Do Forensic Interviewers Need To Be Licensed?

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Forensic interviewing serves an investigative function rather than a clinical service. Therefore forensic interviewers are not licensed or certified. Though an agency that employs forensic interviewers may require a specific degree or level of education, there are no degree requirements for conducting an interview, or for becoming a professional interviewer. Not everyone that conducts an interview holds the "forensic interviewer" title. Detectives, for example, regularly interview victims and witnesses but but do not consider themselves forensic interviewers.

 

Though educational training in certain fields may  complement an interviewer's skill set, more important is that the interviewer is formally trained and follows best-practices. Most interviewers take an initial multi-day training and then participate in a peer-review program throughout the calendar year.

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Some individuals claim to be a "certified forensic interviewer." However, any training program is free to offer its own "certification." In fact, there is no accrediting body for the forensic interviewing profession. This is true for those who interview children, as well as those who interview adults.