Domestic Violence and the Black Community
Dr. Deanna Webster, Catholic Charities Nashville, examines the intersectionality of race, historical placement of the Black man in American society, socioeconomic status, and responses by healthcare professionals as plausible explanations to the differences in rates of abuse and death for African American women who have been impacted by Intimate Partner Violence. This presentation will also describe the different faith-based mechanisms women use to navigate these abusive relationships and how these tools help them to overcome and rebound from these devastating situations.

Sharing Peace-based Skills with the Families We Serve
Dr. Christauria Welland, Catholic psychologist, with more than 25 years of experience working separately with survivors as well as those who use abuse, shares strategies that have helped people learn and use peace-based behaviors. She describes neurological processes of emotional regulation. Learn and practice skills to teach to families you serve. 



​

Strategies for Strengthening Families - A Parish-based Pilot Program
Sylvia Loumeau and Joanne Farrell with Catholic Charities of Camden describe the 6-week Strengthening Families program they designed and presented for parents, which provides skills involved in bonding, setting boundaries against antisocial behavior, including drug and alcohol use and how to monitor their children’s emotional well-being and activities. Research shows that strong families avoid many adverse outcomes: substance abuse, teen pregnancy, school failure, aggression and delinquency.


​

Best Practices for Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence/Intimate Partner Violence
An evidenced-based screening method for domestic violence and trauma informed interventions is presented by staff of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Chicago. A director of a survivors’ group shares insights.  Participants learn specific skills to support survivors of domestic violence/intimate partner violence.  

Ways to Help People Who Use Abuse Learn to Change Their Behavior
Founder of Pax in Familia and CFFP Fellow, Dr. Christauria Welland, a Catholic psychologist with 25 years of experience working separately with survivors as well as those who use abuse shares effective strategies that have helped people learn and use peace-based behaviors. Participants will learn specific skills to help people who want to interact with loved ones in an abuse-free manner.  

Effects of Domestic Violence on Children
This presentation will highlight research and interventions for working with children who have witnessed domestic violence in their families. Dr. Mindy Thiel, creator of SafeStart, describes statistics, major studies and resources on children who have experienced domestic violence.  She shares effective treatment interventions from the Montgomery County MD Safe Start Counseling Program for children exposed to domestic violence.

How to Help Survivors Assess their Risk of Death (Lethality Assessment)
Laura Yeomans, program manager of the Archdiocese of Washington’s DV Awareness response program, shares how to recognize high lethality domestic violence risks and support survivors doing their own risk assessment.  Material is based on the key lethality risk factors developed by Dr. Jackie Campbell of the John Hopkins School of Nursing and the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence.