Child Protection Training Academy
The Child Protection Agency, brought to UIS by Dr. Betsy Goulet, provides training to new investigators in the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS). Trainees go through a simulated investigation with actors playing the parents and answering questions about the alleged abuse (pictured). Investigators also practice giving testimony in a mock courtroom, staffed by community volunteers. Susan Evans, director of the Academy, said, "Investigators who have completed this training overwhelmingly express a desire for more hours in the simulation labs, practicing the skills they need to be confident and competent in the field" (quoted from a WAND TV interview). The Academy has provided training to 566 new investigators so far.
You're invited to the Academy's Third Anniversary Celebration on Tuesday, February 19. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Taylor McCarthy.
The Public Good…because we are all on this journey together.
