The criminal justice system demands a lot from survivors, including ongoing interviewing and evidence-gathering, continued court appearances, testifying at trial, and more. This session will focus on evidence-based coping strategies to cope with dysregulation, including mindfulness and grounding.
Survivors can use grounding techniques to prevent emotional dysregulation during their testimony and the entire court process. This better prepares victims to handle the retraumatization of testifying and creates an opportunity for them to engage meaningfully with the criminal justice system.
Using a recent case, presenters will discuss a collaborative approach between a prosecutor and a mental health provider to assist survivors navigating the criminal justice system. Survivor needs are addressed from a trauma-informed stance that underscores the nuanced difficulties of participating in the criminal justice system.