Nebraska Alliance Training Network

This training will be presented by Rita Farrell from Zero Abuse on October 14th from 1-2:30pm CT. Training Objectives Domestic violence (DV) is pervasive in our communities – with 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men experiencing abuse at the hands of a partner during their lifetime. Children are not immune or shielded from the violence. Not only do millions of children witness the abuse of their caregiver, but many experience child abuse themselves. This session will discuss the prevalence of DV, the intersection of DV and child maltreatment, and how these behaviors permeate the day-to-day climate of the home, leading to the cycle of abuse being handed down from generation to generation. This session will discuss identification of harm, strategies for prevention, skill building, and resiliency, as well as strategies to support caregivers and their children.   Rita Farrell Bio Rita Farrell has over 24 years of experience working with child abuse investigations as a forensic interviewer and founding executive director of a child advocacy center. In her role as a Senior Director with Zero Abuse Project, Rita admits that her role as a forensic  interviewer of child abuse victims is her “true passion.” In July 2000, Rita undertook the challenge of opening Chaucie’s Place, a child advocacy center in Hamilton County, IN. The combination of her roles as executive director and forensic interviewer naturally led Rita to become involved with state and national organizations in the field of child abuse. Rita serves as a Senior Director for Zero Abuse Project,  managing the national and international ChildFirst® Forensic Interview Training program, which she is a co-author of the model and has conducted thousands of child interviews. In addition, she manages the development of advanced training courses and programs for prosecutors, law enforcement, CPS, forensic interviewers and investigators. Rita is a certified law enforcement instructor and still conducts forensic interviews in the field. She has testified in numerous court cases and has authored many peer-reviewed articles and publications specific to child abuse investigations and forensic interviewing of child abuse victims.  As a nationally recognized speaker, Rita continues to champion the cause of child advocacy and serves as a board member for the Indiana Coalition of Child Advocacy Centers. She is a member of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) and serves on numerous councils, task forces, and boards in the areas of child abuse and domestic violence. Rita was presented with the U.S. Attorney General’s award for “Outstanding Service to Victims of Crime” by the U.S. Attorney General of Indiana and is also the recipient of the “Champion for  Children” award. Read more

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This training will be conducted by Dr. Angela Kratochvil-Stava, MD Children's Physicians- Kearney and Family Advocacy Network Medical Director. This training will review medical evaluations of child maltreatment at Child Advocacy Centers.    Objectives 1. Review core principles of child abuse assessment, including forensic examinations, medical evaluation, child sexual abuse concepts, and common myths in abuse evaluations. 2. Recognize physical findings of child abuse, including cutaneous injuries, fractures, and inflicted head trauma. 3. Describe current medical evidence and best practices related to the evaluation of suspected child maltreatment.     Dr. Angie Kratochvil-Stava was born in Kearney, Nebraska where she returned in 2010 to start her medical practice. She attended the University of Kansas and earned a B.A. in Microbiology before moving to Omaha to attend medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She then completed her Pediatrics residency at UNMC-Creighton-Children's Nebraska joint program. She is employed by Children's Nebraska and sees pediatric patients of all ages at the Children's clinic, CHI Good Samaritan and Kearney Regional Medical Center. She is the medical director of the Family Advocacy Network and has been involved in forensic pediatrics since 2009. She is also the assistant dean of the UNMC College of Medicine regional campus in Kearney.  Read more

Research shows that clinicians struggle with knowing when clients are not progressing, and that the difference between effective and ineffective practitioners outweighs the difference between good and bad treatment models. Yet our ethical frameworks have been slow to address practitioner self-awareness as a core competency.  Ethical practice demands more than good intentions — it requires honest self-examination of the gap between what we believe we are doing in the clinical hour and what is actually happening. This presentation uses structured protocols, case scenarios, and clinical interaction analysis to examine the ethical obligations that underpin effective practice. Participants will explore how clinical judgment and bias — left unexamined — can compromise the therapeutic relationship, distort intervention choices, and undermine our ability to accurately evaluate client progress. Engaging directly with scenarios drawn from supervision and feedback-informed approaches, attendees will have the opportunity to identify interaction patterns associated with both positive and harmful outcomes. Presented by: Geoffrey C. Sidoli, MSW, LCSW is a nationally recognized clinical social worker, consultant, and trainer with over three decades of experience in childhood trauma, child abuse prevention, and the assessment and treatment of children and youth exhibiting Problematic Sexual Behaviors (PSB). He is widely sought for his expertise in trauma-informed approaches, coordinated community responses to PSB, and ethical practice in the field of sexual abuse. Based in Asheville, NC, Geoff's career has spanned direct clinical practice, organizational leadership, and national training and policy work. He maintained a private practice in Asheville for over two decades, providing individual and family therapy, assessments of sexualized behaviors, and evaluations for juveniles and adults involved in the legal system. He served as Executive Director of the Mountain Child Advocacy Center and oversaw the clinical operations of seven evidence-based treatment models. He co-developed an enhancement of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for children with Problematic Sexual Behaviors, chaired NCA's annual national mental health conference "Seamless," and facilitates NCA's national work group on Youth with Problematic Sexual Behaviors. He also operates his own national consulting practice, providing training, clinical supervision, and expert testimony to Child Advocacy Centers, multidisciplinary teams, and communities across the country. Read more

In many helping professions, workers face moments where they know what should be done, but systemic barriers, conflicting policies, or power dynamics make it difficult or impossible to act. This internal struggle, known as moral distress, can lead to frustration, ethical erosion, and emotional fatigue over time. At the same time, cultivating moral courage - the ability to act with integrity even under pressure - can be a powerful protective factor. It helps professionals navigate ethical complexity without losing sight of their core values. This session will offer practical tools to recognize and respond to moral distress, and build the moral courage needed to act with integrity in complex systems. Presented by: Françoise Mathieu, Executive Director, TEND Read more

Featuring: Michelle Book Mental Health Consultations are open to all therapists on-site or linked with Nebraska Child Advocacy Centers and offers the following benefits to attendees: Build a supportive network and share ideas Stay updated on mental health research and resources Meets Component I for Mental Health supervision/consultation requirement in the 2023 NCA Accreditation Standards Read more