Homeward's 2025 Best Practices Conference
"Cultivating Collaboration"
Presented By:
Conference Schedule
Friday, May 2, 2025
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Registration and light breakfast
9:00 – 10:15 a.m. Workshop session I
10:30 – 11:45 a.m. Workshop session II
12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Luncheon
1:45 – 3:00 p.m. Workshop session III
9am - 10:15am
REVIVE! Lay Rescuer Training
Salon A
Ruth-Ann Acors, Field-Based Clinician
Daily Planet
Description: Understand opioids, how opioid overdoses happen, risk factors for opioid overdoses, and how to respond to an opioid overdose emergency with the administration of naloxone/Narcan.
Finding Home - Recovery and Homelessness
Salon B
Jessica Wade, LPC, CCTP, C-DBT
Richmond Behavioral Health Authority
Description: Recovery is not just a mental and emotional journey of creating a life free from substance use, it is also a journey in finding a safe space to be in recovery. A safe space to create a recovery program that will promote longevity in recovery.
Disrupting Self-Sacrifice Culture: Self-Care Practices for Those in Helping Professions
Salon DE
Cyn Nwarache, MSW, CYT 200hr
Unapologetically Well, LLC
Description: One cannot safely pour into others, if they do not first pour into themselves. Self-care is community- care. In this workshop attendees will learn how to disrupt self-sacrifice culture within helping professions though engaging in radical acts of self-care and self-preservation.
10:30am - 11:45am
Communications Tips to Support and Further Your Mission
Salon A
Andrew Ryan, Partner
Grey Ryan Communications
Description: In this interactive session, Andrew will share best practices and tangible tips you can take with you to help enhance or refresh your agency’s communications initiatives. We’ll explore how homeless services providers can frame and share communications that support your mission and engage your key audiences.
The Science of Elderhood
Salon DE
Tracey L. Gendron, PhD
VCU Department of Gerontology and Virginia Center on Aging
Description: The Science of Elderhood will invite participants to explore a shift from ageism to elderhood, examining the potential of elderhood and the impact of ageism on health, identity, and resilience.
12pm - 1:30pm: Luncheon
Blue Ridge Ballroom
Keynote speaker: Hollee Freeman, PhD
Freeman Educational & Business Consulting, LLC
1:45 - 3pm
The People You Take to Lunch (Learning how to Network - especially if you are an introvert)
Salon A
Katie Chlan, Senior Director of Housing and Homeless Services
St. Joseph's Villa
Description: Networking is a necessary tool for success in this field, yet providers, and especially those who are new to the field or identify as an "introvert", may not feel comfortable engaging in traditional networking activities. Attendees will learn to identify the people they should "take to lunch" (i.e. network with) and increase their comfort level in doing so.
Research Findings of a Traumatic Life Experiences Survey Implemented in a Congregate Shelter in Maricopa County, Arizona
Salon B
Richard Southee, PhD of Global Health
Arizona State University
Description: As trauma-informed care continues to be established as a best practice in homeless services, understanding the ways trauma manifests in the homeless population becomes increasingly important. Dr. Richard Southee explores his study on the different types of trauma identified among people staying in a congregate shelter and highlights how trauma can help us understand homelessness as an identity and culture, and how we might alter service delivery with these concepts in mind.
Connecting Older Adults to Community Resources
Salon DE
Heather Fortune, Vice President of Advocacy & Engagement
The Span Center
and
Courtney O'Hara, Co-Director
VCU's Elder Justice Learning & Research Hub
Description: Participants will explore the intersection of elder justice and homelessness and will learn how to identify elder abuse risk factors and connect older adults to crucial services such as benefits enrollment and options counseling.
Meet Our BPC 2025 Session Speakers
Dr. Hollee Freeman
Keynote Speaker
Educator and Writer
Freeman Educational & Business Consulting, LLC
Bio
Hollee Freeman curates programs for students and adults which leverage community, creativity and critical thinking. She uses her experience as a nationally accredited and award winning educator and mentor to create learning spaces where children and adults flourish, find their voice and own their self-efficacy.
Ruth-Ann Acors
Field-Based Clinician
Daily Planet Health Services
Bio
I am a licensed clinical social worker, specializing in serving those struggling with addiction and experiencing homelessness.
Katie Chlan
Sr Director of Housing & Homeless Services
St. Joseph's Villa
Bio
I have spent the past (almost) twenty years working for various organizations in a myriad of positions within Richmond's homeless services system.
Heather Fortune
Vice President of Advocacy & Engagement
The Span Center
Bio
Heather directs program operations for the Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP), Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, Public Guardianship Program, Senior Employment Programs, Volunteer Money Management Program, AmeriCorps Seniors Programs, Volunteer Services and Legal Services. Additionally, she oversees and coordinates the work of The SPAN Center's Advisory Council.
Dr. Tracy Gendron
Chair, VCU Department of Gerontology and Executive Director,
Virginia Center on Aging
Bio
Dr. Tracey Gendron serves as Chair for the Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Gerontology, and Director for the Virginia Center on Aging and is the author of the book Ageism Unmasked: Exploring Age Bias and How to End It.
Cyn Nwarache
MSW, CYT 200hr
Unapologetically Well, LLC
Bio
I am a self-love advocate who consciously experiences life in ways that center love, safe connections, and unapologetic movement.
Courtney O'Hara
Co-Director
VCU's Elder Justice Learning & Research Hub
Bio
Courtney has spent over 20 years in the field of anti-violence and currently works with partners around the state to raise awareness and develop best practices to address elder mistreatment.
Andrew Ryan
Partner
Grey Ryan Communications
Bio
Andrew Ryan is a communications expert with two decades of experience serving clients in a variety of sectors, including work with human services and affordable housing nonprofits to engage and activate target audiences through strategic communications, PR, and advocacy.
Dr. Richard Southee
PhD of Global Health
Arizona State University
Bio
Richard Southee is a doctoral researcher focused on the manifestation of trauma among the homeless population and the impact on programs delivery and oversees programming and policy at one of the largest congregate shelters in the country.
Jessica Wade
LPC, CCTP, C-DBT
Richmond Behavioral Health Authority
Bio
I am passionate in my work with clients to assist in their journey to heal and grow.
Thank you to our sponsor!
Generous community partners made this event possible.
