Join First Witness Child Advocacy Center and grow your understanding and knowledge of advanced topics within child advocacy.
First Witness’ Advanced Webinar Series brings out nationally recognized trainings in forensic interviewing, advocacy, child abuse prevention, and MDT development to child advocacy center, multidisciplinary team, and child maltreatment professionals across the United States.
Each 90-minute webinar is held virtually and presented live by our team of nationally-recognized trainers. Certificates of completion are available after successfully attending each webinar.
Questions? Contact our training team at training@firstwitness.org.
Advocacy
Adult Survivors of Sexual Abuse: Working with NOCs Who Have Been Victims
November 15, 2024
$50
Sexual abuse can be generational. Caregivers who have experienced abuse, now walk through our doors after a report from their own child. Their child’s report may trigger a new crisis stage for parents in their own healing journey. Understanding common experiences and needs of adult survivors can help advocates support them in their efforts to help support their children.
Trauma Informed Advocacy in Practice
January 23, 2025
$50
Description coming soon!
Poverty vs. Child Neglect
May 29, 2025
$50
Description coming soon!
Failure to Protect or Protective Factors? Identifying Protective Factors in the Co-Occurrence of Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
September 4, 2025
$50
For advocates working with children disclosing abuse, it is important to align with caregivers to effectively advocate and amplify their voices during the investigation and healing process. Knowing that domestic abuse co-occurs at a substantially high rate alongside child abuse magnifies an advocate’s ability to engage caregivers to advocacy. In this session, participants will learn the barriers that victims of domestic violence face in leaving an abusive relationship, specifically when children are involved, and how system intervention may inadvertently create additional barriers. Additionally, the presenter will discuss barriers that children face to disclosing their own victimization when family violence is present in the home. We will examine protective factors that supportive caregivers have put in place to keep their children and themselves safe as well as how systems and advocates can best support families experiencing these types of victimization utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach.
Forensic Interviewing
Interviewing and Working with Queer Youth: Understanding the Cultural Context
November 12, 2024
$50*
This session will cover the dynamics of interviewing and working with queer youth who are potential victims of violence or abuse. Topics discussed will include dynamics of abuse and violence in the queer community, barriers to service, historical context and power dynamics, risk factors, and suggestions for building inclusion into your practice, both on the individual level when interviewing queer youth, as well as the organizational level when working with queer youth in general.
Drawn to the Facts: Utilizing Drawings in Forensic Interviews
February 18, 2025
$50*
Many tools can be used during forensic interviews such as anatomical diagrams, anatomical dolls, and things children draw during the interview. Utilizing drawings during forensic interviews can help the interviewer gain more information and understanding regarding what the child is discussing. The presenter will speak on multiple ways to use drawings during the interview and discuss what research says regarding utilizing drawings in forensic interviews. Real-life examples will be given, and participants should walk away from this presentation with a better understanding of how children’s drawings during the interview can help provide the team with more information.
Recantation: Why Does it Happen and What Do We Do?
June 26, 2025
$50*
This presentation will discuss the dynamics behind recantations of child abuse disclosures, both in forensic interviews and outside of forensic interviews. This session will review frequently asked questions about recantation, such as “why does recantation happen?”, “can we avoid recantation?” “how do we minimize the likelihood of recantation”, and “what do we do now?”. Participants will leave with an understanding of recantation and child abuse dynamics, follow-up recantation forensic interviews, and next steps for investigative team members in child abuse cases that involve full and partial recantations/retractions of children’s statements.
Interviewing and Working with Queer Youth: Understanding the Cultural Context
October 30, 2025
$50*
This session will cover the dynamics of interviewing and working with queer youth who are potential victims of violence or abuse. Topics discussed will include dynamics of abuse and violence in the queer community, barriers to service, historical context and power dynamics, risk factors, and suggestions for building inclusion into your practice, both on the individual level when interviewing queer youth, as well as the organizational level when working with queer youth in general.
*Scholarships may be available for advanced forensic interviewing sessions.
MDT Development
Global Warming as a Global Warning: The Effects of Climate Change on Child Abuse
April 29, 2025
$50
Climate change and, in turn, the growing number and intensity of natural disasters has many implications – one of them being the prevalence of child abuse. This presentation examines the relationship between climate change, natural disasters, and child abuse. Participants will leave with a better understanding of this relationship and how this issue affects children in our community and around the world.
Trauma- Informed Leadership Methods in Victim-Serving Organizations
August 21, 2025
$50
This session will review the research behind the characteristics and workplace environments of the victim-serving organizations to increase general understanding of the effects these characteristics have on secondary trauma, mental health, job satisfaction, and burnout. Leaders and supervisors will leave with recommendations for trauma-informed leadership methods to effectively respond to the needs of their supervisees.
Prevention
Understanding Victim Manipulation and the Spiral of Abuse
March 27, 2025
$50
As professionals, we have heard of the concept of victim manipulation (formerly known as grooming). What is not commonly discussed is the motivations, thoughts, and behaviors of child sex offenders; what is referred to as the spiral of abuse. We will discuss in-depth the process of victim manipulation and uncover some of the common ways in which this is carried out. I will also be walking us through the spiral of abuse to understand the evolution of sexually abusive behavior.
The Power of Positive Childhood Experiences
July 10, 2025
$50
As Health and Human Service Professionals, we are aware of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the lasting effects that they can have on a developing child. However, what is not discussed as much is the power of Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) and the resilience that can emerge through traumatic events experienced. This presentation explains the Child Advocacy Center approach and how we can promote PCEs through connection, acknowledgment, and support. By encouraging PCEs we can create a more connected community and strengthen our response to child abuse and neglect.
Normalizing the Conversation: Talking with Families about Body Safety
November 13, 2025
$50
In this session, we will not only discuss healthy childhood development, but also go over working with parents and non-offending caregivers as they start to grow their communication skills and normalize talking about body safety with their children. Participants will be informed on what to look for in terms of victim manipulation, signs of possible child sexual abuse, and how to support caregivers in learning and understanding this information
