Presentation(s) Topic(s)/Presentación (es) Tema (s):
“Childhood Anxiety 101: What is Anxiety?” & “10 Positive Parenting Skills”/ "Ansiedad Infantil 101: ¿Qué es la ansiedad?" & "10 Habilidades de Crianza Positivas"
Victoria Valdez, MMFT, Brainspotting Level 1 trained/Victoria Valdez, MMFT, Brainspotting Nivel 1 entrenado
Victoria Valdez is a Masters of Marriage & Family Therapy, providing child and family counseling services in private practice out of Brentwood Tennessee. She has over 12 years of experience working with children, and families in a combination of settings that include the following: foster care, residential treatment centers, and in-home and school counseling services. She is Child Centered Play Therapy trained and is working towards becoming a registered play therapist. She is Brainspotting Level 1 trained, a Certified Child and Adolescent Trauma Professional (CATP) and ADHD Certified Clinical Services Provider trained. Victoria is bilingual in Spanish and English and specializes in working with children and families. Victoria serves on the Find Hope Franklin suicide prevention task force.
Victoria Valdez tiene su Maestría en Terapia de Matrimonio y Familia, que brinda servicios de asesoramiento para niños y familias en práctica privada en Brentwood Tennessee. Tiene más de 12 años de experiencia trabajando con niños y familias en una combinación de entornos que incluyen lo siguiente: cuidado de crianza, centros de tratamiento residencial y servicios de asesoramiento en el hogar y en la escuela. Está capacitada en terapia de juego centrada en el niño y está trabajando para convertirse en una terapeuta de juego registrada(). Ella está entrenada en Brainspotting Nivel 1, y tambien tiene su Certificado en Trauma para Niños y Adolescentes (CATP) y un Proveedor de Servicios Clínicos Certificado por Desorden Hiperactivo y Deficit de Atencion capacitado. Victoria es bilingüe en español e inglés y se especializa en trabajar con niños y familias. Victoria forma parte del grupo de trabajo de prevención del suicidio Find Hope Franklin.
Website: www.victoria-valdez.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 931-674-1205
Presentation Topic:
“Understanding Child Rearing Expectations and DCS in Tennessee/ Entendiendo las Expectativas de Criar a Niños y a DCS en Tennessee”
Anna McConaghie, MSW
Hispanic and Immigrant Advocacy Specialist, CASA Nashville
Especialista en Advocacia para los Hispanos e Inmigrantes
Anna McConaghie graduated from the University of Georgia with a Master’s degree in Social Work. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and has been learning Spanish since age 11 through school, study abroad, and living in Spain for two years. Before her role at CASA, she was a clinician at a mental health clinic for Spanish-speakers in Athens, Georgia. She also interned at Georgia Child Protective Services in the Investigations unit during graduate school. Anna has a passion for working with Hispanic/Latinx and immigrant populations and utilizes a strengths-based, whole-person approach to empower others.
Anna McConaghie se graduó de la Universidad de Georgia con su Maestría en Trabajo Social. Es bilingüe en inglés y español, y ha estado aprendiendo español desde la edad de 11 a través de la escuela, estudiar al extranjero, y vivir en España por 2 años. Antes de su posición con CASA, hizo psicoterapia en una clínica de salud mental para hispanohablantes en Athens, Georgia. También hizo una pasantía con Georgia CPS (protección de niños) durante su maestría. Anna tiene una pasión por trabajar con hispanos, latinos, e inmigrantes y reconoce las fortalezas y la persona entera cuando trabaja con familias para empoderarlas.
Website/Sitio web: www.casanashville.org
Email: [email protected]
Phone/telefono: 615-602-4833
Alicia Bunch Vargas, LCSW, RPT
Clinical Director at Sexual Assault Center
Presentation(s) Topic(s): Keys to a Trauma Informed Practice
Pautas para una práctica informada en el trauma
Alicia has been with SAC since 2014. She received her Masters in Social Work from the University of Tennessee in Nashville in 2009 and her Bachelors in Family and Human Services from John Brown University in 2005. She is trained in Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Level 1 and 2 trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Level 1 certified in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. She is currently training in Level 2 Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. She is bilingual in English and Spanish. She grew up in Panama, Central America. She has experience in Mexico, interning at a state domestic violence program during her MSW. She spent 4 years in Bolivia working in El Alto at a non-profit providing services to women engaged in the sex trade. Alicia has local experience working as an advocate for survivors of human trafficking in Nashville and working with offenders at the John School in Nashville. Alicia sees children, adolescents and adults in her practice, including Spanish-speaking clients. Alicia also provides services in her private practice focusing on trauma and attachment issues.
Alicia ha estado con el Centro de Abuso Sexual desde el 2014. Recibió su Maestría en Trabajo Social de la Universidad de Tennessee en Nashville y su Licenciatura en Servicios Familiares y Humanos de la Universidad John Brown. Está capacitada en apego, autorregulación y competencia (ARC), terapia conductual cognitiva centrada en el trauma (TF-CBT), nivel 1 y 2 capacitada en desensibilización y reprocesamiento del movimiento ocular (EMDR) y nivel 1 certificado en psicoterapia sensoriomotriz. Actualmente está entrenando en psicoterapia sensoriomotriz, nivel 2. Ella es bilingüe en inglés y español. Ella creció en Panamá. Ella tiene experiencia en México, haciendo pasantía en un programa estatal de violencia doméstica durante su masterado. Pasó 4 años en Bolivia trabajando en El Alto en una organización sin fines de lucro que brinda servicios a mujeres involucradas en el trabajo sexual comercial. Alicia tiene experiencia local trabajando con sobrevivientes de la trata de personas en Nashville y trabajando con delincuentes en la Escuela John en Nashville. Alicia ve a niños, adolescentes y adultos en su práctica, incluidos clientes de habla hispana. Alicia también brinda servicios en su práctica privada enfocándose en temas de trauma y apego.
Phone: 615-515-3781
Email:[email protected]
Website:www.sacenter.org
Karina Fernandez, LCSW, EMDR certified, NOVA Crisis Response trained
Presentation(s) Topic(s)/Presentación (es) Tema (s): Therapy benefits after traumatic event, Trauma
response, and domestic violence information. Beneficios de la terapia después de un evento
traumático, respuesta al trauma y información sobre violencia doméstica.
Karina Fernandez graduated from Loma Linda University in Southern California with a Master’s degree in Social Work. She has been with Metro Nashville Police Department- Family Intervention Program, Domestic Violence Division almost 4 years. Karina is trained in NOVA- advanced regional crisis response to aid in mass causality, and regional crises response. She provides therapy to victims of violent crimes which include families of homicide victims, sexual assault, robbery, assault, and domestic violence victims. She has over 13 years’ experience in mental health in various settings which include inpatient psychiatric ICU, trauma ICU, outpatient mental health clinic, and family safety center settings. Karina has extensive experiences delivering trauma-informed care, with expertise in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, traumatic grief and loss, and anxiety. She is bilingual in Spanish and English and specializes in working with children, adults, and older adults.
Karina Fernández se graduó de la Universidad de Loma Linda en el sur de California con una maestría en Trabajadora Social. Ella ha estado con el Departamento de Policía de Metro Nashville - Programa de Intervención Familiar, División de Violencia Doméstica por casi 4 años. Karina está capacitada en NOVA: respuesta regional avanzada a la crisis para ayudar en la causalidad masiva y respuesta a las crisis
regionales. Brinda terapia a las víctimas de crímenes violentos que incluyen familias de víctimas de homicidio, asalto sexual, robo, asalto y víctimas de violencia doméstica. Tiene más de 13 años de experiencia en salud mental en diversos entornos, que incluyen UCI psiquiátrica para pacientes hospitalizados, UCI para traumatismos, clínica de salud mental para pacientes ambulatorios y centros de
seguridad familiar. Karina tiene una amplia experiencia en la prestación de atención informada sobre traumas, con experiencia en trastorno de estrés postraumático, depresión, duelo y pérdida traumáticas y ansiedad. Ella es bilingüe en español e inglés y se especializa en trabajar con niños, adultos y adultos mayores.
Phone: -615-862-7773- Metro Nashville Police Department- Family Intervention Program
Email: [email protected]
Presentation Topic: Disability Rights Tennessee: How We Can Help
Dalmys Sánchez, Spanish Outreach Specialist at Disability Rights Tennessee
Dalmys Sánchez was born and raised in the Dominican Republic where she also trained as an elementary education teacher. At the age of 18 she was awarded a highly competitive university fellowship to study Special Education for two years in St. Louis, MO. Following, she completed her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Webster University in St. Louis, MO. After moving to Nashville in 2003 with her young family, the doors to the early intervention world were opened when she participated in the Regional Intervention Program (RIP) with her own typically developing child in 2004. Through that experience she discovered a passion for helping parents help their children. She dedicated herself to early intervention work for over a decade by joining several agencies that provided education and training to parents of small children on how to manage behavior through positive and preventive strategies, stimulate children’s development through play and social interaction, and connect families to more specialized intervention services when needed. At Tennessee’s Early Intervention System she developed a desire to expand her knowledge and experience across age and disability, so she joined Disability Rights Tennessee as the Bilingual Intake Advocate (Spanish/English). She currently holds the position of Spanish Outreach Specialist, where she gets to share about the agency’s protection and advocacy services for people with disabilities to the Spanish-speaking community in Tennessee. Dalmys is passionate about finding and creating educational opportunities to educate the Spanish-speaking community about their disability rights in all areas of life.
Dalmys Sánchez nació y creció en la República Dominicana, donde también se formó como maestra de educación primaria. A los 18 años recibió una beca universitaria altamente competitiva para estudiar Educación Especial durante dos años en St. Louis, MO. Después, completó su licenciatura en literatura inglesa de la Universidad Webster en St. Louis, MO. Después de mudarse a Nashville en 2003 con su joven familia, las puertas del mundo de la intervención temprana se abrieron cuando participó en el Programa de Intervención Regional (RIP) con su propio hijo de desarrollo típico en 2004. A través de esa experiencia, descubrió una pasión por ayudar a los padres a ayudar a sus hijos. Se dedicó al trabajo de intervención temprana durante más de una década al unirse a varias agencias que brindaron educación y capacitación a padres de niños pequeños sobre cómo manejar el comportamiento a través de estrategias positivas y preventivas, estimular el desarrollo de los niños a través del juego y la interacción social, y conectar a las familias con servicios de intervención especializados cuando era necesario. En el Sistema de Intervención Temprana de Tennessee, desarrolló un deseo de expandir su conocimiento y experiencia abarcando todas las edades y discapacidades, por lo que se unió a Disability Rights Tennessee como defensora bilingüe de admisión (español / inglés). Actualmente ocupa el puesto de Spanish Outreach Specialist, donde comparte sobre los servicios de protección y defensa de la agencia para personas con discapacidades en la comunidad de habla hispana en Tennessee. A Dalmys le entusiasma encontrar y crear oportunidades educativas para educar a la comunidad de habla hispana sobre sus derechos de discapacidad en todas las áreas de la vida.
Phone: 800-342-1660
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.disabilityrightstn.org
Adrianne McKeon, M.S., PhD. Licensed Psychologist at Psychology Nashville
Presentación Topic: Cartas, Evaluaciones y Terapia: Cual es la diferencia?
Letters, Evaluations and Therapy; what is the difference?
Adrianne McKeon has over a decade of clinical experience working with a wide range of clients and issues. She has her Masters Degree in Cross-Cultural Psychology from Brunel University in England, and earned her Counseling Psychology Doctoral Degree in 2012 from University of Houston. Originally from Puerto Rico, Dr. McKeon is interested in multicultural issues in counseling and spiritually informed therapy. The majority of her clientele are Spanish-speaking couples, families and individual children and adults. She also conducts psychological evaluations. Dr. McKeon is a lifelong learner who is passionate about advocating for her clients through community relationship building and continuous competence development.
Adrianne McKeon tiene más de una década de experiencia clínica, trabajando con una gran variedad de clientes y asuntos. Tiene una Maestría en Psicología Transcultural de Brunel University en Inglaterra y obtuvo su Doctorado en Psicología de Consejería en 2012 en University of Houston. Originalmente de Puerto Rico, la Dra. McKeon le interesa asuntos clínicos relacionados a la cultura. Es importante para la Dra McKeon practicar una terapia que honre y respete la espiritualidad de su cliente. Actualmente, la mayoría de sus clientes son individuos (adultes y niñes) familias y parejas hispano-hablantes. También provee servicios de Evaluación Psicológica. La Dra. McKeon se considera una estudiante de por vida. Le apasiona continuamente aprender terapias nuevas y crear conecciones en la comunidad hispana para servir mejor a sus clientes.
Website: www.psychologynashville.com
Email: [email protected]
Presentation(s) Topic(s)/Presentación (es) Tema (s): Practical Coping Skills and Stress Management Techniques
Desireè Kelly, DrPH Public Health and Education Manager | Certified Executive Coach |Public Speaker [email protected]
Dr. Desireè Kelly is the Public Health and Education Manager at Mental Health America of the MidSouth, where she oversees the Erasing the Stigma Youth Program and the Mind the Workplace Wellness Program. She has over 27 years of combined experience as a public speaker, curriculum developer, and trainer. She specializes in designing and implementing curricula for various generational cohorts in diverse public health topics, specifically mental health education and self-care management resources. Recently, Dr. Kelly completed her certification at IAP Career College as an Executive Coach for individuals and corporations. She holds various certifications in suicide prevention, as well as a bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis, a master’s degree from University of Central Arkansas, and a doctorate in public health advocacy and leadership from Capella University. In 2020, Dr. Kelly was nominated for the Education Award for Nashville 2020 Women Who Rocks. Dr. Kelly’ s personal mission is reach then teach. This allows her to provide resources and education to everyone who desires to be the best version of themselves. One of Dr. Kelly’s favorite quotes is, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ” - Dr. Maya Angelou
Presentation(s) Topic(s)/Presentación (es) Tema (s): Recent Research Regarding the Impact of COVID-19 on the Latinx community
Ph.D. in Social Work, The University of Georgia, 2019
MSW, The University of Georgia, 2012
BA, Psychology, Sewanee: The University of the South, 2010
Dr. Porter Jennings-McGarity has a Ph.D. in social work and is also a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with a focus on trauma-related scholarship. Jennings-McGarity received a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Georgia (UGA) School of Social Work in 2012 and a Ph.D. in Social Work from The University of Georgia in 2019. She currently is an assistant professor of social work at Austin Peay State University where her research centers around addressing complex trauma in vulnerable populations. Jennings-McGarity has a near-decade of social work practice experience, with a specialization in providing trauma-informed clinical services for Spanish-speaking children, adolescents, and families impacted by migration. Her work has centered around the use of culturally responsive, evidenced-based trauma-informed interventions, including culturally adapted dialectical behavioral therapy and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. She frequently conducts lectures and continuing education training in the community on culturally responsive approaches to trauma, ACEs, and trauma in immigrants and refugees to build the bridge between research and practice. Her research interests focus on trauma, including ACEs, trauma-informed research and practice with individuals involved informal social systems (including the criminal justice system, the immigration system, and child welfare services), as well as utilization of culturally responsive practice with the Latinx population, and implementation of systematic and organizational trauma-informed care among vulnerable populations She is also active in community action efforts in Georgia and Tennessee to promote awareness on ACEs and resiliency, especially within the Latinx community.