PYD Conference

• 12:30-1:00 pm  |  Registration
• 1:00-1:10 pm  |  Welcome and Conference Logistics
• 2:10-2:30 pm  |   Afternoon Break: Snacks/Booths/Networking
• 2:30-3:50 pm  |  Session 1  |  In Her Shoes: Teens and Dating Violence
• 3:50-5:00 pm  |  Session 2  |  Young Voices Youth Panel

• 8:00-8:30 am  | Registration
• 8:30-9:20 am  |  Session 3  |  Talk Saves Lives: Youth Suicide Prevention
• 9:20-10:10 am  |  Session 4  |  Teens & the Law: What You Need to Know
• 10:10-10:30 am  |  Morning Break: Snacks/Booths/Networking
• 10:30-11:10 am  |  Session 5  |  Connecting with our Youth
• 11:10 am-12:00 pm  |  Session 6  |   Supporting Brain Health in our Community
• 12:00-1:15 pm  |  Lunch on your own
• 1:15-2:45 pm  |  Closing Speaker  |  Transforming Trauma into Resilience
• 2:45-3:00 pm  |  Exit Survey

Opening Session

Sustaining Your Spark: Building Resilience, Joy, and Hope in Youth-Serving Work

Speaker: Helen Eimers, Success Coach

Helen Eimers is a Success Coach, speaker, and Conscious Heart Hypnotherapy practitioner who helps mission-driven professionals restore energy, resilience, and clarity so they can continue showing up fully in their work. With a background in nursing, wellness coaching, and program development, she has spent more than a decade supporting teams across healthcare, education, and community settings. Helen is the creator of Amplify Academy, HypnoBIZ, and Activate, and is known for her warm, practical approach to preventing burnout and reconnecting to purpose. She lives in Chamberlain with her husband and three children.

Session 1

In Her Shoes: Teens and Dating Violence

Speaker: Coleen Hoffman, Executive Director, Safe Place of Eastern South Dakota

Coleen Hoffman earned her B.A. in Behavioral Sciences from Dakota Wesleyan University and has served Safe Place of Eastern South Dakota for more than 25 years in a variety of roles. She is currently the Executive Director in Mitchell and serves on several multidisciplinary teams and advisory boards. Coleen is a graduate of Leadership Mitchell, Leadership Acceleration at Dakota Wesleyan University, and the South Dakota Network Advanced Academy. She has received multiple honors for her dedication to violence prevention and believes that working together can break the silence and empower lives.

Session 2

Young Voices Youth Panel

Speakers: Young Voices

Young Voices is a youth-led advocacy group made up of youth and young adults with lived experience in the foster care system. Members provide VOICES (Vision, Opportunities, Ideas, Creativity, Enthusiasm, and Support) to young people who have experienced out-of-home placement. Young Voices is committed to creating positive change and improving outcomes for youth across South Dakota by sharing their perspectives and lived experiences.

Session 3

Talk Saves Lives: Youth Suicide Prevention

Speaker: Samantha Christopherson, Executive Director of the North Dakota and South Dakota American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Samantha Christopherson is the Dakotas Executive Director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). AFSP is a voluntary health organization with a mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP is the number one private funder of mental health research. On the local level, the South Dakota Chapter is active in prevention education, advocacy, and support for suicide loss survivors. 

Session 4

Teens and the Law: What You Need to Know

Speaker: Toby Russell, ICAC Task Force Commander, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation

Toby Russell has served in law enforcement in South Dakota for 27 years, including 13 years with the Mitchell Police Department as a patrol officer and detective. For the past 14 years, he has worked with the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation as a Special Assistant Attorney General. Toby supervises the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) and Digital Investigations Unit and serves as Commander of the statewide South Dakota ICAC Task Force. He is also a trained computer forensic examiner and has testified as an expert in state and federal courts on digital forensics and technology-facilitated crimes.

Session 5

Connecting With Our Youth

Speaker: Keaton Widow, Program Manager, Great Plains Tribal Health

Keaton Widow, BSW, is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and serves as Program Manager for Teca Kici Okijupi - Connecting With Our Youth (CWOY), a suicide prevention model under Great Plains Tribal Health and housed at Oyate Health Center in Rapid City. CWOY serves Native American youth in the He Sapa (Black Hills) region through early intervention, Support Navigator care coordination, and strong community partnerships.
With over 12 years of experience in behavioral and mental health, Keaton leads program implementation, referral systems, partner training, and continuity of care for youth experiencing suicidal ideation, attempts, or behavioral health crises. His work spans prevention, intervention, systems coordination, and culturally grounded support for youth and families.

Session 6

Supporting Brain Health In Our Community

Speaker: Michelle Kutner, State Program Director, Alzheimer’s Association

Michelle Kutner is a licensed social worker and State Program Director for the South Dakota Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. With a career in long-term care, she has supported families and trained staff to strengthen dementia care. In her current role, Michelle provides education and resources statewide and recruits, trains, and partners with volunteers who lead support groups and community programs. She also serves on the South Dakota Healthy Brain Coalition.

Speaker: Grace Gill, Director of Public Policy, Alzheimer’s Association

Grace Gill serves as the Director of Public Policy for the South Dakota Alzheimer’s Association, advocating for policies that support the more than 16,500 South Dakotans impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. Her work focuses on advancing state and federal solutions that improve access to care, increase research funding, and reduce stigma. Grace has a background in nonprofit advocacy and also serves on the South Dakota Healthy Brain Coalition.

Closing Speaker

Transforming Trauma into Resilience

Speaker: Ashley Bendiksen

Ashley Bendiksen is a teen trauma survivor turned national speaker, award-winning activist, and expert in domestic violence and sexual assault prevention, resilience, and early intervention for at-risk youth. She travels full-time across the U.S., speaking to students, educators, advocates, and professionals on prevention and youth-centered response. Ashley holds a B.A. in Administration of Justice and brings 17 years of professional experience across education, nonprofit, legal, and government sectors. She is also the founder of the Blue Hearts Project, a global storytelling platform for survivors, and co-founder of Island Youth Coaching, supporting teens and young adults through life coaching and college consulting.