State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) presents an opportunity for training in The ICWA “Qualified Expert Witness” Testimony To Protect The Best Interests Of The Indian Child

When: August 8, 2012
Where: Hall of Justice Conference Center, 925 W. Ottawa Street, Lansing, Michigan 48909 

Under the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), the “Qualified Expert Witness” (QEW) serves an important role in cases involving Indian children. Due to the limited number of ICWA cases, the QEW’s role and testimony are often misunderstood. This training will help child welfare professionals understand the role of the QEW and will provide practice tips on how to effectively present QEW testimony. This will include testimony on tribal history, tribal perspective on children and childhood, cultural expectations, specific tribal family history, and the unique needs of the Indian child. In addition to improving foundational knowledge on the role of the QEW, the training will also help judges to evaluate the quality of the testimony as well as further aid attorneys in conducting direct and cross examination of the QEW. The morning session will feature a presentation on the role of the QEW in ICWA cases. The afternoon session will offer hands-on exercises demonstrating QEW testimony in an ICWA case.

Target Audience: Judges (state and tribal); referees; other court staff; attorneys; DHS caseworkers; other DHS child welfare personnel; and private agency caseworkers.

Click here for more information: The ICWA “Qualified Expert Witness” Testimony To Protect The Best Interests Of The Indian Child 

For qestions regarding the training contact Heather D. Leidi, Program Assistant, Child Welfare Services, State Court Administrative Office at LeidiH@courts.mi.gov or call (517) 37-5322.

To receive in-service training credit, your training facility coordinator must document completion on OTP/JJOLT. For questions regarding documentation of in-service training on OTP/JJOLT contact the Help Desk at DHS-CWTIJJOLT@michigan.gov or call (313) 465-2603.