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BEST PRACTICES: A GUIDEBOOK TO ESTABLISHING A CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER PROGRAM

NCJ Number
142531
Date Published
1990
Length
180 pages
Annotation
After describing the Children's Advocacy Center Program, a multidisciplinary response to child abuse, this manual describes how to plan, implement, and operate a program.
Abstract
The Children's Centers provide a multidisciplinary response to child abuse, based on agreements among the agencies involved in the intervention system. These agencies integrate various approaches and coordinate services to produce a comprehensive response that best meets the needs of child victims and their families. Rather than each agency maintaining its own methods for handling cases of child abuse, the agencies respond with the use of mutually agreed upon procedures. The centers coordinate child and family interviews, investigation, mental health treatment, medical services, prosecution, victim advocacy, training, and community education. Program components are a designated neutral facility, case review, joint investigations/interviews, medical examination and evaluation, mental health treatment, case tracking, victim advocate/support services, training, and community education. The benefits of the program are a reduction in the trauma experienced by abused children, prompt and ongoing treatment tailored to children's specific needs and family situations, more nonoffending parents are empowered to protect their children, more offenders are held accountable, and more mental health treatment resources become available for offenders. Also, professionals gain a better understanding of and respect for each other's roles and expertise, more effective decisions are made by sharing professional knowledge and expertise, and professionals receive specialized training. The manual is divided into sections that address program start-up issues, program components, program operations, and funding. Appended supplementary material