Parents, Community Leaders, Educators to Convene at 13th Annual Family Support Conference

PITTSBURGH-What are the needs of a child whose parent is in jail? Is there parental training available just for fathers? What issues face today's blended families and how can they be tackled? These questions, among others, will be addressed at the 13th annual Family Support Conference, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 31 at the Westin Convention Center Hotel, 1000 Penn Ave., Downtown.

Under a theme of Family Development: Forging a Path to Successful Growth, parents, community leaders, teachers, and social workers will explore the challenges families face and identify causes and solutions through a series of 22 workshops. The sessions cover topics ranging from child obesity to welfare rights to parents who juggle home, family, and work.

The conference is cosponsored by Pitt's Office of Child Development (OCD), part of the School of Education, and Pitt's School of Social Work.

Keynote presentations include:

10-10:45 a.m.

"The Family Seen as a System"

Michael Kerr, director of the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family at Georgetown University, is a psychiatrist who has practiced family therapy for 35 years. He believes a family is a highly emotional interdependent group, rather than a collection of psychologically autonomous individuals, and he will share his unique approach to treating a full range of family problems.

11-11:30 a.m.

"Passionate and Principled Leadership: Sustaining the Spirit of Family Support"

Walter Howard Smith Jr. is executive director of Family Resources, which serves 20,000 Allegheny County children, teens, and adults with concerns relating to the

prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. A licensed psychologist with a specialty in treating children, couples, and families, Smith is a founding member of the Western Pennsylvania Family Center and frequently lectures on child abuse and the emotional make-up of a family.

1:45-2:15 p.m.

"You Have the Power . . ."

Ayesha Grice, writer, astrologer, and motivational speaker, has been a monthly columnist and contributing writer to Essence magazine for 25 years. She writes about relationships, healing, and empowerment, and is well known to listeners of WLIB 1190 AM Radio, the first Black-owned radio station in New York City, where Grice is a frequent guest on the topics of astrology, healing, and metaphysics. She has conducted workshops at both battered women's shelters and elementary school PTA meetings.

The family support concept encourages families to build on their own strengths using community resources. As families learn how to help themselves, guided by the staff at Allegheny County's 33 Family Support Centers, they contribute to the community and improve the quality of life for themselves and their neighbors. These centers, which assist thousands of local families, receive staff training and technical assistance from Pitt's OCD.

Conference registration is $70, and the deadline is May 18. To register, or for more information, call 412-244-5358 or visit www.pitt.edu/~ocdweb. Continuing education credits are available.

Other conference cosponsors include the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic; Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; Family Support America; Mid-Atlantic Youth and Family Network; Allegheny County's Executive Office, Department of Human Services, Health Department, and Family Support Policy Board; and the PA Center for Schools and Communities.

###

4/28/06/tmw