Multi-Disciplinary Case Review
The Children’s Advocacy Center of Hidalgo and Starr Counties is dedicated to improving the lives and safety of child abuse victims in Hidalgo and Starr Counties.
Our family services provide education about the roles of investigating agencies, the investigation process, and the systems and services in place to assist children and families affected by abuse.
A Coordinated Effort to Support Children
Thanks to the introduction of Muti-Disciplinary Case Reviews, the process of investigating and responding to child abuse cases has become much quicker and more effective. Before the multi-disciplianry method was used, the efforts of the many agencies working to combat abuse were uncoordinated and disorganized, leading to less favorable outcomes. Now, we’re able to make more of a difference for children while protecting them as much as possible from retraumitization.
The Multi-Disciplinary Case Review: What’s Discussed?
Each child abuse case undergoes a formal review process that allows the professionals investigating the incident to discuss critical information and make important decisions. With their experience and skills, team members involved in the multi-disciplinary case review and investigate many points of concern where children and their non-abusing family members may need support.
- Child safety concerns
- Investigation results
- Medical concerns
- Mental concerns
- Cultural concerns
- Interview results
It’s through this process that the team of professionals investigating the incident can make decisions to combat child abuse.
Teaming Up To Fight Child Abuse: Who Is Involved in a Multi-Disciplinary Case Review?
The multidisciplinary team consists of individuals from a wide range of fields with varying backgrounds, experiences, and levels of training.
This variation in expertise allows our team to pool their knowledge and resources to provide their best in supporting victims of child abuse as well as their families.
- Law Enforcement Officers — From evidence to interviews, law enforcement officers are able to help child abuse cases through the investigative process.
- Attorneys — Criminal lawyers can provide insight to the team to aid in securing legal justice in the most effective way possible
- Social Workers — In collaboration with medical and mental care professionals, social workers can make decisions to create safe living environments for children.
- Medical Doctors and Clinical Nurses — Not only do these professionals provide meaningful medical care, but they can also collect physical evidence needed to prove claims of abuse.
- Occupational Therapists — From recognizing signs of trauma to helping children through the healing process, occupational therapists play a crucial part in the multidisciplinary team that supports children.
- Mental Health Professionals — Abuse is not only physical, but can also include emotional, mental, and sexual abuse. Trained mental health professionals are a key component of helping children and their families find recovery after abuse.
Those on the multi-disciplinary case review team are committed to sharing the responsibility of supporting children to help them find hope, healing, and justice.
Supporting Children, It Takes a Community!
Our multidisciplinary team comes together to support children, but we can’t do it alone.
It takes a whole community standing together to fight to prevent child abuse and to help children heal.
Give back to your community through the Children’s Advocacy Center of Hidalgo and Starr Counties! Anyone in the community can donate to the fight.
Don’t let child abuse continue in our community. Give so our children can have a fighting chance for a better and happier life that they greatly deserve.
