The public is invited to attend a Strengthening Families Conference, as part of the City’s Safe Long Beach efforts, on Saturday, May 14, from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm, at Long Beach City College, Building E, 4901 E. Carson Street, Long Beach. The City of Long Beach and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) are hosting the conference.
“The safety, health, and well-being of Long Beach youth and families has to come first,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “This event provides another great opportunity for parents, mentors, and professionals to come together and discuss challenges facing our young people, and how to support more positive outcomes for everyone.”
The Strengthening Families Conference will focus on enhancing the support and education of children who have been exposed to violence, as well as ensuring the safety and well-being of all young people. The event will feature a series of workshops to discuss important topics for parents, caregivers, and professionals who work with youth and families, including:
- Identifying the impacts of child abuse and neglect
- Building the social and emotional competence of children
- Identifying and reducing domestic violence
- Preventing child maltreatment through family and community assistance
- Understanding adolescent behavior and development
- Combating loneliness and isolation
Keynote speaker Casey Gwinn, J.D., President of the Alliance for HOPE International, will discuss the findings of the nationally recognized Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study and the importance of mentorship to help break the generational cycle of family violence.
The conference is free to the public. A $30 fee will be charge for continuing education units (CEUs) for mental health professionals. Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. Limited childcare will be available.
Register to attend by May 13, 2016, at http://conta.cc/1SoA104. For more information, contact Viriya Nghiem at [email protected] or 562.497.3377. To learn how you can become a foster or adoptive parent, visit www.shareyourheartla.org or call 888.811.1121.
Last year, the City of Long Beach was awarded a Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Enhancement Grant to help fund awareness and training efforts to address the needs of youth. This conference supports the goals and objectives of the OJJDP grant.
Adopted by the City Council in May 2014, Safe Long Beach, the City’s Violence Prevention Plan addresses a broad safety agenda aimed at reducing all forms of violence, including domestic abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, hate crimes, bullying, gang violence, and violent crime. The Plan draws upon the City’s many existing assets to target violence at its root and attain the goal of building a safer Long Beach by 2020.
For more information on Safe Long Beach, go to www.lbvpp.com.
