9:00 AM - 2:00 PM Eastern
October 8-9, 2025
Marriott Northwest Columbus
5605 Blazer Parkway
Columbus, OH 43017
CLICK HERE TO VIEW/DOWNLOAD AGENDA
REGISTRATION RATE:
(includes lunch on Wednesday and Thursday)
Subscribing Member - $250
Member - $300
HOTEL RATE:
$130 (plus tax) per night; includes breakfast and Wi-Fi
Click here to reserve your hotel room
*Rates available through 9/16/25
Tuesday, October 7th
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. OHSAI Board Meeting
Wednesday, October 8th
8:00 a.m. Registration
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Community of Learners
The Community of Learners model is intended to facilitate meaningful and intentional networking, sharing and learning among and between peers working in a common field.
Kristen Kerr, Community Action of Wayne/Medina; Amy Esser, Mercer County Head Start
- Technology – Privacy & Security
- Hot Topics
*COLs will be together for the session
EHS - Jeanine Bensman, Council on Rural Services; Angie Kisor-Bridges, Ironton-Lawrence County CAO;
Cristi Jackson, Lancaster-Fairfield Community Action
Health/Mental Health/Nutrition - Alice Marie Ohlin & Linda Fox, Akron Summit CAA; Brenda Bissett, Coshocton County Head Start; Angie Stephenson, Mercer County Head Start
- Licensing Updates from Ohio Department of Children & Youth (DCY)
- Office of Head Start Monitoring Updates from Angie Bridges
- Program updates & updates from programs that completed FA 1/FA 2 reviews & follow-ups
Bethany Lapp, Child Focus Inc; Michele Delph, CAC of Erie, Huron & Richland Counties; Christine Balusik, Ross Co. CAC;
Marie Vermeulen & Kelly Irwin, LEADS Head Start
- Using data to inform instruction
- How workplace community effects child outcomes
- Milestone tools available
Amy Hawley, Council on Rural Services; Katie Peters, Child Focus Inc.
- Home Visiting for Family Services – agency processes including number of visits, what works best
- Role Playing/Modeling – What to do & what not to do
- Home Visit Safety Procedures
- Effective Communication – increase participation & openness in home visits with staff & families
Stephanie Ristau, The Centers for Families & Children
- Non-Federal Share - All your questions will be answered. Come ready to discuss everything from NFS requirements and budgeting to working with the program team to meet your match and ideas to increase your match
- Fiscal Oversight of Delegate Agencies and Contractors - Discuss best practices on what the grantee needs to do to ensure compliance, what to do if a delegate or contractor is out of compliance.
- Budgets - Lifecycle, breakdown into categories, developing a budget narrative, flexibility with the budget and making sure the program stays on track with the spending. Discuss best ways to navigate the budget when funding is flat but costs are increasing.
Carla Rodriguez, Lorain County CAA; Julie Mickley, Knox County Head Start
- Partnering with local High School ECE programs to create a workforce development program
- Creating high quality professional development plans for staff in every position
- Improving employee feedback, going beyond the annual staff survey
Holly Unger, OPAN Alumni; Theresa Wynn, West Ohio CAP
- Myriam Shaw Ojeda, faculty member at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy will join the COL.
In her role, she leads community-engaged initiatives at the intersection of pharmacy, public health, and public education. Her work centers on advancing vaccine confidence, developing pharmacist-led lead testing and abatement programs, and promoting maternal health through education and outreach. She is passionate about equipping pharmacy teams and community partners with the tools to address critical public health challenges in Ohio and beyond.- She will be sharing with the Parent COL regarding lead safety for children & childhood vaccinations
Janaye Stump, CAO of Scioto County
- Compliance in Action: Safe Driving & Drug-Free Workplace
- Reasonable Suspicion – marijuana-specific signs, documentation, response
- Pre-/post-trip inspection walkthrough
- Emergency response – crash, fire, medical
- Paperwork spot checks (logs, forms, etc.)
1:30pm to 4:30pm Breakout Sessions/Community of Learners
Disabilities Community of Learners
Alice Marie Ohlin, Community Action Akron-Summit; Cristina Evans, Butler Co. ESC
- Screenings/Assessments/Referrals
- Using Interagency Agreements
- What do you need to help teachers? – Sharing of ideas & Make It, Take It
Coaching/Professional Development Community of Learners
Marie Vermeulen, LEADS Head Start; Becky Evemy, MVCDC
APPROVED 3 OA hours
- Competencies and Coaching: The Keys to Retaining and Supporting Quality Staff
Be Gone Pesky Ghosts! Decreasing Rumination and Thought Traps
Patrick M. McKelvey, MS, LPCC-S; Early Childhood Mental Health Program, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
0.3 CEUs/APPROVED 3 OA hours
It is only natural as helpers that the stories and experiences of others will be carried with us. For some individuals these experiences replay in our minds on end even hours, days, or months after they occurred. These events linger like pesky 'ghosts in our minds', affecting us even though they are no longer occurring. This is more common for emotionally intense events, many of which we face in the early childhood field while working with families. The experience otherwise known as "rumination" can eventually create a cycle of negative thinking ultimately impacting our ability to function in the workplace. This presentation will explore how we can alleviate our minds of these pesky 'ghosts' by understanding how rumination occurs; exploring common “thought traps” and practicing skills to decrease the rumination following intense events.
Learning Outcomes
- Define rumination and why it occurs
- Identify 2-3 common “thought traps” that contribute to negative thinking
- Apply 2-3 skills to decrease ruminations and negative thinking cycles
Jami Dellifield, OSU Extension
0.3 CEUs
The session is designed to equip professions with knowledge, skills, tools, awareness, and strategies to support parents in helping their children adjust to divorce, separation and other co-parenting arrangements. The session will focus on maintaining healthy relationships with children and between adults, communicating in healthy ways, and strategies to create and maintain a stable environment for children.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify strategies to promote a healthy parent-child relationship to support healthy child development
- Identify strategies to promote emotional health
- Articulate the importance of avoiding conflict and effective strategies
- Discuss and practice healthy communication
William Shoecraft, Did You Know Publishing Inc & Brandon Z Hoff, RUDI AI
0.3 CEUs
Are you curious about AI, but don't know where to start? Join fellow Head Start professionals in this practical, hands-on workshop designed specifically for Head Start Leaders. We'll demystify AI technology, address your concerns about accuracy and ethics, and show you exactly how to use AI tools to save hours on administrative tasks, grant writing, and compliance documentation. No technical background required - just bring your willingness to learn and your real-world challenges. Leave with confidence, practical skills, and ready-to-use templates that will transform how you work.
*Participants are asked to bring a laptop or smart phone to the session.
Learning Outcomes
- Have a basic understanding of AI in everyday terms and apply practical AI skills for administrative efficiency
- Define ethical guidelines for responsible use of AI
- Use ready-to-implement templates for common Head Start tasks
8:00 a.m. Registration
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Breakout Sessions
Difficult Conversations – A Session for Leaders
Erin Troup, LPC, NCC, CT IMH-E (IV)
0.3 CEUs/Submitted for 3 OA hours
This presentation looks at common issues between staff and supervisors and how to navigate some tough feelings and conversations. Things like Navigating productivity, Differences of opinions, and Boundary issues will be explored. Examples of words and phrases to use will be provided.
Learning Outcomes
- Explore our buttons and identify where they show up in the conversations between staff and supervisors
- Demonstrate the use of “Expectations vs. Expectancy,” as a way to stay present and hold the other in mind during difficult conversations
- Model thinking reflectively about boundaries and provide solid support to allow others to hold good boundaries
- Use phrasing that helps us be clear, direct and effective
Colleen Wallace, MS, OIMHP-III, ECMH-C; Nationwide Children’s Hospital
0.3 CEUs/APPROVED 3 OA hours
During this training, participants will explore first relationships that set the pattern for the child's future social and emotional health. Babies learn about themselves and gain self-regulation through caregivers' responses to them in early years. We will examine the concept of secure attachment and its influence on the child's future relationships. Most importantly, we will consider how to make the most of opportunities to grow self-confidence and healthy relationships with children and their families.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify the importance of attachment, attunement & serve and return in the development of relationships
- Explore ways to support and identify secure attachment
- Explore ways to strengthen relationships in the classroom & develop an action plan to better support secure attachment
Bridges Out of Poverty – Strategies for Professionals & Communities
Amber Simmons; Director of Child Development at Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission
0.3 CEUs/Submitted for 3 OA hours
In this session, participants will strengthen their understanding of poverty using the Bridges Framework and explain the core components of the Bridges Out of Poverty model, including the causes of poverty, mental models, and hidden rules across economic classes. Participants will enhance cultural and economic competency for professional practice through engagement in individual lens reflection and activities—such as the Stereotype Slips and Mental Models exercises—to recognize personal and systemic biases. Using Bridges resources, identify and describe at least three specific tools or strategies that families can use to increase stability and solve problems.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify at least two ways these concepts can be applied in Head Start programs to enhance family engagement and community partnerships
- Develop at least one strategy for adapting communication, relationship-building, and service delivery to effectively negotiate environments across poverty, middle class, and wealth
- Outline how Head Start professionals can integrate these tools into program services to reduce barriers and support long-term family success
Heather Nusbaum
0.3 CEUs
In this interactive session participants will focus on closing the gap between what we know and what we do, explore the instructional value of your classroom and determine strategies that will strengthen concept development, language modeling, and quality of feedback within your curriculum.
Learning Outcomes
- Define concept development with an understanding of related vocabulary and list effective concept development strategies to use in the classroom
- Recognize feedback that expands children's knowledge or increases performance
- Identify language modeling indicators and develop strategies to support classroom activities
12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Lunch and General Session
Erin Troup
LPC, NCC, CT IMH-E (IV); Sprout Center for Emotional Growth and Development, LLC
Erin is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in early childhood social emotional needs, particularly attachment, grief & loss, trauma and anxiety. Erin earned her undergraduate degree in psychology and child development from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She attended Chatham University for her MS in counseling and earned her Infant Mental Health Certificate in Pennsylvania’s first Infant Mental Health cohort.
In 2013 after work on a seminal grant supporting postpartum depression, Erin felt there was a gap in supportive counseling and consultation for many young families. She opened her practice: Sprout Center for Emotional Growth and Development, LLC out of the love and passion for supporting children and their families. She has worked in the fields of Mental Health, Early Intervention and Behavioral Health service for over 15 years.
Cultivating the Power of Relationships to Grow in Our Work
0.1 CEUs/submitted for 1 OA hours
In the past several years we have had forced disconnects and rocky steps back into connection. These “Ruptures and Repairs” have shifted not only the work that we do but how we feel about the work. The challenges that have surfaced we note in the children that we care for, the co-workers we spend time with and ourselves. This Keynote will share focus on the concept of “rupture and repair” and how we can use the power of relationships to grow in our work and connections with those we serve.
Learning Outcomes
- Define rupture and repair as a positive event within relationships
- Apply real life examples of rupture and repair to create new moments for connection and growth in a workplace and classroom setting
OHSAI Professional Development
- Starting in October 2025, session check-in will require attendees to scan a QR code at the start of each session and complete a short form.
- Attendees will need to scan and complete a form within the first 15 minutes of the session to be eligible to receive the CEU and/or OA approved hours for the session.
For more information about CEUs and OHSAI’s Professional Development policies and practices, visit www.ohsai.org/professional-development-information/
These sessions are approved for IACET CEUs. IACET CEUs may count toward Ohio Approved credit.
Sessions submitted or approved for Ohio Approved hours will require participants OPIN # to be requested and your participation will be recorded in the Ohio Professional Registry after the session is completed.
5605 Blazer Pkwy
Columbus, OH 43017
UNITED STATES
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| 10/8/2025 - 10/9/2025 |    |