Area Administrators Summit 2025 Agenda
We are excited to host this year’s event to support you in your roles as leaders.
The theme this year is “The Look of Leadership,” and we will be focusing on leaders’ role in supporting teams, implementing policies and creating positive cultures. You’ll learn about leadership styles, and outside-the-box ways to inspire those around you.
If you have any questions, please contact Robin Blomster at rmblom@uw.edu.
Agenda
Tuesday, May 20
8-9 a.m.: CaRES Lounge
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/s/93621900294
Join Alliance CaRES (Caregiver Retention, Education and Support) for a pre-conference welcome session! Learn about how the program can support you and your teams while playing “Mug Up!” and winning prizes.
Bingo cards
9-9:30 a.m.: Introductions and Welcomes
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/91970745822
9:30-10:30 a.m.: The Science of Hope
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/91970745822
Learn about the Science of Hope and strategies to improve goal setting, pathways development, and willpower in your personal and professional development. You will leave this conversation with a better sense of how to protect yourself against burnout and secondary traumatic stress.
Dr. Chan Hellman, Ph.D., professor at the Anne & Henry Zarrow School of Social Work and director of the Hope Research Center, University of Oklahoma
10:30-11 a.m.: Break
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Breakouts:
Bridging IT & Business: Seamless Collaboration for Success
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/94277572857
Join us for a fun, engaging, and informative session on leveraging IT services to enhance collaboration across business lines. We’ll explore new processes, smarter partnerships, and practical strategies to create a seamless, connected experience. Learn how IT can empower teams, streamline workflows, and drive better outcomes — together!
Sara Games, DCYF IT Training Manager
Language Accessibility
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/91267923559
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
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/97249270938
Learn about how the DCYF Legal Office is partnering with the Child Welfare Division to support dependency court work. Using an appreciative inquiry framework, engage in reflection and discussion about your area’s experiences with dependency court.
Eleanor Bosman-Clark, DCYF Deputy Legal Officer
12:30-1:30 p.m.: Lunch
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/91970745822
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. Breakouts:
Leadership Development in the Trenches
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/95943987439
Many effective leaders attribute at least some of their success to a good mentor; someone who took the time to get to know them, help them identify their strengths, and encourage them to take that step into formal leadership. This kind of intentionality on the part of a manager is a gift to both their organization and those they lead. This workshop will cover the principles of leadership development “in the trenches” as you help others realize their potential and put it into action.
Lee Riley, training and organizational development consultant
Applying the Science of Hope to Your Work in Real Time
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/91949665656
The Science of Hope is a simple but powerful framework for improving outcomes at many levels, for organizations, for leaders, for staff, for clients. This session will build on Dr. Hellman’s keynote and support understanding the basic principles of Hope Science and applying them to leadership.
Jennifer Personius, M.A., CPC, Systems of Care Administrator and Hope Navigator
Sarah Burns, Statewide Innovation Coordinator, Family and Youth Justice Programs, Administrative Office of the Courts
Kin-First Culture: Effective Search and Engagement Practices
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/92317872748
Explore the importance of search and engagement with relatives in the “Kin-First Culture” at DCYF. We will discuss formal relative search efforts, the case workers continued efforts in evaluating and reevaluating family members, and collaboration with others doing similar work (Relative Engagement Unit and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids). We will walk through relative search and engagement from intake to permanency, reviewing PL 110-351 requirements, state RCW, DCYF policies, and best practices for unbiased assessment of relatives and kinship caregivers.
Geene Delaplane, Kinship and Guardianship Program Manager
Chelsea Griffin, Child Welfare Policy Administrator
3-3:30 p.m.: Break
3:30-4:30 p.m.: Let’s Talk About Fentanyl
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/91970745822
Join Lynn Riemer, president of ACT on Drugs, Inc., for a conversation about fentanyl. Reimer is an experienced chemist and former member of the North Metro Drug Task Force in Colorado who speaks regularly with students, community child advocacy groups, industrial and professional groups, and employees of local and State governmental agencies about drug awareness, recognition, and prevention. She will talk about fentanyl, worker safety, Narcan, other drugs and substances, and drug paraphernalia.
Lynn Riemer, president of ACT on Drugs, Inc.
Wednesday, May 21
8-9 a.m.: CaRES Lounge
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/s/93621900294
Join Alliance CaRES (Caregiver Retention, Education and Support) for a pre-conference welcome session! Learn about how the program can support you and your teams while playing “Bingo!” and winning prizes.
9-10 a.m.: Motivational Interviewing for Leaders: Cultivating Excellence, Driving Vision
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/98708329011
Effective leadership is not just about setting goals — it’s about inspiring and empowering others to achieve them. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based communication approach that reduces tensions, strengthens team cohesion, and aligns employees with their own and the organization’s vision, mission, and values. Administrators and leaders will learn how to apply MI techniques to foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and excellence. Through practical examples and functional strategies, participants will discover how MI can transform everyday conversations into opportunities for motivation, problem-solving, and growth. Whether you’re leading a small team or a larger region, this session will offer up skills to cultivate excellence and drive vision through the power of Motivational Interviewing.
Casey Jackson, MSW, MAC, LICSW, CDP, CEO of IFIOC
10-10:30 a.m.: Break
10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Breakouts:
Leading from the Inside Out
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/95601504717
This interactive workshop explores how unacknowledged emotional burdens can limit authentic leadership. Using Internal Family Systems (IFS) techniques, you will learn to identify and connect with the different parts of themselves—particularly those that once served a protective purpose but now get in the way of who they want to be, and how they want to lead. Through guided reflection and group discussion, you will gain skills to gently unburden these parts, allowing you to show up more genuinely, lead with clarity, and harness your full leadership potential.
Mackenzie Dunham, LICSW, CMHS, CDWF-Clinician
Performance Management and Corrective Action
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/99830340626
Discussion of your role in performance management and corrective action. Addressing personnel issues and how to handle things oneself before having to contact HR and when it’s appropriate to contact HR with concerns. Your role in just cause. And, how to document!
Carrie Wood, Human Resource Operations Area Administrator for Child Welfare
12-1 p.m.: Lunch
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/98708329011
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.
12:50-1 p.m.: CCWIS Update
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/s/92932481352
Join the CCWIS team to learn more about the platform that will be replacing FamLink, and share your thoughts/feedback. This session is short and optional.
1-2 p.m.: Project Connect
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/98708329011
One thing we hear from nearly every conference planning committee is the desire to understand better what colleagues are doing across the department. This session will give you the opportunity to learn from each other about best practices, valuable strategies and how to stay engaged.
2-2:30 p.m.: Break
2:30-3:30 p.m. Sound Bath
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/98708329011
Our final session of the conference will help you transition out of learning mode back into life feeling centered and restored!
Ourah Arts