PACES Spring 2026 Conference: The Power of Positive Experiences

Spring 2026 Conference: The Power of Positive Experiences

Date and Time: Friday May 15^th, 2026, from 8:30am to 4:45pm

Location: Hillsborough Community College, Trinkle Center / 1206 North Park Road / Plant City, Florida, 33563

Join us as we explore how nurturing relationships, resilience building strategies, and community collaboration can transform childhood outcomes and reduce the effects of trauma an adversity. This inspiring event will bring together leaders, practitioners. and advocates committed to advancing trauma-informed care and promoting positive childhood experiences.

FULL AGENDA

8:30am to 9:00am: Registration and Breakfast

9:00am to 9:15am: Welcome Comments by: Nikki Daniels with Champions for Children and our conference sponsors. 

9:15am to 10:45am: Opening Keynote:

Dr. Robert Sege, MD, PhD, and FAAP. Dr. Sege is a Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine and Director of the HOPE National Resource Center. He is a board-certified general and child abuse pediatrician with over 20 years of experience, known for his research on social determinants of health and Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs).

11:00am to 12:30pm: Morning Breakout Sessions (4)

12:30pm to 1:30pm: Boxed Lunch

1:30pm to 3:00pm: Afternoon Breakout Sessions (4)

3:15 to 4:45pm: Afternoon Breakout Sessions (4)

4:45pm: End of conference

Breakout Session Schedule and Descriptions

Morning Breakout Sessions

11:00 am to 12:30pm

Beyond ACES: Gratitude as a Trauma-Informed Practice for Regulation, Healing, and Well-Being

This interactive, trauma-informed session explores gratitude as a relational and evidence-based practice that supports nervous system regulation, mental health, and overall well-being. Participants will engage in experiential exercises and learn how gratitude can strengthen protective factors and Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) for both providers and the children, families, and communities they serve. 

EQ as a Pathway to Resilience

EQ as a Pathway to Resilience" invites you to discover how emotional intelligence can transform challenges into opportunities for growth. Together, we’ll explore what EQ really means, why it helps protect against the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and learn strategies that strengthen resilience in both children and the adults who support them. Expect an engaging, hands-on session that equips you with tools to foster emotional strength, connection, and lasting wellbeing.

Be the Light: Becoming an Agent of Transformation

When professionals cultivate alignment, courage, and innovation, they become the light that guides others toward healing, connection, and growth. Transformation is a fundamental shift in one’s internal world that reshapes behavior, leadership, and impact. This presentation challenges professionals to align their words and actions, navigate resistance and letting go, and lead transformation within themselves and their organizations. Tina equips attendees with the knowledge and motivation to become catalysts for authentic, sustainable change in mental health systems and communities.

Sensory Motor Development and Foundations to Enhance Learning for the Birth to Five Population

This training will review typical developmental sensory/motor milestones in children and the importance of their progression as it sets a strong foundation for mental health/well-being and higher thinking skills. Participants will discuss and plan activities to enhance sensory processing, sensory motor skill acquisition, and overall development in children. Training will also offer strategies and adaptations that support children with sensory and social-emotional needs so they can participate in inclusive early childhood environments.

 Breakout Session Schedule and Descriptions

Early Afternoon Breakout Sessions

1:30pm to 3:00pm

An Overview of Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®)

This session introduces the three core principles of TBRI®—Empowering, Connecting, and Correcting—and explains how they work together to support regulation and healthy development. Participants will explore how trauma affects the brain and behavior, why relationships are central to healing, and how everyday interactions can make a meaningful difference. Practical examples will highlight how TBRI® strategies can be used in classrooms, homes, early childhood programs, faith communities, and other family-serving settings. Designed for educators, Extension professionals, clergy, and community partners, this overview offers a hopeful, strengths-based approach for supporting children and caregivers while strengthening the systems that serve them.

Built to Respond: Designing Systems That Deliver Concrete Supports When It Matters

This session explores how strength-based systems influence access to Concrete Support in Times of Need for children and families. Participants will examine how organizational policies, workflows, decision-making practices, and culture enable or delay support and identify actions or advocacy across levels of influence that strengthen Positive Childhood Experiences and reduce the impacts of trauma and adversity.

Trauma Informed Care for LGBTQ+ Youth

Trauma-informed care acknowledges the intersectional, lived experiences of LGBTQ+ youth and prioritizes support through inclusive, affirming practices. In this training, participants will learn relevant terminology, examine social-ecological risk and protective factors, and apply trauma-informed and strength-based strategies to foster healing, resilience, and empowerment for LGBTQ+ youth and their families.

Empowered Storytelling Mini Workshop

In a time when the pressure to secure resources for those who need them most is greater than ever, stories—alongside data—are what move hearts, influence decision-makers, and inspire action. During this mini-workshop, participants will be introduced to Effinity’s trauma-informed process of recalling, developing, and delivering stories that carry meaning, authenticity, and impact. Come learn how Empowered Storytelling protects dignity, builds connection, and creates real change.

Breakout Session Schedule and Descriptions

Mid Afternoon Breakout Sessions

3:15pm to 4:45pm

Supporting Adolescent Mental Health and Substance Use Prevention Through Trauma-Informed Screening, Navigation, and Pathways to Care

This session highlights trauma-informed use of Screening, Brief Intervention & Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) to support adolescent mental health and substance use prevention. Community partners at a youth clinic and community-based non-profit share how SBIRT and personalized navigation improve access to care, strengthen engagement, and support positive youth behavior change.

Reducing Childhood Trauma Through Courtroom-Guided Treatment for Parents

Hillsborough County’s Family Dependency Treatment Court (FDTC) integrates substance use services while processing abuse/neglect cases in family court. This workshop discusses how FDTC decreases Adverse Childhood Experiences by encouraging safe family reunification. Attendees will leave this workshop with tools to apply recommendations based on “lessons learned” to their own initiatives.

From Broken Systems to Living Patterns: Why Organizational Health Matters

Trauma-wise methods do little good when used in unhealthy environments by caregivers who are anxious and emotionally drained. Creating healthy environments in the environments where those that care for children reside is imperative. This presentation will explore ideas about establishing health in organizational settings and workshopping what that looks like in different contexts.

Mapping Adversity, Photographing Resilience: Creative Methods for Trauma-Informed Practices

Can we truly capture how adolescent moms experience pregnancy and parenting? How can we navigate their trauma, resilience, and perspectives? This workshop highlights two novel participant-centered methods, photovoice and journey mapping, to detail the lived experiences of adolescent moms to pave paths for future positive experiences.