Fulfilling Hope:
Building and Supporting Families |
|
2010 Medical Institute,
Annual Conference, and Adult Adoptee & Adoptive Family
Conference Sheraton Baltimore
City Hotel
March 17 - 20, 2010 |
- Keynote Addresses -
Joint Council proudly announces that
Julie Rosicky and Steven Walker will keynote our 2010 Conference in
Baltimore.
Julie Rosicky
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Safety, Permanency and Well-being: What’s Best for Children
Locally, Globally and In-Between.
The goal of this presentation is to examine how we define “best
interest of a child”, and what steps are needed to make sure
that whether we are working locally, globally or in between,
that children’s best interests are served.
Ms. Rosicky will give her
keynote address on Friday, March 19, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. |
Julie Gilbert Rosicky's is currently executive director of International
Social Services, USA (ISS-USA)
www.iss-usa.org Her early career focused on foster youth and families as a
child/family therapist at the Oregon Social Learning Center’s (OSLC)
therapeutic foster care program in Eugene, OR and with troubled youth at
the Oneida Indian Nation, Oneida, NY. She implemented and administered
Tri-County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) a component of the
Peacemaker Program, Utica, NY and later went on to become the agency’s
Executive Director. During her tenure at Peacemaker Program the agency
tripled in size to include not only child advocacy programs but a
variety of child/family and community conflict resolution services as
the area’s main alternative dispute resolution center. Her passion for
understanding conflict eventually led her to working across cultures at
the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees, Inc. (MVRCR) as the
Director of Multicultural Services. After her tenure at the Refugee
Center, Julie and her family headed South and Julie implemented and
administered a three million dollar cooperative agreement between the
Maryland Crime Victims' Resource Center, Inc. (MCVRC) and the U.S.
Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (OVC); soliciting,
selecting and building the capacity of 28 sites across the United States
to provide services to underserved victims of crime in high crime urban
areas. After fully implementing this program, Julie joined ISS-USA.
Julie received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Cum Laude from the
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO and a Masters of Science in
Developmental Psychology from the University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.
Julie is married with two children and a bi-lingual dog, adopted from
Puerto Rico.
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From
Fear to Advocacy: The Making of an Adoption Advocate and One
Child's Journey to Adulthood
Steve Walker is a remarkable young man whose story is an
inspiration to parents and those who have come through the Child
Welfare system of Protective Services, Foster Care, and
Adoption. Steven will speak of his journey including his
struggles, hardships and joy, helping attendees understand what
children in the system experience and feel-particularly those
who have been separated from their siblings. Come hear how one
young man survived the foster care system, found his forever
family, and now advocates for a permanent, loving family for all
children.
Mr. Walker will present
his keynote address at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, March 19, 2010 and at 9:00
a.m. on Saturday, March 20, 2010.
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Steven Walker is a dedicated young man who has overcome the obstacles,
struggles, and hardships that abuse and foster care has brought upon
him. Ever since his adoption, he has been working as an adoption
advocate to promote and greatly better our foster care and adoptive
systems. He has been published in magazines in several states, and
helped write legislation in New York State to keep siblings together.
This proud brother of eight siblings is saddened by the horrible
experiences they and many others in foster care have faced prior to
their adoption. This sadness has motivated him to study law and
political science with aspirations of one day sitting in the White House
and signing an adoption bill. His goal is to find every child a
permanent and loving home, and end the hardships for adoptees. He will
not quit until that goal is reached.
We look forward to these addresses on Friday
and Saturday mornings! |
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