More than 1,100 people, including child abuse experts, are attending an international conference on child abuse and domestic violence in Mission Valley this week.
The 25th annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment, which ends Thursday, features workshops on sexual exploitation and human trafficking, obesity in maltreated children, child abuse treatment in other countries, childhood cruelty to animals, and interviewing child witnesses of violent crimes.
One session Tuesday focused on mental health issues facing Spanish-speaking families.
Evelin Gomez, a University of Colorado School of Medicine faculty instructor, said mental health therapists are more effective when they are familiar with immigration and other potentially traumatic issues affecting Latino families.
Children from undocumented families can be traumatized by experiences crossing the border or the deportation of a loved one, she said.
She follows Spanish-language programs to help her better understand immigrant families, she said.
"I want to know what's going on with the population I'm working with," Gomez said.
The conference is organized by the Chadwick Center for Children & Families at Rady Children's Hospital. For more information about registration visit sandiegoconference.org. The conference is taking place at the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center in Mission Valley.
The conference began as a national conference in 1986 and has grown in scope.
The Chadwick Center for Children and Families provides a variety of services including assessment of child abuse victims and witnesses of violence.
Leonel.sanchez@sandiegored.com
