Forensic Interviewers

Purpose of the Forensic Interview

 

             A forensic interview is a structured conversation with a child that is designed to elicit accurate accounts of events.  The goals of the interview are to collect information that will either corroborate or refute allegations or suspicions of maltreatment, and to determine the identities and behaviors of all persons involved.  An interview may be conducted with a child when there are concerns that he/she has been a victim of physical or sexual abuse or when a child has been a witness to a violent or abusive act perpetrated on another victim.  The interviewer should adopt a hypothesis-testing approach and maintain objectivity throughout the conversation.

 

             The Morgan County Child Advocacy Center currently utilizes two trained forensic interviewers.  One of which is also a trained forensic evaluator.  All of the interviews are recorded, observed by a law enforcement investigator, and becomes evidence in the investigation.  Please call the intake worker (256) 340-5941, at the Department of Human Resources to set up an interview or to report abuse.

 

 

 

 

Susan Goggins

Email:  sgoggins@morgancountycac.org  

Phone: 256-355=-1908 extension 11     

 

Susan is the latest addition to the Morgan County

CAC.  Susan graduated from the University of

Alabama in Tuscaloosa with a Masters Degree in

Social Work. She is a Licensed Certified Social Worker and is also licensed as a private independent practitioner in the State of Alabama. Susan was employed as the Program Director of the Adult Mental Illness division at Mental Health Care of Cullman prior to beginning work at the CAC. Susan has also worked for eight years as a therapist at Alabama Psychiatric Services in Cullman, where she provided therapy to children, adolescents, and adults using a variety of evidenced-based treatment modalities. She has worked in other psychiatric/clinical settings providing individual, group and family therapy to abused and neglected children, adolescents and their families. She has completed training as a Forensic Interviewer at the National Children’s Advocacy Center in Huntsville. Susan is currently conducting forensic interviews of all children referred to the CAC. She also provides counseling to children age 3 to age 10.

 

 

 

Kelly Gates

Email:             skgates3@yahoo.com

Phone:            256-654-4992

 

Kelly Gates grew up in Birmingham, AL and presently

resides in Priceville, AL.  In 1999, she earned a

Bachelors Degree in Psychology.  She worked at

Morgan County Department of Human Resources for

six years as a child abuse investigator.  Her work history

also includes a year at the Morgan County Mental Health Center Children’s Program.  She has been trained through the National Children’s Advocacy Center as a Forensic Interviewer/Evaluator, allowing her to serve as a Graduate Counseling Intern at the Morgan County Child Advocacy Center.  She also interned at the Morgan County Mental Health Center in the Adult Day Treatment Program and graduated in July of 2007 with a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology.  Ms. Gates is currently conducting forensic interviews of children under the age of six who are referred to the CAC by law enforcement and DHR.  She also provides forensic or extended evaluations for children who are referred by DHR.

 

Layla Niemann

Email:              

Phone:   256-426-8533     

 

Layla contracts with the Morgan County Child Advocacy Center to provide forensic interviews of primarily older children and adolescents. Her background is child protective services and she has completed forensic interview training through the National Children’s Advocacy Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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