Professionals helping child abuse victims are often placed in situations where they need to have difficult conversations with children, parents, and caregivers. Whether working with a family in crisis or breaking bad news to a family in disbelief, good communication skills goes a long way in helping children and families process and heal from the trauma they have experienced. Difficult Conversations is an interactive training that will teach participants how to build trust and form relationships with multidisciplinary team partners and the families they serve. 

This training is open to CACs and MDTs in the Northeast Region - Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Format: Virtual

When: Wednesday, June 4, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. EDT

Registration Process: Click here to apply by end of day, Thursday, May 15, 2025.

CAC professionals are regularly exposed to child trauma as part of their work, and this exposure can lead to secondary traumatic stress (STS). If left unaddressed, STS can have negative impacts on both CAC professionals and their organizations. To support these professionals, NRCAC provides STS training for child abuse professionals and their organizations. The training covers the following key areas:

• Defining STS
• Assessing the impact of the work on individuals
• Exploring strategies to reduce the impact of STS
• Reviewing organizational strategies for a trauma-exposed workplace

This training is open to CAC staff, MDT partners, and board members in the Northeast Region - Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Format: In-person preferred; however, virtual training can be provided if necessary.

Length of Program: 3-4 hours

The Forensic Interviewers Mentoring and Skill Development Program, in collaboration with Zero Abuse Project, provides new forensic interviewers additional support and a framework for overall skill development. The program provides measurable outcomes in skill development and focuses on individual goals set forth by the interviewer to allow for growth and success in their role. 

This program is open to new forensic interviewers in the Northeast Region - Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

As a result of this program, participants will:

• Achieve measurable outcomes in skill development by working on individual goals set forth by the interviewer to allow better success with growth in their role.  

Format: Virtual

Length of Program: 6 months

Application Process: Applications closed. 

The MDT Facilitator Learning Lab is a 6-month training and learning opportunity hosted by the Northeast Regional CAC and the Western Regional CAC. It is designed to empower MDT facilitators with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to excel in their role by building authentic relationships, navigating team dynamics and conflict, and fostering a culture of engagement and collaboration.

The program takes a practical, hands-on approach to equip participants with the tools and confidence to lead their team effectively. Participants will develop key skills to lead in collaborative environments and coordinate their MDT’s response to child abuse in their community.

This program is open to team facilitators in the Northeast Region and Western Region.

As a result of this program, participants will: 

• Enhance skills as facilitators to build authentic relationships and create a culture of engagement and collaboration.
• Enhance communication skills that will result in collaborative team communications.
• Gain insight into and strategies for identifying system issues that 
impact cases and team dynamics.
• Promote collaborative decision-making and healthy, productive methods of addressing conflict.

Program Schedule*: Please see the schedule below. Participants are expected to attend all sessions in full and complete all pre-work and between session assignments.

Virtual Orientation: April 10, 2025
In-Person Sessions: April 29 – May 1, 2025
Virtual Sessions: September 17-18, 2025
Monthly cohort calls (virtual) from May through August
Opportunity to engage in one-on-one coaching calls

*Program schedule and location are pending DOJ approval.

Application Process: Applications closed.

Leadership, Exchange, and Coaching (LEC) builds the capacity of leaders in the CAC movement to provide dynamic, purposeful leadership to their organizations. Through organization development tools and coaching, leaders can strengthen their resilience, adopt a compassionate, strengths-based perspective, and build and nurture strong peer networks. The program’s goal is to create strong, healthy, effective organizations and partnerships.

This program is open nationally to CAC directors and associate directors who have been in their positions for one to two years.

As a result of this program, participants will: 

• Increase their capacity for effective leadership, as demonstrated by an understanding of how to analyze systems with a greater perspective
• Effectively identify and manage conflict within team and staff
• Improve their ability to build partnerships
• Recognize strengths in themselves and others, leading from a strengths-based perspective
• Enhance their capacity to support CAC staff and MDT in developing and achieving a clear vision with realistic goals
• Increase their ability to navigate the organization through times of challenge and difficulty
• Increase their ability to ask for help, delegate, and find the most effective sources of support
• Greater participation in problem solving for MDTs and CACs

Format: In-Person and Virtual

Length of Program: One year

Application Process: Please check back for updates.