Recorded Sessions

Some of the sessions from the in person event will be recorded and available on-demand. They will not be streamed live.

Registration for the in-person event automatically includes access to the recorded sessions.

Recordings will be released on December 1, 2022 via email and can be accessed until April 1, 2023.

Please click on the Session title for descriptions

Session

Speaker

Natalia Ramos (UCLA)

Christina Love (Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault)

Natalia Ramos (UCLA)

Darrel Turner (Turner Forensic Psychology and Consultation)

Natalia Ramos (UCLA)

Mat-Su Valley Drug Endangered Children’s MDT facilitated by Virginia Moring

Pam Karalunas (Karalunas Consulting)

Josh Louwerse (Covenant House)

Roxanne Grobbel (Insight Counseling Center)

Jaime Browning (Strengthening Families LLC)

Joe Laramie (Fox Valley Technical College)

Lori Frasier (Penn State Hershey College of Medicine)

James Fitterling (Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers, former UAA professor)

Staci Whitney (Modell Consulting)

Tara Christiansen-Stiller, Eliza Posner (Alaska Children’s Trust)

Jerri Sites (Child Protection Concepts LLC)

Christina Love (Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault)

Catherine Holt (Alaska Cares)

Darrel Turner (Turner Forensic Psychology and Consultation)

Joe Laramie (Fox Valley Technical College)

Roxanne Grobbel (Insight Counseling Center)

Bethel MDT

Lola Tobuk (Nome Eskimo Community) and Jaime Browning (Strengthening Families LLC)

Jerri Sites (Child Protection Concepts LLC)

Joe Laramie (Fox Valley Technical College)

Christina Love (Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault)

Lori Frasier (Penn State Hershey College of Medicine)

Leigh Bolin (Resource Center for Parents and Children) and JT Bolin (Tanana Chiefs Conference)

Pathway to Hope- indigenous approach to healing child sexual abuse in rural AK

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Tuesday, November 15

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10:45 AM - 12:15 PM

In person, Recorded

Tara Christiansen-Stiller

Program Director, Alaska Children’s Trust

Eliza Posner

Program Specialist, Alaska Children’s Trust

Pathway to Hope (PTH) is a community-led framework to heal and prevent child sexual abuse (CSA) in Alaska Native communities. The program was first developed in 2004 by Alaska Native stakeholders, with Diane Payne at the Tribal Law and Policy Institute. Pathway to Hope seeks to help communities break the silence surrounding CSA, promote healing for survivors, and prevent future abuse. The Alaska Children’s Trust is working with an Alaska Native Advisory group and the program’s original faculty to revitalize this important project. Unlike many canned public health programs that seek to prevent CSA through “evidence-based” models but lack cultural relevancy, Pathway to Hope is a promising framework that integrates and supports Alaska Native cultural practices, values, and ways of healing. It works because it allows communities to drive the healing and prevention strategies as they see fit. PTH recognizes that most sustainable prevention and healing frameworks for Alaska Native (AN) communities are created by community members, not outsiders. Therefore, PTH trains Community Facilitators who implement the program in their communities to give each AN community ownership of its journey towards healing and thriving. PTH Community Facilitators begin by conducting community readiness assessments, then bring the community together to implement strategies appropriate to that readiness level. The project is unique in that it is flexible to meet the unique needs and readiness of each community. PTH helps communities explore the impact of unresolved trauma on the safety of children today, understand CSA in Alaska, recognize the barriers preventing communities from acknowledging and addressing CSA, and, ultimately, design and implement strategies to prevent CSA and promote healing.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will learn about the revitalized project, Pathway to Hope, which works to help communities heal from unresolved trauma and develop strategies to prevent abuse.
Participants will understand the relationship between unresolved trauma and adverse childhood experiences (particularly CSA) in Alaska.
Participants will learn how communities can apply to be trained in the Pathway to Hope project.

Opening Keynote: Recovery and Healing are Always Possible: NO MATTER WHAT!

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Wednesday, November 16

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9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

In person, Recorded

Christina Love

Senior Specialist, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Christina Love learned to keep a lifetime of violence a secret for over two decades. Like many survivors, she turned to alcohol and drugs as a way to cope with trauma. As an adult Christina experienced homelessness. She found herself a shell of the human she once was and unable to recognize her reflection in the mirror. She was often denied access to the services that were designed to help. This form of systemic abuse not only retraumatized her but was its own trauma. Through the art and tradition of storytelling, Christina Love will recall harmful events as a child and adult. She will also tell stories of what services, practices, and words empowered healing and hope. In this fifth segment of our ongoing series, Christina will weave together each of the previous topics, that include: the importance of understanding how our history of violence has laid the groundwork for the injustices we see today, the multiple layers of trauma that each survivor can experience, the intersection of substance use and trauma, the liberation of education and the power of community and connection. Christina wants the world to know that recovery and healing are possible “NO MATTER WHAT” and that each life is worthy of our time and efforts!

Learning Objectives:

Participants will better understand how the history of violence has laid the groundwork for the injustices we see today.
Participants will better understand the multiple layers of trauma that each survivor can experience.
Participants will better understand the intersection of substance use and trauma.
Participants will better understand the liberation of education and the power of community and connection.

Understanding the Nexus of Violence and the Science of Addiction

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Tuesday, November 15

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1:45 PM - 3:15 PM

In person, Recorded

Christina Love

Senior Specialist, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Many people do not understand why or how people become addicted. They may mistakenly think that those who use drugs lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop their use simply by choice. Studies of trauma and substance use show a strong association between the two.

Drug addiction is a complex issue, and access to resources takes more than good intentions or a strong will.

Drugs change the brain in ways that makes addiction an equity issue.

Fortunately, researchers know more than ever about how drugs affect the brain.

Many people do not understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs. They may mistakenly think that those who use drugs lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop their drug use simply by choosing to do so. In reality, drug addiction is a complex issue, and quitting usually takes more than good intentions or a strong will. Studies of interpersonal trauma and substance use show a strong association between the two. Drugs change the brain in ways that make quitting hard, even for those who want to quit. Fortunately, researchers know more than ever about how drugs affect the brain.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will learn the science of trauma and addiction.
Understand of why substance use disorders are a disease of the brain as well as a disability.
Learn about the cycles and stages of addiction and explore addiction as an issue of disparity.
Identify pathways of recovery.

America’s History and Legacy of Violence

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Wednesday, November 16

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1:30 PM - 3:00 PM

In person, Recorded

Christina Love

Senior Specialist, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Why are women abused more than men? Why are Native American, and our LGBTQ2S relatives physically and sexually assaulted at much higher rates than any other demographic? This training answers our biggest questions by exploring the roots of violence that have led to a culture of abuse and violence.

This training will examine the history of genocide, colonization, assimilation, and the anti-violence movement. Viewers will learn how gender-based and race-based oppression and violence intersect leading to higher rates of victimization and lethality. We hope people will walk away with a holistic view of indigenous culture and the impact these issues have on every aspect of their life and community for generations.

Learning Objectives:

Recognize the history of genocide, colonization, assimilation, and the anti-violence movement.
Learn how gender-based and race-based oppression and violence intersect leading to higher rates of victimization and lethality.
Learn about holistic view of indigenous culture and the impact these issues have on every aspect of their life and community for generations.

Ending Exploitation in Alaska

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Thursday, November 17

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1:30 PM - 3:00 PM

In person, Recorded

Josh Louwerse

Program Director, Convenant House, Alaska

The Ending Exploitation in Alaska Presentation will cover, Definitions and Language, Stereotypes, Intersections of Abuse, Processes used by Traffickers, Human Trafficking in Alaska, Survivor Identification and Engagement, Covenant House Alaska’s Program Response.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will learn the definitions of Human Trafficking.
Participants will learn about Human Trafficking in Alaska.
Participants will learn how to identify and engage with survivor’s of Human Trafficking.

Approaches to Somatic Symptoms in Children with Traumatic Stress

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Wednesday, November 16

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10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

In person, Recorded

Natalia Ramos

Assistant Clinical Professor at Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine

Children experience high rates of physical symptoms like stomachaches and headaches, which often worsen with stress and trauma. This talk will explore connections between stress and physical symptoms and review cognitive-behavioral strategies for supporting children in decreasing distress and improving functioning. Individual and caregiver strategies will be presented.

Learning Objectives:

Explain the connection between stressful events in childhood and body symptoms.
Define traumatic stress and understand its biological and psychological effects on numerous organ systems in the body.
Outline evidence-based strategies for helping children and families manage acute and chronic body symptoms, especially pain.

The MDT/CAC Response to Children with Problematic Sexual Behavior

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Tuesday, November 15

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1:45 PM - 3:15 PM

In person, Recorded

Jerri Sites

Child Protection Concepts LLC

Cases of children ages 12 and younger with problematic sexual behavior (PSB) can present a myriad of challenges for multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) and Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs). Fortunately, the MDT approach and the CAC model are ideal vehicles for development and implementation of an integrated and comprehensive systems approach to cases of children with PSB, recipient children, and their families. This course will review recommendations designed to guide and support MDTs and CACs to enhance current practices, improve professional response, and promote positive outcomes for children with PSB, children impacted by the PSB, and their families. Participants should have an understanding of children’s sexual behaviors and the dynamics of these cases for this workshop.

Learning Objectives:

Identify historical assumptions related to children with problematic sexual behaviors.
Identify the elements of the continuum of the sexual behaviors.
Identify person-first language and terminology related to children with problematic sexual behaviors.
Identify four areas in which MDTs and CACs can enhance professional response to children with PSB and their families.
Identify available resources that support MDTs and CACs in providing a comprehensive response to children with PSB, recipient children, and their families.

Recantation: Recommendations for the MDT and CAC Response

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Wednesday, November 16

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1:30 PM - 3:00 PM

In person, Recorded

Jerri Sites

Child Protection Concepts LLC

Recantation is prevalent in child sexual abuse cases, especially when the abuser is someone close to the family or from within the home. This session will provide research-based information focusing on identifying risk factors and ways to prevent recantation, practical steps for the MDT to take in the event recantation does occur, including decision making regarding the need for and how to conduct a recantation forensic interview. Participants should have an understanding of the dynamics of abuse and children’s process of disclosure for this workshop.

Learning Objectives:

Identify risk factors for recantation
Discuss steps the MDT/CAC can take to reduce the risk for recantation
Using cases studies, discuss ways the team can prevent recantation and address it when it occurs.

Best Practices for Working with Parents and Caregivers of LGBTQ+ Youth

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Tuesday, November 15

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3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

In person, Recorded

Natalia Ramos

Assistant Clinical Professor at Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine

This talk focuses on predictors of long-term psychosocial outcomes among LGBTQ+ youth, exploring key protective and risk factors related to caregiver and family environments. Attendees will learn skills for working with caregivers at various stages of understanding. Specific skills addressed include: normalizing parental reactions to children’s identities; identifying personal (caregiver), family, and child strengths; and concrete skills families can use to communicate supportively with their youth. This talk will include a 60 minute presentation and 30 minute audience Q&A. This talk will include a 60 minute presentation and 30 minute audience Q&A.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the effects of family support and/or rejection on psychosocial outcomes among LGBTQ+ youth.
Learn concrete strategies for working with parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ youth who present in care settings.
Increase knowledge of available resources for LGBTQ+ clients and their families.

Affirming Trauma Informed Care for Gender Diverse Youth: Tips and Best Practices

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Tuesday, November 15

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10:45 AM - 12:15 PM

In person, Recorded

Natalia Ramos

Assistant Clinical Professor at Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine

The number of youth presenting for care related to their gender identity is consistently increasing. Due to a number of inequities faced, gender diverse youth experience increases rates of negative psychosocial outcomes, including depression, self injury, suicidality, anxiety, substance use, and low school performance. Appropriate evaluation, treatment, and support improve the mental health and wellbeing of gender diverse patients. This talk will cover key concepts and language related to gender, best communication practices for working with clients, and key topics around risk and confidentiality.
This talk will include a 60 minute presentation and 30 minute audience Q&A.

Learning Objectives:

Increase competency and comfort in discussing sexual orientation and gender identity with your clients.
Learn key principles of the gender-affirmative model of care and how to integrate them into trauma-informed care.
Learn about relevant protocols and clinical guidelines for working with gender diverse patients across the lifespan.

The “Perp” is Just a Child. Now What? (Lunch panel)

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Tuesday, November 15

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12:15 PM - 1:45 PM

In person, Recorded

Amber Chung

Forensic Interviewer and SART Social Worker, Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation

Krystal Henry

Irniamta Ikayurviat, Bethel Children’s Advocacy Center Program Director

Zach Johnson

Office of Children’s Services

Jennifer Prince

Medical Director of CMT, SART & STAR for Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation

Farah Sears

Assistant Medical Director of CMT, SART & STAR for Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation

Rodney Thomas

Department of Juvenile Justice – Bethel Youth Facility Director

Teague Widmier

Alaska State Troopers – Sergeant

Bethel MDT

Child-on-child cases of sexual abuse can be extremely challenging. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) reports Youth with Problematic Sexualized Behavior (YPSB) commit more than one third of sexual offenses committed against minors. However, children with problematic sexual behavior are first and foremost children. Misinformation often leads the public, and even professionals, to negatively label these children, offering little hope for change. Learn how the YK Delta MDT has come together to understand the dynamics of YPSB and strategize how best to service these youth, the children impacted, and the families involved.

Learning Objectives:

Define problematic sexual behaviors (PSB).
Understanding the difference between health, age-appropriate expressions of sexuality and PSB.
Discern myths about YPSB from facts about YPSB.
Differentiate between children and adolescents with PSB and adult sex offenders.
Recognize safety concerns related to children and adolescent with PSB.
Discuss models for MDTS to approach YPSB.
Identify appropriate treatments for YPSB.

Resilience As Life Force

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Wednesday, November 16

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3:15 PM - 4:45 PM

In person, Recorded

Catherine Holt

Therapist, CARES

Resilience is our ability to adapt well and recover quickly during and after adverse situations, navigate through stressful times, and face traumatic events with healthy outcomes. It is what allows us to maintain our buoyancy with a healthy level of physical and psychological wellness in the face of life’s greatest hardships. When our resilience is compromised we are more likely to dwell on problems, feel overwhelmed, use unhealthy coping tactics to handle stress, develop anxiety and depression, and withdraw from our personal and professional lives. Resilience is developed by training our cognitive abilities to focus on more-positive aspects of any situation, supporting our emotional well-being, taking care of our bodies, and finding meaning in our lives. Just like we exercise to build muscle strength, we can use that same intentional behavior to “beef up” our resilience. Reliance training will improve resiliency, enhance quality of life, and decrease stress and anxiety by practicing how to view life’s inevitable challenges as opportunities as we face them from a place of personal strength. As our resiliency strengthens, we are better equipped to be present for our clients and communities as well as for our families and ourselves.

Learning Objectives:

Understanding that resiliency is not just self care but an actual bio-neurological occurrence that is either supported or damaged with every experience and we have the ability to build strong resilience.
Explore the empirically based strategies that build resiliency and learn what to do and what not to do in the face of adversity.
Develop your own unique resiliency plan using self assessments and goal setting.

Truths About Youth and Technology

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Wednesday, November 16

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3:15 PM - 4:45 PM

In person, Recorded

Joe Laramie

Program Manager, National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College

In an age where technology is in the hands of youth of all ages, the dangers of abuse can affect any child, from any background. These dangers, ranging from cyberbullying to self-victimization (sexting) to sexual exploitation (sextortion) and sexual abuse can be difficult to address. This presentation will focus on our perceptions versus reality for youth’s use of technology, and how it influences how adults speak with youth about their tech usage. The presentation will conclude with tips on effective technology safety and prevention messaging.

Learning Objectives:

Describe how youth use technology.
Explain teen’s risks versus reward perspective.
Define Sexting and Sextortion.
Identify effective technology safety messaging.

Investigative Response to Juvenile Perpetrated Child Abuse

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Thursday, November 17

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9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

In person, Recorded

Joe Laramie

Program Manager, National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College

This workshop will identify child-centered investigative protocols for law enforcement and CPS when responding to reports of a juvenile (adolescent and younger children) perpetrated child sexual abuse or exploitation. Discussion will include how the expanded use of technology by minors has led to an increase in facilitated and learned behaviors and the importance of identifying these outside influences.

Learning Objectives:

Define child-centered investigation.
Describe juvenile perpetrated child sexual abuse.
Identify technology facilitated child exploitation.

Narrative Practice Considerations for Children with Disabilities

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Thursday, November 17

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9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

In person, Recorded

Staci Whitney

LMSW, Senior Director, Modell Consulting

This workshop is intended for multidisciplinary professionals who wish to expand their understanding of utilizing narrative event practice and narrative prompts when interviewing children with disabilities. Recent research indicates that children with disabilities have greater capacity for narratives than was previously understood. Participants will learn more about building narratives using the narrative mapping funnel and how to gather reliable information from children with disabilities.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will learn communication considerations when interviewing children with disabilities.
Participants will be able to describe accommodations that can be made when interviewing children with disabilities.
Participants will have increased understanding of how best practices in interviewing can be applied to interviewing children with disabilities.

Updates for Sexual Abuse Evaluation and Treatment, including sexually transmitted diseases

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Thursday, November 17

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10:45 AM - 12:15 AM

In person, Recorded

Lori Frasier

MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, Penn State Children’s Hospital

This session will review the state of the art and medicine in sexual abuse evaluations, and review updates in the testing and interpretation of testing for sexually transmitted diseases. The presenter will provide an updated literature review, and case based presentations to illustrate the concepts.

Learning Objectives:

Recognize the standard approach to the medical examination in sexual abuse in 2022.
Know when to test for Sexually Transmitted diseases.
Discuss interpretation of sexual abuse cases based upon presentation, presence or absence of physical findings, and laboratory testing, if indicated.

Social Media and Privacy Issues

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Thursday, November 17

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10:45 AM - 12:15 PM

In person, Recorded

Joe Laramie

Program Manager, National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College

With the ever-increasing use of social media, professionals should be aware of the potential dangers involving the blurred lines between personal and professional use of social media. The Plain View Project and recent social issues highlighted the increased scrutiny of law enforcement, including their personal social media posts. This presentation will discuss how to avoid professional embarrassment, such as witness impeachment or discipline, along with personal or family risks due to social media posts. Resources to assist in the development of agency policies, social media privacy and removal tips will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

Describe 1st Amendment restrictions for government and other employees.
Define the “Brady and Giglio Rules”.
Identify social media dynamics and methods to remove data.

Overcoming Blocks and Barriers for Children with Disabilities

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Thursday, November 17

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10:45 AM - 12:15 AM

In person, Recorded

Staci Whitney

LMSW, Senior Director, Modell Consulting

Have you ever been interviewing a child with disabilities and felt stuck? When that little voice in your head says “Oh no, what do I do now?” or even worse “this interview is over” you may have more options than you think. This workshop is intended to introduce multidisciplinary team members to new ways to overcome blocks and barriers in an interview and some techniques on how to prevent blocks and barriers from presenting in the first place. Sometimes it takes pre-interview considerations and accommodations, other times it’s in the moment. From multi-session interviews to ensuring that the process is clear and predictable to victims, this session will encourage policies and procedures to empower victims with disabilities and make interviews as accessible as possible to this population.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to explain new ways of overcoming blocks and barriers in interviews with children with disabilities.
Participants will understand the use of new techniques when working with children who engage in perseveration.
Participants will learn how to gather additional information about how to reduce blocks and barriers through pre-interview considerations.

Mimics of Sexual Abuse: Do not miss these clues

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Thursday, November 17

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1:30 PM - 3:00 PM

In person, Recorded

Lori Frasier

MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, Penn State Children’s Hospital

This session will review the common conditions that are often mistaken for sexual abuse. The presenter will base the assessment on a differential diagnosis and organ systems approach.

Learning Objectives:

Recognize some of the major medical mimics that can be confused with findings due to sexual abuse.
Discuss the differential diagnosis of various presentations of genital complaints.
Describe how photographic review of cases assist in making accurate diagnoses of medical mimics.

Introductory Training on Testifying in Court

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Tuesday, November 15

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3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

In person, Recorded

Jamie Browning

LMSW, Strengthening Families, LLC

This session is designed to provide an introduction to the nuts and bolts of testifying in court. This session will explore trial practice, with an in-depth discussion on preparing and testifying in court.

Learning Objectives:

Know the basics of responding to a subpoena.
Know how to prepare for testifying in various roles.
Learn the nuances and pitfalls of testifying in court.

The Intersection of Parental Substance Use and Neglect Meets Cultural Biases

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Wednesday, November 16

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10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

In person, Recorded

Jamie Browning

LMSW, Strengthening Families, LLC

Lola Tobuk

Nome Eskimo Community

This practical and hands-on session is designed to help participants with both the nuts and bolts of parental substance use and neglect, while exploring the impact on children. The session will take it to the next level and explore cultural biases and implications when working with Alaska Native families facing these crises, providing a deeper understanding of the past, present, and future of supporting these families. The presenters will lead in-depth discussions on these subjects.

Learning Objectives:

Be able to identify the components of child neglect and parental substance use.
Be able to understand the implications of cultural biases when working with Alaska Native families.
Learn solution-focused concepts when facing these intersections.

Stabilization: Methods to help clients emotionally and physically regulate

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Thursday, November 17

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1:30 PM - 3:00 PM

In person, Recorded

Roxanne Grobbel

Licensed Psychotherapist & Instructor, Insight Counseling Center

Understanding the cause of the dysregulation in order to select the appropriate stabilization method is important. We will briefly review brain function and the impact of attachment and trauma on dysregulation. A variety of stabilization/regulation methods for children, teens and parents will be explored and practiced.

Learning Objectives:

Describe the brain using the fist as a model.
Identify 3 methods to help clients emotionally regulate.
Demonstrate 3 resourcing exercises.

Introduction to EMDR

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Thursday, November 17

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9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

In person, Recorded

Roxanne Grobbel

Licensed Psychotherapist & Instructor, Insight Counseling Center

This workshop will provide an introduction to EMDR including its approach to treating trauma and theoretical basis. The EMDR protocol and the types of problems it can resolve will be discussed. A demonstration of an EMDR session and a case study will be presented so participants can better understand how the modality works. This is not an EMDR training course, but it will provide information in order to make appropriate referrals or to further explore this approach.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the Adaptive Processing Theory.
Recognize the phases of the EMDR protocol.
Identify 3 clinical applications for EMDR.

Motivational Interviewing

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Tuesday, November 15

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1:45 PM - 3:15 PM

In person, Recorded

James Fitterling

PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, and Motivational Interviewing Network Trainer

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is “a person-centered goal-oriented approach for facilitating change by exploring & resolving ambivalence.” (Miller 2006). MI has been shown to be relevant and effective in a broad range of clinical and psychosocial applications. The primary focus of this 90-minute MI breakout session is to acquaint participants with basic concepts and methods of MI – covering both the “spirit” and skills involved in effective MI practice. While a 90-minute workshop cannot be expected to develop competency in MI (or any clinical skill, for that matter), participants will experience both the delivery and receipt of MI through brief structured practice sessions. The primary purposes are to (a) develop an accurate understanding of MI and its primary target or purpose, (b) experience and gain appreciation of MI and its relevance and applicability in their respective practice and profession, and (c) stimulate or strengthen interest in further MI training to become a competent MI practitioner. Training includes didactic presentation, practice exercises, discussion, and demonstration of MI in scenarios typically encountered by Multidisciplinary Team members and regarding Child Advocacy Centers.

Learning Objectives:

Understand and embrace the “spirit of MI” as an attitudinal and perceptual foundation for MI practice and competency.
Develop a basic understanding of the skills of MI and experience the use of MI skills during a structured practice exercise.
Develop interest in further MI skill development for use in professional practice.

What is the Role of Mental Health on the MDT Anyway?

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Tuesday, November 15

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3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

In person, Recorded

JT Bolin

Child & Family Services Clinical Supervisor, Tanana Chiefs Conference

Leigh Bolin

Executive Director, Resource Center for Parents and Children, Fairbanks

Therapists have a unique perspective regarding cases seen through child advocacy centers. Therapy is often one of the first referrals made for children and families after they visit a CAC, but what is our role on the MDT? What can we disclose to the team? What do we do when we have differing opinions than our colleagues on the MDT? How do we get clients to trust us when they know we are part of this team? The list goes on. In this session the ethics of being a mental health provider on an MDT will be discussed. This session is not just intended for clinicians but anyone who works on an MDT that would like to more clearly understand the roles of therapists and why they sometimes seem reluctant to share as much as other professionals.

Learning Objectives:

Review of mental health clinicians role on the MDT and why is it important to be an active part of the team.
Review of the NCA Standards and how they align with the code of ethics.
How to present a dissenting opinion to the MDT/colleagues in a thoughtful way.

Opening Ceremony and Keynote: Child Abuse: Past, Present, and Future

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Tuesday, November 15

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9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

In person, Recorded

Pam Karalunas

Karalunas Consulting

Child Abuse intervention has certainly progressed since 1874 when the first case of child abuse was prosecuted under the prevention of cruelty to animals statutes because there was no law against abusing children. Since the first Child Advocacy Center was established in 1985 the multidisciplinary intervention model has grown to 939 CAC in this country, and has expanded to 12 other countries. However, there are still numerous challenges encountered daily by those facing the daunting challenge of improving outcomes for abused children and their families.

Learning Objectives:

Learn about the history of child abuse intervention.
Learn about what is being done presently in Alaska.
Help identify present-day challenges and suggest possible solutions.

Bringing Our Vision to Life: Development of the Mat-Su Valley Drug Endangered Children’s Multidisciplinary Team (Lunch Panel)

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Wednesday, November 16

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12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

In person, Recorded

Virginia Moring (facilitator)

Retired OCS PSM II

Panelists:
Lt. Daron Cooper, Alaska State Troopers
Cyndi Smith, Knik Tribe
Beth Knecht, Set Free Alaska
Chief Dwayne Shelton, Palmer Police
Mariah Johnson, OCS

Join members of the Mat-Su Valley’s Drug Endangered Children’s Multidisciplinary Team for a panel discussion on how it developed and implemented Alaska’s first multidisciplinary task force focused on drug-endangered children and their families. In July 2020, members from the Mat-Su Office of Children’s Services and Mat-Su first responders met to discuss what was lacking in the region’s response to drug endangered children, how to improve the collective response of state, local, and community agencies, and how to prevent these children and their families from falling through the cracks. From that initial meeting, a coalition of community and institutional stakeholders, with input from individuals with lived experience, met over the next three years to establish a multidisciplinary team. Their goal was twofold: to improve communication and collaboration among first responders and develop a system that would not only identify drug endangered children but ensure that they and their families were referred to appropriate and relevant services. These meetings culminated in the creation of a Memorandum of Understanding and Protocols, signed by state, local, and community agencies, that establish a streamlined communication and referral system to meet the needs of this overlooked and underserved population. In this panel discussion, MDT members will discuss the process of creating the state’s first multidisciplinary team focused solely on drug-endangered children, the internal and external challenges they faced (and how they overcame them), and how stakeholders in communities across Alaska can replicate its efforts to create their own MDTs.

Avoiding Secondary Trauma in Sex Abuse Work; Mental Self-Care and Helping to Prevent Burnout (Closing Keynote)

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Thursday, November 17

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3:15 PM - 4:15 PM

In person, Recorded

Darrel Turner

PhD, Turner Forensic Psychology and Consultation

In this session, information on the prevalence of secondary traumatic stress is provided to attendees. Signs and symptoms to watch for in oneself as well as in others are explained and identified. Preventative measures are discussed as well as the importance of periodic mental health checks.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will understand the seriousness of STS.
Attendees will appreciate their own susceptibility to STS
Attendees will learn steps they can take to prevent STS.

Risk Assessment of Non-Contact Sex Offenders – How is it Similar to Contact Offenders, and how is it Different?

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Tuesday, November 15

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1:45 PM - 3:15 PM

In person, Recorded

Darrel Turner

PhD, Turner Forensic Psychology and Consultation

In this session, the speaker discusses challenges facing forensic psychologists tasked with conducting risk assessments of non-contact sex offenders such as CSAM (CP) offenders, other internet offenders, and other sex offenders without identifiable contact victims. Many principles are the same, but many are different. Dr. Turner has conducted hundreds of these evaluations and has testified about his work and the work of other professionals in courts across the country.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will appreciate the difference in contact and non-contact offending behaviors.
Attendees will recognize the appropriate tools for use in these evaluations as well as those that are inappropriate.
Attendees will understand what research and our own government has stated about conducting these types of evaluations.

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