THE FOSTER EXPEREINCE

Patti Heffernan shares her inspiring story of overcoming trauma in the foster system, juvenile justice, and overcoming obstacles of aging out. After coming through homelessness, mental health struggles, poverty, and being impacted by substance use now Patti Heffernan is co-owner of Helios Recovery Services. Through powerful storytelling coupled with state and federal data of the current systems in place, Patti illuminates how these systems are counter-productive to the goal we all want to achieve. The goal of protecting children and giving them hope for their future.

Come and explore how we can protect families by going beyond their pathology, beyond trauma-informed care to healing centered engagement. Find out how to advocate for youth caught in juvenile justice, keep parents seeking recovery from losing their children and eliminate the destructive impact punitive approaches have on families affected by substance use disorder.