Empowering Youth for Positive Change
Join us for a powerful day of connection, learning, and inspiration at the RISE Conference 2026!
This one-day conference is dedicated to exploring the critical work of supporting at-risk and struggling youth. Designed with DAEP/JJAEP administrators, counselors, school-based therapists, teachers, support staff, juvenile probation officers, and school resource officers in mind, RISE is more than a conference—it’s a call to action.
Whether you're on the front lines of intervention or supporting systems of care, this conference is for you.
What to Expect
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Engaging Keynote Speakers – Hear from leading voices in trauma-informed care, restorative practices, and youth advocacy.
Breakout Sessions – Choose from a variety of interactive sessions offering practical tools, real-world strategies, and research-backed approaches.
Networking Opportunities – Connect with professionals across the state who share your passion for helping youth succeed.
Why Attend?
At RISE, we’re diving deep into the heart of what it takes to serve youth in alternative and justice-involved settings. Our goal is for you to walk away with:
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A deeper understanding of trauma and its impact on behavior and learning
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Practical strategies to implement restorative practices in DAEP, JJAEP, and similar settings
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Renewed energy and purpose to continue your critical work
At-a-glance Agenda
| 9:00-10:00 | Fostering Positive Outcomes and Well-Being in the Classroom
Rosana Sielaff, ACPS, ICPS, CHW, CHWI | Prevention Specialist Coordinator| Bluebonnet Trails Community Services |
| 10:00-11:00 | From Consequence to Connection: Practical Re-entry Strategies for Supportive Schools
Eric Ikonne, MPH, DrPH Round Rock ISD MTSS Coordinator |
11:00-12:00 | San Marcos CISD DAEP- Rebound/More than a DAEP: Creating a Community of Support
Yvette Velasquez, Lamar Principal, Natasha Graham, LMSW, Social Emotional Counselor and Sophia Vasquez, Communities in Schools |
| 12:00-1:00 | Lunch |
1:00-2:00 | Using a Trauma-Informed Social Emotional Framework to Support Students’ Academic and Behavioral Needs at a DAEP
Joanna Champaigne, LCSW, DAEP Counselor, Del Valle ISD |
| 2:00-3:00 | Strengthening Student Pathways Through Transition Support
Tara Stewart, Successful Transition Education Program, Principal/Director of Education, Georgetown ISD/Williamson County Juvenile Service and John Rinn, Case Manager Supervisor |
| 3:00 | Adjournment |
Presenters
 Eric Ikonne
Eric Ikonne, DrPH, MPH, is a dedicated educator, public health professional, and campus culture strategist with over 13 years of experience supporting students, educators, and school communities. His work spans K–12 education, juvenile justice, after-school programs, and community-based organizations, where he has consistently championed equitable, trauma-informed, and student-centered practices. With a strong foundation in physical education, health promotion, and social-emotional learning, Dr. Ikonne brings a holistic approach to fostering environments where students and staff can thrive.Dr. Ikonne specializes in helping schools build positive campus cultures and comprehensive behavior support systems rooted in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). He partners with school leaders and educators to implement proactive, data-driven strategies that enhance student engagement, strengthen relationships, and promote accountability. His expertise includes developing behavior intervention frameworks, leading professional development, improving student wellness initiatives, and aligning social-emotional learning with academic success and college, career, and military readiness.
Grounded in the principles of cultural humility, inclusiveness, and collaboration, Dr. Ikonne is passionate about supporting underserved populations and empowering schools to create safe, structured, and nurturing learning environments. His professional background with educational institutions, juvenile justice systems, and community organizations enables him to bridge gaps between research and practice, ensuring sustainable and meaningful change.
Through his work, Dr. Ikonne remains committed to equipping schools with the tools, strategies, and leadership needed to cultivate a strong sense of belonging, reinforce positive behavior, and build thriving campus communities. |
 Tara Stewart
Tara Stewart has been an educator for 28 years as a teacher, coach, campus and district administrator. A MS in psychology and passion for working with students who struggle led her to Williamson County Juvenile Services, where she has been Director of Education for the past 6 years. Tara uses her training as a TBRI Practitioner/Restorative Practices facilitator in her role as Principal of Successful Transition Education Program (S.T.E.P.), where her dedicated team of teachers worked to become the very first juvenile justice school named as a Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase School. Tara is also the handler for Luna Raptor, the facility therapy dog, who has recently received national attention as a hero for her work with justice-involved youth. |
 John Rinn
John Rinn has worked with Williamson County Juvenile Services for 8 years, carrying roles as a Juvenile Supervision Officer, Juvenile Probation Officer, JJAEP and Residential Case Manager and currently the Williamson County Connect, Overcome, Restore, Empower (C.O.R.E.) and JJAEP Case Manager Supervisor. John became a TBRI Practitioner in February 2025, where he uses his training to build meaningful relationships, and strengthen meaningful life skills with the youth receiving treatment in a post adjudicated residential treatment program and Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP). |
 Yvette Velasquez
Yvette Velasquez has been an Educational Leader since graduating from Texas State University in 1998 with her bachelor’s degree and earning her master’s degree in 2010.
Mrs. Velasquez has been a member of the SMCISD family since 2006. She is in her ninth year serving as the principal at the Lamar Campus. Her aim is to build community partnerships and tap into the resources that San Marcos has to offer to help her students achieve their potential and realize their personal goals. |
 Natasha Graham
Natasha Graham earned her Master of Social Work, with a specialization in children and families, from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2019. While completing her degree, she worked full-time as an Adult Probation Officer for Travis County and completed two internships where she received training in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) and worked directly with children and youth living in emergency shelters.
Natasha began her work with San Marcos CISD in 2021 as a Student Attendance Case Manager, where she developed a deeper understanding of the challenges students face that impact school attendance. In 2023, she transitioned into her current role as a Social Emotional Learning Counselor at the district’s alternative school.
This student population holds a special place in her heart. Natasha is passionate about building rapport quickly and creatively, and she strives to meet students where they are—focusing on their individual needs rather than external expectations. Her work is both challenging and deeply rewarding, and she remains committed to supporting students through empathy, connection, and practical guidance. |
 Sophia Vasquez
Sophia Vasquez is a Communities in Schools of Central Texas program manager at Lamar Personalized Learning Center. She is a current graduate student at UTSA studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling and holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Florida International University.
Sophia has worked in mental health crisis and with community populations for the past 5 years, working in a State Hospital Transitional program as a housing and employment specialist to an adult Crisis Respite Unit as a crisis case manager, and now a program manager at a Disciplinary Alternative Education program in San Marcos, TX.
As a passionate advocate for restorative practices in these settings to ensure rehabilitation for those served, Sophia works to shift the culture within alternative and justice-involved settings, championing approaches that prioritize genuine rehabilitation over punishment. She brings both lived professional experience and academic grounding to her work and is dedicated to building systems where young people and adults alike are met with empathy, accountability, and the belief that change is possible. |
 Rosana Sielaff
Rosana is an Advanced Certified Prevention Specialist with over a decade of experience in substance use prevention. Her passion for health and education guided her Psychology degree toward the organizational area, where she gained strong experience in instructional design with a focus on professional development and well‑being. In the prevention field, she promotes health and resilience through engaging, research‑informed presentations and activities. Her Brazilian roots were transplanted to the bigger and brighter state of Texas, where she continues to grow and occasionally wonders how she ever lived without barbecue. |
 Joanna Champaigne
Joanna Champaigne is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of experience and has been the counselor at the Del Valle DAEP for the past 5 years. Ms. Champaigne specializes in working with adolescents who have experienced trauma and has additional training in EMDR, DBT, TF-CBT and Trauma Narrative work. Ms. Champaigne has worked in a variety of settings such as juvenile justice, residential treatment centers, hospitals and schools. She brings passion and experience to creating and supporting trauma informed educational practices at her campus and in supporting DAEP teachers, staff and master’s level counseling interns. |
