The Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, Child Abuse Training Services (CATS) Program, in cooperation with the Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council, Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), and Governor's Task Force on Children's Justice (GTF), is pleased to present a regional, cross-professional Specialized Child Abuse Training seminar on the topic of "Forensic Interviewing: The Next Step."
The online training will take place Wednesday through Friday, February 2-4, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. each day via Zoom.
This seminar is designed for prosecutors, CPS workers, and law enforcement officers who will be conducting interviews. The training is designed to increase attendees' understanding of the primary features of forensic interviewing and provide information to enhance interviewing skills. The Forensic Interviewing training provided by the Child Abuse Training Services (CATS) department within PAAM is the only DHHS and GTF approved Forensic Interviewing training within the state.
Michigan's Forensic Interviewing Protocol was developed in conjunction with the DHHS and the GTF. The goal of a forensic interview is to obtain a statement from a child in a developmentally sensitive, unbiased, and truth-seeking manner that will support accurate and fair decision-making in the criminal justice and child welfare systems. Topics to be covered include (but not limited to):
• The Forensic/Phased Interview: Preparing for and conducting Forensic Interviews
• Understanding Medical Abuse
• Preparing yourself for court
• What your prosecutor needs
• In-depth report writing from actual case/interview transcript
• Individual (mock) interviewing practice
To register for the online seminar, visit https://michiganprosecutor.org and click on "Training."
