It's Trauma, Not Drama: A Guide for Advocates from a Survivor Advocate's Perspective
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.
Suggested Audience: Victim advocates, with some value for other MDT members
Full Description: Melanie Barton, a survivor, advocate, and trained forensic interviewer, who now professionally travels the country sharing her story and guiding professionals based on her personal and professional experience, will walk participants through the little things that were the big things on her journey while healing from child sexual abuse and sexual assault. She will also discuss the reality of what helped her and hurt her along the way from a survivor's perspective, to equip advocates for effective support of the children, teens, non-offending caregivers, and families they serve.
Learning Objectives:
Identify significant milestones and seemingly small details that impacted a survivor's healing journey from child sexual abuse and sexual assault.
Analyze the reality of specific actions and behaviors that either supported or harmed the survivor during their process.
Apply lessons learned from the survivor's personal and professional experiences to better advocate for children, teens, non-offending caregivers, and families.
Speaker(s): Melanie Barton
