Hear These Voices Conference 2005

Casey Family Services' Family Connections Program will sponsor its' "Hear These Voices" statewide conference at the Trumbull Marriott Hotel on October 27, 2005. Workshop tracks include Empowerment & Access; Health & Mental Health; Policy/Research & Advocacy; and a full day Adolescent track for youth participants.

This year's theme will focus on women of color and girls of child bearing age given the disproportionality HIV/AIDS continues to have on women of color and its insufferable impact in the life of affected families. We hope to encourage, empower and uplift families by giving them power over HIV/AIDS through education, advocacy and the tools to overcome. We will address the impact of HIV services and child welfare services has on families, and present "best practice" models for intervention and care.

The master of ceremonies is Veronica Douglas of New Channel 8. She will be joined by a special Youth M.C

The keynote speaker, Gloria Wilder Brathwaite, M.D., M.P.H., is a pediatrician and director of Mobile Health Services at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC. Mrs. Brathwaite is a gifted physician and presenter who will speak to poverty issues that affect minority families struggling with HIV. She will also address the ongoing need for increased collaboration among different service providers, disciplines and communities and the need for all to share resources, expertise and programs to maximize the effect in all communities. She was recently recognized as one of "Oprah's Angels" in honor of her medical community work within some of the most poverty stricken neighborhoods, administering care to families, including HIV positive single mothers and at risk adolescent girls.

The conference will meet several significant objectives by providing information and activities for both service providers and families including:

• Focusing attention to the needs of HIV/AIDS affected children, adolescents and families in the state.
• Strengthening service delivery to HIV/AIDS affected children and families through education and training.
• Providing networking opportunities for service providers and HIV/AIDS affected families.
• Creating a platform for organizing needed program and policy changes.