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PACER's Symposium on Students with Mental Health and Learning Disabilities
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
Minneapolis Convention Center, MN
8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Registration fee: $40.00
Lunch will be provided
Registration is limited
Administrator and teacher clock hours will be available

Join us for a full day of informative, engaging sessions on current best practices related to children’s mental health and learning disabilities. Parents, educators, administrators, and other professionals will learn strategies to more effectively support students at school and at home.


Speaker Presentations and Materials

Symposium Agenda

Title Speaker Resources
Keynote - Trauma Informed Family Engagement Practices Rosemarie Allen, Ed.D., President and CEO for the Institute for Racial Equity and Excellence and Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Metropolitan State University in Denver, Colo. Allen_Trauma-Informed-Family-Engagement
Keynote - When the World Feels Scary: Why Parents and Teachers Matter Now More Than Ever Abigail Gewirtz, Ph.D., L.P., Lindahl Leadership Professor in the Department of Family Social Science and the Institute of Child Development, and  Director of the Institute for Translational Research in Children’s Mental Health at the University of Minnesota. N/A
Keynote - Learning and Behavior Richard G. Petty, M.D., Psychiatrist, Neurologist, and Internal Medicine Specialist, Atlanta, Ga.

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Technology and the Brain Richard G. Petty, M.D., Psychiatrist, Neurologist, and Internal Medicine Specialist, Atlanta, Ga. Petty_Technology Workshop
Surviving and Thriving the Middle School Years Joyce Ratner, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in private practice, Minn.

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Working Effectively with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families Hassan Samantar, Bonnie Jean Smith, Jesús Villaseñor, Dao Xiong, Multicultural advocates at PACER Center, facilitated by Sharman Davis Barrett, Project Director of the Minnesota Statewide Family Engagement Center at PACER Center Hassan_WorkingwithDiverseFamilies
What Every Parent Wants to Ask a Pediatrician When Starting Treatment for ADHD Robert Karasov, M.D., Park Nicollet Clinics, Minn. Karasov_AskingaPediatricanADHD
I Don't Remember Signing Up for This! Coping Strategies When the Challenges Seem Overwhelming Naomi Oxman, MSW, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC), private practice at Center for Developmental Psychopharmacology, Minn.

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Getting it Right: Mental Health and Special Education Renelle Nelson, Coordinator of the Mental Health and Emotional or Behavioral Disorders Project, PACER Center, and Maleenia Mohabir, Parent Advocate and Children's Mental Health Specialist, PACER Center RenelleMaleenia_GettingitRight
Overview of Language-based Learning Disorders and Their Relationship with Executive Function Ethan Schwehr, Ph.D., L.P., Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP), Licensed Psychologist and Clinical Lead at Groves Academy and Ellen Engstrom, M.A., Director of Curriculum at Groves Academy, Minn. EngstromSchwehr_OverviewLanguageBased
When the World Feels Scary: Helping Children Stay Calm in an Anxious World Abigail Gewirtz, Ph.D., L.P., Lindahl Leadership Professor in the Department of Family Social Science and the Institute of Child Development, and  Director of the Institute for Translational Research in Children’s Mental Health at the University of Minnesota.  Gewirtz_WhenTheWorldFeelsScary
Trauma and Resilience in Young Children Rosemarie Allen, Ed.D., President and CEO for the Institute for Racial Equity and Excellence and Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Metropolitan State University in Denver, Colo. Allen_Trauma-and-resilience
A Pain Too Deep for Tears: Understanding Non-suicidal Self-injury Joyce Ratner, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in private practice, Minn.

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Keynote Presenters

Sheletta Brundidge is an Emmy Award-winning comedian, radio host, television anchor, newspaper columnist, and best-selling author of children’s autism books. She is also the mom of children with autism, and founder of ShelettaMakesMeLaugh.com, an online podcasting company that provides culturally competent commercial production.

Charlene Myklebust, Psy.D. is president and educational leadership consultant with EQ Learn, LLC, and Stone Arch Learning, LLC. She has served as a regular and special education teacher, public school administrator, mental and chemical health provider, and executive director of mental health and partnerships in Intermediate District 287.

Clock Hours

Clock hours offered are designed to meet the requirement for Minnesota teachers renewing their teaching license in understanding the key warning signs of early-onset mental illness in children and adolescents. Local re-licensure committees, however, have final approval.

2022 Break Out Session Topics:

  • Optimizing Mental Health in Children and Adolescents: Evidence-Based Lifestyle and Integrative Medicine Strategies
  • Turning Ideas Into Actions: Practices to Support Student Engagement and Motivation
  • Working Effectively With Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families in the School Setting
  • Status Update: Children, Technology, and Mental Health
  • Prioritizing the Whole Child: Building Socially, Emotionally Resilient Children
  • Take a Breath: Self-Care
  • Proactive Crisis Planning at School for Children With Mental Health Challenges
  • You Just Don’t Get It: Understanding the Mental Health and Developmental Concerns of Generation Z
  • Assistive Technology for Mental Health
  • School Life After the Pandemic: Impact, Changes, Continuing Challenges