Annetra Jones is a seasoned child welfare and family services leader with more than two decades of leadership and frontline experience serving children, youth, and families. A highly accomplished manager and advocate, Annetra has dedicated her career to supporting at-risk, delinquent, abused, and neglected youth and their families, addressing the complex challenges that impact emotional well-being, development, and long-term success.
Her deep expertise spans family preservation, foster care, adoption, and juvenile justice systems. Throughout her career, she has played a pivotal role in the design, implementation, and long-term sustainability of numerous high-impact programs, including emergency shelters, substance use treatment initiatives, legacy and innovative family preservation models, and Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA)-approved evidence-based prevention and preservation programs. Her work has focused on strengthening families, preventing unnecessary out-of-home placements, and improving outcomes for children, youth, and communities.

Annetra is also a respected trainer known for her engaging and insightful facilitation. She served as a Protective Factors trainer with the Michigan Federation for Children and Families for five years and has trained Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) staff statewide in the Domestic Violence Safe & Together™ Model. She has partnered with Macomb County to strengthen domestic violence-informed practices and has provided training and consultation to professionals and organizations across Michigan.
Driven by a commitment to strengthening families and communities, Annetra continues to share her expertise in leadership development, family preservation, trauma-informed practice, and child welfare systems improvement.

Theresa Berden is a Program Manager with Wellspring Lutheran Services, where she has worked in Family Preservation since 2008. She currently oversees programs covering 20 counties in the Northern Lower Peninsula and Central Upper Peninsula. Theresa has a strong passion for family preservation programs. She believes that Protective Factors uphold the family preservation values: that all families are capable of change, staff are there to instill hope, and crises are opportunities for change. Theresa obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Family Life Education and Master of Arts in Counseling from Spring Arbor University. Outside of work, Theresa enjoys spending time outdoors in Northern Michigan, especially her newest obsession, birding.

Elizabeth Cassise the Adoption Supervisor at Judson Center and an experienced trainer, bringing 16 years of experience in the child welfare field. Throughout her career, she has supported children, youth, and families involved in foster care and adoption and is deeply committed to strengthening the professionals who serve them. Elizabeth has a passion for professional development and has extensive experience training both new and experienced child welfare specialists. Prior to presenting the Protective Factors Framework with the Michigan Federation for Children and Families, she had the privilege of partnering with Western Michigan University’s Child Trauma Assessment Center to provide training in Trauma-Informed Care. She has also collaborated with Arizona State University and Wayne State University to train new and experienced supervisors in the Strength-Based Supervision model. Elizabeth has also worked closely with MDHHS to develop the current adoption payment model for contracted private agencies and continues to consult on future contract amendments. Outside of her professional work, Elizabeth enjoys hiking, cooking, attending live music events, and spending time with her family and friends.

Callista Cook is the Business Operations Manager at Family & Children Services, Inc., where she has served for nearly 10 years. With more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit and human services work, Callista brings a strong background in working with children and families, supporting social service professionals, and strengthening organizational practices that promote positive outcomes.

In her current role, Callista oversees initiatives that support staff development, workforce preparation, and organizational effectiveness. She leads the agency’s internship program, helping prepare and support emerging human service professionals as they transition from the classroom into professional practice. Her work includes coordinating onboarding and development, partnering with supervisors and educational institutions, and helping ensure new professionals enter the field with a strong foundation in effective, family-centered practice.

Callista is especially passionate about approaches that strengthen families and empower them as active partners in the services they receive. Protective Factors and other strength-based interventions are central to her work, reflecting her belief that effective service delivery should recognize family strengths, build resilience, and support lasting change.

Outside of work, Callista enjoys painting, spending time with friends and family, and playing with her pets.

Kayly Grice is a Family Preservation Supervisor at Catholic Charities West Michigan with over ten years of experience serving at-risk children and their families. Kayly has a strong foundation of the Protective Factors Framework, with over eight years of implementing the framework directly with families and training staff. Kayly is passionate about strengtheningfamilies and is dedicated to empowering service providers and families using ProtectiveFactors. Kayly is excited to continue to advocate, implement, and improve child and family serving programs in Michigan. Kayly enjoys time with her three children, family, and friends.

Emily Hughey is a Supervisor at Samaritas and has worked in preservation for over six years. Emily started her career with the Family Reunification Program and then worked with Homebuilders. Emily is now a supervisor for Families First of Michigan, where she uses the Protective Factors Framework with her clients as well as the staff that she supervises. Emily has a passion for working with children, youth, and families, with the goal of keeping families together. Emily lives eight minutes from Lake Michigan and loves spending time with her friends and family, reading (mostly listening) to books, and cooking new recipes.

Stephanie Dettloff has over 20 years of experience serving children, youth, and families in Northeast Michigan. Stephanie is the Chief Executive Officer for the Sunrise Centre, a nonprofit substance use treatment center in Northern Michigan. Stephanie has worked in the field of child welfare and prevention programming throughout her career and has a passion for strengthening programming that promotes the health and well-being of individuals and families. Stephanie received her BS degree in Health Services Management and earned an MA in Organizational Management and Development through Spring Arbor University. In herspare time, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her family on her small hobby farm andhanging out with her grandson.

Aryn Manni, LMSW, is a Program Manager at Samaritas with more than thirteen years of experience in family preservation services. As a Licensed Master Social Worker, Aryn is formally trained in the Protective Factors Framework and is passionate about helping families build resilience, strengthen relationships, and reduce risk factors that can impactchild and family well-being. Known for her engaging and encouraging teaching style, Aryn brings energy, positivity, and practical application to trainings with both staff and families. She is dedicated to empowering others through strengths-based approaches, Two-Generational Approach and meaningful connections.

Michelle Smith is passionate about supporting and strengthening Michigan families. She believes lasting change occurs when individuals are empowered to recognize their strengths, build on their resilience, and reach their full potential. As a Program Manager with Wellspring Lutheran Services, Michelle provides leadership and support to the Foster Care Supportive Visitation and MiFamily Together programs. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from John Carroll University and a Master of Arts in Family Studies from Spring Arbor University. Outside of her professional role, Michelle enjoys spending time with family and friends and values opportunities to connect with her community