2025 Supervisors Conference Agenda
We are excited to host this year’s event on Oct. 7 and 8!
AGENDA
Day One, Oct. 7
9-9:30 a.m.: Introductions and Welcomes
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/94915788544
9:30-10:30 a.m. How Trust Works
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/94915788544
When our trust is broken, and when our own trustworthiness is called into question, many of us are left wondering what to do. We barely know how trust works. How could we possibly repair it? Through his talk, Peter transforms our understanding of our deepest bonds, giving us the tools to build strong and supportive relationships on every level. With our families, coworkers, and friends, and with the groups, organizations, and institutions that touch our lives.
Peter H. Kim, author and scholar
10:30-11 a.m. Break
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Breakout Sessions:
Level up your M365 Superpowers
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/99038659189
We all know what it feels like when the inbox is breathing fire or a spreadsheet looks endless. Those moments eat up time and energy. But when we sharpen our tools and upgrade our approach, suddenly the dragon feels a lot smaller and we get our time back. That’s why efficiency matters. It’s not just about speed. It’s about creating space… space for problem-solving, space for growth, space to focus on what really matters.
Sara Games, DCYF IT Training Manager
Leading with Trust
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/96120530661
Supervision in child welfare isn’t just about managing tasks – it’s about creating safety, building trust, and helping your team grow through challenge. This interactive session is designed to support supervisors in showing up as calm, connected leaders in a high-stress field.
Using a trauma-informed lens and grounded in TBRI® (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) principles, we’ll explore how supervisors can lead with intention – even when expectations feel unclear, workloads are heavy, and mistakes carry high stakes. You’ll walk away with practical tools, reflection strategies, and a deeper sense of how to lead in ways that support both your staff and yourself – not through perfection, but through presence and purpose.
Amanda White, Alliance Development Coaching Manager
Lynn Robinson, Alliance Development Coach
Licensing Division Essentials: Overview, Collaboration, and FamLink Navigation
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/96318436663
This session offers an overview of the Licensing Division (LD) and its critical role in DCYF. Participants will gain clarity on the programs in LD, clarification about the new Kinship Licensing Standards, a preview of upcoming changes to Foster Care Rules, and the role of LD/CPS. We will explore strategies for effective cross-division collaboration and learn how find licensing information and staff assignments in FamLink.
Renatta Watson, DCYF Kinship, Foster, and Group Care Partnership and Support Administrator
Shannon Ammons, DCYF Kinship and Foster Care Initiatives Program Manager
12:30-1:30 p.m. Lunch and Indigenous Radio Hour
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/97137431845
Turn off your camera and enjoy Indigenous Radio Hour while you eat lunch or catch up on tasks. KEXP DJ Tory J (AKA Tory Johnston) is the co-host of Sounds of Survivance, a show featuring indigenous artists from all over the world, and he has put together an hourlong program for us to enjoy during the break.
1:30-3 p.m. Breakout Sessions:
Supervisors at DCYF hold immense responsibility—not only for the people and families they serve, but also for the staff they lead. This work demands deep compassion, yet without care, that same compassion can leave leaders drained, overextended, and vulnerable to compassion fatigue and burnout. In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore what compassion fatigue and burnout look like and how to recognize the early signs in yourself and others; the role of boundaries in sustaining leadership—how to set, hold, and honor them without guilt; and parts work (IFS framework), noticing the parts of ourselves that push us beyond capacity or were socialized to “do it all,” and learning how to care for those parts while reclaiming balance.
Mackenzie Dunham, LICSW, CMHS, CDWF-Clinician
Unstuck: Mechanics for Moving Forward
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/91299620082
This workshop focuses on internal team dynamics. The toll of long-term stress, diminishing resources, and compassion fatigue can easily lead to stuck patterns of communication. The good news is that we don’t need to wait to feel inspired to get unstuck, as much as we need mechanics of how to move forward with hope. In this interactive resourcing session, we will explore functioning as a trauma-informed community of professionals; four common pain responses and corresponding mechanics that move us towards healthy boundaries and connection; and making self-care daily and doable.
Karin Peabody, certified StrengthsFinder Communicator and certified Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainer
Language Accessibility
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/92888101722
Over half a million Washingtonians speak English less than “very well,” per the US Census. We need to support these folks in their interactions with our agency. Join members of the language access team at DCYF as we talk about what language access is, why it’s important, and how to implement best practices in your own area.
Ali Taylor, Language Access Services Coordinator
Karin Morris, DCYF ADA Administrator
Jonathan Whitby, MA, JD, DCYF ADA Operations Manager
3-3:15 p.m. Break
3:15-4 p.m. Choose Your Own Wellness Journey
Rather than talk about self care lets actually do some health care! Learn different techniques for disconnecting after a tough day.
Soft Yoga for Hands
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/97390447439
We type all day and yet we do not always focus on the health of our hands until they are sore. Let’s give them some love today!
Holly Bond, MS, RYT, Alliance Regional Supervisor
Sound Bath
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/96857789489
Join Ourah Arts for an immersive sound experience that will offer relief from stress and anxiety, which in turn allows for a state of deep relaxation and restoration.
Ourah Arts
Day Two, Oct. 8
9-10 a.m.: Surviving the Work: Recognizing and Buffering the Impacts of Vicarious Trauma
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/95639694137
Join us to talk about how to deepen awareness of the signs and symptoms of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout that often emerge in child protection work. We will explore the impacts these experiences can have on professional functioning, decision-making and personal well-being. You’ll learn practical buffers and protective strategies—including organizational support, peer connection, and individual resilience practices—that can help you support yourselves and your teams in sustaining effectiveness and longevity in the work.
Lori Eastep, Grassroots Therapy
10-10:30 a.m. Break
10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Breakouts
Managing Up
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/94684740052
In a perfect world, everyone at work understands their job and does it well, so there’s no need to create “work arounds” or otherwise adjust for situations where this isn’t happening. This is especially challenging when our boss is involved. This workshop will look at ways we can effectively lead those who lead us. Along the way we’ll look at how to manage power dynamics, influence decisions, and drive results…all the while becoming a trusted advisor.
Lee Riley, Organizational Development Consultant
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/97619308751
This session will start with an overview of the adversarial legal system and attorney roles within it, followed by an introduction to the BIFF method (brief, informative, friendly, firm) as a tool for Child Welfare staff to address conflict with attorneys. There will also be regional breakout groups to discuss current court culture and other regional issues with your Legal Liaison.
Kati Brown, DCYF Legal Liaison Region 5
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/95575778812
In this breakout you will explore how to navigate change, and learn about the change curve (which mirrors the learning curve!). We’ll also talk about the core elements of credibility, so you can be working to ensure successful management of change going forward.
Joey Pauley, Leadership and Organizational Consultant
12-1 p.m. Lunch and Indigenous Radio Hour
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/92876906833
Turn off your camera and enjoy Indigenous Radio Hour while you eat lunch or catch up on tasks. KEXP DJ Tory J (AKA Tory Johnston) is the co-host of Sounds of Survivance, a show featuring indigenous artists from all over the world, and he has put together an hourlong program for us to enjoy during the break.
1-2 p.m. Silo Demo
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/92876906833
Our favorite connection activity is back! We’ve transitioned to a virtual format, which makes learning about your colleagues much more accessible. We will break into small groups and share about our own work, challenges and successes.
2:30 p.m. Blending System and Community
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/93493784183
Heather Cantamessa has experienced the child welfare system from multiple perspectives. In this conversation, she will weave together professional insight and lived experience to reflect on the realities of working in child welfare and family support. She will touch on the challenges of disconnection, vicarious trauma and grief, while also highlighting the power of empathy, collaboration, and bridge-building between programs, supervisors, and families. Drawing from stories and touchstones of practice, the presentation will explore how we can broaden our focus beyond being workers in systems to honoring our deeper roles as families, caregivers and communities.
Heather Cantamessa, Director of Family Impact at Akin