G1. KELLI WOOD, LCSW
But I’m Not Safe to Tell You
While child abuse investigations should not be exclusively reliant upon a child’s formal disclosure, the information gathered from it is vitally important to informing such investigations. When children are not safe to disclose, however, investigations are compromised, halted or worse closed, and children dependent on outside intervention are at continued risk of experiencing abuse that they were too afraid to verbalize. Utilizing literature and case examples, this session will identify common threats to a child’s safety in disclosing abuse, as well as prospective multidisciplinary approaches of support in mitigating those threats and increasing a child’s security toward disclosure.
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G2. JENNIFER DOBEY, MPA, MSCJ
Just Pretend You Can’t Hear It: Innocence Lost; Justice Found
Understanding the implications of intimate partner violence (IPV) upon families, especially those with children, is a crucial skill for all tasked with investigation of child maltreatment cases. What started out as an extreme child neglect case, resulted in the discovery of many years of sexual assault on multiple victims. The eldest child (then 14 years of age) and her mother gave birth just months apart, after having been impregnated by the same adult male; the latter’s husband. Without the persistence of one social worker who refused to look away from the home and a detective who refused to believe the children’s silence, these children may very well still be in the familial home. This case is a perfect example of the need to understand the intersection of IPV and child welfare as the power and control seen within cases of IPV was apparent during interviews with both the adults as well as the child victims. This case study will take participants through the initial report and false denials by the child victim through successful prosecution and the critical effect intimate partner violence had upon this case.
G3. JIMMY WIDDIFIELD, JR., MA, LPC
The Rainbow Response: Lived Experience Panel on Respectful Strategies for Helping LGBTQ+ Children and Their Families
Children and adolescents who are LGBTQ+ and/or gender expansive account for a significant number of the child population in the United States and that number is steadily increasing. Compared to their sexual majority peers, these children experience more adversity and trauma which can be unintentionally perpetuated by professionals who do not know or understand best practices with this population. Through a moderated panel discussion with people with lived experience, participants will learn about common misconceptions and accurate information about LGBTQ+ youth and families, strategies for enhancing engagement and working with these families, and be able to identify reputable resources for helping LGBTQ+ youth and families.
G4. JULIE SCHROER, BA
The Intersection of Initial Investigative Interviews and the Forensic Interview
A look at how the FirstCall Initial Investigative Interview and the Forensic Interview can work together for your cases, children, and team.
H1. JIMMY WIDDIFIELD, JR., MA, LPC
KETCHUP: Shared Humanity and Elevating the Professional Response to Child Maltreatment
KETCHUP is, indeed, universal in our society. As a condiment, some people enjoy it on a few foods or none, while others slather it on everything. We include it on the table along with a range of other condiments and food items. When everyone arrives at the table, they are comforted when they recognize what is familiar to them and have what they need and want and know they are welcome at the table. Similarly, we as child abuse professionals and the children and families we serve each bring to the table our own condiments, that is, our shared humanity of commonalities and differences. When we recognize our shared humanity, we are better at helping all children and families impacted by maltreatment have the best outcomes possible. Together during this plenary, we’ll learn how to keep every traumatized child uplifted and positive by finding our shared humanity and identifying ideas for how to use that humanity to elevate our response to child maltreatment.
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