Beyond Cultural Competence: Providing Equity-Centered Mental Health Support
Friday, July 31, 9am - 11am
This session explores how today’s sociopolitical climate impacts the mental health of marginalized communities, including immigrants, refugees, undocumented individuals, DACA recipients, and LGBTQ+ populations. Participants will learn practical advocacy strategies, equity-centered approaches, and tools for supporting individuals, families, and communities. Through reflection on systems of oppression, implicit bias, and social justice, attendees will gain skills to move beyond a competency-based model toward action-oriented advocacy that promotes mental health, inclusion, and community well-being.
Participants will:
- Understand how current social and legislative issues affect mental health and advocacy efforts.
- Develop practical skills to advocate for and support marginalized populations.
- Increase awareness of community resources and confidence in responding to client needs.
- Foster inclusive, compassionate conversations about mental health.
- Strengthen strategies for promoting community connection, education, and well-being.
Dr. Pamela Fullerton, PhD, LCPC, CCTP, CCATP, C-DBT, CGP, NCC Dr. Pamela Fullerton is the Founder and Clinical Director of Advocacy & Education Consulting, a counseling and consulting organization dedicated to ensuring social justice and advocacy through access to mental health and well-being services. She is a Latina bilingual Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), a Certified Dialectical Behavior Therapy professional (C-DBT), a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP), A Certified Grief Informed Professional (CGP), and a clinical supervisor and consultant. Dr. Fullerton is also a professional writer, international speaker, and workshop facilitator. She travels locally and internationally to educate on mental health, wellness, and prevention. Dr. Fullerton specializes in working with BIPOC communities, undocumented/immigrant communities, immigration and acculturation, trauma, anxiety, life transitions, and career counseling. She is an adjunct instructor in the Counselor Education department at Northeastern Illinois University and co-runs a nonprofit organization to support Latinx youth in the Chicagoland area. She volunteers as a contributing writer for publications discussing mental health topics and serves on mental health and health justice advisory councils.
Keeping Children Safe in the Digital Age: iGuardian for Trusted Adults
Friday, August 28, 2026, 9am - 11am
Children and teens are navigating an increasingly complex digital world, making it more important than ever for trusted adults to understand the online risks they may encounter. Join us for this informative Project iGuardian presentation designed for educators, youth-serving professionals, parents, caregivers, and other trusted adults who interact with children every day.
This webinar provides practical insight into the most common online threats facing youth, including online grooming, sextortion, and the long-term risks associated with sharing images online. Participants will learn how offenders use technology and social media to manipulate and exploit children, recognize warning signs, and explore effective prevention strategies.
In addition to understanding these risks, the presentation emphasizes what it truly means to be a trusted adult—not just in title, but through consistent action, supportive communication, and meaningful engagement with the young people in your life. Attendees will leave with practical knowledge and resources to help create safer online experiences for children and teens.
Ale Levi, LCSW is a Senior Forensic Interview Specialist (FIS) with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and currently serves as a Campaign Advisor and Subject Matter Expert for the Department of Homeland Security's Know2Protect Campaign. She holds master's degrees in Social Work and Forensic Psychology and has worked in the field of child abuse and exploitation since 1998.
In 2009, Ms. Levi became HSI's first Forensic Interview Specialist, establishing the agency's Forensic Interview Program. Throughout her career, she has worked with child and adult victims of crime, specializing in child exploitation and abuse, human trafficking, traveling child sex offender investigations, female genital mutilation (FGM), human rights violations, and war crimes. Ms. Levi conducts forensic interviews and delivers specialized training both domestically and internationally in English and Spanish. She is also an associate with the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) and serves as a consultant for the National Children's Advocacy Center (NCAC).
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