Upcoming Events

 

16th Annual West Virginia Sexual Assault and Stalking Symposium
Connecting the Dots: Understanding Victims’ Needs

April 19, 2016

 

Download the 2016 Symposium Resource Sheet PDF

 

Registration is now Closed - At Full Capcity

 

About the Symposium:

The 16th Annual Statewide WV Sexual Assault and Stalking Symposium is scheduled for Tuesday, April 19, 2016 at the Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, WV. This one day symposium provides a multidisciplinary training opportunity to learn about emerging practices in sexual assault cases.

 

This year's symposium will focus on "Connecting the Dots: Understanding Victim's Needs". Sexual assault and stalking can create a profound violation of a person's sense of self and safety. The effects of these crimes can last a lifetime, rippling out to family members, relationships, the work environment and the community.

 

Victims of sexual assault may never forget their victimization, but they can heal with support and appropriate intervention, information and resources. A community’s awareness and ability to response appropriately to sexual assault and stalking comes from the kind of training provided annually at the Symposium.

 

Who Should Attend:

The symposium is essential for law enforcement, campus security, victim advocates, SANEs, medical personnel, prosecutors, SART members, college campus staff, social workers, counselors, disability service providers and correction staff.

 

Keynote Speaker:

  • Jennifer Storm is a content expert on victims’ rights issues, a survivor of sexual assault and an outspoken advocate. Ms. Storm chronicled her own story of victimization and recovery in her memoirs Blackout Girl: Growing Up and Drying Out in America, and Picking up the Pieces without Picking Up. Currently the Victim Advocate for the State of Pennsylvania, Ms. Storm has changed the rules and laws to support and protect both adult and juvenile victims of all crimes.

Plenary Speaker:

  • Viktoria Kristiansson is an Attorney Advisor for AEquitas: The Prosecutors' Resource on Violence Against Women. In this role she authors and develops resources, publications, and curricula; provides case consultation and technical assistance for prosecutors and allied professionals; and provides collaborative policy consultation. She presents on trial strategy, legal analysis and policy, and ethical issues related to violence against women. Ms. Kristiansson received a Juris Doctor from Temple University School of Law.

Featured Speakers:

  • Margaret Denny, RN, MSN and WV SANE Project Coordinator is the coordinator of the Adult/Adolescent and Pediatric SANE Program at West Virginia Medicine. As a member of West Virginia’s first SANE faculty, Ms. Denny provides resources and training to members of the healthcare community in West Virginia.
  • Sherry Eling is the Violence Against Women Resource Prosecutor for the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute. She is a state-wide resource for county prosecutors and their assistants in all areas of violence against women with an emphasis on sexual assault and domestic crimes.
  • Detective Larry Hasley, a Morgantown Police Department 12-year veteran, has extensive training in sexual assault investigations. Detective Hasley has served as a Special Deputy US Marshal on the Mountain State Fugitive Task Force and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
  • William J. Ihlenfeld II has served as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia since 2010. Mr. Ihlenfeld has built a career dedicated to public service and infused with a passion for making Northern West Virginia a safer place to live. Throughout his career, he has seized opportunities to pursue justice for victims of interpersonal violence and to partner with organizations that provide critical services to survivors of these crimes.
  • David Miller has worked at the West Virginia State Police Forensic Crime Lab for 21 years in both the DNA Section and as Supervisor of the Evidence Processing Section. Mr. Miller chairs the Data Collection Committee of the SAFE Commission and serves on the WV SANE Advisory Board. He has been instrumental in the development of a system to provide feedback to medical personnel on the quality of forensic samples collected.
  • Sarah Montoro has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of West Virginia since 2014. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s office, Ms. Montoro was in private practice and served as a law clerk for U.S. Fourth Circuit Judge Robert B. King.
  • Erin E. Spearen is the Supervisor for the Toxicology Section of the WVSP Forensic Laboratory. He has training in Blood Alcohol and Volatiles Analysis and has experience working in the Toxicology Section of the lab.
  • Sam Wilmoth, MSW, is the SART Project Coordinator for the West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services. In that capacity, he provides training and technical assistance to SARTs (Sexual Assault Response Teams) across West Virginia. Primarily focused on system improvements and CCR development, Sam provides trainings across West Virginia on key issues including sexual abuse in later life, stalking, disabilities and trauma.

 

Continuing Education

The Sexual Assault and Stalking Symposium meets continuing education requirements for the following:

DV Advocate Certification 7 DVCA Hours
Law Enforcement Training-Annual Level In-Service 7 LETs
WV Board of Examiners for Counseling
Provider #WVBEC-518
7 Contact Hours
WV Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses
WVBRN Provider #WV2000-0309RN
8 Contact Hours
WV Board of Examiners for Social Work
WV Provider #490094
8 Contact Hours
WV State Bar Association 8.1 MCLEs

 

DJCS approves this training as credit toward the required 8 hour minimum training requirement under VOCA/VAWA. Certificate of Attendance must be submitted to DJCS to receive credit for the training. Programs that will be requesting reimbursement for this training must submit a request for approval and breakdown of allowable cost to DJCS prior to attending the training. Failure to obtain pre-approval may result in the cost not being reimbursed by DJCS. VOCA grantees should contact the program manager for approval.

 

 

Registration Information

  • Registration Fee: $50.00, late registration $65.00 (after April 12th)
    Payment MUST accompany registration.
    NO credit cards can be accepted. Payment is non-refundable.
  • Time: 8:30am - 4:30pm
  • Location: Stonewall Resort, Roanoke, WV
    Training site is accessible for persons with disabilities.
  • Contact: Debra Lopez-Bonasso at dlb.wvfris@gmail.com or by phone at 304-366-9508
    Brittany Scott at bscott.wvfris@gmail.com or by phone at 304-368-9543.

 

This training is supported by Grants #12-VAW-002, 13-VAW-002 and 14-VAW-002 awarded by the West Virginia Division of Justice and Community Services. Points of view or opinions in this training are those of the presenters and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the State of West Virginia or DJCS.

 

 

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