From left, Solicitor Barry Barnette presents an award to USC Upstate’s Dr. Jennifer Parker for her efforts to combat child abuse through education.

The 7^th Circuit Solicitor’s Office recently awarded the Bill Barnet Service Above Self Award to Dr. Jennifer Parker in recognition of her tireless efforts to combat child abuse through education. Former Solicitor Trey Gowdy created the award in 2007 to recognize unsung community leaders who tirelessly work to Spartanburg a better place. Award recipients personify the work ethic and dedication shown by the former Spartanburg mayor and valued community servant. During the award presentation, Solicitor Barry Barnette cited Dr. Parker’s numerous efforts to combat child abuse through education.

Parker is the program director at University of South Carolina Upstate Child Protection Training Center, provides exceptional training for child protection workers both locally and nationally one is of only four centers of its kind nationally.

The USC Upstate Child Protection Training Center offers a rare opportunity for multi-disciplinary team members to hone their skills by following real world scenarios from intake to prosecution. Comprised of both a mock house and a mock court room, the center presents its participants with hands on opportunities to improve their skills in detection, reporting and responding. Trainings provided by similar centers, have proven to improve competence and confidence levels of participants, which leads to improved prevention, investigations and prosecutions, as well as lower employee turnover.

For more information, contact Dr. Jennifer Parker at (864) 503-5671 or jparker@uscupstate.edu.

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