Mrs. Oklahoma 2008 to Speak at Family Relations Conference

The Oklahoma Council on Family Relations (OCFR) will hold its 29th annual Healthy Families conference on March 6, 2009 at the University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Oklahoma. In keeping with the conference theme and the stated motto of OCFR, Building Family Strengths, I will be leading a round table discussion entitled, "Supporting Children and Youth After Divorce." We will focus on building on current family strengths, recognizing and addressing warning signs and typical post-divorce reactions, and promoting family resiliency through individual and community support.

This year's theme is "Healthy Families: Physical, Sexual, and Emotional Wellness". The theme was selected to develop a better understanding of the various aspects of family wellness and promote resiliency within the family. The conference will pay particular attention to practices that promote physical, sexual, and emotional wellness in families with implications for research, policy, and practice. Additionally, the importance of building relationships with families through engagement, accessibility, and responsibility and the impact of this upon family wellness will be emphasized.

The conference program is designed to address a balance of academic, research, application, and policy interests with a theme that is broad enough to capture a variety of topics relating to families of all forms and family members at any age or stage.

OCFR presenters include students, instructors, researchers, family life educators, practioners, and advocates from a variety of interest areas and issues including diversity, aging, applied programs, parenting, marriage, interpersonal relationships, family development, violence and neglect, childhood and adolescence, mental health and wellbeing, professional education and development, theory, research methodology, risk and resilience, prevention and intervention strategies, and public policy.

This is a fantastic opportunity for me to present and share my opinions and research with family researchers, educators, and practitioners, who work with families year round. It could be a tough group; I know that my platform can be controversial. However, through preparation, passion, and personal experience, I feel that we will have a lively and productive discussion about how we all can better support children after divorce, and the resulting thought-provoking conversation are certainly worth it. Afterall, it all begins with people thinking differently about divorce and divorce support. The conference is cosponsored by the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative and the National Council on Family Relations.