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ACFEI Articles Dr. Robert O’Block Builds the American College of Forensic Examiners Institute Into the World’s Leading Forensic Membership Association In 1992, Dr. Robert O’Block founded the American College of Forensic Examiners Institute (ACFEI). Since that time, through the hard work and dedication of Dr. O’Block, ACFEI has expanded to be the nation’s leading forensic membership association. Today, O’Block has built a strong and steadily growing association known worldwide for its cutting-edge certification programs, its top quality continuing education opportunities, and its prestigious peer-reviewed journal, The Forensic Examiner®. Looking back on the progress of ACFEI, O’Block stated, “We’ve come very far. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished.” About ACFEI The association that O’Block founded, the American College of Forensic Examiners Institute (ACFEI), is an independent, multi-disciplinary scientific professional society that actively promotes the dissemination of forensic information. O’Block’s purpose in creating ACFEI was to promote the continued advancement of forensic examination and consultation across the many professional fields encompassed by the organization. Since ACFEI was formed by O’Block more than 13 years ago, it has established the highest professional standards in the field of forensics through quality basic and advanced educational training and continuing education. ACFEI provides nationwide training and certification programs and circulates information and knowledge through its official peer-reviewed journal, The Forensic Examiner. O’Block plans to continue the growth and expansion of ACFEI by adding an extensive online continuing education course curriculum, which is currently being developed. “I’ve been very excited to see ACFEI offer top-quality continuing education opportunities through online learning,” O’Block stated. “It will be a benefit that our members are really looking forward to, and I was happy to help provide it for them.” Web-based courses will be available soon on the Online Learning Portal featured on ACFEI’s website, www.acfei.com. One of the most distinctive aspects of the association O’Block established is the highly popular certification programs that O’Block founded to be offered through ACFEI. Among the certification programs that O’Block founded are the Certified Forensic Accountant, Cr.FA, program; the Certified Medical Investigator, CMI, program; the Certified Forensic Consultant, CFC, program; the Certified Forensic Nurse, CFN, program; and the Certified in Homeland Security, CHS, program. These programs are described below. About the Certified Forensic Accountant, Cr.FA, program One of the leading certification programs that O’Block founded was the Certified Forensic Accountant, Cr.FA, program. O’Block helped develop the Cr.FA program to provide an advanced credential recognizing expertise in Forensic Accounting based on training, experience, education, knowledge, and skill. According to O’Block, “The Cr.FA designation is available for accountants meeting all of their State Board of Accountancy requirements. I highly recommend it for accountants looking to set themselves apart from their peers in the field.” According to O’Block, “The Cr.FA designation can help increase a forensic accountant’s marketability, job opportunities, and income; it can also help build credibility, prestige and respect, and can help advance an accountant’s career.” About the Certified Medical Investigator, CMI, program One of the certification programs that O’Block founded, the Certified Medical Investigator, CMI, program, has become one of the most dynamic and intriguing review courses available in the field of medical investigation. “The Certified Medical Investigator, CMI, designation is an advanced credential that helps confirm to legal authorities that you have experience, education, training, and expertise in conducting medical investigations,” O’Block said. “It can attest that you have completed the necessary coursework, acquired the advanced specialized knowledge and skills, and passed the required examinations on medical investigation to set you apart as a nationally recognized medical investigator.” The CMI program centers around the CMI review course, which educates course attendees in the critical areas of forensic investigation, including the importance of recognizing evidence, securing evidence, protecting a forensic scene from contamination, and the legal issues involved in managing evidence and testifying about it. According to O’Block, “All forensic professionals will benefit from the CMI course, including those outside the traditional medical professions.” About the Certified Forensic Consultant, CFC, program One of the more recent programs that O’Block founded for ACFEI is the Certified Forensic Consultant, CFC, Program. O’Block helped develop the CFC program to train forensic professionals to be competent and knowledgeable forensic consultants in the American judicial system. “The CFC review course and examination helps prepare the forensic specialist to be successful in court by covering a diverse range of related topics, including professional ethics, writing error-proof reports, preparing interrogatories and deposition testimony, presenting testimonial evidence and opinions, and comporting with jurisdictional rules,” O’Block said. The distinguished CFC designation can help contribute to the weight of testimony a forensic professional presents, and may help verify the validity of the evidence presented, the application of specialized knowledge to the facts in a case, and the relevance of the evidence to the issues in the case. “Overall,” O’Block said, “the CFC program educates individuals in the fine points of being competent and knowledgeable forensic consultants in the American judicial system.” About the Certified Forensic Nurse, CFN, program In 2004, O’Block founded the exciting new Certified Forensic Nurse, CFN, program. This program was created to provide a credential to verify the credibility, competency, knowledge, and advanced skill levels of nurses working in various roles within the field of forensic nursing. According to O’Block, “the CFN designation can demonstrate to a nursing professional’s colleagues, patients, clients, employers, and the health care community that he or she has an extensive base of knowledge and education, direct professional experience, and a total commitment to continuing education and excellence within the forensic nursing profession.” The CFN designation could also contribute to the weight and relevance of the Certified Forensic Nurse’s testimony and the applicability of the evidence that he or she presents in a court of law. “The CFN program was created when ACFEI members from the nursing profession expressed a particular need and desire for a national certification program in the area of forensic nursing. The rigorous and challenging CFN review course and examination were created to meet this need with the guidance of the forensic nursing professionals from the top of their fields who are highly skilled, well educated, and experienced in varied areas of forensic nursing,” O’Block said. About the Certified in Homeland Security, CHS, program The Certified in Homeland Security, CHS, program is an association of professional field experts networking together within multiple disciplinary sciences to establish a comprehensive private sector contingency organization to support, assist, and supplement efforts to achieve the objectives of the National Strategy for Homeland Security. O’Block helped develop the CHS program with the primary objective of creating a network of teams on the local, state, and national scale comprised of private sector member experts from diverse disciplines and knowledge perspectives to provide constructive information, inspire debate, collaborate, and encourage citizen engagement in support of the preparation and response efforts taking place in the Homeland Security arena in the United States. According to O’Block, “the ultimate goal of the CHS program is to facilitate collaborative partnerships and strong working relationships between Homeland Security professionals from the public and private sectors and incident management first-responder organizations, recognizing that each has unique talents and abilities to contribute to the security of our nation.” O’Block feels that the strength of the CHS program lies in its diverse membership of highly qualified Homeland Security professionals from a wide range of professional disciplines in the public and private sectors. At the core of its membership are some of the world’s leading decision-makers who have significant experience and knowledge in Homeland Security, including law enforcement and other security experts, active and retired military, firefighters and other first responders, border and transportation security professionals, health care professionals, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, dentists, mental health professionals, accountants, IT and telecommunication professionals, engineers, and others. “What makes the CHS program unique,” O’Block said, “is its utilization of CHS members’ expansive and powerful knowledge base and our coordination of this large, diverse group to facilitate cross-curriculum training, networking, and collaboration.” One of the main contributions of the CHS program is the formation of CHS Preparation & Response Teams (CHS P&R Teams) based all across the nation. CHS P&R Teams are multi-disciplinary, geographically-based teams comprised of CHS members from one or more of the 14 specialty Divisions within the CHS program, including: Security, Transportation, Law Enforcement, Military, Medical, Accounting, Engineering and Technology, Communications, Mental Health and Crisis Intervention, Clergy and Pastoral, Emergency Management and Preparedness, Public Health and Safety, WMD/COBRA and First Responders. According to O’Block, “CHS P&R Teams were created to develop proactive support units to assist and collaborate with first responder groups at the local level to achieve the maximum standard of preparedness and coordinated response to incidents of terrorism or other disasters.” O’Block feels these CHS P&R Teams will play a major role in response and recovery activities if another terrorist attack occurs in the United States. O’Block says that “the strength of CHS P&R Teams is the wealth of training, experience, skill, and knowledge that members contribute to Homeland Security efforts within their local communities by networking with and assisting local response teams, providing expert advice on Homeland Security issues to key decision-makers, and offering education and training programs to fellow American citizens.” For More Information For more information on ACFEI or the variety of certification programs and continuing education opportunities, call toll free (800) 423-9737. This Article is brought to you by
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