17 certified to perform forensic interviews

Case workers and supervisors of the Division of Youth Service’s Child Protective Services got a refresher last week on doing forensic interviews.

This time, they were given a refresher on how to properly interview child sexual abuse victims in a way that is not leading and will not unduly stress the child victims.

The group went through the seminar last week and were certified to conduct forensic interviews last Friday at their office at Chalan Piao.

The seminar was conducted by two members of the First Witness Child Advocacy Center from Duluth, Minnesota. Laura Gapske and Catie Dahl provided insights about the First Witness Child Advocacy’s goal and information about the group’s Zero Abuse Project. The duo conducted assessments and case scenarios where interviewers conducted mock forensic interviews and passed written tests that see if participants understood what was taught.

The Zero Abuse Project is an organization that is committed to transforming institutions in order to effectively prevent, recognize, and respond to child sexual abuse.

A total of 17 participants took the seminar (13 from Saipan, two from Rota, one from Tinian, and one from the Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence).

Forensic interviews are structured conversations with a child intended to get information about a possible event(s) that the child may have experienced or witnessed. According to Gapske, the trainees will learn all the fundamentals to forensically interview children in a sound and non-leading manner, and how to get a reliable statement from a child about what occurred that is about the investigation. She said that case workers must get training every two to three years.

Gapske said that it is a good idea that the CPS supervisors are participating in the event as they are informed about the case worker’s information about an investigation and provide support with the case.

“We encouraged all the participants to stay in contacts and ask questions by email and we are happy to support and educate them about this,” Dahl said.

The two hopes to return to Saipan in two or three years to bring any new information about conducting effective forensic interviews.

DYS administrator Vivian Sablan said that a handful of the participants are not new to this seminar as the group underwent the same seminar in 2017, while a pair of new employees are new to the program.