NHAIMH 29th Annual Conference

“Celebrating and Engaging Diverse Family Structures.” 

 Workshop topics include.

• Working with dads/fathers and parenting partners

• Enhancing engagement with caregivers and families

• Inclusive strategies for supporting kinship, foster and adoptive family relationships

• Recognizing the needs of families with LGBTQ+ caregivers

• The unique needs of refugee and new American families

Registration is now open

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our Keynote

What About Dads?

Changing Roles, Recent Research and Program Development, and the Critical Importance of Fathers to Child Outcomes

Fathers were once thought of as "the forgotten parent" and fatherhood as a critically important topic has not been taken seriously in academia, health communities, social policy, obstetrical clinical practice or business until recent decades. Now, in public health, federal funding, programmatic initiatives and research worlds more attention is being paid to fathers as a central component of family life, including their frontline caretaking functions and their economic contribution to children and families. This address will make a compelling statement about the critical importance of fathers for child emotional, social, and behavioral outcomes in family life, gathering evidence from well-developed research findings, including The Fatherhood Project study of over 900 men in prenatal care at the MGH Obstetrical Service. We will hear Men's Voices, leading us to consideration of changes in OB prenatal care service delivery and in the delivery of other family-related services. Head Start and Parents in Recovery programs will also be addressed. Emphasis will include findings about fathers' health and mental health, needed skill development for frontline caretaking and suggestions for father engagement. Videos will be included in the presentation as we develop a new understanding and perception about fathers and their contributions and needs.

About the Presenter:

Raymond Levy, PsyD--Clinical Psychologist, Founder & Director, The Fatherhood Project at Mass General Hospital, Boston, MA

Dr. Levy has been a Clinical Psychologist at Mass General Hospital, Boston, for 29 years and founded The Fatherhood Project in 2013. He has edited two books on psychodynamic psychotherapy research and more recently, published articles and a chapter about fatherhood and fatherhood research with Dr. Milton Kotelchuck. Dr. Levy is the proud father of two adult children and has made fatherhood central to his life.