Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Schedule
- 8:00 AM
- 8:15 AM
Welcome
Stanley Fisch, MD
- 8:15 AM
- 9:15AM
NAT (Non-Accidental Trauma) or NOT?
Objectives:
– Review injuries in children that are concerning for physical abuse
– Identify injuries that mimic physical abuse but may arise from other causes
– Discuss the importance of obtaining the appropriate history and level of development during investigations for child maltreatment
Crysta Moreno, DO, FAAP
- 9:15 AM
- 10:15AM
Abuse and Neglect Reports: SWI Intake & Screening Prioritization and Assessment of Risk
Objectives:
– Explain the intake procedures utilized by CPS in processing reports of abuse or neglect
– Describe how priorities for intervention are set by CPS
– Adapt your reporting to include key information CPS needs to set priorities
Karin Griffin and Brenda Allen
- 10:15 AM
- 10:30 AM
Break
- 10:30 AM
- 11:45 AM
Child homicide investigation - Case studies
Objectives:
– Identify unique features of child homicides that make their investigation especially challenging
– Define important evidentiary elements to include in a child homicide investigation
– Describe commonly made errors in child homicide investigations
Michael Sanchez, PhD and Marguerite DeWitt, MD, JD
- 11:45 AM
- 12:15 PM
Keynote: CAART at 20 - Lessons Learned
Genette Spear, RN, CA/CP SANE, SANE-A, SANE-P Forensic Nurse Examiner Child to Adult Abuse Response Team Valley Baptist Medical Center-ER
- 12:15 pm
- 1:30 PM
Lunch
- 1:30 PM
- 2:30 PM
On Shifting Ground: Substance Use Trends Affecting the Child Welfare System
Objectives:
– Identify current substance use trends affecting professionals working within the child welfare system
– Describe recent & upcoming changes to Texas law regarding legal intoxicants
– Recognize signs & symptoms of substance use by Caregivers and children
– Apply knowledge learned during a Case Study review
Rebecca Curtis
- 2:30 PM
- 3:00 PM
Break
- 3:00 PM
- 4:45 PM
Case and Image Review
Objectives:
– Recognize the physical signs of abuse, assault and neglect
– Maintain a child-centric approach to assessment
– Support the multi-faceted, multi-agency response to cases of assault or neglect
Jamie Ferrell, MBA, BSN, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, DF-IAFN, FAAFS
Thursday, November 5, 2026
Schedule
- 8:00 AM
- 8:15 AM
Welcome
Maryann Alvarez Griffis, DO
- 8:15 AM
- 9:15 AM
Trafficking - recognition in a clinical setting
Objectives:
– Identify signs that a patient you encounter might be trafficked
– Develop a “first responder” approach to interacting with such a patient
– Interface with other individuals and agencies to support trafficked patients seeking help
Nikole McLean, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AFN-C, SANE-A, SANE-P
- 9:15 AM
- 10:15 AM
Trafficking - iGuardian
Objective:
– To educate and provide awareness surrounding the risks and impact of online child sexual exploitation and abuse, common tactics and methods of a predator, how our investigations are navigated with a trauma-informed approach, and the continued care and support of the minor victims and their families throughout the investigative process and beyond.
Annette Allison, PhD
- 10:15 AM
- 10:30 AM
Break
- 10:30 AM
- 12:00 PM
Beyond the Hotline: New Requirements for Child Abuse Reporting in Texas Schools
Objectives:
– Enumerate the new requirements for reporting child abuse and teacher misconduct established by SB 571
– Describe how TEA, DFPS, and local law enforcement are expected to coordinate their investigations under these new rules
– Explain the role of TEA’s new Child Abuse Reporting and Response Team
Alex Davidson, DFPS and Kelly Poarch, TEA
- 12:00 PM
- 1:30 PM
Lunch
- 1:30 PM
- 2:30 PM
Reclaiming Childhood: Resilience activation in children with trauma histories
Robert Louis, PhD
- 2:30 PM
- 3:30 PM
Foster Children, Pets, and Attachment
Objectives:
– Identify key difficulties regarding foster placement in the U.S.
– Recognize the key concepts of attachment.
– Identify the key ways companion animals can support and assist in foster home transitions.
– Recognize the potential impact of successful foster placements in breaking familial cycles of abuse.
Andrew Campbell, MPH
- 3:30 PM
- 3:45 PM
Break
- 3:45 PM
- 5:00 PM
Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) as Counterpoints to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Resources for Health Longevity
Objectives:
– Describe how BCEs function as promotive and protective factors against ACEs for better health outcomes
– Learn how to identify and assess BCEs in research and health care settings
– Understand the advantages of a strengths-based BCEs framework in health promotion research, practice, and policy
Angela Narayan, PhD
Friday, November 6, 2026
Schedule
- 8:00 AM
- 8:15 AM
Welcome
Maryann Alvarez Griffis, DO, FAAP
- 8:15 AM
- 9:45 AM
Elder Abuse as a Form of Family Violence
Objectives:
– Recognize the various forms of elder abuse.
– Identify key similarities and differences between elder abuse and other forms of family violence.
– Describe key reasons why elder abuse often goes unreported.
– List the ways rural environments create additional risks for elder abuse.
– Recognize key concepts in improving prevention and detection of elder abuse.
Andrew Campbell, MPH
- 9:45 AM
- 10:15 AM
Break
- 10:15 AM
- 11:15 AM
Trauma through the eyes of a child
Objectives:
– Describe how childhood trauma is experienced by children at different ages and stages of development
– Recognize the need for cildren to re-process trauma as they grow up
– Adapt your approach to counseling children based on. your awareness of the impact of trauma at different ages and stages of their development
Jamie Ferrell, MBA, BSN, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, DF-IAFN, FAAFS
- 11:15 AM
- 12:15 PM
Trauma and healing
Objectives:
– Define childhood traumatic grief and recognize its impact on children’s emotional, social, and developmental functioning.
– Describe how developmental stages influence children’s perceptions and experiences of grief.
– Identify developmentally appropriate therapeutic interventions to support children and adolescents experiencing traumatic grief.
Cindy. Perez-Waddle, M.Ed., LPC
- 12:15 PM
- 12:30 PM