Overview
Responding to a child’s disclosure is one of the most integral components of a child maltreatment investigation. As adults who work with children or who may encounter children in any capacity, it’s important to know how to effectively respond and react to a child’s disclosure to ensure the course of a potential investigation is left unhindered. Minimal Facts Interviewing will provide participants with the skills necessary to identify and respond appropriately to a child or adolescent’s initial disclosure. This method of communicating is applicable to children of all ages who report any form of suspected maltreatment, including but not limited to physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and witnessing violence.
Learning Objectives
- Recognize red flags and other signs of potential child maltreatment.
- Understand how and what information to gather from a child reporting maltreatment.
- Understand the importance of expectations of you as a mandated reporter, including
- reporting and cross-reporting suspected child maltreatment.
Presenter Bio
Megan Prouty is the Forensics and Training Program Manager and a Senior Forensic Interviewer at First Witness Child Advocacy Center, where she conducts forensic interviews with children, adolescents, and vulnerable adults and helps strengthen First Witness’s training program. Megan has a bachelor’s in social work with a minor in psychology from the University of Minnesota Duluth.
Her work and training focus on research-based forensic interviewing, child development and memory, trauma-informed practice, multidisciplinary teams, and translating research into practical strategies professionals can apply in the field. Megan has conducted more than 200 forensic interviews using the ChildFirst® Forensic Interview Protocol, monitored hundreds more, completed advanced training in forensic interviewing and child development, and provides expert testimony on forensic interviewing practices and advanced topics. She is passionate about creating engaging, interactive learning environments that combine current research with real-world experience, equipping professionals with practical skills and greater confidence in their work.