Child Abuse Prevention Training–Greencastle, PA

October 13 & 14, 2023

Join us for an impactful and informative Child Abuse Prevention Training in the beautiful town of Greencastle, PA. This in-person event will take place on Friday and Saturday, Oct 13 & 14, 2023.

During this event, we will discuss crucial topics related to child abuse prevention and making our homes, churches, and communities safe places. Our expert speakers will share valuable insights, real-life stories, and practical strategies to identify, prevent, and report child abuse cases. Learn ways to teach and empower children, how to respond wisely in the event of possible abuse, topics of special interest to survivors, and much more.

This training is a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, professionals, and community members passionate about safeguarding children’s well-being. There will also be a wide variety of resources available, including information from the local Children’s Advocacy Center, our own brochures and handouts, and recommended books and resources to purchase from multiple authors, including some who will be speaking.

Credit may be offered by some foster/adoption agencies for this training. (Check with your agency for their requirements.)

The registration fee includes snacks and drinks, as well as Friday supper and Saturday lunch. We will have options available for those with gluten or dairy sensitivities.

Limited funds may be available if you need help with the purchase of a ticket. Please inquire.

Don’t miss out on this important event! Mark your calendars and join us in Greencastle, PA for the Child Abuse Prevention Training.

Location

Allison-Antrim Museum
365 S Ridge Ave
Greencastle, PA 17225

Can’t Make it in Person?
Watch the Livestream

Each session will be streamed live to anyone who purchases a streaming ticket. Afterwards, the recordings will still be available for you to re-watch. If you are unable to attend or watch live on the day of the event, a streaming ticket will allow you to take this training on your own schedule.

Help Spread the Word!

We have several printable promo posters available. Print and share them with your friends, your church, and your community!

Lodging

Looking for a place to stay while attending the training? Here’s a list of hotels in the area.

View Hotel List

Schedule of Events

View/Download PDF

Friday, October 13, 2023

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Speakers

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina earned her Juris Doctorate degree from Western Michigan Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1984 after earning her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Michigan State University in 1979. She was the first female JAG Officer in the Michigan Army National Guard and retired with 20 years honorable service. 

After owning a successful law practice, she was elected to the 55th District Court, where she served 4 years as Chief Judge and Sobriety Court Judge. She was then elected to serve on the 30th Circuit Court, where she is in her 15th year. She oversees a Weapons Specialty Court for Juvenile and Adult offenders. She is perhaps best known for her role in sentencing former US Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar for his abuse of hundreds of gymnasts.

Judge Aquilina is a Law Professor at Western Michigan Thomas M. Cooley Law School and Michigan State University College of Law. She is a motivational speaker and author, a frequent guest on Dr. Phil and Legal Expert on NewsNation. Her memoir, Just Watch Me, was released December 2020 in partnership with Audible, Reese Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine.  Judge Aquilina is the mother of five children, has three grandchildren, and resides in East Lansing, Michigan.

Joshua Bechtel

Growing up as a foster child, then adopted into a conservative Mennonite home in Oregon, Josh has a lot of experience being treated as “less than.” He experienced physical and emotional abuse, as well as demeaning spiritual abuse. He has successfully self-published several books and has created his own publishing firm, Finding My Voice Publishing and Services.

His mission is to help others voice their visions, dreams, and stories.

Dianne Darr Couts

Dianne Darr Couts is a retired high school English and French teacher and survivor of childhood sexual abuse and institutional abuse. As a board member of Missionary Kid (MK) Safety Net, Dianne is a speaker at conferences and in churches about abuse in religious settings. Her book, Things Fell Apart, But the Center Held, is her story of an extraordinary childhood, rich with wonderful experiences, juxtaposed with sexual, emotional and spiritual abuse.

Dianne is married to Bud, a retired minister. They have three married children and seven grandchildren.

Hope Anne Dueck

Raised in a plain community and observing multiple cases of child abuse, Hope Anne has a burning passion to protect children and the vulnerable from abuse.

Having previously helped create and serve on the board of a non-profit in the 1990’s that supported survivors, Hope Anne eventually went on to co-found A Better Way with Wesley Yoder in 2017 to provide education about prevention of abuse, as well as supporting survivors through advocacy in a variety of ways.

It would be impossible for her to do the work that she does without the enthusiastic support of her husband, Paul, and their children, and she is always grateful for their love and support.

Dale and Faith Ingraham

Dale Ingraham graduated from Practical Bible Training School in Johnson City, NY in 1983. He has been a pastor of several churches since beginning his ministry in 1983.  He resigned from Curtis Baptist Bible Church in Campbell, NY, where he served as their pastor for 20 years, to devote himself fully to the ministry of Speaking Truth in Love.  He is the author of “Tear Down This Wall of Silence”. He also serves on the board of MK Safety Net US. 

Faith Ingraham is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. She has been serving with her husband in pastoral ministry since 1984.  She is an author, speaker, life coach and strong advocate against domestic violence and abuse. Dale and Faith have been married since 1984.  She home schooled all five of their children and enjoys spending time with their grown children and grandchildren.

Dave Rush

Dave Rush is currently the Technical Assistance Manager for the Pennsylvania Chapter of Children’s Advocacy Centers, where he helps assess how PennCAC can help strengthen existing CACs and develop new ones where there are gaps in services to child victims of abuse.

Dave served as a Patrol Trooper with Pennsylvania State Police in Chambersburg for eight years. In 2003, he was assigned to the crime unit at Troop H Gettysburg, where he worked on serious criminal offenses, including child abuse cases. Dave returned to Chambersburg in 2006 and continued to serve as a criminal investigator for the next decade.

After retiring from the State Police in 2016, Dave served as Special Crimes Detective with the Franklin County District Attorney’s Office. His professional journey has been increasingly focused on CAC work. Soon after Over the Rainbow Children’s Advocacy Center was created in Franklin County, Dave was invited to join the Board of Directors and continues to serve in that role. Now at the state level, Dave looks forward to using nearly three decades of experience and a growing passion for CACs to help create a stronger statewide response to child abuse for the protection of all kids in Pennsylvania.

Sasha Sheridan

Detective Sasha Sheridan grew up in Nebraska and moved to Pennsylvania in 1989. After graduating from University of Pittsburgh with Administration in Justice Degree, she served as a corrections counselor in Allegheny County. She then became a Pennsylvania State Trooper for 20 years, stationed at PSP Lamar Barracks. Detective Sheridan currently works for Clinton County District Attorney David Strouse as County Detective specializing in Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.

Justin and Emily Woodbury

Justin Woodbury was raised on a small farm out in the country on the west side of Ann Arbor, Michigan. When he was a junior in high school, he was sexually abused by his mom’s best friend–a married mother of four in her mid-thirties.  When the abuse was uncovered, Justin was shamed and church disciplined, but never received counsel. 

For the next twenty years, Justin’s life spiraled downward until he decided to seek healing and help from his trauma.  Since then, Justin has made it his life’s mission to speak out against abuse in all forms and to be a voice for victims, especially those who were abused in a religious setting. He is the author of Sheltered but Not Protected: Learning to Love, Forgive, and Heal After Emotional and Sexual Abuse.

When he’s not working, Justin enjoys camping, hiking, and, most of all, spending time with his wife Emily and their two beautiful children, Jackson and Juliette.

Emily Woodbury is a passionate individual who has built a life filled with love, creativity, and advocacy. Originally from Illinois, she has now found her home in the breathtaking landscapes of Colorado. As a devoted wife to her best friend Justin, Emily cherishes their beautiful bond and the joy they share in raising their two children, Jackson and Juliette. When she’s not immersed in the responsibilities of family life, Emily finds solace in the world of literature. Her love for reading is complemented by her talent for crafting unique and fragrant bars of soap, a creative outlet that brings her both satisfaction and inspiration.

Support Staff

Jessica Miller — Medical

Born and raised in Northern Michigan, Jessica Miller currently puts pen to paper in Colorado Springs, CO, where she works as a Corrections Nurse. She was raised in a conservative Mennonite church but left that setting when she was 21 to chase her dream of becoming a Forensics Nurse. Through poetry, she offers a closer look at betrayal, loss, heartache, compassion, love, hope, and survival. Somewhere between Northern Michigan and Colorado, she found herself gasping for oxygen, and the new life that the fresh mountain air breathed into her dying soul, is the same life that she uses to speak her truth today.

Jessica’s hope is that her voice and her story will be used as a beacon of hope, to spiritual, sexual, and domestic violence survivors everywhere. It is her wish that not only this, but all future generations of young girls and women will be as fierce in their determination and use their stories and voices to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Mary Sadler — Counselor

Mary Sadler is a mental health counselor trained in EMDR. She works at the Peacemaker Center in New Holland, PA, and is a registered nurse. She enjoys walking with individuals as they process traumatic events they’ve experienced and enabling them to live a vibrant fulfilling life.

Admission Policy: We reserve the right to refuse admission to anyone. For example, if we have received credible reports of abusive behavior, or you have caused concerns at a previous event, those could result in you being excluded from this event. Please note that we take our attendees’ safety and comfort seriously. If you have any concerns or questions about safety at our event, please speak promptly to our staff or law enforcement.

Please observe all posted or verbal requests and observe directions from staff.

Age Restriction: Due to the nature of this event’s subject matter, this meeting is only open to anyone 18 or older. Parents may bring young children who are nursing/bottle fed.