The following documents/handouts accompany the presentations and sessions. If you would like hard copies of these documents, please feel free to download and print.
April 2, 2024 – ECECD Home Visiting Regional Meeting
Handouts
February 22, 2024 – ECECD Home Visiting Biannual Meeting Recording
November 14, 2023 – Home Visiting Regional Meeting/Immunization Training
Handouts
- PPT – David Higgins, MD, MPH, MS
- PPT – Lance Chilton, MD
- PPT – Kathryn Cruz, NMSISS Manager
- Immunization Schedule
August 17, 2023 – NM ECECD Home Visiting Biannual Meeting
March 27-31, 2023 – Regional Meetings
Handouts
February 23, 2023 – Biannual Meeting
Handouts
- ECECD Early Childhood Scholarship Programs PPT
- WNMU Early Childhood Center of Excellence PPT
- Santa Fe Community College Health Worker Certification PPT
- Quorum NM Online Professional Development PPT
- Quorum Flier NM PPT
December 2022 – Regional Meetings
METRO Regional Meeting
Handouts
NE Regional Meeting
SE Regional Meeting
SW Regional Meeting
Handouts
August 25, 2022 – Home Visiting FY 23 1st Biannual Meeting
Handouts
June 6, 2022 – Home Visiting 4th Quarterly Meeting
Link to Recorded Session - Laura Lipsky
Link to Recorded Session - Zach Ben
February 24, 2022 – Home Visiting 3rd Quarterly Meeting
- Handouts
Home Visiting Annual Conference 2021
HVT Annual Meeting 2021-Speaker View
Welcome: Cabinet Secretary, Elizabeth Groginsky
In November 2019, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed Elizabeth Groginsky as the first cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department, which officially launched in July 2020. Sec. Groginsky began her early childhood career in Head Start – first as a family services coordinator, then as an administrator of a Head Start program, and eventually as director of Colorado’s Head Start State Collaboration Office. Later, she directed early childhood education for United Way Worldwide and steered the Early Childhood Data Collaborative, a national coalition designed to improve state policies and practices around early childhood data systems. Most recently, Secretary Groginsky served as assistant superintendent of early learning in the District of Columbia, spearheading the district’s efforts toward universal PreK and focusing on ensuring equal access for all families and young children.
AM Sessions
Child Well-Being
Presenter: Janis Gonzales, MD, MPH, FAAP
Chief Health Officer, New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department
Dr. Janis Gonzales is the first Chief Health Officer for the NM Early Childhood Education and Care Department, serving in the Office of the Secretary. Previously Dr Gonzales served for six years as the Family Health Bureau Chief and the Title V Director in the New Mexico Department of Health, where she had oversight of several programs including Children’s Medical Services, Families FIRST, WIC, Family Planning, Maternal Child Health Epidemiology, Child Health, and Maternal Health/midwife licensing. She is the immediate Past President of the NM Pediatric Society (NM Chapter of the AAP) and the AAP Early Childhood Chapter Champion for NM, as well as the current President of the NM Perinatal Collaborative. She is also a board member of the Association of Maternal Child Health Programs (AMCHP), a founding board member of Hero’s Path Palliative Care, and a member of the J Paul Taylor task force, the CARA task force, and the Birth Equity Collaborative. She received her MD from the University of Illinois, her MPH from the University of New Mexico, and is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics.
- Child Well-Being PowerPoint
- A Kids Guide to Coronavirus - English
- A Kids Guide to Coronavirus - Spanish
NM Managed Care Organizations
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Presenter: Amy Freeman
Amy is a care coordinator in central New Mexico, and she represents the maternity program from Blue Cross Blue Shield, Centennial, called Special Beginnings. She started with BCBS in 2015 as a health coordinator and while she is a nurse by profession, she’s had the opportunity to learn, teach, and develop numerous aspects of this company across multiple states including home visiting here in New Mexico. Her primary focus is care coordination for our high-risk pregnant population. She looks forward to presenting their program and learning about all Home Visiting has to offer.
Western Sky Community Care - Start Smart for Your Baby
Early identification of pregnant members and their risk factors is essential to improving birth outcomes.
Presenter: Jennifer Montoya, RN-BSN, BUS
Jennifer Montoya graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2006 with her Bachelor’s Degree in University studies with and emphasis in Biology, Family Studies and Health Education. She completed her Bachelor’s degree from UNM College of nursing in 2008. During nursing school she was an intern in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at UNM Hospital level 1 trauma center. Upon graduation she started working at UNM Hospital full time in the NICU. Jennifer worked in the NICU for 12 years, relief Charge nurse, member of the PICC team (peripherally inserted central catheter), an ECMO Specialist (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), and did some time as a Flight Nurse. Currently, Jennifer works with Western Sky Community Care as the Start Smart for Your Baby Care Coordinator (2 years). She provides outreach to high risk pregnant members to promote healthy moms and healthy babies, through prevention, education, resources and support.
Presbyterian Health Services
Presenter: Liliana Venzor-Trajo
Liliana Venzor-Trejo has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social work, and is currently working on her Master’s Degree in Social Work. She is from Chihuahua Mexico but has lived in New Mexico (Albuquerque) most of her life. She has worked within Managed Care Organizations for about 15 years and is currently the Senior Program Manager at Presbyterian Health Care Plan, focusing on Women’s Health. Her main focus is preventative care, prenatal, and postpartum care. In these programs she develops interventions to assist members on Medicaid and Medicare to be educated on screenings and the importance of parental care.
Breastfeeding Task Force
Presenter: Monica Esparza
Monica Esparza is currently the Executive Director of the New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force. She is a trained CLC and Community Interpreter who previously served families as a breastfeeding peer counselor for more than 10 years, providing peer-to-peer support to lactating families through the WIC program both individually and in the hospital setting. She participated as a Leader in the Health Connect One Birth Leadership Academy and the NM Women of Color Leaders in Non-profit. She has served on different boards and currently sits on the National College of Midwifery Board and the NM CNM Board. As a Mexican, Immigrant woman living in the south valley of Albuquerque, she brings a grassroots community approach and an equity lens into her every aspect of her work. She understands the importance of centering families and BIPOC communities is a crucial step into achieve birth equity. She enjoys hiking and gardening with her husband and 2 children.
NMAIMH Endorsement
Presenter: Katrina Castillo
Katrina attended New Mexico State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master of Arts degree in Special Education with an emphasis in teaching the visually impaired. Katrina has been a lifelong resident of Las Cruces, New Mexico and has always been committed to the Early Childhood field. She has a passion for direct service while contributing to the field as a Master II State Approved Trainer. She has worked with NM GRADS (Graduation Reality And Dual-role Skills) since 2006 as a Director of a Focus 5-Star Center and as a child care mentor and trainer. Katrina has been Infant Mental Health Endorsed since 2014 and has been part of NMAIMH since 2016 serving as the Endorsement Coordinator. Personally, she is a mom of 7, has welcomed many children into her family as a Treatment Foster care parent, and enjoys CrossFit for self-care.
Moments Together
Presenter: Sommer Smith
Moments Together is a campaign out of the Early Childhood Education and Care Department in partnership with UNM Family Development Program, MediaDesk, NMPBS, United Way, and the Cradle to Career Policy Institute that helps equip New Mexico families with information and resources to set a strong foundation during the crucial early years. Sommer Smith, co-founder and creative director at MediaDesk, will be presenting on behalf of the collaborative.
Intro to the Early Learning Guidelines (ELGs)
Presenters: Susie Kantz and Jessica Radaelli-Nida
Jesica Radaelli-Nida and Susie Kantz are Sr Training and Development Consultants at UNM Early Childhood Services Center where they provide training and consultation support to individuals working in licensed and registered childcare programs. Jessica and Susie also serve on the Instructional Design Team building online, virtual, and face-to-face learning events for early childhood professionals across the state. These learning events are open to all early childhood professionals working in any sector, more information on these events can be found at www.nmels.org.
Achieving Equity
Presenter: Dorothy Kerwin
Dorothy has been a statewide trainer with the Family Development Program (FDP) since 2004, a role she continues to hold after being named Associate Director in 2018. Along with her knowledgeable and talented team of FDP Training and Development Consultants, Dorothy works throughout the state to bring the highest quality information regarding the development of young children and how they learn. This is accomplished through a variety of training topics, that weave together the importance of play and essential life skills. Dorothy facilitates early childhood coalition building in communities and provides leadership development to support the coalitions in attaining their goals and to ensure their sustainability.
Dorothy has been a community activist and organizer over the course of her adult life while raising her four children in Albuquerque’s International District. She has served as a teacher, coordinator, home-visitor, board member, massage therapist, and/or volunteer in an array of educational and community programs. Dorothy was a member of the New Mexico Master Cadre for the statewide initiative to support teachers and parents of young children in their social-emotional development based on the Center on the Social Emotional Foundations of Early Learning (CSEFEL). She has served locally and nationally as a Master Learning Facilitator for Mind in the Making. She has also been licensed to facilitate in Caring Communities, Nurtured Heart, Circle of Security, and Everyday Democracies Strong Starts for Children. Dorothy holds a Bachelor Degree from DePaul University and is a life-long learner who continues to take classes and to learn from folks she meets in communities throughout New Mexico.
PM Sessions
Safe Sleep
Presenter: Rachel Nowak
Rachel Nowak is the program manager for NewMexicoKids Resource and Referral under the University of New Mexico Early Childhood Services Center. This department serves as the centralized statewide referral entity required under the federal Child Care Development Fund for child care assistance. Rachel has overseen the expansion of R&R to include phone-based and online referrals to home visiting programs, early intervention programs, financial assistance agencies, basic needs such as food and shelter, and other community resources. NMKids R&R includes the 800-691-9067 support line and the www.NewMexicoKids.org website which provide referrals, resources, and consumer education materials to New Mexican families and caregivers. Rachel oversees outreach and the development and printing of marketing and promotional materials for Early Childhood Services Center. She also currently serves as the New Mexico Ambassador for the CDC’s Learn The Signs. Act Early. campaign.
Family Infant Toddler Program
Presenters: Kathey Phoenix Doyle and Leah Davidson
Kathey Phoenix-Doyle is Bureau Chief for the Family Infant Toddler program within the Early Childhood Education and Care Department for New Mexico. Kathey began her career working with families and children has a Head Start Home Visitor in Arkansas. After completing her master’s degree in Sociology, Kathey moved to San Antonio TX where she worked for the State of Texas in Child Protective Services and for Family Service Association one of the city’s oldest and largest non-profits. Weary of the heat and humidity, Kathey journeyed on to New Mexico where she has continued her career working with programs supporting families and children. Kathey has leadership experience within early intervention, home visiting, childcare, and healthy families.
Leah Davidson is currently the Program Coordinator for the Family Infant Toddler Program in New Mexico. She has a Bachelor’s in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from Colorado State University. Prior to 2019, Leah worked for Early Intervention in Virginia for 10 years, first as a family service coordinator and then as a program director. She is grounded in her commitment to elevate the importance and increase the support for first five years of life. If she could wear a T-Shirt every day it would say: “Do you want to help build strong resilient human brains? Come work with us in the birth to five field!” When she is not working, she enjoys singing, baking, running, and playing Uno with her 9 year old daughter.
Principles of Personal Leadership: Maximizing Potential and Minimizing Regret
Presenters: Captain Randy Larcher, NM State Police Investigations Bureau and Officer Jesse Williams, NM State Police
Randy Larcher has been a captain with the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau for four and a half years. He graduated from New Mexico State University in 2005 with a degree in history and joined NMSP later that year. Initially, Randy was stationed as a patrol officer in Grants, NM for three years. At the end of 2008, he became an investigations agent in Las Cruces where he served for three years. He was promoted to sergeant and worked in the Uniform Bureau, Metro Narcotics, and Criminal Investigations over a three-year period. In 2014 he was promoted to lieutenant and oversaw narcotics and criminal investigations in Doña Ana, Luna, Hidalgo, Grant, and Sierra counties. In 2017, Randy was promoted to captain and now leads lieutenants, sergeants, and agents that span fifteen counties. He is a student of ethics, productivity, leadership, and regularly teaches those subjects. He and his wife April have been married since 2000 and live in Las Cruces, N.M. with their four children.
Jesse Williams joined the New Mexico State Police in 2003. During that time, he has worked as a patrol officer, detective, first-line and mid-level supervisor of criminal and narcotics investigations, and commander of training, standards and uniform divisions. Throughout his career, he has leveraged his knowledge and experience in creating numerous training programs designed to improve professional competence and personal character. He is a graduate of New Mexico State University and earned master’s degrees in Criminal Justice and Public Administration. He and his wife have been married since 2003 and are the proud parents of five children.
Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act (CARA)
Presenters: Susan Merill, Trisstin Maroney, Lisa Rohleder
Susan Merrill, LCSW, is a member of the CARA Workgroup and the DOH CARA Navigator of the Plan of Care process. She attended the University of St. Catherine completing a BSW in 1980 and the University of Michigan completing an MSW in 1990. Susan works for Children’s Medical Services, as a Clinical Social Worker, connecting families with services throughout the state of New Mexico, following discharge from the hospital through Birth Defects Surveillance.
Trisstin Maroney is a member of the CARA workgroup and serves as the lead for the entirety of the CARA Program under the Protective Services Division, Federal Reporting Bureau. She attended the University of New Mexico completing a BS in Biology & Psychology with a Master’s in Biotechnology. She completed her medical training at the UNM School of Medicine. She began working for the state of New Mexico due to her interest in primary prevention, public health, and health inequity.
Lisa Rohleder joined the CARA team in the role of “CYFD CARA Navigator” in January 2021. Prior to joining CARA, Lisa was a NW regional coordinator for the NM Family, Infant, Toddler (FIT) Program and had worked extensively with families and babies birth to three as a bilingual (English, Spanish) Developmental Specialist and Family Service Coordinator. She has a master’s degree from the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota and completed a 3-year NIH research traineeship at the Center for Cognitive Sciences at UMN.
- CARA Presentation Handouts
- Attachment Theory and Maternal Drug Addiction: The Contribution to Parenting Interventions (nih.gov)
Brazelton Touch Points
Presenter: Heidi Roibal
Heidi S. Roibal is a nationally recognized expert in early child development and family engagement and has more than 25 years’ experience working with infants, toddlers, their families and early childhood professionals. Ms. Roibal is an international facilitator for the Brazelton Touchpoints Center at Boston Children’s Hospital, serves as Faculty for Zero to Three's Tribal MIECHV CQI, and is the CEO of her consulting company, Parenting Solutions. Heidi is passionate about Infant mental health and strengthening parent-child interactions while promoting trauma-informed systems of care within culturally diverse communities. Ms. Roibal is an author, grandmother and graduate of the FBI’s Citizen’s Academy. She parents 3 grown children and grandparents 3 precious grandbabies. She enjoys rock climbing, hiking and volunteers with the international Star Wars professional costume group.
Fathers NM
Presenter: Johnny Wilson
Johnny was born in Tacoma Washington and grew up in the Seattle area. Shortly after graduating from Western Washington University, in Bellingham, he began working with children and families. While still in the northwest, Johnny engaged roles in a kindergarten program, in a K through 5th grade after school program, in residential treatment, homeless youth drop-in, and transitional living. After leaving Washington, he engaged a personal learning journey with significant travel through the United States, paying his way with stints as a bike messenger, in construction trades, as a server in coffee houses/restaurants, in fundraising, in beverage distribution and in-home improvement. His experiences also include more travel, learning to write songs, play instruments and being a band member, visual art and being a partner and a dad to two daughters. Shortly after becoming a father, he began a career adventure that included sexual health education and working with young fathers. That work evolved into program and organizational management, policy analysis and advocacy. He is currently the Executive Director at Fathers New Mexico where he is able to divide his time between work with participants, long-term strategizing and the day-to-day management of the organization. Johnny and his partner live in Albuquerque’s South Valley with a newly adult daughter, two cats and two dogs. He writes, records and performs music as True Story House.
Roll out of 3-5 year-old support activities
Presenter: Anna Garcia, M.A., IMH-E, UNM CDD Home Visiting Training
Anna has worked in the Early Childhood Profession for 27 years and continues to learn and grow as an early childhood professional every day. She has been a preschool teacher in an NAEYC accredited program, at APS in Kindergarten and 2nd grade, Head Start/Early Head Start, and is now with the UNM Center for Development and Disabilities as a Training and Development Consultant for ECECD funded home visiting programs throughout New Mexico. She holds a B.S. in Early Childhood Multicultural Education and a M.A. in Early Childhood Special Education. She is endorsed by the New Mexico Association for Infant Mental Health.
Wemagination
Presenter: Janelle Cole
Janelle has been working in the field of Early Childhood for over nineteen years. She joined the Family Development Program in May of 2015 as a Training and Development Consultant and is a statewide trainer. She has a BA in Elementary Education from New Mexico State University and has an MA in Language, Literacy, and Socio-Cultural Studies from UNM. Janelle taught for twelve years in the Even Start Family Literacy Program for Albuquerque Public schools. She has a passion for working and advocating for young children and their families. Janelle is a certified Elementary and Early Childhood teacher with a TESOL endorsement. She is a Learning Facilitator for Mind in the Making. She is committed to advocating for and improving the well-being of children in New Mexico and encouraging the importance of play as the foundation for learning. She also enjoys sharing with others about the benefits of mindfulness. She is part of the Moments Together ECECD team and actively supports young children and their families in rural communities in New Mexico. Janelle and her husband have three beautiful boys who keep them busy and bring so much joy.
Quorum Learning
Presenters: Dr. Tiffany Wynn, Rhonda Montoya, Shana Runck
Dr. Tiffany Wynn serves as the Director for Policy Research and Quality Initiatives Division of the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD). She has been a mental health and substance use counselor for 15 years and has taught graduate school for 13. Dr. Wynn is a quantitative researcher and focuses on policy change through quantitative data analysis. She has served her communities as a clinical director, executive director, and most recently a Deputy Director at BHSD. Her publications and research look at equity in leadership and service availability; as well as, how quality metrics can be a means to determine strategic development and implementation. She is a mom of two amazing children who are extremely busy humans. Dr. Wynn believes that change occurs when entire communities are afforded resources and opportunities based on a trauma-responsive foundation. She also believes that ECECD offers all of us an opportunity to serve our communities by building policy, delivering research based on compassion and integrity, and monitoring the quality of services. Our work will improve the well-being of families for generations to come.
Rhonda Montoya, serves as the Quality Administrator with the Early Childhood Education and Care Department. She holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from New Mexico Highlands University and has served the State of New Mexico in early childhood for eight years. Rhonda has worked directly with the NM PreK Program, Home Visiting, and currently with the Quality team. Her in-depth understanding of multiple programs, coupled with prior experience providing therapeutic services to young children and in-home social work services [hospice], continues to inform her ongoing work within early childhood. Born and raised in Northern New Mexico, Rhonda holds values deeply rooted in her own family and community experiences, feeding a strong hope to positively impact the future of New Mexico through continued work with families, children and the state’s early childhood system.
Shana Runck serves as Bureau Chief for the Policy, Research and Quality Initiatives Division of the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD). Her team supports an array of early childhood community partners and stakeholders who provide programs and services for children and families throughout the state. Shana has served children and families in for-profit, non-profit, government, and tribal settings for 20 years. She is a passionate leader focused on providing equitable quality care and education for young children. Shana was born and raised in Albuquerque where she currently resides with her husband and two boys who keep her active and young at heart.