Building Successful Teams

Building Successful Teams -

Child Abuse, Injury & Fatality:

Investigation, Prosecution & Prevention Conference

March 18-20, 2008

Waverly Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia

Sponsored by:

Georgia Department of Human Resources

Division of Family and Children Services

Georgia Bureau of Investigation

Georgia Child Fatality Review Panel

Office of the Child Advocate

Prosecuting Attorney’s Association of Georgia

Department of Human Resources · Division of Family and Children Services · Mary Dean Harvey, Director

Two Peachtree Street, NW · Suite 19-490 · Atlanta, Georgia 30303-3142 · Phone: 404-651-8409 · Fax: 404-657-5105

404/651-6314

January 7, 2008

On behalf of the sponsoring agencies, I extend an invitation to you to attend the 2008 Building Successful Teams Conference. This 9th annual collaborative conference has become an important part of our state-wide education about issues surrounding the prevention, injuries and fatalities of child abuse.

Invited conference attendees are: DFCS case managers, supervisors and managers; GBI agents and other law enforcement employees; judges; district attorneys; CASA’s; school social workers; counselors, EMS workers; physicians; Child Fatality Review Panel members; child advocates; and all others in Georgia who work with child abuse issues.

Attendance at the conference will be limited to 700 people. Slots will be filled in the order the registration forms are received. Registration will be accepted on-line or by fax. Further registration instructions are in this brochure and on the registration website: http://www2.state.ga.us/departments/dhr/ohrmd/Training/conferences.html . A requirement for registration is your social security number or DHR PeopleSoft ID number for state auditing purposes, along with pre-registration for workshops.

Something that was very popular last year was a pre-conference workshop. We are able to offer a pre-conference workshop again this year. Attendance will be limited to 200 participants. The workshop is on court preparation and testifying in court; attendees may be called on to “testify” at the mock trial. The pre-conference workshop will be held on Tuesday, March 18th from 9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. Participants must be present for the entire workshop. If you would like to be considered for attendance at this workshop, please complete the appropriate box on the registration form.

Thank you for your continued support of this conference. If you have any questions about the conference, contact me by e-mail at , or by phone at 404-657-5156. You may also contact Michelle Darden by e-mail at , or by phone at 404-463-2231. Registration for the conference is being handled by Sherry Gilbert in the DHR Office of Human Resource and Management Development. She may be reached at 404-463-8357 or by e-mail at . We look forward to seeing you in April!

Sincerely,

Vicky Frazer

Conference Committee Chair

Sponsoring Agencies:

Mary Dean Harvey, Director Tom C. Rawlings, Director

Division of Family and Children Services Office of the Child Advocate

Eva Y. Pattillo, Director Vernon M. Keenan, Director

Georgia Child Fatality Review Panel Georgia Bureau of Investigation

Richard A. Malone, Executive Director

Prosecuting Attorney’s Association of Georgia

General Information

Ø There is no registration fee for conference attendees who live in Georgia; the out-of-State registration fee is $200.00. (If out-of-state, see last page of brochure for payment information.)

Ø The conference registration deadline is February 22; the registration website is: http://www2.state.ga.us/departments/dhr/ohrmd/Training/conferences.html

Ø See the last page of this brochure for hotel information. The hotel registration deadline is February 15.

Ø The conference begins with a luncheon and opening speaker at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 18. The conference location is the Waverly Hotel in Cobb County at the Cobb Galleria Centre. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m.

Ø Workshop Recommendation Key:

After each workshop description there are codes for which disciplines the workshop is intended to benefit. The workshops are not mandatory for these disciplines, nor are other disciplines prohibited from attending the workshops. The codes are as follows:

DFCS Case Managers = DFCS School Social Workers/Counselors = SSW/C

Law Enforcement = LE District Attorneys & Judges = DA/J

EMS = EMS Medical Officials = MO

Pre-Conference Workshop: Tuesday, March 18

9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

This workshop is for pre-registered attendees only and is limited to the first 200 registrations.

Check the special block on the registration form if you want to attend.

Pre-Conference Workshop:

Court Preparation / Testifying in Court

Presenters: Alan Cook, UGA School of Law & Nancy Scott Malcor, ADA, Macon Judicial Circuit

This workshop will provide participants with a “real life” view on what one should expect in court, including a mock trial. Audience members may be asked to participate as witnesses. Tips on court preparation and testifying dos and don’ts will be covered.

(This workshop is limited to the first 200 registrants. The workshop will be held on March 18, 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. and is not repeated. The regular conference opening session is at 11:30 a.m.)

DFCS, EMS, LE, SSW/C, MO

Conference Agenda

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Registration Open 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Exhibit Area Open 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Conference Begins at 11:30 a.m.

Opening Session & Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Welcome

Special Guest Speakers:

Lt. Governor Casey Cagle

Peggy Walker, Juvenile Court Judge

“Why All of Us Do What We Do”

Workshop Session 1: 1:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

1 – A. Child Homicide and Physical Abuse Investigations – Part 1,

Special Agent Terry Thomas, State-wide Coordinator, Crimes Against Children Unit, Florida Department of Law Enforcement

Through a combination of lecture and case studies, the participants will gain a clear understanding of child injuries and how to conduct multiple disciplinary investigations. In addition, participants will gain knowledge concerning how child homicides differ from adult homicides, and what role the various “Syndromes” play in the investigation and detection of child abuse cases.

(This workshop is in 2 parts; Part 1 is a prerequisite to Part 2; Part 2 will follow this workshop in Session 2-A.) DFCS, LE, DA/J, SSW/C, EMS, MO, School Teachers

1 – B. Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: The Worst of Human Trafficking, Sharon W. Cooper, MD, FAAP

Child sexual exploitation is cited as the most underreported form of child maltreatment. Participants will learn of the different types of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. The importance of education in this area will assist multidisciplinary team members to have a heightened index of suspicion when children make disclosures of sexual abuse involving certain behaviors on the parts of offenders. (This workshop is not repeated.) DFCS, LE, DA/J, SSW/C, Public Health, MO

1 – C. Appreciating Cultural Differences: Dos and Don’ts for Professionals Working with the Latino Community, Rafael Sanhueza-Bazaes, Social Services Case Manager, Murray County DFCS

This workshop will cover understanding cultural and family traditions; common issues when dealing with Latino clients; the Spanish language – communicating in Spanish involves more than just words; Latino values vs. U.S. values.

(This workshop is repeated in Session 2-C.) DFCS, LE, DA/J, SSW/C, EMS, MO

1 – D. Sleep Related Infant Deaths: A Layered Look, John Carter, Ph.D., Epidemiologist, Emory University; Sandra Alexander, Child Maltreatment Consultant, CDC; Carrie Shapiro-Mendoza, Epidemiologist, CDC; Beoncia Loveless, GBI Headquarters

This panel presentation will provide a four-layered look at SIDS/SUIDS and asphyxia deaths. The most recent science at the national level will be presented by an epidemiologist from the CDC, followed by an update on how this is being applied at the state level in Georgia, then the application at the local child fatality review team level, and finally, the medical examiner perspective. Participants will have a chance to see how this can be applied for prevention at the local level. (This workshop is not repeated.) DFCS, LE, DA/J, SSW/C, EMS, MO

1 – E. Children and Drug Abuse, Sergeant Jim Van Alstine, Acworth Police Department, Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Division

This workshop will address current drug abuse, including prescription and street drug trends in the youth population. Additional information will include local government strategies for reducing the incidence in this population and how some areas of the state are already making changes. Van Alstine is able to utilize a variety of methods, including extensive knowledge as one of few trained in the area of drug identification in the State of Georgia.

(This workshop is offered again in Session 2-E.) DFCS, LE, SSW/C, EMS, MO

1 – F. Ethics for Attorneys, Chuck Olson, Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia

Professionals who work with children and their families encounter many situations that require decision-making based on knowledge of Georgia law, and of one’s own professional and personal ethics. This workshop will address legal issues concerning custody and guardianship, confidentiality of and access to records, subpoenas, and mandatory reporting laws in Georgia.

(This workshop is not repeated.) DA/J & Attorneys Only

1 – G. Clayton County S.M.A.S.H. Program – Strategic Methods Against Street

Harm, Officer Marc Richards and Officer Melvin Craig, Clayton County Police Department

The S.M.A.S.H. program was devised by members of the School Resource Officer Unit of the Clayton County Police Department. The program’s goal is to encourage students to stay in school and avoid jeopardizing their futures by steering clear of criminal activities. Our officers use proactive measures of traditional and non-traditional enforcement techniques and investigative efforts to detect and apprehend any subject involved in truancy and criminal activity in the community. (This workshop is repeated in Session 2-G.) DFCS, LE, SSW/C

1 – H. Innovative Court Interventions to Improve Well-Being and Permanency

Outcomes for Children Affected by Methamphetamine, Judge Peggy Walker, Douglas County Juvenile Court and Georgia Alliance for Drug Endangered Children

This workshop will discuss utilizing services and activities such as the evidence bases of Zero-to-Three, the Matrix Model recovery program, Strengthening Families, Celebrating Families curriculum and family drug treatment court to improve permanency outcomes and enhance safety for children of meth-addicted parents while supporting family reunification efforts. This innovative practice will increase the well-being of children who are in an out-of-home placement or are at risk of being placed in an out-of-home placement as a result of a parent’s or caretaker’s methamphetamine or other substance abuse.

(This workshop is not repeated.) DFCS, LE, SSW/C, MO

1 – I. Cyberbullying, Sue Dowling, Forensic Computer Specialist/Internet Safety Coordinator, Georgia Bureau of Investigation

There is nothing new under the sun, just new ways to do the old things. This is true when it comes to bullying, an age-old problem. However, with the new devices and technologies, bullying has become high tech and as a result, those students that experience cyberbullying often suffer the attacks 24/7. Learn what cyberbullying is, an example of situations, and what students should do if they are victims of cyberbullying.

(This workshop is not repeated.) DFCS, LE, SSW/C, Parents & Educators

Workshop Session 2: 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

2 – A. Child Homicide and Physical Abuse Investigations – Part 2,

Special Agent Terry Thomas, State-wide Coordinator, Crimes Against Children Unit, Florida Department of Law Enforcement

(This workshop is in 2 parts; Part 1 is a prerequisite to Part 2; Part 1 is offered in Session 1-A.) DFCS, LE, DA/J, SSW/C, EMS, MO, School Teachers

2 – B. Extended Military Deployment: The Short and Long-Term Impact on Children, Sharon W. Cooper, MD, FAAP

This presentation will provide participants information regarding the challenges of the military culture, particularly in a time of war. In association with these challenges, children are at increased risk for specific types of maltreatment. Participants will have the opportunity to review existing research regarding the short and long-term effects of extended military deployment on children.

(This workshop is not repeated.) DFCS, LE, DA/J, SSW/C, Public Health, MO

2 – C. Appreciating Cultural Differences: Dos and Don’ts for Professionals Working with the Latino Community, Rafael Sanhueza-Bazaes, Social Services Case Manager, Murray County DFCS

(This workshop is repeated in Session 1-C.) DFCS, LE, DA/J, SSW/C, EMS, MO

2 – D. Building Blocks to Healthy Sexual Development in Children, Anna Curtis, Stop It Now! Georgia Program Specialist, Prevent Child Abuse Georgia

In this session, participants will learn to recognize healthy and developmentally expected sexual behaviors in children and how to respond to behaviors in a supportive and constructive manner with parents and caretakers in order to create positive environments within families and the community. (This workshop is not repeated.) DFCS, LE, SSW/C, MO

2 – E. Children and Drug Abuse, Sergeant Jim Van Alstine, Acworth Police Department, Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Division

(This workshop is offered again in Session 1-E.) DFCS, LE, SSW/C, EMS, MO

2 – F. Professionalism for Attorneys, Chuck Olson, Prosecuting Attorneys’

Council of Georgia

Professionalism is more than meeting ethical standards. Attorneys who work with children and their families encounter many situations which are unique because of the age of the child victim. This workshop will address how to deal with children and their families in the most professional way, how to have a “professional” conversation with a child – addressing the necessity of plea negotiations, and how to keep a child apprised of the stance of a case; preparation for trial and preparing the child victim; and giving the child a voice in the case. This workshop will highlight the necessity of communication with the child and the awareness of the Child First Principles in prosecution of child abuse cases. (This workshop is not repeated.) DA/J & Attorneys Only

2 – G. Clayton County S.M.A.S.H. Program – Strategic Methods Against Street

Harm, Officer Marc Richards and Officer Melvin Craig, Clayton County Police Department