Georgia’s 2024 Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect
From Prevention to Intervention
Wednesday, September 11 at the Hilton Peachtree City Conference Center
Join professionals from across the state at the Hilton Peachtree City Conference Center, for innovative workshops regarding prevention, intervention, and the treatment of children and families impacted by child maltreatment. This conference is proudly hosted by PCA Georgia and the Stephanie V. Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy.
The theme for the 2024 conference is Lean on Me.
The Lean on Me theme reflects a movement away from family surveillance toward a culture of support that values and uplifts people raising children. The need for caregivers to be supported is universal. Systems, communities, and individuals can proactively respond to strengthen families by building protective factors and being a resource for caregivers to lean on.
Protective Factors Support Caregiver Resilience
- Social Connections
Caregivers Have Friends - Knowledge of Child Development
Caregivers Know How Children Grow and Learn - Concrete Support in Times of Need
Caregivers Know Where to Turn for Help
- Social and Emotional Competence of Children
Children Learn to Talk About and Handle Feelings - Environment
Safe, Stable, and Equitable Places to Live, Learn, and Play
CEUs requested include: nursing, social work, law enforcement, LPC, and LMFT.
Registration will open in May 2024.
Stay tuned for announcements on the 2024 conference by signing up for our newsletter here.
View resources, images, and materials from our 2023 conference.
Sponsorships
Connect and promote your organization with hundreds of child and family serving professional from across the state.
Exhibitors
Engage with hundreds of child and family serving professional from across the state.
Award Nominations
The Mark Chaffin award recognizes individuals who have made repeated, significant, and outstanding contributions and commitment to the prevention of child abuse and neglect in Georgia
2023 Conference Overview and Materials
We are so grateful to all the presenters, sponsors and the almost 400 conference attendees for contributing to the 2024 Georgia Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect. Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, Stephanie V. Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy are grateful to have provided this educational resource, and have made many of the conference workshop resources publicly available.
Thank you for being part of our WHY, as we continue to promote prevention and strengthening families.
2023 Conference Resources and Materials
- View conference agenda and access workshop presentation and handouts
- Conference photo album
- Read the 2023 conference recap here
Stan Sonu, MD, MPH, is an Assistant professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine and the Associate Program Director for the Emory J. Willis Hurst Internal Medicine Residency program at Grady Health System. His research interests include adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), trauma-informed care, advancing health equity, and addressing social determinants of health in clinical care settings. He is a passionate ACEs educator and is engaged in efforts to build community consensus around responding to and preventing ACEs through cross-sector approaches.
Dana Suskind, MD, has dedicated her research and clinical life to optimizing foundational brain development and preventing early cognitive disparities and their lifelong impact. Her work is focused on helping parents leverage their power as brain architects. Dr. Suskind is the author of “Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child’s Potential, Fulfilling Society’s Promise” and “Thirty Million Words: Building a Child’s Brain.” She is also the Founder and Co-Director of the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health and a Professor at the University of Chicago. Her work has been profiled by numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, The Economist, Forbes, NPR, and Freakonomics.
Day One: September 14
Day Two: September 15
- Special Topics in Mandated Reporting
- ProSolutions Training
- Prevent Child Abuse Georgia Mandated Reporter Information
- CHOA, Stephanie V. Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children
- Georgia Center for Child Advocacy
- Georgia Division of Family and Children Services- https://dfcs.georgia.gov/
- FindHelpGA.org- https://findhelpga.org/
- The Importance of Parent Partnerships
- Keeping Children Safe in a Digital World
- Understanding the Implications of Georgia’s Mental Health Parity Act
- Day Two Keynote: Parent Nation by Dr. Suskind (available until October 7, 2022)
2021 Conference Workshop Recordings and Materials
There is NO CEU credit available watch recorded workshops from the links below.
When the Village Falls Apart: Lessons Learned from the COVID Pandemic
Presenters: Angie Boy, DrPH, Program Manager, Prevention and Training at Stephanie V. Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Cheryl Galloway-Benefield, EdS, Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinator, Georgia Department of Education
The Demand Side of the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
Presenter: Michelle Price, Human Trafficking Compliance Officer, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
When Prevention Fails
Presenter: Stephen A. Messner, MD, FAAP, Child Abuse Pediatrician, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Angie Boy, DrPH, Program Manager, Prevention and Training at Stephanie V. Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Mindful Relationships: Looking Beneath the Surface
Presenter: Erica Goldthorp and Denise Payton, ProSolutions
Day One Keynote: The Science and Art of Effective Framing
Presenter: Lynn Davey, Ph.D., Davey Strategies
Racism, Anti-Racism, and the Social Ecology
Presenters: Cailin O’Connor, MS, Senior Associate at Center for the Study of Social Policy
Charlyn Harper Brown, PhD, Senior Associate at Center for the Study of Social Policy
Additional Resources:
- Using an Anti-Racist Intersectional Framework from CSSP
- AAP: The Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health
Prevention in Policy
Presenter: Polly McKinney, Director of Advocacy, Voices for Georgia’s Children
Is That Normal? Healthy Sexual Development in Children
Presenter: Verena Brown, MD, Child Abuse Pediatrician, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Day Two Keynote: Save the Family: The Unspoken Effects of Family Separation
Presenter: Angela Quijada-Banks
2020’s Virtual Conference
September 16 – October 1, 2020
See Recordings and Materials for Each Session Below
A Vision for Child and Family Well-being in Georgia, Our State’s Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Plan was released at the 2020 conference, resulting from a year long development process that included input and feedback from over 1,000 Georgians.
Conference Kickoff
Kickoff Keynote, Dr. Melissa Merrick, President and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America
Recorded Session
A Vision for Child and Family Well-being in Georgia, Our State’s Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Plan
Presentation Recording
Economic Stability
From Safety Net to Solid Ground: Policy Opportunities to Advance Economic Mobility in Georgia, Alex Camardelle, Senior Economic Mobility Policy Analyst at the GA Budget and Policy Institute
View Recording
Technical Colleges & Economic Development, Dr. Alvetta Thomas, President of the Southern Crescent Technical College and Adie Shimandle, Director of Technical College Directors’ Association
View Recording
Abuse Prevention and Awareness
Using Community Data in Your Prevention Strategy, Tommy Pearce and David Giguere, Neighborhood Nexus
View Recording
Preventing Child Sexual Abuse in Youth Serving Organizations: Collaborating to Inform the Current and Future Direction of Prevention
Access to Early Education
(Re)Designing Equity-Focused Educational Policies and Practices in the COVID-19 Era, Jennifer Darling-Aduana, GSU
View Recording
Supporting the Social-Emotional Wellness of Young Children: Tips for Families, Allison O’Hara, DECAL
View Recording
Family Mental and Physical Health
A Case-Based Presentation to Recognize Child Abuse and Neglect, Drs. Verena Brown & Tamika Bryant of CHOA
View recording
Epigenetics and Generational Trauma, Dr. Brian Dias, Assistant Professor at the Yerkes National Primate Center and Emory University
View Recording
Family Resilience
Strengthening Families throughout Our Communities, Cailin O’Connor, Senior Associate at the Center for the Study of Social Policy
View Recording
Contact Us
Address
Physical: | 140 Decatur Street SE 1st Floor, Suite 178 Atlanta, GA 30303 |
Mailing: | P.O. Box 3995 Atlanta, GA 30302 |
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Prevent Child Abuse Georgia is not a child abuse and neglect reporting agency. To make a report of child abuse and neglect in Georgia, visit cps.dhs.ga.gov, or call the 24/7 reporting hotline 1-855-GACHILD (1-855-422-4453).
Looking for resources to help a family? Visit Find Help Georgia.