We are interested in curing mental illness, in serving children’s needs, and in undoing the crippling effects of the past. But we are equally—perhaps more—interested in challenging children with the adventure of life, in promoting improved capacity to deal with the struggles of human existence, and in anticipating the opportunities of the future.
The Other 23 Hours: Then and Now
Lessons learned and future directions in fostering resilience and building competence with troubled children and their families.
On October 12, 2010, more than 200 professionals from the fields of residential child care and special education gathered in Wellesley, Massachusetts for a professional symposium and day of learning. The Other 23 Hours: Then and Now was presented by Walker in celebration of 50 Years of helping children and their families “find better ways.”
Co-authors (with Walker founder Dr. Albert E. Trieschman) of the groundbreaking book The Other 23 Hours Larry Brendtro, Ph.D., and James Whittaker, Ph.D., were joined by Robbie Gilligan, Head of Social Work and Social Policy at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, as we revisited the animating ideas that inspired a generation of therapeutic child care professionals, ideas that continue to provide the blueprint for teaching competence to troubled children and youth.
Workshop presenters included Richard W. Small, Ph. D., Executive Director at Walker, Martha Holden, Director of the Residential Child Care Proiect, Cornell University, and Elizabeth Tracy, Ph.D., Grace Longwell Coyle Professor of Social Work, Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University.