Workshop 1 | Healing Through Strengths: Trauma-Informed Practices to Promote Resilience in a Child Advocacy Center

• Ashley Cremeans, Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children
• Dr. Pratima R Shanbhag, Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children
• Sarah Zawaly, Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children
Trauma-informed care is recognized as an effective approach to support healing for families and patients experiencing adversity. This interactive workshop will review how the Mayerson Center utilized that broader framework to implement an intervention that encourages patient and family empowerment. Attendees will gain an in-depth understanding of the role of a strength-based approach and protective factors in mitigating the impact of adversity. Expanding on these concepts, attendees will receive part of the Mayerson Center training, which includes the introductory skills to incorporate the recognition of strengths in their patients during a child advocacy center visit. This model allows us to answer the question "What happened to you?" The strength intervention allows us to ask and answer the question "What is strong in you?"

Workshop 2 | Criminal or Creeper? A Deep Dive into Ohio's Sexual Battery Law

• Erik Spitzer, Ohio Attorney General's Special Prosecutions Section
• Kara Keating, Ohio Attorney General's Special Prosecutions Section
• William Walton, Ohio Attorney General's Special Prosecutions Section
Ohio law delineates 13 conditions that, individually, constitute felony sexual battery, but many of these conditions differ from what people commonly understand to be sexual battery. This workshop will examine scenarios to help attendees identify whether a perpetrator is, indeed, a criminal or only a creeper. It also will explore tips and tricks for building rapport with law enforcement and survivors.

Workshop 3 | Domestic Violence, Stalking, Dating Violence and Sexual Violence: Legal and Legislative Updates

• Alexandria Ruden, Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
• Maria York (she/her), Ohio Domestic Violence Network
The workshop will provide an overview of state and federal legislative, statutory, rule and policy changes affecting domestic violence, stalking, dating violence, and sexual violence laws and services. Presenters also will discuss significant case law developments, statutory law, and relevant changes to Ohio's court and administrative rules. From this overview, participants will begin to recognize statutory trends that will impact those we serve.

Workshop 4 | A Person-Centered Approach to Victim Advocacy: Aligning Court and Community Advocates

• Bridget Henebry, OSU STAR Trauma Recovery Center
• Christy Walters, OSU STAR Trauma Recovery Center
• Laura Marsh, Franklin County Prosecutor's Office, Victim Witness Unit
As victims work to navigate the legal process, advocates in both the court system and the community strive to meet the needs of survivors of crime and those impacted by homicide. The advocates’ combined expertise can prove exponentially beneficial to victims when they work together while maintaining a person-centered approach. This presentation explains the necessary and appropriate ways that court advocates and community advocates can work together to serve a shared victim. It also discusses what is gained therapeutically when a person-centered approach is used to support victims. The workshop seeks to better educate attendees about court procedures and give them a better understanding of how community-based advocacy or non-system-based advocacy can be complementary to court advocacy.

Workshop 5 | Using a Multi-Disciplinary Response to Work with Juvenile Human Trafficking Survivors

• Erin Meyer, The Salvation Army
• Jodi Stanton, Hamilton County Juvenile Court
• Mary Braun, Cincinnati Police Department
As the number of youths identified as victims (and potential victims) of human trafficking increases, so does the importance of agency collaboration to better serve these youths. This workshop will discuss how three local agencies – the Hamilton County Juvenile Court, Cincinnati Police Department and Salvation Army (End Slavery Cincinnati) – work together on these cases. Attendees will learn how cases are identified, investigations are started, and services are initiated, all using a trauma-informed approach. The presentation also will review a case study that resulted in a federal indictment against the trafficker.

Workshop 6 | Survivorship to Leadership

• Teresa M. Stafford, Battered Women’s Shelter and Rape Crisis Center of Medina and Summit Counties
As a child, Teresa Stafford was sexually abused by a family member and, by age 14, had entered the criminal justice system as a juvenile delinquent. For several decades, she experienced one traumatic event after another, enduring years of turmoil before recognizing how her past was affecting her future. In this workshop, she will explain how she turned her pain into purpose to create a life filled with healing, growth and advocacy.

Workshop 7 | Ohio's Protection Order Schema: Do We Need That Many?

• Alexandria Ruden, The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
This workshop will provide a primer on Ohio's seven types of protection orders, both civil and criminal, as well as no-contact orders. It will address relevant relationships, jurisdiction, procedures, remedies and nuances of each type of order, as well as the protection order forms involved. The workshop also will provide relevant case law as applied to the various Ohio statutory provisions and examine the similarities and differences inherent in the statutes.

Workshop 8 | Unmarried Mothers: Understanding, Protecting and Defending Their Custody Rights Against Their Abuser

• Sandy Sullivan Bostic, Center for Family Safety and Healing
• Shauna Hill, Center for Family Safety and Healing
Unmarried mothers in Ohio have sole legal custody of their children, regardless of the birth certificate listing the biological father. Notwithstanding this clear legal right, many abusers coerce their partners and ex-partners into believing that they, the abusers, have all the control when it comes to their children. The workshop examines unmarried mothers' legal rights in Ohio regarding visitation and custody with the biological father, especially when intimate partner violence (IPV) is or was present in the relationship. The presenters will discuss the role that IPV plays in those legal rights and court decisions in custody cases. Participants will learn best practices in the legal realm to support their unmarried mothers as the mothers navigate parenting with their abuser.

Workshop 9 | Got Spoons? Advocating for Advocates

• Shelby Lieber (she/her), Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence
This interactive workshop will look at the culture of advocacy and dive into the shocking truth that advocates are burning out quicker than ever. It will discuss the spoon method, a metaphorical framework in which the amount of energy that a person needs to complete daily activities is symbolized as spoons. The more spoons, the more energy a person has. Ultimately, the exercise will help workshop participants determine whether they have enough spoons at the end of the day. The workshop also will explore possible ways that advocates can disconnect when away from their work, and how to find more support within the field.

Workshop 10 | Exploring Activities that Promote Regulation in Youths Exposed to Domestic Violence

• Sonia Ferencik, Ohio Domestic Violence Network
Transforming care for youths who have been exposed to domestic violence occurs when professionals serve them in a trauma-responsive way. This workshop will explore practical ways that advocates can deepen their knowledge of the mind-body connection to better ally with youths and help them with emotional regulation. It also will look at bias in serving younger survivors based on traditional child-rearing expectations and how advocates must shift approaches with children to help them find ways to manage their distress. The content will include a brief review of child development and trauma, as well as lower-brain-based, bottom-up activities used in therapy – practices that highlight how rhythm, playing, deep breathing, and movement flood the body with "rest and digest" hormones, calming the stress-response system. For advocates who work with parents victimized by an abusive partner, this session may provide ideas to help support parents in creating healing-centered approaches with their children when they experience distress.

Workshop 11 | VOCA Victim Advocacy Grant Training

• Harrison Xu, Ohio Attorney General's Office
• Mary Ann Young, Ohio Attorney General's Office
• Mischa Hitchcock, Ohio Attorney General's Office
The workshop will provide an overview of the grant award acceptance documents and explain the grant application. Victim services providers will gain an in-depth understanding of programmatic and fiscal policies and procedures.

Workshop 12 | Ethics in Advocacy I (Part 1 of 2) (Note: Both parts must be taken to receive credit.)

• Elyse McConnell, Ohio Victim Witness Association
• Rachel Ramirez, Ohio Domestic Violence Network
• Wendy Ricks-Hoff, Ohio Victim Witness Association
The first of two interactive workshops on ethics in advocacy, this presentation will review the NOVA Code of Ethics, which governs the conduct of victim assistance providers. The workshop also will examine issues such as client rights; privacy; confidentiality; and relationships with colleagues, other professionals and the public. The presenters will provide interactive case examples and opportunities for discussion.

Workshop 13 | Using Our ''Wandering Nerve'' to Mitigate Work-Related Stress

• Leanne Graham, Victim Assistance Program, Summit Victim Assistance Program
Using the Biopsychosocial Model of Health & Wellbeing, this workshop will examine work-related stress and its effects on health. Participants will learn about our "wandering nerve," vagus, and how vagal tone affects health. Strategies aimed at mitigating stress are presented for each area of health.

Workshop 14 | Collaborating in a Crisis

• Diane Medvec, Mentor Police Department Victim Assistance
• Sheri Sweeney, Lake County Prosecutors Victim Assistance Program
• Sandra Tenkku (she/her), Lake County ADAMHS Board
• Emelia Boepple, Lake County Victim Assistance Program
Lake County and the city of Mentor endured a mass shooting in which three people were killed and a small retirement community was traumatized. Mentor's victim advocate and advocates from the Lake County Prosecutor's Office and Crossroads Mental Health agency collaborated to provide crisis intervention and assistance to all victims soon after the shooting. This workshop will discuss how each brought its own expertise to support the victims and community.

Workshop 15 | Navigating the Current: Social Media, Technology and Their Impact on Society

• Crystal Ann Hall, Child and Family Advocates of Cuyahoga County
This workshop will take a deep dive into the crucial role that social media and technology play in shaping public perceptions and behaviors in relation to violent crimes and the spread of disinformation. Led by a seasoned digital marketing expert with firsthand experience in child advocacy in the judicial system, the presentation will emphasize the protection of vulnerable groups and the promotion of digital literacy. Through interactive discussions, real-world scenarios, and strategic planning activities, participants will emerge better equipped to address these modern challenges head-on.

Workshop 16 | How to Recognize the Five Trauma Responses in Sexual Assault Survivors and Apply Knowledge to Help Successfully Investigate and Prosecute Sexual Assault Cases

• Kat Hartswick, Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
Most people are aware of two or three trauma responses that survivors of sexual assault might experience – typically fight, flight or freeze. But there are actually five trauma responses: fight, flight, freeze, fawn and appease. This training will help advocates, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and others involved in investigating and prosecuting sexual assault cases to understand and recognize all five. It also will help investigators and prosecutors identify and break down barriers that arise due to these trauma responses. Professionals will be able to apply this knowledge to their cases to aid in removing bias and systemic barriers en route to successfully investigating and prosecuting sexual assault cases.

Workshop 17 | Immigrant Women of Color Experiences With Intimate Partner Violence and Service Access

• Dr. Cecilia Mengo, The Ohio State University
• Shambika Raut, The Ohio State University
• Yeliani Flores, The Ohio State University
This workshop stems from a community-based participatory research study that was conducted in two phases. Phase I involved a web-based survey distributed to informal and formal service providers who have served immigrant women of color (IWOC) experiencing intimate partner violence. Phase II included in-depth interviews with a nested sample of service providers. Half of the participants (50%) reported meeting the needs of IWOC experiencing intimate partner violence. In-depth interviews revealed the presence of systemic discrimination against IWOC survivors, which is a major barrier for accessing services. Other structural inequality barriers that were identified included language, immigration status, resource deficiency, and cultural misunderstandings about intimate partner violence. The combination of compassion fatigue and burnout also proved to be a major barrier to providing equitable services.

Workshop 18 | Ethics in Advocacy II (Part 2 of 2) (Note: Both parts must be taken to receive credit.)

• Elyse McConnell, Ohio Victim Witness Association
• Rachel Ramirez, Ohio Domestic Violence Network
• Wendy Ricks-Hoff, Ohio Victim Witness Association
This workshop will examine special ethical considerations, including boundaries, oppression and dual relationships. Presenters will review the Code of Ethics while providing interactive case examples and opportunities for discussion.

Workshop 19 | Safer Planning, Part 1: Supporting Safety for Survivors Who Stay (Note: Participants are NOT required to attend both parts.)

• Alicia Williamson (she/her), Ohio Domestic Violence Network
• Denise Kontras (she/her), Ohio Domestic Violence Network
• Leah Stone (she/her), Ohio Domestic Violence Network
Although safety planning typically associated focuses on safely ending an abusive relationship, not every person experiencing abuse is ready or able to leave. In the first part of this interactive workshop, participants will explore strategies to enhance safety and create choice for survivors who remain in contact or in a relationship with an abusive person. They will learn foundational skills for survivor-centered safety planning and apply this knowledge to various scenarios.

Workshop 20 | The Advocate's Toolkit: Interdisciplinary Strategies and Skills to Promote Survivor Healing

• Emily Gemar (she/her), Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence
• Maria York (she/her), Ohio Domestic Violence Network
Whether it means venturing out to the frontlines to offer services, working behind the scenes to create effective programs, or managing ever-growing organizations, the work of supporting survivors takes a lot of time, energy and effort. The work you do undoubtedly brings hope and relief to countless individuals seeking a reprieve from the harm they have endured. The same advice that you give to survivors applies to you: Your voice matters, and the world needs to hear it. This session will provide the guidance and support required to be an effective, persuasive and strategic advocate.

Workshop 21 | The Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence, Strangulation and Brain Injury Screening: A Pilot Project

• Dr. Adenike Gbadebo, Aultman Hospital
• Julie Donant, Domestic Violence Project Inc.
• Rachel Ramirez, Ohio Domestic Violence Network
Survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual violence and human trafficking face a high risk of brain injury due to high rates of strangulation and head and face injuries suffered from physical abuse. In addition to acute physical injuries, survivors suffer various chronic health complications. Many survivors do not seek medical attention for their injuries – and even when they do, their brain injury often goes unrecognized and untreated. Research indicates that one solution to this issue is screening for brain injuries, which not only helps identify such injuries but also can increase medical referrals for diagnosis and treatment. The workshop will discuss brain injury in the setting of intimate partner violence and provide a detailed look into a pilot project using brain-injury identification as a new standard of care for shelter-seeking clients. It also will discuss additional approaches to addressing brain injury within services, including the Ohio Domestic Violence Network’s evidence-based CARE (Connect, Acknowledge, Respond, Evaluate) approach.

Workshop 22 | Elevating Advocacy: Children's Advocacy Centers and the Power of Collaboration

• Celeste Prince, Ohio Network of Children's Advocacy Centers
• Danielle Vandegriff, Ohio Network of Children's Advocacy Centers
• Jessika Holmes, Ohio Network of Children's Advocacy Centers
This presentation will explore the profound impact of children's advocacy centers (CACs) on child protection and healing. It will provide insights into the core functions of CACs, the crucial role played by the Ohio Network of Children's Advocacy Centers (ONCAC), and how ONCAC can bolster your efforts to protect and advocate for children. Participants will learn how various professions can strategically use CACs to meet agency needs and foster a collaborative and effective approach to child welfare.

Workshop 23 | Ohio's Victim Offender Dialogue Program – Facilitator Selection, Training, Retention and Program Management

• Chrystal Pounds-Alexander, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
• Jennifer Conkle, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
Victim offender dialogue (VOD) programs are important to a survivor's healing as well as the incarcerated individual or supervisee who has agreed to participate. Because the assigned facilitators are critical to the success of each case, they are selected with great care. This workshop will discuss the selection, training and retention of the facilitators and examine the practices required to maintain an effective, adaptable program. It also will look at the many benefits of such programs.

Workshop 24 | Strategies to Increase Prosecution of Traffickers of Minors

• Linda Majeska Powers, Ohio Attorney General's Office
• Mary Kate Waggoner, Ohio Attorney General's Office
This training is designed for law enforcement personnel and victim advocates who partner with law enforcement. It will explore the complexities of child sex-trafficking cases and help workshop participants enhance the quality of their investigations and their interactions with victims.

Workshop 25 | Safer Planning, Part 2: Supporting Safety for Survivors Who Stay – A Panel Discussion (NOTE: Participants are NOT required to attend both parts.)

• Denise Kontras (she/her), Ohio Domestic Violence Network
• Dawn Anderson-Thurmond (she/her), of YWCA Hamilton’s Domestic Violence Programming
• Suad Mohamed, Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETSS)
• Monica Walker, Ohio Attorney General
• Jennifer Vazquez Lopez (she/her), Ohio Hispanic Coalition
• Chris Miller (he/him), Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center of Greater Cleveland
In the second part of this workshop, a diverse panel of experts will expand on the unique barriers and needs of underserved populations when experiencing abuse. The lessons discussed will help advocates understand situations and develop plans for anyone they encounter.

Workshop 26 | How to Be the Village: Building Resilience With Child/Adolescent Survivors

• Brianne Bergstrom, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
• Abigail Branco, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Youths who are affected by violence, abuse and trauma are more vulnerable to future harm, including physical abuse, teen dating violence, substance abuse and human trafficking. Every day, whether they realize it or not, advocates and other adults in various roles have contact with these youths. How can adults who interact with these young people increase their resiliency and decrease their vulnerability to future tragedies and trauma? This workshop will explore how professionals can work with youths in meaningful ways and improve outcomes for them and their families.

Workshop 27 | Bridging the Gap Between Advocates and Victims / Meeting Clients Where They Are

• Sheila Nared, Trauma Recovery Center of Cincinnati
• Janice Sowell, Trauma Recovery Center of Cincinnati
• Mildred M. Patterson, Trauma Recovery Center of Cincinnati
This interactive session will include hands-on activities, demonstrations, and an opportunity to share experiences. Facilitators will discuss evidence-based practices that allow participants to meet clients where they are by acknowledging the reality of their situation. The workshop will focus on strategies that build relationships, identify root causes, and validate the needs of victims. Presenters will share simple, practical ways to implement trauma-informed care in all aspects of interaction with clients. Elements of the session will include meditations and healthy drumming to promote hope and healing.

Workshop 28 | The Medical and Legal Implications of Strangulation

• Alexandria Ruden, The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
• Ruth Downing, Forensic Nursing Network Inc.
• Jane Bryan, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Strangulation has been identified as one of the lethal forms of violence. This workshop will give an overview of the medical implications of strangulation, including relevant statistics and reasons why strangulation is so lethal. Presenters will discuss legal aspects, including Ohio’s new strangulation law and significant legal challenges. They also will talk about expert witness testimony, including qualifications, the rules of evidence and report writing. This training will focus on handling strangulation cases in the context of relevant case law. In addition, participants will learn about emerging best practices and new research.

Workshop 29 | Joining Forces: Supporting Youth Affected by Homicide Deaths Through Traumatic Grief Counseling

• Lauri Yersavich, OhioHealth Hospice Bereavement
• Geneva Sanford, OhioHealth Hospice Bereavement
• Sarah See, OhioHealth Hospice Bereavement
OhioHealth’s Trauma Recovery Center and OhioHealth Hospice’s Bereavement Program have formed a partnership to provide a specialized level of support for youths who are enduring the death of a loved one as a victim of crime. This session will highlight how this collaboration came to be and the process to navigate the workflow between programs. The remainder of the session will focus on the following: definitions and models of grief work with young children and teens; understanding the unique reactions and responses to traumatic loss; and supporting grieving youths through group and individual interventions that can be used in school, community or clinical settings.

Workshop 30 | Grant Writing

• Elyse McConnell, Ohio Victim Witness Association
Grant writing is an essential skill for any advocate in a leadership position tasked with obtaining funding for program services. This training will explore the grant-writing process, including finding grant opportunities; understanding specific guidelines for governmental, corporate, and private foundation grants; planning and producing financial documentation and budgets; and identifying other practical skills for securing financial support.

Workshop 31 | Rock, Rhythm and Regulate: Practices to Mitigate Vicarious Trauma (Note: Participation is limited to 60 people.) [Sold Out]

• Sonia Ferencik, Ohio Domestic Violence Network
The impact of vicarious trauma or secondary traumatic stress is real for many who serve victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and human trafficking. Research in trauma and neuroscience indicates that trauma reactions can dysregulate a person’s internal state of balance, often keeping one in a stress response of fight, flight or freeze. Findings also show that mind-body practices can put the “brakes on the stress response,” thereby regulating and soothing the nervous system. This workshop is for those who want to explore and practice “being present” – with themselves and in a circle of peers. Participants will engage in 30 minutes of mindful meditation and breathing practices, 30 minutes of movements to release tension in the body, and 30 minutes of shared peer discussion intended to anchor your commitment to serving survivors while caring for yourself. Participants will receive a river-rock to record their anchoring word – a reminder to carry with you.