Multidisciplinary Team Review of Child-Sexual-Abuse Cases (From Handbook of Clinical Intervention in Child Sexual Abuse, P 335-343, 1982, by Suzanne M Sgroi - See NCJ-97363)

• NCJ Number: 97373
• Author(s): S M Sgroi
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 9 pages
• Sale Source: Lexington Books
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The use of a multidisciplinary team to review cases of child sexual abuse can improve case management, increase professional knowledge about child sexual abuse within the community, train consultants, and improve liaisons among intervenors.

Abstract

This approach works, has far more potential than the use of child-protection teams, but is expensive and is not the sole solution to the problem of child sexual abuse. A team can be started by three or four professionals with an interest in learning, a willingness to participate, direct involvement in cases, and willingness to share case experience. The following disciplines should be represented: child protective services, law enforcement, law, health services, and mental health services. The team should be simply organized without a full-time coordinator. At the first meeting, the group should plan future meetings, determine how to choose cases for review, decide on discussion leadership, and plan recordkeeping. The confidentiality issue and the roles of team members should also be considered. Team meetings should focus on case reviews, with emphasis on case management. The review can focus on the 10 main phases of case management: reporting, investigation, validation, child protection assessment, initial management planning, diagnostic assessment, developing a problem list, formulating a treatment plan, treatment intervention, and monitoring. The review should end with a discussion of how the response to the case can be improved, how the team can help the clients and intervenors, and what can be learned from the case. One reference is listed.