Child Abuse:  What You Need to Know

Sherry Shockey-Pope, LMFT & Nicol Stolar-Peterson, LCSW

This seminar will define what is and isn’t child abuse, review child abuse reporting, child abuse statutes, what happens to the information once it is reported, agency response time and outcomes, the juvenile court process, the juvenile dependency process, and the newer implications for CPS (exigency, warrants, trafficking, non-minor foster care, KATIE A. lawsuit), as well as reviewing some key strategies in working with children who have been abused

Learning Objectives:

After completing this workshop participants will be able to:

• complete a child abuse form and know who to call if they have questions
• understand the process of CPS and how it relates to therapists
• identify three key strategies/techniques that can be used in their practice with children who have been abused
  

Sheralyn L. Shockey-Pope, LMFT co-founded Central Counseling Services in Riverside, CA.  She specializes in working with people who have experienced traumatic events, anxiety and mood disorders. She is in full-time private practice.  Previously she was a Supervisor of the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services Resource Family Training and Assessment Unit, responsible for the County’s training of all foster, adoptive and kinship (relative) family training. She has 25 years of experience working within the CPS or probation department system in three counties. She also instructs for the Public Child Welfare Training Academy (CSUSD Foundation) training new social workers on family engagement, interviewing skills, intimate partner violence, mental health disorders, and self-care skills.

Nicol Stolar-Peterson, LCSW & CAMFT member, founded Stolar Counseling & Consultation.  Nicol has been working with children and their families for over 18 years. She has worked in private therapeutic settings as well as public agencies. Nicol has expertise in the areas of mediation, child forensic interviewing, adoptions, training, child custody evaluation feedback/assessments, co-parenting boot camp, dependency proceedings and CPS/Law Enforcement investigations. Nicol has completed hundreds of child abuse investigations including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, domestic violence, and child deaths. She also teaches for the Public Child Welfare Training Academy which puts her expertise to work with new social workers across the six Southern California Counties. Nicol is an expert witness in Family Law Court and specializes in child abuse and maltreatment. She has recently been accepted as the Board of Behavioral Sciences expert witness for child custody evaluations.

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