DCF Child Protection Summit 2021
It was so great seeing so many of our Open Doors team members representing the Network at the DCF Child Protection Summit last week! Special shout out to Kim Figueroa, Open Doors Survivor-Mentor at More Too Life, and Chanel Dionne, Open Doors Survivor-Mentor at Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center, for leading a presentation on Harnessing Lived Experience Partners to Create Compassionate, Professional Service!
Additionally, we would like to recognize Dr. Brook Bello and Dawn Sakes at More Too Life for their presentation on Tech for Good: A Key to Direct Victim Services and Prevention which was a huge success! Please join Voices in congratulating these presenters for creating such insightful dialogue during the conference.
Register for Survivor-Mentor Cohort Training by Wednesday September 15th
Voices for Florida is pleased to announce that we will be hosting our annual Survivor-Mentor Cohort Training at the Voices for Florida headquarters located at 111 S. Magnolia Drive Suite 4, Tallahassee, FL 32301. This is a mandatory training for all Survivor-Mentors serving in the Open Doors Outreach Network. Training will take place on Thursday October 7th and Friday October 8th.
For Survivor-Mentors who will be visiting from outside of town, Voices for Florida is providing 2 nights of hotel accommodation at the Home2Suites Tallahassee, checking in on Wednesday October 6th and checking out on Friday October 8th.
Additionally, Voices for Florida is providing reimbursement for one rental car and fuel per region, as well as meals according to the State of Florida rate. All reimbursements must include a receipt. Food reimbursement rates are as follows – breakfast: $6.00, lunch: $11.00 and dinner: $19.00 for a maximum daily amount of $36.00.
Please RSVP no later than Wednesday September 15th.
Hotel reservations must be made by participants by clicking here and included in the expense reports for reimbursement. Alternatively, you can call to make a reservation and ask for the Voices for Florida group rate. The deadline to book your hotel reservation is Wednesday September 15th.
Car rental reservations must be made by participants and included in the expense reports for reimbursement. Only one rental car/fuel for in-person trainings per region will be eligible for reimbursement. The OAG has indicated that car rental reimbursement rates are limited to the State of Florida car rental contract as follows: Full Size – $29.50 per day (requires more than one traveler). Compact – $25.55 (for one traveler). The OAG will not reimburse above these rates. Please note that Voices for Florida will not reimburse for mileage for participants – only rental fees and fuel costs will be covered. Receipts are necessary for all reimbursements.
Hoyt’s Tool of the Week: Three Things Tech Could Do to Effectively Fight DMST
In August, Shared Hope’s, Kelly McCaughey, and Freedom13.org Director Gene Hill met to review the latest and best tools for parents to protect children on the Internet. They explored software-only upgrades tech could do to dramatically improve minors’ online safety and effectively address Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking. These three easy-to-implement changes would enable safety nets for all children and leverage parental control apps.
Upcoming Webinars
Restore, Uplift, Ignite—Restoring Matriarchy, Uplifting Survivor’s Voices and Igniting Spaces of Healing (National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center)
Wednesday, Sep 15, 2021 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM EDT
Kristin Welch with the Waking Women Healing Institute Inc., will share how they are building culturally founded, sheltered places of learning to increase wellness, prevent acts of colonial violence such as: sexual assault, human trafficking, resource extraction, MMIW, and how we heal. In this presentation participants will gain an understanding of Matriarchal and Land-Based services, Eco Systems of Care, and how to utilize the power of the collective to uplift survivor voices and build future Indigenous leaders.
A Trauma-Informed Approach to Supporting Children and Adolescents (Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health)
Wednesday, September 23, 6:00-8:00pm ET
Presented by Erik Young, M.Ed, LPC, LMHC. Free to participate. To register, email FLRSVP@Devereux.org
Back to School Basics: Childproofing Our Communities from Human Trafficking (Anti-Trafficking International)
Wednesday, September 23, 7:30-9:00pm ET
As our children go back into physical classrooms, social dynamics have shifted. Old friends have lost touch. New friendships were forged online. Social anxieties are intensified. Our children are likely meeting different people in person for the first time. These are great opportunities for our children to expand their friendships. They also create new opportunities for traffickers to exploit our children’s weaknesses. How do we keep our kids confident and safe as they go back into schools and real-world hangouts?
A Trauma-Informed Approach to Supporting Children and Adolescents (Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health)
Wednesday, September 23, 6:00-8:00pm ET
Presented by Erik Young, M.Ed, LPC, LMHC. Free to participate. To register, email FLRSVP@Devereux.org
Perspectives: Sex Trafficking Vulnerabilities of Individuals Aging Out of Foster Care (Voices for Florida)
Wednesday, September 29, 12:00-1:30pm ET
Moderated by Lauren Herod, MSW, MPA of Voices for Florida, this webinar will bring together experts and service providers as they discuss the unique support systems individuals aging out of foster care could benefit from to help prevent them from falling victim to sex trafficking. Speakers include Chanel Dionne of Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center, Christy Gillis of DCF, Christine M. Frederick, MSW of FLITE Center, and Kayla O’Neal, MSW of Tallahassee Community College Fostering Achievement Fellowship Program.
Faith Community & Human Trafficking Workshop (Gateway to Fr33dom Human Trafficking Taskforce)
Thursday, September 30, 10:00am-12:00pm ET
Guest Speaker: Rev. Dr. P. “Doc” Nave with Bikers Against Trafficking
