CAC Hosts Hope Restored: A Symposium on Resilience

Arlington Heights, Illinois, April 29, 2024 – Children's Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County (CAC) invites Chicago-area social service colleagues to a one-day symposium on May 16 designed to "help the helpers." CAC knows firsthand the toll that the pandemic took (and continues to take) on frontline mental health and social service providers. With the goal of restoring personal well-being, CAC has planned a day of inspired learning and gentle self-care practices with some of the best trauma-informed practitioners Chicago has to offer. Three CEUs will be available for both in person and virtual participants, courtesy of Ascension Saint Alexius.

The CAC leadership team brainstormed the idea for the symposium when discussing how to leverage training funds from one of the agency’s grants. The team felt a need to provide opportunities to connect staff with other social service colleagues, as well as provide training in self-care techniques for those who work with children and families in crisis.

“Working with individuals who have experienced a traumatic event(s) can be challenging and emotionally taxing for service providers, increasing the risk for compassion fatigue, burnout and vicarious trauma,” said CAC’s CEO Melanie Pignotti, LCPC. “Self-care training equips professionals with strategies and tools to manage their own wellness and strengthen resiliency. Healthy professionals can better support their clients with effective and empathetic care, and we hope the symposium content will help them do that.”

Allison Stoll, LCPC, will present the keynote titled Vicarious Trauma: Living and Working Self-Reflectively. Stoll is a former CAC Child and Family Therapist and continues to treat child, adolescent and adult survivors of childhood trauma in private practice. She has a passion for presenting, as well as extensive knowledge of neurodevelopment and the neurobiology of complex trauma.

Breakout sessions will be offered by three area practitioners:

• Hurt People Hurt People with Dr. Pamela Fullerton, LCPC, CCTP, CCATP, C-DBT, NCC
• Trauma-Informed Yoga for Helper and Helpee with Yogini Jennifer Swets, MA, E-RYT
• A Taste of Mindful Self-Compassion with Lisa Patterson Raterman, BSN, RN, CCRN

Thanks to grant funding and sponsorships from the Kane County System of Care and the Rotary Club of Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates, we are pleased to offer this day to colleagues for just $30/person*, which includes in-person sessions, breakfast, lunch and 3 CEUs. A networking area will also be available along with Graffiti Heart Art. The symposium will be held at Harper College's Wojcik Conference Center in Palatine. (A livestreaming virtual option is available for $20/person, which includes 3 CEUs for the keynote and two breakout sessions.)

*$30 reflects Early Bird pricing. After May 2, tickets will be $40/person. For organizations wanting to register a group of 10 or more, please email tkanara@cachelps.org for pricing.

A full schedule, speaker bios, session details and a registration link are available on CAC’s website. Or, register directly on Eventbrite.

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ABOUT CAC

Since 1989, Children’s Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County (CAC) has worked to empower the voices of children who have experienced violence, inspire hope and help them overcome their trauma.

Before the existence of CACs, children who reported abuse would have to tell their stories multiple times to multiple people. Children would relive the most traumatic moments in their lives over and over again. CAC changed that.

• We coordinate a single interview for the child with our Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) made up of local police, DCFS, State's Attorneys and medical personnel, which limits additional trauma to the child.
• Our Advocates meet with the non-offending parents/caregivers and walk them through the forensic interview process and what they can expect.
• Our specially trained Forensic Interviewers ask the children trauma-informed, age-appropriate questions that get all the necessary information to continue with the investigation. These interviews are viewed live by our Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) and recorded, reducing the number of times a child needs to give their account of the incident.
• Our Advocates continue to help the family navigate the legal process, connect with other supportive community resources and refer them to CAC's in-house trauma therapy.
• Our Trauma Therapists provide highly specialized mental health counseling to children and their non-offending family members to help them process the trauma and build resilience.

CAC’s primary service area covers 38 north and northwest Chicago suburbs. However, we also accept referrals from the collar counties and the City of Chicago. All services are offered free of charge and in English and Spanish. An interpreter bank is available for other language needs. More information is available at cachelps.org.