The Importance of School Policies Related to Disclosures of Abuse and Mandated Reporting

Conference Theme: School Empowerment

Session Description

Prevention Education in the classroom can prompt disclosures of abuse. This session will examine model policies for responding to disclosures of abuse, and the making of a mandated report. Participants will learn the rationale behind the policies and strategies for implementation which will facilitate full adoption and understanding by all staff.

Session Objectives

Participants will

1. Review Model policies on responding to disclosures of abuse and making mandated reports.
2. Examine the rationale and statutes behind the policies
3. Learn strategies for implementation which can lead to full adoption and compliance by all school community stakeholders

Presenter

Jeff Dion, Zero Abuse Project

Jeff Dion is an attorney, survivor, and nationally recognized victim advocate. He comes to the Zero Abuse Project after more than twenty years with the National Center for Victims of Crime, where he served as Director of the National Crime Victim Bar Association. He has led efforts to reform civil statutes of limitation to expand access to justice for victims of child sex abuse.

From 2002 to 2010, Jeff served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Virginia Criminal Justice Services Board, where he chaired the Victim Services Advisory Committee. He has received numerous awards, including the 2006 Ronald Wilson Reagan Public Policy Award from the U.S. Department of Justice for outstanding innovation and commitment to crime victim legislation. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University.