2025 Tennessee FJC Conference Workshops
Tuesday, April 8th
8:00 – 8:45 AM: Breakfast Networking
8:45 – 9:00 AM: Welcome
9:00 – 10:00 AM: DV DCS Liaison Panel: Strengthening the Response to Domestic Violence in Child Welfare- Moderator: Becky Stephens
This facilitated discussion will explore how multi-disciplinary partnerships are utilized to strengthen the response to domestic violence in child welfare systems. The panelists will be sharing their experiences responding to the intersection of child abuse and domestic violence within their respective fields. The purpose of this discussion is to widen the scope of comprehensive care and support to families provided across Tennessee.
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM: Break
10:15 – 11:45 AM: Introduction to Suspicious Death Cases: Identifying, investigating & prosecuting hidden homicides- Gael Strack & Dr. Bill Smock
Scott County is one of the smallest counties in the state yet has established an impressive, coordinated community response to serve survivors of domestic violence in their community while holding offenders accountable. At the heart of these efforts is their domestic violence court and a dedicated core team that work seamlessly to ensure successful outcomes for individual survivors and in essence the community at large. During this session you will hear from members of the domestic violence core court team and learn what it took to build this response; how they have been able to continue and grow their efforts; what their court looks like and how you can replicate this trauma-informed court intervention in your community.
11:45 – 1:15 PM: Lunch& Learn- OCJP Director Brinkman
1:15 – 2:45 PM: Breakout Sessions (Choose One to Attend)
- Hidden Homicides Deep Dive – Gael Strack & Dr. Bill Smock
Systems professionals have come to recognize that forced criminality of persons sold in the illicit sex trade is sex trafficking. However, they have been slow to acknowledge that the same control dynamics inflicted upon those with other roles in the sex trade or in other illicit businesses is labor trafficking. This presentation will challenge participants to apply a lens of force, fraud, and coercion in a broader array of contexts to better identify labor trafficking in our communities; to better assess whether workers are culpable voluntary participants or victims of labor trafficking and forced criminality; and in order to achieve justice more consistently. - The Impact of Childhood Exposure to Domestic Violence across the Lifespan – Dr. Megan Haselschwerdt
With forty-five years of front-line experience as an advocate, survivor and police officer Lt. Wynn knows that domestic and sexual violence cannot be stopped or prevented by one segment of the community, there must be devoted and focused partnerships among many disparate groups and individuals to create a truly responsive community that saves lives. Discover what makes an effective and sustainable CCR and explore ways to reinvigorate the relationships, commitments and drive needed to make effective and long-lasting change in your communities’ response to domestic & sexual violence. Working together for a common goal is no easy task. This workshop will examine the benefits of positive, cooperative, and trusting relationships between advocacy, law enforcement, and stakeholders that you may have never considered!
Childhood Exposure to DV- PowerPoint
- Supporting All Survivors – Dr. Otis McGresham, Vanderbilt University Project Safe Center
With forty-five years of front-line experience as an advocate, survivor and police officer Lt. Wynn knows that domestic and sexual violence cannot be stopped or prevented by one segment of the community, there must be devoted and focused partnerships among many disparate groups and individuals to create a truly responsive community that saves lives. Discover what makes an effective and sustainable CCR and explore ways to reinvigorate the relationships, commitments and drive needed to make effective and long-lasting change in your communities’ response to domestic & sexual violence. Working together for a common goal is no easy task. This workshop will examine the benefits of positive, cooperative, and trusting relationships between advocacy, law enforcement, and stakeholders that you may have never considered!
Supporting All Survivors-PowerPoint
2:45 – 3:00 PM: Break
3:00 – 4:30 PM: Breakout Sessions (Choose One to Attend)
- Finding and Helping the Hidden Victims: Responding to Children Exposed to Violence in the Home – Mark Wynn
Each year millions of children are exposed to violence in their homes, schools, and neighborhoods. This session will illustrate to the participants the impact of the exposure, the challenges to intervention, best methods to conducting the interview and safety planning.
Responding to Children Exposed to DV
- Stalking via the Courts – Jon Kurland, Aequitas
While stalkers’ motives vary, they generally want to be close to their victims, exert power and control over their victims, and demand their victims’ attention. To achieve this – and to otherwise sabotage their victims –stalkers may misuse the legal system to compel victims to face them in court. This tactic keeps the stalker relevant in the victim’s life, potentially for years depending on the pace of the court system and the stalker’s persistence. When abusers misuse the court system as a tactic to contact, harass, access, and/or sabotage their victims, it is called “vexatious” or “abusive” litigation, “paper” or “separation” abuse, or “stalking through the courts.” All stalkers can misuse the court system through tactics such as frivolous lawsuits, false allegations, and baseless continuances, and intimate partner stalkers may focus on custody interference and/or overcomplicate divorce proceedings. At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be better able to:- Understand intersections between stalking and domestic abuse dynamics.
- Identify how offenders can use courts to stalk and harass their victims.
- Enact safeguards before, during and after Court proceedings that can better maximize victim safety and mitigate efforts by an offender to exert power and control.
- Work with other stakeholders in the courts, bar, and social support services to better support victims.
- Love Doesn’t Hurt: Supporting All Survivors: Phillis Lewis
This training is designed for service providers who want to better support LGBTQ survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and other forms of abuse. Against the backdrop of new and pending discriminatory legislation in Tennessee, many LGBTQ individuals face added hurdles in accessing safe, affirming services. This session equips providers with key insights into the current policy landscape, culturally responsive approaches, and trauma-informed strategies to create welcoming, inclusive spaces. Attendees will gain practical tools to address unique barriers faced by LGBTQ survivors, foster trust and collaboration, and connect clients with affirming community resources—ensuring that every survivor knows they are seen, valued, and safe.
4:30 – 4:45 PM: Break & Room Reset
4:45 – 5:30 PM: Awards
Wednesday, April 9th
8 – 8:45 AM: Breakfast Networking
8:45 – 10:15 AM: General Session: When Victims of Crimes Become Defendants…Should Context Matter? – Mark Wynn
Incarcerated women experience staggering rates of sexual assault and domestic violence across the life span, leading up to the offenses for which they are charged or convicted. What does justice look like when a victim of a crime becomes a defendant? This workshop will inspire professionals in multiple disciplines to consider the context of possible violations of law committed by crime victims more deeply in their responses. The presenter will include information on how trauma, victimization, strangulation, and brain injury, along with sexual assault and domestic violence dynamics, should be considered when responding to possible violations of law by victims of crime to reach more just outcomes.
10:15 – 10:30 AM: Break
10:30 – 12:00 PM: Guided Networking
12:00 – 1:15 PM: Lunch & Learn
1:00 – 2:30 PM Breakout Sessions (Choose One to Attend)
- “Totally Stalking You”: How Stalking is Normalized and How We Can Stop It – Natalie Ivey, SPARC
From popular media to casual conversations, the crime of stalking is consistently minimized and misrepresented. While this normalization does not cause stalkers to stalk, the vast scope of misrepresentation contributes to an environment in which stalking becomes harder to identify, respond to, and/or adjudicate. Identifying and assessing stalking – and its dangerousness – requires us to recognize and reflect on the messages we’ve received and how we might combat the misperceptions that can plague our response efforts. This session explores different ways that stalking is misconstrued and normalized, examines the impacts of this normalization, and offers practical strategies, tools, and resources for how to combat this misinformation. By the end of this presentation, participants will be better able to:- Identify myths and misperceptions around stalking
- Reflect on how these myths and misperceptions negatively impact reporting, help-seeking, and response
- Apply practical strategies and tools to educate responders, victims, and the general public on stalking
- Domestic Violence from a Prosecutor’s Perspective – ADA Joshua Dougan
This session will provide an overview of the legal structure undergirding DV prosecution, discuss how the cycle of violence impacts victims throughout that process, talk about our standard approach to DV prosecution, and briefly explain victim’s rights and resources.
Identifying and Responding to Stalking - Predominant Aggressor – Jon Kurland, Aequitas
Every year, 3-4 million women in the U.S. are abused and 1,500-1,600 are killed by their abusers. One challenge, for first responders to a domestic disturbance where both parties are injured, is identifying the predominant aggressor. Police and prosecutors must also be able to determine the level of danger facing a victim. Several factors are associated with an increased risk of homicide in domestic violence relationships. While we cannot predict what will happen in a particular case, danger assessments can help determine the risk that a victim faces, enabling us to better prioritize our efforts and support the victim.This presentation will emphasize the importance of contextual analysis in evaluating criminal responsibility at the arrest, charging, pre-trial, and sentencing phases. Such analysis will help to ensure that the dynamics of domestic violence are properly factored into decisions about arrest, charging, plea negotiations, and sentencing, and will enhance the quality of justice for those who have been victims of abuse. The presentation will also discuss the importance of danger assessments and best practices in lethality evaluation.ObjectivesAt the conclusion of this presentation participants will be better able to:- Evaluate the context within which an act of violence occurs.
- Overcome batterer manipulation of the justice system.
- Identify risk and lethality factors.
2:45 – 3:00 PM: Break
3:00 – 4:30 PM: Breakout Sessions (Choose One to Attend)
- Solving the Puzzle: Investigating Stalking – Natalie Ivey, SPARCC
Despite its prevalence, stalking is rarely investigated or charged. Building an effective stalking case means asking the right questions, collecting needed evidence, and constantly assessing for victim safety. This session will center a case study review and explore how law enforcement and victim service providers can better investigate and/or charge stalking, resulting in improved outcomes in the criminal legal system when correctly implemented. By the end of this presentation, participants will be better able to:- Document relevant evidence to build stalking cases
- Recognize high risk times for stalking victims
- Consider tools for enhancing victim safety
- Recognize and identify relevant evidence in stalking investigations
- Violence in the Law Enforcement Family: Officer-Involved Domestic and Sexual Violence – Mark Wynn
Exploring the historical view of domestic and sexual violence within the police family will enable the students to gain insight into the complexity and challenges posed by the officer perpetrated, the lack of accurate statistics, the unique characteristics of conducting investigations, nationally established standards for recruiting, training, corrective discipline, and the continued need for implementation of policy. We’ll also discuss the common tactics of abusive officers and the intersections with law enforcement training and culture.
Violence in Law Enforcement
- The 3 OPs of Tennessee Legal Aid – Taryne Tillinghast and Rebecca Tocca, Legal Aid
This presentation considers the Legal Aid programs that exist in the state of Tennessee, the types of legal problems that clients can receive assistance with, and the process that your clients can expect when they reach out for our free legal services. We will complete a deep dive into the three types of Orders of Protections that exist in Tennessee and the difference between OPs and Restraining Orders. Then, we will discuss how the drafting of Orders of Protection Petitions and other referral documents can be done in a way to help attorneys quickly pick up a case and assist. Finally, there will be discussion groups to review case examples and consider important facts to help ensure that our clients are being guided towards the appropriate options for them.
Three OP’s Presentation
Thursday, May 2nd
8:00 AM: Continental Breakfast provided by the hotel in the restaurant
8:30 – 10:00 AM: Optional Comprehensive Workshops (Pre-Registration Required):
- Fatality Review: Case Study – Becky Bullard and Heather Herrmann, Nashville Office of Family Safety
Fatality Reviews are multidisciplinary, wide-angle case studies that encourage the open discovery of information. They are often conducted in a climate that focuses on prevention and may involve the convening of multidisciplinary teams to review cases. Join us for an immersive training session tailored for multi-disciplinary professionals aimed at deepening understanding and response to domestic violence fatalities. Through an engaging case study and mock case review, participants will gain insights into the complexities surrounding domestic violence incidents, honing their skills in identifying risk factors, intervention strategies, and collaborative approaches for prevention. This training equips attendees with invaluable tools and knowledge to effectively contribute to domestic violence fatality review processes and ultimately enhance community responses to this critical issue. - BIP Implementation – Steve and Dorthy Halley, Family Peace Initiative
Using an experiential approach built on the River of Cruelty Model, this workshop will explore the fundamentals of the Internal-focused dialogue, including working with feelings, connecting to the power of the “Golden Shadow Message” and understanding the power of Alice Millers “Enlightened Witness”. Participants will learn practical skills that can be applied immediately to their work. Participants will learn how to incorporate emotional expression into work with those who cause harm, the fundamentals of the internal-focused dialogue, explore the impact of “enlightened witnesses”, and the application of the “Golden Shadow Message.”
FamilyPeaceInitiave-PowerPoint