teaching

Robert is available for a variety of learning and teaching opportunities including:

Keynote Speeches
Workshop Presentations
Employee Trainings
Consultation

In addition to providing opportunities for learning through these experiences, Robert will also bring his loving sass to help listeners learn as much about themselves as the focused topic.

Topics Robert is qualified to speak on:

Compassion Fatigue
Burn-Out
Cultural Sensitivity
Queer Related Issues

Foster- Adoptive- Kinship Related Concerns
Trauma-informed practices for groups
organizations and schools
Trauma Informed Policy Creation

Healing for survivors and secondary survivors of sexual violence
Healing trauma through holistic and spiritual wellness practices

Below is just a highlight of the over 30 plus presentations he has given over the last two decades of his career.

Keynotes:

“Awareness Should Be a Verb”, A Kinship Awareness Summit for Leaders in Michigan, The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. September 2025. Lansing, MI
“Nothing Exists Without You”, 2024 Foster, Adoptive & Kinship Parent Conference, Michigan Department of Child Welfare. June 2024. Battle Creek, MI
“The Balanced Cairn”, Phi Theta Kappa Inductee Ceremony, Harper College. June 2015. Palatine IL

Presentations / Consultations:

“Compassion Fatigue Wellness for Native American Communities”, 19th Annual Fatherhood is Leadership Conference, Native American Fatherhood & Families. November 2023. Mesa, AZ
“Taking Care of Self- To Take Care of Others”, Generations United 22nd Global Intergenerational Conference, Generations United. June 2023. Washington, DC
“Understanding and Supporting the Unique Needs of the LGBTQ Community in the Foster Care Setting”, 24th Annual Conference on Treatment Foster Care, Foster-family Based Treatment Association, August 2010, National Harbor MD
“Getting Down to Business- Towards a Fuller Self in Relation to Cultural Sensitivity”, Denver Department of Health and Human Services. January 2010. Denver, CO
“Compassion Fatigue: Balancing and Managing Energy”, Evanston Early Childhood Directors’ Council. November 2009. Evanston, IL
“A Conversation About Gender”, Hephzibah Children’s Association, October 2009, Oak Park IL
“Compassion Fatigue in a Residential College Setting”, Columbia College- Department of Residence Life. August 2009. Chicago, IL

Publications:

Vandervort, Frank & Sanoshy, Robert B. “Special Issues in Transcultural, Transracial, and Gay and Lesbian Parenting and Adoption.” Principles and Practice of Child and Adolescent Forensic Mental Health. Ed: Elissa P. Benedek, et al. Arlington VA, 2009. 209-228
“Working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Questioning Youth: An Interdisciplinary Introduction for Children’s Lawyers.” (2006) Children’s Law Manual. National Association of Counsel for Children: Denver, CO
“Creating Safe Milieus for TBLGQ Youth in Residential Services.” (2005) Contributions to Residential Treatment: 2005 Conference. American Association of Children’s Residential Centers: Milwaukee, WI.