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Radius Child and Youth Services Presents at the 2019 NOTA Conference in Belfast!

Radius’ Manager of Clinical Services, Melissa Maltar and Manager of Training and Consultation, Nancy Falls were selected to present at 29th Annual NOTA Conference, Sexual Abuse in Systems, in Belfast, Northern Ireland on September 18th!

Their presentation “Restoring Relationships in Sibling Sexual Abuse: A Paradigm Shift” was a 90 minute session where they introduced the concept of the VORS Principle that assists in restoring sibling relationships after sexual abuse has occurred.

Here’s a brief outline of their presentation:

Repairing sibling relationships is worth the effort. Sibling relationships are the longest lasting of our life relationships. In spite of the harm that has been caused, siblings often look to restore the relationship. But how do you provide a process that is safe, inclusive, and effective. We will propose the use of the VORS Principle (Voice, Open Communication, Responsibility, and Safety) as a foundation in the application of restorative justice principles to identify the ideal preconditions for sibling sexual abuse reunification. While there are a number of protocols identified to engage families in a reunification process, we will present a framework that is flexible, inclusive, and developmentally sensitive. Using a trauma-informed lens, case examples will highlight the process flow and practical strategies to illustrate how to engage with all family members as they work safely through a process aimed to repair the relationship ruptures caused by the sibling sexual abuse.

Contact us if you would like to hear more about it.