Browse or download the 2025 conference program below.

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Continuing Education

Continuing education credits will be available for the Community Response to Child Abuse Conference. Pre-approved continuing education will be updated below as approved.

  • SD Board of Social Work Examiners

For those attendees who fall within one of the boards above, a “Certificate of Completion” will be generated and sent post-conference. Other conference attendees will have access to a general self-reported “Certificate of Attendance” if needed.

Transcribed Credit

Conference attendees can earn 1 hour of college credit through University of South Dakota.

The course includes both online learning and in-person attendance at the Community Response to Child Abuse Conference, providing students with the opportunity to engage with current research, case studies, and leading experts in the field.

  • The fee for the one credit course from USD is $40.
  • Credit course registration deadline is August 31.
  • Students can expect to spend 4-5 hours of time in addition to conference attendance.
  • Attendance is required on Thursday, October 2, including two keynotes and three breakout sessions.
  • For additional details, email [email protected].

Featured Presenters

Be the Difference: Belonging is the Support We Need

What determines if an individual is a “success” story or a “cautionary” tale? Is it talent? Is it resilience or grit? Is it simply luck? Gaelin Elmore knows that stories of caution and success have more things in common than we’d care to admit. He knows because he lived it. Mr. Elmore’s powerful story has motivated and inspired thousands, but instead of using his story to focus on “success,” he uses it to shed light on the importance of belonging and “support.” Throughout this keynote, attendees will be challenged and inspired to be individuals who CARE about belonging, because belonging is ‘the difference’ between a story of success and a tale of caution.

The Belonging Need: Understanding Belonging to Go from Surviving to Thriving

Belonging is a crucial, innate need that influences our daily decisions, motivation, problem-solving, and overall well-being. Genuine belonging fosters resilience and positive health outcomes in us, and those that we serve. This workshop addresses the power of belonging through the 4-directional model; internal, horizontal, vertical, and external. This workshop will empower participants to embrace belonging and bridge the gap for others while offering a fresh perspective and intention for impactful work.

Gaelin Elmore, Speaker, Trainer and Belonging Expert

Gaelin Elmore is a dynamic and nationally sought-after keynote speaker, trainer, and thought leader. He works with organizations and people to become belonging-informed in order to help children overcome trauma and unleash their potential. Gaelin’s passion and energy for his work stems from his heart for justice and his own lived experience. His own belonging journey has led Gaelin to the National Football League, and now stages, board rooms, and organizations, all across the country, aiming to inspire, encourage, and equip others to think differently about their work and its long-term impact on others. Gaelin now lives in Burnsville, MN, where he gets to experience the purest form of belonging as a husband to his wife, Micaela, and dad to their three children, Laniah, Tatum, and Gideon!

Hope in Action: Turning Struggle into Strength

Hope isn’t some fluffy ideal, it’s not a wish or a dream of something that is yet to come…hope is measurable and buildable skill rooted in psychology and neuroscience. Hope is also not a luxury that only some get to experience, it’s a necessity that each person needs to thrive. The Science of Hope shows us that while setting goals is important, it’s not enough. To move forward, we must identify barriers and build real pathways that lead to meaningful change.

Together, we’ll explore the core components of hope—goals, pathways, and agency—and how individuals and communities can use this framework to transform adversity into opportunity. Together, we’ll shift the narrative from surviving to thriving, starting with the belief that we can get there from here.

Tifanie Petro, Victim Services Director, Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office

Tifanie Petro, MS, serves as the Victim Services Director at the Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office. Tifanie collaborates with partners across the state by serving on boards, task forces, leading legislative advocacy efforts, and facilitating community partner meetings. Tifanie delivers prevention and awareness trainings to professionals, community agencies, and the general public in the areas of serving victims of crime and trauma related topics at local, state, national, and international speaking engagements. Tifanie believes that by empowering children, families, and individuals that we can create self-healing communities. 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.