2024 ICADV Fall Conference

Abuse interventionists are advocates for survivors of domestic violence. Working with perpetrators of abuse takes a special set of skills aimed at balancing compassion for people who have caused harm as well as simultaneously supporting the survivor experience.  This workshop uses reflection-based writing, lecture, and discussion to examine these concepts. As practitioners, you will analyze beliefs that will help you balance accountability, compassion, or even empathy when working with any individual who has caused harm to others. Attendees will also think critically about their engagement in survivor centered domestic violence advocacy/intervention.

While there is much to say about the support gender-based violence organizations strive to provide to survivors, it should be stated that much of that work has been external. This workshop will provide participants with the A, B, C’s of disrupting gender-based violence through organizational and personal work to create a more just and equitable culture. In order to better serve survivors, organizations must look internally at the policies, systems, and beliefs held that are harmful to the clients they serve. Through Awareness, Belonging, and Change, gender-based violence organizations can become Disruptors and deepen their support of survivors.  

Human trafficking is a crime that often overlaps with domestic violence and sexual violence but can also have distinct differences. In this presentation, myths and facts about human trafficking will be discussed. After reviewing the definitions of labor and sex trafficking, the similarities and differences between sexual violence, domestic violence, and human trafficking will be explored through case studies. Attendees will then review evidence-based methods of working with survivors of trafficking, with emphasis given to dynamics of sexual, gender, and ethnic minorities. Finally, attendees will be provided with resources around the state for addressing human trafficking in their communities.  

Through knowledge of the nervous system, helping professionals can create a better understanding of their own secondary or vicarious trauma and develop strategies for overcoming burnout and compassion fatigue. This presentation will include a brief overview of how secondary or vicarious trauma affect the brain and nervous system and how helping professionals can provide quality support for survivors, while simultaneously prioritizing their own mental health and well-being.