Navajo County Family Advocacy Center schedules May 9 symposium on child abuse, offers forensic interviewing and crisis aid

Navajo County’s Family Advocacy Center will host a Victims’ Rights Symposium on May 9 at the Snowflake MPC Auditorium to train local professionals, parents and youth on recognizing and responding to child abuse and online exploitation, organizers said.

"I am the director of the victim services department under the Navajo County Attorney's Office," said Roxanne Pergison, director of the victim services department, who appeared on the County Connection radio program to describe the center’s work. She said the center’s staff of 11 provide forensic interviewing, advocacy and therapy services and that the program serves about 50 victims a year, primarily children 18 and younger, and also some vulnerable adults.

The symposium, which carries a $10 registration fee and runs 8 a.m. to about 4 p.m., will include a keynote by Kara Robinson Chamberlain, breakout training sessions on child abuse awareness and online exploitation, a youth poster and 30‑second video PSA contest, and a catered luncheon and awards ceremony from about 12:30 to 2 p.m., Pergison said. Organizers are taking pre-registrations through Eventbrite at www.ncaosymposium.com.

The Family Advocacy Center (FAC) operates two locations, Pergison said: one in Show Low and one in Holbrook, the latter on Buffalo Street in the same building as the Holbrook Justice Court. She said both sites conduct forensic interviews; the Show Low FAC can also host a forensic medical exam when a physical injury is disclosed within five days.

"When law enforcement shows up, they do a preliminary investigation with that child, but then they stop it," Pergison said, describing the coordinated process. She said designated forensic interviewer Kylie Perkins performs interviews in a therapeutic setting using open-ended questions to avoid influencing a child’s account.

Funding for the victim services staff is primarily federal grants, Pergison said, naming VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) and VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) as sources. The FAC and its nonprofit arm also rely on fundraising: an annual golf tournament supplies a large share of fundraising revenue, and the symposium includes a raffle to support the center’s crisis fund. The raffle prize is a $1,600 Disneyland package for two (three nights, four days); tickets are $25 and sales are capped at 300.

Pergison said that recent training emphasis includes online sexual exploitation and trafficking, which she described as often occurring via social media and sometimes taking place within a child’s home. The symposium’s youth contest—poster or 30‑second video PSAs—aims to engage young people in prevention messaging.

The interview emphasized coordination among local law enforcement, medical providers and mental‑health professionals. "The FAC is kind of the hub for all of that," Pergison said, noting that in a small community responders often know one another and work across roles to support victims.

The center also assists with immediate needs after a crisis, Pergison said, using the crisis fund for hotel rooms, gas cards, food and clothing when necessary.

The program is open to professionals and the public; organizers said pre-registration is available via Eventbrite and that a QR code on the registration page will allow raffle-ticket purchases.

No formal votes or government actions were part of the radio interview segment.