Prevention education for adults
Darkness to Light® workshops for adults show how to spot the signs of abuse, how to react if a child discloses an allegation of abuse, and ways to talk to kids and teens safely.
What are Darkness to Light® workshops?
Darkness to Light® is a nationally-recognized organization that provides evidence-based child abuse prevention training through a program called Stewards of Children. Susie’s Place offers Stewards of Children training designed by Darkness to Light® to any group working with children and youth. From sports programs to religious institutions and community centers and schools.
If your organization works with or around children, this training is key to fully and comprehensively understanding abuse and how to prevent it.
A different course for teens called Teen Safety Matters is also available. Children in schools can participate in Child Safety Matters, too.
Can you imagine the ripple effect from saving just one child from sexual abuse?
Susie’s Place has two staff members that are trained facilitators of the
Darkness to Light®: Stewards of Children Child Sexual Abuse Prevention
Training.
This training is a documentary style teaching tool outlining the
parallel roads to prevention, protecting yourself from allegations and
knowing the signs victims demonstrate.
You’ll learn practical advice for working with children,
hear from survivors, and how to be accountable.
Every Stewards of Children training is led by an authorized facilitator from Susie’s Place.
Susie’s Place facilitators foster interaction, insight, and compassion amongst every attendee.
Through a series of real-life survivor stories, educational workbook, insightful group discussion and fact-based tips from experts in the field, your group will learn all aspects of prevention.
Every workshop attendee receives
An interactive workbook and accompanying DVD featuring segments of sexual abuse survivors relating their stories of violation and healing. Other sections include the author of the curriculum and from professionals who work daily in the fight against sexual violence.
Darkness to Light’s® 5 Steps to Protecting Our Children
A guide for adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.
Opportunity for discussion about important issues in sexual abuse
prevention and the relevance of these issues within organizations that
serve children and adolescents.
The simple principles of choice, consciousness, personal power, and
relentless compassion to motivate individuals to action.
A curriculum that is direct about holding each adult accountable and
the support necessary for personal change, taking into consideration
any fears or concerns.
Get your 4-Question Guide for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
This special training is for adults in youth-serving positions and demonstrates how to respond to disclosures of child abuse and includes a 4-question guide developed by Susie’s Place.
- Throughout the training, individuals will learn what questions to ask, what to say in response and how to properly report suspected child abuse.
- The training includes mock scenario video clips demonstrating examples of various student disclosures and how to respond to them.
- There is a short 23-minute video training, that includes a laminated 4-Question Guide resource card for every participant.
- An in-person one-hour training is also available.
For more information or if you would like to schedule a training, please contact Candace Balzano at Candace@susiesplace.org.
“Clear, thought-provoking, and well-executed”
“Our church enthusiastically recommends Susie’s Place and their “Stewards of Children” training. We hosted 2 training sessions for our Children’s Ministry volunteers through Susie’s place over the past several months and were so grateful for the regard they took in teaching our organization about the why’s, when’s, and how’s of protecting all the children in our care. The training sessions were clear, thought-provoking, and well-executed.
Susie’s Place gave us confidence in watching for warning-signs of sexual abuse and potential predators, how to talk about uncomfortable situations and topics, and how to both prevent and respond to concerning behavior.
The “Stewards of Children” training took a topic that is very difficult to talk about but provided a safe place for our volunteers and staff to ask questions and get answers that will most certainly protect the children in our church, families, and community.”
— Church at Main, Brownsburg, Ind.
Trainings are typically groups of 20 or fewer people and last roughly 2.5 hours.
There is a fee for training, however, some scholarships are available if your group qualifies.
Meet our child safety education team
Call: 317-995-7140
Candace Balzano
Education and Outreach Program Manager
Amanda Yarde
Education and Outreach Program Coordinator
Sharon Tufano
Education and Outreach Administrative Coordinator