Registration Open for Bridges to Resilience Conference 2024
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(SANTA BARBARA, CA.) – The annual Bridges to Resilience conference is a celebration of community that strengthens collaboration throughout California’s coastal tri-counties. Since 2016, the conference has focused on increasing awareness about the widespread impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the hopeful strategies that build resilience within families, communities, and systems of care. The Bridges to Resilience Conference returns to an in-person format and early registration is encouraged as space is limited. The 2024 conference will be held:
Monday, November 4, 2024 at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort
This year’s conference will take a deeper look at inclusion and belonging, pathways to healing, and strategies for disrupting adversity and preventing intergenerational trauma. Sessions offered throughout the day will share tools that can be applied directly to work with children and families in our diverse communities. The in-person event features a keynote presentation by Ingrid Cockhren, M.Ed., Historian, Author & PACEs Science Visionary and 14 breakout sessions led by physicians, field experts and facilitators.
Simultaneous interpretation in Spanish and Mixteco available for select sessions. Please join your colleagues at the beautiful Hilton Beachfront Resort, where we will welcome community leaders, community organizers, and community care providers from human services, healthcare, education, justice, behavioral health, philanthropy, and the faith community.
Registration is $225.00/person; Group registration: $175.00/person for groups of 10 or more. Continuing education credits are available. Learn more and register at bridgestoresilience.com.
About Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) – The term Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) comes from the landmark 1998 ACEs Study, conducted among more than 17,000 adult patients by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Kaiser Permanente. When capitalized, the term ACEs specifically refers to 10 categories of adversities in three domains – abuse, neglect, and household challenges. ACEs are strongly associated with some of the most common, serious, and costly health conditions facing our society today, including nine of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States.
It is now known that one important way in which ACEs increase risk of poor physical, mental and behavioral health is through prolonged activation of the biological stress response. Repeated or prolonged activation of a child’s stress response, without the buffering of trusted, nurturing caregivers and safe, stable environments, leads to long-term changes in the structure and functioning of the developing brain, metabolic, immune, and neuroendocrine responses, and even the way DNA is read and transcribed.
“We know that toxic stress can dramatically impact life outcomes,” said Finch, “and we know that it takes a whole community to create pathways to healing. Bridges to Resilience shows us how to build a collaborative, trauma-informed network of care that can connect families to buffering supports and improve life outcomes for generations to come.”
Conference co-chairs
Terri Allison, Resilient Santa Barbara County | Barbara Finch, KIDS Network of Santa Barbara County | Lisa Fraser, Center for Family Strengthening of San Luis Obispo County | Kathleen Van Antwerp, Ventura County Partnership for Safe Families | Sharon Elmensdorp, First 5 Ventura County | Fernanda Lucas, Promotores Collaborative San Luis Obispo County | Natalie Rhodes, Natalie Rhodes Consulting
About Bridges to Resilience Collaborative – KIDS Network and the Bridges conference gave rise to the growing ACEs initiative of Resilient Santa Barbara County. KIDS Network leads a collaborative tri-county planning process to engage new partners and strengthen care networks in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties.
About Sponsors – This conference is possible with the partnership of our generous local sponsors. Thank you to: Platinum Sponsors: James S. Bower Foundation; Gold Sponsors: Family Service Agency, KIDS Network, Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness; Silver Sponsors: Towbes Foundation; Bronze Sponsors: Santa Barbara Foundation, First 5 Santa Barbara County, CenCal Health, Cottage Center for Population Health, Sutter Health, First 5 Ventura County, CommUnify; Regional Partners: First 5 San Luis Obispo County, Transitions – Mental Health Association, Tri-Counties Regional Center, LEAP: Learn • Engage • Advocate • Partner.