Members of the local multidisciplinary team (MDT) responsible for responding to child abuse cases recently attended the nationally recognized Crimes Against Children Conference (CACC) in Dallas, Texas thanks for a grant provided to Voices of Courage Child Advocacy Center by the National Children’s Alliance (NCA).

The conference brought together professionals from across the country to learn about emerging trends, evidence-based practices, investigative techniques, trauma-informed care, and strategies for improving outcomes for children and families affected by abuse.

Attendees from the local MDT included representatives from Voices of Courage, law enforcement, prosecution and Mosaic Life Care.  Pictured above (L-R) are Tiger Parsons (Holt County Sheriff), Tami Parsons and Abel Martinez (Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department), Natalie Maupin (Mosaic), Maddie Smith (Therapist at Voices of Courage), Monica Morrey (Buchanan and Andrew County Prosecutor’s Office), Jimmy Nash (Forensic Program Supervisor at Voices of Courage), Charity Johnston (Buchanan County Prosecutor’s Office), Carrie Watkins (Director of Operations and MDT Coordinator at Voices of Courage), Stefan Hernandez and Kaitlin Miller (St. Joseph Police Department).

Specifically, the grant was provided to train the team in investigating cases involving Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC). The opportunity allowed team members to participate in specialized training tailored to their individual roles while also strengthening the collaborative relationships that are essential to an effective child abuse response. Child abuse investigations are among the most complex cases professionals encounter, requiring coordinated efforts to protect children, support families, and hold offenders accountable.

“One of the greatest strengths of a child advocacy center is the MDT approach,” said Melissa Birdsell, Executive Director of Voices of Courage. “When our partners have the opportunity to learn together, they return with a shared understanding of best practices, stronger professional relationships, and new ideas that ultimately improve the services we provide to children in our community.”

“The investment made to our team by the National Children’s Alliance extends far beyond the conference itself,” said Birdsell.  “The knowledge, skills and partnerships developed during this training will benefit not only children and families in our community for years to come, but the rest of our team as well.  We will be developing training based on what they learned to offer training to other members of our MDT and teams throughout Northwest Missouri. The team that went to Dallas can share what they learned so that other investigators also benefit.”

Ongoing professional development ensures that local professionals continue to deliver services that reflect current research and nationally recognized best practices.