This work is hard. You show up for survivors, witnesses, and victims on their worst days — and you do it with grace, professionalism, and a dog by your side. But who shows up for you?
In this facilitated group discussion, Katie Gray — founder of the Empowered Heart Foundation and a passionate advocate for handler wellness — creates a space for honest conversation about the emotional weight of this work and the self-care practices that make it sustainable. Drawing on her expertise and the lived experience in the room, Katie will guide participants through a candid exploration of what it means to care for yourself so you can continue to care for others.
This is not a lecture. It is a conversation — one where the collective wisdom and experience of handlers in the room is as valuable as anything on the agenda. Come ready to connect, share, and leave with something real to carry forward.
The most important research questions don't always come from a laboratory — they come from the field. From the handlers, program administrators, and justice professionals who live this work every day and know firsthand where the gaps are, where the uncertainty lives, and what answers would make the biggest difference.
In this session, Dr. Jennifer Thompson facilitates a structured conversation designed to do exactly that — gather handler perspectives to help shape CDF's future research priorities and educational agenda. What do you wish the science could tell you? What questions come up in your work that no one has yet answered? Where do you need more evidence to make your case?
Your insight matters. This session is your opportunity to help set the direction — and to ensure that future conferences, curriculum, and research efforts reflect what handlers and programs actually need. Come with your questions, your gaps, and your ideas. This one is for you.
