Parent Camp
January 24, 2026
The Novi Mental Health Alliance, in partnership with Novi Community School District, is thrilled to host the fourth annual Parent Camp on Saturday, January 24, from 8 a.m. to Noon at Novi High School. This event is FREE and will feature a keynote address by Kerry Biskelonis, Founder, Clinical Director, and Therapist at Reset Brain and Body. Additionally, there will be a variety of breakout sessions focusing on parenting topics related to mental health and wellness for kids of all ages. Registration details are below!
***Breakfast and FREE childcare will be available!
We are asking families to register for Parent Camp using the green registration button below. Understanding approximately how many families will be in attendance will help us prepare the facility, food and childcare. Thank you!
8:00–9:00 AM: Optional light breakfast and resource fair
9:00–9:50 AM: Keynote by Kerry Biskelonis, Founder, Clinical Director, and Therapist at Reset Brain and Body — Parenting in the Age of Overstimulation: Finding Calm in the Chaos
10:00–10:55 AM: Breakout Session 1
11:00–11:55 AM: Breakout Session 2
Enjoy breakfast and explore a local Resource Fair during the first hour of the event. Community partners will have tables set up with brochures and information about the services they offer to students and families in our community. Additionally, Novi's Food Service Director will have a table to talk about nutrition and school menus, and to hear your feedback on ways we can continue improving school meals.
Parenting in the Age of Overstimulation: Finding Calm in the Chaos
Presenter: Kerry Biskelonis, LPC, RYT
Organization: Reset Brain and Body
Content Relevant For: K-12
Session Overview: This session will focus on giving parents practical tools for navigating parenting in an overstimulating and overwhelmingly digital world. Delivered from the perspective of a busy, type-A, working mom, we invite you to take a deep breath, slow down, and be present in the moment with us. We'll share our signature Family Reset framework and pillars of Foundational Wellness to leave you with more tried-and-true ways to balance time with family with your own needs and self care.
Session 1: Non-Academic College Readiness: How to Help High Schoolers Develop Independence and Strong Mental Health for College
Presenter: Elizabeth Snyder
Organization: Galvin Growth Group
Content Relevant For: 9-12
Session Overview: This session will focus on helping parents learn how to prepare their teenagers for college. Coping skills, perseverance, time management, self-care, and even knowing how to complete basic household chores are all needed when a teenager moves away. Parents can often experience a lot of anxiety determining whether or not their teenager is ready for college, and this session will help parents learn how to get them ready.
Session 2: Anxiety Made Simple
Presenters: Matthew Swartz, LMSW
Organization: Evolving Lives, Inc
Content Relevant For: K-12
Session Overview: Anxiety and stress create significant challenges for students and parents at school and home. Most parents are attempting to help their children deal with stress and anxiety, all the while working to manage their own anxiety and stress. At its worst, anxiety creates debilitating experiences and a downward spiral of pain and emotional distress that prevent joy, learning, and meaningful connection. This session will explain what anxiety and stress are, how they work in our brains and bodies, and how we can help free ourselves and our children from the downward spiral. Everyone will leave with simple, practical tools for decreasing anxiety and stress in this moment and in the future, leading to happier, more peaceful lives.
Session 3: Belonging and Connection: Student Panel
Presenters: Stephanie Schiff, LMSW
Organization: Easterseals MORC
Content Relevant For: K-12
Session Overview: The breakout session will begin with a concise 10-minute presentation on the theme of Belonging and Connection. Following this, a 30–40 minute Q&A panel featuring current Novi students and parents will provide an open forum for dialogue. The session is designed to bridge communication gaps between youth and parents, fostering authentic, organic conversations in a guided setting that promotes deeper understanding and meaningful connection.
Session 4: Engaging the Disengaged: What to Watch for and What to Try
Presenters: Alexander Borrello, MA, LLC
Organization: Evolving Lives, Inc
Content Relevant For: K-12
Session Overview: When students lose interest in school, activities, or friendships, parents are often the first to notice. Yet, the reasons aren’t always clear. This presentation explains the hidden styles of disengagement and why they matter, offering a framework to help families recognize patterns such as perfectionism, dependency, or self sabotage. Parents will leave with practical, actionable strategies regarding the importance of consistent routines, supportive relationships, and making choices to help their kids re-engage with school and extracurricular activities.
Session 5: Smart Choices, Strong Outcomes
Presenter: Sabrina Matsil
Organization: Oakland County Youth Assistance
Content Relevant For: K-12
Session Overview: Discover how Oakland County Youth Assistance partners with families and schools to support students in making positive choices. This session will provide an inside look at Youth Assistance and the juvenile court system, while focusing on practical strategies that help children and teens avoid risky behaviors. Parents will learn about key protective factors, skills that encourage responsible decision‑making, and resources available to strengthen family and community connections.
Session 6: Protecting Your Identity
Presenter: Ngoc Do
Organization: Vibe Credit Union
Content Relevant For: K-12 & Adults
Session Overview: Learn essential cybersecurity skill to protect yourself online and IRL! Discover how to secure your accounts, avoid scams, stay safe on social media, and protect your personal devices. Plus, get tips on what to do if you become a victim.
Session 7: What is "Normal"? Exploring Behavior Related to Student Stress and Identifying Behavioral Red Flags
Presenter: Emma Vawter
Organization: Ellie Mental Health - Novi & West Bloomfield
Content Relevant For: K-12
Session Overview: This session will focus on the phenomenon of "normal" when it comes to student's behavior. Learning to tell the difference between manageable academic stress and warning signs of deteriorating mental health is essential when parenting dedicated students. Supporting students well with resources and coping strategies is a goal many parents desire to work towards, but it can create stress throughout the family system when this goal feels unachievable. Gain insight and strategies in this breakout session to recognize and respond to student behavior in an uplifting and empowering way.
Session 8: Future‑Ready Students: The Skills That Will Really Matter in an AI Economy
Presenter: Michael Crawford
Organization: America Succeeds
Content Relevant For: K-12
Session Overview: As artificial intelligence and automation rapidly reshape the future of work, more than ever before, our students will need more than academic/technical knowledge to thrive — they need durable skills like critical thinking, communication, creativity, adaptability, and collaboration that machines can’t replace. Research shows that durable skills are among the most requested across millions of job postings and will continue to grow in importance as technology evolves. We need a framework that is explicit, student-centered, and employer-validated that is shared across schools, colleges, and employers.
But these human‑centered strengths don’t develop by accident. Families are powerful partners in nurturing the mindset and behaviors that help young people navigate uncertainty, leverage AI as a tool (not just a challenge), and succeed in careers we can’t yet imagine. This session introduces parents to the durable skills framework, explains why these competencies matter more than ever in a world of fast‑paced change, and offers practical ways parents can support skill building at home — helping their children become future‑ready, resilient, and confident contributors to society.
Session 9: The Difficulty of Work Completion: How to Support Kids and Teens Who Struggle with Executive Functioning
Presenter: Cindi Lonick
Organization: Galvin Growth
Content Relevant For: K-12
Session Overview: Executive functioning skills are critical for the academic success of all students. When kids struggle to get work done, it can have an impact on their own mental health and the functioning of the whole family. This presentation will focus on key executive functions necessary for work completion, including planning, organizing, time management, sustained attention, task initiation, and flexibility. Parents will learn how to identify what aspects their children struggle with, and specific strategies to address each concern.
Session 10: Building Resilience with Routines, Rituals and Family Traditions
Presenter: Karla Truxall
Organization: SPN Survivors
Content Relevant For: K-12
Session Overview: This session explores how simple daily routines, meaningful rituals, and family traditions can support your whole family, as well as your child's well-being. Examples include: building stability, deepening family connections, adding structure to your day, feeling connected to your roots, family values, and strengthening your sense of belonging. Participants are also encouraged to share some of their own family's rituals, traditions, and routines so we can all learn from each other.