Skill Level: Introductory / Intermediate
General Admission (entire 9-week course): $160.00
APSAC Members and The New York Foundling Staff Admission: Free
Up to 18 CE Credits (Social Work & Psychology) Non-Members: $90.00
Up to 18 CE Credits (Social Work & Psychology) APSAC Members and NY Foundling: $60
APSAC Members: You will receive your discount automatically when registering.
The New York Foundling Staff: Please email FontanaCenter@nyfoundling.org to request your entry code.
Please contact FontanaCenter@nyfoundling.org if you would like to receive NY State CE credits for psychology, mental health counseling, or social work
All sessions will take place from 12:00pm to 2pm ET once a week from March 5th to April 30th, 2025 remotely through the use of live interactive webinars over Zoom.
The program consists of nine 2 hour sessions. Applicants must register for the entire 9-week program. The training program will offer participating professionals the opportunity to acquire or enhance the competencies, skills and insights necessary to effectively work with children and families in the child welfare system. Please see course descriptions and course presenters below. All nine courses will be led by national experts in the field of child welfare and child maltreatment.
Event Details Coming Soon!
March 5th: Block Physical Abuse: Solutions presented by Stacie LeBlanc, JD, MEd, FAPSAC & Darrell Armstrong, EdS-MFT, MDiv, DDiv
March 12th: Baffling, Bizarre, Beyond Belief Child Abuse Cases presented by Debra Esernio-Jenssen, MD, FAAP
Resources
(FRIDAY) March 21st: Bogus Physical Abuse: Mimics of Maltreatment presented by Michelle Greene, DO
Resources
March 26th: Brains: Abusive Head Trauma presented by Randell Alexander, MD, PhD
Resources
April 2nd: Burns: Pediatric Burns and Their Medical Mimics in Child Maltreatment presented by Lauren Burge, MD
Resources
April 9th: Bull: Medical Child Abuse: Detecting, Surviving and Healing from Unprecedented Bull presented by Rebecca Gill, MD, Jordyn Hope & Brian Fleming
April 16th: Bones/Fractures presented by Dr. Adrienne Atzemis
April 23rd: Brains and Backlash: Medical Diagnosis, Legal Controversies, and Prevention Strategies for Abusive Head Trauma presented by Vincent J. Palusci, MD, MS, FAAP, FAPSAC
Resources
April 30th: Bruises and other Boo-Boos: Skin Injury presented by Dr. Adrienne Atzemis
Cancellations:
No cancellations. No refunds. Registration is transferable. Requests for transfer to a future event will also be considered on a case-by-case basis. If you have any questions please email us at onlinetraining@apsac.org.
Renewing Hope: Innovative Strategies for Engaging Families in Child Physical and Sexual Abuse Interventions
Member & Non-Member Registration: $160
Limited scholarships available. Email onlinetraining@apsac.
Presenters:
Stacie LeBlanc, JD, MEd
Darrell Armstrong, EdS-MFT, MDiv, DDiv
Viola Vaughan-Eden, PhD, MSW, MJ, LCSW
Get in the Zone: Strengthening Support for Families and Professionals
This interactive session equips professionals with the skills and confidence to implement No Hit Zones—a straightforward, impactful tool proven to strengthen families and address the leading risk factor for child abuse: corporal punishment. Participants will explore how No Hit Zones, successfully established in churches, daycares, hospitals, and child advocacy centers, are transforming child protection efforts and creating safer, more supportive environments. Through case histories featuring outcomes from adult survivors, along with evaluation results and forthcoming research, attendees will gain insight into the tangible impacts of NHZs.
This workshop offers practical strategies to prevent children from entering formal care, reduce professional burnout, enhance kinship care, and support investigative processes. Presenters will delve into community partnerships, innovative approaches for engaging families, and strategies for addressing poverty, while emphasizing collaboration with other family-serving systems, such as education, health, housing, and childcare.
The workshop will highlight the critical role of cultural sensitivity in investigations and interventions, essential for achieving positive outcomes and long-term welfare for children and families. By equipping caregivers with resources and effective alternatives, this session aims to empower child protection professionals to make informed decisions that safeguard children’s future and reduce recidivism.
Advocating a holistic approach to child maltreatment prevention, this workshop underscores the need for ongoing research to support evidence-based practices and policies that assist caregivers and foster a collaborative, trauma-informed framework among child welfare professionals.
1. Participants will be able to identify at least 3 benefits of using No Hit Zones in preventing child abuse.
2. Participants will learn at least 3 trauma-informed communication techniques to effectively engage caregivers.
3. Participants will learn at least 3 culturally sensitive alternatives to support a child’s well-being.
Cancellations:
No cancellations. No refunds. Registration is transferable. Requests for transfer to a future event will also be considered on a case-by-case basis. If you have any questions please email us at onlinetraining@apsac.org.
Skill Level: Introductory/ Intermediate
General Admission (individual session): $30.00
APSAC Members and The New York Foundling Staff Admission: Free
1 CE Credit (Social Work & Psychology) Non-Members: $30.00
1 CE Credit (Social Work & Psychology) APSAC Members and NY Foundling: $20.00
APSAC Members: You will receive your discount automatically when registering.
The New York Foundling Staff: Please email FontanaCenter@nyfoundling.org to request your entry code.
Title: Social Conformity in Responses to Child Maltreatment: Awareness is Key!
Presenters: Thomas Mitchell, LPC-S, NCC
Description: The Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) model is an essential framework for addressing the judicial, physical, and emotional needs of children following incidents of child abuse. MDTs have been proven to yield the best outcomes for children and families while prioritizing survivors' recovery and resilience. During the review, discussion, and assessment of presented cases, each MDT member serves as an autonomous representative of their respective field, offering expertise and insight specific to their discipline. Social conformity refers to an individual’s tendency to align with the majority position, whether driven by a desire for acceptance (normative conformity), a belief that the majority is correct (informational conformity), or the need to adopt a social role (identification). In this session, Thomas Mitchell, Executive Director of Children’s Advocacy Center-Hope House, will provide insight into the dynamics of social influence within group settings and explore strategies for fostering positive group dynamics within MDTs. The integrity of the MDT process can be compromised by factors related to social conformity. This workshop will equip participants with an understanding of social influence and practical tools to mitigate conformity, ensuring the MDT functions with purpose-driven focus and optimal effectiveness.
Cancellations:
No cancellations. No refunds. Registration is transferable. Requests for transfer to a future event will also be considered on a case-by-case basis. If you have any questions please email us at onlinetraining@apsac.org.