July 2026 Newsletter
In this issue:
- Community Response to Child Abuse Conference, October 8
- ECCS Touchpoints, Recordings Available
- Court Improvement Program Training, August 26
- Join Our Team
New Format. Same Important Mission. Registration is Open!
The Community Response to Child Abuse Conference is now a power-packed one-day experience.
Earn 7+ continuing education hours while choosing from a wide range of breakout sessions, hearing from inspiring keynote speakers, and connecting with peers—all in one day.
📅 Join us October 8, 2026 in Sioux Falls for a conference that includes:
Resilience and Redemption: The Power of Determination and the Spirit of a Child presented by Derek Clark
Derek shares his personal journey, emphasizing the resilience that allowed him to overcome brutal trauma. The keynote takes the audience on a rollercoaster of emotions, from the depths of despair to the heights of triumph, illustrating the transformative power of redemption.
Post Traumatic Growth, What the Dolphins Taught Me presented by Frank Grijalva
Highly adaptive, impulsive and reactive until I was 23 years old I began to awaken to the real world when I was assigned to the Marine Mammal program of the US Navy. Working with dolphins I began to learn about trust, attachment, behavior modification, nonverbal communication and ultimately myself. This seminar will look at personal growth through the lessons of my teachers Blue, Otto and Mauka.
Resilience and Adaptability: Strategies to Thrive Through Change presented by Mike Kutzke
This session is designed to help professionals strengthen their ability to adapt, stay focused, and remain effective in today’s fast-paced and constantly changing work environment. As funding pressures, shifting priorities, technology changes, and rising expectations continue to reshape the workplace, this session helps participants enhance their ability to respond constructively to ongoing challenges rather than feeling overwhelmed by them.
Nominate an Individual for the Outstanding Service Award
The Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment annually presents the Outstanding Service Award during the Community Response to Child Abuse Conference. This award is presented to an individual who has made a great impact in the response to or prevention of child abuse in South Dakota. Nominations may include but are not limited to:
- An individual who has made an outstanding efforts to assist in the field of child maltreatment.
- An individual who has made substantial contributions specifically to CPCM’s 10-year plan to end child maltreatment in South Dakota
- An individual who has made significant contribution to research on child maltreatment.
- A professional (child protection, law enforcement, mental health, education, legal, medical, etc.) who demonstrates extraordinary dedication and skill in his or her direct care efforts on behalf of children and families.
- An individual who has made outstanding contributions to the prevention of child maltreatment.
- An individual who has made outstanding contribution to the response of child maltreatment in South Dakota.
Past recipients of the award include: Hollie Strand, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office; Teresa Nieto, Bureau of Indian Affairs; Tifanie Petro, Children’s Home Society of South Dakota; Virgena Weiseler, Department of Social Services; Deb Soholt, State Senate; Chief Justice David Gilbertson, Unified Judicial System; Carole Cochran, SD Kids Count; and Special Agent Cameron Corey, Division of Criminal Investigation.
Nominations are accepted through August 28, 2026.
SD ECCS
Explore the recordings of previous Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems webinar recordings on our training library.
Recent sessions include:
Eliminating Child Lead Exposure: The South Dakota Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
Connecting Families to Care: Maternal & Infant Health Resource Promotion and Mapping in South Dakota
Court Improvement Program
The June session, 2026 Legislative Session Review, is now available to view.
Join us for upcoming CIP Trainings:
Child Welfare Proceedings and Courtroom Practice presented by Nicole Laughlin, Laughlin Law
Ethics in Child Welfare Representation presented by Nicole Laughlin, Laughlin Law
Join Our Team
The Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment (CPCM) at the University of South Dakota is seeking a highly organized and mission-driven Foster Care Licensing and Placement Specialist to help children in need find safe, supportive foster care homes.
In this full-time role, you will work closely with the Department of Social Services and a distributed CPCM team to facilitate placement requests and match children with foster families who meet their needs. You’ll use your problem-solving skills, quick judgment, and strong communication to facilitate timely placements, while maintaining detailed documentation and ensuring compliance with all state requirements. This position is perfect for someone who thrives in fast-paced work environments and finds meaning in supporting vulnerable children and families. You will also help recruit, license, and retain foster care families in South Dakota.
As a Foster Care Licensing and Placement Specialist you will:
- Coordinate timely and effective foster care placements, ensuring that each child is matched with a home that considers sibling bonds, cultural context, proximity, and special needs.
- Maintain clear, ongoing communication and strong collaborative relationships with DSS Child Protective Services, DSS Office of Licensing & Accreditation, foster families, and fellow CPCM team members.
- Assist with recruitment, support, licensure, and retention of foster and potential adoptive families.
- Accurately track, document, and report licensure and placement-related data, meeting DSS and OLA compliance requirements.
https://yourfuture.sdbor.edu/postings/48397
Become a Permanency-Adoption Competent Professional
The National Center for Adoption Competency Mental Health Services (National Center) works to improve mental health outcomes for children and families impacted by the child welfare system by:
- Strengthening collaboration between child welfare and mental health systems
- Building and enhancing workforce competency
- Expanding access to permanency-adoption competent services
Whether you are a child‑serving professional looking to strengthen your practice through training and resources, or you are seeking hands‑on technical assistance to support your State, Tribe, or territory, the National Center offers tools and support to help you build adoption competent skills—grounded in understanding the impacts of loss, trauma, relationships, and identity on children and families.
To support your learning, you can build your skills through training with NTI and deepen your understanding with additional resources available through the National Center’s Knowledge Hub.
The National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI) is a practical no-cost training resource designed for professionals supporting children, youth, and families involved in foster care, adoption, guardianship, and kinship care.
