Jewish Education Mental Wellness Summit

Spend a day learning how to approach your students and families with The Whole Child Approach.  This conference invites educators and caregivers to look past difficult behaviors and discover the strengths, needs, and potential of every child.  Learn how shifting focus from “fixing behavior” to nurturing connection and growth can transform challenges into opportunities for belonging and success.

Dr. Carly Namdar, Resilience Programs and School Based Services Director, OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services, will headline this conference and give a keynote titled, “Beyond Behavior: Seeing the Whole Child Beneath the Challenge”

This conference is intended for school Principals and Administrators, School Counselors, Learning Specialists, Teachers, and other professionals who work with youth and teens. 

REGISTER TODAY!

Schedule of the Day:

8:45 – 9:00 – Welcome

9:00 – 10:15 – Keynote: “Beyond Behavior, Seeing the Child Beneath the Challenge”** with Dr. Carly Namdar 

10:30 – 11:30 – Breakout #1

1) Principals: Pleasing Everybody, Pleasing Nobody – The Child, The Parent & Teacher with Dr. Carly Namdar
Balancing and juggling the demands of leadership in supporting students, parents and faculty, all at the same time, with often competing needs, while also supporting yourself. In this session, school leadership will work through real-world scenarios and thoughtful reflection to practice effective decision-making and communication strategies that honor all stakeholders without losing themselves in the process.

2) Regulating the Dysregulated Child** with Dr. Sue Futeral
Participants will explore practical strategies for supporting children of all ages who are emotionally dysregulated. We will focus on the importance of co-regulation—how an adult’s calm presence can help a child regain balance—and ways that teachers and staff members can support their students. You will leave with actionable approaches to foster emotional resilience and create supportive environments for students in classroom settings and beyond.

3) Understanding and Supporting Age Appropriate Behaviors in Schools** with Stacey Meadows
Children and adolescents are constantly growing which means that their behaviors are often reflections of where they are developmentally. This session will focus on knowing what’s “age appropriate” and how to respond in ways that support mental wellness. Participants will discuss what they have experienced in their schools and will learn how to respond in ways that promote regulation, resilience, and connection. Create classroom environments that support emotional development and mental wellness

4) Rooted in Learning: Engaging Environment, Movement, and Nature in Education** with Jen Udler
How does learning change when the environment becomes part of the lesson? This experiential session invites educators and school counselors to step beyond the classroom and explore how nature, movement, and place support regulation, engagement, and behavior change. Through research-informed discussion and hands-on outdoor practices, participants will discover practical ways to use the environment as a powerful educational and therapeutic resource. (Note: Please wear a warm coat and comfortable shoes if you choose this breakout as you will be going outdoors)

11:30 – 12:30 – Lunch

12:30 – 1:30 – Breakout #2

1) Resilient Educators, Resilient Students: Tools and Strategies to Strengthen Yourself and Your Students** with Dr. Carly Namdar
When educators are resilient, students learn to be resilient too. This session explores how educator well being directly shapes classroom climate, student behavior, and overall mental wellness. In addition to theoretical discussion, participants will also experience exercises to promote emotional balance and self-care.

2) Challenging Behaviors: Why They Happen and What Educators Can Do** with Mariposa Education
Strong relationships are the foundation of children’s learning and behavior, yet many educators are experiencing rising stress and increasingly challenging behaviors in the classroom. This session will explore how stress affects the developing brain and why some common discipline strategies no longer work. This practical, research-informed session introduces essential adult skills that reduce stress, decrease challenging behaviors, and build social-emotional learning. Participants will leave with a concrete, immediately usable strategy to build the safe, connected relationships children need to thrive.

3) Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the Classroom** with Dr. Joseph Bechofer
This workshop will help equip educators to better understand ASD symptoms and challenges, appreciate children with ASD, and design interventions to support their neurodiverse presentation. Using a case study and thought-provoking questions, participants will be challenged to apply their own experiences and evidence-based strategies to help children with ASD thrive in the mainstream classroom.

4) Rooted in Learning: Engaging Environment, Movement, and Nature in Education** with Jen Udler
How does learning change when the environment becomes part of the lesson? This experiential session invites educators and school counselors to step beyond the classroom and explore how nature, movement, and place support regulation, engagement, and behavior change. Through research-informed discussion and hands-on outdoor practices, participants will discover practical ways to use the environment as a powerful educational and therapeutic resource. (Note: Please wear a warm coat and comfortable shoes if you choose this breakout as you will be going outdoors)

1:40 – 2:40 – Breakout #3

1) School Counselors: Pleasing Everybody, Pleasing Nobody – The Child, The Parent & Teacher** with Dr. Carly Namdar
Balancing and juggling the demands of the school mental health professional in supporting students, parents and faculty, all at the same time, with often competing needs, while also supporting yourself.

2) Challenging Behaviors: Why They Happen and What Educators Can Do** with Mariposa Education
Strong relationships are the foundation of children’s learning and behavior, yet many educators are experiencing rising stress and increasingly challenging behaviors in the classroom. This session will explore how stress affects the developing brain and why some common discipline strategies no longer work. This practical, research-informed session introduces essential adult skills that reduce stress, decrease challenging behaviors, and build social-emotional learning. Participants will leave with a concrete, immediately usable strategy to build the safe, connected relationships children need to thrive.

3) Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the Classroom** with Dr. Joseph Bechofer
This workshop will help equip educators to better understand ASD symptoms and challenges, appreciate children with ASD, and design interventions to support their neurodiverse presentation. Using a case study and thought-provoking questions, participants will be challenged to apply their own experiences and evidence-based strategies to help children with ASD thrive in the mainstream classroom.

4) Cultivating Your Inner Shalom with Dr. Zoe Lang
As we go through our busy days, we might frequently find ourselves feeling overwhelmed by the demands of the moment. The goal of this session is to provide tools that can allow us to find peace (shalom) even in moments when we are facing stress. Inspired by the SEL*F workshop model (Social-Emotional Learning & Facilitation) of Breathe for Change, this session will include movement, meditation, and a creative activity as we explore different ways we can access our inner shalom. (Note: this breakout will include physical movement—please wear comfortable clothing)

2:45 – 3:00 – Wrap up discussion

** CEU Eligible

Click here for printable version and to read speaker bios.