2025 Pre-Symposium Seminars - Tuesday

The National Symposium on Sexual Behavior of Youth
"Be Curious, Not Judgmental."
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
9:00a - 12:00p
1:30p - 4:30p
Two 15-minute breaks will be provided.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Seminar P-1

Keep Kids Safe: Expanding Access to Evidence-Based Treatment for Youth with Problematic Sexual Behaviors
(Alabama) Jill Beck, JD, Mandi Fowler, MSW, PhD and Monica Roland, MSW; (New Jersey) Nydia Monagas, PsyD, Maria Isabella Pontoeiero, MSW, MPH, and Valeria Villa, PhD; (North Dakota) Anna Schimmelpfennig, PhD and Derek Steiner, JD; (Moderators) Tricia Gardner, JD, Karen Hill, Ed.D., and Renee Roman, MSW

Imagine a society where communities collaborate to support effective responses to problematic sexual behaviors (PSBs) of youth. This presentation will examine statewide interdisciplinary efforts currently underway in Alabama, New Jersey, and North Dakota. Leaders of these efforts will demonstrate strategies that facilitate their quest to transform policies and practices to support family-centered, developmentally appropriate approaches that enhance access to evidence-based treatment for youth with PSBs, the impacted children, and their caregivers. This workshop is designed for audiences working to build and manage collaborative policies and practices at the local, regional, and/or state level.

This workshop will be interactive. Presenters will share their progress, challenges, successes, and vision for the future. Current research identifying factors impacting senior leaders, community partners, and families, that support successful outcomes will be presented. Participants will engage in an activity and develop a plan to guide their community change efforts. Community visions will be developed and barriers will be identified. Participants will be exposed to available resources to support them in this work.

  1. Participants will learn about factors that support programming to serve youth with PSBs.

  2. Participants will learn about available resources to support efforts of professionals in their efforts to implement and sustain programming to serve youth with PSBs at the local, regional, and state level.

  3. Participants will engage in discussion and activities to support programming to serve children, youth, and families impacted by PSBs.

    Seminar P-2

    This seminar title and description is being modified/removed to comply with the new Executive Orders.
    Pride & Progress (panel)
    Jimmy L. Widdifield, Jr., MA, LPC

      Seminar P-3

      Fortaleciendo a las familias hispanas/latinas: A PSB-CBT™ Toolkit/Guide for Working with Latino Youth and their Families
      Ingrid Mürrle, MA, Ashley Galsky, PhD and Lisa Pineda, MSW

        This workshop will focus on the engagement of Latino families by, first, providing an overview of commonly held cultural values, typical communication styles, an exploration of the role of religion and spirituality, and the impact of gender identity and roles. Expanding on the importance of values and beliefs, attention will be given to the influence of acculturation, enculturation, and other immigration-related contextual factors. This proposed workshop will deepen participants’ understanding by reflecting on the multifaceted impacts of such values and beliefs and how they influence the development of both protective and risk factors. The main goal of this workshop is to further inform providers’ practice when engaging individuals and families within this diverse population. This will be accomplished through the teaching and modeling of concrete skills and approaches to practice that promote buy-in and retention in services among Latinos. Participants will have multiple opportunities to engage with content through discussion, self-reflective exercises, and practice applying concepts through case examples and related activities. Presenters will also utilize real-life case examples to exemplify a range of clinical presentations and use of concepts throughout. Available resources for use within clinical practice will also be shared.
        1. Identify how health-related beliefs, practices, and cultural values influence understanding of problematic sexual behavior, parenting, and engagement in services.
        2. Deepen understanding of the influence of cultural values on the various stages of contact from the initial phone call, assessment, treatment, and completion of treatment, addressing problematic sexual behavior in youth.
        3. Learn strategies to enhance effective communication and increase sensitivity working with Latino families by engaging in case examples and related activities.

        Seminar P-4

        Sibling Sexual Abuse: Towards Hope & Healing
        Jacqueline Page, PsyD

        This session highlights the expanding relevant research as a foundation for our work and approach to sibling sexual abuse. Attendees will also learn about current happenings, events and efforts in this area. A resource list including research articles, online resources and information about groups addressing the issue will be provided.  Core to the session, is how we apply what is known about sibling sexual abuse and what we know about trauma, culturally and evidence informed approaches to our work and response. The challenges and barriers of translating this into the realities of our real world work will be addressed in a straight forward manner. This includes examining barriers to proactive responses (individual and system), considering how our approach and language (terms used) can impact families, the question of is separation needed or is there an alternative approach and the process of reunification. The impact on us as professionals will also be addressed. Sibling sexual abuse cases are regarded as “some of the most complicated and anxiety provoking that we may encounter in our work.” (Kambouridis and Flanagan) and it is important for us to recognize this and ensure we take care of ourselves.  

        1. Participants will learn about the long term impact of sibling sexual abuse and be able to identify two types of impact.
        2. Participants will learn about impact of abuse of caregiver(s) and be able to discuss thee ways to support caregivers.
        3. Participants will learn about three things to consider related to the sibling who engaged in the abusive behavior readiness for reunification and will be able to discuss these.
        4. Participants will learn about the typical focus of the first formal therapy session involving both siblings and will be able to discuss how to help their client prepare for the session.
        5. Participants will learn about specific considerations and responsibilities for the caregiver when considering reunification and will be able to discuss these and apply to case they encounter.

          Seminar P-5

          Beyond Self-care: Managing Secondary Traumatic Stress through a Skills-Based Model (CE-CERT)
          Amanda Mitten, MA, LPC

          This full-day training will provide a thorough overview on the Components for Enhancing Clinician Experience and Reducing Trauma (CE-CERT) model. CE-CERT is a skills-based approach to improving the well-being and effectiveness of those individuals working with the traumatized population. The five core components of CE-CERT: Experiential Engagement, Reducing Rumination, Conscious Narrative, Reducing Emotional Labor, and Parasympathetic Recovery, and the acquirable skills within each will be taught through both didactic and experiential activities.

          1. Identify the practical application of the CE-CERT model of supervision to reduce compassion fatigue
          2. Identify assumptions and myths associated with secondary traumatic stress
          3. Identify the 5 core components of the CE-CERT model
          4. Describe how to apply the associated micro-interventions throughout the day

            Seminar P-6

            Cliff Notes when Working with Teens who have Engaged in Sexually Harmful Behaviors 
            Amanda Pryor, MSW

            Best practices for assessment, treatment, safety planning, family therapy, and clarification when working with adolescents who have engaged in sexually harmful behaviors will be addressed. Working with the youth is overwhelming and at times we forget the basics of best practices. The session will go back to the foundations that are supported in best practices when working with youth who have engaged in sexual behaviors.

            1. Identify best practices for completing a risk assessment for an adolescent who has engaged in sexual behaviors.
            2. Understand best practices for treatment for an adolescent who has engaged in sexual behaviors.
            3. Identify best practices for safety planning for an adolescent who has engaged in sexual behaviors.
            4. Understand best practices for clarification/reunification for an adolescent who has engaged in sexual behaviors.