2025 GBI Child Fatality Review SUIDI Training Symposium

This training will focus on how to conduct a thorough infant death investigation by utilizing trauma-practicing principles. The training objectives will include:

• Analyzing scene and interviewing information to determine proper investigative steps.
• Identifying the correct circumstances for utilizing a doll/scene reenactment.
• Collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams to investigate infant death.
• Utilize trauma-practicing principles for communication and investigative processes.

This training is provided at NO Cost and is specifically open to Medical Examiner's Staff, Death Scene Investigators, Law Enforcement, Coroners, Prosecutors, and other agencies that investigate child abuse and maltreatment related deaths.

Training Details:

Monday June 2, 2025

Time: 8:00am-5:00pm / Registration begins at 7:30am

Georgia Cyber Center Hull McKnight Building- Suite 4300

100 Grace Hopper Lane

Augusta, GA 30901

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This training will be conducted by Jo Catania:

Jo Catania is a passionate and innovative educator with more than 23 years of investigative experience. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Grand Valley State University and brings a unique blend of law enforcement and medicolegal expertise to her training initiatives.

Jo previously served as the Chief Medical Examiner Investigator for the WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Her impressive background includes 15 years in law enforcement and over 13 years as a death scene investigator. She leverages this extensive field experience to design trailblazing, engaging curricula and courseware for professionals across multiple disciplines.

A nationally recognized trainer, Jo provides standardized instruction for medicolegal death investigators, law enforcement officers, child protective service professionals, and coroners across several states. Her subject matter expertise was sought in the production of a national child death investigation training video by the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention.

Jo currently serves on the Training Subcommittee for the Governor’s Task Force on Child Death Protocol and is a registered Diplomate with the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators. She is the Affiliate President of the Michigan Association of Medical Examiners and is recognized as a Nationally Certified Instructor by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST).

Professionally, Jo is a Human Resources Developer with the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, where she is responsible for curriculum development, program evaluation, and implementation planning for law enforcement training statewide. She is also the CEO of Catania Training & Development, LLC.

In her spare time, Jo enjoys exploring a wide variety of hobbies and is proud to be a self-proclaimed serial hobbyist.

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Registration begins at 7:30 am

Training begins promptly at 8:00 a.m.

This training is approved for POST and ABMDI credits

Sponsored by:
Georgia Bureau of Investigation

Georgia Child Fatality Review

Department of Public Health

Info: • Welcome and Introductions

• What is Child Fatality Review?

• Necessary Steps During a Death Investigation

• Understanding the Uniqueness of a SUID

• SUID Doll Reenactment Demonstration

• Hands-on Reenactment scenarios

• Lunch

• Active Scenario Debrief (if necessary)

• Trauma-Informed Interviewing

• Basic Scene Photography

• Case Discussion

• Self-Care: The First Step to Helping Others

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