Having worked in the service industry off and on since she was 16 years old, trainer Anna Nasset knows it well and has insight to the harms and hurdles. When her career pivoted to public speaking on violence against women, she looked at the ski/mountain bike community she resides in and combined her past work experience and her new career to create the Stand Up for Safety campaign through her Chamber of Commerce. This campaign, the first in the country, includes training service industry workers on the basics of violence against women and how they could be part of the change as well as community outreach through partnering businesses. In this session, Anna will teach advocates on how they can create similar campaigns in their areas, engage outdoor and adventure communities, and the unique challenges in training adults on violence against women. Statistics alone will show us that sexual assault, human trafficking, and other crimes occur weekly at our inns, restaurants, bars, and resorts which begs the question… what can we do about it? We can engage them to be part of the change! 

Testifying in court can be re-victimizing for a victim who has experienced physical or sexual abuse. This workshop will help attendees understand how trauma impacts the brain as well as other areas of functioning. The presenters will explore ways to prepare the victim for a successful and healing experience on the witness stand, to benefit the victim rather than traumatize her further when her testimony in court is required. 

In Her Shoes® was created by Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and provides an opportunity for participants to act, think, and make choices as a person experiencing an abusive relationship. Through this experiential learning, participants come away with a deeper understanding of how difficult it is to navigate systems, find effective support, and make the decision to leave an abusive partner. In Her Shoes® has been used across the county to train hundreds of professionals and communities. Following the simulation exercise, the presenters will lead a debrief for participants to discuss what they learned and how this impacts their work. 

In Her Shoes® was created by Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and provides an opportunity for participants to act, think, and make choices as a person experiencing an abusive relationship. Through this experiential learning, participants come away with a deeper understanding of how difficult it is to navigate systems, find effective support, and make the decision to leave an abusive partner. In Her Shoes® has been used across the county to train hundreds of professionals and communities. Following the simulation exercise, the presenters will lead a debrief for participants to discuss what they learned and how this impacts their work. 

Description pending.

Peeling back the layers of substance use and intimate partner violence (IPV) reveals a complex interplay that demands deeper clinical understanding. While substance use is never an excuse for violence, ignoring its role in relationship dynamics can undermine treatment and increase the risk of re-offense. Research shows that 40–60% of reported IPV cases involve substance use, making this intersection a critical area for intervention. This workshop explores how specific substances—alcohol, stimulants, cannabis, sedatives, and opioids—uniquely impact aggression, violence, and relational patterns. Guided by the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model, the presenter will examine how certain drugs escalate violence during use, while others contribute to aggression on non-using days. The workshop also addresses six categories of abusive behavior in relation to substance use: dominance, dependence, dissonance, vengeance, surveillance, and violence. Attendees will be provided practical tools for assessing substance-related risks, understanding drug-defined and drug-related offenses, and tailoring treatment plans. The presenter will also share strategies on how attendees can become better equipped to navigate the complex dynamics of IPV and substance use in clinical and forensic settings. 

Description pending.

Description pending.

Description pending.

Join the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) for an in-depth look at intimate partner violence related bills that intersect with border, rural and resort areas that passed during the 89th Texas Legislature. The presenters will discuss TCFV’s legislative priorities and share insight on supporting the implementation of new laws designed to protect survivors and enhance their safety and stability with an emphasis on those that impact border, rural and resort areas. 

As many people travel for vacation, getaways, family visits, or work-related business in coastal cities and resort towns, alcohol is often a staple used to relax, celebrate, or seal a deal. However, studies and experience also reveal that alcohol is the cheap, legal, culturally acceptable intoxicant that is present in many sexual assaults that also results in victims being more vulnerable, causes gaps in their memories, makes them less likely to report the assault, and less likely to be believed. Additionally, victims of alcohol-facilitated sexual assault may not be able to provide a complete account of the assault or may only have suspicions or heard rumors of what happened to them.  Conversely, perpetrators of sexual assault use alcohol or drugs as a weapon to create or exploit vulnerabilities in their victims and will use their own intoxication as a shield to deflect responsibility.  This workshop will examine the role alcohol plays in facilitating sexual violence by increasing victim vulnerability and blurring the lines of consent.  The presenter will focus on investigative and prosecution strategies for supporting victims of alcohol-facilitated sexual assault and uncovering and identifying predatory behavior. 

Legislation alone has not provided adequate guidance to first responders to identify subtle symptoms, understand defensive injuries, or document information to overcome the challenges that arise during prosecution. Despite the critical nature of these crimes, they are frequently minimized due to a lack of obvious injuries on the victim or confused by external signs on the suspect. This workshop examines the severity and dangers of strangulation and asphyxiation in domestic violence and sexual assault cases. By understanding the psychological and physiological impacts of strangulation, the presenter(s) will highlight the skills necessary to identify, document, and translate evidence for successful prosecution. Evidence-based tools and guidance to effectively assess, document, and navigate the complexities of non-fatal strangulation cases will be discussed with the goal of enabling attendees to overcome common challenges and potential defenses. 

There is a critical role that law enforcement and prosecutors must uphold when faced with the troubling trend of charging victims with assault and homicide. Enhancing trauma-informed interviewing and improving the assessment of credibility, culpability, and justification in these complex cases is key. The presenter(s) will draw on their collaboration as a defense attorney and expert in cases involving women who have killed their abusers, emphasizing the need for context and trauma-informed approaches. This workshop will illustrate the risks of traditional investigation techniques, showing how they can lead to misunderstandings and injustices. Case studies to develop a framework for navigating challenges and avoiding common missteps will be explored. Additionally, the workshop will provide strategies for identifying various forms of abuse, recognizing escalation patterns, and applying trauma-informed techniques to gather essential information for informed charging decisions. 

This case study examines the investigation and prosecution of Derrick Davis, who stalked his former dating partner from March to April 2021. Despite multiple calls to law enforcement, Davis’s victim was dismissed and unprotected as he repeatedly harassed her—calling, texting, breaking into her home, and driving around her neighborhood. The situation escalated in April 2021 when the victim shot Davis as he attempted to enter her home. A detective later recognized this as a stalking case. The case study will explore the failures of the initial law enforcement response, highlighting how officers’ lack of understanding of stalking put the victim at risk, instead of recognizing the threat she faced. It will also discuss the retrial of Davis in 2025, after his conviction was overturned in 2023 due to a jury charge error. The prosecution corrected the mistakes of the first trial, leading to a guilty verdict and a 20-year sentence. Key testimony from Davis’s ex-wife, and his prior conviction for a similar crime, reinforced the severity of his actions. This case underscores the importance of proper training in stalking cases and the role of the prosecution in correcting trial errors for justice. 

Testifying in court can be re-victimizing for a victim who has experienced physical or sexual abuse. This workshop will help attendees understand how trauma impacts the brain as well as other areas of functioning. The presenters will explore ways to prepare the victim for a successful and healing experience on the witness stand, to benefit the victim rather than traumatize her further when her testimony in court is required. 

In between the crimes of trafficking of persons and smuggling lies a deserted landscape littered with confusion, uncertainty and political risk. Practitioners often simultaneously conflate the two crimes while ignoring the opportunity to develop trafficking cases from encounters with undocumented people. This workshop is designed to distinguish the two crimes and their accompanying dynamics, discuss current Texas criminal provisions, and address the ongoing litigation surrounding 2023’s SB 4. In addition, the workshop will cover the vulnerabilities that make undocumented people trafficking targets and perpetuate their exploitation in forced sex and labor once they enter the United States. The presenter will provide strategies on how to identify potential trafficking while working smuggling cases, how to successfully interview and work with victims who are unlikely to self-identify, and the federal immigration remedies that will allow investigators to keep cooperating witnesses in country to assist with case development. 

Description pending.

Most criminal cases don’t go to trial. However, prosecutors have to approach each individual case with the assumption that it will. A successful trial doesn’t rely only on a skilled prosecutor; it requires a thorough, trauma-informed investigation that anticipates defense tactics; and knowledgeable, victim-centered advocacy that protects and supports the victim in a team effort with the prosecutor throughout the legal process. However, that process is complex and can be truly mystifying to non-lawyers. And in smaller jurisdictions, law enforcement and advocates may not have the opportunity to observe the trial process before having to go through it themselves. In this workshop, the presenter will use real-life examples to go through the “anatomy” of a trial so that law enforcement and advocates can better understand how their roles can make – or break – both the survivor’s experience in the criminal justice system and the chance of a guilty verdict. The presenter will also facilitate a Q&A/group discussion aimed at further demystifying the trial process and will solicit written questions at the beginning of the session in order to give attendees the opportunity to ask questions anonymously. 

In outdoor recreation, where safety, inclusion, and a positive work environment are critical, harassment and violence are pressing issues that undermine both individual well-being and organizational culture. This scenario-based workshop delves into these challenges, drawing on concerning statistics that highlight the frequency of harassment and assault in the outdoor industry, underscoring the urgent need for systemic change. Attendees will be taught how to foster positive cultural shifts and reduce incidents of harassment and violence through a risk management approach. The presenter will cover the systemic factors that contribute to these issues, strategies for recognizing and de-escalating escalating behaviors, and essential active bystander skills. Through interactive discussions and hands-on exercises, attendees will be given the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the complex dynamics of harassment and violence in outdoor settings. Practical strategies and a heightened sense of awareness, equipped to drive cultural change in their own communities will also be discussed.  

Artificial intelligence is transforming how digital crimes are committed—introducing new risks that can reach victims in even the most isolated areas. The presenter of this workshop will explore how tools like ChatGPT, voice cloning, and deepfake generators are being used in harassment, impersonation, and abuse. While the AI landscape is still evolving—and few tools offer definitive solutions—awareness is critical. This workshop is designed to equip attendees to recognize threats, understand AI’s limitations, and begin educating their agencies and communities on how to navigate this technology safely and responsibly. 

Report writing is one of law enforcement’s most basic yet critical tasks. It is our best chance to make a difference in our community and the lives of those we serve. Writing an accurate report for any crimes against persons case is crucial to working a successful investigation and holding perpetrators accountable. In this conversational and interactive workshop, the presenters will examine report writing for sexual violence cases through classroom discussion and practical exercises. Strategies on how to effectively apply the core principles for writing an accurate police report will be provided. The power of language and its use as well as the ability to effectively apply critical writing strategies to reflect the victim’s or witness’s experience more accurately will be discussed. The presenters will also provide what information is needed for a successful police report, how to obtain that information best, and how to describe the information best for the reader, creating a strong foundation for a successful investigation. 

Description pending.

Description pending.

Join the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) for an in-depth look at intimate partner violence related bills that intersect with border, rural and resort areas that passed during the 89th Texas Legislature. The presenters will discuss TCFV’s legislative priorities and share insight on supporting the implementation of new laws designed to protect survivors and enhance their safety and stability with an emphasis on those that impact border, rural and resort areas. 

When investigators respond to a crime scene involving water, several questions are inevitable… Is this an accidental drowning? Was she homicidally drowned? Is this a strangulation staged as a suicidal drowning? Or is this a postmortem body disposal? Just as fire investigators and crash reconstructionists need training to recognize, identify, document, and investigate their respective scenes, anyone working cases involving pools or open water scenes need training on the realities of what happens to living and dead bodies in water. This includes the drowning process, how to determine truthfulness and deception during interviews, processing aquatic scenes, recovering small submerged evidence, packaging submerged bodies, processing submerged evidence for prints and DNA, and more. This interactive session provides hands-on skill practical drills that include optional in-water experiences and is valuable for law enforcement, CSI’s, aquatic first responders, prosecutors, and anyone who would work aquatic crimes against women cases. 

In outdoor recreation, where safety, inclusion, and a positive work environment are critical, harassment and violence are pressing issues that undermine both individual well-being and organizational culture. This scenario-based workshop delves into these challenges, drawing on concerning statistics that highlight the frequency of harassment and assault in the outdoor industry, underscoring the urgent need for systemic change. Attendees will be taught how to foster positive cultural shifts and reduce incidents of harassment and violence through a risk management approach. The presenter will cover the systemic factors that contribute to these issues, strategies for recognizing and de-escalating escalating behaviors, and essential active bystander skills. Through interactive discussions and hands-on exercises, attendees will be given the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the complex dynamics of harassment and violence in outdoor settings. Practical strategies and a heightened sense of awareness, equipped to drive cultural change in their own communities will also be discussed. 

Having worked in the service industry off and on since she was 16 years old, trainer Anna Nasset knows it well and has insight to the harms and hurdles. When her career pivoted to public speaking on violence against women, she looked at the ski/mountain bike community she resides in and combined her past work experience and her new career to create the Stand Up for Safety campaign through her Chamber of Commerce. This campaign, the first in the country, includes training service industry workers on the basics of violence against women and how they could be part of the change as well as community outreach through partnering businesses. In this session, Anna will teach advocates on how they can create similar campaigns in their areas, engage outdoor and adventure communities, and the unique challenges in training adults on violence against women. Statistics alone will show us that sexual assault, human trafficking, and other crimes occur weekly at our inns, restaurants, bars, and resorts which begs the question… what can we do about it? We can engage them to be part of the change! 

Artificial intelligence is transforming how digital crimes are committed—introducing new risks that can reach victims in even the most isolated areas. The presenter of this workshop will explore how tools like ChatGPT, voice cloning, and deepfake generators are being used in harassment, impersonation, and abuse. While the AI landscape is still evolving—and few tools offer definitive solutions—awareness is critical. This workshop is designed to equip attendees to recognize threats, understand AI’s limitations, and begin educating their agencies and communities on how to navigate this technology safely and responsibly. 

Description pending.

Description pending.

Description pending.

Join the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) for an in-depth look at intimate partner violence related bills that intersect with border, rural and resort areas that passed during the 89th Texas Legislature. The presenters will discuss TCFV’s legislative priorities and share insight on supporting the implementation of new laws designed to protect survivors and enhance their safety and stability with an emphasis on those that impact border, rural and resort areas. 

Research reveals that having an advocate embedded within a human trafficking task force team and the partnership between the two is highly beneficial. Moreover, it is evidenced that this collaboration can be valuable to successful victim recovery operations and prosecutions. The presenter of this workshop will specifically analyze how to plan and organize successful operations (recovery and “John ops”), within casinos in resort/vacation towns such as experienced with Lake Tahoe and Reno, NV. In scrutinizing plan operations, the presenter will also discuss how to safely include the advocate, and how investigators work with them during recovery operations to provide the appropriate resources needed, especially while working on a small task force. The workshop will provide several video clips from a survivor who was trafficked in the casinos, and how the advocate and law enforcement dynamic led them to leaving the lifestyle, and a successful prosecution.