22nd Annual Stand Up for a Brighter Tomorrow Conference

Join us for the 22nd Annual Stand Up for a Brighter Tomorrow Conference in Prestonsburg, Kentucky on April 6-7, 2023!

Registration is now open.

April 6th & 7th, 8am-4:30pm

Stand Up for a Brighter Tomorrow is an annual Behavioral Health Conference on the emotional well-being of children and adolescents. Stand Up benefits professionals, parents and others interested in increasing their knowledge about sexual assault and/or interpersonal violence and emotional and/or behavioral disorders found in children.

• There is no registration fee to attend the conference and there is no charge for continuing education credits.
• Lunch will be provided.
• Door prizes will be available.
• Please notify Heather Greene or Renee Conn if you find you cannot attend after registration so that others can be registered after maximum capacity is reached.

Seating is limited to 300. Registration cut-off will be at maximum capacity or no later than March 27, 2023.

Workshops include a Plenary Session discussing the effect of child abuse and neglect on eastern Kentucky; The Realities of Violence Against Women; and We Are Family: An Exploration of Family Life.

CEU credits are approved for all workshops by the Kentucky Board of Social Work and Licensed Professional Board of Counselors, the Kentucky Board of Examiners in Psychology, and are pending by the Kentucky Board of Nursing​. Attendees must attend an entire workshop and complete a written evaluation to receive CEUs.

This conference is hosted by Mountain Comprehensive Care Center’s Healing Program for Survivors of Sexual Assault & Interpersonal Violence. Funded in whole or part with public funds.

Sponsors for The Healing Program’s 22nd Annual Stand Up for a Brighter Tomorrow Conference: Big Sandy ADD/Families First, Mountain Comprehensive Care Center’s CCBHC Program, Mountain Comprehensive Care Center’s iHOPE program, and Mountain Comprehensive Care Center’s TAYLRD programs.

Workshop Agenda:

Plenary: The Effect of Child Abuse and Neglect on Eastern Kentucky

Dr. Peter Oliver, M.D. Chief Medical Officer, Mountain Comprehensive Care Center

Peter S. Oliver, M.D., Mountain Comprehensive Care Center’s Chief Medical Officer, will discuss the effect of child abuse and neglect on eastern Kentucky. Dr. Oliver is a graduate of UVA School of Medicine, completing residency in Adult Psychiatry at UVA Hospital, and in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Duke University Hospital, and served as Chief Resident at both. Board Certified in Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Dr. Oliver is a member of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Oliver’s commitment to quality psychiatric care and service to eastern Kentucky provides a unique perspective of child abuse and neglect on its people and communities.

Workshops 1-6 Details

The Realities of Violence Against Women

Presenter: Lt. Mark Wynn (Ret.), Wynn Consulting

These sessions expose the participants to the reality of violence committed against women and the dangers to those who provide services to the victim/survivor. The sessions also discuss the common characteristics of victim and offenders missed crimes, the reasons these crimes are missed, and the impacts of missing these crimes will be outlined. Assessing the lethal risk to victims and the “threat” will be explored. The participants will be guided through the verbal threat; its impact on the victim and how to build a view of seriousness using pre-incident indicators to violence. A profile of domestic related homicide using actual case examples and the common denominators in these fatal cases will also be discussed.

Level: Intermediate

Workshop 7 Details

We Are Family - An Exploration of Family Life

Presenter: Nicole Y. Ward, MAMFT, LMFT-S, CST and Rebecca R. Ward, Helen Paris Foundation

In this session, participants will explore how the family of origin/family systems impact who we become. We will explore how family dynamics encourage and equip us. This session will be a diverse, inclusive, and equitable interactive session. Trauma-informed practices will enable us to support the well-being of families. We will gain perspective while exploring family traditions, family hurts, and family healings.

Level: Beginner, Intermediate

COVID-19 Guidelines: Conference organizers will follow CDC guidelines applicable at the time of the event. Currently, no restrictions are in place.