March is Social Work Month, a “time to celebrate the great profession of Social Work.” This panel discussion is an opportunity to learn about the contributions of social workers to the prevention of sexual abuse. From understanding people in the contexts of their day-to-day lives to working with the systems that our clients find themselves in, the contributions of social workers are often underestimated and misunderstood.
In 2015, the Humane Society of the United States estimated that nearly one million animals a year are abused or killed in episodes of domestic violence. They also found that intentional cruelty to animals is strongly correlated with other crimes, including violence against people. This webinar is to introduce professionals to simple yet effective screening methods for how animal abuse and neglect may play a role with the individuals they are working with, along with discussion about managing the emotional effects of this difficult content.
Intimate partner violence is already a complicated form of interpersonal violence. Problems range from the cycle of abuse to the confusing loyalty exhibited by abused partners. These problems are further complicated by the fact that controlling behaviors of the perpetrating partner often go undetected by others and may be normalized by the abused partner.
The recent explosion of interest in the use of psychedelic drugs to treat PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other conditions has moved faster than the field’s ability to consider and monitor the potential risks involved. Despite the good intentions of many, some professionals have used their authority and the influence of these drugs to abuse, control, manipulate, and steal from clients. While many advocates claim to have implemented safeguards, these have not often been nearly sufficient enough to prevent ongoing harm. Lily Kay Ross and Dave Nickles have done more than anyone to bring these harms into public awareness. This webinar will focus on what they’ve learned and what we can do to prevent further abuse.
Jenny Coleman, Stop It Now!’s director will share how the WhatsOK? Project was developed, as well as the insights and findings gained from the pilot and the continuing engagement with this unique new resource.
In this webinar conversation, Ms. Friestad and Ms. Sandbukt will describe their efforts in making these projects happen. Like many professionals around the world, they have faced challenges in the areas of implementing the highest-quality treatment, assisting with community reintegration, coping with stigma, and making services available to those who have not felt that they could trust those offering help.
Internet technological advancement, while an invaluable societal resource, is not without hazards. Teens now face challenges that were unimaginable 10 years ago: unsolicited sexual messages, revenge porn, “incels” (individuals who consider themselves to be ‘involuntarily celibate’), sexploitation, online domestic violence, and doxing (the distribution of personal information against that person’s will). Online technology is unavoidable, but the risks associated with it can be minimized. That’s the message Dr. Rodrigues will bring to this informal webinar conversation.
Deaf people are significantly more likely to experience abuse and violence than are people in the hearing community. This conversation will provide attendees with crucial information about the challenges that deaf people face. As just one example, in police investigations, if the individual who perpetrated violence is hearing, they are typically afforded quicker access to police officers than the deaf person who was victimized. This can result in less likelihood of accountability.
This presentation will describe how professional helpers can help others build resilience in these uncertain times. This session will offer practical skills for helping others cope, using principles of trauma-informed care (TIC). Participants will learn to understand and respond to COVID-related anxieties through the lens of trauma.