April 10, 2019—Missouri Western State University will host the annual Child Abuse: Education, Prevention and Investigation Conference April 17 and 18. This is an interdisciplinary conference for students, educators, law enforcement, nurses, social workers, lawyers, juvenile officers and related professions.
The conference will include keynote addresses each day in the Kemper Recital Hall, Spratt Hall room 101. At 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 17, the speaker will be Dr. Dawn O’Malley, on “The Impact of Trauma on the Developing Brain.” Dr. O’Malley is the Clinical Director of Alexander Youth Network, a Child Trauma Academy NMT Partner Site, in Charlotte, North Carolina. At 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 18, the speaker will be Mike Boniello, on “Managing Compassion Fatigue: Self-care for the Caregiver.” Boniello is a licensed clinical social worker in both Kansas and Missouri. He has been in private practice for the past 30 years in Prairie Village, Kansas where he has specialized in trauma recovery, addictions recovery (including sexual compulsivity) and the treatment of sex offenders.
Following each day’s keynote, there will be a series of workshops and guest speakers on a variety of topics.
The conference is sponsored by the Missouri Western Regional Law Enforcement Academy; the Western Institute; the Department of Criminal Justice, Legal Studies and Social Work; the Department of Nursing and Health Professions; and the Department of Education. Additional funding for the keynote speakers has been provided by the Family Guidance Center, the Missouri Western State University Foundation and the Joyce Raye Patterson Fund.
The conference is open to all. Missouri Western students, faculty and adjuncts may attend for free, with optional lunch for $10 per day. For others, registration is $90 for both days or $50 for a single day.
For more information or to register, please see “Upcoming Events” at missouriwestern.edu/academy.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.