44th Annual School Psychology, Counseling Psychology and Applied Behavior Analysis Conference 
March 21, 2025

Hosted in-person at Temple University!
Howard Gittis Student Center, Rooms 200, 217, 220
Philadelphia, PA 19122

Attendees are invited to join us beginning at 8:00 a.m. for breakfast and keynote speaker in HGSC 217.

Schedule of Events

Keynote: 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Holding Sanctuary for Immigrant Youth and Families in Educational Spaces
Germán A. Cadenas, PhD (he/his/él)
Rutgers University

The health, wellbeing, and development of youth and young adults from immigrant backgrounds is largely constrained and shaped by environmental factors, such as anti-immigrant policies and climates. In this talk, Germán A. Cadenas will describe the research regarding the negative impact of immigration policies that have been spreading over the past two decades. To respond to these oppressive conditions, Cadenas will describe strategies for holding sanctuary to affirm the health and wellbeing of impacted immigrants in K-12 schools and in higher education. These strategies draw from critical frameworks, liberation psychology and community-based participatory action research. Furthermore, this talk will highlight the partnership between the Rutgers Center for Youth Social Emotional Wellness and the immigrant-led nonprofit, ImmSchools. This university-community-school model seeks to transform educational practices and policies to become safer, more welcoming and supportive of the empowerment of immigrant families.

The keynote presentation is available to psychologists, professional counselors, social workers and marriage and family therapists for CE credit. It also meets ACT 48 Continuing Professional Education Requirements as mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Session 1:  10:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

  • Shana Levi-Nielsen, PhD, NCSP, BCBA – How Kids Learn Reading, Math and Literally Everything: Using Behavioral Science to Inform Academic Instruction
  • Jessica Reinhardt, PhD, NCSP – Navigating the Depths: Enhancing Suicide Risk Assessment Skills

All Session 1 presentations are available to psychologists, professional counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists for CE credit. They also meet ACT 48 Continuing Professional Education Requirements as mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The session presented by Shana Levi-Nielsen is available for 2.0 Type 2 BCBA CEUs per the Behavior Analyst Certification Board requirements. The Temple University Department of Psychological Studies in Education is a BACB Approved Continuing Education provider (ACE Provider Number: OP-22-0333).

Lunch/Posters: 12:45 - 1:45 p.m.

Session 2: 1:45 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

  • Sofia Pham, PhD, NCSP – Assessment Planning for Different English Learner Profiles
  • Melanie M. Wilcox, PhD, APBB – Culturally and Structurally Responsive Supervision: An Ethical Mandate

All Session 2 presentations are available to psychologists, professional counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists for CE credit. They also meet ACT 48 Continuing Professional Education Requirements as mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
NOTE: Melanie Wilcox's session has been designated as providing hours towards the ethics training CEUs required by psychologists.

Session 3: 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

  • Advocacy in Action: Student-led Panel
    Monica McHale-Small, PhD; Beverly Kirby, MS, BCBA, LBA; Rachel Ascione, PsyD

Session 3 meets ACT 48 Continuing Professional Education Requirements as mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.  

 

Detailed Schedule of Events

Keynote: 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Holding Sanctuary for Immigrant Youth and Families in Educational Spaces
Germán A. Cadenas, PhD (he/his/él)
Rutgers University

The health, wellbeing, and development of youth and young adults from immigrant backgrounds is largely constrained and shaped by environmental factors, such as anti-immigrant policies and climates. In this talk, Germán A. Cadenas will describe the research regarding the negative impact of immigration policies that have been spreading over the past two decades. To respond to these oppressive conditions, Cadenas will describe strategies for holding sanctuary to affirm the health and wellbeing of impacted immigrants in K-12 schools and in higher education. These strategies draw from critical frameworks, liberation psychology and community-based participatory action research. Furthermore, this talk will highlight the partnership between the Rutgers Center for Youth Social Emotional Wellness and the immigrant-led nonprofit, ImmSchools. This university-community-school model seeks to transform educational practices and policies to become safer, more welcoming and supportive of the empowerment of immigrant families.

Learning Objectives:

  • Participants will identify the impact of immigration policies and the tools to assess these policies.

  • Participants will define sanctuary policies and practices.

  • Participants will be able to list available resources to support their educational practices with immigrants.

  • Participants will be able to cite evidence-based strategies for supporting immigrant youth and families.

  • Participants will be able to describe a model for university-community-school partnerships to better support the health and wellbeing of immigrants.

 

Session 1: 10:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

How Kids Learn Reading, Math and Literally Everything: Using Behavioral Science to Inform Academic Instruction
Shana Levi-Nielsen, PhD, NCSP, BCBA
Temple University

Most teachers receive little to no training, pre-service or in-service, on the science behind human learning. Instead, they learn about philosophy, the history of education, and occasionally, what to teach. When teachers are trained in how to teach, this training is often ineffective, or centered around learning myths, rather than pragmatism or evidence-based practice. This leaves many teachers engaged in cycles of ineffective practice that lead to burnout. Yet, research in the fields of school psychology and behavior analysis has produced a bounty of evidence-based practices for teaching fundamental academic skills such as reading and mathematics. In this session, school psychologists, behavior analysts and other school-based helping professionals will learn ways to help enact the science of learning in classrooms. Drawing on a wealth of research from school psychology and applied behavioral science, participants will learn the basic principles behind the scientific approaches to teaching reading and math skills. Participants will have opportunities to apply the principles learned in the session to generate consultation ideas for their specific context.  

Learning Objectives:

  • Participants will access a new perspective on how students learn reading and math skills.

  • Participants will recognize how the science of learning is best situated within a Multi-Tiered System of Support.

  • Participants will list the components of the Instructional Hierarchy.

  • Participants will be able to integrate evidence of alignment with this framework in classroom instruction.

  • Participants will be able to design assessments and interventions using a science of learning approach.

Navigating the Depths: Enhancing Suicide Risk Assessment Skills
Jessica Reinhardt, PhD, NCSP
Temple University

The presentation aims to enhance the skills of mental health professionals and other educational professionals in conducting effective suicide risk assessments. This session is grounded in the need for direct and clear probing techniques within suicide risk assessment interviews, as highlighted by the prevalence of suicide as a leading cause of death among U.S. school-aged youth. The presentation is structured around several core areas: understanding and deploying effective questioning techniques, adapting these techniques to fit within existing protocols used by attendees and specific methods for assessing suicidal ideation and behavior. This training session not only provides practical assessment tools but also emphasizes the emotional and procedural nuances of handling such sensitive interactions.

Learning Objectives:

  • Participants will be able to articulate rationale for clear and direct probes within suicide risk assessment interview.

  • Participants will be able to define key questions to incorporate within a suicide risk assessment interview.

  • Participants will be able to employ key questions for future use within an organization’s existing suicide risk assessment protocol.

Lunch/Posters: 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

 

Session 2: 1:45 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Assessment Planning for Different English Learner Profiles
Sofia Pham, PhD, NCSP
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

As schools become increasingly more diverse, school psychologists are required to assess and help meet the needs of students with varying English language proficiency. This presentation will move beyond frequently discussed topics such as basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS) and advanced academic language proficiency (CALP) in understanding functional language skills. Attendees learn the difference between semilingualism and bilingualism, how to incorporate language proficiency in assessment planning, and how to improve classroom modifications.

Learning Objectives:

  • Participants will be able to define the difference between semilingualism and bilingualism.

  • Participants will be able to integrate students’ current language proficiency in assessment planning.

  • Participants will be able to define ways to modify classroom instruction to meet the needs of CLD students.

Culturally and Structurally Responsive Supervision: An Ethical Mandate
Melanie M. Wilcox, PhD, ABPP
University at Albany

In this three-hour presentation, the presenter will discuss culturally and structurally responsive psychotherapy and clinical supervision in the context of the APA and ACA ethics codes, including anticipated changes to the APA ethics code. Research on culturally and structurally responsive care will be presented, including the over-reliance on the Multicultural Competence framework and the more recent shift to the Multicultural Orientation and Structural Competence frameworks. Participants will learn about the pillars of Multicultural Orientation: Cultural Humility, Cultural Comfort, and Cultural Opportunities. Scholars’ more recent calls for a shift toward a Structural Competencies model will also be discussed, including defining what such a framework might look like, and its relevance for ethical practice.

Learning Objectives:

  • Participants will be able to define and describe the difference between the Multicultural Competence model and the Multicultural Orientation model.

  • Participants will be able to define and describe the Structural Competencies approach.

  • Participants will be able to explain the connection between the APA and ACA ethics codes and culturally and structurally responsive care.

Session 3: 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Advocacy in Action: Student-led Panel
Monica McHale-Small, PhD; Beverly Kirby, MS, BCBA, LBA; Rachel Ascione, PsyD
Learning Disabilities Association of America; SPARKS Group; Private Practice

Central to all three fields of school psychology, counseling and ABA is the necessity for advocacy efforts. In the context of our fast-changing modern world, advocacy for client, professional and field needs is increasing exponentially in importance. This panel will feature leaders in advocacy across fields and will discuss the role and importance of advocacy at multiple levels of involvement.

Learning Objectives:

  • Participants will be able to identify components of advocacy across disciplines and across levels of involvement.
  • Participants will be able to generate ideas for advocacy that professionals can engage in within their own realms.

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