The September 2026 Call for Presenters is now open!
CONFERENCE THEME:
Safety, Alignment, & Accountability
Comprehensive and effective domestic violence response requires coordinated systems that center survivor safety, autonomy, and accountability. This year’s conference will focus on how alignment across legal, service, and treatment systems can reduce harm, strengthen safety, and support meaningful change for survivors, families, and communities.
The conference will explore how domestic violence law, service systems, and intervention approaches intersect—and how misalignment across systems can unintentionally increase risk, burden, and trauma for survivors and children. Participants will examine practical strategies for navigating these systems in ways that support safety, accountability, and survivor choice.
This conference will bring together professionals working across Utah’s domestic violence response systems—including direct service providers, program leadership, clinicians, domestic violence offender service providers, child welfare professionals, and justice system partners—to explore trauma-informed, survivor-centered approaches to coordinated response.
Attendees will gain insights into:
How legal and service systems shape survivor safety, autonomy, and accountability outcomes
How system fragmentation can increase harm—and how alignment can reduce risk
Practical strategies for navigating custody, protective orders, criminal processes, housing, child welfare, and treatment systems in DV cases
How shared language and expectations across systems improve outcomes for survivors and families
WORKSHOP CONTENT:
Workshop proposals should align with the conference theme and focus on practical, skills-based strategies that support coordinated, survivor-centered responses to domestic violence.
Presentations may address, but are not limited to:
Child custody and visitation when domestic violence is present
Civil protective orders
Criminal court processes related to DV
Divorce and separation involving DV
Coercive control and court narratives
Accountability and intervention standards
Systems alignment and information sharing
Working with child welfare in DV cases
Housing protections and DV-related legal remedies
Supporting survivors who choose not to engage legal systems
Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the content supports survivor safety, autonomy, accountability, and effective system coordination.
TRAUMA-INFORMED FRAMEWORK:
Presentations should clearly articulate how the session aligns with SAMHSA’s six key principles of a trauma-informed approach:
Safety
Trustworthiness & Transparency
Peer Support
Collaboration & Mutuality
Empowerment (Voice & Choice)
Cultural, Historical, & Gender Issues
How these principles are integrated into the session will determine whether the presentation is designated as trauma-informed.
WORKSHOP DELIVERY CHOICES:
All workshop sessions will be 90 minutes in length, if you have a skills-based topic and would like two back-to-back 90-minute sessions (total of 180 minutes) please select this on the proposal form.
We highly encourage you to employ a presentation format that engages your colleagues in discussion and learning. For example 60 min lecture 30 min dialogue. Workshops may follow one of the following formats, or you may submit a proposal with an alternative format.
Facilitated Content: Presenters act as content leaders, presenting short segments of content and then leading engaging activities, group discussions, and participant reflections on how to apply their new knowledge to practice.
Panel Discussion: Includes two to three presenters who represent multiple institutions and/or perspectives on the same issue. Presenters create an engaging moderated discussion with dialogue, storytelling, case studies, and lessons learned to help participants apply concepts.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Deadline to submit a proposal: 04/30/2026
Decisions made by: 05/12/2026
Conference dates: September 2nd & 3rd, 2026
Submission Questions
Successful submissions will have innovative topics with presentations focused on creating interactive learning environments. During the submission process you will be asked to prepare the following:
Session title
Abstract, a summary of your presentation containing the primary learning objective (1,600 character limit)
Your presentation’s top three learning objectives
Short biography for each speaker involved in a presentation
Please select the dates and times where you are available to present
Workshop Selection Process
Workshop proposals will be reviewed by the Conference planning committee and other experts in the field. The committee will give priority to proposals that:
Have a clearly stated purpose and learning objectives.
Provide participants with strategies, information, and lessons learned that can be applied.
Must be interactive, apply adult learning strategies, and engage audience members.
Workshop applicants will receive an email notifying the status of their proposal by May 12th, 2026
Workshop Requirements and Policies
Presenters are requested to provide a copy of any PowerPoint slides by Aug 15th. These will be uploaded to the DV conference website along with any other materials a presenter wishes the audience to have. If it is not the regular practice of a presenter to disseminate such material, this can be discussed with the conference organizers.
Presenters will be required to complete registration to receive 100% entry to the conference. In the event that multiple speakers are presenting the same session, each additional speaker will be eligible to attend with a discount. *The code will be given when the abstract is completed & approved.
If you have any questions about the above please contact dvsconference@udvc.org