The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the virtual training series “Supporting Child Victims.” This training series is being offered in observance of Child Abuse Prevention Month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
Session Description:
In this workshop, attendees will receive an overview of the impact of trauma on children, with a special focus on how sexual abuse, physical abuse, and other forms of trauma impact boys. Research suggests boys who have endured trauma are more reluctant to disclose abuse and, when they do, less likely to receive services. In light of these dynamics, the workshop offers suggestions for improved medical and mental health services for boys, as well as suggestions for forensic interviewers and investigators responding to cases of abuse or neglect involving boys.
As a result of this training, participants will be able to:
Rita Farrell has over 23 years of experience working with child abuse investigations as a forensic interviewer and founding executive director of a child advocacy center. In her role as a forensic interview specialist and trainer for Zero Abuse Project, Rita admits that her role as a forensic interviewer of child abuse victims is her “true passion.” Rita serves as the Director, ChildFirst® for Zero Abuse Project, managing the national and international ChildFirst® Forensic Interview Training program. She is a co-author of the ChildFirst® Forensic Interview Protocol and has conducted more than 2,900 child interviews. In addition, she manages the development of advanced training courses and programs for forensic interviewers and investigators.
Rita is a certified law enforcement instructor and still conducts forensic interviews in the field. She has testified in numerous court cases and has authored many peer-reviewed articles specific to child abuse investigations and forensic interviewing of child abuse victims. As a national speaker, Rita continues to champion the cause of child advocacy and forensic interviewing. Rita serves as a board member for the Indiana Coalition of Child Advocacy Centers. She is a member of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) and serves on numerous councils, task forces, and boards in the areas of child abuse and domestic violence. Rita was presented with the U.S. Attorney General’s award for “Outstanding Service to Victims of Crime” and is also the recipient of the “Champion for Children” award.
Victor Vieth has trained thousands of child-protection professionals from all 50 states, two U.S. Territories, and 17 countries on numerous topics pertaining to child abuse investigations, prosecutions, and prevention. Victor gained national recognition for his work in addressing child abuse in small communities as a prosecutor in rural Minnesota and has been named to the President’s Honor Roll of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children. In 2012, Victor was awarded the Pro Humanitate Award from the North American Resource Center for Child Welfare.
Victor is the Chief Program Officer, Education and Research of the Zero Abuse Project, a 501(c)(3) public charity based in St Paul, MN, committed to education, training, and survivor support in order to eradicate child sex abuse and remedy its resulting harms. He is the 2018 President of the Academy on Violence & Abuse, and founder of the National Child Protection Training Center. With NCPTC and its partners, Victor has been instrumental in implementing 22 state and international forensic interview training programs and dozens of undergraduate and graduate programs on child maltreatment.
In this session, attendees will learn creative, trauma-informed strategies for empowering children to effectively handle the stress of testifying in court. Attendees will also learn of creative pre-trial motions and other strategies to modify the courtroom and the procedures of testifying, which, if granted, may make it easier for a child to testify. This workshop examines research on common fears children have about testifying and discusses best practices for addressing these fears before, during, and after the courtroom testimony.
As a result of this training, participants will be able to :
1. Learn strategies to empower the child to respond to the stresses of court, including explaining the legal process in a developmentally appropriate manner, scheduling the testimony at a time in which the child functions best, and familiarizing the child with courtroom technology and personnel.
2. Review seven pre-trial motions that limit or remove obstacles to taking a child’s testimony, including administering a developmentally appropriate oath, silent objections, and requiring attorneys to ask questions a child can understand.
Presenter:
Rachel Johnson is a Forensic Interview Specialist with Zero Abuse Project. She most recently served as the Program Director for the Minnesota Children’s Alliance and has over a decade of experience in work related to forensic interviewing, multidisciplinary teams, advocacy, child abuse, prevention education, sexual assault and family violence, both domestically and abroad.
Prior to her work at the Alliance, Rachel served as a forensic interviewer and the Forensic Program Coordinator at First Witness Child Advocacy Center in Duluth, MN. She is trained in multiple forensic interview protocols and received Bachelor of Science degrees in Public Service, Sociology and Spanish at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN.
Rachel is passionate about working directly with children and families, supporting frontline professionals and improving the institutional response to victimization by centering the experiences of victims at all levels of consideration and decision-making.
Drawing from her personal experiences as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, the speaker for this session, Naomi Mortensen, will identify best practices in supporting child victims of sexual abuse. As a victim advocate herself, Naomi has firsthand experience with the sensitive tasks required of advocates as they navigate the intricate web of institutions, systems, and individuals involved in responding to sexual abuse. She discusses the trauma-informed approaches aimed at preventing re-traumatization by creating safe, supportive environments that do not inadvertently trigger or exacerbate trauma responses.
A unique perspective, stemming from her dual roles as both a survivor and an advocate, allows her to address both sides of the disclosure process and explore the nuances of childhood disclosure. From navigating mental health institutions to seeking support from social services, Naomi provides candid insights into her interactions with various services and providers. She will highlight what was helpful and empowering, as well as areas where improvements are needed to better support survivors, children in particular.
As a result of this training, attendees will be able to:
Since the beginning of her adulthood, Naomi Mortensen has been a survivor-advocate speaking about the complex barriers to safety and well-being. As a survivor of child sexual abuse at the hands of her grandfather, Naomi has navigated the complicated challenges within multiple religious, social, and medical institutions for over a decade. As an advocate, she has lobbied members of Congress, volunteered as a Rape Crisis Counselor, trained sexual assault response professionals, worked with Utah legislators on consent legislation, and mentored youth survivors of sex trafficking. From 2020 to 2021, Naomi helped produce the mandated 40-hour training for the National Sexual Assault Helpline and the Department of Defense’s Safe Helpline. During her time at Brigham Young University in Utah, she founded the BYU Students Together Against Sexual Assault Club to create a community safety net predicated upon education and peer support. Naomi serves as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate for foster youth who have been sexually exploited in Washington, DC.
This session will discuss the importance of collaboration between children’s advocacy centers (CACs) and the courts.
1. Identify what judicial community partners should know about the CAC model.
2. Explain how CACs can help minimize additional trauma for children who are vicitms of crime or who enter the child welfare system.
3. Evaluate and best utilize local CACs and connect children with other community resources.
4. Strategize steps towards implementing trauma-informed practices and a victim-centered approach in the courts and communities.
Judge Lynn Tepper retired December 31, 2018 after serving as a Circuit Judge in Florida’s 6th Judicial Circuit for three decades, preceded by four years as County Judge in Pasco County. She received her J.D. from Stetson University, College of Law in 1977 after receiving her B.A. from Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. in 1974, and received an Honorary Ph.D. in Humane Letters from St. Leo University in 2019.
Judge Tepper served as an Assistant Public Defender and had a private practice. Judge Tepper’s last judicial assignment was to handle all East Pasco cases involving Child Abuse & Neglect, Juvenile Delinquency, all related cases of a family including Domestic Violence, Family, and an occasional criminal case. From 2012 until 2018 her court was one of six sites in the U.S. selected to implement a “Project ONE” Court [One Judge, One Family, No Wrong Door, Equal & Coordinated Access to Justice], a NCJFCJ (National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges) model program. Her Early Childhood Court was one of the Demonstration Sites with ZERO TO THREE.
Judge Tepper was a member of the Chief Justices “National Judicial Opioid Task Force.” Judge Tepper has served in virtually every Florida Bar or Supreme Court Committee involved with children, families, and domestic violence including the original Florida Gender Bias Study Commission and the Bench Bar Commission. She teaches and speaks nationally and statewide on Trauma-Informed Courts and ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences). She has been published and quoted widely within Florida and the U.S. Her television appearances include Nightline, Oprah Winfrey, CNN’s Crier & Co., Montel Williams, and WEDU’s Human Trafficking documentary “Too Close to Home.”
Chris Newlin, MS LPC, is the Executive Director of the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC), where he is responsible for providing leadership and management of the NCAC and participating in national and international training and leadership activities regarding the protection of children. The NCAC was the first Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) in the world and provides child abuse prevention and intervention services in Huntsville/Madison County; and also houses the NCAC Training Center, the Southern Regional Children’s Advocacy Center, the NCAC Virtual Training Center, and the Child Abuse Library Online (CALiO™). The NCAC is a past multi-year winner of the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for Workplace Ethics; 2012 Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce Non-Profit of the Year; 2016 Federal Bureau of Investigation Director’s Community Leadership Award recipient (multi-year finalist); winner in 2016 and 2019 of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce Best Places to Work; and a Private Sector Member of the Virtual Global Taskforce.
Chris has more than 22 years of experience working in CACs as a Forensic Interviewer, Victim Advocate, Therapist, Clinical Director, and Executive Director. Chris has provided diverse training related to the Children’s Advocacy Center Model, the multidisciplinary response to child abuse, the international development of Children’s Advocacy Centers, forensic interviewing, best practices in child abuse intervention and response, and additional child maltreatment and exploitation topics in more than 30 countries throughout the world. He has worked in both urban and rural Children’s Advocacy Centers. Chris received his Master’s in School Psychology from the University of Central Arkansas, is a Licensed Professional Counselor, and has completed coursework at the Harvard University Business School Executive Education Program.
This session is designed to increase cultural competence for child advocates who serve Tribal children and families. Time will be allocated at the end of the session for discussion, questions, and responses from the speakers.
Dr. Maegan Rides At The Door, LCPC (she/her) has served as the Executive Director of the University of Montana National Native Children’s Trauma Center in Missoula, MT since 2015, working to support NNCTC’s mission which is to co-facilitate trauma-focused healing in tribal communities. Dr. Rides At The Door utilizes her knowledge in culturally trauma-responsive care to provide training and technical assistance with a wide variety of systems of care, including but not limited to schools, child welfare, juvenile justice, and healthcare. She provides administrative oversight for all center activities, including personnel management, relationship building with partner leads, and communication with federal sponsors. She is the Principal Investigator on the center's major awards, most notably a SAMHSA Category II National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative grant, an Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Expansion to Support Child Advocacy Centers Serving American Indian and Alaska Natives, and a Victims of Child Abuse Tribal TTA grant, which supports TTA efforts through the National Child Advocacy Resource Center. Dr. Rides At The Door also conducts outpatient counseling services on a limited basis. She carries a Blackfeet name by marriage but is an enrolled member of the Fort Peck Sioux and Assiniboine Tribes and a descendant of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.
Laura Guay, MSW, Assistant Clinical Professor for the School of Social Work at the University of Montana, has focused her professional career on elevating trauma-informed systems of care in service to children and families. Laura has experience within state agencies providing direct child protective services, managing a rural child protection unit, and supporting workforce development for child welfare professionals statewide. Laura has been privileged to support trauma-informed system change within tribal programs serving Indigenous children and families throughout the country. Much of this work is guided by community-based participatory research and involves adapting evidence-based or informed approaches to assessment, treatment, and evaluation such that they become culturally congruent with the local community and responsive to the needs of each unique tribal program. Currently, Laura is teaching courses on the Indian Child Welfare Act, Social Justice in Social Work, and Practice with Groups and Communities.
No credits are being offered for this training. A certificate of attendance will be provided to participants who attend each training session.
Participant Registration and Cost:
This training is free for victim-serving professionals. Participants need to register in advance for the training. Click here to register for any of these events.
