Speakers
Opening Ceremonies ~ Keynote Speaker Alvin F. Poussaint
September 29, 2010
PSYCHIATRIST / MEDIA CONSULTANT / AUTHOR
The family is the unit that shapes the choices each of us makes in our lives. Changing family patterns, increased competition in the workplace, and disruption in our communities often result in divorce, violence, and neglect. Dr. Alvin Poussaint, author, psychiatrist, educator and respected social critic, shows how to balance these important issues to create positive solutions for the future.
On subjects from stress to interpersonal communication, from multiculturalism to family dynamics, Dr. Poussaint is one of the country’s top authorities. He has worked with corporate managers on the management of stress-related work issues and diversity in the workplace. An expert on the dynamics of racial and ethnic relations in America’s increasingly multicultural society, Dr. Poussaint is also a strong proponent of non-violent parenting and parenting education, having devoted a great deal of time to violence prevention initiatives.
Dr. Peter DeBenedittis is dedicated to creating a cultural revolution around media.
Peter D. speaks to more than 50,000 students and trains thousands of educators each year, with clients ranging from schools and colleges across America to state health departments and professional organizations.
Dr. Peter D. has keynoted at state prevention, education, parent and youth conferences in more than 40 states. His national conference keynotes and plenary sessions include the Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, Centers for Substance Abuse Prevention, Student Assistance Professionals, ASSIST National Meeting, Mothers Against Drunk Driving National Youth Conference and American Medical Association Medical Reporting conferences.
Donald Meichenbaum, Ph.D., a founder of Cognitive Behavioral Modification, was voted one of the ten most influential psychotherapists of the century by North American clinicians in a survey reported in the American Psychologist. Dr. Meichenbaum is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, and maintains a private practice as a clinical psychologist.
As an expert in the treatment of PTSD, Dr. Meichenbaum has presented throughout North and Central America, Israel, Japan, and the former Soviet Union. This workshop presents the essence of Dr. Donald Meichenbaum's approach to PTSD. As a clinician and researcher, he has treated all age groups for traumas suffered from violence, abuse, accidents, and illness.
Howell Wechsler, EdD, MPH, serves as director of the Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He supervises the management of DASH′s three surveillance systems -- Youth Risk Behavior System, School Health Policies and Programs Study, and School Health Profiles; research and evaluation studies; development and dissemination of tools to help schools implement evidence-based policies and practices; and the funding of and technical assistance to state and local education agencies and national, non-governmental organizations.