The Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment and the South Dakota Unified Judicial System are hosting monthly Court Improvement Program (CIP) trainings for attorneys, judges, and other multidisciplinary professionals working with families involved in abuse and neglect cases.

The goal of these trainings is to provide relevant and up-to-date information on the South Dakota child welfare system, while offering unique approaches and standards for best practices when working with children throughout the court process.

By learning more you can help keep children safe.
Court Improvement Program Training Series

March Session

March 29, 2023, 12:00 PM CT – Situational Awareness

Please join us for the monthly Court Improvement Program training series. In March, Scott Sheldon will present Situational Awareness

Please register in advance here.

Scott Sheldon is the Court Security Coordinator for SD Unified Judicial System.

Upcoming Sessions

Future CIP training sessions:

Use the linked session titles below to register.

March 29, 2023, 12:00 PM CT – Scott Sheldon, Situational Awareness

April 26, 2023, 12:00 PM CT – Colleen Moran, training in conjunction with the State Bar, Child Abuse Awareness Month, Civil vs Criminal Child Abuse and Neglect Cases

May 31, 2023, 12:00 PM CT – Sarah Thorne, Appellate Review of Child Sex Crimes

June 28, 2023, 12:00 PM CT – Carrie Sanderson, 2023 Legislative Update

Previous Trainings

February 22, 2023: Independent Living and Young Voices

Presenters: Eric Grover, SD Department of Social Services

January 25, 2023: Preparing a Child Witness for Court

Presenters: Lara Roetzel, SD Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault

December 7, 2022: Overview of Brackeen v Haaland

Presenters: Sheldon Spotted Elk and Jack Trope, Casey Family Programs

October 26, 2022: Multidisciplinary Teams

Presenters: Brittany Novotny, Children’s Advocacy Centers of SD; Amanda Liebl, Child’s Voice at Sanford Health; Angelsa Lisburg, Avera St. Mary’s Central South Dakota Child Assessment Center; and Tifanie Petro, Children’s Home Child Advocacy Center.

August 31, 2022: Huron Safety Plan Project

Presenters: Dawn Johnson, Regional Manager for Child Protection Services, Department of Social Services and Winter Hendrickson, Foster Parent

June 29, 2022: Legislative Update

Presenters: Carrie Sanderson, Director, Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment

May 25, 2022: The Role of a Parent & Child Attorney in Child Welfare Cases

Presenters: Nicole Laughlin, Laughlin Law

April 27, 2022: Role of a State’s Attorney in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases

Presenters: Lake County State’s Attorney Wendy Kloeppner and Pennington County Deputy State’s Attorney Roxie Erickson

March 30, 2022: Conversations with a Foster Parent

February 23, 2022: Family Time and Sibling/Relative Placement Preferences

Presenter: Sara Sheppick, SD Child Protection Services

January 26, 2022: Understanding Bias and Impact on the Legal System

Presenter: Taneeza Islam

December 29, 2021: Codington County Family Court Pilot Project

Presenter: Judge Carmen Means

November 17, 2021: Stress Triggers on Families, including Holiday Stress

Presenter: Nikki Eining, Avera Behavioral Brookings

October 27, 2021: Connecting Families and Clients with Services

Presenter: Betsy Schuster, Helpline Center

October 13, 2021: Cultural Awareness in the Courtroom

Wayne Weston, Center for Disabilities

September 22, 2021: Family Considerations in Abuse and Neglect Cases

Presenter: Tifanie Petro, Children’s Home Society

August 25, 2021: Safety and Planning Conditions for Return

Presenter: Pam Bennett, Department of Social Services