Schedule

Registration Check-In 
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Welcoming Remarks
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM

Opening Plenary Session – Celebrating the Spark of Collective Action: We, Us, Ours. The Power of One, The Power of Many
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM

CEU – 1

Description: Get up in the morning. Go to work. Come home. Have dinner. Help the kids get to bed so the ‘older kids’ can spend some time. Do Dishes. Watch TV. Go to Bed. Weighing on your mind is family, work, colleagues, the social-political climate, health, bills, regrets…and the new day begins again. Rinse & repeat. Through the year, what motivates you to do what you do every day, day in and day out? How much stress do you have each day? Research indicates that over 77% of adults experience symptoms associated with stress and close to 50% feel that their stress has increased in the past 5 years (American Inst. on Stress). Burnout may occur and makes it harder for us to keep going. As service providers, we often put our heart and soul into providing the very best for the survivors we care for and serve. How many of us can say the same for taking care of ourselves? We may not readily address the stress and trauma that we individually face. In turn, this can impact our productivity, livelihood, and overall well-being, and zap our inner spark. As the saying goes, we cannot pour from an empty cup. Varsha is a Mayo Clinic-Trained Wellness Coach and international speaker who has worked with diverse populations including refugees and sexual assault and domestic violence survivors in Ohio and across the nation. In this interactive keynote, Varsha discusses and explores different techniques to address and manage stress-touching upon researched-based practices of mindfulness, meditation, and play to help protect your special spark. For day after day, year after year, our bodies, minds, and hearts rely on us to take care of ourselves so we can keep rising despite any setbacks and continue to do the wonderful work we do each day. We are advocates, service providers, medical health professionals, law enforcement, military. We are diverse. We are beautiful. We are leaders, dreamers, visionaries, adventurers, go-getters, trendsetters and much, much more. Individually, we are powerful; together, we are unstoppable!

Varsha N., JD
International Speaker,
Mayo Clinic Trained Wellness Coach
Founder, ROAR T&C ® Training and Consulting, LLC

Bio: Varsha is a Mayo Clinic trained Wellness Coach and serves as an international speaker/consultant and is the founder of ROAR TC® (Training & Consulting), LLC. She serves as a life coach and consultant and delivers trainings around the world to diverse audiences including but not limited to law enforcement, advocates, judges, military personnel, and police chiefs and often co-presents with law enforcement officers as well. She is well-experienced in working with survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence in a variety of settings and has provided and directed the training of advocates and staff in skills and knowledge related to the support of sexual assault and domestic violence survivors. She has served as sexual assault advocate to survivors of sexual assault both on the crisis line and in hospital settings. Varsha has developed programs to broaden services provided by rape crisis centers, to improve protocols for advocates and to address unique challenges. Varsha has a passion for addressing a wide variety of topics including healing modalities, wellness, resiliency, stress relief, bias, mediation, diversity, cross-cultural communication, bystander intervention, domestic violence, and sexual assault and has worked with diverse immigrant, cultural populations, and interfaith communities. The mission of ROAR TC® is to engage professionals and community members to reflect and respond. When addressing complex social issues, such as sexual assault, bullying, diversity/inclusion, trauma informed care, barriers in communication and relationships we strive to successfully follow the steps outlined by ROAR T&C – Recognize, Observe, Analyze, and Respond®. Varsha’s ability to engage audiences around the world is notable – including but not limited to Rwanda, Greece, Italy, Australia, Spain amongst many other places to diverse professional groups including legal and medical professionals amongst other professions. For example, she provided trainings on domestic violence and sexual assault to groups of Judges in New Delhi Courts in India. Varsha has also received additional training through Harvard Medical School’s Program in Global Refugee Trauma focusing on global mental health issues affecting refugees worldwide. Her work experiences include working with diverse populations from Somalia, India, Iraq, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Nepal, Russia, and many more. Varsha received her BA from Columbia University in New York and later received her JD. She has also received additional training and enhanced her skills around wellness and stress reduction through the Mayo Clinic and the Yale School of Medicine’s Stress Center. As a Mayo Clinic trained wellness coach, she addresses a variety of issues including stress reduction, communication, health, and wellness goals. Her past and present diverse experiences include serving on national and local non-profit boards and committees dedicated to addressing issues related to diversity, elder abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence. Varsha serves on the Los Angeles Police Department DNA Taskforce, serves as Advisory Council to International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG- LA), serves as a Director on the Board of Directors, End Violence Against Women International, Co-Chair on the Los Angeles Domestic Violence Council’s committee on Domestic Violence & Religion and also has also served as Advisory Council to the United Nations Women’s Los Angeles Chapter.

Break – Stretch your legs, refill and recharge!
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM

Workshop Sessions
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

CEU – 1.5

Break – Stretch your legs, refill and recharge!
2:15 PM – 2:30 PM

Workshop Sessions
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM

CEU – 1.5

Registration Check-In 
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Closing Remarks
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM

Opening Plenary Session – Empowering Survivors: Understanding the Medical Forensic Examination
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM

CEU – 1

Description: Join us for an in-depth discussion designed to equip advocates with a comprehensive understanding of the medical forensic examination process for survivors at the hospital. Led by experienced advocates and forensic nurses, this discussion will walk you through a medical forensic exam, highlighting key procedures and considerations using a collaboration approach. This discussion aims to enhance collaboration and understanding, ensuring that survivors receive the compassionate and comprehensive assistance they need for their healing journey. 

Panelist: Amy Bailey, Director of Sexual Assault Services, The Domestic Violence Shelter Inc.
Bio: Amy Bailey is the dedicated and inspirational Director of Sexual Assault Services at The Domestic Violence Shelter Inc. With a remarkable 20-year career in victim services, Amy has devoted her life to helping victims turn their tragedies into successful endings—a passion that fuels her each morning. Her leadership shines through her professionally trained team of advocates and volunteers, who provide services and support to individuals of all ages, 24/7, even on holidays. Under her direction, the sexual assault team has expanded its capacity and improved accessibility, allowing them to serve all clients effectively. Amy’s extensive qualifications include a background in social work from BGSU, she is a Nationally Accredited Advocate with Advanced Standing in Comprehensive Services, holds her CDCA, and serves as a volunteer EMT in her spare time. Amy is a driving force in shaping a more positive social landscape for Richland County. She leverages her extensive experience and leadership roles in various committees across the county and state to advocate for critical social issues. Her unwavering dedication ensures that victims have access to essential care and support services. Amy’s personal life is as vibrant and full as her professional endeavors. With 19 years of marriage, she brings a strong sense of commitment and resilience to her work, qualities honed through the unique experiences of being a military spouse. She is a dedicated mother of five children and a cherished grandmother to five grandchildren. Beyond her work, Amy enjoys an active lifestyle. She finds rejuvenation in outdoor activities like boating on the lake, appreciating the beauty of nature, and seeking unique natural treasures such as “lucky” stones and beach glass. Amy Bailey embodies compassion and expertise that extends far beyond her professional duties. Her work is a testament to the transformative power of dedication, a true inspiration to all who strive for a more just and supportive community. She is an invaluable asset to The Domestic Violence Shelter Inc. and the countless lives she touches.

Panelist: Melisa Minier, BSN, RN, Forensic Manager, Mount Carmel
Bio: Fifteen years ago, Melisa joined the Mount Carmel team with a mission of service. Her passion of advocacy for victims of crime leading the way. She has worked nonstop in her role as Manager for Mount Carmel’s Forensics team, with the creation of the first full-time, full-scope, program in the state. The program addresses the needs of victims of crime from the moment they walked into the door. Care does not stop there, as it addresses needs throughout the care continuum. Areas of needs are addressed in the acute care setting, onto survivorship, and any barriers along the way that could inhibit recovery. This is a system-supported program which serves all types of victimization with a continually drive with education to improve prevention and detection of abuse. As an active trainer for Columbus’s S.T.O.P officers, her focus is on improving outcomes for strangulation survivors. She educates Franklin County Pre-Trial Municipal Court Magistrate and the City Attorney’s Office in the medical implications surrounding strangulation. She manages Mount Carmel’s Critical Incident Stress Response Team within the MCH system to respond to colleagues that have the unfortunate presentation of traumatic experiences that commonly befall healthcare workers everywhere. Her strengths have also fostered Mt. Carmel’s facilitation of an extensive follow-up program for patients and colleagues that have experienced different forms of victimization. She continuously strives to provide education within the medical and legal community, school systems as well as advocacy centers. Serving on various boards throughout the city and state, she collaborates to create and implement policy, protocol and procedures that impact the lives of victims of violence. She has served as President of the International Association of Forensic Nurses for the state of Ohio (2020-2022), received Forensic Nurse of the Year in 2023 and received the Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month’s Community Partner of the Year Award for 2024. Grateful and blessed are words that describe her feelings for the opportunity to work in this specialty field of care for victims, as well as the exceptional people who she has grown with in this challenging role. Her enthusiasm for has not diminished as she strives forward working diligently for advancement of victims’ rights and the protection for the victim who has experienced violence.

Panelist: Michelle Yeasting, BSN, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, Forensic Nurse Coordinator & Advocate for Victims of Violence

Bio: Michelle Yeasting is a dedicated Registered Nurse with over 15 years of experience in emergency room care and a passion for supporting survivors of sexual violence, domestic violence, human trafficking, elder abuse, and child abuse. As the Forensic Nurse Coordinator at Blanchard Valley Hospital, Michelle has been instrumental in developing a groundbreaking 24/7 on-call forensic nursing program for Findlay and Bluffton hospitals. She firmly believes that providing access to trained forensic nurses around the clock significantly improves outcomes for victims of violence, ensuring they receive specialized care when they need it most. Michelle holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing and is nationally certified as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner for both adult and adolescent (SANE-A) and pediatrics (SANE-P) by the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN). Her commitment to excellence in forensic nursing is evident through her leadership roles within the IAFN Ohio Chapter, where she served as Treasurer and President from 2019 to 2024. Additionally, Michelle has chaired the Northwest Ohio Rescue and Restore Coalition (NWORRC) in Hancock County and co-chaired the Sexual Assault Advisory Board of Ohio (SAABO). Michelle’s dedication to combatting human trafficking extends beyond healthcare as she actively serves on the Attorney General’s Healthcare Subcommittee for Human Trafficking. She was a valued Stakeholder in Project 21, Linking Systems of Care for Ohio’s Youth, where she contributed her expertise to the family and survivor’s group. Michelle’s exceptional contributions to the field of forensic nursing have been recognized through numerous awards, including being named Forensic Nurse of the Year in 2018 by the IAFN Ohio Chapter. Her outstanding service was further acknowledged when she was awarded Associate of the Year at Blanchard Valley Hospital in 2018 and honored as one of the Top Five Healthcare Workers of the Year in the State by the Ohio Hospital Association. Michelle’s tireless advocacy and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of survivors make her a highly sought-after speaker and a respected leader in the field of forensic nursing.

Break/Resource Fair
10:15 AM – 11:00 AM

Workshop Sessions
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM