April is designated as Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month, here in Missouri and across the nation. It is a month to highlight and make an extra effort to create awareness about the importance of strengthening families and preventing child abuse and neglect.  As one of the founders of the Child Abuse Prevention Program at Jewish Family Services, NCJWSTL is proud to amplify this vital issue.

For our April Lunch & Learn we are excited to welcome Jeff Dion from the Zero Abuse Project. Jeff is an attorney, survivor, and nationally recognized victim advocate. He comes to the Zero Abuse Project after more than twenty years with the National  Center for Victims of Crime, where he served as the Director of the National Crime Victim Bar Association. He has led efforts to reform civil statutes of limitation to expand access to justice for victims of child sex abuse.

From 2002 to 2010 Jeff served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Virginia Criminal Justice Services Board where he charged the Victim Services Advisory Committee. He has received numerous awards including the 2006 Ronald Wilson Reagan Public Policy Award presented by the U.S. Department of Justice for outstanding innovation and commitment to crime victim legislation. He earned his undergraduate and a law degree from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University.

We look forward to having him join us on April 21, 2022!