Episode 20 / Becoming a Forensic Interviewer featuring Julie Kenniston

In this episode, Staci and Senior Consultant, Kate Homan MS are joined by Julie Kenniston, MSW to discuss her experience as a forensic interviewer and trainer. Julie talks about what she observes during trainings that would be helpful for interviewers and investigators as we think about the multi-disciplinary approach.

Julie Kenniston, MSW, LISW is a Program Manager for the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College. Julie has worked 15 years in child protection in two different counties in Ohio. She began as a caseworker on the Sexual Abuse Investigation Team, conducting forensic interviews for their MDT. Later in her career, she went back to child protection as a Training Director and one of her duties was to manage a nonprofit that provided services to families dealing with abuse and violence. Julie has trained nationally and internationally on topics related to child abuse, domestic violence, and child sex trafficking. She is a faculty member for three nationally recognized forensic interview programs: the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC), Ohio Attorney General’s Finding Words, and the Child Forensic Interview Training (formerly known as The Childhood Trust Forensic Training Institute). She has conducted over 3,000 forensic interviews and continues to interview as a contract forensic interviewer for the Northern Kentucky Children’s Advocacy Center. A former APSAC board member, she co-chairs forensic interviewing committees. Julie has written many articles and curricula regarding forensic interviewing, including her work with Modell Consulting Group, LLC where she has co-authored multiple curricula on interviewing individuals with disabilities. In addition, Julie co-authored Handbook on Questioning Children: A Linguistic Perspective, 3rd edition with Anne Graffam Walker, PhD. Julie has her Masters in Social Work and is a Licensed Independent Social Worker.In this