MT CASA Annual Conference 2025
MTCASA Annual Conference Presenter and Session Descriptions
September 25th-26th, Finlen Hotel, Butte, MT.
For a full schedule with times, see registration form.
Keynote Speech: Foster Kid Fierce-Embracing Their Story for Empowerment: Theresa Collins
Join Theresa Collins as she shares her journey from foster youth to CASA champion,
inspiring with her #FosterKidFierce mentality. Learn how embracing your story can shatter stigma, ignite connections, and amplify your impact. This powerful keynote will energize and empower you to make a lasting difference in the lives you serve.
Join Theresa Collins, a dynamic and inspirational voice in the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) community, as she takes the stage to share her remarkable journey from foster youth to a leader shaping the future of advocacy.
With deep personal ties to CASA, Theresa’s story spans decades: from having her own CASA advocate as a child in foster care, to interning, volunteering, serving on the board, and now empowering CASA leaders through strategic planning and coaching at the company she founded. Her unique perspective and relentless drive have not only transformed her own life but also the lives of countless foster kids and advocates.
In this powerful keynote, Theresa will discuss how embracing her #FosterKidFierce mentality changed everything—shattering the stigma of foster care and turning her story into a beacon of hope and strength. You’ll learn how vulnerability, authenticity, and the courage from a child’s past can ignite connections, inspire those you serve, and fuel your mission to make a difference.
Whether you’re a CASA advocate, board member, staff, volunteer, or leader, this session will leave you energized, with actionable insights to amplify your impact and a renewed sense of purpose to uplift the children and families who need you most. Don’t miss this heartfelt hour of empowerment, resilience, and fierce inspiration.
Adaptable Strategic Advocacy: Navigating Change for Impactful Advocacy: Theresa Collins: See photo above.
In an era marked by rapid change, CASA leaders are uniquely positioned to facilitate impactful advocacy efforts that are both strategic and adaptable. The session, "Adaptable Strategic Advocacy: Navigating Change for Impactful Advocacy," is designed to equip leaders with the insights and tools necessary to navigate these challenges effectively. Through case study analyses and interactive group discussions, participants will explore how to incorporate flexibility and strategic foresight into their advocacy practices. This session will focus on the evolving role of CASA organizations in addressing emerging needs of children and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders. By the end of the session, leaders will have a clearer understanding of how to adapt their strategies to maximize impact, engage communities, and ensure the sustainability of their advocacy efforts in the face of uncertainty.
Happiness Project: John Sommers-Flanagan
John is a professor of counseling at the University of Montana, a clinical psychologist, and author or coauthor of over 100 professional publications. The happiness project includes topics like suicide assessment and treatment planning, working effectively with youth and parents, general principles of counseling and psychotherapy, and variations on the clinical interview. In the happiness project session, gain new knowledge, insights, and perspectives on mental health, suicide prevention, and happiness.
Traumatic Impacts of Removal: ICWA on the Wellbeing of Native children, families and communities: Dr. Marilyn Zimmerman
Marilyn J. Zimmerman (Nakota, Dakota, Ojibway, Newe), Ph.D, is a consultant and owner of her own consulting enterprise
Healing Ourselves/Healing Our Relatives Marilyn J. Zimmerman, Consulting for Trauma-Informed Practices and Approaches for Practice in Tribal Communities
Dr. Zimmerman is retired from the role of Co-Principal Investigator and Sr. Director of Policy and Programs at the National Native Children’s Trauma Center (NNCTC), at The University of Montana. Dr. Zimmerman is the former Tribal Senior Policy Advisor at OJJDP and Founding Director of the NNCTC. She has been a member of numerous national, state, and local committees and workgroups including the U.S. Presidential (Obama) Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities and the Advisory Committee of the Attorney General’s (Holder) National Task Force on American Indian/Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence. Dr. Zimmerman served as the Chair of the Native Advisory Committee to the The Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children.
Dr. Zimmerman has expertise in trauma-informed systems-change, provides training and technical assistance in all service systems serving AI/AN children and families, and has participated in cultural adaptation of evidence-based and best practices. Finally, Dr. Zimmerman understands the relationship and community-based principals for the development of trauma-informed best practices for tribes.
TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) Facilitating Behavioral Change: Brooke Hathaway-Angst
Brooke Hathaway Angst has a B.A. in Psychology and Spanish from Texas A&M University and spent several years teaching high-needs elementary and middle school students in Texas. She completed her M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on Early Childhood from Concordia University, followed by additional graduate work in Psychology Counseling at St. Edward’s University. She has worked as a training consultant for school districts nationwide, was the Sr. Program Manager at CASA of Travis County, Texas, and is certified as a Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Practitioner and TBRI Educator through Texas Christian University’s Karyn Purvis Institute for Child Development. Brooke moved to the Bitterroot Valley in 2020 and has provided advocacy and professional development locally, while also serving local non-profits through part-time work and volunteer opportunities. She believes that when educators and advocates KNOW better, we DO better!
Tragically, children with histories of abuse, neglect, or trauma have often lost the ability to trust loving adults. Because of their difficult backgrounds, these children are more likely to display confusing, fear-driven behaviors that are often mistaken for aggression or mental illness. In this presentation, participants will explore the Connecting and Correcting Principles of TBRI and gain practical insights on how to use TBRI tactics in real-life situations.
Board Recruitment, Retention, and Best Practices: April Barnings
April Barnings is the Executive Director of the Montana CASA/GAL Association. Representing 15 Montana Local CASA Programs across the state of Montana, April supports capacity building efforts to better serve children and judges in the Dependency and Neglect Court System. With over 20 years of nonprofit development and leadership experience, she provides training and quality assurance support utilizing the National CASA/GAL Standards and Nonprofit Best Practices. She is certified as a Nonprofit Governance Trainer by National CASA/GAL Association. April represents CASA on statewide councils and associations to support the work of CASA and the children and families they serve. Hailing from the University of Montana (go Griz!) and Montana State University (go Cats!), April has spent the majority of her professional career in nonprofit development, teaching, and community development. She currently serves on the SAFE Board of Directors, is a member of the Montana Supreme Court Improvement Advisory Council, a member of the Montana Department of Child & Family Services Advisory Council and the Montana Children's Justice Act Advisory Council. April lives in Corvallis with her husband Dr. Jack Barnings and their two VERY large dogs Jett and Cooper. In addition to traveling across the great state of Montana, she works from her remote home office, and the shared office spaces in Missoula and in Helena. When not working on behalf of the CASA mission, you can find her in her garden, at the theater, in the mountains or spending time with her family which includes 7 incredibly adorable grandchildren.
April will share strategies for board recruitment, improving engagement and retaining board members. Stop scrambling to fill seats, pause and take the time to strategize on the needs of your organization and what talent is needed for better outcomes. Learn how to keep them engaged and active during their time on the board with you as well as after they leave the board.
Judges Panel
A panel of three judges answer questions vetted from the audience on CASA’s in and out of the court, and children and families in the dependency and neglect court system. Hear judges perspectives, get tips and feedback, and gratitude from both judges to CASA’s as vice versa!
Lived Experience Story: "Reunification Success Story-A Mothers Story". Jennine Renee and Cherie LeBlanc-Dyba:
Jennine had her parental rights reinstated after 10 years through her advocacy, perseverance, and determination. She not only got reunified with her two girls, but also changed Montana policy through HB603. Hear the heartwarming story of two girls and their journey to reunification and the importance of CASA advocacy and policy.
Foster Care Simulation
Join us on a foster care journey. Experience the resiliency needed by children and families as they navigate Montana's foster care system. Join us as we discuss how to break down barriers and explore resources resulting in better outcomes for children. This will be an interactive participant discussion, where you play the role of a foster parent, biological parent, or the child. Navigating medical appointments, judges, and other day-to-day activities that foster children and families experience as they navigate through the system. Participants will get to act their role with real life judges, lawyers, teachers, etc… To answer their questions, and make the experience more meaningful.
We just wrapped up our second annual MT CASA Conference in Helena September of 2024, where almost all Local Programs in the state of MT were able to attend informational sessions. These sessions were jam packed with new resources, methods or other learning tools to utilize to support the children and families we serve!
A big thank you to all that were able to attend, and our MTCASA Board members for helping the conference run smoothly. As well as a huge thank you to our supporters for this conference!
See you again next year for our 2025 Conference in Butte, MT on September 25th and 26th!
Thank you to our 2024 Annual Conference sponsors!
