4th Annual Opening Closed Doors Conference

Victims Assistance Center of Jefferson County, Inc.
Child Advocacy Center of Northern New York
Presents our 4th Annual Conference:

OPENING CLOSED DOORS: Bringing Domestic Crimes to Light
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Hilton Garden Inn, Watertown NY

AGENDA:

7:45a-8:10a: Registration & Lite Breakfast, provided by Hilton Garden Inn

8:10a-8:15a: Welcoming Remarks

8:15a-9:45a: Keynote Speaker (Main Room): Jose Alfaro - Trafficking Survivor

9:45a-10:00a: Morning Break

10:00a-11:30a:

Break Out Room #1 (Main Room): Jose Alfaro - Prevention, Healing, and Everything in Between - An Open Forum

Description: Join us for an engaging continuation of our discussion, where we delve deeper into the complex journey of trafficking survivors. This workshop will focus on key aspects such as prevention strategies, risk factors, and the healing process. Through an in-depth case study of a trafficking survivor, participants will gain invaluable firsthand insights into their experiences. Together, we will collaboratively explore potential interventions, identify essential needs, and discuss the supports that can make a meaningful difference in the lives of survivors. This session is ideal for advocates, social workers, educators, and anyone committed to combating trafficking and supporting survivors.

Break Out Room #2 (Mid-Size Room): Erin Nestico - Unhealthy vs Healthy Relationships- Know the Signs

Description: Toxic, abusive relationships often start as loving, romantic connections between two people, but warning signs can become present quickly and covertly. Are you equipped to recognize unhealthy relationship behaviors? This session will cover ten warning signs of controlling, toxic behaviors that often escalate to abuse, to help you understand patterns and identify the signs. This information is crucial for parents and caregivers raising children and teens who will one day enter the dating world, as well as for anyone seeking to understand warning signs for themselves and others.

Break Out Room #3 (Small Room): Kathleen Nolan - Leveraging Medical Experts and Evidence in Child Exploitation Cases

Description: Medical experts and evidence are key components in every child abuse prosecution. In cases of online child exploitation, medical experts and evidence can be used to corroborate a statement, explain a timeframe of abuse or possibly prove elements of an offense that may be otherwise difficult.

Learning Objectives: 1. Provide a thorough understanding of why a medical exam is helpful and what can be gained by that medical exam for child victims of exploitation. 2. Discuss how medical experts can be used in cases of unknown victims and virtual victims. 3. Present examples and tips of how to successfully argue in closings the merits of medical exams and experts.

11:30a-12:15p: Break - Lunch provided by Hilton Garden Inn (Main Room)

12:15p- 1:45p:

Break Out Room #1 (Main Room): Rene Young, Homeland Security Investigations – CSAM, From Cyberbullying to Sextortion

Description: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to effectively apply the new knowledge learned regarding victims of cyber bullying, sextortion, and other technology related crimes. We will identify the victimology of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and other technology facilitated crimes, explore the different roles social media plays in these cases and the research that helps us understand it and examine the crime through the lenses of the perpetrator.

Break Out Room #2 (Mid-Size Room): Destiny Walker - Return to Center: A Self Care Journey

Description: In our roles, we often meet people at their most vulnerable points in time. To show up with compassion and clarity, we must also care for our own well-being. This workshop offers practical mindfulness tools to help prevent burnout, manage vicarious trauma, and restore balance throughout the workday. Closing with a Sound Bath We’ll end with a calming sound bath—using healing vibrations to reduce stress, support relaxation, and realign the body’s natural energy.

Break Out Room #3 (Small Room): Kathleen Nolan – Normal is Normal: Demystifying Medical Evidence in Sexual Abuse Cases

Description: This webinar will discuss the importance of pediatric sexual assault exams in cases of child sexual abuse and how to present the findings of that exam to a jury. A majority of the exams will be “normal” and that evidence can be used to corroborate a child’s statement using expert medical testimony. The testimony of the expert can also be used to explain anatomy which gives prosecutors medical evidence to argue issues of penetration.

Learning Objectives: 1. Understanding the process and procedure of a pediatric sexual assault exam. 2. Using “normal” exam findings to corroborate and support a child’s disclosure of sexual assault. 3. Developing medical witnesses as experts and sing that testimony to prove the element of penetration in a sexual assault charge.

1:45p-1:50p: Break – Switch Sessions

1:50p- 3:20p:

Break Out Room #1 (Main Room): Kathleen Nolan - The Children Are NOT Okay: Impact and Prevention of Domestic Violence

Description: Domestic violence (DV) is pervasive in our communities – with 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men experiencing abuse at the hands of a partner during their lifetime. Children are not immune or shielded from the violence. Not only do millions of children witness the abuse of their caregiver, but many experience child abuse themselves. This session will discuss the prevalence of DV, the intersection of DV and child maltreatment, and how these behaviors permeate the day-to-day climate of the home, leading to the cycle of abuse being handed down from generation to generation. This session will discuss identification of harm, strategies for prevention, skill building, and resiliency, as well as strategies to support caregivers and their children.

Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the links between domestic violence and child maltreatment. 2. Identify behaviors that may result from witnessing violence in the home. 3. Learn strategies for identifying harm and building skills and resiliency to lessen or prevent future harm.

Break Out Room #2 (Mid-Size Room): Rene Young – Forensic Interview Forum

Description: This interactive workshop led by Rene Young and Andee Morrison, is open to forensic interviewers or those who utilize them and will offer participants an opportunity to collaborate with peers. Come ready to share, listen and discuss current trends, issues, successes in your cases! This will also be a great time to focus on collaborations between both state/local agencies and federal agencies.

Break Out Room #3 (Small Room): Kobe Harrington from Renewal House - St. Lawrence County Human Trafficking Tast Force; A Local Resource

Description: I will briefly be discussing what human trafficking is defined as. How our task force can assist by breaking down the structure and how to report.

3:20p-3:30p: Afternoon Break - Snacks and Refreshments provided by Hilton Garden Inn

3:30p-4:30p: Last Session

(Main Room): National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)

(Mid-Size Room) – Destiny Walker – Return to Center: A Self Care Journey

Description: In our roles, we often meet people at their most vulnerable points in time. To show up with compassion and clarity, we must also care for our own well-being. This workshop offers practical mindfulness tools to help prevent burnout, manage vicarious trauma, and restore balance throughout the workday. Closing with a Sound Bath We’ll end with a calming sound bath—using healing vibrations to reduce stress, support relaxation, and realign the body’s natural energy.

Raffle Drawing & Certificates **these will be on the registration table for attendees to grab on their way out**