A-1: The Professional’s Mental Health: What Does It Look Like? How to Keep It!
Download: A1-Handout
Presenter: Phillip D. Hamberg, LMSW, LMFT
Summary: The professionals who help children and families, with diverse cultural backgrounds and multiple layers of developmental trauma, face an emotionally exhausting task! The number one concern for many programs is rapidly becoming “how do we keep the helping professionals emotionally healthy themselves.” The helping professionals need to know the process of “projective identification,” “radical acceptance” and “comfortability in powerlessness.” This workshop addresses 14 issues that are vital in keeping emotional exhaustion and stress from taking a toll on good and dedicated professionals.
Participants will be able to:
- Explain at least 10 things they can do to keep emotional exhaustion away
- Recognize the importance of naming their own feelings and being honest with themselves
A-2: An Introduction to Social Media Marketing
Presenter: Andrew Belanger, MA
Summary: The ability to use social media to get people’s attention, build and engage an audience and provide valuable content is important to thrive in today’s fast-growing and competitive digital economy. This workshop will provide an introduction to social media management and will discuss the benefits of having a presence on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. The talk will explore the need for a social media policy, identifying target audiences, crafting your message and building an online community.
Participants will be able to:
- Discuss the benefits of having a social media presence and policy
- Understand content preferences on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube
- Identify effective strategies for communicating impactful, proactive messages to the public utilizing social media
A-3: Sexual Abuse: It Really Is Normal To Be Normal!
Presenter: Dena Nazer, MD, FAAP
Summary: Children suspected of being sexually abused require a multidisciplinary team approach including a medical evaluation. While this case-based presentation focuses mainly on the medical evaluation, it will help all participants understand the role of the medical provider in the multidisciplinary evaluation and how to work together as a team to provide the best care for children.
Participants will be able to:
- Determine how, when, where and why a medical evaluation for a child suspected of having been sexually abused should be conducted
- Explain why the physical and laboratory findings are often absent in children evaluated for suspected sexual abuse
- Recognize the role of the medical evaluation as part of the multidisciplinary team evaluation and its importance despite the normal findings
A-4: Phoenix Rising
Download: A4-slides
Presenters: Judge Laura Baird; Annette Ellison, MSW; Scott LeRoy, MPA; Rebecca Stowell, MSW
Summary: The mission of Phoenix Court is to address the needs of youth who have experienced sexual trauma and exploitation by offering services and opportunities to foster healing, resiliency, empowerment, and stability. Phoenix Court is comprised of a talented treatment team of professionals from the 30th Judicial Circuit Court Juvenile Division, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office and various private attorneys and community service providers. Phoenix Court has cultivated a supportive and nurturing courtroom and treatment environment where youth are viewed as victims, and not offenders, and where the court and the treatment team understand that bad behavior can be a manifestation of trauma. Our goal is to provide the youth with an alternative view of their potential and what is possible in their lives so they will have an opportunity to do more in life than simply survive. This breakout session discusses the treatment components and evolution of this unique, one of a kind treatment court.
Participants will be able to:
- Provide an overview of an effective treatment court model which uses a holistic client-centered approach in delivering trauma-informed services
- Demonstrate how collaboration between systems, community partners, and professionals of multi-disciplines is the most effective approach in identifying and providing services
- Describe how Stages of Change can be incorporated into a treatment model helping youth heal on their journey of moving from victim to survivor to leader
- Describe innovative ways to increase engagement, empowerment, and community stability
- Increase awareness of the importance of early screening and comprehensive trauma assessment in identifying and providing services
- Provide insight into the challenges and successes associated with developing and implementing a specialized treatment court.
A-5: Adverse Childhood Experiences, Resilience, and Public Health Prevention
Presenter: Todd I. Herrenkohl, PhD
Summary: This presentation will explore the role and influence of Adverse Childhood Experiences on human development, including the impact of stress on the brain and body. The presenter will describe findings from several longitudinal studies that trace the development of children over time to learn how abuse and other forms of adversity shape life outcomes. He will also discuss research on resilience and child well-being and relate these ideas to goals for public health prevention, intervention, and trauma-informed practices.
Participants will be able to:
- Describe the impact of stress on the brain and body
- Discuss longitudinal studies of risk and resilience
- Apply research to goals for prevention and intervention programs to lessen adversity and improve child well-being
A-6: The Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and Child Abuse
Download: A6-Slides
Presenter: Jacqueline M. Baugh, PhD, MS, MBA, RN
Summary: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and child abuse can have a long lasting impact on a victim’s emotional, mental, physical and socioeconomic well-being. Societal perceptions of IPV and child abuse create challenges for families navigating the systems of CPS, the judicial process, law enforcement, child custody and myths of parental alienation. It is important for survivors and those helping them to learn how to recognize the signs of IPV and child abuse, how and when to report safely, know community resources and systems and how to break the cycle of violence and abuse. The presenter, through her own story, will discuss the barriers she encountered and the resources that assisted her to become a national domestic violence advocate and expert witness for families.
Participants will be able to:
- Find resources and create a safety plan
- Identify the long term consequences of children who witness IPV
- Assist families on providing education and support on how to break the cycle of abuse