C1. DEB FLOWERS, MSN, CPNP-PC, SANE-A, SANE-P
Physical Abuse 101 for Non-Medical Professionals
This session is meant for the non-medical members of the multidisciplinary team. We will discuss the basics of physical abuse, including cutaneous injuries, sentinel injuries, and fractures. In this discussion, we will explore relevant history to obtain from caregivers and corroborating witnesses, mechanisms of injury, other diagnoses to consider and possible accidental explanations. We will also review things that might look like abuse but have other explanations. Importantly, we will cover what to do medically if the case is first identified by a non-medical professional.
Biography: Deb joined the CACNC staff in July of 2019 as the Medical Services Coordinator and is also a Child Medical Evaluation provider for Southmountain Children and Family Services Moore and Harnett County Child Advocacy Centers. She began these new roles after retiring from the UNC Department of Pediatrics - NC Child Maltreatment Program. Deb is also an adjunct assistant professor with the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Nursing and participates as both a lecturer for the nurse practitioner programs and as a clinical preceptor for pediatric nurse practitioner students. Deb has over 38 years of experience in the field of nursing with trauma and child maltreatment being most of her nursing focus and expertise.
C2. JIM TANNER, PH.D
Understanding Sex Offenders
This session covers the cognitive set and grooming strategies of offenders who assault from a position of trust. We’ll cover common mistakes professionals make when dealing with offenders, how offenders groom, and the cognitive set of sex offenders.
Biography: Jim Tanner has been a community corrections professional since 1970. He has worked with both adult and juvenile offenders in a wide variety of capacities, served on the faculty of three universities, and has provided training for justice system professionals since 1980. He is nationally recognized for his pioneering work in field computer forensics, sex offender cognitive sets, and discourse analysis (deception detection). His contributions to criminal justice planning have also received national recognition.
C3. JEANNE ALLERT, PH.D
Familial Trafficking: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Challenges (Part 1 of 2)
This session will build on Part 1 and explore the challenges associated with responding to victims of domestic minor familial sex trafficking cases. Emphasis in this session will be on the unique dynamics of familial victims and where services and service providers need to adapt to be more responsive to this form of victimization.
Biography: Jeanne Allert founded The Samaritan Women in 2007 as a residential program for sex trafficking survivors, and the Institute for Shelter Care in 2018 to address gaps in service and quality for victims of sexual exploitation. She is the chief architect behind The Samaritan Women's spiritual healing program and spends a great deal of time educating medical, social work, and mental health professionals about the unique needs of trafficking victims. Her work has been featured in numerous articles and in the 2015 documentary "In Plain Sight."
C4. NICHOLE APPLEBY, MSW, LCSW / ELIZABETH STEPHENS, MSW, LCSW
Mental Health Screening and Assessment for the Non-Clinical Professional
This presentation provides an overview of general principles of mental health evaluation (screening and assessment), including evaluation objectives and strategies; overview of clinical assessment measure administration, scoring, and interpretation; assessment-driven treatment planning, overview of screening and assessment, thoughts about administering/scoring/interpreting screening and assessment measures, providing feedback to families; developing an assessment-driven treatment plan; and outcomes monitoring. Participants will be exposed to common trauma assessment measures and explore the assessment-driven referral process.
Biographies:
Nichole Appleby graduated from Meredith College with a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and from the University of Maryland, Baltimore with a Master of Social Work (MSW). Nichole has worked in assisted living facilities, the school system and with children who have experienced trauma. She has also been trained in Dignity Therapy, an evidence-based intervention designed for persons facing the end of life; she was trained with 49 other select individuals in November 2012 at the first Dignity Therapy Training in the United States. Nichole has also been trained as a “Why Try” facilitator, an evidence-based dropout prevention program designed for children in the school system. While receiving her MSW, Nichole interned at International Social Services- USA Branch in Baltimore, MD; International Social Services is the only agency of its kind in the United States; ISS-USA promotes the best interest of children and families separated by international borders. Additionally, Nichole is a Nationally Certified TF-CBT clinician and is a rostered clinician with the NC Child Treatment Program in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and has worked extensively with children who have experienced trauma, as well as being rostered in Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and trained in Alternative for Families- A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT). Nichole worked in collaboration with the NC Child Treatment Program to provide consulting to new trainees in TF-CBT from 2013-2023.
Elizabeth Stephens graduated from Meredith College with a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and from Tulane University with a Master of Social Work (MSW). Elizabeth has worked with individuals in psychiatric care, with Intensive In-Home Services, providing home based behavioral health services, and with children who have experienced trauma. Elizabeth has experience with adults and children in inpatient psychiatric settings, including work at Broughton Hospital, Holly Hill Hospital and River Oaks Hospital in New Orleans. While working in inpatient psychiatric settings Elizabeth conducted psychosocial assessments, facilitated groups, provided individual and family crisis stabilization and assisted in discharge planning. As an Intensive In-Home Team Leader, Elizabeth provided treatment for youth who are at risk for out of home placement and their families and provided administrative and clinical supervision to the team. Elizabeth has worked extensively with children and families who have experienced trauma and is a Nationally Certified TF-CBT clinician and is a rostered clinician with the NC Child Treatment Program in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, as well as being rostered in Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and trained in Alternative for Families- A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT). Elizabeth worked in collaboration with the NC Child Treatment Program to provide consulting to new trainees in TF-CBT from 2013-2023.
D1. CORRIE JOLLY, MSN, CPNP-PC, SANE-A, SANE-P
Sexual Abuse 101 for Non-Medical Professionals
This session will provide an overview of sexual abuse for non-medical MDT members. We will discuss the importance of the medical evaluation for acute and non-acute sexual abuse, criteria for acute sexual abuse exams, and the basis for a clinical diagnosis of child sexual abuse. We will also explore certain myths related to sexual abuse and the importance of dispelling them within our MDT, the greater community, and in the families we serve.
Biography: Corrie Jolly serves as the medical provider for the Toe River Children’s Advocacy Center and Transylvania County Children’s Advocacy Center under Southmountain Children & Family Services, as well as the president-elect of the North Carolina Chapter of the International Association of Forensic Nursing. Before coming to Southmountain, Corrie was the second full time Forensic Nurse at UNC Medical Center, working to develop the Forensic Nursing program and nursing response to child maltreatment in the Emergency Department. Corrie has a degree in Sociology and Legal Studies from University of North Carolina at Asheville, a Bachelor of Nursing from Emory University, and a Master of Nursing from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Corrie strives to ensure families are provided equitable, compassionate, trauma-informed care, foster safe environments for children, and break the multigenerational cycle of violence. She has also facilitated multiple SANE trainings throughout the state and is dedicated to increasing access to SANE services, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
D2. JIM TANNER, PH.D
Deception Detection
This session will cover two primary approaches to deception detection. We will explore cognitive load as it applies to deception and linguistic cues which indicate further probing is required. Suggestions for improving interview strategy will be discussed. The session will end with a brief introduction the Dr. Darrel Turner’s APOD tool, which is considered on the cutting edge of deception detection.
Biography: Jim Tanner has been a community corrections professional since 1970. He has worked with both adult and juvenile offenders in a wide variety of capacities, served on the faculty of three universities, and has provided training for justice system professionals since 1980. He is nationally recognized for his pioneering work in field computer forensics, sex offender cognitive sets, and discourse analysis (deception detection). His contributions to criminal justice planning have also received national recognition.
D3. JEANNE ALLERT, PH.D
Familial Trafficking: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Challenges (Part 2 of 2)
This session will build on Part 1 and explore the challenges associated with responding to victims of domestic minor familial sex trafficking cases. Emphasis in this session will be on the unique dynamics of familial victims and where services and service providers need to adapt to be more responsive to this form of victimization.
Biography: Jeanne Allert founded The Samaritan Women in 2007 as a residential program for sex trafficking survivors, and the Institute for Shelter Care in 2018 to address gaps in service and quality for victims of sexual exploitation. She is the chief architect behind The Samaritan Women's spiritual healing program and spends a great deal of time educating medical, social work, and mental health professionals about the unique needs of trafficking victims. Her work has been featured in numerous articles and in the 2015 documentary "In Plain Sight."
D4. JODIE HIVELY, MS.ED, LMFT
Forensic Interviewing Protocol for Victims and Witnesses of Sexual Exploitation and Violent Crime
This training will take you through different levels of child abuse from abuse that leaves scars to abuse that causes severe brain injury and ultimately to abuse that ends in a child’s death. We will take a look at three different cases studies with varying degrees of medical injury and learn how to prove the abuse by looking through the lens of a medical expert.
Biography: Jodie Hively holds a Master of Science in Education degree and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who worked with high-risk youth. Ms. Hively’ s background is primarily in Psychology and Criminal Justice. Prior to becoming a Forensic Interviewer, she worked as a Probation Officer and Family Case Manager for Child Services. She is currently employed with the FBI as a Child/Adolescent Forensic Interviewer with the Victim Services Division, Child Victim Services Unit and has been a Forensic Interviewer for almost sixteen years. She provides interviews, consultation and training for FBI Agents, Assistant United States Attorney’s, and other federal, state, and international law enforcement.
Lunch will be served in the Terrace Hotel on the 3rd floor dining room and in the Lambuth Inn dining room.
Please refer to the meal ticket that you were given at check-in to determine your lunch site.
E1. JENNIFER HOSSLER, MSW
Don’t Stop Believin’: The Journey of Trauma-Informed Organizational Change
What does it mean to be a trauma-informed organization and how do you know when you get there? This session explores the ongoing journey of one Georgia CAC as they embarked on a multi-year long project assessing, implementing, and refining their trauma-informed practices and protocols. Participants will learn about the specific Trauma-Informed Organizational Assessment (TIOA) tool implemented by the CAC and the 9 domains measured in the TIOA. Data and results that were collected through the TIOA will be shared along with the process for implementing change after the TIOA was administered. The presenter will utilize storytelling, photographs, music, discussion, and humor to share concrete strategies related to several of the domains measured in the TIOA, including secondary traumatic stress, workforce development, partnering with youth and families, the intersection of culture, race, and trauma, and improving psychological safety by transforming their physical space.
Biography: Jennifer Hossler is a social worker with over 25 years of experience and knowledge working in child advocacy centers and child welfare systems with interests in trauma-informed practices and system change. Jennifer currently serves as Project Director for Project Intersect, a federally funded Project at the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy in Atlanta, GA, serving children who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking. Jennifer has been an active member of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network since 2013 and has assisted in the development, revision, and publication of multiple NCTSN products on topics including child sexual abuse, sexual health, human trafficking, trauma, and trauma-informed care and organizations. Jennifer received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Social Work from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and her master’s degree in social work from San Diego State University.
E2. JIM TANNER, PH.D
Beyond Prosecution
Nationally, approximately 70% of all sex offenders are sentenced to probation and returned to the community. Investigators, Social Service Workers, Prosecutors, and CAC staff are often in possession of information, which is not evidentiary, but important for those supervising and treating sex offenders in the community. This session will discuss the types of information that is helpful for community agents and demonstrate some ways this information may be forwarded to the MDT.
Biography: Jim Tanner has been a community corrections professional since 1970. He has worked with both adult and juvenile offenders in a wide variety of capacities, served on the faculty of three universities, and has provided training for justice system professionals since 1980. He is nationally recognized for his pioneering work in field computer forensics, sex offender cognitive sets, and discourse analysis (deception detection). His contributions to criminal justice planning have also received national recognition.
E3. BONNIE JEAN KURAS, M.ED
Lighten Your Load-Emptying Your Invisible Back Pack-A Practical Approach to Managing Personal and Workplace Stress/Fatigue/Burnout (Part 1 of 2)
During this presentation, attendees will learn to identify the markers of stress, vicarious trauma, and burn-out while giving opportunities to manage on the job stress and secondary trauma. This will be done through the introduction of simple, efficient tools that balance the nervous system before, during, and after chronic stress while identifying wellness strategies that help to develop psychological protective gear to do the work you do each and every day.
Biography: Bonnie Jean Kuras is currently a Training Specialist/Community Educator at TEDI BEAR Children’s Advocacy Center, a subspecialty clinic of East Carolina Brody School of Medicine. Her work includes providing education in the Darkness2Light’s-Stewards of Children: the recognition, prevention, and response to child sexual abuse, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Awareness, and Circle of Security Parenting to community members and various agencies in Pitt County and across Eastern N.C. She is a certified Reconnect for Resilience Educator and Compassion/Empathic Fatigue Educator; providing training participants information necessary to complete the stress cycle and build resilience skills, while promoting trauma informed practices. Bonnie Jean is a member of the BRACE collaborative (Building Resilience and Courage to Excel) as part of the leadership team, working with other agencies and members to empower the community to build a culture of resilience to lessen the impact of trauma through collaboration, education, advocacy, and compassion. Bonnie Jean was recently humbled and honored to be selected the Darkness2Light’s 2021 Authorized Facilitator of the Year. Prior to her move to N.C, Bonnie Jean spent nearly 30 years as a teacher, adjunct college instructor, learning and language disabilities specialist, and building principal in elementary and middle schools in the state of NH.
E4. KELLI WOOD, LCSW
The Haunting of the Third Grade Penis
While there are no nationally recognized forensic interviewing protocols that provide a list of questions to assess for alternative hypothesis, the benefits of creating such hypotheses are invaluable for the forensic interview and the MDT investigation. This session will aid both new and experienced forensic interviewers in mitigating interviewer bias by developing and testing alternative hypothesis.
Biography: Kelli received her B.S from Georgia State University and M.S.W. from Clark Atlanta University. She began her career working as an after-hours social worker at Children’s HealthCare of Atlanta (CHOA), where she conducted psycho-Social assessments of children who presented to the Emergency Department due to concerns of child maltreatment. Kelli continued her career at CHOA by becoming a Forensic Interviewer at The Stephanie Blank Center for Safe and Health Children, which is a medical model Child Advocacy Center. As a member of a Multidisciplinary Team of Physicians, Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Post-Doctoral Fellows, Social Workers and Forensic Specialists, they were tasked with the mission of providing Forensic Interviews and Forensic Medial Evaluations to children, ages 0-18 years old, who were identified as possible victims of child abuse, sexual exploitation, and witness to crime. It was at The Stephanie V. Blank Center that Kelli’s passion for working with survivors of commercial sexual exploration was ignited. She had the awesome opportunity to assist in the development of the center's Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) Program, CSEC Multi-disciplinary team meetings, and CSEC book-bag initiative which provided bags, clothing and toiletries to CSEC survivors. In 2012 Kelli relocated to Charlotte, NC where she joined the team of Pat’s Place Child Advocacy Center as a Forensic Interviewer. Kelli has conducted over 3000 forensic interviews, presented at both national and local child maltreatment conferences, and have been a frequent guest lecturer at multiple high schools and Universities on the topics of Child Maltreatment, Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking and Forensic Interviewing. Currently, Kelli is the Director of Response Services overseeing the family advocacy, forensic interviewing and intake teams and is an adjunct professor in the social work department at Winthrop University’s MSW Program.
F1. JENNIFER HOSSLER, MSW
Partnering with Families: A Trauma-Informed Workshop for Caregivers of Sexually Abused and Exploited Children
With so many CAC services focusing on supporting the needs of the child, the needs of caregivers are often overlooked, or resources are limited to meet those needs. This session explores a 6-week trauma-informed caregiver workshop facilitated by Project Intersect in Atlanta, GA for caregivers of sexually abused and exploited children. Participants will learn and experience the main elements of the curriculum and topics covered, the various ways this workshop can be implemented, and key strategies for engaging community partners to collaborate in this work. Feedback and perspectives of caregivers who have graduated from the program will be shared.
Biography: Jennifer Hossler is a social worker with over 25 years of experience and knowledge working in child advocacy centers and child welfare systems with interests in trauma-informed practices and system change. Jennifer currently serves as Project Director for Project Intersect, a federally funded Project at the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy in Atlanta, GA, serving children who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking. Jennifer has been an active member of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network since 2013 and has assisted in the development, revision, and publication of multiple NCTSN products on topics including child sexual abuse, sexual health, human trafficking, trauma, and trauma-informed care and organizations. Jennifer received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Social Work from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and her master’s degree in social work from San Diego State University.
F2. JIM TANNER, PH.D
Protecting Yourself and Your Family in a Digital World
Digital life is a part of the modern world. For most of us, we know enough to get things done. But we all hear about the ‘dark side” of the digital life. Join a cybercrime analyst as he talks in plain English about the technical problems everyone faces each time they use a credit card, turn on their phone or log into their computer. Regardless of your technical expertise (or lack thereof), you will walk away from this session understanding card skimming, data scraping, click-jacking, cyber-stalking, identity theft, and the Internet of Things. More importantly, you will know what to do to protect yourself from these criminal acts.
Biography: Jim Tanner has been a community corrections professional since 1970. He has worked with both adult and juvenile offenders in a wide variety of capacities, served on the faculty of three universities, and has provided training for justice system professionals since 1980. He is nationally recognized for his pioneering work in field computer forensics, sex offender cognitive sets, and discourse analysis (deception detection). His contributions to criminal justice planning have also received national recognition.
F3. BONNIE JEAN KURAS, M.ED
Lighten Your Load-Emptying Your Invisible Backpack-A Practical Approach to Managing Personal and Workplace Stress/Fatigue/Burnout (Part 2 of 2)
During this presentation, attendees will learn to identify the markers of stress, vicarious trauma, and burn-out while giving opportunities to manage on the job stress and secondary trauma. This will be done through the introduction of simple, efficient tools that balance the nervous system before, during, and after chronic stress while identifying wellness strategies that help to develop psychological protective gear to do the work you do each and every day.
Biography: Bonnie Jean Kuras is currently a Training Specialist/Community Educator at TEDI BEAR Children’s Advocacy Center, a subspecialty clinic of East Carolina Brody School of Medicine. Her work includes providing education in the Darkness2Light’s-Stewards of Children: the recognition, prevention, and response to child sexual abuse, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Awareness, and Circle of Security Parenting to community members and various agencies in Pitt County and across Eastern N.C. She is a certified Reconnect for Resilience Educator and Compassion/Empathic Fatigue Educator; providing training participants information necessary to complete the stress cycle and build resilience skills, while promoting trauma informed practices. Bonnie Jean is a member of the BRACE collaborative (Building Resilience and Courage to Excel) as part of the leadership team, working with other agencies and members to empower the community to build a culture of resilience to lessen the impact of trauma through collaboration, education, advocacy, and compassion. Bonnie Jean was recently humbled and honored to be selected the Darkness2Light’s 2021 Authorized Facilitator of the Year.
Prior to her move to N.C, Bonnie Jean spent nearly 30 years as a teacher, adjunct college instructor, learning and language disabilities specialist, and building principal in elementary and middle schools in the state of NH.
F4. NANCY LAMB, JD
Preparing the Court for the Child and the Child for the Court
Courtrooms are not child friendly places. The intimidation of the courtroom setting and all the procedural rules for how a trial must be conducted can affect the child’s ability to be perceived as a credible witness. This presentation, taught by a veteran prosecutor, will address the process of preparing the child to testify in a child sexual abuse case, and will include practical information and illustrative examples of techniques that this prosecutor has found to be useful in minimizing a child’s stress in the courtroom setting while maximizing the child’s credibility. Also included will be information about legal avenues available to make the court more child friendly using pre-trial motions and tools that the prosecutor should consider that may serve to enhance a child’s credibility in the eyes of the factfinder.
Biography: Nancy Lamb recently retired as a prosecutor after more than 35 years in service to North Carolina. Lamb received her undergraduate degree from Appalachian State University and her law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law. Lamb served for 6 years on the Board of Directors of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) and chaired the Professional Education committee during her tenure on the Executive Committee. In 2003, she was awarded APSAC’s Outstanding Service Award, given annually to an APSAC member in recognition of outstanding service to the organization. Lamb is a past president of the North Carolina Professional Society on the Abuse of Children and the 1999 recipient of NCPSAC’s Kimberly Crews award, given annually to an NCPSAC member in recognition of professional excellence for service to abused children statewide. Lamb has provided training for the past 25 years at local, regional, and national child abuse conferences throughout the United States. Lamb also serves on the CACNC Board of Directors.