Yes We Will Conference

Join us for a special conference exploring the most pressing issues, best practices and cutting edge work on the topics of homelessness prevention and affordable housing.

 Nationally renowned speakers, trainers, and facilitators will present workshops on: 

• Effective Tools for Case Management
• Developing Affordable & Supportive Housing
• Effective Strategies for Your Non-Profit
• Sustainable Development and Green Housing
• Emerging Strategies for Affordable Housing & Homeless Prevention
• Building Movements for Change
  

Application will be made for Social work CECs (including diversity CECs)

Limited tickets available. Register today!  Scholarships available

Schedule for the day

8:00 am – Registration, Breakfast, Vendors

9:00 am – Welcome & Keynote Speaker

10:15-11:45 - Workshop Session One

12:00-12:50 - Lunch and Panel Presentation

1:00-2:30 - Workshop Session Two

2:30-2:45 - Afternoon Break

2:45-4:15 - Workshop Session Three

4:30-6:00 - Reception and Closing Remarks

Keynote speaker:  Makani Themba-Nixon  

Makani Themba-Nixon is Executive Director of The Praxis Project, a nonprofit organization helping communities use media and policy advocacy to advance health equity and justice. Current projects include Policy Advocacy on Tobacco and Health (PATH)— a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative to build tobacco control policy advocacy in communities of color; as well as numerous tools and resources that help people translate local problems into progressive, effective policy initiatives.

Luncheon Panel: The Changing Landscape for Nonprofits 

Tony Maione - Executive Director, United Way of Rhode Island

Ruth McCambridge - Editor in Chief, Nonprofit Quarterly

Neil Steinberg - Executive Director, Rhode Island Foundation

The economic downturn, high unemployment, the foreclosure crisis, and cutbacks in state-funded social safety net services have caused an increase in demand for services from many nonprofits in Rhode Island.  Simultaneously, the crisis has caused a decrease in funding.  A panel of leaders from the nonprofit sector will discuss the impact of the recession on nonprofits including: the future of funding for nonprofits; how organizations can adapt in the crisis; and what the future of the nonprofit sector will look like. Moderated by Richard Godfrey, Executive Director of Rhode Island Housing.

Sponsored by: HousingWorks RI

Workshop Details:

Workshop Session One (10:15am - 11:45am)

A. Communication: Engagement & Rapport Building
Presenter: Dee Dee Williams – Sojourner House

The beginning of any relationship is the best time to establish clear roles and responsibilities for the work to be done. This session will focus on techniques and best practices for creating an effective working relationship that will produce results, while acknowledging the challenges that confronts constituents, case managers, clinicians and advocates alike.

B. Building Community Support
Nellie Gorbea – HousingWorks RI
John Dunn – Corporation for Supportive Housing
Jean Johnson – House of Hope CDC
Margaux Morisseau – Neighborworks Blackstone River Valley

Developing housing is a complex proposition that starts well before construction begins. Building community support is critical to the long-term success of maintaining a solid stock of affordable housing and the key to getting it built for each and every development. Community building works on a number of fronts from engaging political and corporate support, to working with the towns, the neighbors, and potential residents to help address a range of needs in the community.  Experts will share their experience, best practices, and potential pitfalls drawn from years of cultivating community support. The workshop will feature a role play of a Zoning Board Meeting.

C. Sustainable Development & Keep Space: Programs That Work
Moderator: Scott Wolf – Grow Smart Rhode Island
Presenters: Brad Hyson - The Apeiron Institute For Environmental Living
Amy Rainone - Rhode Island Housing
Carrie Zaslow and Barbara Fields - Local Initiative Support Corporation

This workshop will discuss initiatives to create and sustain vibrant communities throughout the state. Vibrant neighborhoods need affordable housing, transportation, jobs, schools and much more.  Come learn about some innovative programs that are trying to tie all of these needs together.

D. Working In the New Federal Landscape
Moderator: Brenda Clement – Statewide Housing Action Coalition of Rhode Island
Peggy Bailey          
Aaron Gornstein - Citizens Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA)
Buzz Roberts – LISC National
Sheila Crowley - NLIHC

The Obama Administration and Congress have been actively working on housing and foreclosure issues throughout the past year.  Come hear the latest updates from experts from Washington, DC and learn about how you can use these new resources in your community.

E. Adaptive Governance: The New Work of the Board
Presenter: Deb Linnell – Third Sector New England

Organizations grow and change and so should their Boards. Learn what types of governance suit organizations at different times in the organizational life cycle, including times of economic crisis and in periods of transition. An adaptive and fluid Board enables organizations to name and address complex issues in a dynamic and demanding environment.

F. The New Faces of Homelessness
Moderator: Mike Burk – Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families
Presenters: Richard Cho - Corporation for Supportive Housing
James Harris – Yes Program
Eileen Hayes – Amos House
Al Signorelli - Operation Stand Down

Who are the homeless in Rhode Island and what are the national models that have been successful at engaging, housing and supporting their independence and self sufficiency?  This workshop will focus on our veterans, youth aging out of foster care and frequent users of emergency systems.

Workshop Session Two (1:00pm - 2:30pm)

A. Motivational Interviewing
Presenter: Jim Thomas – Riverwood Mental Health Services

Motivational interviewing is a directive, client-centered counseling style for eliciting behavior change by helping clients to explore and resolve ambivalence. Compared with nondirective counseling, it is more focused and goal-directed. Participants will learn how to promote the examination and resolution of ambivalence among clients and be more intentionally directive in helping them pursue this goal.

B. Getting It Built: Financing Affordable & Supportive Housing
Moderator: Noreen Shawcross – Office of Housing and Community Development
Presenters: Carol Ventura and Joe Voccio - Rhode Island Housing
Nancy Whit – Pawtucket Citizens Development Corporation
Barney Heath – City of Pawtucket
Joe Garlick - Neighborworks Blackstone River Valley

Developing affordable and supportive housing involves weaving a tapestry of financing sources together from federal, state and local government.  Whether you are have created affordable and supportive housing in the past or would like to learn more about the development and financing process; this workshop will be informative, interactive and introduce you to the financing agencies as well as the agencies getting it done!

C. Greening Affordable Housing
Moderator: Brenda Clement
Presenters: Christine Malecki West – KITE Architects
Joshua Brandt
Joe Vaughan - Groundworks Providence
Mark Kravitz - The Apeiron Institute For Environmental Living

It's not easy being green but it is an important issue for affordable housing supporters who want to build housing that is both efficient and affordable to maintain. Learn from local experts about green building and new resources available through Federal Stimulus funds and learn from local developers who currently have green affordable housing projects underway.

D. Organizing for Our Times: The Challenges and Opportunities
Moderator: Zulma Garcia – Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Presenters:  Jeannette Huezo – United for a Fair Economy (UFE)

Community organizing continues to be an effective strategy for bringing communities together on important issues.  In this workshop participants and presenters will discuss and examine the challenges and opportunities of our times.  How new media plays a role, what it means to have a new administration in the White House and how different types of oppression are played out in trying to bring people together to work on common issues.

E. The New Reality for Non-profits
Moderator: Jill Pfitzenmayer – Rhode Island Foundation
Presenters: Deb Linnell – Third Sector New England
Ruth McCambridge – Nonprofit Quarterly

This workshop will follow up the luncheon presentation with a more in-depth examination and discussion of the current climate our non-profit organizations face. Workshop presenters will bring their national and regional perspective to the discussion including what the likely trends are in funding and maintaining the non-profit sector for the future. Additionally, presenters will give their perspective on the challenges and opportunities for the sector in the coming decade.

F. Reaching the Chronic Homeless: Effective Outreach & Engagement Strategies
Workshop Leader: Yvonne Perret – National SOAR Program
Presenters: Don Boucher – Riverwood Mental Health
Sheryl Marshall – ACCESS Rhode Island

Many constituents that are homeless or cycle in and out of housing avoid the social service system. Major mental illness and substance addiction (or a co-occurrence of both conditions) play into their reluctance to enter care. Those realities provide practitioners and advocates with significant challenges to overcome in order to serve this population. This workshop will teach participants proven ways to engage clients, thereby increasing the likelihood for effective service delivery and entry into the system of care.

Workshop Session Three (2:45pm - 4:15pm)

A. Trauma Informed Care: Effectiveness and Self-care
Presenter: Joan Gillece – National Center for Trauma Informed Care

Psychological trauma is a pivotal force that shapes the mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing of those seeking healing and recovery with the support of mental health and human services. Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) provides a new paradigm under which the basic premise for organizing services is transformed from “what is wrong with you?” to “what has happened to you?.” This workshop will educate participants in TIC and elicit ways to provide for self-care in TIC work.

B. Foreclosure: Turning Crisis Into Opportunity
Moderator: Nancy Smith - Department of Housing and Urban Development
Presenters: Kai-yan Lee - Federal Reserve Bank of Boston - Public & Community Affairs
Ray Neirinckx - Office of Housing & Community Development
Kenneth McGunagle

Finding the silver lining in the foreclosure crisis requires creativity, persistence, and a great amount of skill. The high rate of foreclosure continues to have a devastating impact on individuals and neighborhoods throughout the country. Some communities and organizations have worked steadily over the years to prevent foreclosure from happening in the first place, help individuals get back on the right track afterwards, and to help to bring homes that have become abandoned in the process back to productive use.  The speakers will discuss current thinking on the issues from national regional, state and local viewpoints and talk about new initiatives and potential solutions.

C. New Energy & Affordable Housing
Moderator: Chris Hannifan – Housing Network Rhode Island
Presenters: Karina Lutz - People's Power & Light/ Mass Energy Consumers Alliance
Steve Ostiguy – Church Community Housing
Julian Dash - Renewable Energy Fund, Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation
Paula McFarland - RI Community Action Association

Increasing energy efficiency and developing alternative energy sources have always been a priority for affordable housing developers.  New resources from the federal stimulus and a new state law have created renewed interest.  Learn about these resources from representatives from the state's Economic Development Commission, the RI Community Action Association and local affordable developers who are using these resources on their projects.

D. Innovative Partnerships for Change
Moderator: Anne Nolan - Crossroads Rhode Island
Presenters: Jim Ryczek – Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless
Meg Kerr - Narragansett Bay Estuary Program

Building partnership for change is never easy and often challenging, yet fomenting collaborations is more important today than ever before. Presenters will use their collaboration experiences to help participants understand how to build innovative partnerships for change into their work. Increasing efficiencies, maximizing effectiveness and addressing competition will be central themes. Specific attention will be paid to the leadership necessary to build capacities that focus on changing organizational structures and service systems to result in better public policies or service outcomes. 

E. Funding Your Work in These Times
Presenter: Gayle Gifford – Cause and Effect Inc.

Maintaining and sustaining the cost of effective programs has always been challenging, but never more so than in today’s economic climate. This workshop will help participants assess the stability of their funding, examine the prospects for sustainability in the future, and generate funding strategies to fulfill their programmatic needs.

F. Is Your Home Healthy?
Moderator: Stephanie Geller
Presenter:  Nancy Sutton
Magaly Angeloni
Elizabeth Colon

We know that all Rhode Islanders need housing that is both affordable and healthy.  Representatives from the State Department of Health will discuss their Healthy Homes Initiative and advocates will discuss their outreach and education efforts.  

Special thanks to our conference Partners and Sponsors:
Citizens Bank Foundation, Corporation for Supportive Housing, RI Department of Mental Health, Retardation & Hospitals, HousingWorks RI, LISC & National Equity Fund, and Rhode Island Housing

The Yes We Will Conference is organized in collaboration by: