This Ask the Expert session will review the relational damage caused by abuse as it interacts with external and internalized norms of male in-vulnerability. Participants will also learn how male survivors in therapy discover and develop a capacity for emotional daring, depth, authenticity, and intimacy.

This conversation addresses the gendered experience of male survivors of trauma by drawing upon clinical experience with male survivors of sexual abuse. We will first review the relational damage caused by abuse as it interacts with external and internalized norms of male in-vulnerability. Then we will attend to how male survivors in therapy discover and develop a capacity for emotional daring, depth, authenticity, and intimacy.  As they work to repair trauma-burdened relationships, especially with each other in group therapy, spontaneity, humor, affection, and hope balance and help build tolerance for the pain of past trauma, in place of fighting, fleeing, and numbing it.

Bill Burmester, M.A., M.F.T. has been a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in Berkeley, California since 1994, with training and experience in the treatment of sexual abuse and other relational and developmental trauma. He has worked with child, adolescent, and adult survivors of sexual abuse -especially men-, adolescent and adult perpetrators, and abusive family systems.

This session is designed for participants to ask expert Roger Canaff, J.D. questions to help you understand the dynamics of male victimization and how to improve your practices in working with this underserved population.

Roger Canaff was born in New York City in 1967 and raised in Northern Virginia. He attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and then the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law. After a brief period in private practice, he took a job with the Alexandria, Virginia Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney in 1997. During his time there he prosecuted many different types of crimes, with a specialty in child abuse, child sexual assault, and juvenile crime. In 2003 he joined the staff of the National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse at the American Prosecutors Research Institute in Alexandria, Virginia as a Senior Attorney. In 2005 he returned to active prosecution in Bronx County, New York in that office’s Child Abuse and Sex Unit prosecuting both adult and child sexual assault crimes. In June 2007, he was hired by the New York State Office of the Attorney General as the Deputy Chief of the newly formed Sex Offender Management Unit. After serving for two years in this position, he was hired by the United States Army in June of 2009 as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Trial Counsel Assistance Program, US Army Legal Services Agency. As an Army civilian, he trained and consulted with military prosecutors specializing in Special Victims issues worldwide. He left federal service in February, 2012. He re-joined the National District Attorney’s Association as a Fellow in October of 2012 within the National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse where he served until early 2015.

This course will provide an overview of intimate partner violence, adolescent intimate partner violence, toxic masculinity, and healthy relationships. This course is designed to provide psychoeducation on foundational constructs to intimate partner violence and the similarities and differences between adolescents and adults. In addition, it will explore male victims and how toxic masculinity impacts male victims. It will conclude with discussion of healthy relationships.

Gimel Rogers, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist with over 10 years of professional speaking and training experience. She currently is the Training Director of the Professional Clinical and Forensic Services department at the Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (IVAT). She earned her doctorate from Pepperdine University and has provided trauma focused care with clients from the Children of the Night Program, the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility, FCI Terminal Island, and community programs serving survivors of intimate partner violence. She utilizes an array of therapeutic interventions with an emphasis on cognitive behavioral therapy. Dr. Rogers presently works with survivors who are recovering from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Additionally, she assists clients who are involved in criminal, family, and civil cases involving a broad range of forensic issues. Having published in the areas of culture, coping, spirituality, and trauma, she is an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University and Point Loma Nazarene University. Her inaugural book is the “21-Day Relationship Healing Devotional and Journal” a poetry-based devotional that promotes restoration through reflection. Dr. Rogers dedicates time and energy to individuals across the world through her organization Fearless Individuals Resistant to Entrapment (F.I.R.E.) and its brand One Temple Fitness.

This training was livestreamed on April 4, 2018 and is approximately 6 hours long.

Males who have experienced trauma have distinct areas of their lives that are impacted. This training will explore what trauma looks like for males and how systems can unintentionally impact the perpetuation of trauma. The effects of trauma on children will be outlined paying particular attention to multicultural considerations of abuse. Participants will discuss identifying appropriate assessment techniques and the implementation self-care strategies. This course is designed for service providers working with male survivors or trauma particularly mental health professionals working with incarcerated youth and men, advocates, and correctional officers.

Gimel Rogers, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist with over 10 years of professional speaking and training experience. She currently is the Training Director of the Professional Clinical and Forensic Services department at the Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (IVAT). She earned her doctorate from Pepperdine University and has provided trauma focused care with clients from the Children of the Night Program, the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility, FCI Terminal Island, and community programs serving survivors of intimate partner violence. She utilizes an array of therapeutic interventions with an emphasis on cognitive behavioral therapy. Dr. Rogers presently works with survivors who are recovering from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Additionally, she assists clients who are involved in criminal, family, and civil cases involving a broad range of forensic issues. Having published in the areas of culture, coping, spirituality, and trauma, she is an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University and Point Loma Nazarene University. Her inaugural book is the “21-Day Relationship Healing Devotional and Journal” a poetry-based devotional that promotes restoration through reflection. Dr. Rogers dedicates time and energy to individuals across the world through her organization Fearless Individuals Resistant to Entrapment (F.I.R.E.) and its brand One Temple Fitness.

This training was livestreamed on August 28, 2017 and is approximately 6 hours long.

This is an introductory training for professionals employed by governmental agencies or nonprofit agencies in the fields of social work, children's advocacy, therapy or otherwise who work directly with male victims in California.

Society is still in denial that males can be victims of sexual assault. Ignorance and minimization of the problem impede victims’ opportunities for rescue and for recovery. This training will provide participants with a comprehensive overview of the male victim including their reluctance to disclose, the perpetrators who victimize them, the challenges they face in seeking help and how to support them in their recovery. 

Julie Brand holds a Master’s degree in Counseling and enjoyed a distinguished 25-year career as a school counselor. She uses her unique perspective as both counselor and survivor, to speak and to write about females who sexually abuse children. Since founding CAPER Consulting (Child Abuse Prevention, Education and Recovery) in 2006, she has educated and empowered audiences across the United States with her dynamic programs on mother-daughter sexual abuse, female offenders in positions of trust, male survivors and the opportunities for recovery from childhood trauma. She authored A Mother’s Touch: Surviving Mother-Daughter Sexual Abuse (2007), participated in a Canadian documentary on maternal incest (2013) and has testified as an expert witness on mother-daughter sexual abuse in district court (2017).

What happens when our systems of support become systems of oppression? In this ask the expert we will explore the risk factors that system involved youth face and how we can create better support to prevent and/or intervene.

As the Training and Prevention Manager at MISSSEY, Inc., Andrea Diaz advocates and supports youth through education. She loves being in the community and working towards creating safer spaces for youth to navigate by offering outreach, information, and collaboration. Andrea is a certified domestic violence counselor and has served as a case manager, SFPD liaison, and education manager in that field. She is passionate about working with women and youth and learning how to best build support for and around them.

This Ask the Expert Session will review the following 10 key considerations for supporting teen mothers in the foster care system: Understanding the foster system for a teen mom; Understanding the impact of threats of separation as a trauma specific to teen mothers; How fear inhibits healthy parenting; How to create a sanctuary for a teen mom; Guidance on the initial transition and adjustment phase; Clarifying foster parent and teen parent roles; Healthy modeling; Attachment and Bonding; Good enough parenting; The power of expectation. This course will increase participants ability to assess for specific traumas unique to teen mothers in the foster care system; prepare and design placements that facilitate healing and foster a teen mother’s development as a young adult and parent; and develop and demonstrate secure attachment, which is foundational for healthy child development.

Sayida Peprah earned a BA in Psychology from Spelman College and a Psy.D in Clinical Psychology with a Multicultural Specialization, from the California School of Professional Psychology- Alliant International University.  Dr. Peprah has a multi-faced career as a clinician, educator and consultant.   She is a Deputy Chief Psychologist for the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons providing and supervising mental health services for incarcerated men and women, at the federal prison complex in Victorville, CA. She is also an Associate Professor of Psychology for the University of Phoenix, for the past 8 years, facilitating courses in Cultural and Correctional Psychology. As a consultant, Dr. Peprah regularly offers cultural competency, mental health and maternal mental health trainings and workshops for non-profit, government and community agencies. In 2014, she was a featured speaker at the United Nations 65th NGO conference, on the topic of Mental Health in the US. Dr. Peprah is dedicated to contributing her expertise, both in the field, as a clinician, and as an educator and consultant in academic, non-profit, government and corporate sectors. 

Join us for an Ask the Expert session on the topic of Transitional Age Youth (TAY) and the Foster Care System.  This session is designed for participants to ask expert Michele Bartlett questions to help you understand the risk factors of transitional age foster youth and how to improve your practices in working with this underserved population.  

Transition Age Youth (TAY) are young people between the ages of 16-24 years who are in transition from state custody or foster care and are considered “at-risk”. Once they turn 18 they no longer receive assistance from the systems of care that previously provided for many of their needs.

Michele Bartlett, LCSW is the Associate Clinical Director of Child & Adolescent Programs at OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center. Michele is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in the field of trauma, grief and loss with children and adolescents in community settings. Michele facilitates grief support groups, trains and supervises OUR HOUSE group leaders as well as MSW and MFT students and serves as a member of the clinical team for Camp Erin. She is an adjunct professor for the Graduate Social Work Department at California State University Northridge and a trained field instructor for social work interns. Michele has been presenting for the past 8 years for community agencies on grief and loss, child and adolescent development, public child welfare and transitional age youth (TAY.) 

This course will provide an overview of key concepts, strategies, tools, and perspectives that can maximize effectiveness in working with, understanding, and communicating with transitional age youth. Topics covered will include developmental theories, basic brain and neurobiological processes, communication strategies, the shifting of roles, and practical tools to increase resilience, learning, and decision making skills. This presentation will be virtually facilitated, however, there will be the opportunity for brief discussion and questions, experiential activities, and sharing of practical applications of concepts.

Rex Sheridan is the Clinical Director at San Pasqual Academy, a program in north county San Diego serving adolescents and transitional age youth in a residential education program. He has 17 years of experience working with various youth and T.A.Y. populations and 13 years in a management role which includes providing professional development training to parents, educators, staff, volunteers, and mental health providers. He holds an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Fuller School of Psychology, and is a licensed marriage and family therapist.
One of his strongest passions is helping parents, caregivers, and professionals of all kinds to more deeply understand young people at this critical point in their development and working to develop strategies and perspectives that enhance the quality of their relationships and services. Furthermore, he recognizes the significance of developmental processes, attachment experiences, and trauma and the critical impact that these issues have across all domains of a young person’s life. Through this, he combines the knowledge obtained from available research, best practices, and practical experiences to provide informed, compassionate, and trauma sensitive support for those working with young people in our communities. His workshop and training style typically blends together presentation of concepts, experiential activities, practical application, and real illustrations and examples to increase knowledge and engagement of participants.

This training was livestreamed on June 30, 2017 and is approximately 6 hours long.

This is an introductory training for professionals employed by governmental agencies or nonprofit agencies in the fields of social work, children's advocacy, therapy or otherwise who work directly with foster youth victims in California.

Foster youth have unique mental and behavioral health needs.  From their various placements, transitions between families and homes, and “aging out” of the foster care system, the needs of these youth require professionals to have a wide knowledge base.  This basic training is designed to share information on how to understand and better serve this population and will include practical and effective strategies that can be used immediately.

Teresa DeCrescenzo, LCSW is a much sought after keynote and plenary speaker in the domains of social policy, especially policy as regards LGBTQ mental health issues, LGBTQ issues, substance misuse and addiction, and foster care. She has conducted hundreds of staff and administrative staff trainings across the country and locally to a variety of disciplines including trained clinicians, MFTs, psychologists, social workers, probation and sworn personnel. For at least a decade, DeCrescenzo has trained all foster parents in Los Angeles County and at most statewide foster parent conferences on working with LGBTQ children and youth. She has been acknowledged for her impact on national mental health policy by the National Association of Social Workers in 2012.

This training was livestreamed on July 12, 2018 and is approximately 6 hours long.

This session will offer participants a window into the trauma impacts of having an incarcerated parent, as well as explore recommended strategies for those working with foster children to mitigate these impacts. After reviewing the framework of trauma types, specific traumas experienced by foster youth, with an incarcerated parent(s), will be reviewed. Participants will be given strategies for working with foster children and how to support the adults who are caring for them. A part of the training will focus on vicarious trauma to help service providers and foster parents identify self-care techniques. This workshop is intended for professionals and paraprofessionals from the following disciplines: mental health, social services, non-profit, and those who provide services to foster youth and families.

Sayida Peprah earned a BA in Psychology from Spelman College and a Psy.D in Clinical Psychology with a Multicultural Specialization, from the California School of Professional Psychology- Alliant International University.  Dr. Peprah has a multi-faced career as a clinician, educator and consultant.   She is a Deputy Chief Psychologist for the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons providing and supervising mental health services for incarcerated men and women, at the federal prison complex in Victorville, CA. She is also an Associate Professor of Psychology for the University of Phoenix, for the past 8 years, facilitating courses in Cultural and Correctional Psychology. As a consultant, Dr. Peprah regularly offers cultural competency, mental health and maternal mental health trainings and workshops for non-profit, government and community agencies. In 2014, she was a featured speaker at the United Nations 65th NGO conference, on the topic of Mental Health in the US. Dr. Peprah is dedicated to contributing her expertise, both in the field, as a clinician, and as an educator and consultant in academic, non-profit, government and corporate sectors. 

Join us for an Ask the Expert session on the topic of LGBTQ youth.  This session is designed for participants to ask expert Al Killen-Harvey questions to help you understand the risk factors of LGBTQ youth and how to improve your practices in working with this underserved population.  Questions can be sent prior to the session or asked live during the event.  

Al Killen-Harvey is the co-founder of The Harvey Institute, a training and consultation company whose mission is improving health care outcomes through integrating sexual health. For the past 25 years he has worked at the Chadwick Center where he has served in a variety of clinical and training positions. He has worked for several decades in the field of trauma treatment and is a past recipient of the San Diego County Child Abuse Coordinating Council’s “Unsung Hero” Award for his work with children who have been abused and/or neglected. He is a faculty member of the San Diego Public Child Welfare Training Academy.

Participants will develop a more nuanced understanding of the culturally-specific tactics of power and control used in abusive relationships in LGBTQIA+ communities and the dynamics in these communities that create a foundation for abuse. Participants will gain greater awareness to spot and respond to partner abuse when it happens to queer and trans clients.

Liat Wexler has been a trainer and workshop facilitator for more than 15 years. As Training Specialist at Center for Community Solutions, they work to prevent sexual assault and domestic violence and have been in this field since 2001 answering hotlines, facilitating support groups, and serving on the board of sexual assault and partner abuse organizations. In their role at CCS they provide professional development and crisis intervention training for all staff and volunteers, workshops to professionals at other agencies, and presentations at Shifting The Lens and the National Sexual Assault Conference. Liat specializes in teaching how to assess LGBTQIA+ partner abuse, the neurobiology of trauma, resilience skills, trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, and violence within violence within the LGBTQIA+, polyamorous, and BDSM communities. Liat collaborates on the GBTQ Survivor Task Force and co-founded Genderqueer San Diego and San Diego’s Trans Pride.

The lesbian, gay bisexual, intersex, transgender (LGBTI) and gender-nonconforming (GNC) demographic is represented in every age, ethnicity, and ability level. These populations are marginalized due to political, religious, familial, and societal persecution and neglect. Due to this marginalization, LGBTI and GNC people many times lack access to basic needs, jobs, and support which leads to homelessness, survival sex work, and mental health issues/ In this online session, you will learn how to address issues and advocate for and with this population through individual, societal, clinical, and policy shifts that can be applied to real life.

Orion Block, pronouns ze, hir, hirs, has been participating in LGBTQIA activism for over 12 years. Hir activism includes organizing pride celebrations, volunteering at the Los Angeles LGBT center in the law department and as a meeting facilitator, working with LGBTQ homeless youth, and organizing and participating in panels. Ze is currently a team lead for TransLifeline crisis support. Orion attended California State University Northridge (CSUN), receiving hir Bachelor's in Gender and Women's Studies, with a minor in queer studies. Orion graduated in 2017 with hir masters in Social Work and is published in Affilia scholarly journal. currently Orion is a licensed social worker, working towards hir clinical license (CSWI) at Nevada Behavioral Solutions in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

This webinar was recorded on June 4, 2018 and is about 5 hours and 30 minutes long.

This course will provide treatment considerations when working with high risk populations both on parole and in correctional facilities. It will amplify the unique challenges correctional settings place on transgender individuals seeking clinical support. Participants will be given examples of group curriculum that is designed to provide transgender inmates with a therapeutic place to explore gender identity concerns and achieve long-term comfort in gender identity expression, while maximizing overall well- being. The training will begin with a review of gender identity in a culture that lacks acceptance. It will then provide an introduction to prison culture. Discussion will focus on treatment considerations when working with transgender inmates who are victimized, specifically trans- women inmates housed in a male institution.

Sonia Bahro, Ph.D. is the Chief Psychologist at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJDCF), an institution within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).  Previously, Dr. Bahro was the Senior Psychologist and Supervisor for the Enhanced Outpatient Treatment Center at RJDCF, which houses level IV inmate-patients with sensitive needs (i.e., history of sexual offenses, inmate-patients who identify as transgender, those who have dropped out of gangs, etc.).  She has worked at RJDCF for over 10 years, and prior to that she worked with incarcerated youth for the Juvenile Forensics Department for the County of San Diego.  Dr. Bahro has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in forensics.  She is passionate about working with marginalized communities to ensure equality, especially inmate patients who are transgender.

This course will provide a foundation on recognizing and responding to the scene with a victim with a developmental disability related to the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We will discuss common indicators to identify individuals with ASD, actions that can trigger a negative response, best practices, tools for your “toolbox” and governmental and non-profit organization resources. 

Guillermo Auyon is a retired Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the California Department of Justice (CA DOJ). He spent 13 years with the CA DOJ, retiring in December 2019.  SAC Auyon has an extensive background working with various domestic and international law enforcement agencies, central authorities, district attorney offices, social services and non-profit organizations. For the past 4 years, SAC Auyon has taken a profound personal and professional interest in the recognition and response practices with our special needs community.

Through funding from the Mental Health Services Act and in partnership with the Department of Developmental Services, North Bay Regional Center has developed an education program that is designed to teach people with developmental disabilities how to build healthy and meaningful relationships while also giving them information about sexual abuse and coercion. This course will detail how the program uses evidence-based teaching practices with the overall objective to reduce risk factors associated with sexual abuse and increase protective factors associated with prosocial behavior. The program will be free and accessible to interested providers beginning in July of 2020.

Dr. Katie Pedgrift is the creator of Relationships Decoded. She is a licensed clinical psychologist at North Bay Regional Center. She earned a Special Education Teaching Credential from San Diego State University, her Master’s Degree in Special Education from San Francisco State University, and her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Alliant International University. She has worked with people who have autism and other developmental disabilities in a variety of contexts including forensic settings, in-patient and out-patient settings, schools, and diagnostic clinics. Dr. Pedgrift has authored numerous curricula designed to increase knowledge and self-protection behaviors in people with disabilities including the Array of Color’s curricula, Abuse Awareness and Prevention, Sexuality, and How to be Fire Safe.

Join us for an Ask the Expert session on the topic of Mental Health Disorders and Trauma Amongst People with Intellectual Disabilities​. This session is designed for participants to ask expert Dr. Matt Mason questions to help you understand the risk factors of people with intellectual disabilities and how to improve your practices in working with this underserved population.  

About 1% of the general US population is estimated to have Intellectual Disability. Identifying an Intellectual Disability requires both a clinical assessment and standardized testing. The presence of an Intellectual Disability increases the likelihood of other disorders and challenging experiences compared to non-disabled peers, including mental health disorders, other developmental disorders, traumatic experiences, and disparities in education, employment, community living, relationships, and health.

Dr. Mason is the Project Director for the Developmental Disabilities Administration Health Initiative (DDAHI) at Georgetown University’s Center for Child and Human Development in Washington, DC as part of the University’s Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. He has been providing services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities and related needs for over twenty-five years. Dr. Mason is a graduate of Western Michigan University, where he was awarded the prestigious Creative Scholar Award. He is a licensed psychologist and a Board certified Behavior Analyst. His expertise expands special education, mental and behavioral health services, trauma-informed care, forensic services and treatment foster care. Dr. Mason has held a variety of leadership positions in the public and private sectors, including residential schools, child welfare, community-based care and mental health facilities. His national and international consultation efforts have focused on standards of institutional care, transitional care and human rights protections. DDAHI provides evidence-based technical assistance, advocacy, and capacity building for people with developmental disabilities in the District of Columbia. This project includes efforts to improve hospital care, increase the capacity to service persons with complex needs, improve the expertise of professional caregivers, and develop best practices in health care, behavioral services, trauma informed care, and supporting parents with intellectual disabilities.

Studies have long established that individuals with disabilities are disproportionately criminally victimized. In 2015, the average annual rate of violent victimization for individuals with disabilities was more than twice the rate among individuals without disabilities. Serious violent victimization for individuals with disabilities was more than three times than that for individuals without disabilities (Harrell, 2017). The risk of being a victim of crime, especially a victim of sexual assault, is 4 to 10 times higher for an individual with a disability. There are a number of factors related to individuals with disabilities susceptibility to victimization. Understanding and communicating effectively with adults and older adults with disabilities including intellectual disabilities, autism and other developmental disabilities who are victims of abuse are necessary skills for adult protective services, law enforcement, district attorneys, clinicians, and other social service personnel who may work with these individuals who have been victimized. Furthermore, assumptions made regarding these populations can inhibit effective communication, creating safe environments and conducting thorough investigations. This presentation will focus on the susceptibility of victimization for persons with disabilities as well as typical biases and assumptions that impact investigation and service delivery to individuals with disabilities.

Scott J. Modell received his Ph.D. from the College of Education at Florida State University in 1997. Dr. Modell is President of MCG Consulting and Co- Founder of Collaborative Safety. From 2013 to 2016, he served as the Deputy Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. He has also served as the Deputy Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Prior to moving to Tennessee, Dr. Modell spent fifteen years as a Professor at California State University, Sacramento. Over his last five years at the university, he additionally served as Director of the university’s Autism Center for Excellence. He is an expert in child abuse, crime victims with disabilities, disability etiology, and interview techniques. He has authored nine books and has over 300 published articles and abstracts. Dr. Modell is frequently invited to lecture at national and international conferences regarding child abuse and crime victims with disabilities. He has received international recognition for his work in the area of crime victims and interview techniques for individuals with disabilities.

This training was livestreamed on November 16, 2017 and is approximately 6 hours long.

This training will focus on working across disciplines to provide support to victims with disabilities.  The presenter will discuss working with law enforcement, finding appropriate levels of counseling, and identifying appropriate referrals. Persons with developmental disabilities are abused at a higher rate than the general population, and are often re-victimized by systems which do not recognize their need for counseling or ability to benefit from intervention.  Persons attending the training will learn some of the specific issues leading to the higher rates of abuse for persons with epilepsy and cerebral palsy, as well as developing appropriate treatment plans.  The importance of coordinating with mental health organizations and regional centers will be discussed.  Specific issues with supporting this group of persons when they need to testify in court will be addressed as well.

Dr. Steven Graff received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Southern California in 1988. Prior to graduation, he served two years with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department as a Psychologist in their APA approved internship program. He was accepted into a postgraduate Fellowship in Professional Psychology with the Institute of Clinical Training and Research of the Devereux Foundation in 1988, working with children and adults who were severely mentally ill co-morbidly with having a developmental disability. Dr. Graff worked with the Devereux Foundation as the Chief Psychologist at the Santa Barbara Center until 1995. He had a private practice consulting with group homes for the developmentally disabled, and in 1996 took a position as a staff psychology with Tri-Counties Regional Center (TCRC). In 2009 he became the Director of Clinical Services at TCRC.

This training was livestreamed on August 7, 2018 and is approximately 4 hours long.

SEEDS Educational Services, Inc., will present a workshop exploring the facts regarding the prevalence of disabilities regarding social-sexual education, abuse and common myths associated with disabilities including how professionals can combat these practices with simple tools and understanding. We will also explore the lack of social-sexual education resources to an undeserved population of people with developmental disabilities and easy social-sexual materials that can help combat the ever-growing statistics. Resources will be made available to preview and discuss. This workshop is intended for professionals, psychologists, social workers, agencies that serve people with developmental disabilities.

Stacy Everson, R.N., BSN, is a registered nurse and is nationally certified in Family Life Education (CFLE) and Developmental Disabilities (DDNA).  She has been working in the San Diego area since 1987 teaching social-sexual education, assertiveness, abuse awareness/prevention, and developmental disability syndromes to people with developmental disabilities and a variety of service providing agencies, such as Adult and Child Protective Services.  Stacy serves as an expert witness in court cases, and is an international speaker on the topics of sexuality and abuse of people with developmental disabilities.

This web-based training is open to everyone, including those who attended Leanne Mull’s in-person trainings and those who did not. The session will include discussion of strategies for effective response to victims with a wide range of disabilities. There will be 30 minutes of content followed by 30 minutes for participants to ask questions directly to the trainer on topics including: cases that presented unique dynamics, overcoming barriers experienced by people with disabilities, getting your team educated on the nuances specific to this population, communication tips for working with crime victims with disabilities, and any obstacles you encounter in your work with clients with disabilities.

Leanne Mull, MHA is a national speaker and has been working to prevent abuse and neglect of people with disabilities for eighteen years. As an agency investigator in Illinois, she taught staff members working with people with disabilities how to recognize, report, and prevent abuse and neglect. Additionally, Leanne served as a Team Coordinator for the Illinois Imagines Project coordinating response to victims with disabilities between rape crisis centers, agencies serving people with disabilities, and law enforcement. Currently she serves as the Chair of the Responding with Victims with Disabilities Committee for the Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council, a project of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority the entity responsible for the creation and revision of protocols for Law Enforcement and Prosecutors for Responding to victims with disabilities and older adults.