Supported through funds from the Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victim Assistance

Presented by Modell Consulting Group's Staci Whitney, LMSW

Part I- Wednesday December 13, 2023, 9:00AM-1:00PM (MT)
This training is intended for forensic interviewers seeking to advance their understanding of basic communication techniques that are reliable, legally defensible, effective, and accommodating for individuals with disabilities who are alleged victims of abuse or neglect. Considerations and adaptations to account for individual disability, language capacity, and cultural background will be discussed. Participants will learn about biases and assumptions related to investigating cases involving victims or witnesses with disabilities, abuse dynamics, possible indicators of abuse or neglect, using a strength-based perspective, effective question types, and other information on eliciting reliable information from individuals with disabilities.

Part II- Monday December 18, 2023, 9:00AM-1:00PM (MT)
This training is intended for forensic interviewers who want to learn how to communicate with individuals who do not speak or who are considered “non-verbal.” This workshop will discuss adaptations to account for individuals who do not speak, use gestures, use a communication device, or speak few words. Participants will have increased understanding of verbal behavior and communication methods; increased knowledge of communication considerations when interviewing someone who does not speak; and learn reliable and legally defensible techniques that can be applied in interviews.

*All registrations and applications will be reviewed, and only trained forensic interview professional applications will be accepted