Summit Sessions

10:15 AM Sessions

Medical Track: Emerging Research, Accelerating Practice in Healing-Centered Engagement 

Dr. Maya Ragavan (UPMC); Mallory Hendricks, LPC (AHN) & Lauren Schlegel, MS (AHN) 

Join Dr. Maya Ragavan (UPMC) and Mallory Hendricks (AHN) & Lauren Schlegel (AHN) to understand the importance and value of healing-centered engagement in research and in practice.
Approved for 1 CEU for Social Workers  

Financial Track: Protections for Survivors at Work and at Home 

Megan Rose, JD (WC&S), Megan Block, JD (Equal Opportunity Employment Commission) Morgan Williams, JD (Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission), & Rachel Shepherd (City of Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations)

Helping survivors stay employed and stay housed is often required by law. Join representatives from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the City of Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations, and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission to receive an overview of the relevant laws at the city, state, and federal levels, including the charge filing process, strategies to spot issues impacting survivors on the job and at home, and understand the concept of reasonable accommodations.
Approved for 1 CEU for Social Workers
Approved for 1 PDC via SHRM

Legal Track: The Cycle of Violence and the Courts: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 

Mike Sullivan, JD, Lorraine Bittner, JD (WC&S Chief Legal Officer), Honorable Sabrina Korbel, Family Division Court of Common Pleas, & Maggie Prescott, JD (WC&S Chief of Mission Integration)

The criminal justice system is designed to punish those who violate laws and deter crime. But what does this experience look like for a survivor? Join for this candid and informative panel discussion addressing the challenges survivors face with law enforcement and the criminal courts. Speakers will also identify emerging issues and the work that remains to adequately respond to DV.
Approved for 1 CLE

11:30 AM Sessions

Medical Track: Coercive Controlling Violence: The (not so) Silent Abuse 

Dr. Shannon Edwards 

The concept of coercive control includes a pattern of behavior an abuser uses to dominate their partner and limit their freedom – and it can often be subtle. Join Dr. Shannon Edwards to learn about coercive control tactics such as isolation, gaslighting, monitoring and more.
Approved for 1 CEU for Social Workers

Financial Track: Building Safety Through Survivor Financial Independence 

Ikuma Ojok, Neighborhood Allies & Alena Anderson, Director, Moving to Financial Stability, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania

Financial abuse – along with emotional, physical, and sexual abuse – includes behaviors to intentionally manipulate, intimidate, and threaten the victim to keep a victim in the relationship.  Join Neighborhood Allies and the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania to understand more about the ways financial abuse may appear and resources available to support a survivor’s financial stability through the Financial Empowerment Centers. 
Approved for 1 CEU for Social Workers

Legal Track: Manipulation and Grooming of the System by DV Perpetrators :  Information for Professionals in the Criminal and Social Services Systems 

Bridgette Reinsmith, MA (WC&S)

Perpetrators' abuse extends beyond their victims – and includes the manipulation of systems to their advantage in court, in healthcare, and in the community. Join WC&S MENS Program Intervention Specialist Bridgette Reinsmith, MA, to explore 5 common perpetrator tactics, as well as how they might present throughout the IPV cycle of violence, and strategies to respond.
Approved for 1 CLE
Approved for 1 CEU for Social Workers

1:45 PM Sessions

Medical Track: Sleep Coercion in the Cycle of Violence 

Dr. Karen Jakubowski (UPMC) & Kate Thurston-Griswold, MSW, LSW (UPMC)

Many abusers target a survivor’s sleep by interrupting it, monitoring it, or being violent during times of rest – all tactics designed to impact a survivor’s mental and physical health. Join Dr. Karen Jakubowski (UPMC) and Kate Thurston-Griswold, MSW, LSW, to learn about the connection between intimate partner violence and sleep disruption, the role and barriers of health professionals in screening this type of violence when sleep problems are present, and to good practices to identify this issue and provide support.
Approved for 1 CEU for Social Workers  

Financial Track: Past Due: Investing in Survivor Financial Stability  

Mary Onufer, MS (WC&S), Karen Sellers (WC&S), Julie Evans, MSW (Pennsylvania Women Work), & Nikki Christopher, JD (Neighborhood Legal Services)

Financial abuse occurs in 99% of abusive relationships. Join Pennsylvania Women Work, Neighborhood Legal Services, and STANDING FIRM to understand the challenges this type of abuse presents to survivors and how employers, legal aid providers, and workforce development programs may enhance their efforts to help survivors reach and maintain financial independence. 
Approved for 1 PDC via SHRM

Legal Track: Domestic Violence and the Federal Response 

Nicole Vasquez Schmitt, JD, Assistant U.S. Attorney &  Adrienne Howe, MSW, Victim Assistance Specialist with United States Attorney's Office

Prosecution of domestic violence crimes happens at the federal level, too. Join Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt and Victim Assistance Specialist Adrienne Howe to understand federal criminal charging options in IPV cases and victims' rights/services in the federal system.
Approved for 1 CLE

3:00 PM Sessions

Medical Track: Vital Signs: Enhancing Provider Response to Intimate Partner Violence

Janice Goldsborough, MS

Healthcare providers often lack the training and system support to respond with confidence to DV disclosures. Join Janice Goldsborough, MS,  Medical Advocacy Coordinator at WC&S, to learn easy-to-use steps to identify, assist, and refer DV survivors. 
Approved for 1 CEU for Social Workers

Financial Track: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Victimization Among Marginalized Communities: Centering the Experiences of Trans & Gender Diverse (TGD) Survivors 

Kayla Ortiz, MPH, Research Assistant for the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh

Fully recognizing a survivors' experience means understanding IPV at the intersections of marginalization and oppression. Storytelling methods are one way to more fully understand, support, and amplify survivor voices. Join Kayla Ortiz, MPH, Research Assistant for the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, to learn more about the important findings and perspectives offered by participants for consideration in future research and/or practice.

Legal Track: Tailoring Family Court Relief to Fit Survivors’ Needs

Maddi Potter (WC&S) & Brittany Conkle, JD (WC&S)

Safety concerns for survivors and their families spike during family court matters such as divorce and custody proceedings.  Join WC&S Legal Director Brittany Conkle and WC&S Legal Advocacy Manager Maddi Potter to understand general experiences, new developments such as Kayden’s Law, and availability of options for protection in Allegheny County.  
Approved for 1 CLE