Day 2 – Wednesday, Nov 16
9:00AM – 10:00AM
Main Hall
Recovery and Healing are Always Possible: NO MATTER WHAT! (Closing Keynote)
By Christina Love, Senior Specialist, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
10:15AM – 11:45am
Room 1
Working with Parents and Caregivers of LGBTQ+ youth
By Natalia Ramos, Assistant Clinical Professor at Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
10:15AM – 11:45pm
Room 5
Overcoming Difficult Situations in Forensic Interviews
By Rita Farrell, Zero Abuse Project, Director of ChildFirst
11:45aM – 1:00pm
MAIN HALL
Lunch – YPSB Panel
1:30PM – 3:00pm
Room 5
Interviewing Reluctant Children
By Rita Farrell, Zero Abuse Project, Director of ChildFirst
3:15PM – 4:45pm
Room 1
Resilience as Life Force
By Catherine Holt, CARES Therapist
3:15PM – 4:45pm
Room 4
Truths About Youth and Technology
By Joe Laramie, National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College, Program Manager
3:15PM – 4:45pm
Room 5
Physical Abuse and Polyvictimization: Interviewing Strategies
By Rita Farrell, Zero Abuse Project, Director of ChildFirst
Recovery and Healing are Always Possible: NO MATTER WHAT! (Closing Keynote)
Thursday, November 17
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Main Hall
Live, Virtual
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.
Working with Parents and Caregivers of LGBTQ+ youth
Wednesday, November 16
10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Room 1
Live, Virtual
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.
Overcoming Difficult Situations in Forensic Interviews
Wednesday, November 16
10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Room 5
Live
Rita Farrell
Director, ChildFirst for Zero Abuse Project
The training provides both lecture and group discussion. Participants will learn how to overcome difficult situations during forensic interviews and handle those tough questions. Upon entering the workshop, participants will have a chance to write down difficult situations they have encountered, and the presenter and participants will work to find solutions and practical tools that can be used in the future. Participants will have an opportunity to watch interview clips of difficult situations.
Learning Objectives:
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Learn how to overcome difficult situations in forensic interviews.
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Discuss situations they have encountered and find solutions and practical tools to use.
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View and discuss videos of forensic interviews and difficult situations.
Interviewing Reluctant Children
Wednesday, November 16
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Room 5
Live
Rita Farrell
Director, ChildFirst for Zero Abuse Project
Children face many barriers when disclosing child abuse and maltreatment. Research tells us that even in cases where there is external corroborating evidence children only disclose 42-50% of the time in the formal interview. This training provides guidance on how to address reluctance in the forensic interview process, specifically with regard to the multidisciplinary team response, how to prepare children and families for our process and strategies for the interview.
Learning Objectives:
- Help forensic interviewers and multidisciplinary teams understand why reluctance occurs and identify factors that contribute to reluctance in cases.
- Increase understanding of the barriers to disclosure and how to address those dynamics before, during and after the forensic interview process.
- Provide interview strategies and techniques for addressing reluctance in the forensic interview.
Lunch – YPSB Panel
Wednesday, November 16
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Main Hall
Live
Jerri Sites
Child Protection Concepts LLC
Bethel MDT
Bethel Child Advocacy Center, Tundra Women’s Coalition
To be filled in.
Learning Objectives:
- yyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Resilience As Life Force
Wednesday, November 16
3:15 PM - 4:45 PM
Room 1
Virtual
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
Wednesday, November 16
3:15 PM - 4:45 PM
Room 4
Live, Virtual
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.
Physical Abuse and Polyvictimization: Interviewing Strategies
Wednesday, November 16
3:15 PM - 4:45 PM
Room 5
Live
Rita Farrell
Director, ChildFirst for Zero Abuse Project
The Adverse Childhood Experiences study (ACES) indicates to us that 66% of children experiencing one adverse childhood experience will be experiencing at least one other. Recognizing the prevalence of polyvictimization, this training will better prepare forensic interviewers to appropriately respond to disclosures of multiple forms of maltreatment in the forensic interview and screen for forms of maltreatment not previously disclosed. In addition, this training specifically looks at research with physical abuse cases and provides suggestions on addressing this form of maltreatment with interviewing strategies.
Learning Objectives:
- Increase the understanding of how polyvictimization impacts children, families and our cases.
- Increase the understanding of research relating to physical abuse allegations and children’s disclosures.
- Practice addressing polyvictimization in the forensic interview through case example exercises.