The Boundless Together Annual Conference brings together leaders and learners from the University of Rochester, the Rochester community, and beyond for collective education, dialogue, and reflection.
The conference will be held on Friday, October 3 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center.
This year’s conference theme, “Meeting the Moment,” is rooted in the belief that this is a time of opportunity, growth, and meaningful connection. This year’s conference will offer a range of engaging breakout sessions designed to equip attendees with practical tools and insights. Together, we’ll explore ways to strengthen community, foster belonging, and support personal and collective well-being.
Participants will be invited to reflect on and answer the following questions for themselves:
All are welcome to attend this free conference, including students, staff, faculty, and alumni of the University of Rochester and members of the Greater Rochester community.
Michele Norris, a Peabody Award-winning journalist, MSNBC Senior Contributing Editor and former NPR host, will deliver the keynote address at the annual University of Rochester Boundless Together Conference on October 3, 2025, at the Riverside Convention Center. Known for fostering honest conversations on race, identity, and social change, Norris brings decades of experience sparking dialogue that bridges divides and encourages deeper understanding across differences.
This year’s Boundless Fireside Chat speaker is renowned medical ethicist, historian, National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author, and UR alum Harriet Washington ‘76. Washington, whose books include Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present, will participate in a sit-down interview-style conversation about her prolific career and advocacy with University President Sarah Mangelsdorf.
The University of Rochester is pleased to welcome the following individuals to present at the 2025 Boundless Together Conference. Speakers at this conference talk to issues of importance and relevance to their work and in doing so the views, thoughts, and opinions they express are their own and not necessary those of their employer, organization, committee, or other group or individual, including the University of Rochester.
Adrienne Morgan, PhD, Richard Feldman Vice President of Engagement and Enrichment
This anchor session, offered in both the morning and afternoon, brings together senior leaders from the University and healthcare system to explore how organizational units are reimagining and sustaining institutional values rooted in fairness, inclusive representation, and community cohesion. Through storytelling and real-world examples—from strategic planning and compliance to student services, faculty governance, and clinical programs—participants will learn how practices have been redesigned to align with evolving institutional norms emphasizing merit, access, and equal opportunity.
Following the initial presentation, a moderated panel discussion featuring senior decision-makers will respond to curated, pre‑submitted questions. This ensures a focused, transparent conversation addressing strategic priorities, emerging challenges, regulatory considerations, and forward-looking opportunities that foster institutional cohesion and trust in a changing policy landscape.
Rather than an open forum, this format emphasizes intentional dialogue and aligned planning to drive sustainable impact. Attendees will leave with current institutional insight and practical tools that can be applied within their own units.
Daphne Scott-Henderson, MS, BSN, RN-BC, CPHQ, CSM, Director of Health Equity Informatics, Health Equity Program Support Office, URMC
Ryan Cannon-Scott, MHA, CSM
This presentation explores the application of Albert Bandura’s theory of collective efficacy as a transformative framework for empowering marginalized communities during politically challenging times. Collective efficacy—the shared belief in a group’s ability to organize and execute actions to achieve desired outcomes—offers a powerful model for fostering resilience, unity, and strategic action in the face of systemic adversity. The presentation outlines four key tenets of collective efficacy and demonstrates their relevance to community empowerment: shared beliefs in capability, social cohesion, coordinated action, and resilience in adversity. Through historical examples, storytelling, mutual aid, and digital organizing, communities can affirm their strengths, deepen internal trust, and mobilize around shared goals. Emphasis is placed on the importance of intergenerational learning, dialogue, and celebrating incremental progress as means of sustaining momentum and morale.
Concrete strategies for implementation include: (1) education and awareness through civic workshops and accessible advocacy resources; (2) leadership development that nurtures diverse, community-rooted leaders; (3) leveraging technology to share information and mobilize collective efforts; and (4) alliance-building across marginalized groups and with institutional stakeholders to amplify systemic impact. By centering Bandura’s principles, this approach reframes marginalized communities not as passive recipients of political forces, but as active agents capable of shaping their own futures. The presentation concludes with a call to action, urging communities to take consistent, small steps to build cohesion and agency, and encouraging educators, organizers, and leaders to adopt collective efficacy as a guiding lens for long-term, justice-oriented change.
Keywords: collective efficacy, Bandura, marginalized communities, resilience, civic engagement, political empowerment.
Melissa Nunes-Harwitt, LCSW, Clinical Social Worker, Department of Psychiatry, URMC
Instability in local, national, and global situations can make our daily lives feel precarious. What can we do to resist falling into despair or hopelessness? Creativity, connection, and community are all evidence-based methods for increasing resilience. This session will help discuss the importance of being grounded in values and relationships, exploring themes including imagination, playfulness, friendship, and healthy interdependence. Participants will also consider the additional challenge of providing patient-facing care to people who are understandably frightened or uneasy about the future.
Cara Wood Harris, MS, Director of Information and Learning Design, Office of University Engagement and Enrichment
Holly Eckelberger, MSEd, MPH, Senior Instructional Designer, Office of University Engagement and Enrichment
Mariela León-Thomas, MSW, Senior Instructional Designer, Office of University Engagement and Enrichment
This interactive session introduces the Office of University Engagement and Enrichment’s Civil Discourse Initiative. In a time of increasing silence and polarization, this initiative seeks to uplift champions across the University of Rochester who are working to preserve a culture of inquiry, connection, and shared understanding. In a small-group setting, facilitators will share the progress of the initiative, lessons learned, and practical strategies for cultivating civil discourse on campus. We’ll explore how civil discourse can move beyond politeness, focusing instead on how communities engage with civic and social issues in meaningful, respectful ways.
If you’re wondering, “Why attend a session on civil discourse?”—this conversation is for you. Our session is designed for those looking to move from debate to dialogue, from winning arguments to building understanding, and from echo chambers to connection.
Attendees will experience interactive elements of the Boundless Connection workshops, exploring tools that help shift civil discourse from abstract theory to real-life practice. Rather than avoiding hard conversations, we aim to equip our campus community with the skills and mindset to meet the moment with empathy, curiosity, and a commitment to collective problem-solving.
We draw inspiration from Lara Hope Schwartz—author of Try to Love the Questions—who reminds us of the power of civic dialogue: “to listen to one another, speak to one another, and solve our significant problems together.” Join us in reimagining how we communicate across difference.
Theresa Green, PhD, MBA, Associate Professor, Center for Community Health & Prevention
Jan Schriefer, RN, MBA, MSN-DrPH, Director of Collaborative Partnerships for Quality and Safety, Golisano Children’s Hospital
Neil Seligman, MD, Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Max Dargavel, Administrative Coordinator, Center for Community Health and Prevention
The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) houses many educational programs for future physicians, nurses, public health practitioners, researchers and others. The current and future health workforce must understand how to achieve the URMC goal to provide the best opportunity for all people to achieve their highest level of health, regardless of their social, economic, or geographic circumstances. A group of URMC leaders, committed to an enhanced education for learners in health care, created the KEE (Knowledge, Empathy, Equity) Curriculum Framework based on national competencies and standards for health equity education. The KEE Curriculum Framework focuses on three main objectives encompassing facets of health equity: improved health-related social drivers, enhanced personal health care delivery and optimized systems to support best health for all. Each objective requires learning a knowledge base, patient care application, and processes for systems change.
The KEE Curriculum is being implemented with residency programs at URMC in cohorts. Educational programs in each cohort identify a champion team to take the program self-assessment. Results show opportunities for improvement that champion teams develop improvement plans to address. Results of program health equity improvements for completed cohorts have been summarized, and examples will be shared so that other educational programs can get ideas for duplication. Several resources such as a community-driven video teaching basic concepts of community engagement, as well as a library resource guide of tools and best practices will be shared.
Daniel Gorman Jr., PhD, Postdoctoral Associate, Office of University Engagement and Enrichment
This session is intended for college staff who seek to promote civil discourse surrounding religion and politics. In the past two years, campus protests related to the Israel–Gaza war have damaged relations between students, administrators, and Jewish and Muslim campus organizations. Meanwhile Educators face a crisis. Our college communities struggle to discuss religion in a nuanced manner, which can lead to some community members feeling threatened.
Recognizing that the United States is a religiously pluralistic country, and not a “Christian nation” in a narrow sense, is the starting point for healthy religious dialogue. We will briefly review North American religious traditions, noting the importance of combination and personal agency in U.S. religious history. Next, we will explore insights from the United States Institute of Peace, the Parliament of the World’s Religions, and Interfaith America for resolving interreligious conflicts. All three organizations urge practitioners to identify the beliefs and social concerns shared by religious groups, although each organization frames its approach differently. Finally, audience members will discuss their impressions of their colleges’ religious conflicts. Working together, workshop participants will brainstorm ways to foster interfaith dialogue and promote religious pluralism on campus.
Barzah Chowdhury ‘26, University of Rochester undergraduate student
Haya Alhaj Arhayem ‘27, University of Rochester undergraduate student
Nour Mohamed ‘28, University of Rochester undergraduate student
For too long, Muslim students have been treated as an afterthought in systems that benefit from their presence but rarely account for their needs, voices, or brilliance. In today’s university settings, they navigate institutional Islamophobia, misrepresentation in course curricula, scheduling conflicts with sacred obligations like Friday prayer, poor access to nourishing halal food, and the near-total erasure of the Islamic intellectual tradition from academic discourse.
Muslim women are frequently subject to scrutiny and stereotypes, with their choice to wear the hijab or dress modestly often mischaracterized as a sign of oppression rather than a personal expression of faith, autonomy, and identity. Cultural dominance in the form of visible and normalized Christian holidays creates an environment of constant cultural dissonance. Simultaneously, Muslim students carry the weight of media narratives and global crises, where war, displacement, and trauma in Muslim-majority countries are so frequent that they are met with numb indifference rather than compassion and understanding.
This session centers Muslim dignity and belonging, grounding contemporary challenges in a broader legacy of erased scholarship, moral integrity, and centuries of Islamic intellectual leadership. Through empathetic experiential exercises, policy-oriented discussion, and community-informed strategy, participants will explore how our institutions can go beyond symbolic inclusion to build practical, systemic change. Attendees will leave with a concrete strategy toolkit to begin bridging the gaps in equity, visibility, and respect for Muslim students.
Marjorie Shaw, JH, PhD, Associate Professor, Health Humanities and BioethicsElisabeth
Sulger, MD, Instructor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Stacy Sun, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Natalie Whaley, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
In light of political and legal shifts affecting polarizing healthcare topics, such as vaccines, reproductive healthcare and gender-affirming care, clinicians are increasingly confronted with moral conflicts that challenge personal values, professional obligations, and institutional directives. Tensions can arise within care teams, between providers and patients, or between clinicians and institutional policies. This leads to ethical discomfort, communication breakdowns, and moral distress.
This session will discuss tools for addressing these conflicts with professionalism, empathy, and integrity. We will draw upon moral psychology, relational ethics, and trauma-informed care. Participants will practice approaches to values clarification, respectful dialogue, and patient-centered care in the face of disagreement. The session will explore real-world scenarios from abortion care, contraception refusal, and institutional restrictions. The content is designed for clinicians, educators, ethicists, and healthcare administrators who are navigating or supporting others through values-based conflicts.
Megan Lovely (she/her), MFA, Program Manager for Community-Engaged Learning, Center for Community Engagement
Robin Losito (they/them), BA, Generations Program Coordinator, Jewish Family Services of Rochester
Across the expanse of human history, an attitude of stoicism toward the most universal hardships in life survived out of ubiquitous, solemn necessity. As human-made problems have begun to dominate, however, our collective control over global welfare has shifted dramatically. Now we must ask ourselves: is the noble pursuit of stoicism still appropriate in these new circumstances? In this time, what will best reinforce our hearts, bodies, and minds to meet the current moment? Our answer: there is a greater key to cultivating renewed, cultural resiliency—Joy. Joy is a powerful resource that, with proper stewardship, can equip anyone with the ability to meet any challenge—not by inventing solutions, but by nourishing inner-strength and by harnessing our universal capacities for empathy and interdependence.
This session will incorporate co-learning exercises and reciprocal relationship building practices designed for audiences across the field of community engagement. Participants will engage directly with stories of Joy gathered from local community members prior to the workshop. Through role-playing and dialogue, participants will practice Joy and ways to share it with others, and come away with meaningful, tangible examples of pro-social changes achieved through the implementation of Joy. This work is founded on participant responses from the Building Resilient Relationships Summit hosted by the Center for Community Engagement, long standing traditions of Black feminism, stoicism, and peer-reviewed research. By centering Joy, we can learn to sustain the greatest strengths of our ancestors, avoid the pitfalls of fatalism, and grow community together.
Nate Bloemke, MA, MEd, Interim Associate Director for Support and Engagement, International Services Office
Xinyue Wang, Doctoral Student, Mental Health Counseling, Warner School of Education
The session will introduce the International Services Office’s new peer mentorship program for new international students. We will discuss the theoretical framework utilizing Tara Yosso’s community cultural wealth theory and how the program can serve as a model to shift away from a deficit perspective of international students. During the session, we will discuss the development and operation of the program, theories behind the program and their applications, and experiences of participants so far. The session will end with opportunities for groups to reflect on how they can incorporate community cultural wealth and international student advice into their own practice.
Vicki T. Sapp, PhD, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, SUNY Fredonia
Rhonda K. Dailey, MD, Assistant Professor, Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University
Background:
Community engagement is critical for advancing health equity, particularly in marginalized communities facing systemic trauma, microaggressions, and structural barriers. Microaggressions are subtle verbal and nonverbal slights that negatively impact relationships and trust in community-engaged research between academic researchers (ARs) and community members (CMs). This 3-part live, virtual workshop, grounded in trauma-informed pedagogy, aims to foster equity, empathy, and trust within health partnerships.
Methods:
Session six of the workshop series engaged ARs and CMs from the ACHIEVE GreatER Center in Michigan and a national consortium. Breakout discussions, co-facilitated by ARs and CMs, promoted mutual learning. Participants received workbooks, certificates, and completed voluntary pre/post questionnaires assessing knowledge across 16 topics, with open-ended feedback capturing qualitative insights. Descriptive statistics summarized demographics, paired t-tests assessed knowledge changes, and thematic analysis was applied to qualitative responses.
Results:
Of 46 attendees, 44 (95%) completed evaluations; most were female (71.7%), white (45.7%), AR (62.2%), or CM (15.6%). Professional and personal development was the primary participation driver (73.9%). Statistically significant knowledge gains (p < .001) were observed across all 16 topics. Qualitative feedback reflected increased self-awareness of bias and privilege, appreciation for shared learning, and plans to apply skills professionally. Several participants reported applying skills between sessions.
Conclusion:
This 3-part implicit bias workshop significantly improved bias awareness and behavioral intention among ARs and CMs. The co-learning structure fostered trust and built capacity for equitable engagement, supporting the conference theme, Meeting the Moment.
Adrienne Morgan, PhD, Richard Feldman Vice President of Engagement and Enrichment
This anchor session, offered in both the morning and afternoon, brings together senior leaders from the University and healthcare system to explore how organizational units are reimagining and sustaining institutional values rooted in fairness, inclusive representation, and community cohesion. Through storytelling and real-world examples—from strategic planning and compliance to student services, faculty governance, and clinical programs—participants will learn how practices have been redesigned to align with evolving institutional norms emphasizing merit, access, and equal opportunity.
Following the initial presentation, a moderated panel discussion featuring senior decision-makers will respond to curated, pre‑submitted questions. This ensures a focused, transparent conversation addressing strategic priorities, emerging challenges, regulatory considerations, and forward-looking opportunities that foster institutional cohesion and trust in a changing policy landscape.
Rather than an open forum, this format emphasizes intentional dialogue and aligned planning to drive sustainable impact. Attendees will leave with current institutional insight and practical tools that can be applied within their own units.
Rev. Sam Kinsman, MFA, MDiv, Chaplain and Director of Genesee Area Campus Ministries
Sean Watson, MS’10, Interim Director of Religious and Spiritual Life, University of Rochester
In this session, the presenters will cover personal narratives around a queer identity through a multi-faith lens. Rooted in restorative principles of meaningful human communication, this presentation will hold space for others to share their personal experiences with spirituality and queerness.
By supporting a trauma-informed approach, the presentation will show that interfaith dialogue around closely held truths need not be contentious, but can, in fact, open up pathways for new relationships and connections.
Traci C. Terrance, PhD, LCSW, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, Family Medicine, Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI); Director of Restorative Practice Initiatives, Office of University Engagement & Enrichment; Associate Director, Strong Behavioral Health at Highland Family Medicine
Kit Miller, Associate Director, Restorative Practice Initiatives, Office of University Engagement & Enrichment
Many social forces are leading people to turn on one another, rather than turning toward each other, during this time. Restorative practices support depth and perspectives grounded in understanding that conflicts hold both systemic and interpersonal factors, and that each of us is much more than any single action or opinion.
This interactive workshop draws on restorative practices to foster authentic, courageous approaches to relationships in general and to conflict transformation in particular. Participants will explore conflict as an opportunity for understanding rather than avoidance or escalation. Through reflective exercises, small-group work, and skill-building scenarios, participants will learn and practice strategies to increase empathy, transparency, perspective-taking and accountability. The session will also highlight how power dynamics and identity influence conflict, and ideas for navigating those dynamics using restorative approaches.
Conflict is necessary, often offering badly needed feedback and perspective. How we respond determines whether it becomes a source of harm or a catalyst for depth, growth and creativity.
Rebecca Block, MS, CHES, 500 RYT, Manager, Health Promotion Initiatives, Health Promotion Office
Higher education today exists in a climate of burnout, disconnection, polarization, and uncertainty. Educators, students, and administrators face systemic pressures and chronic stress that take both emotional and professional tolls. Navigating this complexity calls for more than strategy—it requires humanity, self-awareness, and tools that support resilience and connection. Mindfulness and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) offer powerful, evidence-based approaches to move beyond cycles of overwork and depletion toward intentional, sustainable ways of being. This experiential session introduces mindfulness and SEL practices that help participants respond to stress with grounded presence, emotional regulation, and compassion.
We will explore micro-practices for fostering belonging, navigating challenges, improving communication, and restoring personal well-being—techniques that are accessible and easily integrated into daily routines. Drawing from the Mindful University Project and Mindful Professor Training Program at the University of Rochester, we’ll reflect on how self-regulation, mindfulness, and compassion can create meaningful impact in classrooms, teams, and campus culture. Participants will engage in simple, body-centered practices and presence-based dialogue to reconnect with themselves and others. Whether managing difficult conversations, heavy workloads, or competing demands, these tools offer a way to pause, reset, and respond with care. You’ll leave with a toolbox of mindfulness and resilience strategies to apply “in the moment” in meetings, classrooms, and everyday interactions—practices that are realistic, restorative, and ready to use. No prior experience is required—just an openness to learning skills that support both personal well-being and the communities you serve.
OJ Shepard, MBA, Learning Specialist, Office of University Engagement and Enrichment
In today’s higher education landscape, professionals committed to creating inclusive and supportive environments face increasing pressures. Shifting political and social dynamics have intensified scrutiny, leading to fatigue, frustration, and burnout. Amid these challenges, it’s essential to reconnect with the core reasons we do this work: purpose, impact, and the fulfillment that comes from meaningful change.
This session offers space to reflect, recharge, and explore strategies for sustaining passion and momentum. Grounded in research and lived experience, we will share practical tools for nurturing joy, protecting well-being, and staying rooted in values. A key focus will be building team cultures centered on collective care—an approach that not only fosters resilience but also strengthens retention. Participants will leave with insights to help themselves and their teams thrive, even in uncertain times.
Ashley N. Campbell, EdM, PhD, Director of HR Systems Optimization, Office of Human Resources
Learning a new line dance can be fun; however, when there are multiple steps and quick turns in direction, the mind and the body are conflicted. And sometimes the mind catches up before the feet follow. Everything seems awkward; however, we must continue to dance. Our socio-political climate has challenged our lives in every direction to meet the moment, respond to the moment, and make the conscious decision of caring for ourselves and the community in the process. This session aims to explore a series of obstacles and challenges encountered at a charity-based organization that had a collection of disparate tools. We shall uncover how a charity-based nonprofit organization utilizes the Five Ts (time, talent, treasure, ties, and testimony) while supporting organizations and their programs for food, clothing, recreation, wellness, education, and more. Session attendees will engage in powerful mini sessions of actualizing resiliency, taking disparate tools to form a path forward. By the end of the session, we would uncover key practices (or reminders) of balancing the present state and an unclear future state, all while managing care for self and others amid societal norms being uncertain.
Adam Purtee, PhD, Associate Professor of Instruction, Department of Computer Science
Rajneet Saini ‘26, University of Rochester undergraduate student
From the tips of our fingers to the brightly lit monitors glorifying Times Square, the presence of artificial intelligence is everywhere – but the common pursuit of knowledge towards how it truly operates remains largely enclosed within the high walls of academic institutions. This session aims to cut through the noise of technological misinformation and equip attendees with essential information and AI literacy, so they can confidently navigate a world increasingly shaped by algorithms. Audience members will gain an accessible overview of how AI systems work, where we will cover a baseline understanding of machine learning, training data, large language models, and generative tools. To combat AI-related misinformation, audience members will participate in an interactive “AI or Not?” gameshow inspired activity, where they will evaluate whether specific images, texts, or audio clips are AI-generated or human-made.
Sophie Troyer, MS, MD-PhD expected 2029, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Hisaaki Kawabata, MS4, MD 2026, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Alex Schick, MS4, MD 2026, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Disability is often disconnected from broader conversations surrounding race, gender identity, and socioeconomic inequity. This session reframes accessibility through an intersectional lens, acknowledging the ways disability overlaps with other marginalized identities and how this impacts health and educational outcomes. Participants will explore how multiply learners—those who are disabled and also identify with other marginalized communities—face disproportionate challenges such as higher rates of burnout, longer times to graduation, and discriminatory barriers to accommodations. Building on the findings of physician and disability advocate Dr. Lisa Meeks and the National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD), we will examine how disability is often siloed in research and practice, thereby undermining meaningful inclusion.
This session is designed for engagement and enrichment professionals, disability service providers, educators, faculty, clinicians, and students. Through data analysis, short composite case studies, and guided small and large group discussions, attendees will identify institutional barriers and generate strategies for structural change. By the end of the session, participants will be empowered with actionable steps to recognize and address the complex experiences of individuals who sit at the intersection of multiple systems of influence.
Dr. Kimberly Fluet, Assistant Professor, Center for Professional Development and Education Reform
Dr. Anika Simone Johnson, Assistant Dean for Engagement and Enrichment, Warner School of Education
Dr. Michael Occhino, Director of Science Education Outreach, Center for Professional Development and Education Reform
This interactive session explores the liberatory potential of Self-Determination Theory and Growth Mindset as frameworks for personal and professional transformation. These theories offer powerful insights into how our internal beliefs and external relationships can either support or hinder motivation, resilience, and fulfillment.
Self-Determination Theory suggests that human flourishing depends on meeting three basic psychological needs: autonomy, relatedness, and competence. When any of these needs are unmet, individuals may struggle with motivation and agency. Mindset Theory, on the other hand, emphasizes the importance of our beliefs about intelligence and ability, highlighting how a growth mindset can foster perseverance, especially in the face of challenge or adversity. Together, these theories provide a foundation for cultivating intrinsic motivation, resilience, and deeper self-awareness. During this session, participants will engage in small group discussions and complete both the Growth Mindset Inventory and the Self-Determination Assessment.
Our collective goal is not only to reflect on where we fall on these spectrums, but also to challenge assumptions about competence, autonomy, and intelligence, ultimately, identifying new strategies to support our own growth and that of those around us. This session is ideal for educators, leaders, and anyone committed to unlocking human potential through liberatory learning and intentional connection.
Kara Joustra, RN, BSN, CCRN, Assistant Nurse Manager, Post Anesthesia Care Unit, Strong Memorial Hospital
This is an interactive session designed for leaders in all fields who must remain grounded, compassionate, and clear-headed during crisis or acute stress. Rather than focusing on post-crisis recovery, this session offers real-time tools to meet the moment as it unfolds. Blending principles of psychological safety, trauma-informed leadership, and Just Culture, the session introduces practical techniques to foster individual and team resilience. Participants will explore how chronic stress affects decision-making and connection, and how intentional self- and co-regulation strategies can reduce harm, build trust, and model authentic leadership in high-stakes situations.
Engaging and experiential, this session includes:
– A “choose your own crisis” activity using real or realistic scenarios
– A self-rescue planning worksheet to identify signs of dysregulation and respond intentionally
– Group discussions and short role-plays applying trauma-informed, Just Culture-based communication techniques
– Practice with psychological safety tools like verbal team check-ins, grounding statements, and curiosity-based questions
This session is ideal for nurses, student leaders, faculty, and crisis response professionals (and parents!)—anyone who’s expected to “keep it together” during chaos. It balances empathy with action, offering grounded, real-time approaches for self-care and team support without relying on vague wellness platitudes.
EACH Youth in RCSD Team – Department of Child Psychiatry/Psychology; Golisano Children’s Hospital; Community Initiatives and School Based Health, Rochester Regional Health; Student Health and Support Services, Rochester City School District
Children and youth in the City of Rochester experience disproportionately high rates of behavioral health (BH) needs and face significant barriers to accessing care. The EACH Initiative is a transformative, cross-sector collaboration among the Rochester City School District (RCSD), GCH/URMC, Rochester Regional Health, Jordan Health, community-based partners, and youth and families. Together, these stakeholders are working to reimagine and redesign care delivery to improve access to high-quality, equitable physical and mental health services for children and youth.
EACH integrates six key components into a coordinated system of care:
– Advanced School-Based Telemedicine embedded in all 40 RCSD schools, linking students to physical and behavioral healthcare without leaving school;
– Expanded School-Based Mental Health Services through a consortium approach to increase coordination and access;
– Connecting for Kids (C4K), a structured cross-sector dialogue model to build trust and enhance communication across schools, primary care, and families;
– Project ECHO, a virtual training series for educators to increase capacity for mental health support;
– Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics services, including streamlining access to autism diagnostic evaluations and care for students with developmental disabilities;
– Family and Youth Engagement, with advisory boards and co-design efforts to ensure care is grounded in lived experience.
This session will showcase how EACH is addressing systemic inequities and improving outcomes through collaborative innovation. Presenters will share core components, implementation strategies, and lessons learned. A discussant will offer insights on broader implications for comprehensive, school-based physical and mental health systems across the region and nation.
Joy Getnick, PhD, Executive Director, Hillel at the University of Rochester
This educational training will provide an introduction to Jewish allyship in 2025. It will include an overview of the history of Jewish Peoplehood and Jewish practice; the evolution and manifestations of antisemitism today; the intersections between Jewish identity, Zionism, and Israel; and the nature of contemporary Jewish life. It will then include practical information about how to be in allyship with the Jewish community, and the diversity of practices and beliefs held by individual Jewish people, in both personal and professional settings. The session will also give participants an opportunity to discuss some real-life examples and practice new allyship techniques.
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
Accreditation
The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Certification
The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry designates this live activity for a maximum of 2.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)
The University of Rochester Center for Nursing Professional Development is accredited with distinction as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. This offering provides 2.5 nursing contact hours.
NYS Social Work (SW)
University of Rochester Medical Center, Center for Experiential Learning is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0005.This activity is approved for 2.50 contact hours. Attendance at the entire program is required (no partial credit can be awarded).
NYS Psychology (PSY)
University of Rochester Medical Center Department of Psychiatry is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0117. This course has been approved for 2.50 contact hours. Attendance at the entire program is required (no partial credit can be awarded).
The University of Rochester is committed to providing equal access to programs and services. In all situations, a good faith effort will be made to provide accommodations, though we kindly ask that you submit accommodation requests (via the registration form) by September 26, 2025. Please note that after this date, our ability to provide specific accommodations may be limited due to resource availability.