Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)
Child-adolescent forensic interviewers (CAFIs)
Sloane, who’s worked as an FBI CAFI for just under two decades—most recently, in a supervisory role—said an average day on the job is hard to encapsulate. “It’s hard to describe a day in the life of a CAFI because it varies, and that’s one of the beauties but also the challenges,” she said, adding that the job comprises far more than just conducting interviews.
It can also include:
- Consultation
- Court testimony
- Trainings
- Presentations
- Working Groups
- Working on multidisciplinary teams
And, Sloane stressed, CAFIs don’t work in a bubble. CAFIs are neutral fact-finders, but to accomplish that mission, they collaborate with FBI agents, task force officers, victim specialists, and prosecutors. “That’s the importance of working as a team to provide victims the best support possible to maneuver and survive this process,” she said.
Sloane and other supervisory CAFIs, in particular, also help resolve conflicts that might arise during the course of an investigation. Their job, in these situations, is to balance the best interest of the victim or witness in question with that of the case. SCAFIs also strategically divvy up resources to CAFIs scattered throughout the field to ensure they’re equipped to do their jobs.
“We don’t heal or succeed in isolation—that’s why there are really kind, authentic people to guide and support you,” Sloane said. “Your suffering matters, and we want to be here to assist in any way that we can.”