD., MPsy, Kaitlyn Fenner, DSW, LCSW
Workshops: Applied Psychodynamic Theory in Community Mental Health & Sexuality, Connection and Autistic Identity
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Cameo Thorne is a seasoned Restorative Practices Trainer and Consultant with extensive experience in schools, community organizations, and youth programs. Through her work with Cameo’s Consulting LLC, New Haven Public Schools, and institutions across Connecticut and New York, she has facilitated Tier 2 and 3 trainings, community-building circles, and culturally responsive workshops. With a background in educational leadership and English instruction, she specializes in trauma-informed and restorative practices, helping educators, staff, and communities resolve conflict, build connection, and foster safe, inclusive environments for students and professionals alike.
Workshop: Co-Creating Culturally Competent Workplaces
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The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond (PISAB), founded in 1980, addresses racism as the root of social and economic inequity through anti-racist organizing and community leadership. Its Undoing Racism® framework guides institutions and communities to confront systemic oppression, analyze power, honor culture, and build networks for lasting change. Co-founder Dr. Ronald Chisom is a national and international racial justice strategist, while Dr. Kimberley Richards leads evaluation, training, and organizational development, advancing equity and transformative community and educational initiatives.
Workshop: Humanistic Organizing
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David Falk has spent his career in municipal finance, affordable housing, and community development, working as a consultant, investment banker, credit analyst, and investment manager with organizations including Caine Gressel Midgley Slater, Bear Stearns, Lazard Freres, and Cedar Ridge Partners. He currently collaborates with the Self-Healing Communities Fund, creating solutions to mitigate the impacts of intergenerational Adverse Childhood Experiences on population health and community well-being. He holds a BA in Economics and Urban Studies from Northwestern University and a Master of Regional Planning from UNC Chapel Hill.
Workshop: The Role of Public-Private-Partnerships in Building Self-Healing Communities
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Chris Soderquist, President of Pontifex Consulting, created Systemic Intelligence (SysQ™), a systems thinking methodology used across sectors for over 25 years. He has collaborated with the CDC, SAMHSA, and multiple states on public health and behavioral health initiatives, and has lectured at MIT, Dartmouth, and the University of Virginia, focusing on building organizational capacity to address complex challenges collaboratively.
Workshop: Systemic Intelligence: An Enabling Capacity for Adaptive Leadership in Community Transformation
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Robert E. (Bob) Lieberman has over five decades working with young people and families facing serious challenges, in a variety of capacities, including 28 years as CEO of Kairos Northwest. He has written and published extensively and is co-editor of two books on transforming residential interventions. He is a Senior Consultant for the Building Bridges Initiative of ACRC, is certified by ACE Interface as a Master Trainer in the NEAR sciences, and is certified by Massachusetts General Hospital as a trainer in Collaborative Problem Solving™. He is currently President of Lieberman Group, Inc. and trains and consults across the country and internationally.
Workshop: Creating Community: Co-designing residential quality improvement strategies with family members and youth
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Maureen Connolly is an acclaimed innovator with national and international experience, known for creating impactful initiatives that build community, raise awareness, and drive social change. Her legacy projects include Pratt & Whitney’s Centennial, the United Nations’ 75th Anniversary, the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, the Sandy Hook “Love Wins” initiative, the Special Olympics World Games, and OPSailCT2000, and she holds an MPA from NYU’s Wagner School with a focus on social capital through innovation and partnership.
Workshop: Empowering Change: The Transformative Power of Events to Build Community
