Roster Criteria

In 2011-2012 we sought and received feedback from many, including those who were currently doing this work, on what criteria trained child interviewers should meet to be eligible for the BC Hear the Child Society Child Interviewer Roster. We thank those who participated in helping shape the following minimum requirements for Roster eligibility.

All persons wishing to apply to be added as an interviewer on the Roster must submit a completed Roster Application that is vetted by the Roster Committee and submitted on recommendation to the Society’s Board of Directors for approval. Review our Roster Application Checklist before submitting your Application.

Roster Application: Word Version / PDF Version
 Reference Letter: Word Version / PDF Version
Police Record Check: Instruction Sheet

As announced in the Board Report at the 2022 Annual General Meeting, and as part of our ongoing goal of maintaining the high quality of our reports, current roster members will be required to attend a minimum of 5 hours of relevant professional development programs each year. The professional development hours will be reported annually on their Renewal Application Form.

Roster Renewal Application: Word Version / PDF Version

BC Hear the Child Society Child Interviewer Roster Criteria

I. General

1. A member in good standing of the BC Hear the Child Society;

AND

2. Either:

a) a member in good standing of the Law Society of British Columbia;

OR

b) a member in good standing of a mental health profession in British Columbia with standards of professional conduct and ethics, and a disciplinary process: College of Psychologists of British Columbia (RPsych); College of Social Workers (RSW); BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (RCC);

OR

c) a member of another Profession [Candidates must demonstrate equivalency of the professional categories set out above],

AND

practicing without restriction that would affect eligibility, maintaining professional liability insurance with either: coverage of a minimum of $2,000,000 aggregate; OR coverage insured through the Law Society of British Columbia.

II. Experience

3. Candidate must have at least one of the following:

  • a minimum of 5 years of family law practice regularly dealing with issues of separation, divorce, parenting, and the resolution of family justice conflicts and 25 or more cases involving disputes about children (litigation, collaborative, lawyer negotiation, mediation, legal guardian);

OR

  • a minimum of 5 years of practice as a mental health professional, that includes experience working with divorcing high conflict families, and experience in child therapy, consultation, custody mediation, and interviewing children;

OR

  • a minimum of 5 years of family mediation practice regularly dealing with issues of separation, divorce, parenting, and the resolution of family justice conflicts and that includes experience working with divorcing high conflict families;

OR

  • demonstrated equivalency to the foregoing.

NOTE: For non-lawyers or lawyers without family law experience, you must demonstrate knowledge of family justice processes and a commitment to the area;

NOTE: For non-health professionals or health professionals without child practice experience, you must demonstrate knowledge of applicable, recent child development theory.

III. Training

4. A professional with at least 30 hours of training/education on listening to and reporting the views of the child including: 6.5 hours on child development and structured interviews of children, research on children in family justice decision-making, and ethics of interviewing children; 6.5 hours on child interview skills including building rapport, child friendly interview environments, appropriate language usage and questions, and effectively reporting the views of the child; and 17 hours of other relevant education on topics such as the rights of children, research on the inclusion and exclusion of children in family justice decision-making, the impacts of family breakdown or transition on children, risks and protective factors for children in family justice processes, family dynamics of separation and divorce including high conflict family dynamics.

NOTE: Eligible courses include but are not limited to the 2007, 2009 and 2011 Meaningful Child Participation in Family Justice Processes courses presented by IICRD and CLEBC, and may cover such topics as: effects of separation and divorce on parents and children; communication skill development of children; family dynamics; adult and child dynamics; parent and child bonding and attachment theory; child development; empirical research on developmental needs, children’s ages, gender systems and structural family theory; opinions and effects of parenting arrangements; ethno‐cultural family dynamics; family violence, power imbalance, and control issues; alcohol and substance abuse issues.

IV. Additional Information

5. A professional whose past conduct, supported by two letters of reference including one which attests to the ability to build rapport with children, supports Roster eligibility.

6. Satisfactory Police Record Check completed within three years and updated regularly, as determined by the Society.

7. Payment of an application processing fee, as determined by the Society from time to time.

8. Adherence to the policies, procedures, and standards of the Society, as amended from time to time, and a commitment to ongoing professional education.