What is a Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)?
An established and effective MDT is essential for accomplishment of comprehensive investigation, management, and prosecution of cases. The MDT and CAC work to integrate the services into a care plan and coordinate the delivery of these services to our clients to ensure they are not intimidated or re-victimized by the process and to better prepare them to support the successful prosecution of the perpetrators responsible for the abuse and trauma.
Site Coordinator
The site coordinator brings together team members and schedules team interviews of children when they are conducted as part of an investigation for the Child Protective Services (CPS) and/or Law Enforcement.
Law Enforcement
Police detectives are assigned to investigate every criminal case. They are responsible for collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses and alleged perpetrators, making arrests when appropriate, and helping to ensure the child and family’s safety.
Law enforcement will be responsible for contacting the District Attorney’s office and initiating criminal action when appropriate.
Investigators with active cases will participate in periodic case reviews with the team as scheduled. Participating law enforcement agencies should be represented at all case review sessions.
Assistant District Attorney
Prosecutors decide whether someone should be charged with a crime, which crime to charge, who should be charged, and also presents evidence in court to a judge and/or jury.
The District Attorney’s Office has general authority to direct investigations, which lead to criminal charges giving appropriate consideration to the police agency’s internal chain of command procedures.
The investigating team will consult with the District Attorney’s Office regarding any special problems arising during or from the investigation.
Family Advocate
Advocates are the “link” between the child, the family, and the Team. They are the main contact for the family throughout their case, providing information about victim rights, addressing safety concerns, providing referral information, and accompanying the family through the court process. The Family Advocate is also available to address any concerns that the child and non-offending parent(s) may have about their safety or the impact of domestic violence. The Advocate assesses risk of violence and provides supportive services, safety planning, information, and referrals.
Child Forensic Interview Specialist
Interviewers have specialized training in conducting forensic interviews of children who may have been abused or witnessed serious crimes. Interviewers can be Mental Health Clinicians, CPS workers or law enforcement officers. They speak with children about their experience while the rest of the team observes in another room using a closed circuit video connection. Their training and skill ensures that reliable information is elicited from the child in a legally, clinically, and culturally sound manner.
Child Protective Services (CPS)
CPS workers have a primary mandate to ensure the safety of children in an environment free from abuse and neglect, while preserving family life when possible.
CPS shall make appropriate referrals to the Child Advocacy Center to assist the victim and non-offending family members through the process by providing support and advocacy.
CPS shall evaluate the immediate safety and risk of the child named in the report and any other children in the home to determine the risk to such children if they remain in the home. If the children are assessed to be in immediate danger, a plan must be made sufficient to remove the danger such as the offender leaving the home, the child staying with a relative or taking the child into protective custody, or other appropriate safety interventions.
Mental Health Consultant
Mental health Consultants are specially trained therapists with experience providing evaluation and counseling services to children. They provide suggestions and recommendations regarding follow-up evaluations and counseling. They also assist in identifying services that will be helpful for the child and family.
Counselors providing therapy for the child victim must meet one of the following educational criteria:
- Masters prepared in a related mental health field,
- Student intern in an accredited graduate program,
- Licensed/ certified or supervised by a licensed mental health professional, or
- A training plan for 40 contact hours of specialized, trauma-focused mental health training, clinical consultation, clinical supervision, peer supervision, and/ or mentoring within the first 6 months of association.
Additionally, they must make mental health services available and accessible to all Child Advocacy Center clients regardless of ability to pay.
Medical Consultant
Pediatricians with experience in child abuse conduct thorough medical evaluations and collect forensic evidence when necessary. The medical consultant also reviews medical records to assess a child’s injuries and interpret medical findings for investigation teams and Case Review.
Medical professionals must meet one of the following training standards to be part of the Multidisciplinary Team:
- Child Abuse Pediatrics Sub-board eligibility,
- Child Abuse Fellowship training or child abuse Certificate of Added Qualification,
- Documentation of satisfactory completion of competency-based training in the performance of child abuse evaluations, or
- Documentation of 16 hours of formal medical training in child sexual abuse evaluation.
The medical professional will utilize the information obtained from the forensic interview to avoid duplicated interviewing.
What Services or Referrals are Offered at the Child Advocacy Center?
Multidisciplinary Team Investigations
A prompt, interagency response to give knowledge and clarify the child’s experience of their abuse. Recognizing that no one agency alone can provide adequate services for children suspected of abuse, the multidisciplinary team works to investigate child abuse cases across Allegany and Cattaraugus Counties.
Mental Health Services
Children between the age of 2 and 18 who have experienced a trauma may be referred for therapy. In addition, siblings of those children and non-offending caregivers are eligible for services. Several types of therapy are offered, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), and group therapy.
What to Expect
Therapy is a unique opportunity for a child to meet with a trained professional who is willing and able to work to establish goals for treatment and to develop a pathway toward achieving those goals. For children who are coming to therapy with a history of physical or sexual abuse, this process also uses research-based treatment that has been proven to be effective in coping with trauma. Occasionally, a child may leave a session feeling temporarily worse before realizing the full healing effect. Therapy relies on the child’s willingness to be open and to participate in the process, and the family should feel welcome to voice any concerns, discomfort, and scheduling issues with the therapist.
Caregivers and children coming to therapy for the first time will complete some introductory assessments about the child’s behaviors. This helps the therapists to focus therapy on the child’s biggest concerns. After completing the assessments, the caregivers and child meet and complete the paperwork necessary to begin therapy. The meeting allows the caregiver and child a chance to tell the therapist what brings them to therapy and what they would like specifically to work on in sessions. Following the intake session, the therapist will usually schedule weekly appointments with the child with the goal of eventually decreasing the number of sessions as the child improves.
Parents and guardians will be asked to participate in the majority of a child’s sessions in order to add to the child’s sense of support in the healing process. Participation and support are a vital aspect of therapy at the Child Advocacy Center. This may involve participation in sessions with or without the child, availability in our lobby during sessions for consultation as needed and requesting meeting with the therapist as needed.
Children younger than 14: Parents and guardians may feel free to telephone or ask the therapist in person about any questions or concerns regarding the child’s treatment.
Children 14 and older: Participation, questions, and concerns on the part of the parents or guardians are subject to the confidentiality rights of the child. By law, a child aged 14 or older may choose to share or limit access to personal treatment information.
Evidence-Based Treatment Models at the CAC
Several types of therapy are offered, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and group therapy. TF-CBT is a treatment focused on helping children recognize how some of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors have been shaped by their trauma. TF-CBT helps children to cope with and change those thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Group therapy is an opportunity for children who have experienced trauma to meet, share their stories, and receive support and education together. The therapists using these therapies have been specially trained in these techniques.
Family Advocacy
Family Advocacy services are provided to the parents and guardians of children who participate in forensic interviews, although other caregivers may be referred to the program as well. These services are designed to give support and education to caregivers in a one-on-one setting or through support groups.
Caregiver interviews are conducted by the family advocate with the caregivers while their child is being forensically interviewed. The interview explores the abuse-related needs of the caregivers, provides education on the investigation process, and provides general reassurance and support. After the interview, the family advocate follows up with the caregivers for up to several months or for the duration of the case to assist with any additional services and referrals the family may need. A caregiver may ask for a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly meeting with the family advocate for individual services, guiding them through the child abuse system.
Case Management
Children and families found to be at high-risk for abuse and exploitation can receive continuous care coordination and support. Case Managers may accompany families to court proceedings and provide a higher level of care than the Family Advocate.
Forensic Interview
Forensic services are provided to children who may have experienced abuse or who have witnessed a crime or other violent act. The primary aim of forensic services is to aid in ensuring the safety of the individual child as well as other children in the community. Forensic services are provided in a safe and child-friendly environment.
Forensic Interview
A forensic interview is a single session, recorded interview designed to gain a child’s unique information when there are concerns of possible abuse or when the child has witnessed violence against another person. The forensic interview is conducted in a supportive and non-leading manner by a professional trained in the National Child Advocacy Center Forensic Interview model. Interviews are remotely observed by representatives of the agencies involved in the investigation (such as law enforcement and child protective services).
Extended Forensic Interview
An extended forensic interview is a multi-session interview conducted by professionals trained in the National Child Advocacy Center’s Extended Forensic Interview model. Extended forensic interviews are conducted with children currently involved in a criminal or child protection investigation who may have trouble relaying their information during a single interview session.
Multidisciplinary Advisory Board
Our Multidisciplinary Advisory Board works to provide strategic leadership, ensure abundant resources, and provide oversight to achieve the mission of the Child Advocacy Center.
If you have any questions about the Child Advocacy Center, feel free to call us at 315-946-7613.