SET UP A PRESENTATION OR CLASS TODAY!

Interested in creating a community safe from sexual offenders?

Contact River Bridge Regional Center
mary@riverbridgerc.org
(970)945-5195


PARENTS

Healing from Intrafamilial Abuse

2 hours
Presented by

Meghan Hurley Backofen, LCSW, CORE Sexual Abuse Treatment Provider, Garfield County Department of Human Services

This class can be taught to non-offending parents of sexual abuse survivors, or professionals who work with these caregivers. This training includes education on the dynamics of sexual abuse and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It offers responses to many questions that caregivers might be afraid to ask. Participants will gain a new understanding of resiliency and see the likely possibility of recovery from sexual abuse. Information on the importance of Evidence Based and Trauma Focused Treatments will be provided. There will also be a discussion around the specific challenges of interfamilial abuse.

Parents Preventing Sexual Abuse: Ten Tips Every Parent Should Know to Protect Your Child from Sexual Abuse

2 hours
Meghan Hurley Backofen, LCSW, CORE Sexual Abuse Treatment Provider, Garfield County Department of Human Services

Presented by Meghan Hurley, RBRC therapist for sexual abuse survivors and their families. Meghan has identified 10 tips every parent should know to protect your child from sexual abuse based on her work with survivors and extensive training related to sexual abuse victimization. This presentation empowers parents by teaching specific skills to make their child a “least likely” victim, and opens up communication between parents and children on this difficult topic.

Internet and Social Media Safety

1.5 hours
Presented by Lee Damuth, Lead Investigator at the 9th Judicial District DA’ s office

Teaches parents of children of all ages about the potential risks associated with online activity, including inappropriate content, online privacy, sexting, online sexual solicitation, and cyberbullying. Tips for preventing children from becoming involved in these activities will be discussed as well as current technological trends regarding children’ s online behaviors.


ADOLESCENTS

Myths vs. Facts of Sexual Abuse — Jeopardy!

2 hours

Presented by Meghan Hurley Backofen, LCSW, CORE Sexual Abuse Treatment Provider, Garfield County Department of Human Services

Discusses the secrecy around sexual abuse, the myths of victim blaming and false reports of sexual abuse, and teaches basic statistics on sexual abuse, such as offender characteristic and prevalence. Through education, this class encourages victims to come forward, and gives tips on how to help a friend who has been sexually abused.

ACEs – Adverse Childhood Experiences

1 hour

Presented by Meghan Hurley Backofen, LCSW, CORE Sexual Abuse Treatment Provider, Garfield County Department of Human Services

In this class, Meghan talks about the 10 potentially traumatizing Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, that happen to about half of all children.  The ACES include experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect, and having a household that exposes children to other “secrecy” traumas.  Adverse Childhood Experiences have been linked to many negative future outcomes such as risky health behaviors, chronic health conditions, low life potential, and early death.  Identifying and treating ACES during childhood is a critical step towards preventing these negative outcomes.  Trauma Informed Schools play an important role in identifying and supporting children who have been exposed to adversity.  This one hour class provides students with the necessary awareness that ACES exist, and keeping these experiences secret can result in negative mental and behavioral health outcomes in the future. *Recommended for children in 6th – 12th grade. 

Decency and Consent

1 hour
Meghan Hurley Backofen, LCSW, CORE Sexual Abuse Treatment Provider, Garfield County Department of Human Services

In this presentation, children are guided in small group scenario-based activities and walked through the continuum of decency to understand personal safety, sexual abuse, and sexual assault education. The goal of the “Decency and Consent” presentation is to generate peer to peer conversations regarding child abuse, sexual abuse, sexual assault, and harassment. By providing a platform to openly discuss these issues and their prevention, River Bridge professionals ensure that information teens are sharing about their personal safety is accurate and beneficial in
preventing crimes against them. *Recommended for children in 8th – 12th grade.


PROFESSIONALS WHO WORK WITH CHILDREN

Myths vs. Facts: From Perception to Response

2 hours

Presented by Meghan Hurley Backofen, LCSW, CORE Sexual Abuse Treatment Provider, Garfield County Department of Human Services

Addresses the secrecy around sexual abuse, the myths around victim blaming and false reports of sexual abuse, and explores the impact on the victims and their families. Discusses the disclosure process and mental health treatment outcomes. Basic information about reporting child abuse is also covered.

Building a Trauma-Informed Approach to Working with Children

1 to 2 hours

Presented by Meghan Hurley Backofen, LCSW, CORE Sexual Abuse Treatment Provider, Garfield County Department of Human Services

School and non-profit staff will learn to incorporate a trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive approach into their work, including ways to recognize trauma in children, specific strategies to best respond to trauma victims, and the prevention of inadvertently re-traumatizing children. Often trauma victims are perceived to be defiant, oppositional, and uncooperative. A trauma-informed practice helps increase victims’ receptivity to and engagement in services, while supporting academic achievement and higher retention rates for children and staff. Given the high rates of children exposed to maltreatment and other traumas, this class will benefit all who work with children and families.

Child Abuse and River Bridge 101

1.5 hours

Presented by River Bridge Regional Center Staff

River Bridge professionals provide information about child abuse statistics, some myths and facts, victim and offender dynamics, the purpose and process of a Child Advocacy Center in general, and River Bridge in particular. Basic information about reporting child abuse is included. This presentation can be tailored to the specific audience, from service clubs and community members to nonprofit staff, victim advocates, and law enforcement.

Creating Resilience Following Child Maltreatment Disclosures:  Ensuring Non-Offending Caregiver Support

1.5 hours
Meghan Hurley Backofen, LCSW, CORE Sexual Abuse Treatment Provider, Garfield County Department of Human Services

This class is intended for victim advocates and professionals who work with parents of child sexual abuse survivors. Research indicates the impact of the trauma, or how resilient a child is, has more to do with the response and the support system, than with the actual type of abuse that occurred. This training focuses on how “secrecy traumas,” often involving child maltreatment, are different and how these traumas are more likely to result in Post-Traumatic Stress. A caregiver’ s response is critical to healing. The root causes of non-support for child sexual abuse survivors — Disbelief, Blame and Shame — can be detrimental to recovery. There will be discussion on why some parents are vulnerable to offenders, and participants will learn strategies to help get parents on the child’ s team. Additionally, there will be an emphasis on the importance of recognizing our own need for support to address secondary traumatic stress.

Secondary Trauma and Taking Care of Yourself

1 to 1.5 hours

Presented by River Bridge Mental Health

River Bridge mental health professionals provide an interactive and participatory workshop on the causes, signs and symptoms of secondary trauma, how to address and treat it, and steps to take for prevention.

Trauma Informed Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Abuse

2 hours

Participants will learn acute and long-term impacts of trauma on victims as well as neurobiological, psychosocial, and physiological impacts of childhood trauma on the lifespan. The importance of a trauma informed law enforcement response and six core principles of a trauma informed law enforcement response will be addressed. Practical applications for responding to teens and adolescence will be discussed. Specifics on their coping strategies, support structures, and early intervention will be highlighted.


MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Effective Providers for Child Victims of Violence

7 hours
Meghan Hurley Backofen, LCSW, CORE Sexual Abuse Treatment Provider, Garfield County Department of Human Services

This American Psychological Association (APA) class is taught by Meghan Hurley, an APA-certified trainer. The goal of this workshop is to increase the capacity and effectiveness of mental health professionals providing services to children victimized by violence. Mental health professionals will gain knowledge about empirically supported trauma assessment tools and trauma-focused, evidence-based treatment models for this population. Additionally, participants will expand their knowledge regarding the impact of violence on children and adolescents, cultural competency, family centered approaches, clinicians’ self-care, and best practice treatment for children and adolescents victimized by violence.

Education is the movement from darkness to light.
~ Allan Bloom