This session follows survivor Melanie’s journey through the CAC and court process, showing how forensic interviewing and MDT support helped her find her voice and begin healing. Drawing on two decades of recovery and advocacy, she offers a firsthand perspective on the lasting impact of coordinated, survivor-centered practice.

In this session, survivor and advocate Melanie Barton shares the small moments that had outsized impact on her healing from sexual abuse. Drawing on lived experience and professional training, she equips professionals to better support children, teens, caregivers, and families from a survivor-centered perspective.

This session examines how legal, medical, psychological, and survivor-centered perspectives intersect in child abuse cases and how effective MDT collaboration drives successful outcomes. Through cross-disciplinary discussion and case examples, participants learn to use medical evidence, expert testimony, and coordinated communication to support survivors and strengthen prosecution.

This workshop explores how sexual trauma can impact the body long after abuse, often beyond conscious awareness. Through Melanie’s story and Dr. Saar’s clinical insight, participants examine the mind–body connection, non-linear healing, and the vital role of trauma-informed medical care in survivor recovery.

This workshop uses survivor-advocate Melanie’s story to show how sexual trauma can manifest physically years later, including pelvic pain and dysfunction. Participants explore the non-linear nature of healing and the critical role of trauma-informed medical care in a survivor’s path to recovery.

This session follows survivor Melanie Barton’s case from disclosure through trial and long-term impact, presented in conversation with forensic psychologist Dr. Timothy Saar. Together, they examine prosecution missteps, the effects of trial on victims, effective testimony preparation, and post-trial support.

This workshop focuses on presenting pediatric sexual assault exams—especially “normal” findings—as powerful corroboration in child sexual abuse trials. Participants learn to prepare and use medical experts to clearly explain anatomy, exam results, and penetration elements in ways juries understand.

Online exploitation creates layered trauma when abuse is compounded by digital evidence and ongoing harm. This workshop equips MDT professionals with trauma-informed strategies for ethical evidence handling, survivor-centered communication, and pursuing justice and recovery from investigation through long-term support.

Children are more likely to disclose and less likely to recant when they have a safe adult—but that role sometimes falls to the MDT itself. Using a rural incest case study, this session examines how professionals can step into that role through coordinated advocacy, caregiver education, and strategies that reduce recantation and strengthen outcomes.

This training focuses on how CPS and law enforcement can strengthen child protection through clear communication, defined roles, and strategic collaboration. Participants gain practical strategies for navigating case barriers and maintaining effective MDT coordination—even when one agency closes its case—so safety and investigative goals remain aligned.

When a child discloses abuse, premature or poorly framed questions can compromise both the child and the case. This session offers forensic-interview–informed guidance on when and how to gather minimal facts while protecting the child, preserving evidence, and strengthening MDT coordination.

This workshop equips participants with practical strategies to navigate and transform conflict into highly-functioning, empathetic MDTs. Attendees will gain practical skills to analyze conflict origins, lean into the power of the uncomfortable, and engage in accountability conversations.

Trauma can complicate investigations and prosecutions, especially in coercive environments like cults, trafficking networks, and other high-control settings. This workshop covers trauma-related barriers, communication with reluctant witnesses, and evidence-gathering and trial-prep strategies that prioritize safety and account for trauma’s impact on disclosure and testimony.

Even when a child victim recants or cannot speak in court, prosecutors can prevail. This workshop delivers practical investigative and courtroom strategies to anticipate and address recantation, support children throughout the process, and secure convictions when a child cannot or will not testify. Participants will leave equipped to turn silence into strength in the courtroom.

Understanding offender psychology is essential to recognizing, investigating, and proving child sexual abuse. Mindhunters gives professionals practical insight into cognitive distortions, risk indicators, and grooming behaviors—and shows how these dynamics can drive stronger investigations, interviews, and expert testimony.

Build courtroom confidence and credibility with a workshop tailored for MDT members—especially law enforcement, social services, and forensic interviewers. You’ll learn practical strategies for cross-examination, avoid common testimony pitfalls, and sharpen clear, effective communication with judges and juries.

Darkest Before Dawn cuts through the unrelenting challenges of child abuse work—online exploitation, AI-driven threats, strained systems—to show what’s actually shifting and why hope is warranted. It delivers grounded strategies, systemic clarity, and practical steps to move child advocacy from perpetual crisis toward lasting impact.

Religious or spiritual themes are often weaponized by perpetrators to justify the abuse of children, and are invoked to avoid accountability and consolidate power within faith communities. This workshop provides best practices, recent trends, and practical tips and corroboration strategies for MDTs to navigate these issues.