Mary Beth Nelson

Mary Beth Nelson is a Forensic Interview Trainer at the National Children’s Advocacy Center. She has worked in the field of child welfare for 24 years. After graduating from the University of Alabama and working as a CPS investigator in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Mary Beth became a forensic interviewer in Atlanta, Georgia. She has worked as a forensic interviewer for 22 years, conducting forensic interviews and testifying in court proceedings involving forensic interviews, sexual abuse, physical abuse, child witnesses to violence, commercial sexual exploitation of children, sex trafficking, interviewing children with disabilities, and interviewing children who do not speak. Mary Beth partners with the Modell Consulting Group to train professionals to effectively interview individuals with disabilities. As a licensed clinical social worker, Mary Beth currently focuses her energy on training and supporting forensic interviewers and professionals in the community to provide a compassionate and competent response to individuals who have experienced maltreatment. Her passion includes conducting forensic interviews of suspected victims of trafficking and individuals with disabilities. In her spare time, Mary Beth spends time with her family, friends and crazy dogs pretending to be adventurous while jogging (others may call it walking), hiking (very slowly), kayaking, and controlling her anxiety while scuba diving.