NCJ Number
73608
Date Published
1979
Length
84 pages
Annotation
The manual describes some of the essential activities involved in planning, organizing, and operating a communitywide child protection coordinating committee.
Abstract
Because child abuse and neglect practitioners generally agree that multidisciplinary approach to child maltreatment has the greatest potential for success, the manual is directed to setting up a formal coordinating body which would foster cooperative, communitywide child protection efforts and provide an organizational structure in which community agencies, organizations, and concerned individuals can work together to overcome the problems of child maltreatment. The specific functions of a community coordinating committee, are outlined, and the roles and responsibilities of committee members from local Child Protection Services (CPS) agencies, the medical fields, the mental health system, the educational system, the judiciary, the law enforcement field, the residential child care system, and from self-help groups are delineated. The preliminary organizational steps are identified, and techniques are suggested for demonstrating the effectiveness of coordinated action, for fostering community awareness and support, and for gaining cooperation and participation from community agencies and organizations. Advice is given on the conduct and purposes of the first few committee and subcommittee meetings, with attention to overcoming some organizational problems. Finally, the external functions essential to the coordination of the community's overall efforts in preventing and treating child abuse and neglect and the internal functions essential to maintaining the viability and credibility of the committee are identified and discussed. Footnotes and sample forms are supplied. A list of regional child abuse and neglect resource centers, standards applicable to community organizing for child abuse and neglect and 8 references are appended.