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Family Violence Intervention conference to convene in Niagara

More than 175 professionals from across Western New York are expected to attend the 13th Annual Family Violence Intervention Project conference “Safe at Home: Seeking Solutions for Adult and Child Victims of Family Violence” on Tuesday, May 10 at the Conference Center Niagara Falls.  The conference features national speakers who train attendees on state-of-the-art techniques to protect and intervene in cases of child abuse and domestic violence, with the goal of keeping our kids and families safe.  Of particular note:

•    In his 8:45 a.m. keynote address, “Making the Law Keep its Promise,” Nashville (TN) Police Lieutenant Mark Wynn will discuss the dynamics of domestic violence, why victims are reluctant to report it and how victims often lose faith and trust in the system.  Lt. Wynn implores communities to work together to protect and heal children and adults affected by violence.  A 20-year police veteran, the now retired Lt. Wynn has trained nationally and internationally and has played a key role in the development of national policies on domestic violence investigation.

•    Lt. Wynn’s address will serve as the prelude to two workshops that will address critical issues in our community – “Beyond the Obvious: Assessing and Intervening in Cases of Dual Assault” and “Understanding Domestic Violence and Child Abuse in Police Families.”

•    The morning plenary session will feature Angela Downes, senior attorney for the National District Attorney’s Association’s National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse.  Ms. Downes will present “Hot for Teacher: Sexual Abuse by Authority Figures,” raising awareness and teaching methods to investigate and prosecute this often unrevealed crime. She will follow up in the afternoon with workshops addressing how to protect adolescents and how to protect children from on-line predators.

Afternoon workshops also will be presented by Art Mason, LCSW, program director for LIFESPAN in Rochester, who will address the rapidly growing problems of Domestic Violence in the Elderly and Elder Abuse and Neglect, and Mindy Mitnick, EdM, MA, of the National Child Protection Training Center, who will present on the developmental impact of violence and on assessing sexual abuse allegations in custody disputes.

The annual conference is sponsored by the Niagara County Family Violence Intervention Project, Child Advocacy Center of Niagara and Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center.  Co-sponsors are the Niagara County Department of Mental Health’s Trauma Treatment Specialty Services Division, Catholic Charities of Buffalo – Niagara County Services, the Northeast Regional Child Advocacy Center and the City of Niagara Falls.