Youth at Risk Conference
Changing the lives of youth workers–every year.
YAR Attendee Registration Opens End of March -Stay Tuned!
YAR Attendee Registration Opens End of March -Stay Tuned!
The YAR conference offers engaging workshops and the opportunity to obtain continuing education units (CEUs). Exhibitors across the region are present, and sponsors can partner with this uplifting event.
Located at Endicott College in Beverly, the all-day conference is geared toward those working with and caring for youth in various settings—family, community, school, religious, healthcare, human service, and legal. Attendees include social workers, psychologists, youth counselors, family therapists, educators, school adjustment counselors, guidance counselors, community and public health workers, program managers, agency and organization CEOs, police officers, juvenile court personnel, lawyers, and volunteers. YAR presenters come from across the state and from a variety of sectors.
The 2025 cost of attendance is $150.00.
For updates and information on future conferences, join our email list by emailing yar@pw4c.org with your preferred address, phone and email.
We’re excited to announce that the 2025 Youth-At-Risk (YAR) Conference is now accepting volunteer applications!
This milestone event marks 25 years of empowering those who support youth—Together We Thrive—and we want YOU to be part of it.
While this conference does not host youth, it is dedicated to educators, counselors, social workers, and professionals who work with them. As a volunteer, you’ll play a vital role in ensuring a seamless and impactful event by assisting with logistics, supporting speakers, and helping attendees navigate the conference.
Volunteer Responsibilities May Include:
Assisting with event logistics and setup
Supporting speakers and session facilitators
Welcoming and guiding attendees
Helping at registration and resource tables
Important Information:
Volunteers are asked to submit a $25 meal fee at registration (early spring).
Workshop participation is encouraged, and we strive to match volunteers with their preferences.
2025 Schedule of Workshops
Session A (10:15 AM – 11:45 AM)
1a. A Deep Dive into the Journey for Families in Juvenile Justice
2a. Addressing Hate in Schools and Organizations
3a. An Overview of the Massachusetts Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform
4a. Best Practices for Working with Refugee Youth
5a. Supporting Young Adults to Obtain Housing
6a. Collateral Consequences for Court Involved Youth and Emerging Adults
7a. Creative Self-Care: Trauma-Informed Strategies for Providers Supporting At-Risk Youth
8a. Empowering Growth: Strategies To Nurture Peer Mentors in the Mental Health Field
9a. Foundations of Special Education: An Overview of I.D.E.A. for Practitioners
10a. Intentional Inclusion in the Workplace
11a. Mind the Gap: Preventative Advocacy for Families
12a. QPR (Question-Persuade-Refer): Suicide Detection and Prevention for Youth
13a. Supporting Youth and Families Through Recovery in Their Communities
14a. Transition Services Documented for Real Outcomes
15a. Trauma in Boys, Adolescent Males & Young Men Who Have Been Trafficked
16a. Understanding Eating Disorders in Youth, Confronting Diet Culture and Encouraging Body Neutrality
Session B (1:15 PM – 2:45 PM)
1b. Beyond Awareness: Practical Application of the My Life My Choice Exploitation Prevention Model
2b. Data Equity in Youth Services: Inclusive Strategies for Transformative Impact
3b. Early Intervention in Psychosis
4b. Empowering the ME in Team
5b. Engaging Communication Strategies: L.U.V.R. (Listen, Understand, Validate, Relate)
6b. Engaging Youth Through Mentorship and Partnership
7b. Identifying and Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence
8b. Intro to A-CRA: Addressing Substance Use in Youth
9b. Project Adventure Therapeutic Support Groups*
10b. Representing Children in Removal Proceedings
11b. Rethinking Youth and Family Voice: Engaging Staff with Lived Experience
12b. Seeing RED: Changing the Narrative
13b. Building Resilience Through Trauma-Informed Supervision
14b. The Form Changed, but the Laws Didn’t: Your ‘New’ IEP
15b. ADVANCED: Therapeutic Strategies: Supporting and Advocating for LGBTQ+ Youth
16b. ADVANCED: When Love Is Not Enough - The Difference Between Understanding and Acceptance
Session C (3:00 PM – 4:00 PM)
1c. THRIVE: Burnout Recovery & Prevention
2c. Act Now- Social Emotional Learning Workshop
3c. Activating and Embracing Joy
4c. Courage Unleashed: Kelly’s Brave Journey from Adversity to Advocacy (Youth Speaker)
5c. Immigrant Access to Public Benefits
Diruhi Award Nominations
The Diruhi Mattian Memorial Award honors the memory of an extraordinary social worker who was tragically killed in 2008 while doing the work that meant so much to her. Diruhi was deeply committed to her mission of helping at-risk youth and their families. She was known to many as a dedicated advocate for self-care and a source of support and encouragement for her colleagues. This award was created in her name to recognize those who, like Diruhi, make an outstanding impact on the community and the lives of our youth.
2024 Diruhi Award Recipient: Roberto Rios
Roberto works with children and families struggling with truancy in the Lawrence School District. His official title is Family Engagement Case Manager/Attendance Officer, and that first part really describes what Roberto does – he engages those kids and their families.
As we all know, working with students in the classroom has its challenges, but getting kids in the door can present a whole new set of obstacles to overcome. Roberto goes above and beyond in connecting with kids and their families to identify those obstacles and then providing the support and services needed to not only get those kids in school, but also working with a skilled team of professionals to address the underlying needs of the family, to enable that child to continue in school.
This happens because Roberto uses a holistic and systemic approach rather than treating truancy as failure. He understands poverty, homelessness, immigration and other issues that may seem insurmountable to families. He goes to them, knocking on doors, assisting with basic needs, making referrals for mental health support, and getting kids and families what they need not just to survive, but to succeed.
Roberto will probably tell you he doesn’t do this all on his own; that he has a great team, but I’m also sure everyone on that team and in the Lawrence School System will tell you that Roberto is a great leader… in fact, it was through their recommendations that Roberto was nominated for this award.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
+ When is the next conference?
Our next conference date is May 28, 2025 at Endicott College in Beverly, MA. The cost to attend is TBD.
+ I am an expert in my field and am interested in presenting. Who do I contact?
Submissions to be a YAR presenter are closed for this year. Thank you!
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We seek professionals who will share their knowledge, expertise and experience to address the multitude of issues faced by the youth we work with, their families as well as ourselves as providers.
Some examples of past presentation topics include: Access to Family Planning, Child Welfare, DEI, Domestic Violence, Education; such as school avoidance / school anxiety, Gender based violence, Grief, Homeless Youth, Immigration, Interventions MH, Juvenile Justice, Law Enforcement, LGBTQ+, Mental Health, Parent Partners, Racial Equity/ DEI, Racial Trauma, Self-Care, Substance Use Disorders & Management, Trauma, etc.
+ Which CEUs are offered through the YAR conference?
This can vary year to year. We typically apply for the following CEU’s: NASW National Association of Social Work; CAFL Children and Family Law; LMFT Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist; LMHC Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and new in 2024 was YAD Youth Advocacy division.
+ How do I find the Youth at Risk Resource Guide?
You can find our comprehensive Guide at (https://yarguide.org)
Want to be added to the resource guide? Click here to fill out the request form: (https://form.jotform.com/231715729507157)
+ What is the Diruhi Mattian Memorial Award?
Each year, the Youth at Risk (YAR) conference honors a special person who lives or works in Merrimack Valley or Essex County and has made an outstanding contribution in supporting youth at risk.
The Diruhi Mattian Memorial Award honors the memory of an extraordinary social worker who was tragically killed in 2008. Diruhi was dedicated to her profession and always wanted to make a difference in the lives of young people over and over again. The award was created in her name to recognize those who, like Diruhi, do outstanding work in the community for our youth.
**Previous Award Winners include: **
- 2010 - Mike Duda, YAR Founder and Pastor, First Church of Wenham
- 2011 - Kelly O'Conner, Afterschool Program Director, Gregg Neighborhood House
- 2012 - H. Bud Kelly, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
- 2013 - Mark Libon, Vice President of Community-based Services, Lahey Health Systems
- 2014 - Donna Coe, Nurse Practitioner, Lynn Community Health Center
- 2015 - Patrick Foley, Adolescent Program Director, STARR Commonwealth
- 2015 - Fred Mathieu, Kids Club Program Director, Washington Street Baptist Church
- 2016 - Carol Ireland, VIP Team Advisor, Haverhill High School
- 2017 - Deb A. Morrison, MSW, LICSW, Kevin O'Grady School at North Shore Consortium in Beverly
- 2018 - Nancy Edman Earls, Director of the Newburyport Learning Enrichment Center (NLEC)
- 2019 - Eric Cousineau, Social Worker at the Greater Lowell Department of Children and Families
- 2021 - Michelle Lipinski, Northshore Recovery High School Principal
- 2022 - Carlos Mercado, Lowell Police Department
- 2023 - Anya McDavitt, Director of Youth Services at North Shore Community Mediation Center
- 2024 - Roberto Rios, Family Engagement Case Manager/Attendance Officer for the Lawrence School District
2025 Focal Image Youth Artist: Kai Geraghty-Sari
Thank you to our 2025 Youth at Risk Conference Sponsors
Presenting Sponsors:
Trailblazer Sponsor:
LEADER
• Jason Hayes Foundation
John W. Alden Trust
Rogers Family Foundation
The Abbot & Dorothy H. Stevens Foundation
AMBASSADOR
McCarthy Family Foundation
Mount Prospect Academy
NFI Massachusetts
ADVOCATE
JRI
Marblehead Bank
Merrimack College
The Artful Life
YAR 2025 Committee Members
Amy Ackroyd - Independent Consultant, Chair of YAR Committee
Stacie Bloxham - Essex County Sheriffs Department
Nicholas Bound - Department of Youth Services
Windi Bowditch - Northshore Education Consortium
Linnea Burrill - Department of Children & Families
AJ Cullen - Department of Developmental Disabilities
Amanda Daniels - Pathways for Children
Kerry Fitzgerald - Pathways for Children
Stephanie Gargiulo- Beth Israel Lahey Health Behavioral Services
Brian Gawlak - East Baptist Church
Staci Gergely - Essex County Juvenile Court Probation
Kimberly Hutchin - Private Practice Psychotherapist
Mona Igram - Center for Public Representation
Heyda Javier - JRI
Frantzie Kebreau - Gregg House
Hailey MacDonald - Pathways for Children
Jennifer McMurray - DMH
Kathy Moriconi -YAR Co-Founder/Lawrence Family Development
Lauri Rawls - Endicott College
Linda Richards - Department of Mental Health (Retired)
Christine Shaw - Merrimack College
Meg Wasko - Endicott College
YAR Statement on Risk
Every generation of youth has faced and endured an ever-changing
landscape of physical, medical, social, emotional, economic, political
and environmental stresses, resulting in a wide range of risks to
their wellness and ability to achieve their full life potential.
As a community, the helping professions are at the front line of
identifying, mitigating, and minimizing the impact of these stresses on
our youth, their families, and communities. Risk, and its management
is a daily reality and responsibility for all our disciplines.
The Youth at Risk Committee does not use the term "risk" lightly or as
a pejorative. Rather, we endeavor to emphasize the importance of
being vigilant to the management of risk wherever it presents
itself in our communities and remain focused on empowering youth,
families and communities to actualize their innate hope and resiliency
to meet and manage the challenges presented.
Wherever our front lines take us, we need to be creative,
enthusiastic, and mutually supportive as we navigate a rapidly
changing world. Thank you for joining us in raising up our colleagues
and expanding our collective knowledge and expertise.
This is what the YAR Conference is all about. We look forward to
celebrating YAR together with you!
HAVE QUESTIONS? CHECK US OUT AT www.pw4c.org/youth-at-risk-conference OR
EMAIL US AT YAR@PW4C.ORG
WE’RE HERE TO HELP!