Thank You!
Thank you to all who helped make the 2025 CAFCA Conference such a resounding success! And thanks to all who attended this special event. We will be posting photos from the conference in the days and weeks ahead, so be sure and check back.
2025 Excellence Awards Recipients
Excellence in Education:
Djuana Osby – Special Education Director and Principal, Tennyson Center
Administrative Excellence:
Brianna O’Dell – Administrative Assistant, Southern Peaks
Team Excellence:
Tennyson Center Day Treatment Clinical Team
Hannah Lanman (Clinical Supervisor) | Amber Dugan (Clinician) | Ashley Hayes-Emory (Clinician) | Makensie Owens (Clinician) | Stephanie Zehntner (Clinician) | Theresa Pergola (Clinician)
Excellence in Community-Based Services:
Lisa Kreutzer-Lay – Intake and Training Coordinator, Cornerstone Programs Community Counseling Services
Excellence in Direct Residential Care:
Elizabeth Meissner – Referral and Intake Coordinator, Shiloh House
Community Investment Alliance – Kathleen Van Voorhis, CEO
Our Keynote Speaker: Angela Pharris, PhD
The Science of Hope in Child Welfare & Human Service
Dr. Pharris is an Associate Professor in the Anne & Henry Zarrow School of Social Work at the University of Oklahoma, Director of the Child Welfare Impact Institute, and Senior Researcher at the Hope Research Center. Her research is focused on the application and implementation of hope-centered and trauma-informed practices that impact human service programs. Angela’s current research is in child welfare and human service organizations and the application of the hope as a framework for practice. This research informed the development of the “Hope Centered and Trauma Informed” training program. Hope is a psychological strength, a buffer to stress, adversity, and burnout, and a hopeful mindset that improves organizational and individual outcomes.
Special Bonus Feature: Immediately Following Our Keynote Address…
Special Screening of the Emmy-Award Winning Documentary, “Rebecoming Me: Falling Through Foster Care,” produced by Better Together Productions and Cobbled Streets. This special screening will feature a powerful live panel with the inspiring young individuals spotlighted in the film– joining us in person at the CAFCA conerence for an unforgettable conversation.
Our panelists will explore powerful ways to elevate lived experience into leadership, transforming personal stories into driving forces for real, lasting systemic change.
The 2025 Better Together Conference Also Features:
- Six (6) Breakout training workshops on a variety of relevant topics, presented by experts and scholars sharing cutting-edge insights about improving quality care and stronger outcomes for children and families.
- Special Awards Luncheon featuring the 2025 Annual CAFCA Excellence Awards and Legislator of the Year Award
- Incredible Networking Opportunities
- and SO Much More!