Stay informed. Stay connected. Strengthen youth safety together.
About the Series
The Office of Youth Protection’s 2025-26 Youth Protection Convenings offer UW faculty, staff, and academic personnel educational opportunities to deepen knowledge and strengthen practices that promote youth safety and well-being.
Sign up now for the full series or select the sessions most relevant to you.
Youth Protection Forum
Expert-led webinars on emerging youth protection topics, such as mental health, online risks, and professional boundaries. These sessions are relevant to anyone who interacts with youth—whether personally or through professional roles in academic programs, admissions, athletics, healthcare, research, internships, college access, and outreach. Planned Dates: January 15, April 9. Register now to receive Zoom links, schedule updates, agendas, and any follow-up materials or recordings.
Youth Protection Forum | January 15, 2026 | 10:00-11:30am | Registration Required
Supporting the Online Wellbeing of Youth
Presented by the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) Prevention Team
Topics to be discussed:
- Online threats youth are facing (sextortion, AI, depictions of a minor law, exposure to pornography)
- Why kids don’t disclose online harassment and abuse
- Digital literacy for youth and adults
- Clinical impacts and treatment for crimes online
- Handling disclosures and supporting survivors
Presenters:
Jessica Cowles graduated in 2016 from Eastern Washington University with a BA in Psychology and Criminal Justice. She worked as a street outreach worker and case manager working with at-risk and homeless youth at Nexus Youth and Families for 2 and a half years. Jessica started at KCSARC as a legal advocate and specialized in work with commercially sexually exploited youth and in assisting victims with obtaining protection orders. She moved to the KCSARC prevention team in March of 2022. She was born and raised in Washington State, but her mother was born and raised in Hawaii and most of her family still resides there, and she has a black cat named Nani who is 11 years old.
Hannah Pepin joined the KCSARC prevention team in May of 2022. Previously, she worked as a mental health therapist seeing kids, adolescents, and adults at Salveo Counseling Center in Redmond. Hannah passed her clinical social work exam in 2024 and is a fully licensed independent clinical social worker. She moved to WA in 2021 after graduating from Boston College with an MSW in clinical mental health as well as a BA in Psychology and Gender and Women’s Studies from Connecticut College, where she began her work in sexual violence prevention as an intern in the Office of Sexual Violence Prevention and Advocacy. She loves coffee and spends most of her free time reading or walking her dog.
Chris Johnson began his career at KCSARC in 2002 as a prevention education specialist. In 2009 he left to attended graduate school at the University of Washington, earning a master’s degree in social work. Chris returned to KCSARC in 2016 as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and worked for five years as a trauma therapist, serving children and adult victims of sexual assault and abuse. In 2021, Chris became the director of prevention services and now manages KCSARC prevention team and continues to engage communities in violence prevention. Chis is also a peer reviewer for the Journal of Trauma, Violence & Abuse. In addition to KCSARC, Chris has worked as a counselor at Youth Care, a clinical care consultant with the Alzheimer’s Association, a mental health clinician for Full Life Care and a social worker for Providence Hospice of Seattle.
Register now to receive the Zoom link, agenda, follow-up materials, and access to the recording.
Youth Protection Forum | April 9, 2026 | 10:00-11:30am | Registration Required
Check back for more details closer to the date. Register now to receive Zoom links, schedule updates, agendas, and any follow-up materials or recordings.
Youth Protection Forum | October 9, 2025 | 10:00-11:30am
Forefront Suicide Prevention
Forefront Suicide Prevention will present LEARN®. Forefront’s proprietary LEARN model follows the standards for gatekeeper trainings laid out by SAMHSA and the CDC. Gatekeeper trainings help professionals and community members identify and support people at risk for suicide, and are a valuable part of comprehensive suicide prevention programming. Forefront works with high-risk industries, special populations, including youth, and professionals working in the mental health field, but also offers general trainings for communities or workplaces looking to strengthen their suicide prevention programming and awareness.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the public health issue of youth suicide and why young people may consider suicide.
- Identify, understand, and be ready to support someone who may be at risk for suicide.
- Apply the LEARN steps in a practice scenario.
Presenter Bios:
Sam Pacampara joined Forefront Suicide Prevention as a School Mental Health Specialist in Spring 2023. Sam brings six years of school counseling experience in comprehensive high schools in Oregon and Washington. She holds her Masters of Education in School Counseling from Seattle University. Passionate about supporting schools in creating equitable and sustainable systems, she is an advocate for comprehensive mental health supports schoolwide so that all students can be their happiest, healthiest selves. She is honored to partner with school teams in meeting their unique and complex needs, whatever those may be on any given day.
Michelle Flores joined Forefront Suicide Prevention as a School Mental Health Specialist in Spring 2023. She received her BA in Anthropology from California State University, Long Beach and her MA in Marriage, Couple and Family Therapy from Lewis and Clark College. She has worked professionally in independent schools, and her background involves work as a program director in student and residential life. Her work is further informed by her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
New Mental Health Crisis Resource: Husky Assist
During the fall quarter, the UW Seattle campus will be launching Husky Assist, a new service that will provide on-demand, in-person mental health and substance use support to campus members (students, faculty, staff, campus daycare kids, etc.). The team, comprised of mental health clinicians, can both co-respond with UW Police, or respond solo, depending on the situation. Hours of operation will be Monday-Friday 11:00am-8:30pm.
Presenter: Jennifer Magnani is a licensed, clinical social worker who is the new director of the Husky Assist program, and has over 20 years of clinical and supervisory experience.
Youth Activity Leaders Circle
Discussion-based workshops featuring peer exchange, practical strategies, and timely youth protection issues. Designed for individuals who lead or coordinate youth programs and activities across academic, athletic, healthcare, research, and outreach settings. Planned Dates: February 12, March 12, May 14.
Youth Activity Leaders Circle | February 12, 2026 | 10:00-11:30am | Registration Required
Check back for more details closer to the date. Register now to receive Zoom links, schedule updates, agendas, and any follow-up materials or recordings.
Youth Activity Leaders Circle | March 12, 2026 | 10:00-11:30am | Registration Required
Check back for more details closer to the date. Register now to receive Zoom links, schedule updates, agendas, and any follow-up materials or recordings.
Youth Activity Leaders Circle | May 14, 2026 | 10:00-11:30am | Registration Required
Check back for more details closer to the date. Register now to receive Zoom links, schedule updates, agendas, and any follow-up materials or recordings.
Youth Activity Leaders Circle | November 13, 2025 | 10:00-11:30am
Join us for a collaborative discussion on how youth participant conduct codes help prevent bullying, harassment, and abuse—while fostering belonging and inclusion. Youth Protection will introduce a new participant conduct code template for activity leaders to use. This session is a chance to connect with peers, share ideas, and explore best practices for supporting safe and inclusive youth activities.
How to Participate
Register Now for the full series or select the sessions most relevant to you. Once registered, you’ll receive Zoom links, schedule updates, agendas, and any follow-up materials or recordings.
In-Person Social Events
Seasonal gatherings at the Gateway Building Rooftop Space (above the U-District Light Rail Station) to be scheduled in December and May or June. Complete the registration form to request more information.
Summer Youth Activities Debrief
Each fall quarter, we host an annual debrief for faculty and staff involved in UW summer youth activities. This session provides an opportunity to connect, build community, and reflect on the past summer’s programs. The Youth Protection team facilitates discussions to identify key takeaways and incorporate them into planning for the year ahead.
Have a Topic in Mind?
Share your ideas for future convenings in the registration form.