Forensic Services are provided to children under 3 to 17-years-old who may have experienced child sexual abuse or witnessed a violent crime. The primary focus is to ensure the safety and well-being of the child during an investigation into allegations of child abuse. Forensic Services are provided by master’s level, mental health professionals in a child-friendly environment with specialized interviewers and evaluators trained to obtain information in a trauma-informed, developmentally-appropriate, non-leading and non-threatening way in English and Spanish; certified interpreters are utilized as needed.
Forensic Interviews are a single session, digitally recorded interviews of a child designed to allow a child to safely provide information about concerns of child abuse. Forensic Interviews are one-on-one with a child and specialized interviewer trained in the NCAC Forensic Interview model. MDT partners involved in the investigation of the case are able to view the interview remotely from an adjoining room or recorded, at a later time, rather than subjecting a child to repeated interviews.
Extended Forensic Interviews and Evaluations are multi-session interviews conducted by professionals trained in both the NCAC Forensic Interview model and the NCAC Extended Interview model. Extended interviews may be appropriate when a child does not disclose during the forensic interview, but there is evidence suggestive of victimization. Extended interviews and evaluations are for children involved in open investigations, who may experience difficulty discussing information during the initial Forensic Interview.