Montclair State University

National Conferences

The Center for Child Advocacy sponsors an annual national conference on Child Abuse and Neglect. These conferences are co sponsored by the NJ Division of Youth and Family Services. They feature nationally known professionals in the field of Child Advocacy. They offer presentations, workshops, and poster presentations.

2012 CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

The Center for Child Advocacy presents The Seventh Annual National Conference:

Adolescent Advocacy: Perspectives, Policy, Practice

April 13, 2012

The Center for Child Advocacy is pleased to announce its Seventh Annual Call for Abstracts. Our Center is dedicated to providing professionals with the knowledge needed to advocate for children in various contexts.

Possible workshop topics include but are not limited to: new program initiatives; federal/ statewide policies; the adolescent and trauma; the aging out adolescent; adolescents and the system; bullying; mental health issues; foster and adoptive care for adolescents; substance abuse, etc. All abstracts submitted should bring a fresh perspective to new and/or existing knowledge regarding child victimization and the various avenues for advocacy. We look forward to reviewing your submissions, and appreciate all your efforts in the application process.

Types of Presentations Accepted:

1. Presentations for a practice or research audience including but not limited to:

New educational and/or training initiatives
Empirical studies
Case studies and/or other practice based research
Forensic, social work, anthropological, medical, psychological, sociological, legal, and educational perspectives

2. Practical field presentations
3. Symposium
4. Poster and/or paper presentation

The following must be submitted in a Word Document for consideration:

Brief biographical sketch: include titles, degrees, educational background, awards, participation in other conferences, etc.
Contact information: full name, email address, work phone number and alternate phone number, organization or agency name
300 - 500 word abstract

By EMAIL (preferred method):
Attach your Word Document and send to chadconf@mail.montclair.edu

By MAIL:

CHAD Conference Committee
Center for Child Advocacy
Montclair State University
860 Valley Road – The Legge House
Montclair, NJ 07043

Submission Deadline:

All submissions must be received by January 10, 2012.

You will receive an email confirming receipt of your submission.

Any questions regarding the conference please contact:

Jacqueline Catalano at 973-655-4188.

Crimes Against Children: the Multiple Faces of Child Victimization

April 15, 2011

This year's conference features two distinguished keynote speakers: Dr. Susan Cohen Esquilin and Mr. James Marsh, Attorney. Participants will have the opportunity to attend workshops throughout the day on a myriad of subjects, including bullying, domestic violence, child sexual abuse, online predators, and child trafficking. Child advocates, child welfare professionals, attorneys, psychologists, educators, students, and all those concerned with issues that affect children are encouraged to attend.

For full Conference Agenda view our brochure.

Location:
University Hall Conference Center, 7th floor
Montclair State University

Keynote Speakers:

Susan Cohen Esquilin, PhD, ABPP-Clinical

Dr. Susan Esquilin is a licensed psychologist, trained in developmental and clinical psychology at the University of Chicago. She holds a diplomate in clinical psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Esquilin's career has been devoted to teaching and service delivery in underserved areas, with a specialization in child abuse. She recently retired as professor of Child Advocacy at Montclair State and has served as a faculty member at Rutgers and the NJ Medical School (UMDNJ-Newark). Dr. Esquilin has been qualified as an expert witness in criminal, family court, and civil matters. Dr. Esquilin is a Past-President of the NJ chapter of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children and is the author of numerous scholarly articles about the professional role of psychologists in the area of abuse and trauma.

James R. Marsh, Attorney

A graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and its acclaimed Child Advocacy Law Clinic, James Marsh is an experienced trial lawyer and frequent commentator and author on legal issues affecting children. Mr. Marsh is the founder, former executive director and current board secretary of the nationally recognized Children’s Law Center in Washington, DC which received the National Association of Counsel for Children’s Outstanding Legal Advocacy Award during his tenure. Mr. Marsh has represented clients in wrongful adoption, civil rights, RICO, Title IX sex harassment, §1983, special education, high stakes testing, student discipline, child welfare and adoption cases before state and federal trial and appellate courts. His current focus is representing victims of child pornography in criminal restitution and civil cases in federal courts nationwide. Mr. Marsh has appeared on Court TV, CNN, Nancy Grace and The O’Reilly Factor. His effort to obtain restitution for victims of child pornography was recently featured in the New York Times. Mr. Marsh has written numerous articles for professional journals and treatises and is the editor of the Child Law Blog.

Continuing Education Credits:

We will be offering continuing education credits for the following two workshops approved through NASW-NJ CE Approval Program.

1. Bullying: Developmental and Environmental Determinants and Interventional Implications
(1.5 non-clinical credits for social workers)

2. Finding a voice: Music and Drama Therapy for Child Survivors of Domestic Violence
(1 clinical credit for social workers)

Any questions, please contact Jacqueline Catalano at 973-655-4188.

Presentation Summaries and Bios

Power Points shared by Presenters:

1. Finding a Voice: Music and Drama Therapy for Child Survivors of Domestic Violence (handout)
Amy Clarkson, MT-BC

2. The Myths and Realities of online"Predators" and Predators (powerpoint)
Joseph Hanley, BA Candidate

3. Restitution for Child Crime Victims (handout)
James R. Marsh, Attorney

3. Sibling Abuse: Detection and Advocacy (handout) and (powerpoint)
Amy Meyers, PhD
*Although Dr. Meyers was not able to present at the conference, she was kind enough to share her powerpoint presentation and a handout *

4. Maternal Incarceration: It's Effects on Children and Families (powerpoint) and (handout)
Christina N. Semple, Doctoral Candidate

5. Bullying: Developmental and Environmental Determinants and Interventional Implications (powerpoint)
Anthony F. Tasso, PhD

Advocating for Children: Policy and Practice April 16, 2010

Key Note Speakers:

DAVID BILLINGS, DMin is a lead organizer and trainer with The People's Institute for Survival and Beyond's New York City Office. He has been with the organization for 30 years. He trains, lectures, and works with groups organizing to Undo Racism. He has been part of the Institute's work on reducing structural inequalities in Child Welfare. Billings is a historian of the nation's race construct and how it determines systemic disparities by race still today. Billings was born in Mississippi and for 35 years lived and worked in New Orleans. He has lived in New York City since 2004.

JOYCE JAMES, LMSW-AP is the Deputy Commissioner for Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). Ms. James has received national recognition as the founder of HOPE (Helping Our People Excel) - a community initiative addressing the issue of over representation of African American children in DFPS. she has influenced Child Protective Services to take a close look at policies and practices that may contribute to the disproportionality of African American Children in the system. Ms. James has received numerous awards including the Betsy Rosenbaum Award presented to a Public Child Welfare Leader who has demonstrated a commitment to advancing child Welfare issues on behalf of children nd families. Ms. James is also a private Child Welfare Consultant.

JACKIE STAMPS, MSSW is the Service Region Administrator of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services working with community partners and mandatory reporting groups. She provides leadership in the delivery of services by a staff of 700 employees in a county with 700,000 residents. She directed pilot projects such as the Parent Advocate Program and the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) Family to Family Initiative and the Community Partnership for Protecting Children. Her passion is around community engagement and policy and practice change in reducing racial disproportionality and disparities in the Child Welfare System. Ms. Stamps believes that families and care givers serve a vital role in permanency planning to protect the interests of foster children.

TERESA McELROY is a Birth Parent Advocate who has served as a parent advocate in Jefferson County's Kentucky's Parent Advocate Program for four years. She recently was hired by Easter Kentucky University as a full time family mentor of the START - Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Team.

Presentation Summaries and Bios; Click here: Summaries/ Bios

Power Points:

1) An Innovative Integrative Group Therapy Approach for Treating Childhood Sexual Abuse: Game-Based Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy.
Craig Springer, PhD; Licensed clinical psychologist and founder of RDTC's group therapy and socialization program

Click here for Power Points for this workshop: PPT

Any questions, please contact us at 973-655-4188 or via e mail: chadconf@mail.montclair.edu

April 3, 2009

Families in Crisis: Domestic Violence, Substance Abuse and the Child

Keynote speakers: Dr. Evan Stark and Betsy McAlister Groves, MSW, LICSW

Click here for Conference Brochure

Power Point Presentations:

1. Keynote Address: Betsy McAlister Groves, MSW, LICSW

Shelter from the Storm: Supporting and Intervening with Children Affected by Domestic Violence

2. Keynote Address: Evan Stark, Ph.D., MSW

The Battered Mother's Dilemma: Rethinking the Connections Between Domestic Violence and Children's Welfare

3. Seminar: Anthony Tasso, Ph.D.

Adolescent Intimate Partner Violence: Personality Characteristics and Treatment

4. Presentation: Pauline Garcia Reid, Ph.D & Robert Reid, Ph.D.