Understanding Childhood Sexual Assault: A Guide for Practitioners Working with Adult Survivors

LIVE ONLINE WEBINAR

According to statistics, 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 20 boys have experienced child sexual abuse. As practitioners, we have a crucial role in helping survivors navigate their healing journey.

Join us in our mission to support adult survivors of childhood sexual assault. Equip yourself with the knowledge and skills to understand and address the complex dynamics of this trauma. Your role can make a significant difference in the healing journey.

This understanding is key to providing effective support and intervention strategies. This approach recognizes the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledges the role that trauma plays in an individual's life.

Social workers often serve as advocates for clients. Understanding the dynamics and impacts of childhood sexual assault can help advocate more effectively for resources, policies, and services that support survivors.

Knowledge in this area can also inform contributions to research studies, policy discussions, and legislative efforts related to childhood sexual assault and its long-term effects.

Increasing your understanding can also enhance your empathy, improve interventions and advocacy and aid in prevention efforts.

Cherie has developed the 5 C’s of responding when working with adult survivors. Learn how they are cornerstones of recovery when working with survivors.

In this presentation we will cover:

1. An understanding of CSA (definitions/types and statistics)
2. Dynamics of CSA (perpetrator tactics etc.)
3. Trauma Informed Care – the 5 C’s of responding.
4. Clinical Approaches and referral pathways.
5. Advocacy (e.g. case study of housing support)

Who should attend?

This webinar is suited to practitioners who have clients who have experienced sexual assault in childhood, and you want to deepen your understanding of the complexities in order to respond effectively and compassionately. This is suited for beginner to immediate audiences perhaps not directly working in sexual assault but wanting to understand and deepen knowledge.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this program, participants will be able to:

• Define CSA and understand the prevalence (definitions/types and statistics)
• Identify the dynamics of CSA (perpetrator tactics etc.)
• Apply Trauma Informed Care through the 5 C’s of responding to trauma.
• Understand Clinical Approaches and referral pathways.
• Apply Advocacy skills through a case study (e.g. case study of housing support)

AASW Credentials: Child Protection; Mental Health

Can't attend live? Your registration includes a copy of the presentation slides and 2 weeks' free access to the event recording.

Presenter:

Cherie Gillett

(B.BHS, M.SW (professional qualifying), AMHSW) has over 18 years of social work experience, providing support and counselling to children, adolescents and adults in areas including sexual assault, trauma and mental health. Additionally, she provides supervision to social workers who are new to private practice. Cherie was sexual assault counsellor and also a specialist counsellor at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Assault.

Since 2018 Cherie has owned and run a private practice, where she works primarily in the field of trauma with a focus on sexual assault and domestic violence. Cherie is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker with AASW, Medicare service provider, and approved counsellor for the Department of Veterans Affairs and NSW Victims Services. In addition to providing counselling and supervision services, Cherie has also developed online training products designed for social workers.