Rise and Shine with Melissa - Day 2

The journey continues! 

Day 2 of the conference brings you even more motivation and practical wisdom as Melissa explores the steps you can take to stay on track and amplify your impact. 

With actionable tips and heartwarming stories, this episode will leave you feeling motivated and ready to take on whatever comes your way.

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_02 (00:09):
Hello and welcome to day two of Prevent Child Abuse
America's 2025 NationalConference.
I'm Luke Waldo, and I'm NathanFink.

And this is The Shift (00:17):
Voices of Prevention.
And once again, we're here withDr.
Melissa Merrick, CEO of PCAAAmerica for our Mornings with
Melissa segment.

SPEAKER_01 (00:25):
Hi, Luke.

SPEAKER_02 (00:26):
Melissa, yesterday we were inspired by Desmond Mead
and a host of amazing workshoppresenters.
What can we expect from day twoof the conference?

SPEAKER_00 (00:35):
Well, I think you can expect more of the same,
right?
We've really been intentionalabout curating a fantastic
agenda and we have somewonderful sessions.
So I think you'll be inspiredagain today.
I think yesterday I agree.
Desmond did all the things wewere hoping he would do, right?
Made us feel uh thankful forbeing together in this work.
And now it's here, right?

(00:56):
We are really exploring andtrying new ideas on and learning
about research and all of thethings that that contribute to a
real prevention ecosystem forchildren and families.
So I'm just really excited abouteverything that we're going to
continue to learn today.

SPEAKER_01 (01:11):
And now that it is day two and that we're, as you
said, settled in the work.
What do you want ourparticipants to know about their
journey together through thiswork?

SPEAKER_00 (01:21):
Yeah, you know, I think that this time, it kind of
reminds me of doing this workduring COVID, where there were a
lot of both ands or either-ores,right?
You could feel both reallythankful that your travel
schedule was lighter and thatyou were home making family
meals with your family, and yetstill very deeply saddened and
horrified by loss and sufferingand access challenges, right?

(01:45):
And it's this like sitting withboth of those things that made
that time pretty complex.
And I think we're in a similarmoment, right?
Where there's a lot of forcesout there that are threatening
the work that we do, and there'sa lot of increasing pressures on
families, including those of usin the workforce, right?
And yet there are these glimmersof opportunity.

(02:07):
There are these ways thattogether, when we sit with that
complexity, we can still chart areally transformational future,
right?
And I do think that comingtogether in person, I think this
is why, again, we're sold out,like biggest conference we've
ever had, and we have a bunch ofpeople joining us on the live
stream, which is just terrific.

(02:27):
But I think this in-personcomponent is because we want to
get energy from one another.
We want to get, you know, thefriendship and camaraderie, but
we also want that continued uhcuriosity and challenge and
figuring problems out andlearning lessons from each
other.
And so I just think that'sreally what's happening at this

(02:51):
conference in a really deep,meaningful way.

SPEAKER_02 (02:53):
Aaron Powell Yeah, I can't agree more.
Being in person, uh there'ssimply no substitute for it.
So Dr.
Bruce Perry is today's keynote.
How has his incredible work overthe years affected where we're
going with primary prevention?

SPEAKER_00 (03:07):
Yeah, well, Dr.
Perry has a special place in myheart.
He's really the reason I came toPCA America.
He's our wonderful vice chair ofour board, and as you say, been
in this work for many, manyyears of childhood trauma and
really understanding the impactson the brain and on development.
Um, but I think how he's helpedto push primary prevention is
that it's it's demystifying it,right?

(03:29):
Where it's like prevention ishappening in every moment.
And these tiny relationalmoments, right, these
interchanges, exchanging a smilehere in the studio, right?
A head nod, a fist bump, all ofthese like little things
activate the good parts of ourbrain and help us be open to
imagination and transformation.

(03:51):
And so I think, you know, thisidea, and we know through our
Healthy Families America workthat it's really focused on
relational health andrelationships, and he just
allows that to come to life forpeople in such a tangible way.
And I think his work justglobally with children affected
by all kinds of trauma, war andfamine and and uh all the

(04:12):
things, um, also brings someperspective to this moment,
right?
It's like there are challengesalways, and yet we have to
persevere, yet we have to getthrough to the other side, and
and obviously prevention,primary prevention, and the
whole prevention e you know,continuum is a real big piece of

(04:33):
that.

SPEAKER_01 (04:34):
I'm so excited that you mentioned that
intentionality, because if youname it, then you can start to
work towards creating anenvironment where you can do
something about it, hence whywe're here together.
Now, is there anything up andcoming that's exciting that we
should be aware of from PCAAmerica?

SPEAKER_00 (04:51):
Well, I you know, it's just this our our renewed
commitment to the work, right?
To the work that we've beendoing.
And you yesterday we releasedour new tagline, right?
Centering families through everyturn.
I think what's really umreflected in that tagline is
just we have to show up for eachother before a crisis, and we
have to stay close throughoutthe journey.

(05:12):
We know there are going to beturns and shifts, right?
None of uh parenting and life isnot linear, right?
There's gonna be um topsy-turvymoments and and such, and yet we
can again have thoserelationships, those healing
moments, uh, those uh uhecosystems of prevention to help
meet uh every family where theyare.

(05:32):
I think it's just a beautifulway of bringing our blueprint
for uh family well-being uh tolife.

SPEAKER_02 (05:38):
Well, thank you again, Melissa, for sharing your
morning with us, and we'reexcited for day two.

SPEAKER_00 (05:42):
Me too.

SPEAKER_01 (05:46):
Luke, day two.
Now that we're in the work,what's standing out to you?

SPEAKER_02 (05:52):
Well, I think a lot about what we already
experienced in day one, right?
Which was, as we notedyesterday, coming back together,
valuing the power ofrelationships and power of
community, and also recognizingthat we learned a lot already
from day one, from presenters,from our keynotes about actual

(06:12):
practices, policies, and so onthat have really moved us
towards a prevention ecosystem.
And so I think that's reallywhat I'm excited about with day
two is how we begin to put thosepuzzle pieces together, um, both
from a relational and from apractice and implementation
perspective.

SPEAKER_01 (06:30):
And I think, you know, looking around the room,
noticing that there are a lot ofreally standout programs,
approaches, strategies.
Now, as you said, putting thepuzzle pieces together about how
we can work more succinctlytogether through systems to
center families, as Melissatalked about with her new

(06:53):
slogan.
And you can invite upstreamsolutions into your feed by
subscribing to The Shift Voicesof Prevention today.
Join us to create an ecosystemwhere children and families live
purposeful and happy lives withhope for the future.