On behalf of the entire planning committee, thank you to those who were able to participate in the 2020 Thrive Healing Summit. In the midst of a global pandemic and the deadly wildfires we have experienced locally, your willingness to carve out a full day to come together to explore healing is greatly appreciated.
It is our hope that the summit provided an intimate, engaging and inspirational experience! We hope you find the resources below and on these pages to be helpful and look forward to supporting you further.
THRIVE STEERING COMMITTEE
SANDRA AZEVEDO
Coordinator of Continuous Improvement, Butte County Office of Education
JUNI BANERJEE-STEVENS
Licensed Psychologist and Owner, Deer Park Counseling & Consulting
ANNA BAUER
Director, First 5 Butte County
SCOTT DINITS
Human Resources Director,
Boys and Girls Club of the North Valley
ERNA FRIEDBERG
Regional Director of Program Development serving Butte, Glenn, Shasta & Tehema Counties, North Valley Catholic Social Services
JANUARY GILES
KRISTY MAKIEVE
Executive Director, Butte-Glenn Medical Society
MATT REDDAM
School and Community Wellness Advisor, Butte County Office of Education
HEATHER SENSKE
Senior Director of Child Development Programs and Services, Butte County Office of Education
MONICA SODERSTROM
Division Director, Community Health, Butte County Public Health
LINDA ZORN
Executive Director, Economic and Workforce Development Butte-Glenn Community College District
TED ZWERDLING, MD
Pediatrician, Adventist Health
Manager, Center for Learning and Resilience, Butte County Office of Education
We would also like to recognize the following individuals for their contributions and support to the summit.
ALEXA BENSON-VALAVANIS
NVCF, President and CEO
DAVID LITTLE
NVCF, Executive Vice President, Programs and Communications
PATRICE BERRY
NVCF, Communications Assistant
ERIN MORRISSEY
NVCF, Program Manager
TESS SLATON
NVCF, Program Assistant
JOVANNI TRICERRI
NVCF, Vice President, Regional Recovery and Partnerships
DANELLE CAMPBELL
NVCF, Program Director
SHARON NICHOLS
NVCF, Heart Officer & Senior Advisor
MONICA WIGMAN
NVCF, Executive Assistant
WENDY BROWN
Executive Director, Butte County Child Abuse Prevention Council
WELCOME + LIVE PERFORMANCE + INTRODUCTION
8:30 AM
Live performance by Kelvin Mockingbird
As a member of the highly influential musical group Burning Sky, Mockingbird received a Grammy nomination for Best Native American Album for the album "Spirits in the Wind" in 2002.
Kelvin's spacious and meditative playing is firmly rooted in his personal philosophy: "We are only a single note lingering in this cosmos, but as one people we make a strong chord in harmony with the universe."
Welcome and overview of the day's events - Alexa Benson-Valavanis, NVCF President and CEO and Danelle Campbell, Thrive program director
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
8:45 AM
Partner Recognition - Ramiro Zúñiga, M.D., M.B.A., FAAFP
Dr. Ramiro Zúñiga is the Vice President, Medical Director for Medi-Cal at Health Net of California and California Health and Wellness, part of Centene Corporation. He has leadership responsibilities over several health plan initiatives and programs in compliance, quality, utilization management, case management, and network development. His focus in on ensuring the provision of appropriate, high quality, cost effective care.
MINDFULNESS SESSION w/ CHAU YODER
CALMING THE BODY - A GUIDED MEDITATION TO RELAX THE BODY
8:50 AM
Chau Yoder is a graduate of California State University, Fresno, with a Bachelor of Science in electrical and electronic engineering. Chau led a successful program of mindful living during her 25-year career at Chevron as a manager of information technology and as an applied behavioral science consultant. Chau received training in mindfulness from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD on MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.) She is a Dharma teacher, ordained by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in 2003 and in 2009, Chau completed the training program of Master Ce Hang Truong to be an Integral Taichi Trainer.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS w/ AARON DAVIS
IT'S ALL ABOUT EXPERIENCES AND RELATIONSHIPS
9:00 AM
Focus - In this session, participants will be reminded of the importance of positive childhood experiences and creating meaningful relationships as the antidote for healing. Considering the people, places and experiences that shape our lives, Aaron will challenge participants to evaluate their perceptions, biases and stigma as a way to create and promote connection and cohesion.
Presenter - Aaron Davis is a nationally recognized speaker, author and attitude expert. Aaron was a member of the 1994 national championship Nebraska football team and has worked with numerous corporations and organizations in their quest to explore attitudes, perceptions, assumptions and bias. Aaron is not just a speaker “telling” others how to strengthen their organizational practices and standards, he is committed to the real conversation that will elicit transparency and real change.
Aaron is passionate about normalizing the conversation on mental health, suicide, trauma and stigma. He challenges his audience to create momentum for honest dialogue, exploring isolation, trauma, racial/social divide and adverse childhood experiences as contributors to the mental health challenges our nation is experiencing. Aaron conveys the importance of positive childhood experiences and meaningful relationships as an antidote for healing.
Aaron has received numerous awards and accolades and is a proud University of Nebraska alumnus earning his degree in psychology. He has shared the stage with some of today’s top luminaries in various fields. Aaron and his wife Brooke reside in Nebraska with their daughter and two sons.
EMERGING TRENDS - CHILD + FAMILY WELL-BEING
A DISCUSSION WITH LAURA PORTER + LOCAL PANELISTS + BREAKOUT SESSIONS
9:30 AM
Focus - To examine and discuss where we are during this challenging and formative time, identify what is happening, what is needed, and what is working. It is clear through our current circumstances that child response systems are overtaxed, that children and families are experiencing immense stress and that agencies are shifting to meet the needs within a virtual learning environment. It's even more evident that we need to continue to work together to create pathways of community healing that turn these types of events from trauma into growth and resilience.
Laura Porter, founder of Self-Healing Communities and ACE Interface, will share her insights on how communities are creatively working together to protect the emergency response systems and creating opportunities to normalize the conversation with parents/care givers and youth about stress and mental health – while reducing shame and blame. We will also hear from local community leaders on the strategies, tools and resources they have implemented in response to distant learning and virtual service delivery.
We will explore emerging trends, capacity-building steps, and opportunities for collaboration
and coordination of services. Through interactive discussions, participants will reflect on the current situation, share experiences and resources, and generate possible solutions that can be replicated.
Questions to examine include:
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What are you seeing/experiencing with the children/families you are serving?
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How is the stress we are experiencing interfering with your efforts?
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What is one thing you/your organization is doing to support your staff?
Presenters -
Laura Porter is co-founder of ACE Interface. Porter develops and teaches community empowerment strategies, including the Self-Healing Communities model, that help leaders throughout the nation to dramatically improve population health.
Bobby Jones is the Executive Director of the African American Family & Cultural Center in Oroville, Ca. He was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. He moved to the Bay Area in California when he was a teenager, while in high school he played football and was then recruited to play football for Chico State. While at Chico State, Bobby obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. He has instilled in his three adult children that it is all about helping one another and being the best, most honest person you can be. Bobby and his wife reside in Oroville, in his spare time he coaches
football and basketball, and enjoys anything related to music.
Norma S. Lacy, is the Program Supervisor for NVCSS Promotores Outreach and Disaster case Management Program. Norma is a Mexico Native, studied at Chico State, met her Husband and created a blended family of ten. Her family is like a perfect rainbow; a mix of cultures, colors, shapes, and sizes puts it best and fun personalities. Norma is a multicultural, bilingual community advocate culturally proficient with over 20 years of experience serving diverse Latino Communities.
Ge Yang is the Program Manager at the Hmong Cultural Center of Butte County (HCCBC) for a number of initiatives including Tu Tus Menyuam – Raising the Child (RTC), Txhawb – Promotores, Hmong Talk-Line, Koomtes Youth Program and Immigration – Refugee Mental Health Advocacy. Ge graduated from CSU Chico with BS in Health Science Administration: Community Services.
MINDFULNESS SESSION w/ CHAU YODER
TAMING THE MIND - A GUIDED MEDITATION TO GAIN MORE CONCENTRATION
10:30 AM
Session Guide: Chau Yoder
LIVE PERFORMANCE BY KELVIN MOCKINGBIRD + RAFFLE
10:40 AM
Live performance by Kelvin Mockingbird
As a member of the highly influential musical group Burning Sky, Mockingbird received a Grammy nomination for Best Native American Album for the album "Spirits in the Wind" in 2002.
Kelvin's spacious and meditative playing is firmly rooted in his personal philosophy: "We are only a single note lingering in this cosmos, but as one people we make a strong chord in harmony with the universe."
10:45 AM
Raffle drawing - MasterClass Membership - All-access annual subscription.
MasterClass is an immersive online experience that offers access to genius by allowing anyone to take online classes with the world's best.
REGULATING w/ RESILIENCE
10:45 AM
Focus - How to Plunge a Toilet, or Emotional Literacy 101
Many of us are natural problem-solvers. We are masters of assessing a situation and using our intellect to develop a strategy to effectively and efficiently clean up any mess. Sounds so simple and tidy, right?
So, why do things sometimes go so fabulously down the drain?
In this presentation, we’ll discuss the role emotions play in helping us navigate the crappiest dilemmas, especially when it comes to relationships. Moreover, we’ll discuss how developing your own emotional literacy provides the foundation for true resilience.
(This presentation is an excerpt from the RealResilience training curriculum.)
Presenter - Dr. Devjani (Juni) Banerjee-Stevens is a licensed psychologist and owner of Deer Park Counseling & Consulting. She is committed to helping individuals, organizations and communities heal from trauma, one relationship at a time.
WE ARE THE MEDICINE
11:15 AM
Focus - This session aims to promote the well-being, capacity and resources available to those working in the health, social and education sectors as they collaborate on the front lines to help children, youth and families. The session highlights the role of attuned relationships to prevent and heal from traumatic experiences and shines a light on the possibilities to build skills of children, youth and families to flourish even amid adversity.
Join us as we explore how promoting positive relational experiences can prevent and mitigate harm to children and youth and restore family resilience. Now more than ever, we need to continue to work together to create pathways of community healing that turn our accumulated trauma events into growth and resilience.
Presenter - Christina Bethell, PhD, MBA, MPH, is a professor in the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, where she serves as the founding director of the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. She grew up in Paradise, California.
LUNCH
BROWN BAG DISCUSSION w/ DR. CHRISTINA BETHELL, PhD, MBA, MPH
12:00 PM
Grab your lunch and join Dr. Bethell in an informal lunchtime chat.
LIVE PERFORMANCE BY KELVIN MOCKINGBIRD + RAFFLE
12:25 PM
Live performance by Kelvin Mockingbird
As a member of the highly influential musical group Burning Sky, Mockingbird received a Grammy nomination for Best Native American Album for the album "Spirits in the Wind" in 2002.
Kelvin's spacious and meditative playing is firmly rooted in his personal philosophy: "We are only a single note lingering in this cosmos, but as one people we make a strong chord in harmony with the universe."
12:30 PM
Raffle Drawing - Grazing Chico - delivered grazing and candy boxes.
Grazing Chico specializes in creative, artisan grazing boxes filled with an assortment of high quality meats, cheeses, fresh & dried fruit, veggies, dips, sweets, nuts and olives.
MINDFULNESS SESSION w/ CHAU YODER
MINDFULL MOVEMENTS - ACTIVE MEDITATION TO RELAX THE BODY AND MIND
12:35 PM
Chau Yoder is a graduate of California State University, Fresno, with a Bachelor of Science in electrical and electronic engineering. Chau led a successful program of mindful living during her 25-year career at Chevron as a manager of information technology and as an applied behavioral science consultant. Chau received training in mindfulness from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD on MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.) She is a Dharma teacher, ordained by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in 2003 and in 2009, Chau completed the training program of Master Ce Hang Truong to be an Integral Taichi Trainer.
THRIVE CHILDREN'S RESILIENCE INITIATIVE
A PROJECT OF THE NORTH VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
12:45 PM
Focus - In the wake of the devastating Camp Fire in 2018, the North Valley Community
Foundation selected No Limit Generation, a 501(c)(3) children’s mental health organization, to develop the first of its kind, mental health and child well-being focused curriculum to support the community’s vulnerable youth. Today is the culmination of that partnership and the launch of
those videos and tools.
This engaging online-accessible training program with practical, personal self-care and child well-being exercises is grounded in our local community with relevance far beyond. With content developed in consultation with No Limits Generation, utilizing local experts and resources this training program will be an indispensable tool for everyone working with children in our community. The goal of the program is to enhance the quality of care and well-being of children impacted by trauma by equipping the community with the critical guidance they need to create healing and supportive environments for the most vulnerable children to rise and thrive into their full potential.
Presenter - Samier Mansur is a proven social impact entrepreneur, recognized as one of the “top innovators and disruptors” of Washington, D.C. He has spent his professional career at the intersection of innovative tech, mental health, and effective policy; and has designed solutions that have saved lives and reached millions of people around the world.
Samier is the co-founder of the nationally recognized LiveSafe mobile safety app that powers personal safety and security for over 4.5 million students, community members, and servicemen and women in uniform. He is the founder of the global mental health and child well-being platform, No Limit Generation; and the Safe Haven, a safe, healing, and learning space for 500 child genocide survivors in the Rohingya refugee camps of Bangladesh.
As a purpose-driven life and leadership coach, Samier helps his clients discover their purpose, and create a rich life of love, abundance and meaning. Samier has over 40 global publications on personal well-being, mental health and policy; has spoken on the TEDx stage; and is certified in Cognitive Behavioral Techniques (CBT) and neuroscience-informed mindfulness and movement practices. He continues to advise business leaders, entrepreneurs and policy-makers on effective responses to pressing personal and organizational challenges and opportunities.
RAFFLE DRAWING
1:45 PM
Raffle drawing - $150 Amazon gift card
BUTTE COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION
HOLDING DIALOGUE SPACE
1:45 PM
Focus - Considerations for creating and holding dialogue spaces for adults in our systems.
Given limited resources and high levels of stress on adults, how can we strengthen our system by leveraging our existing resources and embed relational strategies that foster relationship, healing and resilience?
Presenter - Sandra Azevedo, MA, PPS, is a coordinator of continuous improvement for Butte County Office of Education. She has worked in education for over 25 years supporting special education, MTSS, SEL, equity and a leadership network. Sandra assisted in the development of the Social & Emotional Learning in CA : A Guide to Resources and Social and Emotional Learning Embedded in Core Education Documents (CA) and Wiki Wisdom/Beyond Differences Report: Advancing SEL Amid a Pandemic and National Awakening to Systemic Racism. Sandra is a steering committee member for her local healing-centered ACEs Collaborative, as well as a multi-county regional ACEs Collaborative.
Presenter - Matt Reddam is the current school and community wellness advisor for Butte County Office of Education and former policy and practice coordinator for Trauma Transformed. A regional expert on child traumatic stress and trauma-informed systems, Matt is a clinician, advocate, trainer and consultant whose passion as a survivor drives the need to bring our systems into a state of equity and compassion.
MINDFULNESS SESSION w/ CHAU YODER
TRUE HAPPINESS - GUIDED MEDITATION TO ENHANCE LOVING KINDNESS, COMPASSION, JOY AND INTERCONNECTEDNESS
2:15 PM
Chau Yoder is a graduate of California State University, Fresno, with a Bachelor of Science in electrical and electronic engineering. Chau led a successful program of mindful living during her 25-year career at Chevron as a manager of information technology and as an applied behavioral science consultant. Chau received training in mindfulness from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD on MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.) She is a Dharma teacher, ordained by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in 2003 and in 2009, Chau completed the training program of Master Ce Hang Truong to be an Integral Taichi Trainer.
VIRTUAL TEAM MOSAIC
2:25 PM
Focus - Community healing at its best happens with intentional and authentic collaboration. Our collective impact is far greater than the individual contributions.
The Virtual Team Mosaic™ is a powerful collaborative process bringing remote teams together with creativity and collaboration. In this session we will work on small, simple pieces of artwork individually. With the help of unique software we will be able to see those pieces come together, creating a beautiful mosaic.
This session will also allow for small-group discussion: What are you or your organization doing to make a difference in community healing? What is working? What do you need support with?
Presenter - Lain Hensley, COO co-founder and head dream chaser at Odyssey Teams. Everyone wants to be Lain Hensley’s friend and listen to his podcast, "You Go First." Lain is one of those rare people who sees what people often don’t see in themselves. The beautiful beginner. The sacred wonder. He’ll reveal your magic and he’ll get you to believe. He is generous, smart and oriented to making things better.
RAFFLE DRAWING
3:25 PM
Raffle drawing - Meriam Park Package - $40 gift certificate for Live Life Juice, $40 gift certificate for Day Camp Coffee, $60 gift certificate for Plant Love.
PROTECTING CHILDREN IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT
3:25 PM
Focus - During this 60-minute workshop for administrators and directors of schools and youth-serving organizations, we discuss how policy can help professionals establish healthy boundaries in an online environment with the students they serve. Attendees will learn how to communicate with students in an online environment that maintains observable and interruptible interactions, and how to recognize abuse and neglect through a webcam.
Presenters - Patricia Dailey Lewis, Esquire, executive director, Patricia Gioffre Scott, ED.D, director of strategic partnerships and grants, and Claudine Wiant, director of programming from the Beau Biden Foundation
The Beau Biden Foundation is an operating foundation nonprofit whose mission is to protect children and confront abuse. The foundation, established in 2015, was created after the death of former Attorney General Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III of Delaware, who was committed to protecting children from abuse.
Over the past years, the foundation is strengthening child protection laws around the country, training adults who interact with children, and developing robust policies for organizations to eradicate grooming and institutional abuse. As Beau stated, “As adults we have a legal and moral obligation to stand up and speak out for children who are being abused. These children cannot speak for themselves.”
CLOSING KEYNOTE
REBOUND, REBOOT AND REMAIN RESILIENT IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY
4:25 PM
Focus - Now more than ever, we are all striving to provide support and consistency to the youth and families we serve. Yet, we are all experiencing ever changing uncertainty, community crisis and trauma. How do we stay motivated and inspired when we are experiencing trauma ourselves? Aaron will remind us of the importance of self-care, support and creating healthy rituals!
Presenter - Aaron Davis is a nationally recognized speaker, author and attitude expert. Aaron was a member of the 1994 national championship Nebraska football team and has worked with numerous corporations and organizations in their quest to explore attitudes, perceptions, assumptions and bias. Aaron is not just a speaker “telling” others how to strengthen their organizational practices and standards, he is committed to the real conversation that will elicit transparency and real change.
Aaron is passionate about normalizing the conversation on mental health, suicide, trauma and stigma. He challenges his audience to create momentum for honest dialogue, exploring isolation, trauma, racial/social divide and adverse childhood experiences as contributors to the mental health challenges our nation is experiencing. Aaron conveys the importance of positive childhood experiences and meaningful relationships as an antidote for healing.
Aaron has received numerous awards and accolades and is a proud University of Nebraska alumnus earning his degree in psychology. He has shared the stage with some of today’s top luminaries in various fields. Aaron and his wife Brooke reside in Nebraska with their daughter and two sons.
CLOSING REMARKS + LIVE PERFORMANCE + RAFFLE
LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCE BY SUNDAY IRIS
5:00 PM
Closing remarks, raffle drawing for a $150 gift card to Upper Park Clothing and a live music performance by Sunday Iris.
Sunday Iris: Two strangers, both born in Texas, met in California and started writing songs together. Folk duo Sunday Iris, made up of Dave Elke and Lisa Langley, reside in Northern California and recorded their third album, "Anywhere," which was released in July 2019. Stories are conceived with stirring harmonies, dreamy melodies and moving lyrics. https://sundayiris.bandcamp.com/album/anywhere
PARENTING AS PRESENCE*
POSSIBLITIES TO HELP CHILDREN FLOURISH IN CHALLENGING TIMES
6:10 PM
Mindfulness Session with Chau Yoder - How to care for yourself and others.
Chau Yoder is a graduate of California State University, Fresno, with a Bachelor of Science in electrical and electronic engineering. Chau led a successful program of mindful living during her 25-year career at Chevron as a manager of information technology and as an applied behavioral science consultant. Chau received training in mindfulness from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD on MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.) She is a Dharma Teacher, ordained by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in 2003 and in 2009, Chau completed the training program of Master Ce Hang Truong to be an Integral Taichi Trainer.
6 - 7 PM
Focus - A session specifically for parents and caregivers of children. Amidst the ongoing pandemic and on the heels of repeated environmental catastrophes, it is more important than ever explore how to stay present and well as a parent and help our children flourish and heal.
Join us as we explore possibilities for parents to flourish during this challenging time and leverage the power of their care and connection with their children to help them heal and flourish even when things are hard. Now more than ever, we need to find the opportunity in the difficulty to restore safe, stable and nurturing relationships and family resilience and come out of the crises we face today stronger and healthier than before.
Presenter - Christina Bethell, PhD, MBA, MPH, is a professor in the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, where she serves as the founding director of the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. She grew up in Paradise, California.
*This event is separate from the main Thrive Healing Summit Zoom event. If you would like to participate, register here!
7:00 PM
Raffle drawing - a 45 minute family photo session with Shea Hignell photography
THRIVE INITIATIVE SPONSORS
EVENT SPONSOR
TEAM MOSAIC
SESSION SPONSOR
