The Gold Standard: The Rapport-Based Cognitive Interview
ATIXA’s expert faculty members draw on the best available research and their field-tested practices for effective investigations to teach the cognitive interview, a relationship-based approach to dialogue with parties and witnesses designed to yield the best available evidence.
Learn how to conduct a trauma-informed interview and acquire sophisticated investigation skills that help your interviewees to feel comfort and trust while using techniques that draw out their memories and key details. Plus, work in groups to complete an investigation simulation exercise designed with the most critical elements of a civil rights investigation, including strategy development, interviews, and credibility assessments. ATIXA’s instructors guide participants through the simulation to help refine their skills and increase their confidence as investigators.
Topics Covered
- The Investigation Strategy
- Trauma and Investigations
- Cognitive Interviewing Theory, Principles, and Practices
- Building Rapport
- Difficult Witnesses
- Memory and Recall
- Assessing Credibility
- Inclusive Investigations
- Considerations for Interviewing
- Investigation Simulation Exercise
Key Takeaway
Recognize the importance of the cognitive interview and gain confidence with the techniques involved in evaluating credibility, gathering pertinent evidence, and identifying potential obstacles such as poor memory recall.
After completing this training, participants will be able to:
- Understand the value of the cognitive interview and apply the techniques associated with conducting cognitive interviews
- Develop an investigation strategy, identify potential witnesses, and determine the order and timing of interviews
- Identify and accumulate critical relevant evidence
- Plan and conduct a rapport-based, trauma-infused cognitive interview
- Recognize and overcome obstacles to complete, accurate memory recall
- Contextualize how trauma should and should not impact on an investigation
- Identify necessary credibility evidence and design interview questions to probe and assess credibility
- Choose from multiple investigation approaches to prioritize inclusive investigative practices
Who Should Attend?
- Title IX Coordinators
- Deputy Title IX Coordinators
- Title IX or Civil Rights Investigators
- Decision-makers
- Appeal Decision-makers
- Intake/Case Coordinators
- Human Resources Professionals
- Student Conduct Professionals
- Legal Counsel
- Law Enforcement/Campus Safety/School Resource Officers
- Compliance and Risk Management Professionals (Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, ADA/Section 504, AA, EEO, Clery)
- Hearing/Process Advisors
- Attorneys Serving as Advisors
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Professionals
Upcoming Sessions
To obtain certification from ATIXA, you will need to sign-in to your Event Lobby each day of training and attend the whole event. It is our expectation that you are present for the entire duration of your training course. Certification will only be provided once ATIXA has verified attendance through the Event Lobby.
Please allow 7-10 days following the completion of the course and then log in on our website and visit the My ATIXA page to access the Continuing Certification Credit (CCC) program system. Please follow the instructions on the webpage to obtain your certification. Our CCC program allows those certified by ATIXA to track, maintain, and extend their professional development through our programs.
PLEASE NOTE: Certification refers to attendance at a qualifying event; TNG cannot speak to individual attendees’ knowledge, expertise, or command of the material.
- Attendance for each day of training or access to eTraining course for three months
- An extensive course-specific selection of articles, customizable forms and templates, case studies, videos, and more
- Instructional slides or transcript for eTraining
- Access to ATIXA content experts
- Ability to interact with faculty and attendees via course discussion and activities
- Certification upon corresponding course completion