Victim Advocacy Roundtable - September
2024-09-25 11:00 - 12:00 UTC | Zoom
Victim Advocate Roundtable is held the fourth Wednesday of every month from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM. The group is open to victim advocates working with CACs and MDTs in Washington State including CAC-based, community-based, and systems-based advocates. This is a supportive space to network, share current practices in the field, and receive input on challenging cases from peers.
Register for roundtable by clicking here.
On the registration landing page click on the Register button then select Single Registration on the registration pop up. On the event registration page, please select the dates you want to attend.
Note that there are two sessions that fall on the third Wednesday due to calendar conflicts – January 17 and December 18, 2024.
The date of Victim Advocate Roundtable may change due to unforeseen calendar conflicts.

October CACWA Accreditation Lunch & Learn - Child Safety and Protection Standard
2024-10-16 12:00 - 13:00
Accreditation is the highest level of membership that a CAC can achieve as part of NCA’s nationwide network. It is a rigorous process that ensures quality evidence-based services are being provided by CACs for children and families according to NCA’s National Standards of Accreditation. In this series we will review each of the standards and associated sections of the application on a monthly basis. Attending any or all of the Lunch & Learn sessions will help with understanding the accreditation process by reviewing the changes in the 2023 Standards and organizing the application process.
To register, click here!

Victim Advocacy Roundtable - October
2024-10-23 11:00 - 12:00

Sexting: Flirting or Felony (Part 1)
2024-10-31 10:00 - 11:30
Social media is not going away. As social media adapts and changes, young people are either creating the adaptations or adapting right along with it. Professionals can face a steep learning curve as they attempt to respond to new risks in the lives of the young people they serve. This presentation provides tools to help professionals get on the front end of the problem before they are faced head on with challenging mental health or criminal scenarios around youth sending and receiving sexual material. The presentation will detail the risks children are facing and provide case studies, tools, and best practices for professionals working to respond. Part 2 in this series is scheduled for November 14th from 10:00-11:30 AM.
Learning Objectives
1. Describe compliant victimization as it relates to social media behavior.
2. Recognize the connection between coercive relationships and sending of sexual online content.
3. Critique the various legal responses to teen’s problematic online behavior while identifying best practice responses.
About the Trainer
ALISON FEIGH DIRECTOR, JACOB WETTERLING RESOURCE CENTER
Alison Feigh, MS, is the Director of Jacob Wetterling Resource Center, a program of Zero Abuse Project. In her role as a subject matter expert on child and teen safety, she works with students, parents, youth workers, faith leaders, law enforcement and the media to help prevent childhood abuse and abductions. Alison’s work also includes writing curriculum for youth-serving organizations, training professionals about online challenges kids face and advocating for families of the missing. Alison has been working in the abuse prevention field for more than 20 years. As a classmate of Jacob Wetterling, she learned early on how important it is to protect children and youth from exploitation. She is especially drawn to prevention in faith-based communities and youth- serving organizations, collaborating with teens regarding technology and helping empower parents to talk with their kids about personal and online safety. She firmly believes that personal and online safety messages can be positive, empowering and accessible. Her safety messages are highlighted in her children’s books, “On Those Runaway Days” and “I Can Play It Safe.” Both titles were released nationally in 2008 by Free Spirit Publishing and have recently been translated into Chinese.
Register HERE!

Understanding & Supporting LGBTQ+ Clients: Session 4, Case Review & Application of Skills
2024-11-07 09:00 - 11:00
This is the last session in the training series. In this session, learning will focus on a discussion of specific cases, including one related to navigating a forensic interview.
Presenter – Samantha King
Samantha King (she/her) is a cisgender woman working to help dismantle systems of gender oppression. Samantha graduated from Widener University in 2016 with a Masters of Social Work and Masters of Human Sexuality Education. Following graduation, Samantha built her career working with transgender youth at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where she created an education role to assist local educators, mental health providers, and community members to better meet the needs of the transgender community. Through this education, Samantha seeks to help cisgender people learn they ways that they too are impacted by the gender binary and works to help individuals free themselves from the restrictions of this system. Samantha left her position in early 2024 to be a stay-at-home parent but continues to stay connected to this work by offering consultation and training support.
To register, click HERE and select one or more of the dates to attend.

Part 1: Three Areas of Consideration for Engaging with Native Nations around MDTs and CACs
2024-11-12 13:00 - 15:00
Working in Indian Country requires individuals and organizations to think about how to engage respectfully and effectively with sovereign nations. We’ve identified three broad categories which are important to consider when partnering or developing CAC/MDTs:

Sovereignty. Which includes: Law, Policy, Governance and Jurisdiction.
Institutions. Which includes: Structures, Systems, Positions, and Processes.
Culture. Which includes: Values, Ways of Knowing and Doing.

This two-part session will unpack these three areas, giving concrete examples and providing participants with time to reflect on next steps and develop questions to learn from Native nations. The goal is not to create a checklist of “to dos” or broad guidelines, but to help participants develop a lens for how to approach MDT/CAC development and partnerships in Indian Country.
About the trainer:
Deanna Chancellor, MPA (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) joined NNCTC in 2023 after serving 18 years as the Director of the Leflore County, Oklahoma, Child Advocacy Center and Women’s Crisis Services. She has extensive experience providing training and technical assistance related to all aspects of child advocacy centers including development, accreditation, cultural adaptations, and secondary trauma. She leads projects focused on enhancing child advocacy center (CAC) services in Tribal communities through our Native Child Advocacy Resource Center.
Registration:
Click HERE to register.

Part 2 is scheduled for November 19, 2024, from 2:00-4:00 PM.

Sexting Behavior: Coercion or Consent (Part 2)
2024-11-14 10:00 - 11:30
Part 2 of the Sexting training series will take a detailed look at the layered dynamics involved in youth-produced sexual images and how professionals can respond. Special attention will be given to the systems response in these cases and questions that will often arise when forensic interviewers and other MDT professionals are faced with clients who have created their own sexual images.
Participants must have attended our prior training Sexting: Flirting or Felony.
Learning Objectives
1. Attendees will be able to analyze the different needs a client will have when they have been compliant in their victimization.
2. Attendees will be able to prepare for the needs of future clients who have been involved in youth produced sexual images.
3. Attendees will be able to explain the connection to coercive behavior and youth produced sexual images.
About the Trainer
ALISON FEIGH DIRECTOR, JACOB WETTERLING RESOURCE CENTER
Alison Feigh, MS, is the Director of Jacob Wetterling Resource Center, a program of Zero Abuse Project. In her role as a subject matter expert on child and teen safety, she works with students, parents, youth workers, faith leaders, law enforcement and the media to help prevent childhood abuse and abductions. Alison’s work also includes writing curriculum for youth-serving organizations, training professionals about online challenges kids face and advocating for families of the missing. Alison has been working in the abuse prevention field for more than 20 years. As a classmate of Jacob Wetterling, she learned early on how important it is to protect children and youth from exploitation. She is especially drawn to prevention in faith-based communities and youth- serving organizations, collaborating with teens regarding technology and helping empower parents to talk with their kids about personal and online safety. She firmly believes that personal and online safety messages can be positive, empowering and accessible. Her safety messages are highlighted in her children’s books, “On Those Runaway Days” and “I Can Play It Safe.” Both titles were released nationally in 2008 by Free Spirit Publishing and have recently been translated into Chinese.
Register HERE!

Part 2: Three Areas of Consideration for Engaging with Native Nations around MDTs and CACs
2024-11-19 14:00 - 16:00
Working in Indian Country requires individuals and organizations to think about how to engage respectfully and effectively with sovereign nations. We’ve identified three broad categories which are important to consider when partnering or developing CAC/MDTs:

Sovereignty. Which includes: Law, Policy, Governance and Jurisdiction.
Institutions. Which includes: Structures, Systems, Positions, and Processes.
Culture. Which includes: Values, Ways of Knowing and Doing.

About the trainer:
Deanna Chancellor, MPA (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) joined NNCTC in 2023 after serving 18 years as the Director of the Leflore County, Oklahoma, Child Advocacy Center and Women’s Crisis Services. She has extensive experience providing training and technical assistance related to all aspects of child advocacy centers including development, accreditation, cultural adaptations, and secondary trauma. She leads projects focused on enhancing child advocacy center (CAC) services in Tribal communities through our Native Child Advocacy Resource Center.
Registration:
Click HERE to register.

November CACWA Accreditation Lunch & Learn - CSEC and Prevention Optional Standards
2024-11-20 12:00 - 13:00

Aiming for Safety: Trauma-Informed Harm Reduction, Risk Assessment and Safety Planning
2024-12-03 10:00 - 15:00
This workshop will provide advocates and allied professionals with comprehensive knowledge and practical skills in trauma-informed and healing- centered: harm reduction, risk assessment, and safety planning.
Emphasizing self-efficacy and self-determination, this training will highlight the importance of an intersectional approach when working with trauma-impacted individuals, paying particular attention to vulnerable and/or rural populations as they experience higher victimization rates.
The presenter will also discuss various risk assessment tools and lethality indicators. She will then help participants to use these tools while working with clients to create a comprehensive plan to navigate and/or reduce harm in potentially dangerous situations.
Participants will learn how to create a tailored safety plan based on the individual needs of each client. There will be a special emphasis on the importance of safe exit planning- as this is a matter of life and death for many.
Objectives:

Understand trauma, its origins, manifestations, and long-term effects
Apply an intersectional approach
Learn and implement harm reduction strategies to minimize harm and promote safety
Explore comprehensive risk assessments
How to develop and implement personalized safety plans based on risk assessments
How to incorporate GPS monitoring into planning
Develop confidence in applying trauma-informed principles, harm reduction strategies, risk assessment techniques, and safety planning methods in everyday work

This training will be presented by Myra Strand. Read more about Myra on the training registration page.
Register for this training HERE.

Washington Statewide Forensic Interview Peer Review
2024-12-05 11:00 - 12:30
The purpose of forensic interview peer review is to provide Forensic and/or Child Interview Specialists and MDT Partners with an opportunity to review forensic interviews, discuss specific interview techniques, provide feedback regarding the quality of documentation, and review relevant research.
Peer review meetings are held quarterly from 11:00 AM-12:30 PM and participants are expected to take turns presenting cases. If you need assistance with preparing a transcript for peer review, please contact Lisette at lisette@cacwa.org.
To register for peer review, please click here. On the registration landing page, click Register and then select Single Registration on the pop up window. On the registration screen you may select as many dates as you wish to attend.
Please note the date of Peer Review may change due to unforeseen calendar conflicts.

Victim Advocacy Roundtable - December
2024-12-18 11:00 - 12:00

December CACWA Accreditation Lunch & Learn - Physical Abuse Optional Standard
2024-12-18 12:00 - 13:00

MDT Orientation
2025-01-08 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-02-05 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-03-05 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-04-02 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-05-07 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-06-04 10:00 - 12:00
MDT Orientation provides foundational information for new MDT members that will further their understanding of the CAC movement and model, disciplines and roles on the MDT, what makes a strong MDT, nuances of case review and why case review is important. MDT Orientation supplements the training and onboarding in CACs.
Register for MDT Orientation HERE.
Questions? Contact Lisette at lisette@cacwa.org.

Victim Advocate Roundtable 2025
2025-01-22 11:00 - 12:00
Victim Advocate Roundtable is open to victim advocates working with CACs and MDTs in Washington state including CAC-based, community-based, and systems-based advocates. This is a supportive space to network, share current practices in the field, and receive input on challenging cases from peers.
Register HERE.
Victim Advocate Roundtable sessions may change due to unforeseen calendar conflicts.

MDT Facilitator/Coordinator Forum
2025-02-11 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-05-08 10:00 - 11:30
Join other MDT Facilitators and Coordinators in a learning forum that will help you better understand your facilitation role. The forum will focus on specific topics and allow ample time for you to engage with your peers. You will have the opportunity to discuss relevant issues and exchange experiences you encounter with your MDT. A training certificate is available for each completed forum!
Register HERE!
Questions? Contact Jessica at jessicaj@cacwa.org.

Washington Statewide Forensic Interview Peer Review
2025-03-06 11:00 - 12:30
Peer review is an opportunity for forensic interviewers across the state to review forensic interviewing techniques for cases involving suspected child abuse. Peer review provides a space for thorough discussion and interview feedback as well as overview of relevant research in the field of forensic interviewing. In addition, meetings provide opportunity for networking with other forensic interviewers in the field and peer support across the state.
Peer review is held on a quarterly basis from 11:00 AM-12:30 PM.
Register HERE!
Questions? Contact Lisette at lisette@cacwa.org.

Trauma Informed Response and Care: More than being "nice" and asking open-ended questions.
2025-03-12 09:00 - 10:30
Human Centric and Healing Focused
Over the past two decades, there has been a growing recognition of the profound impact trauma has on various aspects of health, mental health, and social issues. Experiences such as sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking, child abuse, automobile accidents, and natural disasters are all deeply traumatic, often inflicting significant harm on survivors’ physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological well-being.
When individuals may endure multiple traumatic experiences throughout their lives, they may develop a range of behavioral health challenges, including but not limited to post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, depression, anxiety, childhood behavioral disorders, and even psychosis or personality disorders. Each person’s response to trauma is unique, making it essential to adopt a human-centric and healing-centered approach. This is not merely a checklist of practices or a set of open-ended questions; it is about fostering an embodied experience rooted in genuine connection. It’s reflected in how we communicate, how we move, and how we engage with the individual before us.
There is a sense of fatigue surrounding the trauma-informed paradigm. Many find it challenging to grasp its complexities, as it transcends superficial measures. It is crucial to recognize that responses to trauma can vary widely; some individuals may show no visible signs, while others may exhibit dramatic behaviors such as irritability, mood swings, anxiety, and difficulty articulating their experiences. They may struggle with memory retention or even basic self-care.
This presentation will delve into the various dimensions of a comprehensive, human-centric, and healing-centered trauma-informed response. We will cover essential topics such as staff training and support, the importance of physical environments, cultural safety and intersectionality, policy development, case management, assessment, and the prevention of vicarious trauma. We will explore different models, including the Sanctuary Model and the Addiction and Trauma Recovery Integration Model, and examine the physiological and neurological effects of trauma on the brain.
Additionally, we will discuss the Human Centric Interview to capture the nuances of these complex experiences. Our goal is to provide actionable strategies that enhance trauma-informed care and prevent vicarious trauma, fostering a more compassionate and effective response to those in need.
See the registration page for more information about the training.
Presenter: Myra Strand
Click HERE to register. Questions? Contact Lisette at lisette@cacwa.org.

Compassion Fatigue Series
2025-04-24 09:00 - 10:30
Holistic Health: From fingertips to soul songs
This training session is part one of three in the Compassion Fatigue Series. In this training session you will:

Discuss what it means to be traumatized at work
Understand there is more than trauma (demoralization, unrealistic expectations, staffing issues, funding issues, competing priorities, loneliness)
Articulate the difference between self-care vs. self-comfort
Explore health holistically (body, soul, mind, emotion, relationships, career)
To draw a link between “being healthy” and being a good responder

Presenter: Myra Strand
For more information about this training session, visit the registration page by clicking HERE.
Questions? Contact CACWA at training@cacwa.org.

Victim Advocate Roundtable 2025
2025-04-30 11:00 - 12:00
Victim Advocate Roundtable is open to victim advocates working with CACs and MDTs in Washington state including CAC-based, community-based, and systems-based advocates. This is a supportive space to network, share current practices in the field, and receive input on challenging cases from peers.
Register HERE.
Victim Advocate Roundtable sessions may change due to unforeseen calendar conflicts.
Questions? Contact Lisette at training@cacwa.org.

How Multidisciplinary Teams Can Effectively Address the Systemic Needs of Children and Youth with Problematic Sexual Behaviors (PSB)
2025-05-01 09:00 - 12:00
Children and youth that exhibit problematic sexual behaviors (PSB) have historically been labeled, branded, criminalized and pathologized, even with the best intentions. Sexual behaviors between children can range from experimentation and exploration that is developmentally normal; to unwanted, exploitive and abusive in nature. Distinguishing between appropriate and problematic sexual behavior can be difficult and often warrants a comprehensive and holistic approach due to the heterogeneous make up children and youth that cause sexual harm. Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT) have long been utilized to form strategies for the sexual abuse of children by adults, but studies show that between 25%- 40% of alleged child sexual abuse cases referred to CAC’s has been initiated by a child. MDTs often find themselves in a unique position to determine and guide services for youth with problematic sexual behavior, but are often insufficiently prepared to determine their heterogeneous, developmental and contextual needs. The focus of this training will be to examine how MDTs can systemically support the needs of this population and how they can form best practices for youth with problematic sexual behavior by developing policies and procedures that are empirically supported and informed. Resources and decision aids developed by NCA’s Problematic Sexual Behaviors work group will be reviewed and explained. The development of a coordinated community response will be outlined.
Learning Objectives:

Identify how Multidisciplinary Teams can address the needs of youth with problematic sexual behaviors.
Identify training and resources for Multidisciplinary Teams to advocate for, procure, and support to best serve youth with problematic sexual behaviors.
Obtain knowledge on how to develop policies and procedures that will inform discipline specific intervention strategies for youth with problematic sexual behaviors.

Presenter:
Geoff Sidoli, MSW, LCSW (He, Him)
To register for this event, click HERE. Questions, contact training@cacwa.org.

Compassion Fatigue Series
2025-05-06 09:00 - 10:30
Self-Regulation: It’s all about the way you walk through life
This training session is part two of three in the Compassion Fatigue Series. In this training session you will:

Explore how trauma echoes (triggers) make up the fabric of human relationships
Define self-regulation
Understand the complications of emotional intelligence
Sample various tools of self-regulation
Draw a link between self-regulation and co-regulation

Presenter: Myra Strand
For more information about this training session, visit the registration page by clicking HERE.
Questions? Contact CACWA at training@cacwa.org.

Compassion Fatigue Series
2025-06-03 09:00 - 10:30
Organizational Trauma: The Blob in the office
This training session is the final session of the three part training Compassion Fatigue series. In this training session you will:

Identify the power of “group think”
Look at common symptoms of organizational trauma
Discuss how to begin having difficult conversations
Explore ways to perpetuate a healthy work environment
Draw a link between organizational health and quality service delivery

Presenter: Myra Strand
For more information about this training session, visit the registration page by clicking HERE.
Questions? Contact CACWA at training@cacwa.org.

A Wound Without a Cure: Finding Justice for Child Victims
2025-06-04 11:30 - 13:30
This session will address methods that have been demonstrated to increase criminal convictions, address the concept of justice and discuss various approaches through which justice for children may be realized outside of the criminal arena.
Learning Objectives:

Participants will identify characteristics of cases that proceed through the criminal justice system
Participants will understand the various concepts of justice in child sexual abuse cases
Participants will identify various methods to improve outcomes for justice for victims of CSA

Click HERE to register.
Questions? Contact Lisette at lisette@cacwa.org or Kelsey at kelseyc@cacwa.org
