Alison Sutherland

This training builds core skills for conducting minimal facts interviews that protect child safety while supporting effective investigations. Participants learn to recognize developmental and communication factors, identify polyvictimization, and respond to disclosures in ways that empower rather than endanger the child.

Children are more likely to disclose and less likely to recant when they have a safe adult—but that role sometimes falls to the MDT itself. Using a rural incest case study, this session examines how professionals can step into that role through coordinated advocacy, caregiver education, and strategies that reduce recantation and strengthen outcomes.

This training focuses on how CPS and law enforcement can strengthen child protection through clear communication, defined roles, and strategic collaboration. Participants gain practical strategies for navigating case barriers and maintaining effective MDT coordination—even when one agency closes its case—so safety and investigative goals remain aligned.

When a child discloses abuse, premature or poorly framed questions can compromise both the child and the case. This session offers forensic-interview–informed guidance on when and how to gather minimal facts while protecting the child, preserving evidence, and strengthening MDT coordination.

Adult narratives can protect the truth—or quietly distort it—in child abuse cases. This session examines Guardians, Gaslighters, and the Gullible, equipping participants to spot bias, challenge misleading narratives, and keep the child’s voice central to the investigation.

This workshop equips participants with practical strategies to navigate and transform conflict into highly-functioning, empathetic MDTs. Attendees will gain practical skills to analyze conflict origins, lean into the power of the uncomfortable, and engage in accountability conversations.

Trauma can complicate investigations and prosecutions, especially in coercive environments like cults, trafficking networks, and other high-control settings. This workshop covers trauma-related barriers, communication with reluctant witnesses, and evidence-gathering and trial-prep strategies that prioritize safety and account for trauma’s impact on disclosure and testimony.

Cases involving youth with problematic sexual behavior are tragically common for prosecutors, forensic interviewers, and other MDT members. However, addressing these cases effectively presents complex challenges and considerations. This workshop, taught by a former prosecutor, offers relevant research and tactics for appropriate intervention and prosecution.