Nebraska Anti-Violence Conference Agenda

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

The majority of the presentations within the conference agenda meet the criteria for Continuing Education for Licensed Mental Health Professionals (LMHP), Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioners (LIMHP), and Social Workers. Learning objectives and certificates of attendance will be provided at the conference. The maximum number of CEUs is 8.0.

Zen Den

Sessions and many of the topics discussed at this conference may bring up emotions. We encourage you to care for your health and well-being. We have reserved a room next to the lobby of the hotel that adjoins this conference center to serve as a place of relaxation and recuperation. You are welcome to visit this room at any time during the conference. Follow the signs to the “Zen Den” or ask a staff member at the registration table for directions. 

Printable Agenda

Download an abbreviated and printable agenda (updated 9/3/25).

Day 1 Agenda

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | check-in

12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. | welcome

(choose either option a, option b, or option c)

1:00 p.m - 5:00 p.m. | option a: Replenish Workshop (80-person max)

• Description: We live, work, and play in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) times. What does this mean for how you are showing up in your work and how you are showing up compassionately for yourself? Everyone is a leader and can profoundly impact the people and environments within their sphere of influence. Systems are people; leadership is relational. Replenish is an opportunity to create inclusive, intentional leadership that builds a better future that affirms our lived experiences. During these complex times, agencies and individuals need to define their core values, shift their inner dialogue and practice alignment to their leadership intention. 
  Thriving as a leader means establishing your own model for personal sustainability. In addition to examining effective leadership, this workshop will provide space for growth and healing through self-reflection, dialogue, and storytelling. Get honest about what’s working and what’s not. No one is coming to save us; we must be holding space for conversations of value. This Replenish experience rejects the standard model of self-care as insufficient; we need a more restorative model of personal sustainability. To build lives that are healthy and functional, we must examine our relationships and establish boundaries, both personally and professionally. 
  Join us for an immersive experience focusing on building community and connection through leadership development, dialogu,e and reflection. 
• Presenters: 
  • Andrew Aleman, LCSW (He|Him|His): Andrew is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and National Consultant residing in Omaha, NE. Mr. Aleman has almost 20 years of professional experience including: nonprofit leadership, direct support services, mental health therapy, higher education, and board leadership. Majority of his work has been directly with those most impacted by systemic oppression (LGBTQ+, Black & Brown communities, people living with HIV, young people experiencing homelessness, etc.). It is of great importance to Mr. Alemán that people centered and trauma informed principles and practices are incorporated into all aspects of his work.
    Mr. Alemán is also honored to serve as a Board Member for ACLU Nebraska, At-Large Board Member for the ACLU National Board of Directors, and Board Secretary for the Transgender District Board of Directors  In response to his community-based work, Mr. Alemán has been recognized by his community with the 2018 Heartland Pride Brad Fuglei Impact Award, 2019 Young, Black, and Influential Award for Advocacy, 2019 Ten Outstanding Young Omahans Award, 2021 Omaha Entertainment and Arts Award, NASW-NE 2022 Social Worker of the Year Award, 2023 Notable Nebraskan, and 2024 Nebraska Mentoring Practitioner of the year.
  • Jo Bair, MSW (she/her/hers): Jo Bair is a leader with an exceptional talent for seeing how all the pieces fit together. This visionary perspective drives her success as Executive Director of enCourage Advocacy Center, where she has led transformational change in both organizational culture and community impact since 2016. As a queer woman leading in rural Nebraska’s conservative landscape, Jo excels at building relationships. Her passion is creating containers where people can experience the vulnerability and warm honesty needed for change.  Jo serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence. She is also on the Community Advisory Committee of the Reproductive Health Collaborative. She was part of revising the State Standards governing domestic violence/sexual assault programs across the state as well as the State Standards governing Domestic Violence Intervention Programs (DVIP). She continues to serve on the DVIP Standards Committee.
    Jo is continually learning and has completed professional development programs including Praxis International’s Advocacy Learning Center, Huespring LGBTQ+ Leadership Cohort, and the Nonprofit Excellence Institute. She holds a Master of Social Work and an Advanced Certification in Feminist Coaching. In addition to her nonprofit leadership, Jo offers specialized coaching and facilitation services focused on helping organizations and individuals create lasting social change. Jo believes that creating a beautiful life for oneself is key to thriving as a non-profit professional. She resides in Hastings with her husband and children, where she enjoys facilitating parties, horseback riding with her family, hunting for treasures at estate sales, and reading romance novels.   

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | option b: Green Dot Workshop

• Description: Coming soon!
• Presenters
  • Elias Bair
  • Nicholette Seigfreid

1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | option c: speaker 1

• Online Violence is Real Life Violence: Gender-Based Hate in a Digital World
  • Description: Journalist Alia Dastagir will draw on her own experiences with online abuse as well as her extensive reporting on the topic to address the landscape of violence against women online, exploring the psychological and physical impact of online abuse against women, the intersection of online harassment with other issues, the overlap between online abuse and disinformation, and strategies for coping with and resisting violence on the Internet. 
  • Presenter: 
    • Alia Dastagir is an award-winning journalist and former reporter for USA Today. Her work focuses on gender and mental health. Dastagir was one of eight U.S. recipients of the prestigious Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism. She won a first-place National Headliner Award for a series on suicide and was awarded the American Association of Suicidology’s Public Service Journalism Award. Her book on women and online abuse, “To Those Who Have Confused You to Be a Person: Words as Violence and Stories of Women’s Resistance Online,” was published by Crown in 2025. She has an MFA in creative writing from NYU, where she was an Axinn fellow.

2:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. | option c: break

2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | option c: speaker 2

• Unpacking Cultural Stigma & Systemic Biases: Tools for Decolonizing Survivor Support
  • Description: How do survivors ask for help in cultures where survival means silence? Adriana Alejandre—licensed therapist and daughter of Guatemalan survivors of domestic violence—invites breakout participants into a conversation about how stigma, inherited trauma, and systemic threats shape the way survivors experience and access safety. Through dialogue and reflection, the following activities will explore the intersection of wellness and awareness of biases that can impact professionals working with gender-based violence survivors: “Fix the System, Not the Survivor” Puzzle, & the Bias Reflection Prompt: “What Was I Taught About…” We will conclude this session with a grounding technique that emphasizes community wisdom.
  • Presenter: 
    • Adriana Alejandre is a Trauma Therapist, Consultant, and Speaker from Burbank, California, who has a Masters in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. Adriana owns her own bilingual group practice, specializing in EMDR and Trauma Therapy, with a focus on wellness for Black, Brown, and Indigenous individuals. She is also the founder of internationally recognized, Latinx Therapy, a directory and bilingual podcast that destigmatizes mental health myths & provides education to combat the stigma. In 2021, she launched a community non-profit with a program called Therapy Dinero to create access to therapy services.

3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | option c: break

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | option c: speaker 3

• Panic at the Dentist:  Advocating for Trauma-Informed Dentistry for Survivors
  • Description: It’s more than dental anxiety.  Survivors of violence often avoid dentistry for years because of the potential re-traumatization that occurs from common dental procedures.  Getting one’s teeth cleaned can result in intense fear, dissociation and flashbacks for survivors.  In this session, we will discuss the importance of trauma-informed dentistry and participants will be provided resources and information to advocate for safe dental environments in their communities.
  • Learning Objectives:
    • Learn to correlate common dental procedures to PTSD symptoms
    • Understand and discuss the importance of trauma-informed dentistry for survivors of violence
    • Develop and provide technical assistance on trauma-informed dentistry to dental practitioners in their community
  • Presenter: 
    • Kim Carpenter, Service Enhancement Director at the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, provides training and support to the Nebraska Coaltion's network of service providers. Prior to her current position, she worked as a private consultant offering a trauma-informed perspective to a variety of programs and practices, including health clinics, dentists, and other health and healing practitioners. Kim’s professional history includes training/education, community and coalition building, advocacy, service assessment, and development of collaboration and inclusion of survivors/recovering individuals. Kim has offered training and consultation for over 25 years to a variety of professionals and survivors on trauma-informed care, behavioral health, domestic/sexual violence, human trafficking, PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act), and compassion fatigue/sustainability practices. Kim’s personal experience includes identifying as a survivor/recovering individual, and she has a special interest in empowering survivor-driven projects, including those serving incarcerated survivors. She has assisted in the development of survivor-based programs, peer support groups, and activities, and has trained survivors to share their lived experiences publicly safely, promoting awareness and education. 

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. | after-hours reception

• Meet up with Nebraska Coalition staff for some light bites, beverages, and fun. Come and go as you wish. 

Day 2 Agenda

8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. | check-in

8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. | keynote

• When Survival is Misread as Resistance: Reframing Help-Seeking in Communities Impacted by Collective Trauma
  • Description: Adriana Alejandre, trauma therapist and founder of Latinx Therapy, offers a deep dive into why many survivors—especially immigrants and BIPOC individuals—struggle to reach out for support. Drawing on her own experience as someone who quit therapy after one session due to cultural stigmas, Adriana will unpack the historical and emotional weight of mistrust in government-linked services, the mental health impact of immigration threats, and the inherited silence passed through generations. 
  • Presenter: Adriana Alejandre is a Trauma Therapist, Consultant and Speaker from Burbank, California, who has a Masters in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. Adriana owns her own bilingual group practice, EMDR and Trauma Therapy focusing on wellness for Black, Brown and Indigenous people. She is also the founder of internationally recognized, Latinx Therapy, a directory and bilingual podcast that destigmatizes mental health myths & provides education to combat the stigma. In 2021, she launched a community non-profit with a program called Therapy Dinero to create access to therapy services.

10:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. | break

10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. | breakout sessions (choose one to attend)

• Prevention Panel (Silver 12)
  • Lisa Schulze joined the Women’s Fund in April 2015 and currently serves in the role of Education and Training Director. Prior to that, she was an educator for Planned Parenthood of the Heartland for 15 years. Ms. Schulze has been a guest reviewer for the American Journal of Sexuality Education and was a trainer for Answer on sex education for persons with intellectual disabilities at Rutgers University. She was awarded the National Association of Social Workers – Nebraska Chapter 2016 Public Citizen of the Year award for her work advancing comprehensive sex education. She is currently a mentor at Kids Can and is obsessed with making strawberry-basil shrub beverages with herbs from her ever-struggling garden. She holds a Master of Education in Human Sexuality from Widener University and became an AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator in June 2014.
  • Stephanie Olson is a speaker, an author, a podcaster, and the CEO of The Set Me Free Project ®. Stephanie helps leaders build resilience. Her work on teaching resilience in leadership has inspired people across the United States with topics such as leadership, trauma, a toxic workplace, mental health, and resilience. As a woman of color and a survivor of domestic and sexual violence, Stephanie brings lived experience, research, and humor to impact lives. She is a sought-after speaker on women, youth, human trafficking, and social media safety while leading The Set Me Free Project ® to help prevent youth and young adults from personally experiencing trafficking.
  • Libby Valerio-Boster is the ACEs Training Specialist at BraveBe Child Advocacy Center. She holds a degree in Community Health and Wellness from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and is passionate about helping other understand the last impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences. Through research-based trainings and sessions, Libby provides information to professionals and caregivers, equipping them with strategies to understand trauma, support healthy development, and promote resilience. She is committed to raising awareness and helping communities create safer, more supportive space for children and families. Outside of work, you can find Libby out for a run, listening to a true crime podcast, or baking something sweet. 
  • Aubrey Yost is a Training & Outreach Coordinator at BraveBe Child Advocacy Center, where she has worked for a decade. With a BSW and her MSW expected in May 2025, Aubrey has dedicated her career to advancing the child welfare field. She presents locally and internationally on topics such as child abuse and neglect, trafficking, trauma, and survivor empowerment, drawing on both her professional expertise and lived experience as a survivor. Passionate about educating and supporting others, Aubrey leverages her knowledge to inspire meaningful change in communities. When not advocating for vulnerable populations, she enjoys spending time with her two children and celebrating her favorite time of year—spooky season.
  • Darin J. Dorsey (Project Lead) is an expert in violence prevention, policy advocacy, and organizational change management. With over 17 years of experience in social and political movement organizing, Darin has held a wide range of roles, including survivor advocate, prevention educator, policy advocate, fundraiser, political organizer, and organizational leader. A passionate advocate for mission accountability, Darin has provided training and technical assistance to violence prevention and advocacy organizations across the United States. Through this work, he recognized a recurring challenge: many organizations become disconnected from the movements that inspired their creation. In response, Darin and his partner, Cecily Dorsey, founded Rooting Movements, an initiative focused on helping organizations realign with their core values and movement roots.
• One Goal, Many Roles: Bridging Advocacy and Child Welfare to Support Survivors and Their Children (Silver 4)
  • Domestic violence advocacy and child welfare have long served many of the same families, but often from different lenses and divergent roles. These differences can lead to strained relationships and siloed efforts, even when everyone is working toward the same goal of safety and healing for survivors and their children. In 2021, the Lancaster County Safe and Healthy Families Initiative was launched to begin bridging that gap. The aim? To foster stronger, more collaborative relationships between advocacy and child welfare, and to build a coordinated response that is both DV-informed and grounded in the realities of the work. This session brings together voices from both sides of the bridge, highlighting what’s worked, what’s been hard, and how partners are learning to move forward together. 
  • Learning Objectives:
    • Identify common challenges and barriers in collaboration between child welfare and domestic violence advocacy professionals.
    • Explore real-world strategies and lessons learned from the Lancaster County Safe and Healthy Families Initiative to inform coordinated community responses.
    • Gain practical ideas and inspiration for strengthening community responses at the intersection of domestic violence and child welfare.
  • Presenters: 
    • Jamie Bahm, MS, IMH-E is an Assistant Project Director with the Nebraska Resource Project for Vulnerable Young Children at the University of Nebraska’s Center on Children, Families, and the Law. She leads the Lancaster County Safe and Healthy Families Initiative, supporting a coordinated community response to domestic violence and child maltreatment. Jamie works with juvenile courts to integrate therapeutic practices and provides reflective practice training and consultation. Her background includes technical assistance, child welfare case management and supervision, and behavioral health integration. She holds both a BS and MS in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska.
    • Lindsey Turner, MA, LIMHP is the Associate Executive Director at Voices of Hope. Lindsey has been with Voices of Hope for over 8 years, previously serving as the Children’s Services Coordinator in which she was active in developing the Safe and Healthy Families Initiative (SAHFI) and continues to serve on the management team. Lindsey is a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner and has clinical experience working with adults and youth experiencing mental and behavioral health challenges. Lindsey’s vocational background includes various positions within the child welfare system as well as supporting adults with developmental disabilities. Lindsey received her MA in Counseling Psychology through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her BA in Psychology and Spanish through Nebraska Wesleyan University. 
    • Kim Lauenroth is the Domestic Violence Team Supervisor with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Children and Family Services. She holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice with a concentration in forensic psychology. Kim's professional journey includes pivotal internships at Voices of Hope and the Friendship Home, where she developed a robust foundation in domestic violence advocacy. Kim's career spans various roles, initially working with children in group homes before transitioning to a correctional officer role. In 2012, she joined DHHS as a juvenile justice caseworker specializing in working with youth committed to the Office of Juvenile Services, progressing through roles in child welfare as an ongoing and family treatment drug court caseworker, before assuming supervisory responsibilities in 2016. Kim has played an integral role in the Safe and Healthy Families Court project since its inception, contributing to its ongoing success and growth.
• Changing the Narrative of Gender Based Violence: How to Engage with Local Media to Tell Your Story (Silver 5)
  • Journalists shape public perception of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking through their reporting and the language they use. "Changing the Narrative of Violence Against Women and Girls” is a media toolkit and training which can be used in any location to shift the conversation and more accurately represent the realities of gender-based violence. Learn how to better partner with journalists in your community, and what to do with media reports that are misleading, incorrect or harmful to survivors.
    Participants will engage in a headline writing activity to begin to look at new ways to tell stories. Each attendee will also learn how to develop and tailor key messages for any communications opportunity.
  • Learning Objectives:
    • Grow personal knowledge of local media landscape, 
    • Gain comfort in participating in media interviews
    • Learn how to positively impact media narratives around gender-based violence.
  • Presenter: 
    • Jill Heggen is the Communications Director at the Women’s Fund of Omaha, where she works with grantees and community partners to ensure consistent messaging and a clear understanding of all initiatives and campaigns--internally and externally. Her work focuses on ensuring consistent messaging and a clear understanding of issues impacting gender equity in Nebraska. Born and raised in the Midwest, she is passionate about uplifting language as a tool to better understand and advance issues. Heggen’s past work includes five years in public relations at a local advertising agency, serving as a communications director at a liberal arts college and working in development for a public television station in Kansas. Heggen earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, was a member of Leadership Omaha – Class 45, and served as President of PRSA Nebraska in 2021.
• Harm Reduction as an Anti-Violence Strategy (Silver 11)
  • Learning Objectives:
    • Explore harm reduction principles and practices
    • Identify harm reduction practices that already exist within IPV spaces
    • Examine personal biases, hesitations, concerns regarding harm reduction
    • Develop strategies for implementing harm reduction principles into current work environments and practices
  • Presenter: 
    • Andrew Alemán, LCSW (He|Him|His) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker residing in Omaha, NE. Mr. Alemán’s local and national work is based in confronting systems of oppression and working to shifting power to those who are often targets of these oppressive systems. He has over 20 years of professional experience which includes: nonprofit leadership, higher education, national consulting, and board leadership. His vast expertise has allowed him to work within the following areas: LGBTQ+ liberation, intimate partner violence, mental health, case management, community engagement, advocacy, supervision, reproductive justice, and more. A large majority of his work has been with those most impacted by systemic oppression (LGBTQ+, Black & Brown communities, people living with HIV, young people experiencing homelessness, and others). In response to his community-based work, Mr. Alemán has been recognized by his community with the 2018 Heartland Pride Brad Fuglei Impact Award, 2019 Young, Black, and Influential Award for Advocacy, 2019 Ten Outstanding Young Omahans Award, 2021 Omaha Entertainment and Arts Award, NASW-NE 2022 Social Worker of the Year Award, 2023 Notable Nebraskan, and 2024 Nebraska Mentoring Practitioner of the year.
• A Silent Epidemic: Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence and People with Disabilities (Silver 10)
  • Description: Women and men with disability face a significant risk for experiencing sexual violence and intimate partner violence. This presentation will discuss the scope and nature of sexual and intimate partner violence in the context of disability. Audience members will also gain a better understanding of disability community and resources to better recognize or serve people with disabilities who experience sexual and intimate partner violence. 
  • Learning Objectives:
    • Participants will gain awareness of the scope and nature of sexual and domestic violence on people with disabilities.
    • Participants will be presented with an overview of the disability community and disability culture.
    • Participants will be introduced to a variety of organizations and resources that could be helpful to address sexual and domestic violence with respect to people with disabilities.
  • Presenter: 
    • Brad Meurrens is the Public Policy Director at Disability Rights Nebraska. Brad’s work involves educating state and federal legislators and other policymakers on disability issues, policy, and legislation. Brad also collaborates with other advocacy organizations on public policy reform and provides support to individuals with disabilities who wish to engage in advocacy.
      Brad holds a bachelor’s degree in Latin from the University of Nebraska and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. 

11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | lunch

1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | breakout session (choose one to attend)

• From Story to Strategy: Shifting the Rural Narrative, One Voice at a Time (Silver 4)
  • Rural communities are often painted as quiet, safe, and simple, but for many survivors, they can also be isolating, resource-limited, and resistant to change. In this session, Misty Rowley will take participants on a journey from surviving domestic violence in a rural town to directing life-saving services in the very same environment. She will explore the layered complexities of providing support where everyone knows everyone, where a sheriff might also be a neighbor, and where driving over 100 miles for services is the norm. This presentation blends personal narrative with real-world strategies for supporting survivors in rural and underserved areas. Attendees will walk away with a renewed understanding of how prevention and intervention go hand in hand and how every voice matters when shifting the narrative.
  • Learning Objectives:
    • Identify three key barriers survivors face in rural communities, and how those barriers are often invisible to urban-centered systems.
    • Recognize the emotional impact of being both a survivor and a professional in a small town.
    • Apply trauma-informed, survivor-centered strategies to strengthen both prevention and intervention efforts in rural or under-resourced communities.
    • Take away actionable steps to shift the narrative in their own communities through storytelling, advocacy, and culturally grounded connection.
  • Presenter: 
    • Misty Rowley is the Program Director of Bright Horizons’ rural offices in Ainsworth and O’Neill, Nebraska. A survivor of domestic violence herself, Misty brings both lived experience and professional expertise to her leadership. Her approach is grounded in empathy, resilience, and a fierce commitment to meeting survivors where they are, literally and figuratively. Misty has navigated complex systems, built trust in isolated communities, and led her team with heart in areas where services are scarce and stigma runs deep.
• Basics of the Legal System for Advocates (Silver 5)
  • Presenters: 
    • Melanie Kirk, Legal Director at the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence
    • Therese Bohaty, Project Attorney at the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence
• What to Shift, What to Hold: Strategic Choices in Complex Times (Silver 10)
  • Description: This interactive workshop explores strategy not as a fixed plan, but as a dynamic, ongoing process that evolves in alignment with your mission and values. Participants will learn how to design and implement programs that are flexible by design—capable of adapting proactively to emerging challenges and opportunities, rather than reacting after the fact. 
    We’ll explore tools for engaging stakeholders in meaningful decision-making, identifying which program elements can shift and which must remain constant to preserve purpose and integrity. Using real-world scenarios and case studies, participants will practice navigating strategic adjustments while staying grounded in their core purpose. 
    By the end of the session, participants will be better equipped to lead adaptive change, maintain values alignment, and strengthen impact in the face of complexity. 
  • Learning Objectives:
    • Work through sample scenarios in an interactive activity. 
    • Learn methods for engaging stakeholders in decision-making.
    • Identify core, non-negotiable elements that anchor responsive planning. 
    • Leave with a proactive approach to program planning that enhances agility and mission alignment.
  • Presenter: 
    • Darin J. Dorsey (Project Lead) is an expert in violence prevention, policy advocacy, and organizational change management. With over 17 years of experience in social and political movement organizing, Darin has held a wide range of roles, including survivor advocate, prevention educator, policy advocate, fundraiser, political organizer, and organizational leader. A passionate advocate for mission accountability, Darin has provided training and technical assistance to violence prevention and advocacy organizations across the United States. Through this work, he recognized a recurring challenge: many organizations become disconnected from the movements that inspired their creation. In response, Darin and his partner, Cecily Dorsey, founded Rooting Movements, an initiative focused on helping organizations realign with their core values and movement roots.
  • Additional/Preparatory Information: Social-Service-or-Social-Change-2020-Update.pdf
• Teaching Accountability: Understanding DVIP as a Critical Component of Survivor Safety (Silver 12)
  • Description: Many advocates working with survivors hold understandable skepticism about whether people who use domestic violence can truly change. This panel session, led by experienced DVIP facilitators from enCourage Advocacy Center's Rebuild program, will provide an honest examination of what effective domestic violence intervention programming actually looks like and how it enhances survivor safety.
    Drawing from Nebraska's state standards and real-world implementation, speakers will explore how quality DVIPs hold perpetrators accountable, challenge harmful beliefs, and teach new skills while maintaining victim safety as the primary priority. The panel will address common concerns about DVIPs while examining both the potential and limitations of intervention work, discussing realistic markers of accountability and how DVIPs complement survivor advocacy services within coordinated community response systems.
    This interactive session will challenge participants to examine their own beliefs about behavior change while providing practical information about evidence-based program components, victim notification protocols, and collaboration with courts and probation.
  • Learning Objectives:
    • Understand DVIP fundamentals: Participants will be able to describe the core components, structure, and evidence-based approaches used in domestic violence intervention programs.
    • Connect DVIP to survivor safety: Participants will understand how effective intervention programs enhance survivor services and safety planning.
    • Examine beliefs: Participants will critically examine assumptions about who can change while understanding that individuals are responsible for their attitudes and beliefs and can eliminate abusive behavior.
  • Presenters: 
    • Elias Bair is an Intervention Specialist at enCourage Advocacy Center, serving as the Nuckolls County outreach lead. He coordinates the High Risk Team, facilitates Rebuild DVIP, and leads prevention programs like Green Dot and Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids. With 15 years in human services, Elias is dedicated to building a world free from interpersonal violence through accountability, education, and community engagement.
    • Jo Bair has served as Executive Director of enCourage Advocacy Center since 2016, leading transformational change in organizational culture and community impact in rural south-central Nebraska. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence and played a key role in revising the state standards for both domestic violence/sexual assault programs and Domestic Violence Intervention Programs (DVIP), continuing to serve on the DVIP Standards Committee. Jo holds a Master of Social Work and Advanced Certification in Feminist Coaching. In addition to her nonprofit leadership, she offers specialized coaching and facilitation services focused on creating lasting social change and believes in building relationships through vulnerability and authentic connection.
    • Dustin Bower is a Domestic Violence Intervention Specialist at enCourage Advocacy Center. He facilitates Rebuild DVIP and brings fifteen years of experience in group facilitation, organizational leadership, interpersonal coaching, and trauma-informed accountability work. Dustin holds an Associate of Arts degree and completed ministerial training at Cotner College.
    • Jazmin Serrano Cortez is the Sustainability Specialist at enCourage Advocacy Center. She facilitates survivor support groups, co-facilitates the Rebuild DVIP, and provides bilingual crisis intervention services. She has an AAS degree in Human Services/Social Work and is currently pursuing her Bachelors in Psychology and Counseling. She is deeply committed to building safety, connection, and long term healing within the communities she serves.
• When Online Violence Comes For You: Silence, Self-Censorship, and Erasure in the Lives and Bodies of Women and Marginalized People on the Web (Silver 11)
  • Description: Join Alia Dastagir in an intimate interview and conversation with Abra Poindexter, LICSW, about Ms. Dastagir’s book- To Those Who Have Confused You to Be a Person: Words as Violence and Stories of Women’s Resistance Online, as she discusses words weaponized to abuse and silence those who speak about sexual and gender-based violence and oppression. Online spaces are inescapable in this technological era- and traumatic responses erupt in the bodies, minds, and lives of people experiencing toxicity and violence online. Books will be available for purchase.
  • Learning Objectives:
    • Participants will grasp the place of online violence on the continuum of oppression of women and marginalized people and its parallels to current tactics, laws, and policy changes implemented to erase freedoms. The conflicts over women, gender, and sexual violence happening in our culture are reflected and weaponized online.
    • Participants will be well-versed in the validity of somatic, psychological, and emotionally traumatic symptoms experienced by women and marginalized people in response to internet violence.
    • Through conversation and short readings, participants will learn about the research, science, sociological implications, and personal stories of women and marginalized folx who experience online violence in response to their journalism, discourse, and consciousness raising.
  • Presenters: 
    • Alia Dastagir is an award-winning journalist and former reporter for USA Today. Her work focuses on gender and mental health. Dastagir was one of eight U.S. recipients of the prestigious Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism. She won a first-place National Headliner Award for a series on suicide and was awarded the American Association of Suicidology’s Public Service Journalism Award. Her book on women and online abuse, “To Those Who Have Confused You to Be a Person: Words as Violence and Stories of Women’s Resistance Online,” was published by Crown in 2025. She has an MFA in creative writing from NYU, where she was an Axinn fellow.
    • Abra Poindexter, LICSW, LIMHP is a psychotherapist, consultant, leadership coach, and clinical social work supervisor in private practice. She specializes in trauma recovery and well-being as a whole, as well as within LGBTQ+ and marginalized communities. Abra hopes to help others find what they seek through avenues of new meaning, liberation, and somatic abolitionism. Abra is trained in Feminist Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Jungian Studies, DBT, EMDR, Brainspotting, Mindfulness, Writing as Therapy, Circle Practice, and is deeply committed to embracing Resmaa Menakem’s Somatic Abolitionism and additional anti-racism focus areas. Abra has been engaged in Somatic Abolitionism practice with Resmaa Menakem and his team since 2020. Prior to that time, Abra engaged in anti-racism and anti-oppression learning since the beginning of her career. Abra has been a Huespring Mentor for two LGBTQIA+ Leadership Cohorts and offers retreats and other healing experiences with colleagues and friends. Abra has worked with survivors of trauma, sex trafficking, and has worked with people who identify as sex workers for 25 years. Abra offers training and presentations as she is called and interested.  At home, she spends time with her wife Lara, their pups Eliot Speck, Gidget Maybelle, and Hazel Louise, as well as their friends and family. Abra writes, creates art, swims, and travels whenever she can.

2:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. | break

2:45 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. | breakout session (choose one to attend)

• Medical Care for Survivors Panel (Silver 12)
  • Kathy Chiou, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She received her PhD in Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University after finishing her pre-doctoral clinical internship with an emphasis on neuropsychology at the University of Florida Health Sciences Center. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Kessler Foundation, and continued her work there as a research scientist before joining UNL. Her program of research is aimed at understanding the bio, psycho, and socio-determinants of cognitive functioning and outcome following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Dr. Chiou has particular interests in studying TBI in at-risk, marginalized, and underserved populations, including survivors of intimate partner violence. Projects in this area aim to: 1) understand the effects of brain injury as they occur in complex, intersecting contexts of culture, environment, systems, and mental/behavioral health, and 2) identify and address disparities in outcomes and access to care after injury. She hopes that research in this area will help bring about systematic changes to service delivery that ultimately improve outcomes and quality of life for all survivors with brain injury. 
  • Kalen Knight is the Forensic Nursing Specialist in the Education & Publications Department with the International Association of Forensic Nurses. He has extensive experience in clinical practice and education development from his prior professional nursing experiences, including emergency, trauma, infectious disease, biocontainment/quarantine, nursing education, and forensic nursing. Kalen previously revamped an all-encompassing new graduate ER nurse fellowship program, and coordinated the initiation of a formal hospital-based forensic examiner program that responds and cares for victims and survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, and elder abuse. He has a special passion for workplace violence prevention that resulted in the development and coordination of a support program specifically built for colleagues in domestic violence/intimate partner violence situations. Kalen is committed to bringing innovative ideas to forensic nursing and fostering expansion and support for the specialty as a whole. He is a practicing SANE-A at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, Neb., a Medicolegal Death Investigator in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and an adjunct lecturer for the Master in Forensic Nursing Program at Oakland University for the Quality, Legal, Matters of Death Course and Clinical.
  • Carrie Prokopec received her BSN at Nebraska Methodist College in 2001 and has worked in various specialties of nursing both as a staff and traveling nurse throughout her career. She began working in the Emergency Department at Columbus Community Hospital in 2007 where she is currently a board Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN). She was trained as Forensic Examiner in 2011. Carrie has been the lead SANE nurse at Columbus Community Hospital since 2014 and has assisted in education and training of new SANE nurses and the development of the SANE/DV program at the hospital which serves a 6 county rural area. Carrie was the former board president of the Center for Survivors advocacy center, has received awards through the Nebraska Center for Nursing, Nebraska Emergency Nurses Association, Chamber of Commerce, and the hospital for her work in this area. She attends CRT meetings for 6 rural counties and has assisted with trainings for law enforcement. She is also a member of the IAFN (International Association of Forensic Nurses) and ENA (Emergency Nurses Association).
  • Jodi Hayes is the Market Manager of Forensic Nursing for CHI Health’s Midwest Division. She received her Master of Science in Nursing from Nebraska Methodist College and has worked as a nurse in several areas including medical/surgical units, Rehabilitation, orthopedics, and forensic nursing. Ms. Hayes has been a forensic nurse examiner for 8 years. In her current role at CHI, Ms. Hayes coordinates and leads a forensic nurse examiner program that provides acute care for survivors of intimate partner violence, strangulation, sexual assault and human trafficking throughout the states of Nebraska and Southwest Iowa. She also provides assistance in North Dakota and Minnesota as needed. Ms. Hayes was instrumental in creating the first forensic nurse examiner team for the CHI Health system in Omaha and the first Telehealth service for Forensic Nursing in the state of Nebraska. Today, this Telehealth program services eight hospitals in Nebraska and Iowa. Ms. Hayes holds certification in Medical-Surgical Nursing, is a member of the International Association of Forensic Nursing where she is board certified as an Adolescent / Adult Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE-A). Ms. Hayes has educated thousands of medical professionals on the importance of providing trauma informed care and use of the PEARR Tool.
  • Melanie Tuamoheloa "My name is Melanie Tuamoheloa.  I am the Director of Nursing Care Services at Winnebago Comprehensive Healthcare System (WCHS). WCHS is a Tribally run facility in Winnebago, NE. I have been in the clinic manager role for the past 3 years and recently transitioned into the DON role.  We have been working with Anne Boatright, local, and federal law enforcement on creating a forensic nursing program. In June of this year, our organization went live with our forensic nursing program, conducting sexual assault and intimate partner violence exams. Our program currently has 5 nurses that have completed training. We have a 24/7 on-call schedule to ensure there is always a SANE IAFN trained nurse available to meet the needs of our community. My background prior to WCHS is med-surge nursing. I have been a med-surge nurse for 10 years, including leadership roles. I worked in a large facility in Omaha and prior to that, I worked at an IHS facility in Gallup, NM." 
• Not Just in Your Head: Reclaiming The Body and Rewiring the Narrative (Silver 10)
  • The first portion of the workshop will focus on education around brain development, trauma’s impact on neural networks, and how healing is possible through neuroplasticity. Using accessible visuals and simple language, we’ll explore: The roles of the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex in trauma responses; How trauma gets “stuck” in the nervous system and interferes with memory, language, and self-perception; The science of neuroplasticity and how new, healing narratives can be built through repeated experiences of safety and connection; Why “talk therapy alone” isn’t always enough—and how body-based and sensory interventions engage the brain’s natural repair system. 
    In the second portion, we’ll explore: Somatic grounding techniques to increase felt safety and emotional regulation; How EMDR’s use of bilateral stimulation supports integration and desensitization of traumatic material; Parts work (IFS/ego state-informed) as a tool for helping clients understand and soften internal conflicts, protective mechanisms, and feelings of shame; How to help clients begin shifting internal narratives from "What’s wrong with me?" to "What happened to me—and what do I need now?
  • Learning Objective:
    • A brain-based understanding of trauma that can be shared with clients
    • Practical, client-friendly language to explain brain-body responses
    • A toolbox of somatic interventions and narrative reframing techniques
    • Strategies to integrate EMDR, parts work, and body-based practices into talk therapy or
      advocacy
    • Deeper insight into how to hold space for survivor stories without re-traumatization
  • Presenters: 
    • Miranda Stoll is a licensed independent mental health practitioner and a licensed alcohol and substance abuse counselor. Miranda is also a Master Level Reiki Practitioner and continues to deepen her understanding of the mind-body connection in all areas of life. Miranda has been fortunate enough to learn from and work with a diverse population that includes veterans, first responders, survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and their families, drug court participants, federal parolees, and many other youth and adult populations. Miranda has spent the past few years obtaining certification in EMDR, and is now an EMDR Consultant in Training, Synergetic Play Therapy, and working towards certification in TF-CBT. Miranda continues to deepen her understanding through training, personal coaching, and hands-on learning experiences. 
• Supporting Immigrant Survivors (Silver 11)
  • Description: An educational session for those working with immigrant and refugee survivors on providing accurate and thoughtful information on their rights and safety. The session will help reduce fear, prevent exploitation, and promote community safety through informed advocacy. 
  • Learning Objectives:
    • Prevent Exploitation - Help community members recognize and avoid fraudulent legal services and notario scams.
    • Build Community Trust- Strengthen trust between immigrant communities and local organizations through accessible legal education.
    • Encourage Preparedness- Support individuals and families in creating safety plans, such as emergency contact lists, family preparedness documents, and legal representation strategies.
  • Presenter: 
    • Raúl has worked in the nonprofit sector for over a decade and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Multicultural Coalition of Grand Island. He is also an entrepreneur and owner of Arcos Consulting Group, LLC. With 17 years of experience in the food service industry, including 10 years in management, Raúl is a trained chef specializing in Classic and Modern American cuisine. A dedicated community leader and advocate throughout Nebraska, Raúl is actively involved in civic engagement, community organizing, small business development, and workers' rights. He serves as a board member for Heartland CASA, the 4th Street BID Board, and the Nebraska State Fair Advisory, and volunteers for numerous organizations. Raúl has called Grand Island home for 7 years.
• Empowered, Not Exploited: Preventing Sexual Violence Through Sexual Health Education in the I/DD Community (Silver 4)
  • Description: While people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) are among the most at-risk populations for sexual violence, they are often excluded from mainstream prevention efforts and sexual health education. This 90-minute session is designed specifically for professionals and advocates working in the field of violence prevention and survivor support. It will highlight how comprehensive, accessible sexual health education is a crucial and often overlooked primary prevention strategy for reducing sexual abuse in the I/DD community.
    Drawing on evidence-based practices from Elevatus Training, we will explore how a lack of information, autonomy, and support contributes to vulnerability—and how we can shift this narrative by empowering individuals with I/DD through inclusive, rights-based education. Participants will leave with actionable strategies, language tools, and trauma-informed frameworks to help them integrate disability-inclusive approaches into their prevention programming and advocacy work.
  • Learning Objectives:
    • Understand the intersection of disability and sexual violence, including risk factors and systemic gaps in prevention.
    • Recognize how ableism and misinformation perpetuate vulnerability among people with I/DD.
    • Describe how sexual health education, grounded in consent and rights, can be a powerful tool for preventing abuse.
    • Identify specific strategies to make anti-violence work more inclusive of people with I/DD.
    • Access resources and frameworks (including Elevatus methods) to begin integrating sexual health education into existing prevention and advocacy efforts.
  • Presenter: 
    • Danielle Smith, Planned Parenthood - Health Educator and Sexuality Trainer for Teaching Sexual Health to Folks with I/DD -
      "I’m a passionate educator and advocate in Sexual and Reproductive Health, with a focus on supporting individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD). Since starting at Planned Parenthood in late 2019 - just before the world shifted under COVID-19 – I’ve been committed to creating inclusive, affirming spaces where everyone can access the education they deserve. With a strong background in youth-serving organizations, I have always centered my work around voice, bodily autonomy, and empowerment. A few months into my role, I began receiving requests to teach sex education to individuals with I/DD and quickly realized the critical gap in accessible education. This led me to Elevatus Training, where I found the tools and inspiration to deepen my commitment to serving this community. Since completing Elevatus, I have continued pursuing education in this field and have gained some “superpower” knowledge that I enjoy sharing with others.
      Outside of my work, my husband and I are proud empty nesters of six amazing children. In my free time, I enjoy CrossFit, traveling, reading, and getting my hands dirty in the garden."