Jan. 25, 2017 – San Diego, CA – Almost 2,000 child welfare professionals from 30 countries will participate in the 31st Annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment. Held from Jan. 29 through Feb. 3 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina, the conference is a global forum for presentations and discussions about multi-disciplinary efforts to prevent, investigate, treat and prosecute child and family maltreatment.
“The San Diego International Conference provides the opportunity to discover the latest research, evidence-based education and best practices related to traumatized children and their families,” said Charles Wilson, Senior Director of the Chadwick Center for Children and Families at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego. “This year, several panels will discuss a new approach which is the use of ‘big data’ and predictive analytics to direct child maltreatment response and prevention.”
The week-long conference includes more than 160 workshops and presentations on topics including child sex trafficking, refugees and displaced children, mental health, criminal investigation, mental health treatment, trauma therapy, domestic violence, forensic interviewing, cyberbullying and internet crimes against children. Speakers at the conference include:
- Laurel Leslie, Vice President of Research at the American Board of Pediatrics, and Thomas Mackie, Assistant Professor at the Department of Health Systems and Policy at Rutgers School of Public Health, will discuss individual state efforts to reduce the overmedication of children with mental health conditions. (Tuesday, Jan. 31 from 3 – 4:30 p.m.)
- Mike Olson, Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer, Cloudera, Inc. will present “Driving Social Good with Big Data.” This presentation will explore how the emerging field of data analytics can be applied in the protection of children. (Wednesday, Feb. 1, from 10 – 11:30 a.m.)
- Jim Walters, Program Administrator with the National Criminal Justice Training Center AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program, will discuss “Child Sex Trafficking, Sex Tourism and Exploitation on the U.S. Southern Border.” (Wednesday, Feb. 1 from 8 – 9:30 a.m.)
- Vamik Djemal Volkan, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia (Charlottesville) and three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, will present “Children of War and as Refugees.” This topic is of global concern, especially as it applied to children from the Middle East. (Thursday, Feb. 2 from 10 – 11:30 a.m.)
- Nadine Burke Harris, Pediatrician and Founder and CEO of the Center for Youth Wellness, San Francisco, will discuss how the repeated stress resulting from abuse, neglect and parents’ struggle with mental health or substance abuse can have tangible effects on the development of the brain. (Friday, Feb. 3 from 10 – 11:30 a.m.)
The conference is sponsored by the Chadwick Center for Children and Families at Rady Children’s, a recognized leader in the assessment, detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of child abuse and family violence. Celebrating its 41st anniversary in 2017, the center offers a variety programs and services including trauma counseling, forensic and medical services. For additional information about the San Diego International Conference, visit: http://www.sandiegoconference.org. To schedule an interview with a speaker, contact Rady Children’s at 858-966-4901.
Media Contact: Carlos Delgado
Office: 858-966-4901
cdelgado@rchsd.org