Conference Presenters
Dr. Marilyn Benoit
Past President of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Dr. Marilyn Benoit is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who is in private practice in Washington, DC. Dr. Benoit is a Past President (2001-2003) of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She initiated a collaborative relationship with the Child Welfare League of America to establish a national coalition of major stakeholders in the foster care system in order to improve mental health services to children in the system. The American Academy of Pediatrics has since joined that collaboration. She has served on the faculties of Howard University and George Washington University and is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical Center, from where she received the Vicennial Silver Medal of Honor for 20 years of distinguished service. Dr. Benoit is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Child Welfare League of America, the Alliance for Childhood and of the Devereux Foundation. She serves on several Advisory Boards of non-profit organizations concerned with children’s issues. She is a nationally known advocate for children, and an international lecturer on children and adolescents’ mental health issues.
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Closing Keynote Address
Dr. David Sanders
Executive Vice President of Systems Improvement, Casey Family Programs
Dr. David Sanders is Executive Vice President of Systems Improvement for Casey Family Programs and leads the organization’s efforts to partner with and support state, local and tribal child welfare jurisdictions in improving outcomes for children and youth that they serve. Dr. Sanders has spent his entire career in the human services field. Prior to joining Casey Family Programs, Dr. Sanders directed all operations for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), the largest county system in the country, with about 6,000 staff serving approximately 22,000 children in care. During Dr. Sanders’ tenure, the department saw its foster care population decrease, while improving safety and stability for children experiencing the foster care system. Before joining DCFS as director, Dr. Sanders held the post of senior human services director at the Hennepin County Children, Family and Adult Services Department, managing a social service department of 1,450 staff, responsible for all state and federally mandated social services to children, families and adults. Dr. Sanders graduated with honors from Princeton University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and received his Ph.D. from University of Minnesota in Clinical Psychology.
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Conference Plenary Panel Moderator
Charles Figley, PhD
Editor of Traumatology; Fulbright Fellow and Professor; Director, Florida State University Traumatology Institute, College of Social Work, Tallahassee, FL
Dr. Charles Figley is a psychologist, family therapist, and Professor in the College of Social Work at the Florida State University since June 1989. His work has focused on individual stress reactions, especially traumatic stress, starting with his research on Vietnam combat veterans and their families and has helped established the field of Traumatology, the study and treatment of human reactions to highly stressful situations. At FSU he directs the FSU Traumatology Institute (formerly the Psychosocial Stress Research and Development Program). He is also Editor of the Journal Traumatology and former Editor of several other Journals. Among other achievements, the Institute initiated the Green Cross Projects, following the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and played an important role in humanitarian efforts in New York City immediately following the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks. The Green Cross provided mental health services in response to invitations from Sri Lanka in 2005 and later in response to Hurricane Katrina at the invitation of the Humane Society who lead animal rescue efforts. Dr. Figley has written more than 186 scholarly works including 19 books.
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Mini-Plenary Presenter
Paula Kienberger Jaudes, MD, FAAP
President and CEO, La Rabida Children’s Hospital, Chicago, IL; Medical Director, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
Paula Kienberger Jaudes, M.D., is President and Chief Executive Officer of La Rabida Children’s Hospital, a 49-bed specialty hospital that treats children with chronic illnesses and disabilities in Chicago. She is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Chicago in the Section of Chronic Diseases. She is the Medical Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services with responsibilities for the health care of foster children throughout the State of Illinois. Dr. Jaudes currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Committees on Child Abuse and Neglect, and Developmental Disabilities. She was appointed to the Board of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions and serves on the Council on Child Advocacy. A practicing, board-certified pediatrician, Dr. Jaudes has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Dr. Albert Pisani Pediatrician of the Year by the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1996, the Chicago Pediatric Society John Cook Award in May 2000 for her commitment to providing pediatric care to underserved populations, and the Illinois Hospital and Healthcare Association Distinguished Service Award in 2002.
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Special Guest Speaker
Amy Berg
Academy Award-nominated Filmmaker of “Deliver Us From Evil”
DELIVER US FROM EVIL marks Amy Berg’s directorial debut. This critically acclaimed documentary is the recipient of numerous awards including the New York Film Critics Award, the Satellite Award, and the Boston Film Society of Film Critics Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary of 2006. Ms. Berg spent five years of her career producing documentary segments for CNN Investigations and the CBS News program “30 Minutes of Special Assignment.” Her work at CBS News earned her Emmy Awards in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, she launched Disarming Films to produce long-form documentaries for theatrical release. Ms. Berg’s reports have delved into a variety of hard-hitting topics, including sexual assault, women in prison, clergy abuse, battered women, and poverty. She has also produced stories on important issues relating to parenting, social welfare and innovative science and medical breakthroughs. Prior to working at CBS, Ms. Berg researched and developed stories for Silver Creek Entertainment, a producer of segments for ABC News, which aired on “Good Morning America,” “20/20,” and “Extra.”
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