Forgotten Victims: The Forensic Interview

In this episode, Staci and MCG Senior Consultant, Dermot Whelan, Police Sgt., Retired, are joined by the newest MCG team member, Senior Consultant and Legal Advisor, Rachel Dunn, J.D. Drawing from her own experiences and expertise, Rachel describes things she has seen in investigations that have been useful for her as a prosecutor when building a strong case. Rachel Dunn is a Senior Consultant and the Legal Advisor for Modell Consulting Group, LLC. With more than 16 years of experience trying cases, Ms. Dunn has prosecuted cases in 22 counties in New York state. Most recently, in 2017 she was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo as the Special Prosecutor and Inspector General for the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. In that role she led a team of attorneys that both prosecuted cases and trained and advised law enforcement and district attorneys regarding vulnerable victim interviews, charging considerations, and trial tactics. Ms. Dunn has developed and provided training programs to numerous law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and social service personnel. She has consulted with the Department of Justice on the unique vulnerability that individuals with disabilities face, particularly in the realm of human trafficking. Additionally, Ms. Dunn has presented at multiple quality and compliance conferences and is recognized as a thought leader in public service, criminal justice, and victim’s rights.

In this episode, Scott Modell, Ph.D. and Staci Whitney, LMSW, are joined by retired Assistant District Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco, Candace J. Heisler, J.D. More recently Candace's work has been a consultant and trainer regarding elder abuse, domestic violence, and abuse in later life. She also worked with MCG to develop our suite of SAFE trainings for interviewing older adults who are alleged victims of crime and maltreatment. Drawing from her experience and expertise, Candace explains what Undue Influence is and how it may impact the people that we work with. Candace J. Heisler, J.D., served as an Assistant District Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco for over 25 years. During this time, she headed the Domestic Violence Unit, which handled both domestic violence and elder abuse cases, as well as the Charging, Misdemeanor, and Preliminary Hearing Units. She was an Adjunct Professor at Hastings College of the Law for more than 20 years. She now teaches a graduate course at Virginia Tech on ethics and aging. Ms. Heisler has written for and trained a variety of professionals about elder abuse, domestic violence, and the criminal justice system, including work sponsored by the American Bar Association, Futures Without Violence, the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life, the Office for Victims of Crime, the Office on Violence Against Women, and the Judicial Council of California. She frequently presents at the annual National Adult Protective Services Association and other state Adult Protective Services (APS) conferences on related topics. Ms. Heisler has authored several curricula on interviewing alleged perpetrators, addressing undue influence, and working with the criminal justice system for APS Professionals.

In this episode, Staci Whitney, LMSW and MCG Senior Consultant Kate Homan, MS are joined by the Chair of the Forensic Psychology Department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Dr. Diana Orem, Ph.D., MS. Drawing from her own experiences, Diana explains her shift to working with individuals with disabilities and vulnerable populations. She developed a training protocol for Law Enforcement and First Responders in Yavapai County, Arizona that increases safety, produces better outcomes, and reduces violence when interacting with individuals with Autism in the course of their work. Dr. Diana Orem holds a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Central Florida. She is a licensed psychologist with expertise in diagnosing and treating mental illnesses and neurodevelopmental conditions. Her research entails identifying at-risk populations who are negatively impacted by legal-forensic issues as well as developing and evaluating law enforcement training. Dr. Orem is the Chair of the Forensic Psychology Program at ERAU. She teaches courses in forensic psychology, criminality, victimology, mental health in the criminal justice system, drugs, and deception. She also writes forensic reports and provides testimony for the King County Department of Public Defense, WA. Additionally, Dr. Orem provides training to law enforcement on how to safely approach autistic individuals.

In this episode, Scott Modell, Ph.D. and Staci Whitney, LMSW discuss diagnosing a disability. Drawing from their own experiences, Scott and Staci provide a better understanding of the criteria that is required for someone to be diagnosed with a disability and some of the different ways an individual gets diagnosed with a disability.

In this episode, Staci Whitney, LMSW and MCG Senior Consultant, Kate Homan MS are joined by Program Director for the Children's Advocacy Centers of Michigan, Joshua Bissell. Josh shares his experience working on a project that works to improve the forensic interview system for marginalized and vulnerable communities. Over the last two years, his team created a training that explains why forensic interviewers need to focus on bias and resources that also help guide interviewers in this process. As the Program Director for the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Michigan (CACMI) team, Joshua is committed to providing support to CAC leaders and their staffs across the state. In addition to helping members prepare for accreditation and re-accreditation, his support ranges from on-site training to phone consultations, active troubleshooting of difficult dilemmas and planned delivery of content expertise and practical advice. His personal mission is to ensure that every CAC staff person has an opportunity for professional development and growth as experts in their field and to foster a collaborative network where even the smallest programs feel supported. In a previous life, Joshua worked as a licensed social worker in the state of Louisiana developing a social services program embedded within the New Orleans Police Department Special Victims Section. He spent years working with the Child Abuse, Adult Sex Crimes, and Domestic Violence units and served as a forensic interviewer and case manager at the New Orleans Children’s Advocacy Center. He received undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Sociology and his master’s degree in social work at Tulane University. In his free time, he enjoys disc golfing and board games and likes to write short stories in the genre of science fiction and fantasy.

In this episode, Scott Modell, Ph.D. and Staci Whitney, LMSW are joined by Executive Director of the Adult Advocacy Centers, Katherine Yoder, MS, CFI. Katherine shares her experience as an individual with Autism and also discusses emerging trends she's recognized in the disability field. Katherine Yoder is a certified forensic interviewer and a person with disabilities herself. For more than 20 years she has worked with people with disabilities in various capacities, from direct care to investigating crimes against people with disabilities across the state of Ohio. She also served on the Mortality Review Committee for the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. All of this work revealed the glaring gaps in the different systems when a crime is committed against a person with a disability. After co-authoring the Advanced Forensic Interviewing Individuals with Disabilities (Project FIND) protocol, Katherine founded the Adult Advocacy Centers (AACs) in March 2019 to serve crime victims with disabilities. Since then, she has co-authored the Project FIND Adapted protocol for individuals who do not speak and four AACs' ADEPT forensic interviewing protocols for crime victims with disabilities. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in social psychology from Park University and a Master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati. She is a Nonviolence 365 Ambassador with the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Katherine has receved many awards, including the Equality in Advocacy Award from Ohio Victim Witness Association in 2018, the Social Justice Award from the Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission in 2021 and the Ohio Attorney General's Promising Practice Award in 2022. She was also a Diversability D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree for 2023. In 2023, the AACs were granted special consultative status to the United Nations, opening new doors to collaborations with international nonprofits, disability organizations and medical crisis responders around the world.

In this episode, Scott Modell, Ph.D. and Staci Whitney, LMSW discuss abuse dynamics and the barriers to disclosure. Drawing from their own experiences, Scott and Staci provide tips for forensic interviewers and multi-disciplinary teams to better understanding abuse dynamics and recognizing a pattern of behavior before conducting a forensic interview.

In this episode, Scott Modell, Ph.D. and Staci Whitney, LMSW discuss making the difficult decision to end an interview in the best interest of the interviewee. Drawing from their own experiences, Scott and Staci explain in detail traditional and complex blocks and barriers that prevent an interview from continuing.

In this episode, Scott and Staci discuss how assumptions can impact professionals when conducting investigations. Drawing from their own experience, Scott and Staci explain in detail about assumptions they've heard and what individuals should be aware of.

In this episode, Staci and Senior Consultant, Kate Homan MS are joined by Linda Cordisco-Steele M.Ed., LPC to discuss her experience as the Director of Forensic Interview Training and Services at the National Children's Advocacy Center. As an experienced forensic interviewer, Linda discusses what keeps her motivated to continue this great work and how continued learning is essential for interviewers in the field. Linda is a child forensic interview specialist, multi-disciplinary team facilitator, and senior trainer for the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) in Huntsville, AL. She has conducted more than 500 trainings for the NCAC across the U.S. and abroad. She has presented workshops at local, regional, state, national, and international child abuse conferences. Her areas of expertise include child forensic interviewing, child development, and working within the multidisciplinary team setting. Linda provides supervision and consultation on forensic interviews locally and nationally. She previously conducted forensic interviews at four other children’s advocacy centers (CACs): Prescott House CAC in Birmingham, AL, The Safehouse in Albuquerque, NM, the CAC of the Bluegrass in Lexington, KY, and Gateway CAC in Morehead, KY. In addition to providing forensic interviews, Linda served as clinical director for the Prescott House, NCAC, and The Safehouse. While in New Mexico, Linda was the project director of the Mobile Interviewing Project, which serves the Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo, as a program of All Faiths Receiving Home in Albuquerque. She has also served as clinical director, director of victim services, and acting executive director of the Crisis Center of Jefferson County in Alabama. She has over 30 years of experience in therapy and advocacy work with victims and extensive training experience regionally, nationally, and internationally. Linda received her master’s degree in education from the University of Pittsburgh and is a licensed professional counselor.

In this episode, Staci and Senior Consultant, Kate Homan MS are joined by Julie Kenniston, MSW to discuss her experience as a forensic interviewer and trainer. Julie talks about what she observes during trainings that would be helpful for interviewers and investigators as we think about the multi-disciplinary approach. Julie Kenniston, MSW, LISW is a Program Manager for the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College. Julie has worked 15 years in child protection in two different counties in Ohio. She began as a caseworker on the Sexual Abuse Investigation Team, conducting forensic interviews for their MDT. Later in her career, she went back to child protection as a Training Director and one of her duties was to manage a nonprofit that provided services to families dealing with abuse and violence. Julie has trained nationally and internationally on topics related to child abuse, domestic violence, and child sex trafficking. She is a faculty member for three nationally recognized forensic interview programs: the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC), Ohio Attorney General’s Finding Words, and the Child Forensic Interview Training (formerly known as The Childhood Trust Forensic Training Institute). She has conducted over 3,000 forensic interviews and continues to interview as a contract forensic interviewer for the Northern Kentucky Children’s Advocacy Center. A former APSAC board member, she co-chairs forensic interviewing committees. Julie has written many articles and curricula regarding forensic interviewing, including her work with Modell Consulting Group, LLC where she has co-authored multiple curricula on interviewing individuals with disabilities. In addition, Julie co-authored Handbook on Questioning Children: A Linguistic Perspective, 3rd edition with Anne Graffam Walker, PhD. Julie has her Masters in Social Work and is a Licensed Independent Social Worker.In this

In this episode, Scott and Staci discuss specific interview guidelines that are useful when interviewing individuals with disabilities.

In this episode, Scott and Staci discuss Intellectual Disability and Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities.

In this episode Scott and Staci, talk about Cerebral Palsy. They dive deep into what Cerebral Palsy is and focus on conducting forensic interviews with individuals with Cerebral Palsy.

In this episode, MCG Founder, Scott Modell, Ph.D. and Senior Consultant, Dermot Whelan Police Sgt., Retired. interview Patricia Gunning, J.D about her experience prosecuting crimes against individuals with disabilities. Before entering private practice, Ms. Gunning served as the Special Prosecutor and Inspector General for the New York State Justice Center. A 2002 graduate of St. John’s Law School, she also served as the Chief of the Special Victims Unit with the Rockland County District Attorney’s office, managing all phases of the prosecution of cases involving the abuse and neglect of individuals with mental and physical disabilities, the physical and sexual abuse of children and the elderly, as well as victims of domestic violence. In addition, she conducted training on issues related to special victims for law enforcement officials, medical professionals and local community groups. From 2003 to 2008, Gunning was an Assistant District Attorney for Kings County, where she served in a trial unit and in the Crimes Against Children Bureau.

In this episode, Staci and MCG Senior Consultant, Dermot Whelan, Police Sgt., Retired, discuss disability awareness training with Niagara University First Responders' Project Director, David Whalen. David Whalen founded Disability Awareness Training (DAT) in September 2004. He specializes in training law enforcement, emergency responders, human service providers, public, private, and school transportation, corporations and businesses, places of worship, and educators. The training is designed to both sensitize and educate the audience on all aspects of disabilities including, but not limited to, definitions of disabilities, etiquette and interaction skills, stigma and misperceptions, proactive approaches to community inclusion and integration, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and overcoming barriers through advocacy. Specific topic areas include emotional disturbance/mental health awareness and responsiveness, developmental disabilities, co-morbidities and dual diagnosis, and pertinent legislation. He has presented to over 650 audiences.

In this episode, Staci and MCG Senior Consultant, Kate Homan, MS, interview Dr. Sarah Thomas, PsyD, HSPP about her experience as a clinical psychologist working in the fields of behavioral and mental health. Dr. Thomas graduated from Indiana State University and Louisiana State University Medical School. Dr. Thomas currently directs a team of mental health professionals in a pediatric behavioral health agency in Indiana that largely serves neurodivergent youth. She holds specialty training in early childhood and trauma-focused assessment and treatment. Dr. Thomas held a past role as the mental health representative on a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and psychologist at Child Advocacy Center that served the Gulf Coast area. Dr. Thomas regularly consults with child protection, law enforcement, medical, and legal representatives for the benefit of children's voices. She enjoys working within a team of other professionals (behavior analysts, speech language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists) to enhance the skills and relationships of children within the neurodiversity spectrum. Dr. Thomas finds purpose in enhancing the safety and meaningful connections within her communities.

In this episode, Scott and Staci interview Chris Dubble, MSW about his experience working with older adult victims and adult protective services professionals.

In this episode, Scott Modell, Ph.D, and Staci Whitney, LMSW discuss communication considerations as well as engagement and rapport with individuals who do not speak.

In this episode, Scott and Staci discuss why some victims are chosen by offenders over others.