ABOUT
Laurie Fortin, LCSW, is an expert in the area of child sexual abuse. With a career spanning over 30 years, she has worked with victims, offenders, and families impacted by sexual abuse and the associated trauma. She began her social work career as a Child Protective Services Worker with San Diego Child Welfare Services, investigating and managing child abuse cases. She then transitioned to more clinical work after securing her license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in 1993, to working with juvenile and adult sexual offenders, conducting assessments; individual, group, and family treatment; and case management services.
After nearly 10 years of offender work, Ms. Fortin began working as a forensic interviewer in 2000. She has worked at both of San Diego’s Child Advocacy Center’s in various positions, including lead interviewer, clinical coordinator of the interviewing program, and forensic clinic supervisor. In addition to conducting over 4,000 forensic interviews, she has been instrumental in her role on the multi-disciplinary team (MDT), helping to coordinate/facilitate meetings and train fellow MDT members. She served as a Practice Coach/Consultant for the Academy of Professional Excellence, contracted with San Diego County Child Welfare Services to support best practices when intervening with children and families where abuse was alleged/occurred.
Ms. Fortin has developed and/or delivered over 450 trainings in the area of child sexual abuse dynamics, forensic interviewing/child interviewing best practices, trauma-informed care, and secondary traumatic stress at the local, state, and national levels for an array of multi-disciplinary professionals. She is currently a contract trainer for all of California’s Regional Training Academies, whose mission is to provide workforce support, training and coaching to Child Welfare professionals throughout the state.
Ms. Fortin has been qualified as an expert witness in the area of child sexual abuse & forensic interviewing best practices, testifying as such in over 100 court proceedings in juvenile, family, criminal, and federal court settings, administrative hearings, and civil matters.
Ms. Fortin has been a past and/or current member of various professional organizations, to include California Coalition of Sexual Offending (CCOSO), American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC), and California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT). She has also served as a Board Member for various organizations, including Child Advocacy Centers of California (CACC) and currently, for California Chapter of American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (CAPSAC).
PUBLICATIONS:
‘Child Forensic Interview: Interplay between Child and Interviewer.’ Perspectives Newsletter, California Coalition on Sexual Offending, Spring 2014.
‘Child Forensic Interviewing: Current Best Practice.’ Perspectives Newsletter, California
Coalition on Sexual Offending, Spring 2013. ‘The Forensic Interview of Child Victims: Listening to What They Can Tell Us About Sex Offenders Behavior.’ Perspectives Newsletter, California Coalition on Sexual Offending, Winter 2005.
Author of Trainer’s Pamphlet for Video ‘It’s Not Your Fault: Overcoming the Self-Blame of Childhood Sexual Abuse,” produced by Naval Consolidated Brig, Mira Mar, Sex Offender Treatment Program (2002).