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Keynote Speaker
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Dr. Getz is committed to supporting the professionalization of youth work in the U.S. Throughout her 30+ years as a faculty member in the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington she led the development of the major and minor in Youth Development and works to support the design, delivery, and evaluation of a wide variety of topics in youth development, trauma-informed perspectives, supporting high-quality child and youth care, and community engagement. She is the President of the Child and Youth Care Certification Board, where she focuses on building partnerships and identifying ways to build collaboration among and between professional disciplines that serve youth and families. | Deb is particularly passionate about educating youth workers and the public about exploitation and human trafficking identification and prevention. She was a Fellow for the 2023 Human Trafficking Leadership Academy through the US Office of Trafficking in Persons; is an active member of the Indiana Prevention Education Coalition; and actively engages with individuals 13 and older to build awareness of exploitation and assist them in creating action plans for when exploitation occurs. |
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Carolina Inn | 211 Pittsboro St, Chapel Hill This hotel block is sold out! You may call the hotel directly at (919) 933-2001 to check availability. The rooms will be offered at a higher rate. A mainstay of the University of North Carolina campus for over 100 years, The Carolina Inn is a historic Chapel Hill hotel that immerses its visitors in southern hospitality and comfort. The Carolina Inn is located near popular UNC sites including the football stadium, medical center and charming Franklin Street. |
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The Graduate Chapel Hill | 311 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill Booking Link - cutoff date is August 28, 2025 | Room rates: $249 + tax An undeniably local stay, Graduate Chapel Hill immerses you in Tar Heel traditions and local history, with creative interiors and college nostalgia. Located downtown, just steps from UNC, it's the perfect base for exploring. Stay and enjoy our Carolina Blue guest rooms, welcoming Trophy Room restaurant, and signature Graduate touches. |
Local area information and transportation details
Agenda
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Introducing Dinner Pods – a new way to socialize and connect! Wednesday, October 1 at 6:00 PM ET Instead of a large group dinner this year, HEPNet is hosting Dinner Pods to enhance networking and create a more personal social experience. Join a small group of fellow attendees to enjoy the vibrant culinary scene of Chapel Hill, NC. Here’s how it works:
Space is limited — sign up early! |
Thank You to Our Conference Sponsors!
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Cozen O’Connor’s Institutional Response Group is nationally recognized for their knowledge and experience related to child sexual and physical abuse, child protection, and child protective services laws. They frequently advise clients in evaluating and responding to current or historical allegations of abuse in a legally informed and open and transparent manner designed to promote child safety and welfare. Their experience includes several high-profile external investigations for clients including colleges and universities, religious institutions, health care providers, daycare centers, summer camps, and K-12 schools. They conduct training and prevention programs on the identification and prevention of child abuse; provide child protection audits, advise on protection planning related to background checks, professional boundaries, physical plant, and mandatory reporter policies; coordinate internal investigations with child protective services and local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies; and conducts child abuse investigations. |
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Ideal-Logic has 15 years of experience implementing participant registration and protection of minors compliance systems. At Ideal-Logic we partner with our customers to provide a fully customizable web-based software system to meet their specific program and compliance policy needs. We provide exceptional customer service and use our expertise in working with many other universities and colleges to share insights into ways of automating and improving your processes. |
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Camp Management Software That Does it All | CIRCUITREE Looking for a comprehensive camp management software? Look no further than CIRCUITREE. Our platform helps camp directors and staff manage operations, boost revenue, and improve the parent experience. |
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CampDoc is a leading camp management software and electronic health record system. They provide a secure and easy-to-use web-based solution for managing health forms, medications/allergies, and health logging for camps and youth programs. |
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The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation whose mission is to help find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization. NCMEC works with families, victims, private industry, law enforcement, and the public to assist with preventing child abductions, recovering missing children, and providing services to deter and combat child sexual exploitation. NCMEC believes every child deserves a safe childhood. |
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Reach Student Life Management is the trusted platform for over 550 schools and youth programs across five continents, setting the global benchmark for school and camp automation. Designed specifically for residential life, Reach helps institutions manage risk, improve accountability, and streamline operations through 18+ integrated modules—including student location tracking, leave and transportation management, emergency response, wellness and pastoral care, medication administration, attendance, and more. With deep roots in education and a team of former school leaders and dorm staff, Reach delivers a secure, cloud-based solution that empowers campuses to create safer, more connected environments for students, staff, and families. |
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Praesidium is the leading innovator of scientifically based solutions designed to transform the way organizations approach the prevention of sexual abuse. Praesidium’s expertise, consulting, and solutions help to foster safer environments for children, vulnerable adults, staff, volunteers, and all parties involved. For over 30 years, Praesidium has trained more than one million people online and hundreds of thousands in person. As the largest and most comprehensive sexual abuse risk management firm globally, Praesidium knows how sexual abuse happens and, more importantly, how to prevent it. |
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Description: Built on years of summer programming with National Student Leadership Conference, EngageU by NSLC understands the intricacies of running a successful educational program. From logistics and staff development to student engagement and university partnerships, we know exactly what it takes to make a program thrive. We are the trusted partner for universities seeking to develop or expand their internal summer offerings, providing expert guidance, strategic solutions, and dedicated support to foster exceptional student experiences. We handle the details so you can focus on what matters most—creating impactful learning opportunities. |
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Hiring is one of the most crucial decisions you’ll make regarding keeping students, faculty, and staff safe. With aINSIGHT as your trusted background screening partner, we can help ensure that those with direct access to students have been screened and vetted, including those entrusted with students during internships and summer programs. aINSIGHT has over 34 years of proven experience in delivering successful background screening solutions. We partner with more than 40 higher education institutions, and several public-school districts, aINSIGHT can help you develop a comprehensive screening program that best meets your organization’s needs |
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SecureSearch provides comprehensive background screening services designed for university and college campus environments. These services include criminal background checks, resume verification, and drug screening, all aimed at ensuring the safety and security of the campus community and protecting youth on campus. SecureSearch adheres to compliance with applicable laws, including the FCRA, to deliver thorough and accurate screenings. Safeguard from Abuse is a crucial Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Training program specifically beneficial for university and college settings. This training educates campus staff and volunteers on recognizing the signs of abuse, understanding grooming behaviors, and knowing how to respond appropriately to protect youth and vulnerable individuals on campus. It complements background checks by providing essential knowledge and empowering the campus community to create a safer environment. |
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For over 20 years, NCSI has helped organizations create safer environments through reliable background screening and policy guidance. We make the process Safe, Simple, and Secure - so you can focus on what matters most. |
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SystemsAnalytix offers enterprise-ready, AI-powered solutions built on the Microsoft Power Platform to transform risk management and program compliance in higher education and youth-serving organizations. Our products deliver powerful, secure tools for tracking incidents and managing program requirements, empowering institutions to improve safety, accountability, and operational efficiency through data-driven insights. IncidentAnalytix is a comprehensive incident tracking and case management system that enables institutions to document, analyze, and respond to a wide range of incidents—from Title IX and bias reports to discipline cases, medical events, international travel, and more. ProgramAnalytix automates program compliance by capturing all incoming programs and applying institutional requirements automatically. It notifies key stakeholders when new programs are added and provides a fully auditable approval system to ensure alignment with organizational and regulatory standards before launch. With advanced AI integration and Copilot Agents, institutions can reduce staff time spent managing incidents and programs by up to 50%. |
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The Forum for Youth Investment is a national nonprofit dedicated to helping all young people — and the adults who support them — thrive. It does this by strengthening youth programs, shaping informed policies, and improving systems to work more effectively for everyone. Its signature initiative, the Weikart Center for Program Quality, offers training, coaching, assessments, and evaluation services to enhance the quality of youth programs across the country. |
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Our programs are designed to help prevent wrongdoing and promote "right doing" within organizations. NCS Risk Services programs empower organizations and people to take action as safe adults and improve the lives of everyone with whom they interact within organizations. The organization that eventually became NCS Risk Services, LLC, was first created in 1998. Since its inception, NCS Risk Services continues to evolve to go above and beyond the needs of organizations to safeguard programs and people. Over 6 million adults have been trained through our programs across multiple organizations. We work with many different organizations including schools, sports, clubs, professional associations, and others. |
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The American Camp Association® (ACA) is a national organization serving the more than 20,000 year-round and summer camps in the US who annually serve 26 million campers. ACA is committed to collaborating with those who believe in quality camp and outdoor experiences for children, youth, and adults. ACA provides advocacy, evidence-based education, and professional development, and is the only independent national accrediting body for the organized camp experience. ACA accreditation provides public evidence of a camp's voluntary commitment to the health, safety, risk management, and overall well-being of campers and staff. For more information, visit ACAcamps.org or call 800-428-2267. |
HOST A FUTURE HEPNET CONFERENCE
Due by June 15 for consideration for next year. Submissions received after June 15 will be considered for hosting in two years, not the following.
PAST CONFERENCES
2024 Conference: Moving the Needle - Creating Space for Youth Protection | October 21-24, 2024 | Seattle, WA and virtual
2023 Conference: Youth Protection on My Mind | October 2-5, 2023 | Athens, GA and virtual
2022 Conference: Driving Youth Protection | September 13-16, 2022 | Indianapolis, Indiana and virtual
2021 Conference: Back to the Future | October 4-7, 2021 | Virtual
2020 Conference: Keeping Clear Vision in Times of Change | October 12-15, 2020 | Virtual
2019 Conference: Giant Leaps in Youth Protection in Higher Education | October 7-10, 2019 | West Lafayette, Indiana
2018 Conference: Innovate and Elevate: Building Awareness and Developing New Strategies | October 16-19, 2018 | Salt Lake City, Utah
2017 Conference: All In: Advancing Youth Protection in Higher Ed | October 17-20, 2017 | Clemson, South Carolina
2016 Conference: Conference on Youth Programs in Higher Education- Policy & Procedure: Two Step Toward Compliance | October 20-22, 2016 | San Antonio, Texas (hosted by Texas A&M)
2015 Conference: Minors on Campus Conference | October 21-23, 2015 | College Station, Texas (hosted by Texas A&M)
2014 Conference: Minors on Campus Conference | October 25, 2014 | College Station, Texas (hosted by Texas A&M)
2014 Meeting/Conference: Baltimore Meeting on Higher Ed Child Protection | May 12-14, 2014 | Baltimore, MD (hosted by Ann Franke)
We held the first in-person meeting in Baltimore on May 13-14, 2014. The University Risk Management and Insurance Association (URMIA) accepted a proposal for a youth protection panel at its mid-Atlantic regional meeting. We gathered as a group of about 20 people for two separate conversations during that conference.