53rd ANNUAL
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT LEADERSHIP TRAINING CONFERENCE
Full Conference Agenda
Thursday, November 20, 2025
10:00am – 11:15am
Early Bird Session
Behavioral Threat Assessment as a Community Resource
Krystyna Feola, Sergeant at Madison County Sheriff's Office
Designed to equip participants with the skills to identify and report warning signs of potential violence. Teaches individuals how to recognize observable behaviors that may indicate a person is on a "pathway to violence," how to use intervention strategies and where to report these concerning behaviors.
11:30am – 12:30pm
Keynote Speaker: Cohen Miles-Rath, MSW
Out of the Chaos: Inspiring Hope
Through My Journey of Recovery and Advocacy
Before graduating from college, Cohen faced a mental health crisis and nearly killed his dad. Police arrested him at gunpoint. He thought he went to Hell, but he was trapped by psychosis and incarceration. By a miracle, he survived, rebuilding his life and his dad’s trust. Cohen’s captivating story reveals systemic difficulties that hinder mental health support. With years of recovery and gaining mental health expertise, he discusses ways we can improve systems of care, resources, family, and more.
12:30 – 1:15pm
Lunch with Welcome Speakers
1:30pm – 2:45pm
Concurrent Sessions
1. How Children's Care Management Works with Homeless Youth
Michelle Varvaro, Community & Provider Relations, CHHUNY: Children's Health Home of Upstate NY
Last year NYS started allowing Runaway and Homeless Youth under the age of 18 to consent for themselves to receive Children's Care Management Services. Connected with Care Management Services, youth are assisted with communication amongst all the providers they are involved with: school, legal, medical, mental health, etc. They are assisted with navigating systems of care, understanding what they are eligible for and connected with needed services and resources. While many programs have end dates and the young adults move around, a Care Manager is able to stay involved as long as needed.
2. Career Ready with Schenectady County Connects
Danielle Mitchell, Principal Employment and Training Coordinator and Bailey Gardiner, Senior Workforce Investment Youth Coordinator (Youth Bureau Director)
Schenectady County Connects has a unique role operating both the Career Center and the Youth Bureau. With access to resources in the employment and youth development realm as well as partnerships with other County departments, we are able to offer robust youth services. This presentation will explore the braiding and blending of funding, types of programming offered and some of the structure and curriculum implemented to support youth in, not only obtaining employment but also, retaining long-term, self-sustaining employment in a career they love.
3. Playful Pathways to Wellness: Engaging Youth Through Movement and Creative Expression
Jennifer Villa, Director of Youth Services, City of Yonkers Youth Bureau
Discover the transformative power of play in this interactive, hands-on workshop designed to enhance youth well-being and foster meaningful connection. This session provides practical, movement-based, and creative ideas that help youth feel calmer, more connected, and comfortable expressing themselves. It is grounded in practices used during our signature positive youth development programs. Ideal for educators, youth professionals, and advocates, participants will learn and share tools to
create welcoming, inclusive environments that encourage self-expression, resilience, and empowerment. Leave inspired with adaptable ideas you can immediately implement to bring more joy and connection into your youth programming. Get ready to learn, laugh, and play during this engaging session!
4. Understanding Financial Literacy for Youth
Joleen Hanlon, Education Manager, Junior Achievement of Northeastern New York
What’s the “one thing” you wish you had learned in school? Money management? Career planning? Business basics? In this workshop hosted by Junior Achievement of Northeastern New York, we will explore the importance of preparing youth to own their economic success and to take on the realities of work and life in the 21st century. You will learn about a variety of K-12 resources that teach youth about financial literacy, careers that match their interests and skills, and even inspire youth to become entrepreneurs!
3:00pm – 4:15pm
Concurrent Sessions
1. Restorative Practices Circles- A Community Building Tool
Gregg A Scheiner, MS Restorative Practices, MBA, BA, Restorative Practices Trainer, LIDRC- EAC Network
Circles are a versatile Restorative Practice communication process that develops communication and problem-solving skills. The Circle Process allows all participants to have a voice and to be heard (Pranis 2008) as they collaboratively develop deeper understanding and create a solution to an issue being presented . You will participate in an abbreviated circle and will be provided with a handout on the stages of the circles and being a circle keeper.
2. “Office Hours” for Youth Bureaus
Facilitator: Rachel Wilson, Executive Director, Orange County Youth Bureau
Whether you are new to the field or interested in sharing promising practices, join your colleagues at this roundtable discussion! This session provides an open forum for youth bureau staff to ask questions, share best practices, and discuss challenges unique to municipal youth programs. Attendees will have the opportunity to network, receive guidance, and gain insights from both peers and the facilitator to support their ongoing work.
3. Budgeting for Department Heads
Joseph Testa, Office of the NYS Comptroller and Leslie Richard, Office of the NYS Comptroller
Department heads play a crucial role in assisting the Governing Board and the Budget Officer in the development of a structurally balanced budget. In this session, presenters will cover the role department heads play in the budget process, the importance of staying within adopted or amended budget levels at all times and discuss why department heads may not be able to incur expenses equal to the full adopted amount of appropriations.
4:30pm - 5:00pm
Annual Meeting of the Association
Dinner on Your Own
Friday, November 21, 2025
8:00am - 9:00am
Breakfast
9:00am - 10:00am
Youth Development: Updates in Albany
Jackie Negri, Executive Director, Association of NYS Youth Bureaus
Brittney Vogel, Hinman Straub, LLC
10:15am - 11:30am
Concurrent Sessions
1. Conflict Mapping - A Refining Tool
Gregg A Scheiner, MS Restorative Practices, MBA, BA, Restorative Practices Trainer, LIDRC- EAC Network
Conflict mapping is a valuable visual analytical tool used to understand the key components of a dispute, providing a systematic approach to understanding the various dimensions of a conflict situation. It graphically represents the parties involved, their relationships, interests, and power dynamics. It is widely used in conflict resolution and peacebuilding and is appliable to youth conflicts.
2. Disability Language and Etiquette Working with Youth
Tracy Wallace, ADAC, CRPA, CASAC-T, ADA Compliance Coordinator, Independent Living, Inc.
This training provides essential guidelines on respectful and inclusive communication with individuals with disabilities. Participants will learn about various types of disabilities and how to communicate using appropriate language, etiquette, and best practices to foster an inclusive environment. Join us to enhance your understanding and create a more welcoming community for everyone.
3. Youth, Teen, and Peer Court: Understanding Connections and Benefits
Katrina Charland, Director of Bethlehem Youth Court and Arianne Reyer, Special Counsel for Adolescent & Juvenile Justice for Nassau County Dept. of Probation
Youth, teen and peer courts are diversion programs that utilize the power of positive peer pressure to help hold young people accountable for their actions in a positive, constructive way through peer-led diversion hearings. Based on the principles of restorative justice, these programs benefit both the young offenders and the youth volunteers through civic engagement. This presentation will showcase how youth courts across the state employ different strategies to help young people and divert their cases from the juvenile justice system.
11:45am - 1:00pm
Concurrent Sessions
1. ADA Compliance and Accessibility with Youth Programs
Tracy Wallace, ADAC, CRPA, CASAC-T, ADA Compliance Coordinator, Independent Living, Inc.
This training teaches staff about the Americans with Disabilities Act and disability defined. This training includes Physical Accessibility, Technology Accessibility, Digital Accessibility, Website Accessibility (WCAG), and Program Accessibility. The goal of this training is to be more inclusive so that people of all abilities can participate in programs, activities and services.
2. Maximizing the Benefits of Working with an Advisory Board
Rachel Wilson, Executive Director, Orange County Youth Bureau
This session is for youth bureau directors and staff, as well as individuals interested in participating in or starting a youth advisory board.
In this session, participants will discover strategies to effectively engage and collaborate with advisory boards in youth bureaus and youth-focused organizations. Topics include recruitment and retention of board members, tips for effective orientation, establishing clear roles and responsibilities, and leveraging advisory boards to strengthen program outcomes. The workshop will also provide practical tools for fostering open communication and aligning board activities to promote youth development and mission throughout your community.
3. Treat College like Trade School
Anthony Rooney, MPA, Founder, College Client
College Client's "Treat College Like Trade School" asks audience members to consider the question 'Is higher education a dying industry?' One college per-month (on average) closes in America; we need to be encouraging youth to pursue careers that are 1. Trade Focused and 2. AI Proof. Liberal Arts programs are terrific; they are enriching and sometimes act as the only true incentive for a student to complete a degree program. However, Liberal Arts degrees tend to lack instruction on hands-on skill building, and the necessary professional development opportunities that will help students succeed in today's intensely competitive job market.
1:00pm
Adjournment
About the Keynote:
Cohen Miles-Rath, MSW, is the author of Mending Reality: An Advocate’s Existential Journey with Mental Health, a memoir about his lived experience with mental illness and recovery. After a severe crisis with psychosis and mania, he was incarcerated and later rebuilt his life through treatment, education, and advocacy. His work has advanced policies that strengthen mental health systems, and he has shared his story with students, professionals, elected officials, and media outlets, including Psychology Today and the American Psychiatric Association.
Now, on top of being a mental health training professional with the New York State Office of Mental Health, Cohen combines lived experience with expertise to inspire compassion, awareness, and action—empowering communities, families, and professionals to strengthen how they support mental illness, promote recovery, and improve systems of care.
Sponsors & Exhibitors
Click Here to View the Sponsor and Exhibitor Prospectus
The Association of NYS Youth Bureaus invites you to be a part of the 53rd Annual Youth Development Training Conference by purchasing exhibit space or becoming a sponsor. The conference, scheduled for November 20-21, 2025 at the Marriott Albany in Albany, NY will attract youth development professionals, county and municipal youth bureau directors & probation/child welfare officials, educators, researchers, advocates, law enforcement personnel, not-for-profit agencies, parks and recreation professionals, and other youth development stakeholders from across New York State.
More than ever, the field of youth development continues to grow and provides valuable support in keeping our youth healthy, safe and in their homes and communities. Our participants are interested in products and services that provide and promote youth development skills which they can take back to their organizations and share with their youth, families and colleagues.
If you are interested in exhibiting or sponsoring at this exciting conference, please click the REGISTER HERE button below to complete the registration form by Friday, November 7, 2025.
Please do not hesitate to contact ANYSYB at nysyouthbureaus@gmail.com with any questions