Welcome to the Virtual Program for the 2023 Victim Services Conference!

Hosted by the Delaware Criminal Justice Council, the 2023 Victim Services Conference is a statewide opportunity for Victim Service providers to network, share, and learn together.  The theme of the 2023 VSC is “Centering Crime Survivor Needs.” The in-person event is scheduled for March 22, 2023 at the DelOne Conference Room on the Terry Campus of Delaware Technical Community College in Dover. Registration starts at 8:30am!

Download the Full Program here

We want to hear from you! We have individual evaluations for each session, linked in the Session Descriptions. We also welcome general feedback about the conference space and planning efforts. The CJC strives to offer inclusive and welcoming training events. Please tell us how we may improve in the future by visiting this link to a general VSC evaluation.

Date & Location

Date: March 22, 2023 from 8:30am-4:00pm

Location: DelOne Conference Center

Address: Terry Campus
Delaware Technical Community College
100 Campus Drive
Dover, Delaware 19904-1383

Skip to…

• Agenda at a Glance
• Session Descriptions
• Speaker Bios

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Agenda at a Glance

Time	Session Information	Session Speakers
8:30-9:00am	Check-in	Registration Table
9:00-9:15am	Opening Remarks DelOne Room	Chris Kervick, CJC Executive Director
9:15-10:30am	Overview of current and future directions in victim-centered services in Delaware DelOne Room	Laura Graham, Community Legal Aid Society of Delaware; Commissioner Andrew Southmayd, Family Court
10:30-10:45am	Break
10:45am-12:00pm	BREAKOUT: A Survivor’s Perspective: How Advocates can support survivors with media engagement   DelOne Room	Natalie DiSabatino, Independent Consultant
	BREAKOUT: Supporting Survivors Through Access to Reproductive Care Services within Delaware Rooms B and C	Nick Beard, Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Melissa Bryson, First State Abortion Fund
12:00-1:00pm	Lunch DelOne Room
1:00-1:45pm	BREAKOUT: Understanding the impact of trauma on our bodies and minds DelOne Room	Dr. Maya Khalid-Janney, Survivors of Abuse in Recovery; Heather McGonigle, Survivors of Abuse in Recovery
	BREAKOUT: How Public Information Officers can support Advocates and Survivors with media engagement Rooms B and C	Natalie DiSabatino, Independent Consultant; Mat Marshall, Department of Justice; Cpl. Michael McNasby, New Castle County Police; Marki Mosley, New Castle County Police Victim Services
1:45-1:50pm	Break
1:50-2:35pm	BREAKOUT: Building the Brain: Overcoming Early Adversity and Creating Positive Outcomes DelOne Room	LaWann Moses, New Castle County Police Victim Services; Courtney Winkler, Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence
	BREAKOUT: Cultural Expectations and Understanding Parenting in Latino Community in Sussex County Rooms B and C	Nina Morales-Perez, La Esperanza
2:35-2:45pm	Break
2:45-4:00pm	Approaching Survivors of Trauma with Empathy and Clinical Understanding DelOne Room	Dr. Maya Khalid-Janney, Survivors of Abuse in Recovery; Heather McGonigle, Survivors of Abuse in Recovery

Session Descriptions

Overview of current and future directions in victim-centered services in Delaware (Morning Plenary in the DelOne Room); Laura Graham & Commissioner Andrew Southmayd

Description: This keynote session provides an overview of two key projects representing recent and future victim-centered initiatives in Delaware: the Family Court Enhancement Project, and the Family Justice Center model.  Join us to hear from Commissioner Southmayd about what led to the development of the Family Court Enhancement Project, the goals, and how it is designed to improve victim safety now and in the future.  Laura Graham, the Vice-Chair of the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, will provide an exciting overview of the Family Justice Center model of serving survivors.  This educational session will familiarize attendees with what Family Justice Centers are, how they work, and how they benefit victims of crime.  Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of Delaware’s Family Court Enhancement Project, the basics of the Family Justice Center model, and how these two initiatives are making Delaware more trauma-informed and victim-centered. Note: There are no CEUs for this session.

 

A Survivor’s Perspective: How Advocates can support survivors with media engagement (Morning Breakout in DelOne Room); Natalie DiSabatino

Description:  In recent years, law enforcement agencies have utilized social media in a host of new ways to investigate and prosecute crimes. Social media and traditional media can contain a wealth of information—and misinformation—on individual users and their networks that can not only impact the case, but leave a lasting emotional impact on the victims and survivors.  This session will provide recommendations for advocates when their clients are approached by the media. The session will provide immediate strategies providers can integrate into their advocacy and support services, a “media toolkit” that advocates can use with survivor clients to empower them to make informed choices.

 

Supporting Survivors Through Access to Reproductive Care Services within Delaware (Morning Breakout in DelOne Room Rooms B, C, and D); Nick Beard & Melissa Bryson

Description: Access to reproductive care is crucial for bodily autonomy and future planning. One way survivors of domestic violence are at risk is with reproductive coercion, which includes a variety of behaviors that interfere with decision-making related to reproductive health as a form of control. This type of coercion can lead to unexpected or crisis pregnancies.  After the recent Supreme Court Dobbs decision, advocates across the country were placed in a limbo as to how to support victims of crime who may be dealing with a crisis pregnancy. This workshop is intended to provide Delaware advocates with both information on non-judgmental resources for survivors, as well as empower them to feel comfortable applying their skills as advocates to support victims navigating a crisis pregnancy.

 

Understanding the impact of trauma on our bodies and minds (Early-afternoon Breakout in DelOne Room); Dr. Maya Khalid-Janney & Heather McGonigle

Description: This training will provide a basic understanding around brain physiology and trauma’s impact on the body and mind. We will discuss important structures in the brain and the role they play in daily functioning and response to trauma.  Upon completion of this session, attendees will walk away with a greater understanding of important brain systems that are most impacted by trauma and its impact on the body, explore some common trauma responses, the differences between chronic long-term exposure to trauma and single incident trauma from a neurological perspective.

 

How Public Information Officers can support Advocates and Survivors with media engagement (Early-afternoon Breakout in Rooms B, C, & D); Natalie DiSabatino, Mat Marshall, Cpl. Michael McNasby, & Marki Mosley

Description: Nearly 95 percent of individuals over the age of 18 in the United States use smartphones. Roughly 90 percent of U.S. adults use the Internet, giving instantaneous access to news right at their fingertips. This means that survivors and victims are likely to have their story told first in a digital space. A space where opinions, judgments, and misinformation spreads quickly. As law enforcement agencies further dive into the digital world the responsibility falls almost entirely into the hands of an agency’s public information officer.  Attend this panel to learn how Delaware’s Public Information Officers and Victim Services manage all forms of media and how we can take their expertise and share with victims and survivors.

 

Building the Brain: Overcoming Early Adversity and Creating Positive Outcomes (Late-afternoon Breakout in DelOne Room); LaWann Moses & Courtney Winkler

Description: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can have a big impact on the body and brain, changing the way that we interact with others and go through life. Communities and caregivers are very important for the long-term health and well-being of children.  In this session, we’ll explore how life experiences can affect the brain by using the Brain Architecture Game, and discuss strategies for prevention and intervention. It is strongly recommended that attendees attend the previous session in the DelOne room, “Understanding the impact of trauma on our bodies and minds,” which will lay the groundwork for this session.

 

Cultural Expectations and Understanding Parenting in Latino Communities in Sussex County (Late-afternoon Breakout in DelOne Room); Nina Morales-Perez

Description: This session expands on lessons learned from court appointed parenting classes and the differences between cultural and legal ramifications for discipline. Starting with the legal aspects of child discipline, this session will discuss how the laws in Mexico and Guatemala differ from the Delaware and the United States. Understanding the differences between the DE/US laws and the laws in a clients’ home country can provide advocates with inclusive tools to work with clients parenting children. Attendees will gain a greater knowledge of cultural and legal differences around child discipline, and they will discuss strategies to bridge the gap between different cultures. By employing these strategies, advocates will build trust and understanding with clients, especially those in the Latino community.

Download the Resource Handouts: Violence in Guatemala and Violence in Mexico

 

Approaching Survivors of Trauma with Empathy and Clinical Understanding (Afternoon Plenary in DelOne Room); Dr. Maya Khalid-Janney & Heather McGonigle

Description: Survivors of complex trauma often have a large gamut of symptoms. It is our hope that understanding why a survivor may react a certain way will help us have increased empathy for those we serve. This training will help all service providers link their understanding of neurological and physiological functioning to trauma responses displayed by survivors. Building empathy for survivors starts with service providers having an increased understanding of trauma and complex trauma, and how it presents in behaviors and reactions of survivors. We will address trauma-informed strategies to respond with empathy in working with survivors. Also addressed will be aspects of burn-out and empathy fatigue. Upon completion of this session, attendees will walk away with a greater understanding of trauma and its impact on behavior, how to respond to common trauma responses, strategies to build and/or repair empathy within ourselves as service providers.

Download the Resource Handout: Defining Trauma

 

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Speaker Information

Nick Beard is the Policy Coordinator for Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence, where she deals with a range of issues which prevent and eliminate domestic violence within Delaware. She holds a DPhil in Law and Gender Studies from the University of Sussex and an LLM in European Law from the University of Edinburgh. Nick is an admitted attorney in New York and Maryland and previously worked for Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central and Southern New Jersey. She also serves on the board of the Delaware Alliance Against Sexual Violence and the First State Abortion Fund.

From fighting for reproductive healthcare to ensuring youth in all communities receive the education they deserve, Melissa Bryson is passionate about creating social change through legislative action, community action, and education.  Through her work, Melissa has consistently advocated to make Delaware a healthier, more compassionate state.  Immediately after completing her graduate studies at Widener University in 2015, Melissa put her Master of Social Work and Master of Human Sexuality Education degrees to work at Planned Parenthood of Delaware (PPDE). During her tenure at PPDE, she worked on fundraising campaigns and volunteer programs to support and expand on the mission of reproductive freedom. In 2017, Melissa worked on efforts to codify Roe v Wade as a contributor to the She Decides Delaware coalition including PPDE, ACLU of Delaware, and other community organizations. Melissa Bryson joined the ACLU of Delaware as Development Director in September 2020 and was an original board member at the founding of First State Abortion Fund in 2022.  Melissa serves as the Development Chair at First State Abortion Fund, using her fundraising skills and social work background to make sure the fund serves the Delaware community.

Natalie DiSabatino is passionate about community and advocacy. Natalie’s relationship with the media began in high school when she advocated for individuals living with epilepsy and seizure disorders on Capitol Hill for better policies. From then, Natalie has leveraged her degree in communications and professional experience with media to be highlighted regionally for her work on various causes ranging from not for profit, political campaigns and academia. In 2012, her brother, Peter was tragically murdered. Sadly, the case went cold. Since that time, she has worked closely with the County and other organizations to further the reach those impacted by crime. Natalie began her career working in event management and professional fundraising. She now works in the corporate sector for a financial institution in Communications and Philanthropy. She lives at home with her fiancé, their 7-year-old, and their dog Rusty.

Laura Graham is the Deputy Director at Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI), and the Project Director of the Domestic Violence, Medical-Legal Partnership, and Immigration Programs. Since 2006, her work has included individual representation and systemic advocacy for those seeking help with: immigration petitions for victims of violent crime, domestic violence, and child abuse; civil relief for survivors of domestic violence; eviction defense for tenants in low-income housing; assessment of patients’ unmet civil legal needs with community and health-care providers through the Medical-Legal Partnership.  Laura graduated from Juniata College with her Bachelor’s degree (magna cum laude), and she earned her J.D. from Temple University School of Law. Outside of work, Laura enjoys spending time on her deck with her family.

Dr. Maya Khalid-Janney is a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked with trauma for the last 15 years. Dr. Khalid comes with experience working in various settings including outpatient therapy, school-based evaluations, as well as psychological assessments. She believes SOAR can make a difference in the lives of survivors and allow them to thrive. Dr. Khalid believes our brains and bodies are beautiful, evolutionary works of art with an innate ability to heal when given the right tools. She hopes SOAR can be a toolbox that enables survivors to learn to heal themselves. Dr. Khalid has a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She is also trained in EMDR. In her role as Executive Director, she hopes to be able to reach more survivors and provide on-going professional psychological services to survivors of sexual abuse. Since accepting her role as Executive Director of SOAR, Dr. Khalid has made it a focus to steer SOAR towards more outreach, advocacy and testing. She aims for SOAR to reach minority populations and those marginalized.

Mat Marshall is the Director of Communications for the Delaware Department of Justice. He is responsible for overseeing all media relations, public statements, and mass communications for Attorney General Kathy Jennings and for Delaware’s largest, oldest, and best law firm. He has nearly a decade of experience in managing public communications and has advised more than 20 elected officials and organizations. Mat is a Delaware native and a graduate of Cab Calloway School of the Arts and Wilmington University. He lives in Hockessin with his wife and their animals.

Corporal Michael McNasby is a 10 year veteran of the New Castle County Police Department. After serving for six years on the Criminal Investigations Unit, including the Property Squad, Major Crimes Squad, and Homicide Squad, he now serves as the Department’s Public Information Officer. His other role is as a crisis negotiator for the department’s crisis intervention team.  In his spare time, Michael enjoys running, reading, and spending time with his family and their two dogs.

Heather McGonigle, LPC, LPCMH joined SOAR. Inc in November 2019. Having previously served in the Greater Philadelphia Area, Heather comes with experience in working in residential, intensive out-patient, and out-patient mental health, trauma-informed care and trauma counseling, co-occurring conditions, substance use and recovery-based counseling, forensic assessment and counseling, clinical supervision, and non-profit leadership and program development. Heather also serves as an adjunct faculty instructor for the master’s program from which she graduated in 2016, the Community and Trauma Counseling Graduate program at Jefferson University, and as an adjunct faculty at the Graduate School of Education Counseling and Mental Health Counseling program at University of Pennsylvania. She is a licensed professional counselor in both PA and DE, with a special interest in trauma counseling, social justice/advocacy, and higher education.

Nina Morales-Perez, MSP, CA, is a Psychology Ph.D. candidate at Walden University and has worked with victims of domestic violence throughout the State of Delaware her entire career. She has been actively involved at the local and regional levels in promoting awareness of domestic abuse. She is currently the Bilingual Family Services Program Coordinator at La Esperanza in Georgetown and a member of the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence (DCADV). In addition, Nina serves as board co-chair for the Delaware Anti-trafficking Action Council (DAATC) Workgroup and is a member of the Governor’s Council.

LaWann Moses is an advocate, visionary and leader who has a passion for empowering others to achieve their personal and professional goals while making self-care a priority. She believes love is the greatest gift you can give to yourself and others. LaWann has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Science in the Administration of Justice, with a concentration in Leadership & Administration from Wilmington University. She is a Certified Domestic Violence Specialist and currently employed as a Victim Services specialist with New Castle County Police Dept.

Marki B. Mosley is the Victim Assistance Office Coordinator for the New Castle County Division of Police. She is responsible for overseeing the operations of the Department’s Victim Services Unit.  Marki is an experienced advocate committed to helping others regardless of race, class, beliefs, identities or abilities. Prior to her work with victims of crime, she worked as a Senior Services Case Manager for older persons and for the Division of Child Protective Services providing direct service in child abuse, neglect, and dependency cases. Marki earned her B.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Delaware. She is also a Delaware Certified Domestic Violence Specialist in Direct Service/Systems Advocacy. Marki was appointed to and serves as a member of the Delaware Victims’ Compensation Appeals Board and serves on the Domestic Violence Specialist Review Panel. She has received several awards: Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence Spirit of Peace Award, Delaware Victims’ Rights Task Force Elaine Aviola Memorial Award for Outstanding Professional, and Your Work Matters to Us Award from the Women of Color Task Force (DCADV).

Commissioner Andrew Southmayd has been a judicial officer at Family Court in Georgetown for more than 30 years.  Commissioner Southmayd has been an integral member of the committee which reviews Family Court’s child support formula since 1994, dedicating countless hours to our child support processes and procedures. In recent years, he was a leader in the Family Court Enhancement Project that resulted in system improvements and chaired the access to justice sub-committee.  Most recently, Commissioner Southmayd was honored by the Delaware State Bar Association with its Outstanding Service to the Courts and Bar Award.  In his free time, he enjoys golf, carpentry, and a good IPA.

Courtney Winkler is the Training & Outreach Coordinator for the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence.  In this role, Courtney coordinates training, technical assistance and support to member programs and community partners on domestic/intimate partner violence, trauma-informed care, prevention, and related topics.  She is also the primary contact for the Delaware Domestic Violence Specialist Certification Program.  Since 2004, Courtney’s professional experience has focused on intervention and prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault.  She has developed and conducted numerous trainings for professionals and community members on topics related to awareness, intervention, policy and prevention across a variety of crimes and victimization.  Courtney’s work in victim services also has provided her with hotline and court accompaniment experience, and familiarity working with a coordinated community response.  Courtney holds a B.S.Ed. in Elementary Education from West Chester University and is a Delaware Certified Domestic Violence Specialist in both Prevention and Direct Service/Systems Advocacy.

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This conference event is FREE and made possible by funding from the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, through the Office of Victims of Crime, annual VOCA Assistance Grant Award 2020-V2-GX-0051. No federal funds were used to provide food or beverages; state funding and partner agency contributions provided food, beverages, and other refreshments.