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 case study examines the investigation and prosecution surrounding the death of 14-year-old Emily Hampshire, whose mother concealed her Type 1 diabetes, leading to fatal neglect. The session highlights how a coordinated MDT uncovered the truth and secured justice in a close-knit community.

This two-part case study examines the investigation and prosecution of the fatal abuse of 7-week-old Baby Owyn. Participants explore MDT timeline-building, charging and pretrial decisions, and trial strategy for complex medical evidence, nonverbal victims, and accelerated jury trials.

This in-depth case study examines the investigation and prosecution of David J. VonBergen, spanning dark web activity, hands-on abuse, reluctant disclosures, and complex evidentiary and legal issues. Presented by the investigative and prosecutorial team, the session explores digital evidence strategy, pretrial motions, sentencing, and the generational abuse tied to his father’s crimes.

This workshop reframes voir dire as a strategic tool rather than a procedural step. Participants learn to use targeted questioning to introduce core themes, surface bias, and prepare jurors for the realities of child testimony from the outset.

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.

Children in institutional custody or state care are acutely vulnerable to exploitation, creating complex investigative and trial challenges for MDTs. This workshop provides practical strategies for managing behavioral and ACE-related issues, limiting improper defense attacks through pretrial motions, and countering jury bias in these high-risk cases.

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.

This intensive session focuses on mastering opening statements and closing arguments in child abuse jury trials. Participants learn to anchor the child’s narrative, build credibility through corroboration, and preempt common defense themes from first word to final plea.

This training builds core skills for conducting minimal facts interviews that protect child safety while supporting effective investigations. Participants learn to recognize developmental and communication factors, identify polyvictimization, and respond to disclosures in ways that empower rather than endanger the child.

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.

Adult narratives can protect the truth—or quietly distort it—in child abuse cases. This session examines Guardians, Gaslighters, and the Gullible, equipping participants to spot bias, challenge misleading narratives, and keep the child’s voice central to the investigation.

This full-day, practical course gives law enforcement, prosecutors, and MDT professionals the skills to use AI responsibly in investigations while recognizing the legal, ethical, and evidentiary risks it creates. Participants learn how to leverage AI for analysis and lead development, spot misuse and bias, and authenticate AI-generated material in child exploitation and other cases.