CONFERENCE Speakers:
Kristin Humphrey
Kristin Humphrey has a degree in Social Work and has worked in the field for over 20 years. She has extensive experience working with children of all ages, with and without disabilities, and their families in various capacities. Kristin has been with One Place for more than 9 years, 7 of that with the Child Advocacy Center. She spent most of that time as a Child & Family Advocate and now has assumed the role of Anti-Trafficking & CSAM Coordinator.
This session will provide attendees with basic information on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, which includes the topics of Child Sex Trafficking and Child Sexual Abuse Material. It will address the extent of the problem, common identifiers and vulnerabilities, red flags of potential victims, and discussion about how to respond appropriately.
Jenny Hickey & Jessica Stone
This session will be: The Upstairs/Downstairs Brain: How Trauma and Stress Impact Functioning and Behavior in Young Children This presentation will provide an introduction and brief overview of how early traumatic and stressful experiences can impact young children's brain development and functioning within their environments. We will discuss how these experiences can present behaviorally in young children and provide strategies that caregivers and adults can do to support them when they notice children are struggling.
Jenny is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate who is passionate about supporting infant and early childhood mental health. As a Child First Clinician with Coastal Horizons, Jenny works closely with children 0-5 and their caregivers to heal from early trauma and chronic stress. Trained in Child Parent Psychotherapy, Jenny believes the attachment relationship is the primary pathway for emotional healing and lasting change!
My name is Jessica Stone and I am a Clinical Supervisor with the Child First Program at Coastal Horizons Center. I received my BA in Psychology from UNCW in 2004 and my MSW from the University of Cincinnati in 2019. I have worked in multiple settings in the social work field over the past 20 years with my most recent work as a mental health therapist and a supervisor in the Child First program through Coastal Horizons. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, rostered Child Parent Psychotherapy clinician through the North Carolina Child Treatment Program, as well as endorsed as an Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist and Reflective Supervisor through the North Carolina Infant Mental Health Association. I am passionate about supporting families with young children in the Onslow County area, bringing necessary services and supports to increase their success in the community, in their family, and in the parent child relationship. I am proud to supervise 4 amazing teams, who are working incredibly hard in this community to help families every day.
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Dr. Sameon West
Dr. Sameon West serves as the Community Liaison for Onslow County Child Support, where he leads public awareness initiatives, community resilience efforts, and collaborative partnerships focused on strengthening outcomes for children and families across the county. With a background in Educational Leadership from the Watson College of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and specialized training in Multicultural and Transnational Literature through the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences at East Carolina University, Dr. West brings a multicultural, curriculum and instruction-centered approach to addressing complex social challenges impacting the children and families of Eastern North Carolina. In his role, Dr. West collaborates closely with custodial and non-custodial parents, healthcare professionals, community organizations, and local government agencies to strengthen the child support infrastructure and advance innovative, community-based solutions throug
Dr. Kristjansson
Dr. Kristjansson is a Professor of Public Health at West Virginia University (WVU) School of Public Health, Center Principal Investigator and Co-Director for the West Virginia Prevention Research Center(WVPRC), and adjunct faculty at Reykjavik University in Iceland. He earned his PhD in Social Medicine
from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden in 2010 and was a post-doctoral fellow in Health Behavior at Columbia University in New York City between 2010-2012. Dr. Kristjansson has published widely on substance use prevention and the Icelandic Prevention Model, as well as more generally on adolescent behavioral development and the well-being of children, youth, and families.
Currently, Dr. Kristjansson is the Principal Investigator (PI) of the Integrated Community Engagement Collaborative Cluster Trial – implementation of the Icelandic Prevention Model in 30+ counties in West Virginia, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and has previously led several US-based
federally funded studies, including the Young Mountaineer Health Study funded by NIAAA, and the ICE Collaborative pilot work funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He has published over 130 peer-reviewed manuscripts within public health, health education, preventive
medicine and multidisciplinary journals focused on adolescents.
Howard Schamel III
Howard Schamel III currently serves with the Onslow County Sheriff's Office, where he is assigned to the CSU Division. He began his law enforcement career with the Carteret County Sheriff's Office before joining Onslow County Office in 2023.
Throughout his career, he has served in patrol, as a school resource office (SRO), and now in his current specialized assignment, brining a well-rounded perspective and dedication to community safety and engagement.
Taylor Rutter
My name is Taylor Rutter, and I am a Community Engagement Officer with the Jacksonville Police Department. I have served with JPD since late 2022 - I did one year on patrol and have been with the Community Engagement Unit since early 2024. I am also the primary handler of our therapy dog, K9 Mumble, a nearly-three-year-old golden retriever that joined our department in May of 2024. I have a BS in Criminology, Law, and Society from George Mason University, and will be starting my master's degree this summer. I am also one of those rare Jacksonville natives - Go Vikings!
Ms. Tamra Church
Ms. Tamra Church, MAEd, MCHES®, is Program Coordinator Supervisor with the NC Department of Public Safety in the Education Community Outreach Section of the NC ABC Commission providing state-wide training, education, and community outreach to prevent underage drinking. Ms. Church also volunteers with the Coastal Coalition for Substance Awareness & Prevention (CCSAP), a five-county coalition covering Carteret, Craven, Jones, Onslow, and Pamlico counties to create resilient and thriving drug free communities. Ms. Church is certified to teach the Community Resiliency Model (CRM)®, HOPE Framework, and Strengthening Families Protective Factors. She provides Trauma Sensitive Schools training and technical assistance for schools to create a safe, supportive learning environments. Within the coalition catchment area, Ms. Church also provides overdose reversal trainings and facilitates Community Action Poverty Simulations.
Deirdre Hartsfield
Deirdre Hartsfield, BSN, RN- A registered nurse for 21 years who has worked primarily in the Jacksonville and Wilmington areas with the Maternal/Child and Labor & Delivery populations and is currently in Case Management in the Emergency Department at Onslow Memorial Hospital.
This presentation focuses on two important public health conditions: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, commonly called FASD, and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, or NAS/NOWS. These conditions affect not only infants and children, but also families, schools, healthcare systems, and communities. Today we will discuss what these conditions are, how they develop, their long-term effects on growth and development, and the impact they have on society and public health.
Deirdre Hartsfield
Deirdre Hartsfield, BSN, RN- A registered nurse for 21 years who has worked primarily in the Jacksonville and Wilmington areas with the Maternal/Child and Labor & Delivery populations and is currently in Case Management in the Emergency Department at Onslow Memorial Hospital.
This presentation focuses on two important public health conditions: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, commonly called FASD, and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, or NAS/NOWS. These conditions affect not only infants and children, but also families, schools, healthcare systems, and communities. Today we will discuss what these conditions are, how they develop, their long-term effects on growth and development, and the impact they have on society and public health.
Samantha Griffin-West
Samantha Griffin-West is a committed social worker and psychotherapist with strong ties to Onslow County, where she was born and raised. With more than 20 years of experience as a medical social worker, she has developed extensive knowledge in patient care and support services. She currently services as the Director of Case Management at Onslow Memorial Hospital. In addition to her hospital work, she provides psychotherapy services through the Center for Emotional Health.