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Georgia Conference on Child Abuse Prevention
Wednesday, September 16
 

8:45am EDT

Keynote: Holding Hope in Times of Uncertainty and Instability: A Trauma-Informed
Wednesday September 16, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am EDT
Professionals who support children and families involved in the child welfare system are often front-line witnesses to the most extreme and traumatic events occurring in modern society today. As human beings, whether we realize it or not, this work affects us — especially as societal trends increasingly jeopardize the stability of the family and healthy interpersonal relationships. In this...
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Speakers
avatar for Dr. Stan Sonu

Dr. Stan Sonu

Medical Director for Child Advocacy, Associate Professor, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine
After obtaining his medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia and completing his residency in combined internal medicine and pediatrics at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL, Dr. Stan Sonu went on to complete a fellowship at the Cook County Preventive Medicine and... Read More →
Wednesday September 16, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am EDT

10:00am EDT

From Vision to Access: 20 Years of Removing Barriers to Counseling
Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am EDT
For decades, child abuse prevention efforts have recognized the critical role of mental health support for caregivers—yet traditional referral-based counseling models often fail to engage the families who need services most. This workshop presents a 20-year journey of developing an innovative, community-based counseling model within a child abuse prevention agency that dramatically increases...
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Speakers
avatar for Grace Arthur

Grace Arthur

In house counselor, Brightpaths Athens
Grace Arthur has worked with families for 29 years and has been with Brightpaths for 26 years. She has worked as a volunteer coordinator and trainer as well as a Healthy Families Assessment Worker and Clinical Supervisor.  Grace also has taught the Nurturing Parenting Program, Active... Read More →
avatar for Jennifer Henderson

Jennifer Henderson

Program Director, Brightpaths, Athens
Jennifer Henderson is the Program Director at Brightpaths, where she leads a suite of family-strengthening, prevention-focused programs. With over 23 years of experience in the childabuse prevention and home visiting fields, Jennifer has been instrumental in scaling programsto expand... Read More →
Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am EDT
McIntosh C

10:00am EDT

LOUDER Than AI: Strengthening Human Connection Through Collective Care in a Digital Age
Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am EDT
Children are increasingly shifting the way they seek help—texting friends, searching online, watching videos for advice, or using artificial intelligence to ask questions like “Why am I sad?” or “What should I do if someone is mean to me?” With access to technology beginning at an early age, these patterns are shaping how children navigate emotions and challenges. While these tools...
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Speakers
avatar for Ms. Kim Evans

Ms. Kim Evans

School Social Worker, Cobb County School District
Ms. Kim Evans is a transformational, relational, and advocacy-driven School Social Worker whose work is grounded in serving disadvantaged and at-risk students across diverse settings, including 22 years in the Cobb County School District in Marietta, Georgia. She is deeply committed... Read More →
Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am EDT
Caldonia Amphitheater

10:00am EDT

Preventing and Responding to Sexual Abuse in YSO’s
Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am EDT
The Preventing and Responding to Sexual Abuse in YSO’s Guide is an update to the 2007 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on preventing child sexual abuse in youth serving organizations.  Among the many updates are a renewed focus on populations at highest risk for child sexual abuse, creating safe digital spaces for youth, and strategies for preventing youth problematic...
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Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am EDT
McIntosh A

10:00am EDT

The Effect of Paid Family Leave on Infant Maltreatment.
Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am EDT
Child maltreatment is a pervasive problem in the United States with significant economic, health, and human capital consequences. Children under age one experience the highest rates of child abuse and neglect and the greatest likelihood of fatality from maltreatment, including shaken baby syndrome. Publicly-funded paid family leave (PFL) programs in the U.S. have been found to improve risk factors...
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Speakers
avatar for Lindsey Rose Bullinger, Ph.D.

Lindsey Rose Bullinger, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Georgia Tech Carter School of Public Policy
Dr. Lindsey Bullinger is an Associate Professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech, and the Associate Director of the Health Economics and Policy Innovation Collaborative (HEPIC). She is currently a Co-Editor for the Journal of Policy Analysis & Management, a Consulting Editor for Child Maltreatment, and a Criminal Justice Research Fellow at Arnold Ventures. She is also a Faculty Affiliate with the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of... Read More →
Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am EDT
Highland

11:45am EDT

Be the Best Supporter to Transition Age Youth: Lived Experience Expert Panel
Wednesday September 16, 2026 11:45am - 1:15pm EDT
Being in foster care can lead to a number of barriers that can result in young people feel like they are starting on a more difficult playing field from their peers. We want to give you all tools and real examples of how to even that playing field. This panel features Lived Experience Experts—current and former youth with experience in foster care (ages 14+) from Georgia.  The core question...
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Speakers
avatar for Regginald Holloway

Regginald Holloway

Lived Experience Expert, Georgia EmpowerMEnt
Regginald Holloway is a Lived experience expert with close to 17 years of lived experience in Georgia’s Foster Care system.  He is a graduate of the University of West Georgia with a degree in Communications and a Minor in Sociology. Regginald is a member of Georgia EmpowerMEn... Read More →
avatar for Deven Rudy-Johnson

Deven Rudy-Johnson

Youth Engagement Coordinator, Multi-Agency Alliance for Children/ Georgia EmpowerMEnt
Deven Rudy-Johnson(she/her), MSW, doesn't just train others on trauma-informed care—she lives the mission. Adopted as an infant, that early experience of systemic intervention shaped her lifelong commitment to transforming child welfare from the inside out. With almost two  decades... Read More →
Wednesday September 16, 2026 11:45am - 1:15pm EDT
Highland

11:45am EDT

Centering Families in Crisis: Strengthening Student Safety Through Collaborative Partnerships Between Child Advocacy Centers and Schools
Wednesday September 16, 2026 11:45am - 1:15pm EDT
Families experiencing crisis—particularly those impacted by abuse, neglect, or trauma—often navigate multiple systems at once. When child advocacy centers and school districts work collaboratively, they create a more responsive, family‑centered approach that prioritizes student safety, stability, and healing.This presentation will highlight the collaborative partnership between Cobb Child...
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Speakers
avatar for Claire Kirkland

Claire Kirkland

Director of Anti-Trafficking & Outreach Services, SafePath Children's Advocacy Center
Claire Kirkland, LCSW is the Director of Anti-trafficking and Outreach Services and forensic interviewer at SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker over a decade of clinical, forensic and case management experience working with children. Claire... Read More →
avatar for Ana Pereira-Murphy

Ana Pereira-Murphy

Assistant Director Student Support- Social Work, Cobb County School District
Mrs. Ana Murphy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a specialization in family and children, holding a Specialist in Education degree. She earned her bachelor's degree in social work from Florida Atlantic University and her master's degree in social work from the University... Read More →
Wednesday September 16, 2026 11:45am - 1:15pm EDT
McIntosh A

11:45am EDT

Public Perceptions and Prevention Priorities on Child Sexual Abuse: Insights from a Statewide Survey & Experts
Wednesday September 16, 2026 11:45am - 1:15pm EDT
This workshop presents findings from a 2025 mixed-methods study conducted by Georgia State University and Saprea measuring public perceptions of child sexual abuse (CSA) among Georgia residents. The study worked to establish baseline perception data using both a representative panel sample (n=2,819) and a convenience sample (n=338), with responses analyzed across demographic and geographic...
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Speakers
avatar for Matt Hartvigsen

Matt Hartvigsen

Executive Director, Saprea
Matt Hartvigsen began his work at Saprea in 2015 and is now serving as their Executive Director. Previously he worked as their PR and Communications Specialist, Education Manger, and Outreach Director. Matt is a member of Prevent Together, the National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual... Read More →
avatar for Jennifer Jiles

Jennifer Jiles

Instructor of Communication, Department of Communication, Georgia State University
Jennifer Jiles is an Instructor of Communication in the Department of Communication at Georgia State University. She holds a Master of Arts degree and professional credentials in public relations and agile project management. Her applied research focuses on how communities understand... Read More →
Wednesday September 16, 2026 11:45am - 1:15pm EDT
Caldonia Amphitheater

11:45am EDT

Vulnerable Child Syndrome
Wednesday September 16, 2026 11:45am - 1:15pm EDT
Parents who experience significant stress, fear, or trauma during pregnancy, birth, or early infancy may come to perceive their child as unusually vulnerable or “fragile.” Although this perception often emerges from understandable protective instincts, it can gradually shape caregiving in ways that limit the child’s normal development, autonomy, learning, socialization, and tolerance of...
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Speakers
DE

Dr. Emmanuel Peña

Child Abuse Pediatrician, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Dr. Emmanuel Peña, raised in New York City, completed his undergraduate, graduate, and osteopathic studies in New York then moved to Jacksonville, Florida where he received his pediatric residency and child-abuse pediatrics fellowship training. Peña has been recognized throughout... Read More →
Wednesday September 16, 2026 11:45am - 1:15pm EDT
McIntosh C

2:30pm EDT

"You Can’t Pour From Empty": What We Miss About Caregivers of Children with Disabilities
Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
Caregiver burnout often develops long before a family reaches a crisis. However, it is often overlooked or misunderstood. Research shows that parents of children with disabilities face increased risks of depression 57%; anxiety 35% and caregiver burden 49% (Soh et al., 2025; Bourke-Taylor et al., 2022)The day-to-day demands: managing behavioral challenges, time pressures, and social isolation are...
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Speakers
avatar for Anike Mlemchukwu

Anike Mlemchukwu

Director, Lapapoe

 Anike’s passion is caring for children with special needs, an industry she has worked within for fifteen years. Her experience spans volunteering at an orphanage in Peru, gaining a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, a... Read More →
Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
Caldonia Amphitheater

2:30pm EDT

Exiting Exploitation
Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
In 2025 the Institute for Survivor Care conducted a large sample study to understand what motivates, hinders, or helps a survivor make a permanent exit from exploitation/trafficking.  The study yielded 189 qualified responses from female victims ages 14-16 from across the U.S.  This presentation highlights the key findings from the study, including challenges to some of the assumptions...
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Speakers
avatar for Dr. Jeanne L. Allert

Dr. Jeanne L. Allert

Founder and Executive Director, Institute for Survivor Care
Dr. Jeanne L. Allert founded The Samaritan Women in 2007, one of the first restorative care programs for trafficking survivors in the United States. She immersed herself in learning – mainly from survivors themselves – and created the Triune Care Model.  After 13 years of direct... Read More →
Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
McIntosh A

2:30pm EDT

From Resources to Resilience: Designing Trauma-Responsive Community Systems to Prevent Child Abuse
Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
Communities already hold the tools needed to prevent child abuse, the challenge is organizing those tools into a coordinated, effective system. This workshop explores how the Community Resilience Model, developed by the Trauma Resource Institute, can be integrated with community resource models to create proactive, trauma-responsive prevention systems.Participants will learn how to move from...
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Speakers
avatar for Ellaine B. Miller

Ellaine B. Miller

Program Director, Troup Trauma-Responsive Community Collaborative
Ellaine B. Miller, PhD, is a nationally recognized, award-winning leader and expert in the field of early care and education and a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. Ellaine serves as the Program Director of the Troup Trauma-Responsive Community Collaborative and the President of the... Read More →
Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
McIntosh C

2:30pm EDT

The Power of Early Care: How Child Care Educators Create Safe, Supportive Spaces for Children and Families to Thrive
Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
Programs that intentionally create PCEs for children, families, and child care educators strengthen resilience across the caregiving system. Grounded in a strong understanding and application of the Child Care Learning Center (CCLC) Indicator Manual, these efforts become intentional, consistent, and high-quality. The CCLC framework helps child care educators turn knowledge into meaningful daily...
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Speakers
avatar for Ashley D. Richards

Ashley D. Richards

CCS (Child Care Services): Training and Communications Consultant, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
Ashley Richards is an experienced early childhood educator who has taught in Georgia and South Carolina. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Carolina and began her career with Georgia Pre-K. After feeling a calling to help "big people... Read More →
avatar for Melyn Smith

Melyn Smith

CCS (Child Care Services): Quality Assurance Consultant, Process & Quality Improvement Unit, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
Melyn Smith has been involved in educating children and mentoring staff and families for over 30 years. Born and raised in Mississippi, she earned a Bachelor of Education Degree from Mississippi State University in Elementary Education. She taught kindergarten at Mamie Martin Elementary... Read More →
Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
Highland
 
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