From Interviews to Courtrooms: MDT Collaborative Approach to Sexual Assault Cases

Best practice in serving victims of crime requires a collaborative approach to the investigative process. Regardless of the age of the victim or the type of victimization, we know that those who have been placed at risk are best served when we can come together on these cases.

Course will cover:

• The definition of the multi-disciplinary approach
  Why collaboration is key in cases of victimization
  What role community partners play in supporting the MDT

Trainers:

Trainer: Tifanie Petro

Tifanie Petro, MS, serves as the Director of Advocacy and Prevention, overseeing the Children’s Home Child Advocacy Center and multiple statewide awareness and education campaigns. In addition to overseeing collaborative investigations of child abuse cases; Tifanie provides forensic interviews for local, state, federal, and tribal jurisdictions, court room testimony, and comprehensive trainings rooted in understanding trauma and recognizing and responding to child abuse. Tifanie believes that by empowering children we can create resilient families and communities. Tifanie received her BS degree in Psychology from Black Hills State University, her MS in Public Health from Capella University, Minnesota and her MS in Human Services from Capella University, Minnesota.

Trainer: Lara Roetzel

Lara Roetzel is the Attorney Consultant for SD Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault. Previously, Roetzel was the Interim State’s Attorney for the Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office. For twenty-six years, Lara has been passionately advocating for victims, for justice and striving to prosecute the right people for the right reasons. She specializes in crimes of sexual violence and violence against women. In 2017, Lara was named the South Dakota Prosecutor of the Year by the South Dakota State’s Attorney Association.

Trainer: Cam Corey

Special Agent Cameron Corey, MACJ is an Assistant Director with the South Dakota Office of Attorney General in the Division of Criminal Investigation where he oversees the field operations for the division. He specializes in violent crime, specifically sexual assault and homicide investigations. AD Corey is also an adjunct professor at Mount Marty University, Lake Area Technical Institute, and the South Dakota law enforcement training academy (LET). AD Corey was appointed by Governor Dennis Daugaard to Jolene’s Law Task Force to study the effects of child sexual abuse in South Dakota and make recommendations to the South Dakota legislature. He is a co-founder of REACH in South Dakota. AD Corey began his law enforcement career in 1998.