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Meet the Need sessions
Meet the Need 2026 offers a variety of breakout and keynote sessions for adoptive families, adoption professionals, and clinicians.
Sessions are organized by audience to help guide your selections. We recommend choosing a first choice and a backup session for each breakout time, as seating is limited and spots are not guaranteed.
DAY 1 December 3
8am-9am
check in/breakfast
9am-10am
Keynote session
Humility, Humor and Hope
Barb clark, TBRI® Practitioner
Supporting children and families impacted by trauma will challenge nearly everything you thought you knew about parenting, behavior, and growth. Some days require humility. Some days require humor. Every day requires hope. This session offers practical insights, honest stories, and a fresh perspective on the realities of trauma-informed caregiving. Please provide 2-3 sentences describing your session as it will appear publicly. Session Objective * Identify how humility, humor, and hope influence caregiver resilience and effectiveness when supporting individuals impacted by trauma. Recognize common challenges and emotional responses that arise in trauma-informed caregiving and professional practice. Apply practical strategies for maintaining perspective, managing stress, and sustaining long-term engagement while supporting children and families affected by trauma.
breakout sessions
10:15am-11:15am
breakout sessions
11:30Am-12:30pm
lunch break
12:30Pm-1:15pm
Grab lunch and explore the exhibit hall!
breakout sessions
1:30pm-2:30pm
2:45pm-3:45pm
Keynote session
Leading with Story: Faith, Focus & Flourishing
Adam Anthony, Ed.D.
Every person has a story. Some chapters are filled with joy, while others are marked by uncertainty, loss, or unanswered questions. Yet it is often within those difficult moments that our greatest growth begins. In this moving keynote, Dr. Adam Anthony shares his journey as a Black adoptee, former foster youth, and leader to explore how embracing our stories, not hiding from them, can become the foundation for healing, purpose, and authentic leadership. Through personal reflection and practical insight, he demonstrates how faith served as his anchor through life's most complex challenges, helping transform pain into perspective, distraction into focus, and adversity into a life of impact. Participants will discover that flourishing is not about having a perfect story; it is about allowing God to redeem every chapter. This keynote invites individuals to see their experiences through a new lens, embrace the power of their own story, and move forward with renewed faith, clarity, and purpose.
3:45pm-4:00pm
Closing
DAY 2 December 5
8am-9am
check in/breakfast
9am-10am
Keynote session
TBRI® Is for Everyone: From Theory to Practice
Daren Jones, Ph.D., TBRI® Practitioner
What if every child had adults who looked beyond behavior to see the need underneath? Drawing from decades of experience in juvenile justice, residential treatment, schools, child welfare, and communities, Dr. Daren Jones will demonstrate why Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) is more than a parenting model—it is a relational framework for everyone who walks alongside children and families. This keynote will challenge participants to move beyond inspiration into courageous implementation by exploring the often-overlooked gap between theory and practice—the distance between knowing and living it. Through powerful stories and practical insights, Dr. Jones will invite participants to examine how everyday interactions shape culture, relationships, and healing. Rather than simply understanding the principles of TBRI®, attendees will be challenged to embody them by practicing connection when it matters most and creating environments where children and families can truly flourish.
breakout sessions
10:15am-11:15am
breakout sessions
11:30am-12:30pm
12:30pm
lunch - In ballroom
12:50pm-1:50pm
closing Keynote session
The Roots and the Fruit: Sustaining Hope and Healing Through TBRI®
Keynote panel
As Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) continues to take root in families, organizations, and communities, stories of hope, healing, and transformation are emerging across a variety of settings. This closing keynote panel brings together leaders and practitioners from diverse sectors to explore the roots that ground this work, the fruit that emerges when connection-centered principles are put into practice, and the factors that sustain growth over time. Through stories, lessons learned, and reflections from the field, panelists will share how TBRI is impacting children, families, professionals, organizations, and systems of care. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the lasting impact of connection-centered approaches and a broader vision for how TBRI can strengthen relationships, inform practice, and sustain positive change across communities.
