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Workshops

Presenter: Andrew Campbell

“Someday” Never Comes: Breaking Generational Cycles of Familial Abuse

This presentation will highlight key concepts for ending generational cycles of familial abuse, explore how concepts from initiatives to end generational cycles for other public health issues are also relevant, explain the importance of working at this issue from both directions (separate but equally effective programs for victims and perpetrators) and identify key areas of intervention for family violence professionals (law enforcement, court systems, animal welfare, education, medical, faithbased, etc.) in efforts to end abuse in the home. Ending generational cycles of familial abuse not only results in improved health outcomes for all humans and animals who currently reside in the home, but for the generations who follow as well.

This presentation will explore academic literature, family violence data, and victim accounts of family violence (Partner Abuse, Child Abuse, Elder Abuse, and Pet Abuse) occurring in rural communities. Key barriers to reporting abuse in isolated environments will be highlighted along with innovative concepts to improve prevention and detection of this abuse. Differences in reported characteristics of family violence perpetration between rural and urban environments will be described. Pregnant partner violence (PPV) and additional barriers to assistance often experienced by abused pregnant women in rural communities will be discussed. Participants will learn of the importance of developing multidisciplinary response teams that include faith-based organizations, animal welfare agencies, school systems, libraries, and other key community agencies in efforts to improve detection and reporting of abuse in rural communities. Key lessons learned from examining efforts to reach victims of abuse isolated with a perpetrator during Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns will be discussed to improve efforts to protect at-risk and vulnerable populations residing in isolated environments.

This presentation will discuss the specific threats of physical, psychological, and emotional harm for children living in a home where partner abuse/domestic violence occurs. Common misconceptions will be addressed, including the idea that a child can be too young to be affected by abuse in the home, physically observable signs of injury are an appropriate estimator of victimization, and the idea that children who do not actually see a violent act occur are not significantly harmed by it. Other topics to be discussed include: the various forms of child emotional maltreatment, toxic stress, child-caregiver attachment, “emotionally unavailable parents”, the effects of witnessing threats or violence against animals living within the home, caregiver risk factors for domestic violence and emotional maltreatment, how to better identify victims, and what to do once victims have been identified.

This presentation will describe the many risks of harm (short-term and long-term) for children exposed to violence in their community. As rates of violent crimes continue to increase across the United States, all victim-serving disciplines must gain greater insight into the damaging effects of exposure to these incidents on the children who reside in their community. With a focus on the emotionally damaging nature of this exposure, outcome differences by race, gender, age, proximity, and frequency of community violence exposure will be discussed. In addition, this training will discuss the overlap between exposure to violence as a child, and risks for subsequent victimization or perpetration of violence in the home and/or community as an adolescent or adult. Finally, critical components of effective and efficient community-inclusive, multi-disciplinary intervention efforts will be described.

Based on the presenter’s recent publications in Social Sciences (2022), the Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2021 & 2020), Forensic Science International: Animals and Environments (2021),and book on the topic (2021), this presentation will describe the specific emotional and physical risks of harm for all children, adults, and animals residing in homes where family violence occurs. Key points of emphasis include protecting pets to best protect their humans too, improved attention to and understanding of the damaging effects of emotional abuse, and the need to expand community partnerships to include critical (often left out) organizations in the fight to end family violence. In addition to increased risk for victims, concerns for the safety of first responders at the scene of these incidents will also be addressed. Key concepts including how DV perpetrator pet abuse may signal increased risk for police officers and others involved in cases of family violence will be explored. New data from a partnership between the presenter, child welfare agencies, and law enforcement agencies in several communities will be highlighted to provide unique perspective regarding the overlapping nature of these different forms of abuse and ways different disciplines can better support one another.

Presenter: Anthony DeVincenzo

Making the MDT Model Work for Law Enforcement

Law enforcement participation in the MDT model has to be useful, credible, and aligned with investigative realities. This workshop explores how CACs and MDTs can strengthen law enforcement engagement by respecting investigative mandates, improving communication, and making MDT participation feel practical rather than performative.

Trauma-informed practice is not limited to the first response or the forensic interview. It includes how the MDT communicates, coordinates, prepares families, shares information, and follows through across the life of a case. This workshop helps teams look at trauma-informed practice as a system behavior, not just an individual skill.

MDT decisions are made under pressure, with incomplete information, competing mandates, and strong emotions. This session helps participants recognize how assumptions and cognitive shortcuts can shape case discussion, partner perceptions, and decision-making. The focus is not blame; the focus is better thinking together.

MDT conflict is often described as a personality issue, but many difficult conversations are really about assumptions, role tension, unclear expectations, or unspoken operational needs. This workshop helps participants move from vague frustration to clearer, more productive conversations.

Resilience in CAC/MDT work is not only an individual wellness issue. Teams either create conditions that protect people or conditions that quietly drain them. This workshop looks at resilience through the lens of connection, clarity, workload realities, strengths, and small team practices that make the work more sustainable.

Presenter: Dawn Cook

Understanding ACES and NEAR Science

Adverse childhood experiences are traumatic events that create toxic stress which affect children’s emotional, social, physical, cognitive and brain development. ACEs are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance misuse in adulthood. Learn how childhood adversity impacts our lives, the lives of our children, and the health of our communities.

Presenter: Dr. Danielle Williams

Navigating the Courtroom as a Fact and Expert Witness

This workshop will provide participants with practical tools for effective courtroom testimony. Through an interactive mock trial based on a real-world child abuse investigation, presenters will illustrate the roles and expectations of fact and expert witnesses. Participants will gain insight into courtroom etiquette, legal terminology, and strategies for clear and credible communication on the stand.

Presenter: Doug Edwards

Fatherhood and Prevention: From Conception to Forever

Fathers are a social and emotional resource for Moms, children, and communities. Good fathering includes healthy family and community relationships that support prevention. We will look back to early childhood to trace the preventive elements of fathering and the skills and assets that family men can bring to children’s lives. We look forward to finding ways to address unconscious bias against family men, assess our relationship with them, and highlight the value of fatherhood in your work.  We bring our whole selves to our work, so it is important to assess our personal experiences and their impact on our connections with families. Together, we’ll have a lively, interactive conversation using a multisensory approach, with research, role-plays, music, photos, and videos. I look forward to your contribution to this collective experience.

Family support workers serve as a Bridge for families, helping them get Over Troubled Waters to the other side. Workers have their own personal and professional challenges, and sometimes they get in the way. We can fix that. Understanding how those challenges affect their relationships with the families they serve is essential. Our effectiveness depends on that understanding. And it’s all complicated by our own family dynamics, culture, social unrest, health challenges, employment, and economics. This training is designed to broaden our understanding, cultivate insight, inspire empathy, and help us discover strategies for navigating our environment with a measure of professionalism and success. And with that, we become better “Bridges.” With a multisensory approach, this presentation/training will incorporate photos, videos, music, role-plays, and engaging conversations to support learning.

Presenter: Dr. Kate Watson

From Compassion Fatigue to Compassion Satisfaction

Rather than viewing compassion fatigue through an overly simplistic lens, this session challenges old assumptions and invites participants to rethink what it truly means to care for others sustainably. Through engaging theory, practical exercises, and guided self-reflection, learners will develop personalized strategies for cultivating compassion satisfaction. 

Ambiguous loss—when someone or something important is physically absent but psychologically present, or physically present but emotionally absent—can leave people stuck in cycles of grief, confusion, and longing. This session offers examples such as a survivor of domestic violence mourning the loss of the relationship they hoped for, or a survivor of sexual assault grieving the loss of safety and trust in their own body. Participants will learn to recognize the signs of ambiguous loss and discover strategies to support clients.

This session explores the transformative potential that can emerge in the aftermath of trauma. Participants will examine the scientific research behind post-traumatic growth, identify the conditions that can support positive change, and engage with powerful narratives of resilience and recovery. Through engaging presentations, case studies, and guided self-reflective exercises, learners will gain meaningful insights and practical tools to foster growth in their own lives or in the lives of those they support. Designed for individuals, caregivers, and professionals alike, this workshop offers a thoughtful and research-informed exploration of how people can experience renewed strength, deeper relationships, and a greater sense of purpose following adversity.

Even the most committed professionals carry implicit biases—automatic assumptions shaped by culture and experience. When unexamined, these biases can influence how we interpret clients’ stories, assess credibility, and build trust. This interactive workshop explores how biases form, how they operate beneath awareness, and how they show up in advocacy practice. Participants will examine microaggressions—subtle, often unintentional behaviors or comments that communicate bias—and their impact on survivors from marginalized communities. Through case examples and guided reflection, learners will strengthen their ability to recognize bias in the moment, respond intentionally, interrupt harmful behavior, and take accountability when mistakes cause harm.

This brief session introduces advocates to the nature of shame, how it shows up in the lives of survivors, and the ways it can impact healing. Together, we’ll explore the difference between shame and guilt, common sources of shame, and how shame influences communication, trust, and self-perception. Participants will also learn practical strategies to reduce shame’s impact in advocacy settings, including language choices, validation techniques, and approaches that foster dignity and empowerment.

Presenter: Joan Soto Meléndez, LPC

Beyond Survival Mode: Sustainable Care for Professionals Supporting Children and Families After Trauma

Professionals supporting children and families through multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) often work in environments shaped by urgency, complexity, and repeated exposure to difficult experiences. While systems continue strengthening responses for children, less attention is often given to sustaining the people providing care, advocacy, coordination, and intervention. This interactive workshop explores how chronic stress and prolonged exposure to emotionally demanding work can influence presence, decision-making, connection, and long-term engagement across helping professions. Participants will examine the difference between functioning and sustainable practice, identify early indicators of overload and emotional depletion, and reflect on practical approaches that support emotional sustainability without compromising quality of care. Grounded in mental health principles and reflective practice, this session moves beyond traditional conversations about self-care and introduces realistic strategies that can be integrated into demanding professional environments. Participants will leave with practical tools, opportunities for reflection, and one meaningful action to strengthen sustainable engagement while continuing to support positive outcomes for children and families.

 

Presenter: Merissa Wright

How Mary Lost Her Lamb: Rethinking Child Sexual Abuse Prevention in Early Childhood

This workshop explores the overlooked and unspoken realities of child sexual abuse in early childhood. This includes child-on-child sexual abuse, grooming in early childhood, misconceptions about risk and innocence, and the challenges of identifying sexual abuse in young children. Participants will examine their own biases in sexual abuse, sexuality education, and sexual abuse prevention. This includes confronting the reality that sexual abuse most often occurs outside of the traditional “stranger danger” narrative. Using case examples and hands-on activities, participants will rethink CSA in early childhood and how to approach prevention through a shared responsibility rather than a reactive response. Participants will learn to identify developmental and behavioral grey areas as well as social and environmental factors that increase risk. Participants will walk away with practical, prevention-focused strategies that can be utilized across settings (i.e., law enforcement, education, community mental health, family service agencies).

Presenter: Polly Marston, PhD

The Science of Violence: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to a Multi-Disciplinary Problem

Violence has long been approached by helpers with separate and unequal responses: one approach for child abuse, domestic violence, human trafficking etc.  This workshop will present the problem of violence as what it is: a collective signal across a broad spectrum of domains indicating a deep lack of safety.   Borrowing from the physical sciences, current research and cases, Dr. Marston will outline how and why violence should be approached as an important indicator of collective dangerous conditions.  Dr. Marston will spend time outlining how an isolated approach to violence limits our interventions and safety.  A multi-disciplinary approach implemented immediately can lead to far better outcomes. Dr Marston will offer cases and examples to support how and why this can be done across all settings.

Presenter: Priscilla Westberg

Shake it Off: Play Away the Stress

Child Abuse Professionals are faced with difficult situations daily. We will define burnout, discuss ways that our jobs handle different traumatic experiences, and how we cope with them. Audience members will identify ways to cope with stress in the moment as an individual and as a team. We are looking at the multidisciplinary team members toolkits and adding tools of play. This will be an interactive session, and everyone should come ready to play!

Presenter: Detective Rafael Dacampo

Human Trafficking Hidden in Plain Sight

Workshop detailing a 2025 human trafficking case involving multiple juveniles. The use of online platforms to promote trafficking crimes and how to effectively investigate and dismantle the criminal organizations. Thorough review of the MDT investigative process and the pivotal role social service providers provide during the process.

Presenter: Robert Peters

Winning Without Words: Prosecuting Cases with Recanting or Nonverbal Victims

Even when a child victim recants or cannot speak in court, prosecutors can prevail. This workshop delivers practical investigative and courtroom strategies to anticipate and address recantation, support children throughout the process, and secure convictions when a child cannot or will not testify. Participants will leave equipped to turn silence into strength in the courtroom.

Suggested Audience: Prosecutors and law enforcement, with some value for other CAC/MDT members

Understanding offender psychology is essential to recognizing, investigating, and proving child sexual abuse. Mindhunters gives professionals practical insight into cognitive distortions, risk indicators, and grooming behaviors—and shows how these dynamics can drive stronger investigations, interviews, and expert testimony.

Suggested Audience: Law enforcement and prosecutors, with some value for other MDT members

This workshop, hosted in a game show format by a former prosecutor and a forensic psychologist, equips attendees to address and refute defenses frequently encountered in child abuse cases. Participants will gain insights into identifying and addressing common defenses in child sex trafficking, online sexual exploitation, and child sexual abuse, and explore practical countermeasures tailored for MDT members.

Suggested Audience: All CAC & MDT members

Cases involving youth with problematic sexual behavior are tragically common for prosecutors, forensic interviewers, and other MDT members. However, addressing these cases effectively presents complex challenges and considerations. This workshop, taught by a former prosecutor, offers relevant research and tactics for appropriate intervention and prosecution.

Suggested Audience: All CAC and MDT members

With rapid advances in AI, new digital threats are creating fresh challenges for MDTs. Led by a former prosecutor, this workshop unpacks the multidisciplinary implications of emerging technologies in sexual exploitation and abuse cases.

Suggested Audience: All MDT members, with particular relevance for law enforcement and prosecutors

Submit a Workshop Proposal

Experienced and dynamic presenters from the fields of law enforcement, child welfare, children’s mental health, teachers, forensic interviewers, medical professionals, legal and child advocacy centers and community partners who are invested in the field of child abuse are invited to submit workshop proposals for the seventh annual conference on child abuse hosted by the Connecticut Children’s Alliance (CCA). The workshops are expected to be 90 minutes. This year’s conference will offer three tracks: Strengthening the MDT Response, Child Abuse Prevention and Human Trafficking.

Submit a Workshop Proposal