8:15 a.m. - The Judicial System's Response to Key Interventions in Domestic Violence – Part I     (.50 CEU)

This introduction to the conference, presented by Municipal Court Judge Municipal Cedric Kerns, will address the Las Vegas Municipal Court’s “keys to effective interventions in domestic violence”. The Judge will make it clear that the perpetrator’s accountability in all interventions should be at the forefront as their abusive actions are criminal. 

8:45 a.m. – Innocent Victims of Abuse   (1.50 CEU)

The keynote speaker, Susan Still, will share insight into the minds and lives of children who experience first hand the abuse of their mother in the home by their father. The information will give participants an understanding of the often long-term and traumatic effects on child witnesses. Through Ms. Still’s anecdotal account of the severe abuse by her husband, participants will come to understand how the perpetrator often uses the children against the victim by various brainwashing techniques; often including being coerced to participate in the abusive acts. Participants will learn the emotional conflict that children experience as they feel love for their mother and yet, in order to survive in the household, they may participate in the abuse against her at their father’s command. Participants will also learn how children often believe the abuse against their mother is normal, which gives insight into the counseling professionals’ interventions with children living in domestic violence.   

10:15 – Break and Welcome by Mayor Oscar Goodman

10:45 – Survivor Interventions and Life After  (1.50 CEU)

Keynote speaker, Susan Still, will discuss the type of support domestic violence victims need from their relatives, professionals, friends, employers and neighbors as they go through a healing process within the cycle of abuse. She will inform the participants of the best ways for victims to navigate through family, criminal and civil court. Ms. Still will give suggestions to counseling professionals in conveying to their clients the importance of creating a safety plan for the victim and her children. This invaluable plan includes helpful information that counselors can give the victims until the victim is ready or able to leave the abusive situation.

1 p.m. – Tools for the Tool Box: Training Those Who Work With Victims of Domestic Violence  (2.0 CEU)

This workshop will discuss the effective training needed to ensure that victims of domestic violence get what they need when they encounter the professionals and paraprofessionals who are in a position to help them. This training will briefly touch on Adult Learning Theory as it impacts the trainer’s ability to effect behavioral and attitudinal change. Included in this presentation, will be collaborative or team teaching to increase the effectiveness and credibility of the training program and “tools for the toolbox” to enhance the learning experience.

3:15 p.m. – Issues in Documenting Victim Injuries in a Hospital Setting   (1.0 CEU)

This workshop will provide information on what healthcare providers are required to document when a victim of domestic violence arrives at a health facility. Objective and subjective documentation will be discussed and the challenges health providers encounter when documenting the information including the questions to be asked and when to report information received.

4:15 p.m. – Challenges in Working with Victims of Domestic Violence   (1.0 CEU)

This workshop will address a variety of issues in working with victims of domestic violence.  Participants will be provided with a variety of services offered by S.A.F.E. (Stop Abuse in the Family Environment) House programs, as well as the challenges they both face when working with this clientele. Examples of some challenges may be mental issues, housing, transportation, economics, the victim returning to the same violent home, etc. 

Day 2 - Wednesday, May 7, 2008

8:15 a.m. – The Judicial System’s Response to Key Interventions in Domestic Violence – Part II   (.50 CEU)

Municipal Court Judge Kolkoski will share insightful information from teachings learned through the judicial challenge of dispensing justice in the context of domestic violence cases.  She will balance this information with the emerging trend of domestic violence specialty courts used as “state-of-the-art” interventions in our region.

8:45 a.m. – Differences in Treatment Programs  (1.50 CEU)

Keynote speaker R. Edwin Hutchinson, Phd, is the founder and executive director of Idaho’s AMEND Center. This center focuses on domestic violence treatment for men and women with family preservation counseling services. The workshop will offer an overview of what Idaho has learned from other states in developing strong intervention programs for combating domestic violence. It will allow participants to compare and contrast approaches to domestic violence treatment education between the states. What assurance does anyone have that the lesson has been learned and the behavior changed? We should hold perpetrators accountable for their behavior.

10:30 a.m. Tools for the Tool Box: Working with Perpetrators  (1.50 CEU)

This workshop will concentrate on how to reach resistant and challenging clients, training techniques in domestic violence treatment and hand-on training for treatment facilitators.  Domestic violence group facilitators will be given tools that have been proven to effectively break through denial and increase sensitivity and empathic awareness in domestic violence perpetrators. Exercises that can be used in groups to effectively track complex and resistant ways of thinking, feeling and believing will be demonstrated.

1 p.m. – Individualizing Your Treatment: Knowing Who You are Working With  (1.25 CEU)

This workshop will focus on how the treatment providers approach the men in their care. Men come to the treatment provider with their beliefs and the provider approaches them with their belief set. Most domestic violence groups are a mixed variety of men who have cultural, racial, religious, age, parenting, and educational differences. Facilitators need to know, appreciate and approach each person as unique within a common focus group. This workshop will explore how to equalize the therapeutic field in a class/group so that each man receives what he needs to make changes in his beliefs and behaviors.

2:15 p.m. – Ethics and Ethical Practices: Helping Counselors Be Their Best   (1.25 CEU)

Recently, several counseling professions/treatment providers have revised their ethical codes in order to provide guidance to counselors due to cultural and technology changes. This workshop will review these new  ethical codes and standards for counseling professionals. Participants will get an opportunity to practice resolving ethical dilemmas using ethical decision-making models.  In addition, this workshop will highlight problems associated with dual relationships and boundary violations as these issues continue to cause the most difficulties for counselors/treatment providers. At the end of the workshop participants will be able to: 1) Demonstrate an increase in knowledge of new ethical codes and standards; 2) Identify dual relationships and strategies to decrease exposure; 3) Cite two ethical decision-making models.

3:45 p.m. Challenges Faced by Treatment Providers: Working With both Victims and Perpetrators of Domestic Violence   (1.50 CEU)

This workshop will address the challenges treatment providers face when working with victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. Such challenges include mental health issues, cultural differences, alcohol/drug abuse, homelessness, financial troubles, and irate and other inappropriate behaviors. Treatment providers will also provide feedback on constructive methods or techniques used in the classroom setting when working with a variety of behaviors and issues.  They will provide information on setting boundaries between themselves and their clients, adhering to the standards and compliance of the program, avoidance of victim blaming, reinforcing perpetrator accountability and the effectiveness in interacting with their co-facilitator. 

Domestic Violence Conference page