About MDT Development Training
Ongoing training prepares teams to be on the front line of child advocacy with the most current knowledge and best practices.
MDT Development Trainings are offered on a contracted basis, and can range from 2-hour advanced topics to a day(s) long private MDT Development Training to a session designed specifically with your teams’ needs in mind.
First Witness’ Advanced Webinar Series offers trainings designed specifically for forensic interviewers and advocates, but many MDT members may be interested and benefit from those trainings. More information on the Advanced Webinar Series can be found here.
Contact Operations Director Madeline Kvale with any questions or to schedule an MDT Development training.
Dates fill up quickly; please allow for a minimum of 3-months before the training occurs.
Available MDT Development trainings include:
Community Collaboration: How to Support Youth and Families Experiencing Child Abuse
Learn how agencies in Duluth support children, teenagers, and families following a disclosure of child sexual abuse. This session will offer insight on engaging families through the forensic interview, investigation, and prosecution processes and how advocates support victim-survivors and their families through systems in a collaborative multi-disciplinary approach. We will also discuss how advocates support families through these systems using the self-identified needs of the individuals they serve. Attendees will leave this session with a better understanding of the importance of a strong community response to child sexual abuse and how to connect to local resources available to families and providers.
Media and Pop Culture: How Our Culture Impacts Perceptions of Child Abuse
This session will examine examples in our media, pop culture, and entertainment industry related to child abuse and maltreatment. These examples will highlight how public perception of child abuse is impacted and often normalized in ways we may not always realize.
Proactive Cultural Response Initiatives in the Human Services Field
Organizational cultural competence is a dynamic process that does not have a start or end date. It begins with awareness of the issue and evolves into proactive culturally responsive policies and procedures. Proactive cultural responsiveness is important to provide clients with the opportunity to access services that reflect their cultures and values. This presentation will discuss working within the communities you serve and adapting your practices instead of expecting clients to adapt to you. For organizations that have begun this work, a structure for next steps will be discussed to continue serving the self-identified needs of our communities.
Trauma- Informed Leadership Methods in Victim-Serving Organizations
This session will review the research behind the characteristics and workplace environments of the victim-serving organizations to increase general understanding of the effects these characteristics have on secondary trauma, mental health, job satisfaction, and burnout. Leaders and supervisors will leave with recommendations for trauma-informed leadership methods to effectively respond to the needs of their supervisees.
As well as trainings on topics such as:
Effective Case Tracking Processes for Multidisciplinary Teams
How to Facilitate an Effective Case Review Process
How to Facilitate an Effective Case Review Process: Virtual Meetings
Self-Care to Sustainable Wellness: Avoiding Burnout in MDTs
