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Bridging Care Conference 2026
The Linked Family Serices Bridging Care Conference brings together professionals across child welfare, behavioral health, healthcare, education, and community-based organizations to explore how we better support caregivers and families before challenges escalate.
This cross-sector convening centers collaboration, coordination, and prevention—creating space for honest dialogue, shared learning, and stronger connections across systems.
Does your organization have resources that would be of benefit to the professionals attending the conference? Click here to reserve a resource vendor spot!
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
Why This Conference Matters
Caregivers often show signs of stress long before a family reaches crisis — but too often, those signs are missed, misunderstood, or addressed in isolation. Families frequently navigate multiple systems at once while trying to meet basic needs, care for their children, manage mental and physical health challenges, and maintain stability. At the same time, professionals across sectors are often working toward the same goals without enough opportunity to collaborate, communicate, or align support efforts in meaningful ways.
The Bridging Care Conference was created to bring professionals together across systems to explore what it looks like to support caregivers earlier, strengthen coordination, and advance child welfare prevention through intentional cross-sector partnership. This conference will create space for honest dialogue, shared learning, and relationship-building among professionals who touch the lives of children and families every day.
Designed for professionals across:
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Child welfare
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Healthcare
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Behavioral health
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Maternal and parental health
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Education
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Community-based organizations
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Social work
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Doula and birth work
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Family support and prevention services
Together, we can strengthen the ways systems respond to families before stress escalates into crisis.
CONFERENCE EXPERIENCE
-WHAT TO EXPECT
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Panel Discussion
“When Caregivers First Show Signs of Stress — What Happens Next?”
Fireside
Chat
Conversation with Vonée Hill, Founder & Executive Director of Linked Family Services
Featured Presentation
Topic: Ecosystem Collaboration & Social Work Integration
Networking
Cross-sector connection and relationship-building opportunities
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FEATURED PARTICIPANTS
VONEE HILL, MS, BSW is a human services leader with nearly 15 years of experience supporting children, caregivers, and families impacted by the child welfare system across Philadelphia. As Founder and Executive Director of Linked Family Services, her work focuses on strengthening families through prevention-centered support, maternal wellness, cross-sector collaboration, and addressing social determinants of health before crisis occurs. Through both nonprofit leadership and professional training initiatives, Vonée is committed to helping systems respond to families with greater coordination, compassion, and equity.
GEREMI JAMES, LSW, MSW has spent more than 18 years supporting individuals and families impacted by poverty, mental health challenges, and complex medical needs. As Vice President of Mission Delivery at Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware & Susquehanna Valley, she leads efforts to bring hope and meaningful experiences to children facing critical illnesses while continuing her commitment to creating spaces rooted in dignity, wellness, and support for families.
TAMERA COX, LPC, NCC is a behavioral health professional with more than 21 years of experience supporting children, youth, and families. Her work spans child welfare, juvenile justice, private practice, and perinatal mental health, with a strong focus on resilience, healing, and family well-being.
JABINA COLEMAN, LCSW, IBCLC is a licensed clinical social worker, reproductive psychotherapist, and board-certified lactation consultant advancing maternal and infant health equity. Her work focuses on healthcare equity, culturally responsive care, workforce development, and supporting Black and BIPOC families across maternal health systems.
AMINAH HUSAM-YOUNG, MS has spent over 20 years supporting youth and families within the child welfare system. She currently leads Older Youth Support & Engagement Services at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, focusing on youth advocacy, transition-age support, and peer mentorship initiatives.
PORSCHAE M. HOWARD, LMSW, SSW is a school social worker with more than 10 years of experience supporting students and families in mental and behavioral health settings. She works collaboratively with schools, families, and communities to promote safe and supportive learning environments.
AMY FEDERER leads community engagement and crisis support initiatives at NAMI Philadelphia, including the Warmline and Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trainings. She brings both professional expertise and lived experience navigating behavioral health systems
NASHEED COLEMAN, MSW is a social worker and certified perinatal doula dedicated to supporting families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Her work focuses on culturally responsive care, advocacy, and early intervention for underserved families.
DR. JANET N. NWAUKONI is a family medicine physician and advocate focused on health equity, community wellness, and rebuilding trust in underserved communities. Dr. Nwaukoni’s work centers on bridging clinical care with community-based healing and system transformation.
CONFERENCE PARTNERS & SPONSORS
CONFERENCE PARTNER
SUPPORTING SPONSOR
SUPPORTING SPONSOR
We are currently welcoming sponsors and in-kind partners supporting conference needs.