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ForwardChildren's Advocacy Center of Kansas - April 7 & 8, 2026
The Child Advocacy Training and Support (CATS) Center is a national training center designed to connect Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) multidisciplinary teams and their associated mental health providers with trauma-focused, evidence-based training, highlighting National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) curriculum and trainers. The CATS Center’s MDT training agenda includes: Foundations for Outreach through Experiential Child Advocacy Studies Training (FORECAST), Secondary Traumatic Stress, and MDT Implementation Planning. CATS Center trainings are designed to meet the National Children’s Alliance Standards for Accreditation.
Target Audience
Mental Health Counselors, Social Workers, Psychologists, Law Enforcement, Victim Advocates, Lawyers, Child Welfare Workers, Pediatricians, Nurses, and Medical Staff
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team will collaboratively strengthen their trauma-informed response by:
1. Conceptualize the 12 Core Concepts for Understanding Traumatic Stress Responses in Children and Families.
2. Demonstrate improved trauma informed experiential reasoning skills (TIERS).
3. Identify the impacts of secondary traumatic stress, vicarious trauma, and burnout on individuals and multidisciplinary teams.
4. Increase my awareness of discipline-specific perspectives to promote mutual respect and more cohesive teamwork.
5. Identify at least two collaborative, attainable goals for their MDT in an effort to incorporate a more trauma informed response.
CATS Multidisciplinary Team Training Agenda
Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kansas April 7-8, 2026 | ||
Day One: | ||
8:00-8:30 | Registration | CATS Team |
8:30-8:40 | Welcome | Kerri Bergendahl, LICSW Project Coordinator, CATS Center |
8:40-10:10 | 12 Core Concepts of Child Traumatic Stress
| Tony DeVincenzo, MA Training Specialist, NE Regional CAC Tyrena Lester, LICSW CATS Consultant, Child Protection Specialist |
10:10-10:20 | 12 Core Concepts: CATS Mindful Multidisciplinary Response | Tony DeVincenzo, MA Training Specialist, NE Regional CAC |
10:20-10:30 | Break |
|
10:30-11:45 | Caring for Ourselves and Our Teams | Kerri Bergendahl, LICSW Project Coordinator, CATS Center Sarah Liquorman, PsyD Psychologist, Baystate Family Advocacy Center |
11:45-12:45 | Lunch | |
12:45-1:15 | Intro to Trauma-Informed Experiential and Reasoning Skills (TIERS), Problem Based Learning (PBL) & Foundations for Outreach through Experiential Child Advocacy Studies Training (FORECAST)* | Nelson Colon, LCSW CATS Consultant, Child Protection Specialist *Following this, participants will join their assigned breakout group for the remainder of the afternoon (Group K & Group S). |
1:15-3:50 | FORECAST Modules 1 & 2 To include: - Break between Modules - Forensic Interview Moment (20m)
| CATS Team |
3:50-4:00 | Debrief
| CATS Team |
Day Two: | ||
8:00-8:30 | Registration
| *Following lunch, participants begin the day in their assigned breakout group (Group K & Group S). |
8:30-12:00 | FORECAST Module 3 & Module 4 To include: -Medical Moment (20m) -FORECAST debrief & evaluation | CATS Team |
12:00-1:00 | Lunch
| *Following lunch, participants will return to the large group space. |
1:00-1:45 | From Simulation to Practice: Becoming a Trauma Responsive Team
| Tony DeVincenzo, MA Training Specialist, NE Regional CAC |
1:45-2:15
| Applying Core Concepts & TIERS to MDT Roles: Discipline Specific Groups
| CATS Team |
2:15-2:25 | Break
|
|
2:25-2:40 | Sustainability: Integration of Core Concepts & TIERS in a CAC MDT Model
| Kerri Bergendahl, LICSW Project Coordinator, CATS Center
|
2:40-3:20
| Core Concepts & TIERS: Creating an Implementation Plan for your MDT
| CATS Team |
3:20-3:45 | Core Concepts & TIERS: Sharing MDT Goals
|
|
3:45-4:00 | Closing
| Kerri Bergendahl, LICSW Project Coordinator, CATS Center |
Faculty
Kerri Bergendahl, MSW/LICSW
Grants Project Coordinator 1
Baystate Department of Psychiatry
Baystate Medical Center
Nelson Colon, LCSW
CATS Consultant
Child Protection Specialist
Tony DeVincenzo, MA
Training Specialist
NE Regional CAC
Tyrena Lester, LICSW
CATS Consultant
Child Protection Specialist
Jessica Wozniak, PsyD.
Assistant Professor
UMass Chan Medial School
Psychologist
Baystate Health
Name of Individual | Individual's Role in Activity | Financial Relationship Disclosure | Discussion of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerri Bergendahl, LICSW | Planner, Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Nelson Colon, LCSW | Planner, Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Tony DeVincenzo, MA | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Tyrena Lester, LICSW | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Jessica Wozniak, PsyD | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
Faculty Disclosure
The design and content of Baystate Continuing Interprofessional Education (CE) activities support quality improvement in healthcare and provide fair and balanced views of therapeutic options. Any relevant financial relationships are mitigated prior to the educational activity.
None of the planners or faculty for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, Baystate Health is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Psychologists
Baystate Health is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Baystate Health maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Depending on the specific session, psychologists have been awarded varying amounts of continuing education credits for this educational activity.
Social Workers (ASWB)
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Baystate Health is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organization, not individual courses are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Depending on the specific session, social workers have been awarded varying amounts of continuing education credits for this educational activity.
Mental Health Counselors
Baystate Health is an NBCC Approved Continuing Education Provider, (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements. The ACEP is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. (ACEP #5684). Depending on the specific session, mental health counselors have been awarded varying amounts of continuing education credits for this educational activity.
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team. Depending on the specific session, learners have been awarded varying amounts of Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.
Available Credit
- 12.00 APA American Psychological AssociationBaystate Health is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Baystate Health maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
- 12.00 ASWB Continuing Education Credit(s)
- 12.00 IPCE Credit Hour(s)
- 12.00 NBCC
Baystate Health is an NBCC Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP™) and may offer NBCC approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements. The ACEP solely responsible for all aspects of the program. (ACEP #5684)