La Feria News

Sexual Assault in Schoold to be Addressed at Valley Conference on Child Abuse

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SOUTH PADRE ISLAND – Child abuse prevention, intervention and investigation in the Valley – including sexual assault in schools – will be addressed during the 12th Annual Rio Grande Valley Seminar in Forensic Sciences, which will be held Wednesday, Nov. 4 through Friday, Nov. 6 at the Isla Grand Beach Resort, 500 Padre Boulevard on South Padre Island.

The symposium, which is hosted by Valley Baptist Health System, will provide current information to those involved in child abuse investigations, including law enforcement officers, Child Protective Services workers, social workers, attorneys, nurses, pediatricians, medical examiners, forensic pathologists, coroners, psychologists, EMS personnel, school and day care personnel, clergy, and other professionals. The special three-day conference will address ways to prevent child abuse, techniques used in child death investigations, and other current issues involving child abuse.

Discussing plans for an RGV Seminar in Forensic Sciences are, in the front row, Dr. Stan Fisch, Pediatrician and Medical Director for the Child to Adult Abuse Response Team at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen; and Sonja Eddleman, Clinical Manager for the Child to Adult Abuse Response Team at Valley Baptist.  In the back row are, from the left, Janet Magee of the “Blue Sunday’ child abuse prevention program; Marcia Fuller, Education Specialist with Valley Baptist; Stephanie Hamby of the Valley Baptist School of Vocational Nursing; and Melanie Machen, Executive Assistant at Valley Baptist-Harlingen.

Discussing plans for an RGV Seminar in Forensic Sciences are, in the front row, Dr. Stan Fisch, Pediatrician and Medical Director for the Child to Adult Abuse Response Team at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen; and Sonja Eddleman, Clinical Manager for the Child to Adult Abuse Response Team at Valley Baptist. In the back row are, from the left, Janet Magee of the “Blue Sunday’ child abuse prevention program; Marcia Fuller, Education Specialist with Valley Baptist; Stephanie Hamby of the Valley Baptist School of Vocational Nursing; and Melanie Machen, Executive Assistant at Valley Baptist-Harlingen.

Dr. Stan Fisch, Pediatrician and Medical Director of the Child to Adult Abuse Response Team (CAART) program at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, said the forensics seminar will help attendees become “better prepared to deal with the many issues surrounding injuries to children and help provide a basis for the prevention of child abuse.”

Speakers for the conference will include Lyndel Williams, Training Director for the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, who will speak on “Sexual Assault on Campus” on the second day of the conference (Thursday, November 5) at 9:15 a.m. (part 1 of her talk) and at 10:30 a.m. (part 2). While sexual assault cases on college and high school campuses have been prominently featured in the national news recently, Ms. Williams will also discuss cases that have occurred involving younger students in middle and elementary schools.

Continuing education credits for the seminar will be available for nurses, social workers, physicians, law enforcement officers, attorneys, judges, psychologists, licensed professional counselors, and licensed marriage and family therapists.

Those interested in the three-day conference – or in attending one or two days of the conference, or a case review – can get information on registration, fees, and scholarships by calling Stephanie Hamby at (956) 389-1721, or visiting www.RegOnline.com/caep_1753597.

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