The process by which you close the discussion at the end of the interview should be carefully considered: the interviewee has likely shared deeply personal/traumatic information with you, and thus you cannot simply end an interview without any closing actions. This module takes you through the “Closing” and “Evaluation” phases of the PEACE model, teaching you about the ways in which you can effectively and empathetically close out an interview whilst prioritising your interviewee’s well-being.
In Module 7, you will:
● Learn techniques to close out an interview ensuring that the interviewee feels heard and respected
● Understand how and when to offer referrals
● Understand how to evaluate the interview and self-evaluate your performance as an interviewer
Main Takeaways:
✓ The ‘Closing’ phase of an interview is an opportunity for the interviewer to leave the interviewee with a positive impression and make sure they understand what happens next. Indicating that the interview is coming to an end allows the interviewee to share the last pieces of information and gives them time to rebalance their emotions. Interviewers also have the chance to summarize the information shared and let the interviewee correct mistakes and review informed consent.
✓ If the interviewee shows distress and/or might be interested in receiving more support, the interviewer can offer referrals for psychosocial assistance or other kinds of services as appropriate, without creating expectations. Collecting the interviewee’s consent to make a referral is an essential step in this process. Normalizing the experience of a person who suffered/is suffering from trauma can help them realize that many other people went through similar experiences and found asking for support helpful for their recovery.
✓ After an interview, it is good practice to evaluate the interview itself, by assessing whether it met the objectives of the interview process and those of the monitoring mission, and identifying what the next steps are. In addition, conducting a self-evaluation of your own performance as an interviewer provides an opportunity to learn and grow as an interviewer and become more efficient at gathering reliable and accurate information in a trauma-informed way.
