The Secret Life of the Family:
Emotional Development in the Earliest Years

B. Bryan Post, Ph.D.

Dr. B. Bryan Post is the founder and CEO of the Post Institute for Family-Centered Therapy based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Post Institute specializes in working with adults, children and families who struggle with issues related to trauma, stress, attachment, and bonding. A renowned clinician, lecturer, and author of several books, videos, and audio programs, Dr. Post has traveled throughout the world providing expert treatment and consultation. He specializes in a holistic family-based treatment approach that addresses the underlying interactive dynamics of the entire family, a neurophysiologic process he refers to as “the secret life of the family.”

A maverick in the mental health field, Dr. Post broke from traditional teachings in the late 1990’s and developed a dynamic theoretical model of human behavior which he coined the Stress Model. From the Stress Model theory he has gone on to develop both Family-Centered Regulatory Parenting and Regulatory Therapy which both have been taught at the university level, garnering Dr. Post international recognition.

Dr. Post is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Oklahoma and is registered to practice in various other states. He is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology, and a Diplomate of the American Psychotherapy Association.

The Sesame Workshop Model:
“Healthy Habits for Life” and
“Word on the Street”

Jeanette Betancourt, Ed.D.

Dr. Jeanette Betancourt is the Vice President for Outreach and Educational Practices at Sesame Workshop. In this role, Dr. Betancourt designs and implements national public awareness initiatives, manages their adaptation into multiple languages, and oversees the formative and summative research that accompanies each project. She has directed Sesame Workshop Outreach projects in the areas of bilingual education, literacy, music, health and safety, resiliency, and child care. Most recently, she has been integral to the development and implementation of Sesame Workshop’s “Healthy Habits for Life” initiative.

Dr. Betancourt works collaboratively with several Sesame Workshop divisions to assure that content, language, and educational strategies are appropriate for diverse ethnic and cultural groups. She was involved in content development for the production of Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat and advised on the production of Dragon Tales.

Prior to joining Sesame Workshop, Dr. Betancourt was the Director of Project Visiones, a bilingual vocational training program for Latino child care professionals at the Institute for Urban and Minority Education, Teachers College, Columbia University. She has also served on numerous boards and committees, including the White House Subcommittee on Hispanic Education, the Pfizer Health Journal Roundtable, the Child Care Reads Campaign, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s Hispanic Outreach Committee, and the National Council of La Raza Early Childhood Initiative.

New Opportunities in the Next Stage of Our Work: Building on What We’ve Learned

Lisbeth B. Schorr

Lisbeth (Lee) Schorr is Lecturer in Social Medicine and Director of the Project on Effective Interventions at Harvard University. She directs the Pathways Mapping Initiative, and co chairs the Aspen Institute’s Roundtable on Community Change.

Ms. Schorr has woven many strands of experience with social policy, community building, education, and human service programs together to become a national authority on what works to improve the future of disadvantaged children and their families. She has held leadership positions in numerous national efforts on behalf of children and youth, including the National Center for Children in Poverty, the National Academy of Science’s Board on Children and Families, the Education Committee of the States National Commission on Governing America’s Schools, and the Foundation for Child Development.

Ms. Schorr’s book, WITHIN OUR REACH: Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage, analyzed social programs that succeeded in effectively combating serious social problems, such as high rates of single parenting, youth violence, and school failure. In her subsequent book, COMMON PURPOSE: Strengthening Families and Neighborhoods to Rebuild America, she demonstrated that by acting strategically, focusing on results, and putting together what works, it is possible to strengthen children and families and rebuild communities.

Ms. Schorr founded the Pathways Mapping Initiative to develop new approaches to building a stronger knowledge base about what it takes to achieve selected outcomes.

Health Care Reform and First 5: Implications for California’s Children and Families

Kimberly Belshé (Invited)

Kimberly Belshé was appointed secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in November 2003. In this capacity, she serves as a member of the governor’s Cabinet and as his chief advisor on health, social services and rehabilitative policies.

Ms. Belshé manages an agency that has more than 32,000 employees, with a total state budget of more than $76 billion. As secretary, Ms. Belshé provides leadership and oversight of 11 state departments that are responsible for providing Californians—particularly those most in need and at risk—with health, developmental, mental, rehabilitative, social and other critical services.

Prior to joining the Schwarzenegger Administration, Ms. Belshé served as program director for The James Irvine Foundation and in a number of leadership positions in state government under the administration of Governor Pete Wilson, including deputy secretary of the then-Health and Welfare Agency and director of the Department of Health Services.

Throughout her career, Ms. Belshé has served in a number of civic capacities. She is a board member of the Great Valley Center, which is dedicated to promoting the sustainability of California’s Central Valley region, and served as a founding Commissioner and Vice Chair of the First 5 California Children and Families Commission.