Speaker Series
The Smart Start-sponsored Early Childhood Mental Health Speaker Series has been a critical and popular addition to our region since 2004. With local and foundation-sponsored funding, we have been able to provide outstanding educational seminars and workshops to local medical and child care professionals. Past and current programs have included:
2011
Saturday October 22, Dr. Cheryl McNeil will lead workshops for parents and professionals on Parent Child Interaction Therapy
2010
- "Bridges Out of Poverty"
- "Tuning In To Kids -- Raising Emotionally Intelligent Children"
2009
- "Taking the Hassle Out of Mealtimes" - Improving Children's Health and Behavior, A speaker panel on nutrition for young children. For parents and those working directly in early childcare, led by speakers Rachel Love, Ph.D., Jennifer Savage-Williams, Ph.D., Sonia Van Horn, OTR/L and Wendy Whitesell, M.Ed.
2008
- "Tuning In To Kids -- Emotionally Intelligent Parenting", Professional Training for Facilitators, by Sophie Havighurst, Ph.D., Lecturer and Clinical Psychologist, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
2007
- "Tuning In To Kids -- Emotionally Intelligent Parenting", by Sophie Havighurst, Ph.D., Lecturer and Clinical Psychologist, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
- "The Circle of Security -- Promoting Secure Child-Parent Relations in Early Childhood", by Robert S. Marvin, Ph.D., Director, The Mary D. Ainsworth Child-Parent Attachment Clinic, and Professor, Department of Psychology, the University of Virginia.
- "The Effects of Language Development on Emotional Regulation in Young Children", Scott D. Gest, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, Penn State University; and Julia R. Gest, Educational Consultant/Program Developer, Head Start REDI & FOCUS Projects, Penn State University.
2006
- "Mental Health Consultation in Child Care", by Kadija Johnston, LCSW, Director, Infant-Parent Program/Daycare Consultants, University of California, San Francisco.
- "Discipline Strategies that Really Work!" by Cheryl McNeil, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, Clinical Child Program, West Virginia University.
- "Social and Emotional Skills for Preschoolers", Dr. Celene Domitrovich, Assisant Director, Prevention Research Center, Penn State University.
2005
- "Helping Young Children with Disruptive Behavior", Cheryl McNeil, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, Clinical Child Program, West Virginia University.
- "ADHD and Beyond: Successful Strategies for Youngsters with Attention and Impulse Control Difficulties", H. Peter Montminy, Ph.D., Mid-Step Child Development Center, State College, PA.
- "Defiant Behavior and Beyond: Successful Strategies for Youngsters' Tantrums, Aggression, and Anger", by Pamela M. Cole, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Director of Child Study Center, Penn State University.
2004
- "What We Need to Know About the Young Mind and Brain", by Lise Eliot, Ph.D., Finch University of Health Sciences, University of Chicago Medical School.
- "Resources and Risks Very Young Children Bring to Their Development", by Marolyn Morford, Ph.D., Center for Adult and Child Development, State College, PA.
- "Maternal Depression and Parenting: What Are The Risks?" by Doug Teti, Ph.D., Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Penn State University.
- "How the Infant/Parent Relationship Develops", by Chris Peterson, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, Penn State's Hershey Medical Center.
- "What Professionals Can Do To Help", by Roseanne Clark, Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin Medical School.
Previous Sponsors of the Speakers Series have included:
- Cen-Clear Child Services, Inc.
- Bennett Family Center, Penn State University
- Prevention Research center, Penn State University
- Centre Medical and Surgical Associates, State College
- The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
- Centre County Community Foundation
- Mt. Nittany Medical Center
- Penn State Extension
- Child Development and Family Council of Centre County
Join with us today as we plan great new programs! Your sponsorship is critical in bringing these great programs to the Centre Region.