A conference on evidence-based programs
"The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate." —Joseph Priestley
Emails are great. Phone calls good. Face-to-face communication, best.
The back-and-forth, give-and take exchanges of ideas and experiences lead to new insights, expanded knowledge, immediate clarifications and solidification of personal connections.
This makes the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development Conference in April 2016 such an important event for those working to improve the well-being of children. Blueprints was started in 1996 with money from the state of Colorado. It reviews and rates cost-effective programs that meet the highest scientific standard of evidence for promoting improved youth behavior, education, emotional well-being, health, and positive relationships.
Who should attend?
Researchers, program designers, community leaders and advocates, policy-makers, practitioners and funders should attend the conference. The event is designed to impart information on evidence-based programs and tools that aid in the successful implementation of these programs. Dr. Gilbert Botvin is the keynote speaker. He is an expert on drug abuse and violence prevention, having spent his career developing, testing and disseminating effective preventive interventions.
He will be joined by Dr. Delbert Elliott, director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at UC Boulder; Dr. David Olds from the Prevention Research Center for Family and Child Health, UC Denver; Kathy Stack, current vice president of Evidence-Based Innovation at the
Laura and John Arnold Foundation following 27 years in the White House Office of Management and Budget; among other speakers.
MST’s pre-conference
It is not surprising that Multisystemic Therapy (MST), a Blueprints model-plus program, would be well represented at the conference. So much so that it is holding a pre-conference event on April 11—“The Policy and Practice of Building an MST Program.” The event is for people with an interest in learning how to positively impact juvenile-justice reform by using MST.
Highlighting the day will be Nell Bernstein, the award-winning author of “Burning Down the House,” a powerful call for closing our nation’s brutal and counterproductive juvenile prisons. She will be joined by Michigan Judge Dorene S. Allen, a tireless champion of innovative programs that help young offenders, Jeremy C. Kohomban, president and CEO of Children’s Village, an exemplary institution using and developing programs that document positive outcomes, a parent who will talk about her family’s experience participating in MST and others.
Takeaways from the conference and pre-conference can make a tremendous difference in our country’s seriously flawed juvenile-justice system, giving many young people the chance at a productive life.
For those interested in learning more about MST, register for the pre-conference. MST will refund the fee for qualified attendees. Contact us to learn more.
