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 Letter from the Chapter Director
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Happy New Year!
It is time to reflect on all we have accomplished in 2022 and to plan our opportunities for 2023. Last year was the end of a transitional time here at MCA. We are adapting to the changing role of state chapters and beginning to expand our reach to support the professionals at our CACs in new ways. In 2022, MCA provided more than 4,360 hours of training to Maryland child advocacy center professionals. This includes forensic interview training, trauma therapy training, human trafficking professional training, accreditation standards training, and various related conferences and informational meetings. We also provided more than 123 hours of technical assistance to our 24 Maryland CACs.
We are listening to your needs and the needs of the children you serve. See below for a glance at the training opportunities we already have in place for 2023. We have compiled the data from our annual survey in order to gauge our current focus and to adapt to the changing needs of our members (see the full results below). The results showed that 95.8% (23) agreed or strongly agreed that the training provided by MCA in 2022 was high quality and that MCA has the knowledge to respond to your needs. 4.2% (1) neither agreed nor disagreed. This lets us know that we are on the right track to provide what you need to be successful in your jurisdiction. Additionally, 95.8% (23) of our CACs also responded that MCA is headed in a positive direction and 100% (24) of our CACs feel valued by MCA. Thank you for providing this information to us and for your candid feedback regarding our successes and also the things that we can improve upon. We do value this information and each of you in the field!
In the coming weeks, we will begin to focus on the statistical data that each CAC will provide. Please remember to send your bi-annual data to NCA and to MCA. This enables us to compile statewide numbers for children served in Maryland last year. We are currently meeting with legislators in Maryland to discuss the work being done and the child welfare needs within each jurisdiction and across the state. We know that every CAC has needs that are unmet and we want to partner with you and those who can help meet your needs. These are the partnerships that will strengthen our response to child maltreatment. This can be accomplished by building relationships with legislators and by collaborating to better serve the needs of Maryland’s children. We are planning to offer a discipline-specific training for all related professionals in 2023. Keep watch for our February training blast and please share with your teams. We are also planning an in-person member’s meeting in September. This will give us an opportunity to have representatives from all 24 CACs together in the same room again! Accreditation standards support continues to be an important part of our offerings, especially as we begin the year with the updated NCA standards. Registration is now open for our February 16th training - collaborating with federal partners to elevate cases of child exploitation and trafficking to the federal level. This 3.5-hour class will be conducted virtually and CEUs will be offered to our social work professionals. We recommend forensic interviewers, prosecutors, law enforcement and MDT coordinators attend this specialized training, but all Maryland CAC staff are welcome. Please continue to share your needs with us as well as your successes.
We are grateful for each of you who dedicate yourself to serving the most vulnerable of Maryland’s citizens.
Thank you for all you do every day and Happy 2023!
Wendy Myers
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Follow MCA on Social Media!
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MCA has created social media pages to share important training and educational information. Please consider liking, following, and sharing our posts to spread awareness about the work that your CACs are doing for children in Maryland!
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2023 Tentative Training Schedule
In addition to the trainings above, MCA will be planning at least one training designed specifically for the following disciplines: Mental Health Practitioners, Victim Advocates, Medical Practitioners, Law Enforcement, and for the MDT.
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Federal Prosecution Training
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Objectives:
1. Establish strengthened partnerships in MD with FBI and HS
2. Provide FI protocol which is supported by CF & FIT for cases of HT
3. Educate MD forensic interviewers regarding MDT response to HT
We hope that you can join us for this innovative and important training!
** Please note: In order to register for this training, you need to be logged in to your Coalition Manager account. If you do not yet have an account, please request one by emailing carly@ marylandchildrensalliance.org and include your name, job title, discipline, and which CAC you are associated with.**
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ChildFirst Training
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Registration will open on 1/5 at 10am. We anticipate this ChildFirst to be highly competitive, so if you would like to secure a spot in the training, please plan accordingly! CEUs will be available for social workers.
*Please note: In order to register for this training, you need to be logged in to your Coalition Manager account. If you do not yet have an account, please request one by emailing carly@marylandchildrensalliance.org and include your name, job title, discipline, and which CAC you are associated with.*
*This training is dependent on CJAC funding.*
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End of Year Stats Due 1/15
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Your end-of-year (July-Dec) statistics are due to MCA by January 15th. You can send us the same stats that you are required to submit to NCA. Please reach out to anyone at MCA (emails below) if you have any questions or concerns about this.
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Your Membership Survey Results
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MCA will use the findings of our annual survey to adapt our training calendar to meet your reported needs and improve upon our services to your CACs!
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MCA Board of Directors and Staff Contacts
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MCA Board of Directors
President: Robin Grove, Frederick County CAC
Vice President: Erika Heavner, Howard County CAC
Treasurer: Caryl Ralph, Anne Arundel County CAC
Secretary: Ruby Nelson, Prince George's County CAC
Member At Large: Kerry Hannan, Center for Hope (Baltimore City CAC)
Member At Large: Cathy Meyers, Center for Children (Charles County CAC)
Member At Large: Krista Trahan, Baltimore County CAC
MCA Staff
Chapter Director: Wendy Myers, wendy@marylandchildrensalliance.org
Program Coordinator: Meg Marcelli, meg@marylandchildrensalliance.org
Program Information Coordinator: Carly Brownstein, carly@marylandchildrensalliance.org
Training Coordinator: Jamie Smith, jamie@marylandchildrensalliance.org
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Training and Resources
Click on the title for the registration link.
- TF-CBT Training, Jan 11
- Center for Hope Trial Skills for Forensic Interviewers, Jan 11-13
- MDT Facilitator Peer Forums, Feb 6, May 2, Aug 2
- Center for Hope Forensic Interview Toolbox Training, Feb 6-10
- 3rd Annual Regional Human Trafficking Summit, Feb 8-9
- Fundamentals of Team Facilitation, Feb 15-16
- The Cost of Caring and Strategies for Promoting Resilience, Feb 19
- CHAMP Training, Feb 22 *Registration coming soon*
- Access to Restorative and Transformative Justice for Survivors of Violence and Oppression (recording)
- Reducing Student Vulnerability in the Face of Community Risk Factors (recording)
- The Deep Well: The CE-CERT Model for Sustaining a Career in Child Welfare
- The CE-CERT Model for Sustaining a Career in Child Welfare
- National STS-BSC (quality improvement and implementation collaborative)
- Global Human Trafficking Summit (Recording)
- Cultivating the Role of Team Facilitator: A Virtual Self-paced Training for MDT Facilitators and Supervisors
- What You Need to Know About Kids and Porn: Culture Reframed
- Working with Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse Material for Law Enforcement
- Introduction to Child Sex Trafficking (NCMEC)
- Supporting Survivors' Financial Inclusion and Success
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