Wyoming Children‘s Justice Project

Final Shelter Care Hearing

Abuse and Neglect Legal Refresher

Christina McCabe of the Wyoming Attorney General's Office, Joseph Belcher of the Wyoming Guardian ad Litem's Office, and Lisa Finkey of the Wyoming Supreme Court Children's Justice Project provide an update on some of the statutory requirements of the Wyoming Child Protection Act.

It Takes Two to Tango

Recent Wyoming Supreme Court decisions have emphasized the need to involve fathers in child welfare cases from the beginning of the case.  This session will explore why father's should be involved in child welfare and how to get them involved.  Legal requirements for service of fathers will also be discussed.

The Title of this Presentation Has Been Censored

***Strong Language and Profanity***

2020 was one *#!@ of a year, wasn't it?  As the world shut down, many people found themselves with extra time on their hands, and the self-help book industry boomed.  Those who had been away from this particular genre soon discovered that the world of self-help guides had become quiet profanity laiden.  This session aims to take the advice from a few of those... interestingly titled books and apply the lessons therein to child welfare.  From The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson to Get Your Sh*t Together by Sarah Knight, come see what the world of self-help can teach us about child welfare.

Working with LGBTQ+ Youth

This session will provide a brief overview of the key concepts related to legal and ethical obligations in working with LGBTQ+ children and youth.  Participants will learn about how to respectfully approach and work with at risk LGBTQ+ children and youth and the differences between different identities and expressions.  Topics such as mandatory reporting, harassment and bullying, suicide, and risk for dropping out will be covered.

Annual Caselaw Update

Engaging Families Through Qualified Residential Treatment Program Treatment

Engaging families during a child's stay in residential treatment is fundamental to the achievement of short and long-term goals. This presentation will explore strategies and ideas for how to engage families and kinship connections during involvement with residential care facilities, specifically Qualified Residential Treatment Programs. We will also discuss how to identify the members of the Family Team and bring them into case planning and permanency planning throughout QRTP placement. 

Investigating and Prosecuting the Circumstantial Child Abuse Case

For a variety of reasons, children are the “perfect” victims of physical or sexual abuse. The unique characteristics and vulnerabilities of child victims make their cases some of the most important and difficult cases that are investigated and prosecuted. Children are often unable to tell about their abuse and therefore cases against their abusers must be built on circumstantial evidence. In this session, participants will learn the importance of using a multi-disciplinary team approach when investigating and prosecuting child physical and sexual abuse cases. Participants will learn how to effectively collect corroborating evidence, including physical evidence. This session will address how law enforcement, prosecutors, child protection attorneys, and medical personnel can work together to build and win circumstantial cases.

Wyoming Youth and Young Adult Council

Members of the Wyoming Youth and Young Adult (YaYA) Council will share their stories that inspired them to apply for membership in YaYA, their lived experiences as youth, and their hopes and dreams for the futures of children and youth in Wyoming, and how caring adults can contribute.

Trauma Informed Courtrooms

Courtrooms are crucibles where people are ordered to come together to endure intense, sometimes life-altering experiences. Rarely as a result of the courtroom experience do people leave feeling better. But what if we could create an atmosphere in our courtrooms to promote healing? What if people leaving courtrooms felt better than when they entered? Using the concepts of therapeutic jurisprudence and polyvagal theory, Dr. Eugster and Justice Karofsky will discuss issues of justice, trauma and resiliency. By the end of this presentation you will be armed with concrete strategies to improve the courtroom - and greater legal - experience for all involved.