The Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center is excited to be a sponsor for the 20th Annual Northwest PBIS Conference that brings experts from across the field to present and provide trainings on key topics related to school mental health across the pre-conference and conference.

Join us in-person, or for virtual sessions, April 12-14, 2022 at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center in Tacoma, WA

Click here for conference recordings & materials

Featured Keynote Speaker

Dr. Erika McDowell

Our featured keynote for the NWPBIS 2022 Conference is Dr. Erika L. McDowell. Dr. McDowell is a distinguished speaker and inspiring practitioner! She graduated with honors from Howard University and New York University, with an EdD from Drexel University in Educational Leadership and Management. Her accolades began early in her school career and have included the New Jersey Governor’s Award and more recently the Ted Carr Early Career Practitioner Award from international Association of Positive Behavior Support (www.APBS.org).

In her current role, Dr. McDowell is a Partner for the Wildflower Schools where she leads the operations and growth of the emerging New Jersey hub through the development of strategic and funding relationships as well as guiding New Jersey area teacher leaders. Wildflower is an ecosystem of decentralized Montessori micro-schools that support children, teachers, and parents in an authentic liberatory educational experience.

Prior to being a partner with Wildflower, Dr. McDowell was the Executive Director in the Office of Student Support Services in the School District of Philadelphia. In that role, she designed, created, and delivered educational materials for employees to enhance cultural awareness and increase skills in various areas of operational competence. A well-rounded practitioner, Erika also served as the Director of PBIS and Youth Court during her time in Philadelphia.

Dr. McDowell is the elected Equity Seat for the International Association of Positive Behavior Support (www.APBS.org) where she is helping to shape both the board and network activities to be more equitable and culturally responsive. Other previously held positions include assistant principal and teacher. The breadth of her in-depth experience includes restorative practices, positive behavioral supports, conflict resolution, classroom management, bullying prevention, and behavioral data support. Dr. McDowell is committed to nurturing the minds and gifts of urban school leaders and youth nation-wide.

Pre-Conference

When: Tuesday April 12, 2022

Pre-Conference Workshops offer an in person, hands on, practical, professional development opportunity on a range of topics. Workshops will be offered all day on Tuesday with workshop choices during a morning session and an afternoon session.

Pre-conference Workshop topics include the following half- or full-day topics. More workshop topics to come!

• MTSS for Administrators, Dr. Kurt Hatch, University of Washington, Tacoma 
• Reducing Seclusion and Restraint, Lee Collyer,  Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
• Restorative Practices for Administrators, International Institute of Restorative Practices (IIRP)
• Rural Implementation of PBIS, Dr. Katie Azevedo, Azevedo Consulting 
• Connecting the Dots for School Mental Health, Dr. Katie Azevedo, Azevedo Consulting
• Correcting the Myths and Misunderstandings about MTSS and PBIS, with guests from Washington's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
• De-Escalation Strategies for the Classroom, Dr. Terry Scott
• Elevating Racial Equity to Improve Student Outcomes, Dr. Naomi Brahim and Dr. Vanessa McPhail from Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, KY 
• Strengthening Relationships to Strengthen Outcomes, Ali Hearn, National Keynote, speaker and coach
• Restorative Practices: Data, Systems, and Practices Necessary for District-Wide Implementation, Ali Hearn, National Keynote, speaker and coach
• Advanced Tier 2 Interventions and Practices, Dr. Billie Jo Rodriguez from Northwest PBIS Network and University of Oregon 
• Structuring a Resilient Reading Program: Embedding Reading Instructional Best Practices Within an MTSS for All, Stephanie Stollar and Brad Throud from Oregon RTIi

Please Note: Workshops are available in-person only! There are no online opportunities to attend the workshops. 

Conference

When: Wednesday, April 13 and Thursday, April 14, 2022

Join us for two full days of conference sessions and networking. Conference strands include multiple sessions under each of the following topics:

• Equity* 
• Mental Health*
• Tier 1*
• Tier 2
• Tier 3
• Building Capacity
   

We will also feature facilitated Team Time to support YOUR implementation!
 

>>> Learn more about the conference here!

Please Note: Equity, Mental Health, and Tier 1 will be available virtually and in-person. All other strands are available in-person only. 

Clock Hours

NWPBIS Network will be offering educator clock hours for the workshops as well as the general conference. This year we are looking to add the capacity to provide BCBA and NASP clock hours. For our planning purposes, please indicate below on the registration form which clock hours you will be interested in receiving. 

Accommodations

We are currently partnered with the Marriott hotels in Tacoma, WA to provide discounted room rates especially for our 20th Annual NWPBIS Conference. Hotel options currently include: The Marriott Tacoma Downtown is completely new and attached to the convention center. (Book Here for NWPBIS Conference Group Rate)

If you have questions about the conference contact NWPBIS at [email protected]

Want more information and school mental health resources? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's School Mental Health page and sign up for our newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.