NRCAC Team Talk Northeast Regional Children's Advocacy Center

EPISODE SUMMARY:
Research consistently supports the value of taking a trauma-informed approach to reduce re-traumatization, improve outcomes, and foster trust and collaboration between professionals, children, and families. In this episode, Kristina Coleman, LMSW, MPA, joins co-hosts Tony DeVincenzo and Ilana Lezama-Beausejour to discuss the intergenerational trauma approach and working with families of color. Throughout their conversation, Kristina shares insights into some of the life experiences of past generations and their impact on the present day. The discussion explores ways professionals can shift their mindset and practices to better serve and support families of color.
Topics in this episode:
Definitions (4:04) Intergenerational trauma approach (9:02) Working with families of color (11:33) Life experiences and Intergenerational Trauma (17:00) Understanding history (20:30) Enhance professional skills (28:37) Recommendations (37:48) Organization support for workers of color (39:35) GUEST:
Kristina Coleman LMSW, MPA, is the Vice President of Child Advocacy and Mental Health Programs at Safe Horizon the nation’s largest victim service agency, and the Founder/CEO of youRmore counseling & services. She has served in the social services for over 14 years specializing in child welfare, family reunification, trauma treatment, mental health, program implementation, development, and non-profit leadership. Kristina holds a master’s degree in social work leadership from Hunter College and a Master of Public Administration from Mercy University. She has held multiple roles at both the direct service and leadership level. Kristina provides training and consulting around engagement and mental health practices for families of color and the impact intergenerational trauma. Through her teachings she aims to reform systems and create true diversity, equity, and inclusion. She believes if people want to see real change, they must first understand history. Kristina serves as a board member for the National Association of Social Workers NYC Chapter, The New York State Children Alliances, Center for Safety and Change, and the YMCA OF Rockland. 
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:
Spare the Kids: Why Whupping Children Won’t Save Black America by Stacey Patton: https://a.co/d/ajfCyNa Black Families in Therapy: Understanding the African American Experience by Nancy Boyd-Franklin: https://a.co/d/6oDQVZD My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem: https://a.co/d/aoKr01r Virtues and Values: The African and African American Experience by Peter J. Paris: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0800636619?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_JMZG1C5GGNV3M6Y1Y4G9  Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We’re Not Hurting by Terrie M. Williams: https://a.co/d/21aQAaj Connect with Kristina Coleman at Kristina.Coleman@safehorizon.org Safe Horizon: https://www.safehorizon.org Northeast Regional Children’s Advocacy Center: https://www.nrcac.org Regional Children’s Advocacy Centers: https://www.regionalcacs.org Have an idea for a future Team Talk guest or topic? We want to hear from you! Email your suggestions to Tony DeVincenzo at tony@nrcac.org.
Disclaimer: This project was sponsored by NRCAC from Grant Award Number 15PJDP-22-GK-03061-JJVO awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, OJJDP or NRCAC. 

EPISODE SUMMARY:
With the increasing awareness and understanding of the complex problem of human trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC), CACs and MDT partners have expanded their capacity to the needs of sexually exploited children and youth, including those at risk for exploitation.

In this episode, Melissa Kaiser, a licensed social worker specializing in anti-human trafficking work, joins host Tony DeVincenzo to discuss the MDT response to human trafficking cases. Throughout their conversation, Melissa discusses the value of the CAC model and MDT response, the importance of having a trauma-informed mindset, explores ways CACs and teams can enhance their response, and provides insights for building resiliency.
Topics in this episode:
Human trafficking (3:35) CSEC (8:09) CAC/MDT response (9:57) The impact of the work (26:20) Advice and tips to enhance response (35:25) Building resiliency (38:32) Moral injury, moral distress, moral suffering (44:30) For more information (49:10)
GUEST:
Melissa Kaiser, LBSW is a licensed social worker specializing in anti-human trafficking work, secondary trauma, working with victims of trauma, and developing/maintaining multi-disciplinary teams. Melissa is a certified trainer in Green Dot, Compassion Fatigue, GEMS, Stand to Protect, My Life My Choice, and SHARP, and has additional training in Child Welfare and PRIDE/Safe Zone. She has seven years of experience providing national/international training and technical assistance, and case management to victims of human trafficking. Melissa has trained over 11,000 students and professionals, and currently sits on the Badges of Unity Board for Fargo PD. Melissa's past experience includes treatment foster care, prevention education, and psychiatric and addictions. She was the first Human Trafficking Navigator and Victim-Witness Specialist in ND, with seven years of program development. Melissa was a member of the North Dakota Human Trafficking Task Force, vice-chair of labor trafficking subcommittee, for six years. She developed a human trafficking program, toolkit, and protocol response for ND, per grant deliverables. Melissa also assisted in the development of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Victim/Witness Program.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:
Building Resiliency Together: https://buildingresiliency.org Building Resiliency Together | Strategies for Resiliency: https://buildingresiliency.org/strategies-for-resiliency/ Melissa Kaiser, LBSW | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaisermel/ MelKai Consulting, LLC: https://melkai-consulting-llc.business.site Northeast Regional Children’s Advocacy Center: https://www.nrcac.org Regional Children’s Advocacy Centers: https://www.regionalcacs.org Have an idea for a future Team Talk guest or topic? We want to hear from you! Email your suggestions to Tony DeVincenzo at tony@nrcac.org.
Disclaimer: This project was sponsored by NRCAC from Grant Award Number 15PJDP-22-GK-03061-JJVO awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, OJJDP or NRCAC.
 

EPISODE SUMMARY:
“Better to be ready than get ready.”

We delve deeper into the important topic of succession planning. In this episode, Tony speaks with Christopher St. Cyr who serves as the Executive Director at the Caledonia Children’s Advocacy Center. Chris discusses the importance of being intentional when it comes to succession planning. He guides us through a real-life experience of preparing for change and transition, including an unexpected twist the CAC faced along the way, and the value of being flexible.
GUEST:
Christopher St. Cyr is the Executive Director with the Caledonia Children’s Advocacy Center located in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Chris is a retired police officer and worked in Whitefield and Lancaster, New Hampshire, and Essex County, Vermont. He recently retired as a Command Sergeant Major in the New Hampshire National Guard with over 40 years of service. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration and completed Executive Development Course at Justice System Training and Research Institute at RWU.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:
Learn more about the Caledonia Children’s Advocacy Center: https://www.caledoniasiu-cac.com NRCAC Team Talk Episode #40 – Succession Planning with Southern Regional Children’s Advocacy Center Director Emily Chittenden-Laird: https://nrcac.libsyn.com/episode-40-succession-planning Emergency Preparedness and Response Guide for CACs: Planning for the Unexpected: https://www.srcac.org/resources/ Northeast Regional Children’s Advocacy Center: https://www.nrcac.org Regional Children’s Advocacy Centers: https://www.regionalcacs.org
Have an idea for a future Team Talk guest or topic? We want to hear from you! Email your suggestions to Tony DeVincenzo at tony@nrcac.org.

Disclaimer: This project was sponsored by NRCAC from Grant Award Number 15PJDP-22-GK-03061-JJVO awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, OJJDP or NRCAC.
 

EPISODE SUMMARY:
When you hear succession planning, what comes to mind? Many people will think of a written document that outlines procedures for when there is a transition in leadership.
Having a plan for change and transition is critical to the CAC’s stability and continuity of services for children and families. In this episode, Tony speaks with Southern Regional Children’s Advocacy Center Director Emily Chittenden-Laird who has a broader perspective on succession planning. She shares with us the importance of organizational planning and real-life experiences.
GUEST:
Emily Chittenden-Laird is the Director of Southern Regional Children’s Advocacy Center (SRCAC). Emily is an experienced strategist and leader. Driven by a deep belief in the people and mission of the CAC movement, she takes pride in establishing vision and programming that ensures the success of Chapters and CACs. After more than a decade of service at the CAC and State Chapter level, followed by a few years as a consultant and Chief Operating Officer at 84 Agency, she returned to the CAC field as the Chapter Specialist at SRCAC, then became Director in 2022. Fueled by a desire to develop leaders and cast an inspiring vision for growth, Emily leads the SRCAC team by providing oversight and direction to ensure transformational change within the CAC movement. Emily’s leadership extends to her own community where she can be found singing in the choir, attending community meetings, and exploring the outdoors with her husband and two sons.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:
Northeast Regional Children’s Advocacy Center: https://www.nrcac.org Southern Regional Children’s Advocacy Center: https://www.srcac.org SRCAC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthernRegionalChildrensAdvocacyCenter/ SRCAC LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southern-regional-children-s-advocacy-center/ Regional Children’s Advocacy Centers: https://www.regionalcacs.org  
Have an idea for a future Team Talk guest or topic? We want to hear from you! Email your suggestions to Tony DeVincenzo at tony@nrcac.org.
Disclaimer: This project was sponsored by NRCAC from Grant Award Number 15PJDP-22-GK-03061-JJVO awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, OJJDP or NRCAC.

EPISODE SUMMARY:
As professionals in the child abuse field, we all know that child sexual abuse has no boundaries. In the United States, CACs and MDTs are doing amazing and innovative work to provide a collaborative response to promote healing for children and families.
But have you ever thought about the issue of child sexual abuse globally and how it affects middle and low-income countries? In this episode, Abbie Newman, RN, JD with Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center joins Tony to talk about the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN). She shares a project that ISPCAN is leading to develop a trauma-informed collaborative response to child abuse and how this work has influenced Mission Kids and the children and families they serve.
Topics in this episode
International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) (3:52) Global Issue of Child Abuse (5:15) Overview of Collaborative Response Project led by ISPCAN (9:04) Challenges Developing a Response in Middle to Low-Income Countries (12:10) Project Goals (16:11) Objectives (18:05) Implementation (25:17) Timeline (26:47) ISPCAN Influence and Impact on Mission Kids (27:30) Get Involved (28:41) GUEST
Abbie Newman, RN, JD, the CEO of Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center (MKCAC), began her career as a registered pediatric nurse before practicing law for 19 years. She became the founding executive director of MKCAC in 2008 and built the collaborative multidisciplinary team into a nationally accredited CAC. Since then, MKCAC has provided over 6,000 forensic interviews, and made over 1000 mental and 1000 medical referrals. Further, MKCAC has provided targeted prevention education to more than 47,000 children, adolescents, teachers, and multidisciplinary partners and become a leader in developing responses to CSEC and working with stakeholders statewide in the best interests of these victims.
In 2018, Abbie became CEO of MKCAC, driving innovative thought leadership statewide, nationally, and internationally to help victims of child abuse, including victims of commercial sexual exploitation. She is past-President and a current member of the Pennsylvania Chapter of CACs’ Board of Directors. Initially appointed by Governor Corbett in 2014 to Pennsylvania’s Victim Services Advisory Committee, charged with awarding state funds to established and developing CACs, Abbie was reappointed by Governor Wolf in 2018. She became an elected member of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect (ISPCAN)’s Distinguished Advisory Committee in 2021 and, in this capacity, is leading a project to develop an international framework for collaborative responses to child sexual abuse (CSA) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to be adaptable to other forms of child abuse and neglect. Abbie has also spearheaded research in partnership with global experts in the field of child abuse, drawing from the work of Mission Kids’ multidisciplinary team. Results of these projects have been published as peer-reviewed articles in Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal, reaching thousands of professionals around the globe.
Abbie remains passionate about working with state and national level legislators to strengthen child protection laws, increase funding to agencies serving victims of child abuse and neglect, and develop and sustain CACs as a model for child abuse investigation and prevention. She presents nationally and internationally on CSA and collaborative responses to child maltreatment and has forged international partnerships to respond to child abuse, globally. Abbie’s signature tagline, for years, has been English philosopher Edmund Burke’s, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing.” Her ultimate vision is to see collaborative efforts help all children triumph over trauma, regardless of locale or circumstance, so they can live up to their full pot

EPISODE SUMMARY: “The ultimate solution to burnout is not self-care. It’s caring for others and others caring for you.”
There’s no denying that self-care is important. Eating healthy, exercising, and taking vacation days can reduce stress on the body. But it’s human connection and the relationships you have with others that make the difference.
In this month’s episode, Tony speaks with Dr. Heather Forkey and Dr. Jessica Griffin with UMass Chan Medical School about a different approach to address secondary traumatic stress and burnout. During their conversation, they share with us the affiliate response. They discuss the evolutionary foundation and strategies for organizations and individuals to reduce secondary traumatic stress and burnout.
Topics in this episode
Burnout and secondary traumatic stress definitions (4:03) Secondary traumatic stress symptoms (11:30) Evolutionary response to stress (12:51) Impact of culture and society (19:14) Strategies to reduce stress and burnout (27:22) Recommendations for organizations and teams to recognize and take action (30:52) Technology (36:00) Caring for others, others caring for you (39:12) Resources (42:50)  
GUESTS:
Heather C. Forkey, MD, is a Professor of Pediatrics and at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, and Director of the Foster Children Evaluation Service (FaCES) of the UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center.  She also serves as the Medical Director of Lifeline4Kids at University of Massachusetts Medical School.  She received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and medical degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She completed her pediatric residency and chief residency at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Forkey has been the recipient of local and federal grants to address issues of children in foster care and to translate promising practices to address physical and mental health needs of children who have been traumatized.  She has published and presents nationally and internationally on the topics, and serves in leadership roles for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the American Academy of Pediatrics on issues related to foster care, mental health and child trauma. She recently coauthored the book Childhood Trauma and Resilience: A Practical Guide, available from AAP Press.
Jessica Griffin, PsyD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Pediatrics; Executive Director, Lifeline For Kids; Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics; Executive Director, Lifeline For Kids; Executive Director, Resilience Through Relationships Center; Executive Director, Child Trauma Training Center
Dr. Griffin is a clinical and forensic psychologist with specialties in childhood trauma, resilience, and relationships. Dr. Griffin is a nationally recognized expert in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), trauma, resilience, and relationships. She developed the UMass Child Trauma Training Center (now known as Lifeline For Kids) which has trained over 100,000 professionals in trauma, trauma-informed care, and trauma sensitive practices. She is a highly sought-after public speaker and go-to expert for national media and is a regular contributor on news outlets. She is a co-author of a book by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Childhood Trauma and Resilience, A Practical Guide, a go-to resource on childhood trauma for pediatrics. Recently, Dr. Griffin also authored a book for couples, Relationship Rx: Prescriptions for Lasting Love and Deeper Connection.
 
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:
Childhood Trauma and Resilience: A Practical Guide by Heather C. Forkey MD FAAP, Jessica L. Griffin PsyD and Moira Szilagyi MD PhD FAAP: https://www.amazon.com/Childhood-Trauma-Resilience-Practical-Guide/dp/1610025067 Relationship Rx: Prescriptions for Lasting Love and Deeper Connection by Jessica Griffin and Pepper Schwar