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This year’s conference honors the people who built this movement, and the people continuing to carry it forward. For generations, survivors, advocates, organizers, and community members have created safety, support, and change together. Their lived experience, knowledge, and care have shaped this work from the very beginning. Join us for two days of connection, learning, and envisioning what’s possible when we build safety, healing, and belonging together.

Speaker and workshop announcements coming soon! For more information, please see our FAQ page or contact us at [email protected].

For more information about the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, visit our website.
Subject: children & parenting clear filter
Monday, September 28
 

3:30pm PDT

Advocacy Under Pressure
Monday September 28, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm PDT
Advocates are carrying tremendous pressure as they support survivors while navigating increasingly strained systems that can push emotional and professional capacity to its limits. This interactive session creates space to acknowledge those challenges, examine the evolving role of advocacy, and explore how cross-sector partnerships, particularly with home visiting programs, can strengthen support systems for families.

Participants will engage in meaningful discussion, share strategies for collaboration, and practice grounding techniques that help sustain well-being and reduce the risk of burnout. Attendees will leave with practical tools, collective wisdom, and a renewed sense of connection to themselves, their work, and the families they serve.
Speakers
avatar for Jami Bess

Jami Bess

Director of Services, Open Arms Perinatal Services
Jami Bess is a maternal and reproductive health leader with over a decade of experience advancing equity for low-income families in Washington State. As Director of Programs at Open Arms Perinatal Services, she oversees community-based doula and home visiting initiatives that center... Read More →
avatar for Marcella Taylor

Marcella Taylor

ParentChild+ Program Manager, Start Early Washington
Marcella Taylor is the ParentChild+ Program Manager for Washington State, with over 20 years of experience in early learning, home visiting, and family support. Her professional journey was shaped by her personal one—as a young parent and former ParentChild+ participant. That experience... Read More →
avatar for Florida Steele

Florida Steele

Early Learning Coordinator, Open Arms Perinatal Services
Florida Steele is a family advocate with 30+ years of experience supporting under-resourced communities through direct service and systems advocacy. As a mother of four, she centers her work on relational, strengths-based support that honors families lived experiences. At Open Arms... Read More →
Monday September 28, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm PDT
 
Tuesday, September 29
 

10:30am PDT

You Are the Intervention: Worldwide Indigenous Wisdom for Supporting Parents and Children on their Healing Journey
Tuesday September 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm PDT
How we show up is the work. Knowledge and interventions matter, but the relationship you build with surviors is the strongest predictor of healing. In this workshop, we'll cover:
  • How to support someone who has experienced domestic violence without taking over, causing more harm, or making them feel more alone.
  • How to help parents protect their children's childhoods — recognizing that a child's behavior is communication of a need, not necessarily a replay of what an abusive parent modeled, and that kids need to be able to just be kids.
  • What Indigenous cultures worldwide can teach us about raising healthy kids and building strong families and exploring more effective ways of relating that build safety, dignity, connection, and resilience. 
  • How to take care of your own nervous system so you can stay present and effective without burning out.
You'll leave with a deeper understanding of how relationship drives healing, a broader lens for supporting families, real tools for helping kids stay kids, and ways to sustain yourself in this work.
Speakers
avatar for Betty Peralta

Betty Peralta

Mental Health and Education Specialist, Children in Bloom
Betty Peralta, MIT, MS-MHC, IMH-E® Mentor-Clinical, is a mental health and education specialist with 26 years of experience: 14 as an educator, 12 as a mental health therapist, 12 as a parent coach, and 8 as a reflective consultant and trainer for family support professionals. She... Read More →
Tuesday September 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm PDT

3:30pm PDT

Mandated Reporting: Do Less
Tuesday September 29, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm PDT
Mandated reporting has caused real harm to survivors — and a lot of that harm comes from over-reporting. This training provides context around challenges and problems within our current system that create harm for families seeking support and get practical about what domestic violence advocates are actually required to report (spoiler: it's less than you think). Liz and Trina will walk through how to recognize what falls outside your scope, how to safety plan effectively, and how to show up for survivors in the rare moments when a report is truly required. Come ready to question assumptions and leave with clearer boundaries and more confidence in a survivor-first approach.
Speakers
avatar for Liz Uchitelle

Liz Uchitelle

Legal Advocacy Coordinator, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Liz Uchitelle is the Legal Advocacy Program Coordinator at WSCADV/SA, where she supports survivors navigating the criminal legal system and pushes for justice reform rooted in survivor-informed advocacy. She also brings a trauma-informed yoga practice to her work, using it as a tool... Read More →
avatar for Trina Ewing

Trina Ewing

CAP Lead Survivor Advocate, New Beginnings
Hi, I’m Trina Ewing, the CAP Lead Survivor Advocate with New Beginnings in Seattle, WA. My path to this work is deeply personal; as a survivor of domestic violence myself, I know firsthand the courage it takes to seek safety and rebuilding. Over the past five years, I have dedicated... Read More →
Tuesday September 29, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm PDT
 
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