Change the Conversation

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Change the Conversation Our mission is to engage all communities in the prevention of and healing from child sexual abuse.

This week, Change the Conversation’s Director of Prevention and Education, Chelsea McGonigle, returned to her alma mater...
10/16/2026

This week, Change the Conversation’s Director of Prevention and Education, Chelsea McGonigle, returned to her alma mater, Westminster High School, to deliver the keynote address at the Carroll County Student Government Association’s General Assembly.

In Stand Up: The Power of Noticing What Matters, Chelsea spoke to student leaders about recognizing the power of their voices, pursuing what matters to them, and understanding that meaningful leadership begins with the courage to act. Drawing from her personal and professional journey, she reminded students that even the smallest actions can create a lasting impact.

Her message reflected the heart of Change the Conversation’s mission: preventing child sexual abuse requires more than awareness. It requires a collective commitment to recognizing harm, challenging silence, and creating communities where children feel safe, seen, and supported.

Every person has a role to play, and meaningful change begins when we move beyond knowing something matters to taking responsibility for what happens next.

Making a report to Child Protective Services (CPS) is only the beginning of a much larger process. This session provides...
10/06/2026

Making a report to Child Protective Services (CPS) is only the beginning of a much larger process. This session provides an inside look at how CPS screening decisions are made, why some reports meet the legal threshold for investigation while others do not, and what happens after a report is received.

Led by experienced professionals from the Frederick County Department of Social Services, participants will gain a clearer understanding of Maryland's screening process, relevant legal standards, and the role of mandated reporters within the broader child protection system. We hope attendees leave feeling more confident in their reporting decisions and better prepared to make reports that support child safety.

For training participants licensed in Maryland, this activity is approved for 3.0 continuing education hours for licensed Maryland Social Workers, Professional Counselors and Psychologists.

For training participants licensed as a social worker outside of Maryland, Harford Counseling, LLC (Provider number: 2705), is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: (1/15/26- 1/15/27). Social workers participating in this training will receive up to 3.0 credits of Category 1 Continuing Education Credits.

Contact information: Jennifer Redding, LCSW-C c/o Harford Counseling, LLC [email protected]. This training has been classified as beginning level courses for the purposes of ACE.

For this training, continuing education hours are not available for counselors licensed outside of Maryland.

📅Register at: https://changetheconversation.org/trainings/

Concerns about child sexual abuse are often hidden inside family law matters, surfacing in custody, divorce, or visitati...
09/11/2026

Concerns about child sexual abuse are often hidden inside family law matters, surfacing in custody, divorce, or visitation cases. Attorneys are in a unique position to support prevention, promote child safety, and keep legal practice trauma-informed.

This session addresses how CSA concerns arise in family law, the role of Child Protective Services and Child Advocacy Centers, how to handle disclosures, and how to use safe legal strategies and parenting plans to protect children. Together, we'll work through practical tools for screening, responding to allegations, collaborating with other professionals, and applying ethical considerations in complex cases. We hope attorneys leave better prepared to recognize what they are seeing and to respond in ways that keep children safer.

📅Register at: https://changetheconversation.org/trainings/

We were delighted to join Harford County Public Schools at their Partnership Fair during the annual HCPS Leadership Laun...
08/07/2026

We were delighted to join Harford County Public Schools at their Partnership Fair during the annual HCPS Leadership Launch on Wednesday! It was an amazing opportunity to connect with HCPS Central Office administrators and school-based leaders.
Pictured: Chelsea McGonigle, Director of Prevention and Education with Brittany Pettus, Senior Curriculum and Training Specialist.

Young adults are building relationships, identities, and communities in digital spaces that can offer connection and opp...
08/06/2026

Young adults are building relationships, identities, and communities in digital spaces that can offer connection and opportunity but also pose risks. No longer children but still developing socially and emotionally, many 18–24-year-olds are navigating situations that can escalate quickly and feel difficult to recognize or talk about. This session helps professionals better understand the realities of online engagement among young adults and explores practical, trauma-informed strategies for supporting safer online decision-making.
Together, we’ll explore how to help young adults recognize concerns, strengthen boundaries, respond to unsafe situations, and use accessible tools to increase digital safety. We hope participants leave feeling more prepared to support young adults in navigating online spaces with greater awareness, confidence, and safety.

Last week, our team was at the Maryland Center for School Safety ! Our Director of Prevention and Education, Chelsea, pr...
07/29/2026

Last week, our team was at the Maryland Center for School Safety ! Our Director of Prevention and Education, Chelsea, presented on "Risks and Responses to Children Sharing Explicit Materials": examining how digital platforms, peer dynamics, and developmental factors intersect to increase vulnerability to online exploitation. The session equipped caregivers, educators, and professionals with concrete skills to recognize risk, respond appropriately to disclosures, and foster safer, more supportive online and offline environments for young people.

Thank you to everyone who joined our session or stopped by to learn more about our work!

Meet Megan Steele, our new Prevention and Education Specialist for Anne Arundel County! 🌟Megan brings a diverse backgrou...
07/24/2026

Meet Megan Steele, our new Prevention and Education Specialist for Anne Arundel County! 🌟
Megan brings a diverse background spanning crisis intervention, pediatric behavioral health, and classroom instruction. Most recently, she served as a Crisis and Access Specialist with the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline, and previously worked as a Psychiatric and Behavioral Specialist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, facilitating therapy groups for children and adolescents.
A graduate of Towson University, Megan is deeply committed to advocacy, inclusion, and empowering young people.
Welcome to the team, Megan!

Schools can play a powerful role in child sexual abuse prevention, but prevention does not begin and end in the classroo...
07/23/2026

Schools can play a powerful role in child sexual abuse prevention, but prevention does not begin and end in the classroom. Children move through many environments each day and each setting can strengthen safety, connection, and protective relationships.
In this session, presenters will share a practical school-based prevention model and explore the key principles that make prevention efforts more effective, sustainable, and accessible for children and families. Together, we’ll explore how these same prevention principles can be adapted across a variety of child-serving environments. We hope participants leave with practical ideas, adaptable tools, and greater confidence in creating safer spaces wherever they support children and families.

Register at: https://changetheconversation.org/trainings/

Meet Brittany Pettus, our new Senior Curriculum and Training Specialist! 📚Brittany brings more than 15 years of experien...
07/22/2026

Meet Brittany Pettus, our new Senior Curriculum and Training Specialist! 📚
Brittany brings more than 15 years of experience in public education and curriculum leadership, with a career dedicated to advancing student health, safety, and well-being. She began as a middle school health education teacher before moving into district-level curriculum leadership, where she led professional development for educators on safety, violence prevention, and skills-based health education.
Most recently, she led a team revising health education curricula to align with updated Maryland State Department of Education standards.
Her expertise will help us expand Turn the Talk and strengthen prevention education across Maryland.
Welcome, Brittany!

Meet Gabrielle Higdon, our new Prevention and Education Specialist for Montgomery County and Baltimore City! 🎓Gabrielle ...
07/17/2026

Meet Gabrielle Higdon, our new Prevention and Education Specialist for Montgomery County and Baltimore City! 🎓
Gabrielle joins us with extensive experience in student mental health, school leadership, and youth programming. Most recently, she served as both a School Counselor and Dean of Students, leading behavioral supports, crisis response, and student mental health initiatives — while also developing a social-emotional learning curriculum used across a network of partner schools.
She holds a Master's in General Psychology from Nova Southeastern University.
Welcome, Gabrielle!

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Stevenson, MD

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