A whopping 555 guests crossed the threshold of the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Houston for the largest-ever Partners in Prevention Conference October 1 and 2. Based on early feedback from conference goers, we suspect the only people disappointed were the 50 or so who registered but did not attend. (There's always next year.)

Dr. Deborah Shropshire's impassioned and anecdote-filled discourse on the importance of multi-disciplinary approaches to addressing the complex social issues affecting children and families ignited a flame that burned bright throughout the conference. Dr. Shropshire encouraged all of us to look for opportunities to be useful inside and outside our areas of expertise, and she emphasized that both individuals and systems matter. To be successful in our efforts, we need to know both, stated Shropshire.

In his closing keynote, StriveTogether's Jeff Edmondson defined collective impact in a way that distinguishes it from traditional collaborations. Edmondson called for an end to what he calls a "spray and pray" approach to resource allocation and challenged all of us to stop "admiring the problem" and instead use a true collective impact approach to do something about it. Edmondson and Shropshire advised attendees to build or join "coalitions of the willing" rather than expending resources on reluctant participants.

In between keynote addresses, attendees chose from 32 presentations and workshops covering a diverse of array of topics relevant to direct service providers, organizational leaders and community change agents. In a plenary session, a panel of Texas Home Visiting providers tackled tough questions about their dual role as service providers and facilitators of systemic, communitywide change.

Certificates for continuing education credits (CEUs) were sent by email on October 8. If you have not received your certificates, first check your junk mail folder. If you don't find them there, contact Kathryn Houlton at pipconference@dfps.state.tx.us.

This year's Partners in Prevention conference was co-hosted by the Prevention and Early Intervention division of the Department of Family and Protective Services and the office of Health Coordination and Consumer Services at the Health and Human Services Commission. Planning has already begun for 2016.

Do you want to do cutting-edge work to help communities come together to support families, foster positive child development and encourage early learning?

The State of Texas Home Visiting Program administers evidence-based home visiting programs in 43 counties in Texas. Home visiting is a powerful tool to connect families to resources and supports in the community. To ensure those connections and promote healthy development for all children, each Texas home visiting community is building an early childhood comprehensive system, supporting direct services to families and support for communities to come together to improve outcomes for families.

We are seeking qualified candidates for three positions: a Systems Building Team Lead  with experience providing strategic oversight and support for community projects; a Quality Implementation Specialist, who will focus on best practices and shared-learning opportunities across our home visiting and service models; and a Project Manager, who will work with communities to support the day-to-day implementation of local programs.

Please forward these job postings to your networks or to individuals you think would be a good fit and encourage them to apply.