24th Annual Stand Up for a Brighter Tomorrow Conference

Join us for the 24th Annual Stand Up for a Brighter Tomorrow Conference in Prestonsburg, Kentucky on April 4, 2025!

Registration is now open.

April 4th, 8am. Doors open at 7:45am.

Stand Up for a Brighter Tomorrow is an annual Behavioral Health Conference on the emotional well-being of children, adolescents and young adults. This Conference benefits professionals, parents and others interested in increasing their knowledge about sexual assault and/or interpersonal violence and emotional and/or behavioral disorders found in children, adolescents and young adults.

• There is no registration fee to attend the conference and there is no charge for continuing education credits.
• Lunch will be provided.
• Door prizes will be available.
• Please notify Heather Greene ([email protected]) or Renee Conn ([email protected]) if you find you cannot attend after registration so that others can be registered after maximum capacity is reached.

Seating is limited to 300. Registration cut-off will be at maximum capacity or no later than March 26, 2025.

Workshops include: Trauma-Informed Care: Understanding Impact, Building Resilience; The Brain-Body-Behavior Connection: An Interpersonal Neurobiological Perspective; and Human Trafficking in an Opioid Crisis.

CEU credits are approved by the Kentucky Board of Social Work and for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) for 90 minutes. CEU approval is pending with the Kentucky Board of Examiners in Psychology and the Licensed Professional Board of Counselors. Attendees must attend an entire workshop and complete a written evaluation to receive CEU credit. Additionally, attendees will receive a certificate in “Trauma-Informed Care Overview” upon completion of the trauma-informed care session.

This conference is hosted by Mountain Comprehensive Care Center’s Healing Program for Survivors of Sexual Assault & Interpersonal Violence. Funded in whole or part with public funds.

Sponsors for The Healing Program’s Stand Up for a Brighter Tomorrow Conference: Mountain Comprehensive Care Center’s Project Launch, providing assessments, screenings, diagnoses, and referrals, including autism assessments, for children 0-8 in Floyd, Johnson, Knott, Lawrence, Magoffin, Martin and Pike counties, Big Sandy ADD’s Community Collaboration for Children - Families First, which educates, strengthens and supports families to prevent child abuse and neglect, and Mountain Comprehensive Care Center’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic program, an initiative to enhance access to coordinated comprehensive behavioral health care.

Workshop Agenda:

Workshop 1 Details

Trauma-Informed Care: Understanding Impact, Building Resilience

Presenter: Jessica Greene M.Ed., LPCA Hope Initiative Project Director, MCCC

Understanding trauma, its prevalence, and its impact on brain and body development is essential for effective care. This session explores how early trauma shapes a child’s growth and functioning while highlighting the power of resilience. Participants will gain practical strategies to foster healing and implement trauma-informed approaches in their own practice. By recognizing the signs of trauma and promoting supportive environments, we can help individuals build strength and navigate their path toward recovery.

Level: Beginner

Workshop 2 Details

The Brain-Body-Behavior Connection: An Interpersonal Neurobiological Perspective

Presenter: Tasha Miller, LPCC-S Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist, MCCC

This session unpacks the intricate brain-body-behavior link through Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB). Children’s behaviors, often puzzling, stem from deeper neurological processes. Participants will examine how the brain perceives threats, activates the autonomic nervous system, and shapes responses. Through discussion and regulation activities, attendees gain practical tools to support children—and themselves—in fostering integration, emotional regulation, and a harmonious mind-body connection.

Level: Intermediate

Workshops 3 Details

Human Trafficking in an Opioid Crisis

Presenters:

Casey Michalovic, J.D.,M.S. Project Renew Attorney, AppalReD Legal Aid
Ricky Lynn Detective, Frankfort Police Department

This session examines the link between substance use disorder and human trafficking, highlighting increased vulnerability. Participants will learn to identify trafficking signs, report concerns, and connect survivors to resources like law enforcement and legal aid. Through discussion and case scenarios, attendees will gain practical tools to support survivors and build a community safety net.

Level: Beginner

Host or Publisher Mountain Comprehensive Care Center