Responding to the Needs of Victims Conference

Detecting the Silent Signals of Intimate Partner Violence

Domestic violence is pervasive and life-threatening. Intimate partner homicide accounts for approximately 40%-50% of US femicides. One of the ways to decrease domestic violence and intimate partner homicide is to identify risk factors and intervene. Risk factors and signs can be visible and non-visible. This training will equip law enforcement, fire, EMS, attorneys, victim advocates, social workers/therapists ,medical, and allied professionals with the knowledge and tools to effectively respond to domestic violence and hold offenders accountable. Continuing education credit (CPE, CPT, CLE) pending approval.

11th Annual Responding to the Needs of Victims Conference

Detecting the Silent Signals of Intimate Partner Violence

Featuring Jim Schmidt from the Gabby Petito Foundation

https://gabbypetitofoundation.org/

Unseen Advocates: The Vital Role of First Responders in Domestic Violence Response

The program explores how non-physical and physical forms of violence impact victims, how trauma affects the brain and body, and why understanding these dynamics is vital for first responders. Participants will learn how to recognize both visible and non-visible signs of strangulation, apply trauma-informed practices, ensure scene safety, and accurately document findings.

Through interactive discussion, data-driven insights, and scenario-based exercises, The Unseen Advocates Program strengthens responder awareness, compassion, and collaboration, helping to ensure that no survivor remains unseen or unheard.

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Attorney Advisor, John Wilkinson, AEquitas Washington, DC

https://aequitasresource.org/team/john-f-wilkinson

Training objectives:

Identify and collect evidence of offender’s predatory behavior.

Support victim and witness credibility with corroborating evidence.

Educate juries and recreate the reality of the crime at trial.

Strategize cross-examination to reveal offender’s control.

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Victim Assistance Program

https://victimassistanceprogram.org/

In this workshop, Victim Assistance Program Director of Education Shelley Blundell and Essentials Coordinator Dana Zedak will explain how trauma can impact a victim’s ability to complete complex processes or tasks and how that impacts a victim’s ability to work with multiple organizations for resolution following a victimization. Then, Blundell and Zedak will share some research and case studies on ways responding collaboratively has significantly improved both victim services and trauma recovery for victims (including successful strategies for collaboration), and finally, assemble and encourage small groups of ‘mixed organization’ participants to brainstorm ways they could begin collaborative efforts in their provision of victim services, based on what they learned in the earlier presentation.