Dates announced, workshop proposals sought for 2027 TDIM Conference

The Crime Victim Services Section of Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson’s office is excited to announce the 2027 dates for its annual Two Days in May Conference on Victim Assistance and to issue a call for workshop proposals.

The 35th edition of the conference — with the theme of “Voices of Courage, Networks of Support” — will take place on May 10-11, returning to the Hilton Columbus Downtown, 402 N. High St.

The annual conference brings together roughly 1,000 crime-victim advocates and other professionals to explore trends, receive legislative updates, study developments, hear about changes in the field, learn from one another, and re-energize and refresh their focus. It features an opening keynote address, a Tuesday plenary session, an awards luncheon, dozens of workshops and a host of opportunities for getting to know and network with your peers.

For those interested in presenting a workshop at TDIM, we ask you to submit your proposal using this form. Please note that each submission must adhere to the guidelines outlined on the form. Proposals must be submitted electronically to TDIM@OhioAGO.gov by 4 p.m. on Nov. 20.

This page on the attorney general’s website will be updated regularly as planning for Two Days in May continues and details become firm, so please check back often. We can’t wait to see you in the spring!

To review conference highlights and award winners from previous years, click the tabs below

Two Days in May 2026Two Days in May 2025Two Days in May 2024Two Days in May 2023

Addressing the nearly 1,000 people attending the Ohio Attorney General’s 34^th annual Two Days in May Conference on Victim Assistance, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost spoke about the meaningful work being done by advocates and others who help victims and survivors of crime, and reflected on the message of this year’s conference theme, “One Mission, Many Voices.”

“You are the hope carriers, the light bearers,” Yost told the gathering at the 2026 conference, held May 18-19 at the Hilton Columbus Downtown. “You are helping to set the world right again.”

Two Days in May brings advocates together to share best practices, trends and developments in the field of victim assistance. This year’s event, which is organized by the Crime Victim Services Section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, included two keynote speakers, 35 workshops, and expert presenters from throughout Ohio.

On Monday, following Yost’s opening remarks, Nicole Snell, CEO of Girls Fight Back, presented the keynote address. Snell is a sought-after trainer on empowerment and violence prevention, and, for those who work in the advocacy field, burnout avoidance.

Also on Monday, Yost met privately with a group of survivors who work with the Cincinnati Police Department’s Victim Assistance Liaison Unit. They shared with him their personal stories of hope and strength. In that meeting, he met UCanSpeakForMe founder Hope Dudley, who was also a Two Days in May award recipient this year. In a surprise moment during his remarks, the attorney general announced that $20,000 in settlement money obtained by his office would be donated to help fund the mission of Dudley’s organization.

On Tuesday morning, a motivational plenary session featured survivor Kar’Mell Triplett, who shared her story of stalking and abuse. Her experience led to a new stalking-related law in Ohio. Triplett was joined by Maria York of the Ohio Domestic Violence Network and Sgt. Roberta Bailey of the Dayton Police Department. Together, they explored survivor-led advocacy and the lessons learned more than a year after the enactment of Ohio’s law on technology-assisted stalking and tracking.

Highlighting the second day of the conference was the TDIM Awards Ceremony, with AG Yost honoring Dudley, two other professionals and one group for their longstanding and impactful work in the realm of victim advocacy.

More about the award winners can be found below.

Award winners

Success Through Collaboration Award

Domestic Violence Civil Protection Order (DVCPO) Team
Hamilton County Domestic Relations Court, Cincinnati

Last May, only hours after officers from the Green Township Police Department and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office served a civil protection order to a man who lived with the petitioner, an officer driving past the residence noticed the man entering it.

Fortunately, the woman who requested the order was not there.

When the officer went to enforce the order, the man barricaded himself inside, leading to a standoff requiring SWAT assistance. The man was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Though tragic, the outcome represented a success story for the Domestic Violence Civil Protection Order (DVCPO) team in Hamilton County Domestic Relations Court.

In short, the protection process worked well.

Before Judge Anne Flottman joined the court in January 2023, that wasn’t necessarily a given in Hamilton County.

The court’s protection order process was plagued by inefficiency and inconsistency, its dismissal rate was unusually high, communication was poor and many protection orders were going unserved. These systemic failures too often left survivors of domestic violence feeling ignored and unprotected, or worse.

“I’ve been around a pretty long time, and I’d heard horror stories over the years,” said Julie Doepke of the Hamilton County Adult Probation Department, whose agency regularly refers people to the court to seek civil protection orders (CPO). “It ebbs and flows about the different ways that people were treated as they came into court, or things that were said to them, or just the process being hard to understand and frustrating for those coming to seek these orders.”

Judge Flottman, who had spent the previous 7½ years handling domestic-violence cases as a magistrate in Warren County Domestic Relations Court, made the deficiencies a top priority after Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey reached out to her about an egregious process failure, confirming the shortcomings the judge herself had been seeing early in her term.

The two formed a Domestic Violence Task Force to collaboratively talk through and troubleshoot recurring problems – a group that began with about 10 regular participants and now routinely draws 35 to 40, including many representatives of agencies outside the court who work with domestic-violence survivors and/or have a vested interest in the discussions.

The judge talked privately with advocates and others who use the process, heard about petitioners’ frustrations, listened to audiotapes of the court’s CPO work and otherwise examined how the court was addressing domestic violence.

What she found was plenty of room for improvement.

“We were all siloed,” Judge Flottman said. “For me to have the ability to go talk to advocates about what had been their experiences and have them give me an honest answer was enormously helpful.”

In July 2024, she became the court’s administrative judge and quickly created a Dedicated Domestic Violence Team consisting of the court administrator, the docket office supervisor, a support specialist who works with the sheriff’s office on CPO service, the judge’s staff attorney and her case manager, the attorney who works in the Hamilton County Clerk of Court’s Help Center, and the four magistrates who would form the smaller DVCPO Team.

Watch the video

Robert Denton Special Achievement Award

Dr. Robert Shapiro
Director, Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Dr. Robert Shapiro’s interest in the well-being of children took hold early in his medical career and grew into a passion that helped him both pioneer and advance the field of child abuse pediatrics in Ohio.

“Diagnosing child abuse during my clinical work in the Pediatric Emergency Department raised my curiosity about how we can better protect children and families by increasing our understanding of child maltreatment,” he said.

That was more than 40 years ago.

Today, as he approaches retirement, Dr. Shapiro is a widely respected national leader in the specialty whose legacy is defined by his extraordinary service to young abuse victims and the systems aimed at safeguarding them.

Most notably, he was the driving force behind the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children, which opened 26 years ago at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the first Child Advocacy Center nationwide housed in a hospital.

“It was a dream and a vision that he turned into a reality,” said Dr. Kathi Makoroff, the center’s current medical director, who has worked with Dr. Shapiro for nearly 30 years. “We are dedicated to helping children and families, training professionals, advancing the field through research, and preventing child maltreatment.”

Dr. Shapiro’s history with Cincinnati Children’s dates to 1984, when he began working in the Emergency Medicine Division after his residency and fellowship in New York City. At the time, concerns about child abuse and neglect were drawing increasing attention, but relevant research and related medical expertise were still limited.

“I found assessing these kids really challenging because, truthfully, as pediatricians, we didn't know that much about how to recognize or differentiate abuse from other kinds of injuries,” Dr. Shapiro said.

“Kids would come in, and there'd be police officers there asking loads of questions. The parents are saying that ‘this’ happened. Caseworkers are worried about whether the child is going to be safe to go home. And, honestly, as a doctor, I had very little training – and the medical literature really was lacking in terms of how to differentiate abuse from normal childhood traumas.”

He and others in the Emergency Medicine Division began doing research to educate themselves and reaching out to other medical professionals across the country with an interest in the field.

In those days, Dr. Shapiro said, child abuse pediatrics wasn’t yet a recognized specialty, but the hospital’s director of social work at the time, Pat Myers, was a staunch advocate of children and a steady presence on his rotations into the Pediatric Department to work up cases of suspected abuse.

Watch the video

Compassionate Leadership in Advocacy Award

Hope Dudley, Founder/CEO
UCanSpeakForMe, Cincinnati

Hamilton resident Serina Knight met Hope Dudley on March 11, 2016, likely the worst day of Knight’s life.

Knight had just learned that her 18-year-old son, Jaylon, had been fatally shot. In her profound grief, she felt lost and overwhelmed, uncertain what to do or where to turn.

Dudley was there for her, waiting at a church in Cincinnati to console and guide her through the challenges that lay ahead.

“She opened up her arms, not knowing who I was or anything,” Knight said. “She connected with me. She prayed with me. She gave me information and resources to help me through my journey.”

What Dudley did for Serina Knight, she has done for numerous other loved ones of homicide victims in southwestern Ohio for nearly 19 years.

She understands firsthand the excruciating pain that survivors feel. On Sept. 29, 2007, she herself lost a son, 26-year-old Daniel “Chaz” Dudley, in a drive-by shooting.

Although his case remains unsolved, her enduring search for answers has not been in vain.

Only days after burying her Chaz, Dudley embraced a purpose much larger than her own tragedy, dedicating herself to raising awareness of Ohio’s 5,000 cold-case homicides. As part of those efforts, she helps families of homicide victims negotiate the investigative process and keeps victims’ names and images front and center to aid authorities in solving more homicides.

Dudley was 57 when she learned that her son, the front-seat passenger in a vehicle driven by a friend, had been fatally shot.

Today, at 75, she is still doing what she began doing soon after her son’s funeral: assisting families that wake up to this same reality.

Watch the video

Special Courage Award

Jane Keiffer, Executive Director
The Artemis Center, Dayton

In her 30 years with the Artemis Center – as a victim’s advocate, the clinical supervisor, the clinical director, and, for the past nine years, the executive director – Jane Keiffer has never lost sight of priority No. 1.

“What stands out to me about Jane, particularly during crisis, is that she stays so focused on survivors,” said Bernadette Rieger, the current clinical director at Artemis. “She just embodies the survivor-first mentality.”

Keiffer also has a way of making things happen.

“She figures things out,” said Deb Armanini, a retired first assistant in the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office, who worked with Keiffer for many years through Artemis. “If there's a problem, she will let you know about it and she'll work together with you.”

As it turned out, these attributes were just what Montgomery County needed when, in June 2024, the community lost its sole resource provider for survivors of sexual assault.

To Keiffer and her staff, the notion that an entire subset of survivors “might not be seen or heard or have a safe place to land” seemed unthinkable.

“Everyone at Artemis – from the center’s management team to its advocates – was really excited to say yes because we knew that people were going to fall through the cracks if we didn't step up,” she said. “So it really was a team effort for us to say yes.”

Keiffer knew that expansion would create challenges for the center, which historically had served only survivors of domestic violence and their children, but the potential human fallout from the lack of services for rape victims was haunting.

Artemis had long been embedded in criminal-justice partnerships, she noted, but had never worked directly with the medical world.

“Mostly it was, ‘’How do we build those same strong partnerships to ensure that survivors receive good care?”

In some ways, sexual-assault survivors were a natural fit for the center’s mission.

“We serve so many people who’ve experienced sexual assault in the context of intimate-partner violence,” Keiffer said. “This would allow us to expand our safety net and our reach.”

But could Artemis pull it off on a wider basis without sacrificing the level of services that helped it build its first-rate reputation?

Keiffer’s team went to work, leveraging the center’s enduring ties with the Victim Witness Division of the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office, which has long provided hospital response to sexual-assault survivors.

Keiffer consulted the Ohio Attorney General's Office about the dual role and funding possibilities, and turned to the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence (OAESV) for guidance, technical assistance, programmatic direction, and mandated training.

With each phase of the process, she said, the support was overwhelming.

From the county’s perspective, Armanini said, Artemis’ involvement in closing the services gap would be a big win for the community.

Watch the video

Conference agenda

Monday – May 18, 2026Tuesday – May 19, 2026

8 - 9 a.m. | Breakfast and Drop-in Sessions for VOCA/SVAA and Crime Victims Compensation

9 - 9:30 a.m. | Opening Session -- Welcome from Attorney General Yost

9:30 - 10:30 a.m. | Keynote Presentation

"The BARE Necessities: Boundaries, Advocacy, Resilience & Empathy"

Nicole Snell, Chief Executive Officer, Girls Fight Back

Victim advocates dedicate their lives to helping others. Through the course of that selfless work, however, 81% of advocates experience burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Nicole Snell – a world-renowned trainer, TEDx speaker, and violence-prevention educator based in southern California – helps advocates set boundaries and reconnect to their “why,” allowing them to plug back into their purpose with renewed vigor. Self-care and organizational support are crucial for advocates, as are practical and actionable strategies that can be used daily to help them feel empowered, enforce and respect boundaries, and protect their mental health. Advocates needn’t choose empathy for others over empathy for themselves. In sharing her personal story of survival, real-world examples, and boundary-setting methods for resilience, Nicole teaches advocates to advocate for themselves and rediscover their passion for championing others.

10:30 - 10:45 a.m. | Break

10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. | Breakout Session 1 (Workshops 1-7)

Workshop 1 | Dual Dockets, Divided Families: Collateral Consequences of Criminal and Child Welfare Response in Domestic Violence Cases

Merissa Cooper, Children's Law Center

Families affected by violence often face two parallel systems that rarely align — criminal prosecution and children’s services intervention. Protective cases can result in conflicting court orders, safety plans and/or removals that unintentionally destabilize survivors and children. This interactive session immerses participants in a simulated "dual docket" scenario, tracing one family's path through both courts. Attendees identify key collision points, explore how criminal outcomes influence child-welfare findings and co-design trauma-informed coordination strategies. Drawing from the presenter's experience as a former prosecutor of domestic-violence cases and former children’s services attorney, the workshop blends legal insight with survivor-centered reform tools to promote system collaboration and harm reduction. Participants leave with practical checklists and model protocols for aligning safety, accountability and family preservation across systems.

Workshop 2 | The Journey Forward: “All I Have Is My Voice”

Monica Benton, Cincinnati Police Department
Claire Rowe, Cincinnati Police Department
Karen Rumsey, Cincinnati Police Department

Survivors impacted by homicide recount their journey in navigating a new way of life. The Cincinnati Police Department's Victims Assistance Liaison Unit (VALU) has created opportunities for survivors to share their experiences, strength and hope with other survivors and the community. Recorded clips of survivor stories are presented, and a small panel of survivors answers questions. The presentation also covers the activities organized by VALU to demonstrate how to keep survivors engaged and spread awareness of how the public can help.

Workshop 3 | Domestic Violence, Stalking, Dating Violence and Sexual Violence: Legal and Legislative Updates

Lisa DeGeeter, Ohio Domestic Violence Network
Alexandria Ruden, Legal Aid Society of Cleveland

The workshop addresses state and federal legislative updates; statutory, rule and policy changes impacting domestic violence; stalking, dating violence and sexual-violence law; strangulation; and services. The presenters examine significant developments in case law and statutory law as well as relevant changes to Ohio's court and administrative rules. With this overview, participants begin to recognize legal trends that impact those they serve.

Workshop 4 | Trauma-Informed Investigations: Bridging Medicine, Law Enforcement and Advocacy

Laura Clary, Sexual Assault Forensic Examination, Domestic Violence & Child Protection Program, Greater Baltimore (Maryland) Medical Center
Scott Kilpatrick, Crimes Against Children & Human Trafficking, Baltimore County (Maryland) Police Department

Roughly one in three females and one in six males experience sexual violence in their lifetime, yet an estimated 67.5% of victims never report the crimes to law enforcement. Most cases of sexual violence remain hidden due to fear, manipulation and/or silence, making the true scope of the problem impossible to measure. Victims of sexual violence or trafficking often face barriers to disclosure, including intimidation, lack of trust in adults, fear of retaliation and/or fear of not being believed. Understanding how trauma affects memory, behavior and communication is essential for professionals who work to protect these vulnerable populations. Led by a forensic nurse and a detective, this interactive workshop provides a deep understanding of the neurobiology of trauma and its critical link to investigative and medical-forensic strategies. Through real-world case studies, attendees follow the journey of child and adult victims, from the initial report and investigative response to the medical-forensic examination and long-term recovery process. The session emphasizes the power of trauma-informed, victim-centered approaches to improve engagement, evidence collection and pursuit of justice.

Workshop 5 | Providing Meaningful Support to Survivors of Violence Who Are Pregnant

Natasha Larson, Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence

Victims of violent crime often suffer physical and emotional effects. For pregnant victims, these effects can be even more profound, as there may be additional health risks for both the woman and the unborn child. This training addresses some key components of healthy sexuality education, explains ways that people control a partner’s sexual health and autonomy, and assesses ways that our organizations can support victims throughout pregnancy.

Workshop 6 | Ohio Crime Victim Compensation Program | An Overview

Deborah Miller, Crime Victim Services Section, Ohio Attorney General’s Office
Candice Suffren, Crime Victim Services Section, Ohio Attorney General’s Office

The Ohio Crime Victims Compensation Program reimburses qualifying victims of crime for out-of-pocket expenses that directly result from the victimization. This overview of the program covers eligibility requirements, the application process, and ways to connect victims to the Victim Information and Notification Program (VINE).

Workshop 7 | Getting to “Yes!” and Staying There: Building Support for Pet Housing Programs

Katie Campbell, RedRover

Too often, domestic-violence survivors face a difficult decision: Leave their pet behind to escape violence, or stay with their pet and their abuser. In a recent study, 97% of survivors said that being able to keep a pet(s) with them factored into their decision to seek shelter (URI PALS Report). With only about 19% of shelters providing on-site housing for pets, the issue presents a significant barrier to service for survivors. This interactive session explores how to get to “Yes!” by building board and staff buy-in as well as community support.

12:15 - 1:45 p.m. | Lunch on Your Own

1:45 - 3:15 p.m. | Breakout Session 2 (Workshops 8-14)

Workshop 8 | Frontiers in Language Access

Lara Downing, Community Refugee and Immigration Services
Rose Larson, Deaf World Against Violence Everywhere

Should I use Google Translate for this? This workshop – co-presented by service providers for survivors who know limited English and/or are deaf/hard of hearing – caters to those who have asked this question before. The session explores established and emerging technologies in language access, examining each tool's capabilities, limitations, risks and potential. Participants engage in demonstrations and hands-on testing, gaining a practical framework for evaluating and implementing new solutions. By the session’s end, attendees possess skills to effectively overcome language barriers using technology that is safe, ethical and survivor-focused.

Workshop 9 | Life Doesn't Come With Jumper Cables - Learning to Understand Your Core Energy

Kellie Portman, Thinking Before Sinking

Everyone experiences moments of complete energy drain, leaving us physically exhausted and emotionally stuck. Although life doesn’t come with jumper cables to recharge mental and emotional batteries, this workshop helps attendees discover the next best thing: the ability to jump-start oneself. The presenter explores both advantages and disadvantages of core energy, the amount and quality of energy a person can access at a time, as well as practicing tools that give a much-needed boost to move forward. Participants learn what energy really is, how it flows through daily life, and how to recognize differences between positive and negative energy in themselves and others. They walk away with practical strategies to recharge, reset and rise above life’s most draining moments.

Workshop 10 | When the System Doesn’t See You, Become the System That Does

Shanell Gist, Mastering Life Publications

Children of parental homicide often disappear in a bevy of systems – victim services, foster care, courts, schools, behavioral health – leaving them unseen and unsupported. This workshop explores how these survivors become experts in grief, identity, safety and system navigation long before they ever step into professional roles. Many later emerge as advocates, clinicians, attorneys, policy builders and reform leaders not only to serve others but also to repair what failed them. This presentation invites participants to see advocacy not as service alone, but as identity restoration, dignity, purpose and belonging.

Workshop 11 | Navigating the Nuances of Self in a Tech Society

Riane' Robinson, Jewish Family Services Association
Melonie Welchans, Jewish Family Services Association

With a technology-based focus, this workshop compares self-identity to social identity when it comes to building and maintaining healthy relationships, establishing boundaries between reality and digital evolution, and the complexities of online accountability and empathy. The presenters examine biases surrounding various age groups (Gen X, Gen Z, Millennials, etc.) and look at how technology can affect one’s self-awareness.

Workshop 12 | Ethics in Victim Advocacy Part I (NOTE: Participants must take both parts for Ethics credit)

Elyse McConnell, Ohio Victim Witness Association
Rachel Ramirez, Ohio Domestic Violence Network
Wendy Ricks-Hoff, Ohio Victim Witness Association

This engaging interactive discussion addresses the importance of providing both community and system-based advocacy for crime victims in an ethical manner. Advocates have a duty to learn and operate within a code of ethics that protects both the advocate and the crime victim and instills best practices for effective and supportive advocacy service. Participants gain knowledge of the National Organization of Victim Advocacy’s Code of Ethics for advocates and how practical application of advocacy skills through an ethical service lens can provide the foundation for exceptional victim services. They also learn about the intersection of personal ethics, biases and values with professional ethics, and take a deeper dive into advocacy boundaries and confidentiality. Active participation is encouraged. In advance of the workshop, attendees are asked to familiarize themselves with the NOVA Code of Ethics and prepare questions.

Workshop 13 | Exploring Ohio's Protection Order System Through Questions and Case Law

Lisa DeGeeter, Ohio Domestic Violence Network
Alexandria Ruden, Legal Aid Society of Cleveland

This presentation covers the nuances of Ohio's protection-order system by considering advocate and legal system questions and case law. The presenters provide an overview of relevant case law as applied to the various statutory provisions and examine the similarities and differences inherent in Ohio's protection-order statutes. Participants begin to recognize legal trends through cases as well as statutory and federal law that impacts those served by our organizations.

Workshop 14 | “It Happened to Me, Too:" Supporting Loved Ones Who Have a History of Trauma

Tyler Counsil, Zero Abuse Project
Becky Perkins, Zero Abuse Project

When responding to sexual assault or abuse cases, multidisciplinary team members frequently interact with family members, partners or other loved ones of the survivor who have complex reactions and questions related to the crime, the response, and how they can best support the victim. But what if the relative or partner is also a survivor? A personal history of trauma can intersect with a loved one's present circumstances in unexpected and challenging ways, potentially impacting all aspects of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) response. Incorporating case study examples, this interactive workshop explains how to approach secondary survivors through a trauma-informed strategy that incorporates the personal impact of their lived experience, and how that experience intersects with their capacity and well-being related to the present needs of the victimized loved one. Participants leave with practical tools for assessing trauma histories in secondary survivors and tailoring an effective response.

3:15 - 3:30 p.m. | Break

3:30 - 5 p.m. | Breakout Session 3 (Workshops 15-21)

Workshop 15 | From Disclosure to Justice: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Improve Experiences for Domestic Violence Survivors

Judge Anne Flottman, Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas - Division of Domestic Relations
Christine Hassert, TriHealth Center for Abuse Rape and Emergency Services (CARES)
Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey, Hamilton County
Susan Zurface, Chief Prosecutor, City of Cincinnati

Presenters from diverse backgrounds share perspectives, challenges and best practices for working with domestic-violence survivors within the legal system. Attendees gain practical tools for daily work; learn how to strengthen cross-agency partnerships; and enhance their ability to respond with empathy, effectiveness and accountability. The presentation encompasses examples of challenges, identified gaps and real-time problem solving by the Hamilton County Domestic Violence Task Force.

Workshop 16 | Worthy: A Case Study in Human Trafficking Expungements Across Three Jurisdictions

Brittany Boneta, Project ACART (Auglaize County Addiction Response Team)
Stephanie B. Scalise, Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence

Brittany Boneta had rebuilt her life after surviving family tragedy, drug addiction and human trafficking, but her criminal record from this past made her feel unworthy of future successes and held her back professionally. Attorney Stephanie Scalise had no history with any type of criminal-record expungement when she agreed to represent Brittany. Both women discuss the challenges they faced in three courthouses, how Brittany ultimately gained a restored sense of self-worth, and what others can learn from their story.

Workshop 17 | Victims' Rights: Practical Approaches to Asserting Them and Preserving Issues for Appeal

Cierra Davis, Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center
Morgan Galle, Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center

With the passage of Marsy's Law nearly 10 years ago and the law’s implementing legislation three years ago, significant case law has developed on victims’ rights issues. Yet advocates are often unaware of controlling cases in their jurisdictions. This can be especially problematic when the case law adds legal hurdles, burdens or instructions that are not obvious from the text of the law that advocates have become familiar with. This session includes an overview of key cases and interactive group exercises designed to help advocates become confident in asserting victims' rights in trial court and making sure victims' rights issues are preserved for potential appeals.

Workshop 18 | Empowering Voices: Advocacy, Investigation and Support for Crime Victims in Long-Term Care

Charles Angersbach, Health Care Fraud Section, Ohio Attorney General’s Office
Teri Ruslander, Grove City Division of Police

When a resident in a long-term-care facility experiences theft, loss of personal belongings or money, or any other form of abuse or exploitation, it is more than a care-quality issue. It constitutes a criminal act, violates the resident’s rights, and represents serious elder abuse requiring immediate investigation, advocacy and response. This workshop examines the intricacies of such abuse and subsequent investigations.

Workshop 19 | Ethics in Victim Advocacy Part II (Note: Both parts must be taken to receive Ethics credit)

Elyse McConnell, Ohio Victim Witness Association
Rachel Ramirez, Ohio Domestic Violence Network
Wendy Ricks-Hoff, Ohio Victim Witness Association

Representatives of the Victim Witness Association and the Ohio Domestic Violence Network lead an engaging discussion on providing both community- and system-based advocacy to crime victims in an ethical manner. Advocates have a duty to learn and operate within a code of ethics that helps to protect both the advocate and the crime victim and instills best practices for effective and supportive advocacy service. Participants gain knowledge of the National Organization of Victim Advocacy’s Code of Ethics for advocates. Practical application of advocacy skills through an ethical service lens can provide the foundation for exceptional victim services. The presenters discuss the intersection of personal ethics, biases and values with professional ethics, and take a deeper dive into advocacy boundaries and confidentiality. Active participation is encouraged. The presenters ask that, ahead of the workshop, attendees familiarize themselves with the NOVA Code of Ethics and prepare questions.

Workshop 20 | Culturally Rooted Advocacy: Best Practices for Serving Latino Survivors of Violence

Alondra Clavel, Ohio Hispanic Coalition
Mitsy Ramos, Ohio Hispanic Coalition

The presentation explores culturally rooted strategies for supporting Latino survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other crimes. It highlights evidence-based approaches, such as the Promotora Model, and community-centered practices that reduce barriers to services and strengthen survivor engagement. Participants gain insight into cultural values, communication styles and obstacles that impact access to safety and advocacy for Latino communities. Through real examples from the field and discussion-based learning, this session equips advocates with practical tools to improve responsiveness, enhance survivor trust, and integrate culturally informed practices into daily service delivery.

Workshop 21 | Preventing Burnout by Setting Personal and Professional Boundaries

Nicole Snell, Girls Fight Back

Setting healthy boundaries is essential to self-advocacy and a key factor in preventing professional burnout, especially for individuals working in a high-demand environment with limited resources. Boundaries also help them build the resilience needed to sustain themselves in this critical field. This empowerment focused session equips participants to develop skills to confidently establish and enforce boundaries, regardless of relationship, context or location; to recognize uncomfortable or manipulative behaviors and respond in an empowered way; and to define and communicate realistic limits about what you can achieve without compromising their well-being.

8 - 9 a.m. | Coffee/Tea Service and Drop-in Sessions for VOCA/SVAA and Crime Victims Compensation

9 - 10:30 a.m. | Plenary Session

"Tracked: Responding to Technology-Facilitated Stalking"

Roberta Bailey, Dayton Police Department
Kar’mell Triplett, Survivor Council, Ohio Domestic Violence Network
Maria York, Ohio Domestic Violence Network

Kar’mell Triplett shares her story as a survivor of domestic violence – one whose abuser used modern technology to stalk and track her without her knowledge. With the help of Triplett’s survivor-led activism, Ohio advocates successfully lobbied state lawmakers for a tech-tracking statute, approved in 2025. With the state law effective for a year now, this session focuses on Triplett’s story, exploring common GPS and Bluetooth tracking tools and warning signs of possible monitoring. The presenters discuss how tech-tracking cases are identified, investigated and prosecuted; emerging patterns; and areas in which responses still fall short. The workshop highlights survivor-centered safety planning and documentation strategies that support survivor safety and potential criminal prosecution, giving advocates concrete tools to strengthen collaboration with law enforcement and prosecutors in their communities.

10:30 - 10:45 a.m. | Break

10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. | Breakout Session 4 (Workshops 22-28)

Workshop 22 | Community From the Ground Up: The Brenda Glass Multipurpose Trauma Center

Mae Bennett, Brenda Glass Multipurpose Trauma Center
Brenda Glass, Brenda Glass Multipurpose Trauma Center

The nonprofit Brenda Glass Multipurpose Trauma Center was founded on Cleveland’s East Side in response to rising community violence. A model for grass-roots, community-based trauma healing that originated with survivors, advocates and neighborhood leaders, it builds safety, equity and resilience by placing the community at the center of design and delivery. The center provides support to survivors – particularly those underserved by traditional models, as it is uniquely equipped to serve individuals facing compounded risks, such as survivors attempting to leave abusive relationships with gang affiliations or other criminal networks. This session explores how the center integrates grass-roots organizing, culturally specific trauma-informed care and housing partnerships to bring hope to survivors of violent crimes.

Workshop 23 | The Role of Empathy in the Habilitation of Youth Within the Juvenile Justice System

Beth Myers, Ohio Department of Youth Services
Megan Rivers, Ohio Department of Youth Services
Tiffani Sharp, Ohio Department of Youth Services

This session provides an overview of the pivotal role that a victim awareness empathy program (VAEP) plays in the habilitation of youth who are adjudicated to the Ohio Department of Youth Services (ODYS). Participants receive an overview of the program’s 15-session curriculum topics, victim apology letters, and relapse prevention plans that young people are encouraged to complete before being released from ODYS. In addition, the chair of the ODYS Release Authority Parole Board provides a snapshot of the review and release process for Ohio’s youth. The chair also explains the role that victim impact statements, victim apology letters and VAEP participation play in board members’ decision process.

Workshop 24 | When Caregivers Doubt: Navigating Ambiguity, Disbelief and Healing in Child Sexual Abuse

Cody Tatum, Harcum House Child Advocacy Center

This presentation explores how caregivers respond to child sexual abuse and how those responses affect children in the short and long term. The presenters review core principles of child-sexual-abuse disclosure and the full spectrum of reactions that can occur when abuse is discovered – including ambiguity, disbelief and potential re-traumatization. The session includes practical guidance on how to navigate these barriers and support the best holistic outcomes for children and families.

Workshop 25 | When No One Cares But You: Prosecuting a Case With a Hostile Victim

Shelley Kemper, Meigs County Victim Assistance Program
Meigs County Prosecutor James K. Stanley, Meigs County

What do you do when a seriously injured domestic-violence victim refuses to cooperate with prosecutors and victim advocates? All hope of justice and a successful prosecution is not lost when a victim turns hostile and pro-defendant. This case study examines the collaborative efforts of law enforcement, prosecutors, victim advocates, medical personnel and probation officers in the prosecution of serious felonies committed by a repeat offender when the victim refuses to cooperate. The presentation walks participants through each step of the prosecution of a 2025 felonious assault, domestic-violence and abduction case – from initial investigation and preliminary hearing, through a pretrial process riddled with barriers created by a hostile victim and, finally, to a resolution that ensured the defendant's imprisonment and the victim's protection.

Workshop 26 | Brain Injury From Violence: Centering Survivor Experiences

Shelby Lieber, Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence
Nan McIntyre, Survivor
Rachel Ramirez, Ohio Domestic Violence Network

Crime victimization, particularly domestic and sexual violence, often involves targeted assaults to the head, neck or face, yet the resulting brain injuries frequently go undiagnosed. Survivors may experience memory problems, confusion, emotional changes or physical symptoms that affect daily life, but these challenges are often misunderstood by professionals in all systems. Through survivor stories, participants gain firsthand insight into the lived experiences of those navigating brain injuries while healing from violence and trauma. Attendees learn practical strategies for recognizing signs of brain injury, delivering trauma-informed care and connecting survivors to resources that support healing and safety. This session emphasizes collaborative approaches across medical, legal and advocacy systems to better support survivors and improve outcomes for individuals affected by both brain injury and victimization.

Workshop 27 | The Homicide Co-Victims Helpline and Guide: Improving Access to Quality Victim-Advocacy Services

Emily Garrick, Ohio Victim Witness Association
Elyse McConnell, Ohio Victim Witness Association
Wendy Ricks-Hoff, Ohio Victim Witness Association

The Ohio Victim Witness Association (OVWA) is launching Ohio’s first Homicide Co-Victim Helpline to provide a centralized, trauma-informed response for those impacted by homicide. This data-driven initiative addresses service gaps and strengthens advocacy by offering immediate emotional support, crisis response, and resource navigation until local services are in place. This workshop will help advocates understand identified gaps, learn about helpline services and the new guide for co-victims of homicide, and strengthen collaboration to ensure consistent, high-quality care statewide. The third phase of the OVWA Homicide Co-Victim project, both the guide and the helpline serve to assist co-victims of homicide until local victim advocacy services have been initiated.

Workshop 28 | Building Safe, Strong Families and Thriving Communities Through Parent-Partner Support

Hope Carter, Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth (SAFY)
Dr. Charisse Penn, SAFY
Shawnell Starner, SAFY

The session explores the transformative roles of parent partners. The Parent Partners Program at SAFY connects a parent currently navigating the child-welfare system with a parent who has previously lost custody of his or her children to out-of-home care and later achieved reunification, experienced kinship care or followed an alternative permanency plan. The mentor parent – who has already endured obstacles such as intimate partner violence, housing insecurity, substance-use disorder, alcohol and other drugs, and co-parenting – offers guidance, empathy and support to the parent currently in the system facing similar challenges. This “shared experiences” relationship fosters healing and empowers the participating parent to work toward reunification with his/her own children. Together, the parent partners unlock the potential within families and communities, fostering resilience and unity.

12:30 - 1:45 p.m. | Awards Luncheon

2 - 3:30 p.m. | Breakout Session 5 (Workshops 29-35)

Workshop 29 | When the System Isn’t Ready: Centering Survivors Amid Longstanding Barriers

Danitra Smith, 9459 Advocates

This interactive session delves into two powerful survivor stories that reveal how long-standing barriers can perpetuate trauma. Participants step into the experiences of Merci, a trafficking survivor criminalized by the system and left without advocacy, and a domestic-violence survivor whose abuser exploited legal loopholes to continue harassment despite protective measures. Through storytelling, group collaboration and guided discussion, attendees learn how to identify practical, trauma-informed strategies for safety planning; navigate flawed systems; and sustain survivor-centered support. Participants leave with concrete tools to transform empathy into action, ensuring that survivors facing bureaucratic barriers are truly seen, heard and supported.

Workshop 30 | Under the Armor — Rewire for Resilience

Cindy Kuhr, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Ohio Attorney General’s Office

This training addresses the challenges faced by criminal-justice professionals, whose work offers many rewards but also leaves shadows of the tragedies encountered. This session covers vicarious trauma, secondary trauma and resilience tools. Attendees learn how information is gathered daily in this work, gain proactive strategies for applying resilience tools. Criminal-justice work leads to high-risk behaviors, but addressing work-related trauma with resilience tools can prevent long-term negative effects.

Workshop 31 | Prosecutor-Based Victim Advocacy in Ohio: A Resource Guide for the Field

Crystal Baker, Victim Services, Summit County Prosecutor's Office
Teri LaJeunesse, Victim Witness Division, Greene County Prosecutor’s Office (Retired)
Wendy Ricks-Hoff, Ohio Victim Witness Association (OVWA)

Members of the OVWA’s Prosecutor-Based Advocacy Best Practices Committee provide an engaging overview of the evolution of best practices in prosecutor-based victim advocacy in Ohio. This training highlights the research-informed and collaborative efforts behind the revised resource guide, including the long-standing partnership with the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association. Participants gain an understanding of the guide’s development process and hear about its key components, designed to promote consistency and excellence in victim advocacy statewide.

Workshop 32 | Beyond the Visible: Interdisciplinary Response to Nonfatal Strangulation

Kelsey Hurst, OhioHealth

Nonfatal strangulation is one of the most overlooked yet medically dangerous forms of violence, often revealing minimal injuries despite life-threatening internal damage. This session provides an interdisciplinary, clinically focused overview of strangulation assessment, emphasizing red flags, evolving symptoms, documentation standards and health consequences – all of which providers must recognize. Embedded case examples illustrate the intersection of medical findings, victim dynamics and investigative needs, supporting stronger collaborative response among health-care professionals, EMS and law enforcement. Attendees leave with practical strategies to improve identification, safety planning and coordinated interventions for victims of nonfatal strangulation.

Workshop 33 | Advancing Child Safety in Ohio: CAC Response, Prevention Strategies and Proven Outcomes

Celeste Prince, Ohio Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers
Kevin White, Ohio Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers

This workshop examines Ohio’s Child Advocacy Center response model and its integration of prevention-focused strategies to address and reduce child abuse. Participants learn about current prevention practices across Ohio, the benefits of proactive and early intervention approaches, and how child advocacy centers (CACs) contribute to improved safety, healing and system accountability. The session highlights outcome data and research supporting the efficacy of the CAC model and prevention efforts, illustrating how such approaches lead to more coordinated investigations, reduced trauma for children, and stronger long-term outcomes for families and communities.

Workshop 34 | What Kind of Expert Witness Do YOU Want to Be?

Jane Bryan, Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital Forensic Nursing Unit
Taylir Linden, Lake County Prosecutor’s Office
Alexandria Ruden, Legal Aid Society of Cleveland

The importance of expert witnesses in interpersonal-violence cases cannot be overstated. All professionals need to have a knowledge of the subject matter and the necessary skills. The use of expert witnesses in both criminal and civil cases can help those in the legal system understand the intricacies of domestic and sexual abuse, including why a survivor might respond a certain way to the abuse against them. It can explain counterintuitive behaviors, why a survivor chooses not to leave or contact law enforcement, and why a victim might recant or become a hostile witness. In the strangulation space, experts dispel myths and explain the medical consequences of strangulation assault. Expert testimony can save lives, so a professional never has to hear from a survivor, “Why didn’t you tell me about the consequences of these crimes to my health and welfare?”

Workshop 35 | The Link Between Animal & Human Violence: Implementing Pet Protection Orders and Cross-Reporting Laws

Alana Van Gundy, Van Gundy Law
Vicki Deisner, Ohio Animal Advocates
Aviva Vincent, Cleveland State University

This session focuses on the use of trauma-informed approaches when aiding and interviewing survivors of violence, with particular attention on the protection of children and pets. Integrating principles from social work and the law, participants observe and actively engage in role-playing interview scenarios designed to strengthen survivor-centered communication and safety-focused advocacy. The workshop also provides a targeted overview of Ohio’s cross-reporting framework, aimed at protecting the human–animal bond in cases of domestic violence. Participants are introduced to the link between human and animal cruelty, how to correctly complete and submit an application for a pet-protection order, and how to identify common areas of concern when preparing these applications. They leave the workshop with an expanded skill set that includes practical trauma-informed interviewing techniques, working knowledge of how to legally protect pets under a civil protection order, and a clear understanding of how pet-protection orders must be enforced under Ohio law.

Keynote presenters

Nicole Snell
Girls Fight Back

Nicole Snell is an award-winning international trainer, TEDx Speaker, survivor advocate, and personal safety expert specializing in sexual assault & violence prevention education, boundaries, and women’s empowerment. She is the CEO of Empowered Journeys, Inc. and Girls Fight Back, an NACP Credentialed Victim Advocate, and the founder of Outdoor Defense. Nicole graduated Summa Cum Laude from Cal State Long Beach with a BA in Speech Communication and has trained millions of people worldwide in academia, Fortune 500 companies, healthcare providers, tribal nations, retreats and more. She has provided Sexual Assault Prevention & Response (SAPR/SHARP) trainings for every branch of the US Armed Forces at hundreds of installations around the globe —including the Pentagon—and has delivered over 500 speaking engagements globally.

Nicole's programs are evidence-based, trauma-informed, interactive, and inclusive. Peer-reviewed articles on Girls Fight Back's efficacy were published in the Sexual Assault Report and in Family & Intimate Partner Violence Quarterly 2024. Nicole has received several honors and awards for her work including the NASPA Peer Initiatives Award 2023 for her Students Fight Back program, a 2024 Certificate of Appreciation from Colonel Peter Glass, US Army Deputy Director of the Futures and Concepts Center at Fort Eustis, and she was recently named a Camp HOPE America Hope Hero. Her 2025 TEDx Talk, What Would You Do If You Felt Safe, was selected by TEDx as an Editor’s pick.

Nicole has been featured for her violence prevention and outdoor safety expertise in global media including KTLA5, Women’s Health Magazine, Runner’s World, and Dateline NBC. She has appeared as a guest on over 50 podcasts including: Crime Off The Grid, Nike Trained, and the Fox True Crime Podcast. Nicole is committed to ending violence in all of its forms and passionately believes that everyone has the right to walk through the world feeling safe, powerful, confident, and limitless.

Roberta Bailey
Dayton Police Department

Sgt. Roberta Bailey is a dedicated law enforcement leader with the Dayton Police Department, currently serving as the detective sergeant over the Family Justice Center. With more than a decade of supervisory experience, she leads a multidisciplinary team of detectives investigating domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, protection-order violations, dissemination of intimate images, and missing-persons cases. In 2025 alone, her unit investigated more than 4,200 incidents, including 1,100 felony cases.

Sgt. Bailey, a recognized advocate for victim-centered and trauma-informed policing, received the Dayton Artemis Center’s 2024 Peacekeeper Award and serves on the board of the domestic-violence resource agency. She is also an active member of the Coordinated Community Response to Domestic Violence initiative, collaborating with community partners to strengthen systemic responses to abuse.

Sgt. Bailey previously supervised the Forensic Services Unit, overseeing crime-scene investigators and latent-print examiners, and helped to lead the police department’s response to the 2019 mass shooting in Dayton’s Oregon District – efforts for which her unit received a Citation for Outstanding Public Service. She also has served as a patrol-operations supervisor, leading frontline officers in community-focused policing.

She is certified as a Fair and Impartial Policing trainer, committed to professional excellence and organizational reform and selected to serve on the Dayton mayor's Police Reform Group. Her leadership development includes advanced coursework through the University of Dayton Leadership Certificate Program and the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce Empower Cohort, and executive training through the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police.

Sgt. Bailey holds an associate’s degree in applied science for law enforcement from Sinclair Community College. She is widely respected for her steady leadership; commitment to accountability; and passion for building safer communities through collaboration, integrity, and service.

Kar'mell Triplett

Kar’mell Triplett is a passionate advocate for survivors of domestic violence who transformed a personal experience into a powerful platform for change. Since 2022, the resident of northeastern Ohio has raised regional awareness about technology-facilitated abuse after surviving stalking by an ex-partner who misused an AirTag to track her. Rather than remain silent, Kar’mell spoke up, turning trauma into testimony and advocacy into action.

As an active member of the Ohio Domestic Violence Network’s Survivors Council, she contributes lived expertise, strategic insight, and leadership to help shape policies and practices that strengthen survivor safety and empowerment. She played a pivotal role in advancing state Senate Bill 100, legislation that targets the growing threat of electronic stalking devices and enhance protections for those at risk.

Driven by resilience, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to justice, Kar’mell works to break cycles of abuse, amplify survivor voices, and build safer communities for future generations.

Maria York
Ohio Domestic Violence Network

As the Policy Director for the Ohio Domestic Violence Network (ODVN), Maria York leads statewide legislative advocacy and system reforms that are survivor-centric. She has 15 years of experience in victim advocacy, coalition-building, and cross-system training, including international work in the United Kingdom with police and legal professionals. In Ohio, she supported the coalition effort behind Senate Bill 100 and now coordinates statewide technical assistance to strengthen implementation. She also leads ODVN’s annual domestic-violence fatality report and trains on lethality risk factors for Ohio CASA’s Advanced Guardian Ad Litem program. Maria has a master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in research methods.

Addressing the 1,000 victim advocates attending the office’s annual Two Days in May Conference on Victim Assistance, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost celebrated the work being done to aid Ohio’s crime victims and echoed the underlying message of this year’s conference theme, “Every Step a Victory.”

“While some use their backs and others their arms to do their jobs, you use the strongest muscle we have: the heart,” Yost said during his opening remarks at the conference, held May 19-20 at the Hilton Columbus Downtown. “You invest so much in those you work with – every day – because you genuinely care about humankind.”

Two Days in May, marking its 33^rd year, annually brings advocates together to share best practices, trends and developments in the field of victim assistance. This year’s event, which is organized by the Crime Victim Services Section of Yost’s office, included two keynote speakers, 35 workshops, and more than 75 expert presenters from throughout Ohio.

Highlighting the second day of the 2025 event was the TDIM Awards Ceremony, with AG Yost paying special tribute to Ohio’s most notable victim-services advocate, the Rev. Robert Denton, who died last year. One of the conference awards, the Robert Denton Special Achievement Award, has borne his name since 2013; the honor recognizes the accomplishments of leaders dedicated to serving and advancing Ohio’s crime victims movement.

New this year was the Compassionate Leadership in Advocacy Award, which AG Yost presented to Dr. Kenneth Yeager. Yeager’s pioneering work and enduring impact inspired the honor, which will be renamed the Dr. Kenneth Yeager Compassionate Leadership in Advocacy Award beginning next year.

Dr. Yeager received one of four TDIM awards presented in 2025. (To watch videos about the award winners, see the Two Days in May 2025 dropdown menu below.)

Award winners

COMPASSIONATE LEADERSHIP IN ADVOCACY AWARD

Dr. Kenneth Yeager,
professor emeritus and co-founder of Stress, Trauma and Resilience (STAR) Program,
Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center

Dr. Yeager is a pioneer in the trauma recovery specialization, a leading light in Ohio and the nation. He began his career in 1985 as a drug and alcohol counselor at Shepherd Hill Hospital and later worked for Riverside Methodist Hospital, Ohio State University Hospitals East, the OSU Athletic Department, OSU Harding Hospital, and the National Football League – all of them involving programs related to substance abuse. In 2009, as an assistant clinical professor and researcher in the OSU College of Medicine, he and colleagues Grayce Sills and Holly Kastan started the Stress Trauma and Resilience (STAR) Program in the Department of Psychiatry to help lessen the impact of stress and trauma on the lives of behavioral-health patients. But Yeager soon recognized the need for trauma care for other populations, including first responders and front-line medical workers. Thanks in part to Yeager’s efforts, in March 2017 Ohio became the second state (after California) to create a network of Trauma Recovery Centers to address the physical, emotional and material needs of survivors of crime-related violence.

Watch the video

PROMISING PRACTICE AWARD

Open Arms Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services
Findlay, Ohio

Open Arms, a stand-alone private nonprofit founded in June 1981, is the only agency in Hancock County providing emergency services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to victims of domestic violence and rape. In its 45th year, Open Arms provides a wide range of services, including an emergency shelter at a confidential location for survivors and their families, 24/7 services for victims of sexual assault, a 24/7 crisis hotline, support sessions for children affected by domestic violence and supervised visitation and exchange of children, legal and medical advocacy, and prevention education programs for schools and the community. In rural northwest Ohio – where farming communities are spread out, survivors might not know where to turn for help and public transportation is limited – the Open Arms mobile-services program has made an immediate impact, serving 38 people in its first 17 months of operation.

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ROBERT DENTON SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Elizabeth Well,
Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center

In her 12 years as legal director of the Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center, Well has emerged as a leading voice for victims’ rights in Ohio and the nation. She and her team have assisted more than 10,000 crime victims at trial and in appellate courts, and have been responsible for much of the significant litigation involving victims’ rights in Ohio. Equally important, she has regularly worked alongside survivors in courtrooms to make sure they are heard and valued and obtain the justice they seek. Well was instrumental in the success of the Marsy’s Law constitutional amendment campaign in 2017 and ultimately played a leading role in drafting the amendment’s implementing legislation, House Bill 343, which took effect in 2023. Beyond the courtroom, Well has crossed the state to provide victims’ rights training to more than 18,000 judges, magistrates, prosecutors, and other criminal-justice officials – as well as victim advocates and allied professionals. For nearly a decade, she has presented at Two Days in May.

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SPECIAL COURAGE AWARD

Yarimar Soto-Perez,
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center

Throughout her diverse career, Yary Soto-Perez has been a compassionate ally and staunch advocate for Clevelanders in need. Early in her professional career, she investigated housing violations and advocated for tenant rights at a community development organization, then worked as a behavioral-health specialist at a human-services agency to connect Spanish-speaking clients to community-based care. Soto-Perez started at the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center six years ago as a victim advocate, working closely with survivors and their families to get them necessary medical, emotional and legal help. As a subject-matter expert, she trains law enforcement officers how to recognize sexual violence and human trafficking and regularly presents to regional and national audiences to educate professionals and community members on issues related to survivor advocacy. Soto-Perez recently finished her first year as the crisis center’s director of community systems, overseeing its advocacy and human trafficking teams to ensure comprehensive support services for survivors.

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Conference agenda

Monday – May 19, 2025Tuesday – May 20, 2025

8 - 9 a.m. | Breakfast and Drop-in Sessions for VOCA/SVAA and Crime Victims Compensation