The Power of Collaborative Prevention Education

Conference Theme: School Empowerment

Session Description

As professionals working with children, we all want children to be safe in our communities, but preventing child abuse is not something one person can do on their own. When we inform and collaborate with youth workers, teachers, principals, parents, doctors, and mental health professionals regarding child abuse prevention, we strengthen our communities and our own response to child abuse. This presentation informs participants of the importance of engaging the community in child abuse prevention and additionally identifies ways in which professionals working with children can engage the community in conversations that involve child abuse prevention. Using our own experience facilitating collaborative prevention education in our community as a case study, we will discuss our struggles and successes building this approach to child abuse prevention.

Session Objectives

Participants will

1. Define what collaborative child abuse prevention means.
2. Demonstrate the importance of collaborating with community members regarding child abuse prevention.
3. Identify ways in which professionals can engage with the community in conversations about child abuse prevention.

Presenter

Gracie Getschel, First Witness Child Advocacy Center

Gracie Getschel earned bachelor’s degrees in Biochemistry and Criminology while at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Before working at First Witness, Gracie worked at a local residential addiction treatment facility, where she gained a passion for advocating for marginalized individuals who had experienced severe trauma in their lives.

She also worked within the public school systems for several years, where she helped to navigate behavioral plans for children in public schools. These positions, combined with her education, fostered her love for working with children and families and strengthened her knowledge of how trauma affects children, adolescents, and adults. Now, as the Prevention Education Coordinator, Family Advocate, and Trainer at First Witness CAC in Duluth, MN, Gracie enjoys getting to inform both caregivers and professionals alike about the intricacies of child abuse and how we can work as a community to prevent child abuse from happening.