ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hundreds of professionals who work with Bay-area children in the child welfare system took part in a new voluntary seminar at St. Petersburg College that experts say could save lives.

More than 400 people attended the “Jordan’s Law: Bringing Science to Child Safety" seminar Friday.

Like many others, clinical neuropsychologist and course designer Dr. James Lewis was deeply troubled by the 2018 death of 2-year-old Jordan Belliveau, whose body was found in a wooded area. His mother faces first-degree murder charges.

Jordan’s death motivated Lewis to create the seminar focused on how to spot head trauma in children younger than 5.

Conveying life-saving information

Judges and law enforcement officers who work with children were among the attendees for Lewis' seminar.

“This program is subtitled 'Practical Neuroscience in the Child Welfare System,” Lewis said. ”I want people to be able to walk out of here and go apply what they’re learning, because without applying it, I can’t save lives and save quality of life.”

Lewis said he was determined to teach the attendees life-saving information.

“(There are) five forms of brain injury that are occurring in as many as seven out of every 10 children in the child welfare system, and up until now, there’s been no formal training in this,” Lewis said.

Lewis originally worked on the training with Rep. Chris Latvala to be a part of the implementation of Jordan’s Law. But when the law failed to pass last session, Lewis decided to move forward with the course anyway.

“Because the law stopped in the Senate and it didn’t pass, the community didn’t want to wait another year for the training to start," Lewis said. "So Chief Jeff Undestad of Largo Police Department decided he wanted to sponsor this and start now, instead of waiting another year."

Will Jordan's Law pass this year?

The training course Friday was voluntary. But if Jordan’s Law passes during the 2020 legislative session, that will change — for people in Florida who work in the child welfare system, it will be mandatory.

That would make Lewis' seminar the first of its kind in the country.

That’s something Latvala says he worked with Lewis on for months while writing Jordan’s Law and something he’s confident state leaders will get on board with this session if the law comes up for a vote.

“We definitely have the momentum, I believe,” Latvala said. “Yesterday, we passed our first House committee this year. It was one of the first bills that has passed a committee this year, so I have every indication it will become law this year.”

Lewis said the next hurdle will be educating the public about the training.