AMWA’s Domestic Violence Prevention Working Group Presents:

When Helping Patients Hurts:

Domestic Violence, Vicarious Trauma, and the Journey of Healing

A diverse panel of voices, including interdisciplinary providers, survivors, and passionate policy advocates, join to share their unique experiences and insights.

Saturday, October 11th
1-4:30 pm ET

Register

Join us for our Fourth Annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month Webinar, an interdisciplinary event dedicated to deepening understanding, promoting healing, and fostering resilience for both survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the healthcare professionals who care for them.

This year’s webinar will explore the theme of healing after trauma, with meaningful discussions about how healthcare providers can support patients in the healing process, and a special emphasis on the emotional toll that caring for survivors has on providers. Our keynote speaker will address compassion fatigue—its impact and strategies for sustainable, empathetic care.

The event will also feature:
A dynamic panel of interdisciplinary providers, including a physician, nurse, and director of a violence intervention program, who will share practical tools and insights on how to support survivors of IPV throughout the healing process, as well as handle the emotional impact of caring for survivors.

A powerful survivor panel, where individuals with lived experience will share their personal journeys, reflections on care they received, and what they want healthcare professionals to know when supporting survivors.

This event is open to healthcare providers, trainees, students, and anyone interested in trauma-informed, survivor-centered care. Participants will leave with a richer understanding of IPV, actionable strategies for compassionate care, and renewed perspective on the importance of provider well-being.

If you would like to contribute to the mission of the Domestic Violence Prevention Group, please consider making a donation. Donations allow us to continue hosting educational and inspiring events!

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Meet the Speakers

Dr. Athena D. F. Sherman, PhD, PHN, RN, CNE (xe/they)
Assistant Professor, Emory University School of Nursing
Dr. Athena Sherman is an Assistant Professor at Emory University School of Nursing. As a queer person and survivor of violence, Sherman’s program of research focuses on improving our understanding of how complex systems of racism, cisgenderism and heterosexism influence health and health equity for racial, ethnic, sexual, and gender diverse populations, with a focused lens on the impacts of stigma, trauma, and violence on health among transgender and gender diverse people.

Anjuli Amin, Ph.D.
Senior Practitioner Psychologist, Dental & Oral-Maxillofacial Trauma Psychology, Royal London Dental Hospital, United Kingdom
Dr. Anjuli Amin obtained her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Southern Illinois University, with advanced training in behavioral medicine, social justice, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She is currently on staff at the Royal London Dental Hospital, where she supports staff wellbeing and provides psychological care to patients in the Oral Medicine and Facial Trauma clinics. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Amin is passionate about education and regularly teaches psychology trainees, medical residents, and healthcare professionals about the psychotherapy process.
Website: www.DrAnjuliAmin.com

Tori Ehrhardt, MD
Medical Toxicology Fellow and Emergency Medicine Physician, Emory University
Dr. Ehrhardt is a second-year medical toxicology fellow at the Emory University Toxicology program and Emergency Department physician. She completed her emergency medicine residency training at Emory where she served as Chief Resident. Her academic interests include addiction medicine, specifically opioid use disorder, as well as medical education.

Lynn Frederick-Hawley,MA
Executive Director, Mount Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program (SAVI), Mount Sinai Health System and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Lynn has been working in the field of sexual and domestic violence for 32 years, twenty of which have been at Mount Sinai. She is responsible for an organization that serves on average 600 survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence a year across 10 hospitals in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn plus several hundred survivors in trauma therapy and other services across New York City.

Omofolarin Debellotte, RN, BSN, MSc
Registered Nurse, VNS Health & Founder, The Partum Project
Omofolarin Debellotte is a registered nurse with nearly 10 years of experience. She holds a master’s degree from NYU Tandon School of Engineering and has provided care in hospitals, nursing homes, and community health settings. Alongside her clinical work, she has served in leadership roles within national medical organizations and founded The Partum Project, which supports underserved families through access to health resources and education, while also advocating for survivors of domestic violence and advancing health equity.

Agenda

1 PM EST/10 AM PST Welcome
Courtney Chau
Jade Ranshoff

1:05 pM EST/10:05 AM PST KEYNOTE – Beyond Self-Care: Strength and Sustainability in Caring for Survivors
Anjuli Amin, PhD

1:50 PM EST/10:50 AM PST Interprofessional Panel
Tori Ehrhardt, MD
Athena D.F. Sherman, PhD, PHN, RN, CNE
Lynn Frederick-Hawley, MA
Omofolarin Debellotte, RN, BSN, MSc
Anjuli Amin, PhD

2:45 PM EST/11:45 AM PST Break

2:50 PM EST/11:50 AM PST Survivor Panel

4:20 PM EST/1:20 PM PST Thank you & Sponsors
Courtney Chau
Jade Ranshoff