Who We Areadvocacyadmin2021-09-29T12:48:17-06:00
Multidisciplinary Team Members
Multidisciplinary Team Members include prosecutors, law enforcement, social workers, CAC staff, mental health professionals, medical professionals, victim advocates, and educational professionals. The MDT meets to collaborate and discus the child sexual abuse cases for their county. The meetings are designed to ensure child victims of sexual abuse are receiving comprehensive services and appropriate referrals, as well as to track the progress of the criminal case.
The purpose of the MDT is to insure the immediate and future safety of the child victim, increase the quality of sexual abuse investigation, assist in the healing of the child victim, increase the quality of sexual abuse investigations, and to facilitate efficient and appropriate disposition of cases through the criminal justice system (See: KRS 620.040 (7)(c)).
Children's Advocacy Centers
A children’s advocacy center (CAC) is a child-friendly facility in which law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, mental health, medical and victim advocacy professionals work together to investigate abuse, help children heal from abuse, and hold offenders accountable.
Victim Advocate
Victim Advocates provide support to victims and their non-offending family members in all stages of the legal process. It is important for victims to know that they have someone to support them at their court dates and who will explain what to expect at different stages of the process.
Forensic Interviewer
The Forensic Interviewer is a trained professional who assists law enforcement and/or social services by serving as a neutral fact-finder for the courts. Forensic interviews minimize the number of times a child is interviewed and limits the number of people who must directly interview a child. This service helps prevent the child from telling their story more than once which helps aid in the healing process.
Medical Professionals
Medical professionals may include licensed nurses and physicians having experience in examining children for possible abuse. Our exam room is child friendly, unlike what you would see in a hospital. Children who recieve medical exams at our facility are familiar with the center which promotes comfort.
Mental Health Professionals
Mental health professionals encompass many different disciplines including social work, psychiatry, art therapists, marriage and relationship counselors, psychologists, and/or psychiatric nurses. These licensed professionals may provide support to the prosecutor by preparing victims to testify, provide psychosocial assessments of victims and non-offending parents, assist in crisis intervention, and provide therapeutic interventions to the victims and families. They may also assist Child Protective Services in determining the risk for a child as well as serve as an educational resource of the subject of mental health. They may also facilitate and refer to treatment, provide expert testimony in court, and assist in the creation of Victim Impact Statements.
Child Protective Workers
The role of the social or family service worker is to help protect the child and serve as investigators on the team by conducting interviews and developing safety plans. They may also refer you and/or your child to counseling. Social service workers are present for the forensic interview which promotes having factual statements for the case.
Law Enforcement
Law enforcement officers are part of the investigation team. They interview children, non-offending parents, alleged offenders, and other witnesses. They also gather evidence from the scene of the alleged event(s). Law enforcment officers listen to Forensic Interviews to attempt avoiding interviewing the child individually.