This roundtable introduces a curriculum innovation that integrates fatherhood-centered frameworks into undergraduate Human Services education to strengthen the professional development of future practitioners. While human services programs traditionally explore family systems through the lens of support services, lifespan development, and social policy, few incorporate father engagement as a core element of pedagogy or position it as essential to family well-being and child development. This innovation addresses that gap by embedding responsible fatherhood principles into ecological and family systems coursework through a scalable, equity-driven approach that enhances student readiness for fieldwork and informs a comprehensive curricular model for Human Services education programs across a wide range of institutional contexts.

The transition to parenthood is considered a developmental crisis period that can leave fathers vulnerable to poor health. When fathers are unwell, there can be negative impacts to relationship quality, paternal involvement, and family health. Developing effective interventions requires an understanding of the populations we serve. To add more voices to the body of knowledge about fathers, I conducted a strengths-based phenomenology study exploring the motivations and challenges of involved Baltimore fathers. In this workshop, I will discuss the research findings and education strategies for supporting fatherhood involvement, improving coparenting relationships, and encouraging stable families.

To equip couples and families with practical, safe, and culturally sensitive tools, for effective communication, healthy interactions, and lasting relationship growth, including dynamics in blended families.

This presentation pulls back the curtain on what really shapes how young adults communicate, connect, and love. Rooted in Transactional Analysis and Attachment Theory, this research uncovers how childhood messages, parental modeling, and cultural expectations hardwire the ego states and attachment styles young adults bring into their intimate relationships. Using a phenomenological approach with powerful interviews and raw autoethnographic reflection, this study exposes the relationship scripts that drive communication. emotional expression, conflict, and closeness. Attendees will gain sharp, practical insights to help young adults unlearn unhealthy patterns, strengthen relational self-awareness, and build emotionally intelligent, secure, and resilient partnerships.

Rural communities face distinct challenges in accessing relationship and parenting education, including geographic isolation, limited transportation, technology gaps, and fewer local resources. These barriers demand innovative solutions. This roundtable will unite practitioners and researchers to share strategies for delivering evidence-based programs in rural settings. Discussion will focus on overcoming logistical hurdles, leveraging community resources, and building trust in close-knit communities. Participants will explore culturally responsive practices and exchange best practices to strengthen efforts that promote healthy relationships, stable marriages, and thriving families in rural regions.

This powerful session equips participants to recognize, respond to, and prevent child abuse within their communities. Attendees will learn to identify key physical, emotional, and behavioral indicators of abuse and neglect and understand the factors that place children at risk. The talk provides trauma-informed strategies for responding safely and effectively, including documentation, reporting, and compassionate support for victims. Finally, participants will explore how to build a culture of prevention and protection, fostering community awareness, accountability, and collaboration to safeguard every child. Together, we can be the shield that ensures every child’s right to safety and dignity.

Ohana Beginnings has been working with women facing an unplanned pregnancy since 2/2019. Ohana has learned that the #1 factor that promotes success in the lives of our moms and future marriage is education. She needs to graduate from HS, choose a career and find access to the institutions that can prepare her for that career. Education is key to breaking the 3 destructive cycles that keep her from succeeding as an individual, mother and healthy co-parent. Learn 10 things to help promote healthy mom, healthy child, and a healthy marriage!

The transition to parenthood in the U.S. has been dangerous to women when relationship education has been in high demand for expansion to high-risk populations and real-world service delivery contexts. Despite $3.1 billion investment from 2022 to 2027 to early home visiting programs, relationship education increased from 41% to 58% but has not been comprehensive or standardized across programs. The Feder trial (2007-2010) was the only attempt to integrate the Within My Reach curriculum one-on-one into the Nurse-Family Partnership home visiting workflows to prevent intimate partner violence. Strategies to develop innovative programming and contribute to safe motherhood will be discussed.

To bring together evaluators of RE to discuss and brainstorm alternative approaches to evaluation, including the rigor and feasibility of alternative approaches.

Discussion Background: Pretest-Posttest?

Recent research provides evidence that the standard approach of measuring participant views before and after a program may not reflect the true changes that participants experience. Participants may understand certain concepts or ideas differently because of receiving RE. It is not always clear when such change to perception will be a threat to measuring outcomes and when it will not. By the time evaluators are aware this is the case, it may be too late to change how the evaluation is being conducted. Constraints faced by those implementing RE complicates matters further.

Our current crisis in mental, emotional, and relational health is, at its core, a supply-and-demand

problem. Demand for support has far outpaced the availability of licensed professionals, and many simply cannot afford services, leaving tens of millions without accessible care. While clinical counseling is essential, it was never meant to carry the full weight of everyday human struggle. This Roundtable Discussion introduces a practical, scalable model for mobilizing the “missing middle” of care—equipping everyday people within churches to provide meaningful, relational support. By strengthening this layer, churches can expand access to care, reduce isolation, and dramatically increase the amount of care offered. This talk shares insights from national research and real-world implementation—offering a vision for how churches can become places where no one has to navigate hardship alone.