Presenter:
Azizi Marshall - Center for Creative Art Therapy

Explore how the arts can empower parents and educators to address mental health challenges with creativity and confidence. This session provides practical, research-backed strategies to support children's emotional wellness, build resilience, and enhance communication through innovative, arts-based approaches. By fostering supportive environments rooted in creativity and connection, these strategies equip you to guide children toward stronger mental well-being and lasting success.

Presenters:
Amit Thaker, MPH - Referral GPS
Jennifer Gray-Schmidt, PMHNP - Fulfill Health
Jessica Casey, PMHNP - Fulfill Health

In this presentation, two psychiatric providers will break down the broad concept of emotional dysregulation and speak to the challenges of navigating mood dysregulation in teenagers. Highlights how it can present differently in each child, and how it can be triggered by all various factors. Discuss how to support your teens during these challenging years, and what to look for to differentiate psychiatric symptoms versus expected maladaptive behaviors during the high school years. They will also discuss when it’s necessary to seek psychiatric treatment, and what those options are for you and your teen.

Presenter:
Roger Breisch - Author & Speaker

Roger has helped thousands of students understand how their self-image can be skewed, and discover ways to find and build a positive self-image. Roger brings wisdom from callers to the suicide hotline who found new ways to see their world. It would be beneficial for parents to hear the message Roger gives to hundreds of Naperville area students every year.

Presenter:
Allyse Rehak, LCPC - Riverview

As anxiety becomes more prevalent in our children, parents want to be able to support their child's worries. Come learn what anxiety is all about and how to build your child's emotional health. Also, learn ways parents can apply strategies to manage their own stress, model positive skills and promote healthy family communication.

Presenter:
Victoria Zappavigna - Grow Wellness

This presentation will provide psychoeducation on substance use and why people use as a way to cope. Victoria will discuss risk populations (abuse, trauma, serious mental illness) and interventions associated as well as stigma and how to best support someone during their time of struggle and accessing recovery.

Experience Session: LIMITED SPOTS

Presenter:
The Organizery

Experience Session: LIMITED SPOTS

Presented by IPSD 204 Staff

Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to parents, caregivers, educators, coaches, and anyone who regularly interacts with children (ages 6-18) how to recognize and help a young person who may be experiencing a mental health a challenge or crisis.

Presenter:
Erin Carlson, LCPC - Oswego Wellness

Parenting is hard. When we add in brain differences in our children it can be even harder. This will be a space to better understand brain differences in neurodivergent children and to learn tools to better help them regulate emotions and improve their mental health.

Presenter:
Kijuana Boulrece - Battle Clinical Services

This presentation will focus on how participants can reduce anxiety, and take actionable steps to face their anxiety taking control of their lives. Participants will learn coping skills such as somatic, and mindfulness techniques to calm the nervous system so that clients can thrive. Session will also include nutrition information to reduce anxiety.

Presenter:
Luisa Cicero - NAMI KDK

This presentation includes warning signs, facts and statistics, how to talk with your child and how to work with school staff.

Presenter:
Dr. Christina Maki - Fox Valley Institute

This presentation aims to help parents understand the importance of reshaping how their children approach readiness for higher education. It challenges cultural norms that prioritize academic performance over mental health and personal growth, urging parents to support their children in focusing on well-being and resilience. We will address the rising mental health concerns among college students and emphasize how parents can foster a sense of inspiration, belonging, and empathy to strengthen their child’s emotional and academic success. Lastly, we will discuss how to adjust to parents own evolving role as their child gains independence.

Experience Session: LIMITED SPOTS

Presenter:
Studio Nafisa

Experience Session: LIMITED SPOTS

Presented by IPSD 204 Staff

This is the second part of the experience that begins during Session 1.

Presenter:
Dr. Kevin Masterson - Endeavor Health

This presentation will focus on current trends in adolescent use of nicotine and caffeinated beverages such as energy drinks. The presentation will discuss in detail the most recent statistics regarding use of these substances as well as focus on the overall health effects on teens minds and bodies. Participants will also learn about nicotine pouches as the newest form of nicotine use among teens.

Presenter:
Marc Anderson - Mental Health Performance Ltd.

Mental health issues are on the rise. Athletes experience mental health issues at about the same rate as non-athlete peers but reach out for help at much lower rates. Athletes are often missing the care that would be beneficial.

Presenters:
Heather Olsson - Naperville Ellie Mental Health
Matt Toman - Naperville Ellie Mental Health

This parent workshop empowers families to make informed decisions with their prescribers about medications for children and adolescents. This workshop will cover common treatments, side effects, and key topics like anxiety, depression, ADHD, OCD, and autism.

Presenter:
Dr. Susan Myket - Susan Myket, PHD and Associates

An unprecedented number of children and teens currently struggle with mental health issues. Parents and school staff need up-to-the-minute, accurate information about how they can support and encourage youth, while maintaining their own emotional health.

Experience Session: LIMITED SPOTS

Presenter:
Lindsey Daehnke - Strictly Self-Defense