Overview

Due to the successful response and engagement received from the Just Science podcast episode titled “Just Trauma-Informed Victim-Centered Interviewing” from the 2021 Research and Considerations for Sexual Assault Cases season, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) delivered a Virtual Workshop: Understanding Sexual Assault Trauma and Considerations for Conducting a Trauma-Informed Interview on February 16, 2022.

The Virtual Workshop: Understanding Sexual Assault Trauma and Considerations for Conducting a Trauma-Informed Interview explored approaches for engaging survivors of sexual assault from a trauma-informed, victim-centered perspective thus supporting recommendations #2 and #22 of the NIJ’s National Best Practices for Sexual Assault Kits: A Multidisciplinary Approach. A sexual assault survivor’s experience during the sexual assault forensic examination (SAFE) conducted by a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE), access to victim advocacy, and interaction with law enforcement can all affect the level of future engagement a survivor has with the criminal justice system.

This virtual workshop discussed the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to sexual assault response and present an introduction to the neurobiology of trauma and how trauma impacts survivors of sexual assault. Additionally, the presenters highlighted best practices aligned with national recommendations for interacting with sexual assault survivors during a SAFE and maintaining a trauma-informed, victim-centered approach during a law enforcement survivor interview. This no-cost, online event welcomed a broad audience including SANEs, law enforcement investigators, advocates, prosecutors, criminal justice practitioners representing federal, state, and local agencies, as well as subject matter experts from across the United States.

The workshop presenters are subject matter experts Kelly Taylor, a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, Sexual Assault Care Coordinator, and Forensic Healthcare Program Manager at the Womack Army Medical Center, and Jordan Satinsky, the Deputy Director of the Special Victims Investigations Division within the Montgomery County Police Department.

This interactive workshop occurred on Zoom, a Peer-to-Peer platform. Registration was capped at 500 participants. The workshop kicked-off with a presentation from Kelly Taylor on the neurobiology of trauma, including case studies drawn from her experiences, followed by a presentation from Jordan Satinsky highlighting a law enforcement approach to trauma-informed victim-centered interviewing. The day concluded with a facilitated and interactive discussion with the presenters. This event was scheduled from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM Eastern on Wednesday, February 16, 2022.

Archived Workshop

What:
Virtual Workshop: Understanding Sexual Assault Trauma and Considerations for Conducting a Trauma-Informed Interview

When:
This event originally occurred on February 16, 2022.

Where:
Access archived event here!

ARCHIVED EVENT
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FULL AGENDA
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Related Resources

Funding for this Forensic Technology Center of Excellence event was provided by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this event are those of the presenter(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Justice.