Circles of Safety (part 1 of 2)

Facilitated by Teresa Richmond, Sexual Assault Help Center

The Circles of Safety training equips adults with the knowledge, confidence, and practical tools to prevent child sexual abuse before it happens. This session combines education, empowerment, and actionable steps to help participants understand their role in creating safe environments where children can learn, play, and grow.

Participants will explore how to identify healthy boundaries, recognize concerning behaviors, and build prevention-focused practices across home, school, and community settings.

Spreading HOPE: Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences

Facilitated by Linda Reeves, Child Care Resource Center

Explore the HOPE framework that shifts the focus from what goes wrong to what goes right in children’s lives. Rooted in research showing that positive childhood experiences (PCEs) promote lifelong health and resilience, this session introduces the “Four Building Blocks of HOPE.”
Participants will learn how to apply this framework to their own work, to foster environments where children and families can thrive.

Consent, Healthy Touch and Boundaries, Conversations About Safety from Abuse

Facilitated by Susan Harrison, CASA for Children

Part of Darkness to Light's Child Safety Foundations training series, this two-hour session combines two evidence-informed trainings focused on preventing child sexual abuse through healthy relationships, appropriate boundaries, and open communication. Participants will explore guidelines for healthy touch, consent, and respectful interactions with children, as well as strategies for having age-appropriate conversations about personal safety and sexual abuse. Building on the principles of Stewards of Children®, these trainings provide practical tools for helping children feel safe, heard, supported, and empowered to communicate their boundaries.

Circles of Safety (part 2 of 2)

Part 2 of 2. You MUST TAKE BOTH SESSIONS.

Strengthening Families: An in-depth look at Parental Resilience

Facilitated by Beth Collins, Sisters of St. Joseph Health and Wellness Foundation

Moving beyond a general overview of the Strengthening Families framework, this session takes an in-depth look at Parental Resilience, one of the five protective factors that help prevent child abuse and neglect. Participants will explore how parents manage stress, navigate adversity, and maintain positive relationships with their children during challenging times. The session will focus on practical strategies professionals can use to recognize family strengths, foster resilience, and support parents in overcoming challenges.

Dysregulation: Understanding the Nervous System of Young Children

Facilitated by M. Kristi Williams, MA,
Licensed Psychologist, PCIT Certified Therapist

The brain was designed to help infants and children instinctively know how to stay safe and let others know that
they need help. Most of the time these responses are manageable by our presence, comfort, and support. At other
times, young children may require more targeted strategies. In order for us to be able to scaffold these skills for
them we need to understand what the basic brain anatomy does, how we are affected by their behaviors and
feelings, and ways we can respond to them to help build long term coping and regulation skills.

Connections Matter

Facilitated by Melody Osborne, Adolescent Health Initiative

This evidence-informed training from the Connections Matter initiative explores how the simple yet powerful relationships we form can shape brain development, protect against trauma, and support thriving across the lifespan. Participants will examine how intentional caring connections serve as a primary buffer to the impact of ACEs. Through real-life examples, interactive discussion, and cross-sector relevance, this session empowers attendees to recognize and strengthen the connections in their environments that matter most.

LEAN on Me WV

Facilitated by Jim McKay, TEAM for WV Children and
Claudia Raymer McKay, Ohio County Family Resource Network

When families are struggling to meet basic needs, knowing how to respond can make all the difference. This session will help professionals recognize the distinction between poverty and neglect, engage families in supportive, nonjudgmental conversations, and connect them with resources that address their needs. Participants will gain practical tools to strengthen family support, reduce unnecessary reports to Child Protective Services, and ensure that families receive the help they need.

HR 1 and Medicaid: How to Help West Virginians Understand Changes and Maintain Coverage

Facilitated by Rhonda Rogombe, WV Center on Budget and Policy

In January 2027, Medicaid recipients and applicants will experience the largest changes to Medicaid in more than a decade. Many will be required to provide proof of work and face more frequent renewals. While we know most West Virginians are already working, those who lose coverage are often people in compliance who have trouble navigating new paperwork requirements. This workshop will walk attendees through the changes, what they mean, and how they can work with their community members to help them stay covered.

Turning Stories Into Policy Change

Facilitated by Lida Shepherd
WV Economic Justice Director, American Friends Service Committee

West Virginia's 60-day legislative session moves fast, with hundreds of bills introduced that directly impact the children and families we serve. Effective advocacy involves paying attention, sharing facts and stories, building relationships, and working collaboratively with existing or potential allies.

Join Lida Shepherd of the American Friends Service Committee for an insider's look at how to navigate legislative advocacy. In this interactive session, you will learn how to secure meetings with lawmakers, track the legislative process, and share compelling stories from your work. Walk away with practical strategies as well as political science perspective about how policy change happens.

Be a Fountain not a Drain: Supporting Families in Crisis

Facilitated by Amy Jo Hutchison
WV MomsRising

When a family is in crisis, their emotional/mental/physical capacity is low- or completely empty- from living in survival mode. Every single interaction that a parent in crisis has with a service provider, whether that's an intake form, a phone call, a meeting, or a sigh, is pulling energy from an already empty cup. As professionals, our interactions with the families can do one of two things: It can either pour energy, dignity, and safety back into that parent, making our services a fountain, or it will drain the very last drops of their energy. Participants in this workshop will learn from the presenter's lived experience of a parent living in poverty and take a look at practices from the family’s perspective, so that we can stop accidentally being a drain and purposely become a fountain for the people we desperately want to help.

Youth Engagement Best Practices

Facilitated by Erin Hudnall, PhD
Co-founder Glimmer Collaborative, LLC

The Youth Engagement Best Practices (YEBP) are a set of ten strategies that assist individuals, groups, and organizations in creating safe environments and positive experiences for young people. These practices are especially helpful to those working with young people through a project, program, or event. YEBP trainings are an opportunity to approach youth engagement work more intentionally, and participants gain the foundational knowledge needed to cultivate a youth engagement practice that is sustainable, human-centered, and focused on creating equitable relationships.

Stable Housing, Stronger Starts: Supporting Families from Pregnancy through Age 3

Facilitated by Gretchen Frankenberry
Thrive Collaborative, LLC and TEAM for WV Children

Stable housing helps families and young children thrive. This session introduces Thrive from the Start and shares what its listening sessions, interviews, and landscape analysis have revealed so far about housing stability and family support in West Virginia. After a brief look at emerging themes and their impact on early childhood development, participants will discuss what is working in their communities and brainstorm practical ways to build on it.

Veteran Issues: The Impact of PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury on Health, Well-bring and Family Dynamics

Facilitated by Susan Harrison, CFO of Helping Heroes, Inc.
This training provides an overview of the challenges veterans face, focusing on the
impact of PTSD and TBI on their health and well-being. It explores the connections
between family violence, substance abuse, and mental health disorders in veterans,
while emphasizing the need for holistic support systems. Participants will gain insights
into prevention, treatment, and reintegration strategies to better assist veterans in
overcoming these challenges and achieving long-term stability.

Technology-Facilitated Crimes Against Children: Supporting Victims, Families, and Communities

Facilitated by the US Attorney's Office, Northern District of West Virginia
Featuring Chris Frizzell, Victim/Witness Coordinator
Stacy Bishop, Public Affairs Officer
When technology is used to violate children's privacy, the impact can extend well beyond those directly victimized, creating fear, uncertainty, and a loss of trust throughout a school or community. This panel discussion will explore the investigative process, the role of victim advocacy, and the challenges of communicating with families and the public while an investigation is ongoing. Panelists will discuss how frontline professionals can support children and families, respond to community concerns, and address the broader emotional impact of these situations, particularly when the full extent of the victimization is not yet known.

Ohio START: The Value of Lived Experience and Connection

Facilitated by Jennifer Millisor, MPA
Ohio START Senior Manager

Ohio Sobriety Treatment and Reducing Trauma (START) is a child-welfare-led, evidence-informed initiative designed to transform systems of care for families affected by parental substance use disorders (SUD). The model recognizes that parents with a substance use disorder affects the entire family and that recovery happens most effectively within the family context by bringing together child welfare staff, family peer mentors, and behavioral health providers. START supports children, parents, and the entire family to build safe, stable, and healthy lives. This session will provide an overview of the START model and then hear a discussion with a panel of START staff with lived experience that will focus on the value and power of lived experience, peer support and the connections built to support parents affected by SUD.

Meet the Press: How to Tell Your Stories to Media

Facilitated by Amelia Ferrell Knisely
West Virginia Watch

What should you do when a reporter calls for a quote on deadline? Amelia Ferrell Knisely, a reporter with West Virginia Watch, will offer storytelling and media tips to help your organization feel confident and prepared to answer questions for a news story. This discussion will help you put together a toolkit to efficiently respond to media requests. Amelia, who covers the West Virginia Legislature, will also talk about how your organization can proactively work with the press during the Legislative Session to highlight your important work.

Making a Difference: Mandate to Report, Responsibility to Prevent Child Abuse

Facilitated by Jim McKay, State Director Prevent Child Abuse WV
Participants will learn to recognize signs of child maltreatment, understand legal responsibilities for reporting to CPS, and what occurs once a report is made. The session will focus on improving accuracy in decision-making, enhancing knowledge of protective factors, and distinguishing when a referral to CPS is necessary versus when community-based services are more appropriate.