We can do better!

This event happened on October 7 @ 9:00 am – 10:30 am

On Thursday, October 7, 2021 Experts shared profound insights into the neuroscience that underlies and informs how human beings react to trauma and why it is critical that not only law enforcement and service providers, but the community at large, be trauma-informed.

According to a report by Wilson, C., Lonsway, K.A., Archambault, J. (2020),  Understanding the Neurobiology of Trauma and Implications for Interviewing Victims by End Violence Against Women International:  “….a sexual assault victim is typically operating from the position where the defense circuitry is in control of their responses. As such, the victim’s attention and thoughts are generally driven by the perpetrator’s behavior, while the victim’s behavior is determined largely by survival responses and habits – whether from childhood, adolescence, or adulthood. This also means that the ability to give an account of the incident will be impaired. Most victims will, at some point, have difficulty talking about “what happened next” during the sexual assault and their interview will include details that they are unable to sequence.

Without an understanding of the neurobiology of trauma, an account that includes some or all of these characteristics might be viewed as inconsistent, inaccurate or unreliable. It might even be reasonable to question whether the victim is lying about the sexual assault. If you don’t know anything about dissociation, tonic immobility, or collapsed immobility, for example, you might wonder why a victim did not resist the assault – and question whether the sexual acts were consensual. Similarly, if you don’t understand the functioning of the hippocampus and the distinction between top-down versus bottom-up attention, you might question why the victim can’t remember what seems like basic or crucial details about the assault. If you don’t understand that the hippocampus often lapses into a fragmented or refractory mode after an initial super-encoding (or “flashbulb”) mode, it won’t make sense when a victim is able to tell you a great deal about the initial moments of the sexual assault, but very little about “what happened next.”

Come to your Women’s Fund to find out
What You Should Know and What You Can Do =
we are most assuredly Stronger Together!

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Dr. Lujain Alhajji graduated from medical school at University College Cork in Ireland. She completed her residency training in Psychiatry, with a fellowship training in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Psychiatry and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry.

Her role includes direct clinical care, medical education, leadership and clinical research. She provides direct psychiatry consultations at Jackson Memorial Hospital. She also supervises residents and fellows and provides trauma-informed care to survivors of human trafficking at UM THRIVE clinic. She volunteers at San Juan Bosco clinic, a volunteer-based UM-student run clinic in the community.

She is a member of the American Psychiatric Association, Florida Psychiatric Society and Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry.

SPEAKER

Mekisha Jane Walker was raised in Houston, Texas. After graduating from college, she continued to law school. Upon graduation from law school, she was offered a position as a prosecutor at the Harris County District Attorney’s office, fulfilling a childhood dream to become prosecutor.  Mekisha excelled in her career and became a successful criminal trial attorney. But she had a secret, a secret she never confided in anyone. Her husband verbally and physically abused her, and she concealed it from everyone in her life. As a former prosecutor, she had extensive resources available, but she was still unable to break free. It was not until the abuse publicly escalated that her secret was finally revealed. She remained unbroken and finally summoned the strength to escape the cruel and violent relationship that had become her daily reality. Mekisha created a new life, one free from abuse, and now shares her experiences to create awareness and inspire hope for people currently trapped in a violent relationship.

Recipient of the “Chic With a Cause” awarded by Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, September 2019.

Contributing Author to the Handbook of Sex Trafficking by Lenore Walker, January 2019.

Founder and present Chair of the Miami-Dade County Veterans Services Coalition, January 2019.

Recipient of “A Woman of Impact“ awarded by Women’s History Coalition of Miami-Dade County, Inc., March 2018.

Selected “Hispanic Women of Distinction” awarded by Bank of America, Latina Style Magazine, Latin Business and Sylvester Cancer Center, August 2016 

Named the Miami Dade County, Community Action and Human Services Department, Bureau Chief of the Targeted Services Bureau which encompasses the Violence Prevention and Intervention Division as well as the Community and Family Division, September 2016.

Perla De Esperanza Foundation, Woman of Inspiration, May 2016

Miami-Dade County Proclamation “Ivon Mesa Day” awarded by Miami Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, 2015

Author and present Grant Manager of the Office of Victims of Crime (OVC), Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Collaborative grant in Miami-Dade County which was awarded in October, 2014.

Founder and present Chair of the Miami-Dade County Human Trafficking Coalition, 2014.

Elected Chair of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council of Greater Miami, 2014.

Elected Chair of the Domestic Violence Oversight Board for Miami-Dade County, 2013.

Named Director of the Violence Prevention and Intervention Division of the Community Action and Human Services Department, Miami-Dade County, 2013.

Miami-Dade County, In the Company of Women, Outstanding Woman in Health and Human Services, 2012.

Selected by the United States International Speaker Bureau as a speaker on Violence Against Women to lecture in Dominican Republic, 2007.

Invited by the American Embassy’s Public Diplomacy Section, U.S. Department of State’s Office of International Information Program to lecture on domestic violence in Spain, 2007.

Recipient of the 2004 Governor’s Peace at Home Award, Criminal Justice Category and 2004 Governor’s Peace at Home Award, Overall Category, 2004.

Certificate of Appreciation for Commitment to Duty and Excellent Services, 11thJudicial Circuit, Administrative Office of the Courts, 2004.

Recipient of the Dr. Dorothy J. Hicks Award, presented by Victim Services Center, 2003.

Responsible for working with county government and the city of Miami Beach to open a unit to address domestic violence in the city of Miami Beach, 2002.

Served as a Grant Reviewer for the Violence Against Women Office Staff in Washington (Federal Funding), 2001.

Certificate of Appreciation for most Valuable and Distinguished Service on behalf of the city of Miami Beach, presented by Major Neisen Kasdin, 2001.

Recipient of the Woman of the Next Century Award, presented by the Miami-Dade County Women’s Association, 2000.

Invited by the American Embassy’s Public Diplomacy Section, U.S. Department of States Office of International Information Program to lecture on domestic violence in the Dominican Republic, 2000.

Author and person responsible for the creation and implementation of the County Ordinance on Domestic Violence & the Workplace.  This ordinance was the first document of its type in the United States, 1999.  

Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Commitment and Dedication to Helping the Citizens of Miami-Dade, Presented by State Representative, Gustavo Barreiro, 1999.

Founder and Chair of the Latino Alliance Against Domestic Violence, 1999.

Coordinated and served as Mistress of Ceremonies and panelist at the first statewide conference on domestic violence offered in Spanish in the state of Florida.  The Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Hispanic Women Alliance Against Domestic Violence, 1998, hosted this conference.

Recipient of the National Association Hispanic Public Administrator Community Service Award, 1997.

Graduated with a Master in Public Administration from Nova Southeastern University, 1997.

Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Service to the Judiciary of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, 1996.

Lectured on Domestic Violence in Uruguay, invited by Miami-Dade County, Commissioner Natacha Millan-Seijas at the request of the government of Uruguay, 1995.

Co-produced and hosted 24 programs as part of the Zero Tolerance to Violence television series in Spanish and English, invited by the Alliance Against Domestic Violence, 1995.

Lectured on violence against women in Caracas at the Fourth International Family Congress to an audience from South American and European countries, invited by the government of Venezuela, 1994.

Named Director of the Domestic Violence Intake Units in Miami-Dade County, 1994.

Recipient of Employee of the Year Award, Miami-Dade County, AOC, 1994.

Graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree on Criminal Justice, Florida International University, 1994.

Dr. Kimberly McGrath is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist.  She received her Masters and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Florida Institute of Technology. She assumed the role of Director of Programs and Service for Citrus Family Care Network in 2019. Dr. McGrath was the Clinical Coordinator of Foster Care services at Citrus Health Network from 2002 to 2019. She is also the founding psychologist for the Treating Adolescents Coping with Trauma (TACT) program, an outpatient program for sexual offenders, victims of sexual abuse, and their families. Most recently, Dr. McGrath founded the Citrus Helping Adolescents Negatively Affected by Commercial Exploitation (CHANCE) Program, a Specialized Therapeutic Foster Care (STFC) and Community Response Team (CRT) for victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation.  The CHANCE Program addresses the emotional, social and behavioral needs of victims of human trafficking.  Dr. McGrath has presented at several local, state, and national conferences on topics including human trafficking, child welfare, mental health and substance abuse.

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SPEAKERS TO BE ANNOUNCED