Their mission is to help crime victims. But sometimes the ones who help others need a little support, too. That’s the goal of the 30th annual Florida Network of Victim Witness Services training conference, set for June 13-15 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel-Jacksonville Riverfront.
With a theme of “Victimization: Connecting the Dots: Awareness…Prevention…Intervention,” the conference will feature talks by national and state experts, educational workshops, group sessions and networking opportunities for professionals in the emerging field of victim assistance and witness management.
“Our goal is to deliver provocative and best-practices training for advocates, law enforcement professionals, prosecutors, mental health counselors, and children and family specialists,” said Valerie Stanley, conference chair and team coordinator for the University of Florida Child Protection Team in Jacksonville. “Our speakers are renowned leaders in the field who offer ‘the latest’ on current ideas.”
Some of these experts include R. Glen Mitchell, director of the Jeff Mitchell Foundation, Inc.; Randell Alexander, M.D., Ph.D., statewide medical director for the Child Protection Team and division chief of Child Protection and Forensic Pediatrics with the UF College of Medicine-Jacksonville; Joseph Chiaro, M.D., deputy secretary of health with Children’s Medical Services; and John Wright, medical director of the Broward County Child Protection Team.
Co-sponsors are the Mayor’s Victims Assistance Advisory Council; UF Department of Pediatrics, Division of Forensic Pediatrics and Child Protection; and the Department of Health’s Division of Prevention and Interventions.
For registration and workshop information, contact Valerie Stanley at valerie.stanley@jax.ufl.edu or (904) 633-0300, or visit www.fnvws.org.