On April 5th, 2024, Dr. Greene presented a workshop for early childhood professionals on his model of Collaborative & Proactive Solutions to problem-solving with very young kids. The transformational, evidence-based model focuses on solving problems rather than on modifying behavior, emphasizes collaborative rather than unilateral solutions, encourages proactive rather than reactive intervention, de-emphasizes diagnostic categories, and provides practical, research-based tools for assessment and intervention.

When Argelia Tlatelpa Perez reaches into her “therapeutic toolkit,” she’s not just referring to her wealth of knowledge and expertise – she takes out an actual box of supplies and demonstrates how she uses them in practice. Ms. Tlatelpa Perez is a Senior Social Services Coordinator at Kids In Need of Defense (KIND), an organization whose mission is to advocate for the rights of unaccompanied migrant and refugee children in the United States. Ms. Tlatelpa Perez opens each drawer showing the carefully curated items for children, including puppets, “feeling sticks” (colorful sticks used to represent different emotions), craft paper, and toys.