Oregon Child Abuse Symposium

May 16th, 2024 Portland Oregon

Thursday May 16th, 8am-5pm
Holiday Inn Portland - Columbia Riverfront

909 N Hayden Island Dr, Portland, OR 97217

The Oregon Child Abuse Symposium will cover a range of topics related to child abuse and neglect, including applicable laws, collaborative investigations, trauma-informed and culturally responsive practices. The symposium is designed for professionals in a variety of roles, including investigators, social workers, law enforcement, counselors, healthcare providers and related fields. Attendees can expect to learn about best practices for working with children and families affected by abuse, ensuring proper self-care and how they can support prevention efforts.

If you would like to request a scholarship
(a limited amount are available),please contact symposium@childrenscenter.cc

May 15th - Pre-Conference hosted by Oregon Child Abuse Solutions
Invite Only: CAC Executive Directors, CAC Medical providers, and MDT Chairs and Coordinators.

May 16th Schedule
7:30-7:45 – Registration (With Continental Breakfast)

7:45-8:00 – Welcome and Housekeeping
8:00-9:00 – opening plenary: Kenny Lowe, Oregon State Police DEI Manager
9:15-10:30 - Breakout session 1
10:45-12:00 - Breakout session 2
12-12:45- Lunch (provided) with Prevention Panel
1-2:15 breakout session 3
2:30-3:45 breakout session 4
4:00-5:00 Closing Plenary - Being Trauma Informed with Dr. Chris Wilson

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Kenny Lowe

Keynote Speaker

Kenny Lowe

Keynote Speaker

Kenny Lowe was raised in Northeast Portland (NEP) with a mixed-race family history dating back five generations (the late 1890s) in Portland, OR. Before his current role with the Oregon State Police, he served “at risk” populations navigating complex intersections of Health Equity, Poverty, Homelessness, Behavioral (Addictions/Mental) health. He served in Benton County Health Department leadership as a member of the County Performance Management Team (PMT), Employee Engagement ambassador and as an ambassador on an Innovation and Leadership exchange with the City of Chicago’s Public Health Department’s Office of Innovation.

Seeing the need to improve the quality of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work he joined the Oregon State Police in 2022 as their DEI Manager. At OSP he’s leading the operationalizing of DEI with a balanced combination of Adaptive Leadership, systems thinking, and the Prosci model for organizational change management with the goal of improving individual and organizational performance. His expertise in individual behavioral change models such as Motivational Interviewing (MI), Collaborative Problem solving, and trauma-informed care also contributes to advancing OSP Executive Leadership’s goal of creating A Culture of Excellence and Accountability. Kenny’s approach has been influential across State agency DEI leaders, serving on a Department of Administration (DAS) DEIB Cabinet as well as participating in the National Association of DEI Professionals in Law Enforcement (NADPLE).

Kenny was a scholar in the 2020 cohort for the Northwest Public Health and Primary Care Leadership Institute and is an Alumni of Oregon State University holding a bachelor’s in Music-Vocal Performance. He is a proud dad to Jonah (15) and “little” Kenny (8). Now living in Bend, in his “free time” they can be found at the range as members of the Central Oregon Shooting Sports Association (COSSA).

Dr. Chris Wilson

Closing Speaker

Dr. Chris Wilson

Closing Speaker

Dr. Chris Wilson is a retired licensed psychologist from Portland, Oregon. For eighteen years he worked with victims and perpetrators of crime, including for seven years with the Oregon Department of Corrections, and performed psychological evaluations. He currently trains nationally and internationally on a variety of issues including the neurobiology of trauma, vicarious trauma, and being trauma informed, and testifies as an expert in both civil and criminal trials.
He’s provided training, plenary, keynote, and breakout sessions for conferences and organizations across the United States, Canada, Italy, and Denmark, including the National District Attorney’s Association, US Department of Justice, the US Department of the Interior, the US Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force, the US Office for Victims of Crime, End Violence Against Women International, the National Organization for Victim Assistance, the National Crime Victim Law Institute, and the New York Police Department.

Dr. Wilson is a guest faculty member at the US Army’s Special Victim Capabilities Course where he teaches military criminal investigators about the neurobiology of trauma. He recently served as a curriculum consultant for The National Center for Campus Public Safety. He is also the co-author of the article "Understanding The Neurobiology of Trauma and Implications for Interviewing" (an abbreviated version of which was provided for Danish law enforcement in 2017) and "Judges' and Juries' Common Misperceptions About Domestic Violence Victims' Behaviors."

Dr. Wilson received his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Pacific University in 2002. He was licensed as a psychologist in the state of Oregon in 2005 and retired his clinical license in August of 2021. For six years served on the Board of the Oregon Psychological Association. Raised in Andover, Massachusetts, he is a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan and in his spare time enjoys playing the guitar, rooting for his now hometown Portland Timbers, and playing "old man soccer" on weekends.