Brief Overview: The purpose is to discuss helpful insights and strategies for forensic interviewers when interviewing Spanish speaking monolingual and bilingual children. Information about interpreters and suggestions will be shared for how multi-disciplinary interview teams can work together to obtain best results. The goal is to help interviewers, interpreters and MDT members conduct interviews that are culturally sensitive and linguistically correct. Expert Presenters: Dulce Solis, currently works at SungateKids Child Advocacy Center in the state of Colorado. Dulce has been a Bilingual Forensic Interviewer for over 12 years. Dulce graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice and has worked in…

Brief Overview: Participants will explore strategies to engage AI/AN children and families in culturally responsive ways, improving access to and participation in the CAC process. This will ideally lead to increased criminal prosecutions and accurate safety assessments improving public safety. Expert Presenters: Lisa Stark, MSW, (Ojibwe) provides training and technical assistance to tribes and agencies engaged in developing trauma-informed child welfare systems and tribal child advocacy best practices. Trained as both a clinician and a child welfare worker, Lisa has a wealth of direct practice experience in tribal child welfare, including work as a case manager/ICWA Representative for the Bad…

Brief Overview: When it comes to program evaluation, do you find yourself stuck in a survey rut? Are your surveys getting you the info you need? If you’re looking to improve your surveys and learn what other methods are out there, this webinar is for you. We will walk you through the difference between quantitative and qualitative evaluation approaches and explain the value of a mixed-methods approach. We will offer a variety of methods that can be used based on your evaluation questions and goals. Participants will walk away with a broader set of evaluation methods and a greater understanding…

Brief Overview: This training will discuss strategies for organizing forensic interviews with young children, specifically when multiple forms of maltreatment or multiple incidents are disclosed within the same interview. It will also cover linguistic strategies for interviewing young children. Expert Presenters: Rachel Johnson Rachel Johnson is the Lead Forensic Interview Specialist with Zero Abuse Project. Rachel most recently served as the Program Director for the Minnesota Children’s Alliance and has over a decade of experience in work related to forensic interviewing, multidisciplinary teams, advocacy, child abuse, prevention education, sexual assault and family violence, both domestically and abroad. Prior to Rachel’s…

Brief Overview: Working in a CAC, we know how effective and impactful our services are because we see it every day, but how do we communicate that to others without data? How do we know that some of the recommendations we give to clients are appropriate and specific? This presentation will give an overview of the benefits of using a team approach to utilize screening measures related to client symptoms starting at the forensic interview. Supports and implementation strategies will be shared. Expert Presenter: Dr. Amelia Siders, Ph.D., is the Director of Clinical Practice Development and Education for Children’s Advocacy…

Brief Overview: Cases of child abuse involving a teenage victim presents its own unique challenges for prosecution. Understanding adolescent brain development is important for forensic interviewers as well as investigators and prosecutors. Preparing the case requires not only thorough investigation but thoughtful communication with a teen victim to obtain the facts of the crime and provide essential information about the prosecutor’s role and judicial process. This approach will facilitate building a strong criminal case for prosecution. Expert Presenter: Beth Merachnik, JD, serves as the Deputy Director of the Association of Prosecuting Attorney’s (APA) Child Abuse Prosecution Project. She is the…