Defending the Forensic Interview in Court: The Importance of Preparing with Your Prosecutor and What The Conversation Should Look Like
This session is offered by Zero Abuse Project
Testifying in court is a process that can cause anxiety, even for the most seasoned professional. Understanding how to discuss the forensic interview protocol, our multidisciplinary team processes and the research that supports them is a critical skill. This training will discuss commonly broached topics in the court process, how to practically prepare for court, how to defend practice in court and the scope of direct and cross examination.
Learning Objectives
1. Provide a framework for preparing for the court process as a forensic interviewer and multidisciplinary teams, including practical skills.
2. Increase awareness of the scope and breadth of topics an interviewer will need to be prepared to address on the stand.
3. Provide an overview of research pertinent to defending the forensic interview in court.
Presented by Rachael Johnson, Lead Forensic Interview Specialist
Rachel Johnson is a Forensic Interview Specialist with Zero Abuse Project. She 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 her work at the Alliance, Rachel served as a forensic interviewer and the Forensic Program Coordinator at First Witness Child Advocacy Center in Duluth, Minn. She is trained in multiple forensic interview protocols and received Bachelor of Science degrees in Public Service, Sociology and Spanish at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn.
Rachel is passionate about working directly with children and families, supporting frontline professionals and improving the institutional response to victimization by centering the experiences of victims at all levels of consideration and decision-making.
