1/25/06 On Angels Wings We'll Go

Thanks to one of our "earth angels", we will be traveling to WI to attend a missing person's training conference in early February. I mention it now because there may be someone reading this who could benefit from attending and is not aware of the conference. It's not too late to sign up.

It is a blessing and privlege for us to go. One of our board members, Rita Baughman, and I will be in attendance. The conference is put on by Fox Valley Technical College, which is recognized by the federal government, NCMEC, NCMA and others, as the premier training institute for issues related to missing persons. They do the compassion (and other) training for LE which teaches them proper handling of missing person's cases in respect to interaction with the families.

We are excited about this opportunity to increase our knowledge base and better serve the families of the missing. The training will cover the following topics. I have marked the ones of keen interest to us, although all of the training will be valuable.


*Missing Persons: Defining the Federal Government's Role
*Victim Impact Perspective
Safe Return Program
Project ALERT
Human Trafficking
Wisconsin Amber Alert System
National Alzheimer's Association, Safe Return Program
*Wisconsin DNA Databank and CODIS
*Responding to Tragedy: Development of a Community Intervention Team
A Fraudulent Report: The Case of the Missing College Student
*The Private Investigator: A Resource for the Family
*Investigating Missing Adults: Case Development
The School Resource Officer's (SROs) Role in Responding to Child Victimization
*A National Resource: The National Center for Missing Adults
Authority Rape: Sexual Victimization of Children by People in Authority Positions
YES Safety Programs
*Legal Considerations for Investigating and Developing a Missing Adult Case
*What the Media Wants: Getting Your Story Told!!
*Situational Analysis of Missing Adults
*Creating a Climate of Healing: It's a Requirement

Attending the conference will increase our understanding of investigative procedures, which in turn will help us help our families with their LE relations and perhaps prompt more thorough investigation. While we remain a non-investigative agency, understanding what goes on behind the scenes will strengthen our ability to provide resources and support, as per our mission statement.

It will be good to renew acquantances while there with Kym Pasqualini, founder of the NCMA, and Magi Bish, mother of missing/murdered Molly Bish, and co-founder of the Molly Bish Foundation. I will also get to see my good friend, Robert Cooke, father of missing Rachel Cooke, and founder of the Rachel Alert Network. He gives a talk towards the end of the conference.

I also plan on, as time permits, getting to know any other missing person's family members or representatives of organizations in attendance, and let them know about the Campaign for the Missing and what/who Project Jason is all about.

Information about the conference, which is entitled "Uniting the Search for Missing Children and Adults: Providing a Voice for Those Who Have Vanished" can be found here:

http://www.fvtc.edu/tp2.asp?ID=CJ-National+Center+for+Missing+Adults&pix=003

Interestingly enough, one of the speeches is called "The Voice of the Missing is Us!".