Track: The Business of Child Advocacy

In 2021, National Children’s Alliance (NCA) conducted the first national CAC Staffing & Salary Survey since 2013, updating information about staff compensation in our field and expanding to include topics impacting the CAC workforce today, such as turnover, benefits, workloads, and secondary traumatic stress.  In this session, we will review key findings from the recently launched 100+ page report, providing CACs with valuable insights to use in hiring and retaining staff, and guiding NCA, Regional CACs, and State Chapters on broader initiatives to support the CAC workforce.

Kaitlin Lounsbury,

Track: Chapter

Let's take a closer look at what leaders can do  with their own self-development to increase their influence, build relationships, and drive the CAC forward.  In the midst of change and disruption in the workforce and the pressure of societal demands, leadership is the bottom line to survival and, if done well, can lead to a thriving CAC.

Caren Dean, Ph.D, Senior Director of People and Culture

Gene Klein, LCSW, Executive Director

Track: Research & Innovative Practices

Research & Innovative Practices -CAC's across the country have developed sustainable grant projects, with the help of NCA grant funding. Join us to learn about how current and former recipients of the National Subgrant Program (NSP) and Domestic Trafficking Victims Fund (DTVF) grants discuss their experiences in expanding the services and resources made available in their CACs

Dominic Prophete, JD, Chief Executive Officer

Sarah Purdy, Coordinator

Mitzi Hobot,

Track: Research & Innovative Practices

Join us for interactive discussions about the right of victims to heal and strategies to operationalize equity, diversity, and inclusion to support this right for all child victims served by a CAC community. Learn from the experience of your peers on engaging your MDT in supporting this right, strategies to support implementation of the Mental Health Standard for all victims, and how to gather data to determine the outcomes of these efforts. 

Libby Ralston, PhD, Founding Director of the Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s Center, Inc (DNLCC)

Geoff Sidoli, MSW, LCSW, Coordinator for Mental Health Programs

Track: The Business of Child Advocacy

Our people are our most important resource.  Without the skill, dedication, and resilience of our CAC professionals, we simply could not do the vital work we do for victims of childhood trauma. We must be able to compete and win in the talent market by attracting, selecting, and growing the right people in our CACs. Learn about talent optimization and its application to Children's Advocacy Centers.

Natalie Tibbs, Executive Director

Chuck Hyde, Founder and Principal / Board of Directors

Track: Research & Innovative Practices

As organizations evolve, integrating trauma-informed practices is becoming a priority to promote the care of children and their families as well as support provider and staff well-being. We'll provide the foundational principles of trauma-informed organizations and key considerations for leaders in Children's Advocacy Centers.

Kelly Hamman, LCSW, Trauma Treatment Training Specialist

Lindsey Roberts, PH.D, Assistant Professor; Licensed Psychologist

Elissa Dougherty, PH.D, Assistant Professor; Licensed Psychologist

Track: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

Leadership and DEI go hand-in-hand. Re-imagining leadership means taking a critical look at our approach and the impact our leadership has on the people we manage. Our understanding of self and others is crucial as we navigate leadership, and foster both belonging and engagement with our organizations. Join Nonprofit HR as we focus on leading with a DEI lens! 

Rachael Forester (she/they), Senior DEI Consultant

Track:  The Business of Child Advocacy 

The concepts principles associated with trauma-informed care have received extensive attention over the last 10 years.  Trauma-informed practices have been designated across multiple types of service systems, including child welfare, mental health, juvenile justice, substance abuse, among others.  To date, the primary focus has been on supporting the organization and its employees to utilize a trauma-informed approach with the clientele served.  However, considering recent national and global events, a broader trauma-informed leadership approach at an organizational level is warranted.  This presentation is designed for leaders across service and systems who want to empower and engage the current workforce. 

Drawing from the literature on effective leadership, implementation science, and trauma-informed care principles This presentation will begin by articulating the importance for leaders to integrate trauma-informed concepts into their

Principles of Trauma-Informed Care:

Safety

Trustworthiness and Transparency

Peer Support

Collaboration and Mutuality

Empowerment, Voice, and Choice

Cultural, Historical, and Gender Issues

Lisa Conradi,

What is happeniness anyway? Learn how to boost your well‑being with strategies from groundbreaking research in positive psychology, neuroscience, and mindfulness. Laugh your way to instant shift in mental state to increase your ability to solve problems and increase creativity. 

Brooklyn is a happiness and energy leadership expert. She helps leaders and teams build emotional intelligence (EI). EI is how we integrate our feelings and thoughts to manage ourselves and build stronger relationships. Successful leaders recognize the importance of managing energy to build emotional intelligence throughout the organization. In this highly energetic and interactive session, Brooklyn will reveal exciting insights from positive psychology. You will learn tools to improve mood, reduce stress, and increase life effectiveness.

Virtual Conference Attendees may start to join this livestream session at 11:05 am EDT

Brooklyn Dicent, M.Ed, Chief Happiness Officer

Track: Rural 

This presentation will provide an overview of the unique strengths and challenges in rural America and will describe how these strengths and challenges can be used and addressed to build and maintain much needed Children's Advocacy Centers in rural America.

Kathleen Belanger, Professor Emeritus

Track: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

What  factors  place LGBTQ+ youth at greater risk for maltreatment, and what barriers may these youth face following victimization and trauma? This session offers you an opportunity to examine current practices and learn practical skills to improve responses and interview techniques for sexual and gender minority survivors of violence. 

Amy Russell, MSEd, JD, NCC, Executive Director

Track: Rural 

This session offers strategies to expand MDTs and CAC services through rural community engagement, peer to peer mentoring, cultural considerations and service delivery via technology.  This session will cover expanding MDTs and CAC services with specific tools for relationship building, getting an accurate community assessment, and working constructively with respect for key partners.     

Brenda George, Executive Director

Jamie VanderLInden, LCSW, LAC, Director of Behavioral Health and Child Evaluation Center

Dana Toole, LCSW, Bureau Chief

Track: Rural 

Child sexual child is a public health issue that affects children of all ages, from infancy through adolescents. When children experience sexual abuse, they are not alone in suffering from the loss of innocence and trust; the family also experiences the adverse effects of the sexual crime. According to Child Molestation, Research and Prevention Institute, 95% of sexual abuse is preventable through education. This interactive workshop will discuss the best practices for caregivers and responsible

Jessica T. White, Chief Executive Officer

Track: Research and Innovative Practices 

Studies show that less than 20% of investigated cases of child sexual abuse move forward to prosecution, and approximately half of those result in a dismissal or acquittal. With so few cases resulting in criminal convictions, how is justice achieved for child victims of sexual abuse and exploitation? This session will discuss methods that have been demonstrated to increase criminal convictions, the concept of justice and various approaches through which justice may be realized for children.

Amy Russell, Executive Director, Arthur D. Curtis Children's Justice Center