Please find the full list of NCA Accreditation Standards here.
Note: These do not satisfy the requirements for foundational training but are for continuing education in practice areas.
Workshop Session 1 (10:30 AM – 12:00 PM)
1A. Developing Digital Safety, Empathy and Mindfulness
Richard Guerry
Apps like TikTok continue to grow; Deep Fakes are becoming a more common issue, AI is being deployed on a larger scale, communication in online gaming is growing more frequent for children at younger ages, and; Wearable tech like Snap Specs & Meta Smart Glasses will continue to evolve, thus the need for responsibility, as well as empathy and kindness has become even more paramount.
About the Presenter:
Richard Guerry is the founder of the non-profit organization the Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication (IROC2.org) and one of the nation's most sought-after speakers on digital safety, empathy, and mindfulness. He is the author of multiple cyber safety books and has been a featured speaker at numerous national & international conferences. His programs have received multiple awards from the School Safety Advocacy Council.
NCA Accreditation Standards:
Standards 1B, 4B,5B
Optional Standard 1A: CSEC
1B. High-Risk LGBTQ Youth
Sheelah Gobar, MSCJ, Sophie Jordan, Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County
In this workshop, we will share what we have learned are specific needs of youth disconnected from systems who are high-risk or sexually exploited, and the challenges they face when trying to access support. We will discuss how providers and MDT partners can create physically and emotionally safe spaces for youth, as identified by the youth themselves. We will help participants recognize barriers youth face when accessing support and identify strategies for MDTs engaging and empowering youth.
About the Presenters:
As the Support to End Exploitation Now (SEEN) Program Manager at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County, Sheelah Gobar coordinates multidisciplinary interventions for commercially sexually exploited and high-risk youth (CSEC). Sheelah provides guidance and leadership to the SEEN team to ensure prompt communication among multidisciplinary team members, and victim-centered responses for youth and families. She provides training and consultation locally, nationally, and internationally on CSEC identification and response. Sheelah came to the CAC after completing her MS in Crime and Justice Studies at Suffolk University with a concentration in Victim Advocacy.
Sophie Jordan works with CAC partners and multidisciplinary (MDT) team members to coordinate and facilitate person-centered, trauma-informed, and comprehensive interventions for youth impacted by CSEC. Prior to joining the CAC, Sophie worked as a Montessori Educator at Children’s House Montessori School in Burlington, North Carolina, and interned as a Client Advocate at the New Hampshire domestic violence and sexual assault crisis center, HAVEN. These experiences helped her develop a strong understanding of child development, best practices when working with survivors, and micro, mezzo, and macro social systems.
NCA Accreditation Standards:
Standards 1B, 4B,5B
Optional Standard 1A: CSEC
1C. Introduction to Immigration: Know Your Rights & Best Practices Working with Immigrants
Jessica Chicco, Catherine Ramirez Mejia, MIRA Coalition
This workshop will provide an overview of common immigration statuses and pathways to obtain legal immigration status, including through family and humanitarian protections. It will help participants understand the basic rights of all individuals in interactions with immigration enforcement and the steps families can take to prepare for unexpected events like detention or deportation of a family member. This workshop will also cover common challenges and barriers to effective service provision to immigrant families, and best practices for organizations to follow to build strong, trusting relationships with immigrant clients.
About the Presenters:
Catherine Ramirez Mejia is the Access and Resource Specialist at MIRA (Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition). In her role, she helps to build organizational knowledge of immigrant access to various systems. Additionally, Catherine creates and leads trainings, designs resources and tools for diverse audiences, and advises the Policy Team on immigrant access to systems and service access issues.
Director of Training, Jessica Chicco, joined MIRA as a Staff Attorney in January 2020 after more than a decade working with immigrant communities. She oversees the education and training program and also works on state and federal policy issues.
NCA Accreditation Standards:
Standards 1B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B
1D. No Perfect Victim: Combatting Issues and Overcoming Jury Bias in Cases with Difficult Kids
Kathleen Nolan, Zero Abuse Project
We know there is no perfect victim. But we also know children in vulnerable situations make a perfect target for predators. This workshop will discuss the issues faced by prosecutors in handling cases where the current charges may be only one of many challenges faced by a child victim.
About the Presenter:
Kathleen Nolan is a Senior Attorney with the Zero Abuse Project, a non-profit organization focused on the training of prosecutors, law enforcement, child protection workers, medical professionals, and forensic interviewers.
NCA Accreditation Standards:
Standards 1B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B
1E. PSB Safety Planning
Jacqueline Page, Psy.D.
This workshop focuses on developing safety plans for children with sexual behavior problems. Participants will discuss how to maintain safety while supporting healthy child development. Common questions and challenges to safety planning will be examined, and possible solutions explored.
About the Presenter:
Jacqueline Page, Psy.D. is a Professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Department of Psychiatry. She has worked with children/youth with problematic sexual behavior and their families for 35 years. She regularly presents and trains nationally and internationally.
NCA Accreditation Standards:
Standards 1B, 4B, 5B
1F. NCA Accreditation
Alyssa Todd
This presentation will review NCA’s timeline for reaccreditation and what to expect in the year leading up to a site visit. We will discuss required documents, the application portal, and review strategies to create an easy to follow application that will make the review process smoother for centers and their reviewers, no matter the size of your CAC. This presentation will review the major changes to NCA standards that went into effect in 2023, as well as the three new optional standards.
About the Presenter:
Alyssa Todd has worked in various roles within the field of child maltreatment for over 18 years, including 7 years as a CAC Director and Forensic Interviewer. During that time, she interviewed over 800 children and led the center through NCA accreditation for the first time. Alyssa joined NCA's Accreditation team in 2019, and since that time, she has supported CACs across the country in navigating the accreditation and reaccreditation process.