The opinions, statements, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this session are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the conference hosts.

Navigating the legislative process can be overwhelming, but the work of policy change is a crucial part of the direct practice. There can be a lack of understanding about the process or even who would be in a position to propose a change at the state level. Participants in this session will hear from both the legal and advocacy-based perspective for championing change in their area. This session will examine the process of how to work collaboratively with partners to gain insight and feedback on proposed law, how to work with legislators to lead the cause, gain movement and support for the proposed advocacy, and what role you can play as a subject matter expert.

Presented by Roxanne Hammond and Tifanie Petro
Community Response to Child Abuse Conference 2022

Roxanne Hammond, Senior Deputy State’s Attorney, Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office Roxanne prosecutes major felony files, with an emphasis on sex crimes. Prior to moving to Rapid City, she served as the Hughes County State’s Attorney, where she was awarded Prosecutor of the Year from the State’s Attorney’s Association in 2019. Prior to prosecution, she worked as a Senior Legislative Attorney for the South Dakota Legislature. After trying a major 1st degree rape case in 2019, she used her previous legislative experience to spearhead a law to allow therapy dogs in court rooms for victims. She continues policy work as the chair of the Legislative Committee in the State’s Attorney’s Association, and testifying in front of legislative committees regularly during session.

Tifanie Petro, Director of Advocacy and Prevention, Children’s Home Child Advocacy Center Tifanie oversees multiple statewide awareness and education campaigns. In addition to overseeing collaborative investigations of child abuse cases; Tifanie provides forensic interviews for local, state, federal, and tribal jurisdictions, court room testimony, and comprehensive trainings rooted in understanding trauma and recognizing and responding to child abuse. Tifanie received her BS degree in Psychology from Black Hills State University, her MS in Public Health from Capella University, Minnesota and her MS in Human Services from Capella University, Minnesota.