Tell Me What Happened:  Skills for Professionals on How to Talk to Kids

Join Christina Rouse & Michele Thames in this highly requested full day training for the many professionals & volunteers who are in the position of talking to children in the context of a crime.

Goals include understanding child developmental levels; talking to a child in the context of crime vs. conducting a forensic interview; learning each team member's role in the process of child abuse investigations; and learning what to say and what not to say to a child.  

Upon completion of this course, you will:

• understand how trauma impacts children that disclose abuse
• understand question typology
• understand how your questions impact a child's memory
• understand a child's role in the criminal justic process 

Target Audience:  GALS, victim witness, doctors and nurses, teachers, guidance counselors, school resourse officers, domestic violence advocates, crisis workers, CASA volunteers, foster care workers, counselors and therapists. 

Friday, May 12, 2017 from 9:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
at VT School of Medicine at Carilion Auditorium

lunch on your own 

COST - $75 per person

Registration deadline is Friday, April 28.

Christina Rouse, MSW, CAC Director/Forensic Interviewer
Children's Trust Roanoke Valley 

Christina is a graduate of Virginia Tech where she received a degree in Psychology, and then a Masters in Social Work from Radford University.  Mrs. Rouse joined the Radford Department of Social Services as a Child Protection Services investigator in May 2006.  In June 2007, Mrs. Rouse became employed as the first full time forensic interviewer for Children’s Trust Roanoke Valley CAC.  Mrs. Rouse has interviewed over 900 children and has been an advocate for the CAC and Multidisciplinary teams in Roanoke City, Roanoke County, and City of Salem.  Mrs. Rouse has been a member of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) since 2009, is a ChildFirst Virginia faculty member, and serves on the Board of Directors for Children’s Advocacy Centers of Virginia. 

Michele Thames, M.Ed, Executive Director
SafeSpot Children's Advocacy Center, Fairfax County 

Michele holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Cambridge College.  She began working as a Forensic Interviewer in 2003 and has conducted over 3,000 forensic interviews in a multidisciplinary team setting for local, state, federal and military investigators.  Michele is a board member of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Virginia, faculty for ChildFirst Virginia and is the handler of Pecos, a professionally trained facility dog.  Pecos works in forensic interviews, therapy sessions and accompanies children to court.  

 

Register Now! 

LODGING

The gov't per diem rate is available at the following hotels upon request:  

Cambria Hotel & Suites
301 Reserve Ave. SW, Roanoke, VA 24016
(540)400-6226

Best Western Plus Inn at Valley View
5050 Valley View Blvd NW, Roanoke, VA 24012
(540) 362-2400

Comfort Inn Airport
5070 Valley View Blvd N NW, Roanoke, VA 24012
(540) 527-2020