The Provincial Child Sexual Abuse Advisory Committee is hosting a two-day conference on contemporary issues in Child and Adult Sexual Abuse, announced Honourable Janice Sherry, Minister of Community Services, Seniors and Labour and Minister responsible for the Status of Women.
The conference will be held May 6-7 at the Rodd Charlottetown and is sponsored by the Government of Prince Edward Island, Justice Canada and the Provincial Child Sexual Abuse Advisory Committee.
“We are pleased to partner with the Provincial Child Sexual Abuse Advisory Committee to host this conference here in Prince Edward Island,” said Minister Sherry. “The conference is now full, with over 160 professionals from across Atlantic Canada who have registered, including social workers, counsellors, teachers, lawyers, child protection workers, nurses and police officers. This conference provides professionals who work with sexual abuse survivors an opportunity to discuss and learn more about contemporary issues and best practices in Child and Adult Sexual Abuse.”
Featured speakers include Dr. Roberta Sinclair, Manager of Research and Development for the National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Ottawa who will be speaking about “Child Exploitation and the Internet.”
Liz Oscroftan, private Psychologist from the University of Alberta and Matilda Kamara, a Social Worker from Edmonton will be speaking on “Working with Survivors of Sexualized Violence in Canada’s Ethno-Cultural Communities.”
The conference will wrap up on Friday afternoon with a presentation from Dr. Cathy Carter-Snell, Coordinator of Forensic Studies at Mount Royal University in Alberta. Dr. Carter-Snell is a certified emergency nurse and sexual assault nurse examiner who will be speaking to the group on “Understanding Physical and Psychological Effects of Sexual Assault.” Dr. Cater-Snell’s participation is timely as the province moves forward to implement a Sexual Assualt Nurse Examiner (SANE) program on the Island.