7:00 – 8:00 AM REGISTRATION
8:15 – 8:30 AM WELCOME
8:30 – 9:30 AM KEYNOTE
Some victims of childhood abuse perpetuate the cycle of violence; yet others grow to be safe, nurturing adults. Some choose to become the rescuers and healers—social workers, victim advocates, therapists, physicians and police officers. Why do some victims lose decades of their lives to drug addiction and other self-destructive behaviors while others turn out to be healthy, stable, well-functioning adults? How can we influence which path they will follow? This dynamic, upbeat program identifies seven key steps that can help victims to overcome trauma and to develop a “survivor’s perspective.” Attendees will learn how to use the “language of resiliency” to identify and to reinforce victims’ strengths thereby positively impacting both their self-perceptions and their life scripts. Participants will learn how to foster resiliency in their clients’ lives and also in their own. Key learning objectives for this session are to:
9:30 – 10:00 AM KEYNOTE
In this session, the presenter will share lessons from year one of a project engaging 18 organizations from a local to a national level who are focused on environmental justice, reproductive justice, and gender-based violence through a healing justice lens and approach. Key learning objectives for this session are to:
10:00 – 10:30 AM KEYNOTE
This session details case studies of successful prosecutions by the Office of the Attorney General to provide a prosecutorial perspective and a survivor-centered approach to case development and presentation of complex and high profile human trafficking cases. Strategies for alleviating trauma for child and adolescent survivors of sex and labor trafficking will be highlighted in the context of individual cases at the investigative, prosecutorial, and trial stages of criminal cases. A behind the scenes look at interactions between prosecutors and survivors of trafficking will be discussed and demonstrate the need for trust-building and collaborative preparation at every stage of a case. Key learning objectives for this session are to:
10:30 – 10:45 AM BREAK
10:45 – 12:00 PM WORKSHOPS
This session introduces the Safe & Together Model’s set of concepts, tools, and practices to improve how agencies, communities, and individuals respond to domestic violence where children are involved. You will learn about gaps and challenges related to domestic violence cases involving children, the importance of applying a perpetrator pattern-based approach, and how partnerships with adult survivors are critical to domestic violence-informed practice. You will also learn how to improve assessment addressing perpetration as a parenting choice and giving mothers full credit for their protective efforts. You will be introduced to the practice principles and critical components of the Model and how they can help make a difference in case practice. Key learning objectives for this session are to:
Mother-daughter sexual abuse is especially under-recognized, under-researched and under-reported. This unique workshop describes the complex mother-daughter incestuous relationship—the subtle, yet intentional violations of normal mother-child boundaries, covert and overt abuse and the psychological manipulations used to keep victims silent. Attendees will learn ways to include mothers as potential perpetrators in prevention programs and in sexual abuse investigations. Six key therapeutic issues for victim recovery will be identified. This dynamic program is research-based and survivor-informed—enriched by correspondence with and/or interviews with over 70 adult daughters of sexually abusive women. The presenter is both an experienced counselor and a resilient survivor of maternal incest. Key learning objectives for this session are to:
While gender-based violence occurs across all racial, ethnic, and economic groups, it is important to recognize that survivors from Communities of Color, Native American survivors, and those from other underserved communities, including immigrant, LGBTQ, and individuals with disabilities, often face intersecting issues that have a disproportionate impact on historically marginalized communities, compounds the barriers and risks, and impacts access to services, safety, and well-being. This workshop will explore issues of intersectionality and what it means to develop a trauma-informed and strengths-based approach to engaging in transformative advocacy. Key learning objectives for this session are to:
As professionals serving survivors of violence, we face challenges inherent to working in a highly stressful field. Join us as we expand from “On Becoming Whole: From Self-Care to We-Care,” for this hands-on workshop. Together, we will review the neurobiology of stress and relaxation cycles, practice mindfulness and movement tools, and explore ways to integrate these tools into our daily work. This way, we can begin to improve our ability to stay in empathy with clients, while reducing our potential harm from vicarious trauma and growing our capacities to address burnout. Key learning objectives for this session are to:
12:00 – 1:00 PM LUNCH
1:00 – 2:15 PM WORKSHOPS
Society is still in denial that males can even be victims of sexual assault. This ignorance serves to block males from self-disclosing their victimization and may even keep “mandated reporters” from reporting sex crimes involving male victims. Ignorance and minimization of the problem impede male victims’ opportunities for intervention, legal recourse and for recovery. Male victims can experience overwhelming gender bias when disclosing sexual abuse, whether their perpetrator is male or female. This program discusses male sexual victimization, the unique challenges men face and the myths that keep male victims silent. We’ll examine the stats and facts and learn how “The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study” validates what many professionals have long believed about both the frequency and the resulting trauma of male sexual victimization. Male victims—whether as children, adolescents or adults—often find it humiliating and mortifying to divulge their sexual abuse, especially by female perpetrators. We’ll explore the added challenges for male victims of both familial (such as mothers, aunts, sisters) and non-familial (teachers, neighbors, family friends) female sex offenders. We’ll offer specific trauma-informed approaches to working with male victims—from disclosure to therapy. Resources for male survivors will be shared. Key learning objectives for this session are to:
This workshop illustrates the connection between trauma and its impact on regulation and relationship and academic, social and behavioral struggles, as well as successes. Explore a simple antidote to the impact of trauma that is surprisingly at the fingertips of anyone at any time. Discover current research and perspectives from neuroscience and connect to day-to-day experiences with the impact of trauma. Develop a greater understanding of trauma’s impact on all aspects of life and why childhood trauma is a public health issue with lasting impact. Key learning objectives for this session are to:
To detect child victims of commercial sexual exploitation (CSEC), particularly when youth are not able to self-disclose, youth-serving professionals are often trained to identify “red flags” of possible CSEC. This presents a challenge for multidisciplinary response teams: How to tailor the team’s collective approach to help non-disclosing youth feel safe and provide them with opportunities to be heard. This workshop expands on topics covered in the keynote, Bringing Youth Voice to the Child Trafficking MDT. The presentation utilizes case examples and offers recommendations from youth leaders in Boston to guide child trafficking multidisciplinary interventions. Key learning objectives for this session are to:
After learning about Adverse Child Experiences (The ACE Study), most professionals want the next steps. Creating trauma-informed space and training staff to respond to behaviors linked to trauma strengthens relationships. The justice system from disclosure to verdict, can be triggering, traumatizing and re-traumatizing for victims and families. This session shares steps to improve the environment in order to create safe spaces, recognize and identify behaviors that impact disclosure to testimony and ensure that clients feel listened to and their experiences acknowledged. Key learning objectives for this session are to:
2:15 – 2:30 PM BREAK
2:30 – 3:45 PM WORKSHOPS
Explore how Detectives used genetic genealogy to investigate and prosecute the abduction, rape, and murder of 8-year-old April Tinsley. Det. Brian Martin will profile the “April Tinsley” case, explaining and highlighting how genetic genealogy was used to identify the unknown killer and how Detectives were able to arrest and successfully prosecute the killer. The killer left messages and four separate taunting letters that contained polaroid pictures and used condoms bragging about the killing and vowing to kill again. The taunting letters were left at the homes where young girls lived. This case was unsolved for 30 years; using genetic genealogy the killer was identified and arrested in six weeks. Key learning objectives for this session are to:
Age. Race. Disability. Geography. Employment. Education. Socioeconomic status. Health insurance. Religion. Citizenship/immigration status. Family Acceptance. Level of isolation. Friendship circles. Gender vector. ACE scores. These factors and many, many more, play a role in transgender peoples’ lives – predicting their exposure trauma and harm, their ability to access to healing services, and their ability to thrive. This workshop will interactively explore trauma and resilience and the hundreds of intersections in the lives of transgender and non-binary survivors. The workshop will end with practical tips every agency can implement. Key learning objectives for this session are to:
Experiences in childhood matter. Numerous research studies have shown how childhood stress and trauma can impact adult health. The ACE Study is the largest study investigating the health and social effects of negative childhood experiences. Now that we have the research, what can we do about it? The cycle of violence, generational poverty and abuse, homelessness, substance abuse, incarceration, perpetration and victimization of violence are all related to ACE’s. Strategies such as identification and assessment, reducing risk and exposure and nurturing resiliency and skill-building are effective interventions. Changing the negative course that many children are on is our best way to prevent abuse in future generations. This presentation will increase your knowledge of trauma and provide ways to work with children, families, and communities to reduce the impact of trauma. Key learning objectives for this session are to:
This session introduces the Safe & Together Model’s set of concepts, tools, and practices to improve how agencies, communities, and individuals respond to domestic violence where children are involved. You will learn about gaps and challenges related to domestic violence cases involving children, the importance of applying a perpetrator pattern-based approach, and how partnerships with adult survivors are critical to domestic violence-informed practice. You will also learn how to improve assessment addressing perpetration as a parenting choice and giving mothers full credit for their protective efforts. You will be introduced to the practice principles and critical components of the Model and how they can help make a difference in case practice. Key learning objectives for this session are to:
In 1996, one-year-old Nadia Rougebianni was kidnapped by her father. This abduction was eerily foreshadowed by an Unsolved Mysteries segment in which the subject of this investigation, Omar Rougebianni, acted in the role of a father who abducted his child from El Paso, Texas in the same manner that Omar would do so himself just a few years later. For over 20 years, Nadia’s mother, Lupe, law enforcement, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) searched for her. Twenty-one years after her abduction as an infant, Nadia was located in Germany, having no idea that she had been taken from her birth mother. Key learning objectives for this session are to:
The Advocacy in Action conference seeks to present a wide variety of topics, issues and exhibits. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the following supporting organizations: the New Mexico Crime Victims Reparation Commission, the State of New Mexico, the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Inc., the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, the Office for Victims of Crime, the Children’s Justice Act Advocacy Group.
These organizations neither endorse nor assume responsibility for the concepts expressed during these programs.
Conference and Website Management Services provided by Kesselman-Jones, Inc.
(505) 266-3451
PO Box 30182
Albuquerque, NM 87190