MANDATED REPORTING

“We are all mandated reporters,” said Mary Kreitz, trauma program manager and group services director for Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health, speaking during at a training session.

What does a mandated reporter mean and how does this apply to me?

If you as a clinician suspect that a child has been abused or is being abused or neglected, you as a clinician are legally required to report the abuse.

When reporting an abusive situation, what information does the clinician need to have when answering the questions over the phone?

Kreitz said Child Protective Services is likely to ask for this information:

The name and address of the child you suspect is being abused or neglected
Age of the child
Name and address of the parents or caretakers
Name of the person you suspect is abusing or neglecting the child and the address if available;
Reason you suspect the child is being abused and neglected
Any other information which may be helpful to the investigation

Kreitz said, “Even if the abuse took place a year ago, you should still call and make sure the abuse was actually reported and the details you heard have been reported. You may be presenting new facts to the case. Then document that you made the report.”

After a clinician has filed a report, what is the next step?

Following a report that is made, a caseworker from Jobs and Family Services (JFS) and/or a local law enforcement officer will be assigned to investigate the report. From there, the child may be referred to The Children’s Network, which is Stark County’s Child Advocacy Center. They have a multidisciplinary team (MDT) of professionals working together in one location to help children and their families cope with abuse, witnessing violence or human trafficking.

The Children’s Network of Stark County is a Child Advocacy Center. Partners working through the network include: Stark County Prosecutor’s Office; County-wide law enforcement; Stark County Family Court; National Children’s Alliance & Ohio Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers; Akron Children’s Hospital CARE Center; Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health; Lighthouse Family Center; and Stark County Jobs & Family Services.

Family Advocate

When a family comes to The Children’s Network after a report has been made, a family advocate will be assigned to the family. The Family Advocate stays with the family throughout the whole investigation and legal process. The Family Advocate will make sure families understand every step of the process and connect the family with resources they need for recovery. Even after the JFS case is closed, the advocate is allowed to maintain contact.

Forensic Interview

The purpose of the forensic interview is to create a safe space for a specifically trained interviewer to address abuse allegations in a neutral, fact-finding, developmentally appropriate manner. These interviews are legally sound, non-duplicative and non-leading. The forensic interviewer conducts each interview using a nationally recognized protocol. The only two people in the room are the child and the interviewer. All interviews are video and audio recorded so the child does not have to repeat this in court. MDT members observe the interview from another room.

The Medical Exam

A specialized nurse practitioner from Akron Children’s Hospital CARE Center may conduct a medical exam. This exam is similar to a having a routine check-up. Any bruises or marks on the body are photographed and documented. Physical conditions or injuries will be treated.

Trauma or Sexual Abuse Evaluation

This evaluation may be referred if the child is not able to give a clear disclosure due to fear, anxiety, developmental level, inability to understand questions or vague communication style. This assessment is more in-depth and will take place in two to three sessions.

Prosecuting the Case

The assistant prosecutors meet regularly with MDT to determine whether the case is appropriate for prosecution. Some cases are handled informally and some cases are not strong enough for prosecution. The prosecutor also helps prepare the child and/or parents if testifying in court is necessary.

There are protocols for clinicians to take on what you can and should do after a report of suspected abuse or neglect has been made.

What not to do:

Do not question the child about the abuse or probe for more details about what happened.
Do not coach the child on what to say.
Do not ask siblings or other children in the home if they were abused too

Here is what you can do:

If the client wants to tell you what happened; listen supportively
Validate the client’s bravery for telling someone about what happened
Help the client feel safe
If the client is nervous about the forensic interview or abuse evaluation, reassure that the interviewer/assessor is a safe person; reassure the client they are not in trouble; that this will not hurt; and to be honest
If the client wants you to come along as support when they go for an interview/evaluation, model being pleasant and cooperative with other professionals; if you seem uncomfortable talking, the client will likely follow your lead; if possible, it would be best to get a release for Children’s Network; and remember that you can speak to other health care professionals working with our clients.
Reassure the client the abuse is not their fault; that experiencing abuse does not make you bad or weird; validate that there are many reactions to abuse, none are “wrong” and validate the client’s feelings.

For clinicians who are doing Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy do not start processing the client’s narrative until all parts of the investigation (forensic interview, medical exam, trauma and sex abuse evaluations) are completed. You are able to work on other parts of the model – psychoeducation, relaxation skills, affect regulation skills and cognitive coping skills.

The final message is don’t stop working with client if they are sent to Children’s Network. This is an important piece for investigating what happened. We are in a much better position to meet the needs of the client when we are all working together.

To report an incident, call 330-455-KIDS (5437).

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STARK COUNTY SCHOOLS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS

16 Apr, 2024

The sixth annual Stark County Schools Mental Health Awareness Week is May 6-10 Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A), CommQuest Services and Pathway Caring for Children will partner to bring positive mental health awareness to more than 53,000 students and 7,000 support and administrative staff in all 18 Stark County School districts.

UNDERSTANDING RACE IN SOCIETY AND THERAPY: CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS’ EXPERIENCES

By Chris Alpert • 16 Nov, 2023

In the film, I’m Not Racist… Am I? as introduced and explored in first of this three-part blog post series, the participants engaged in multiple workshops that address race and racism. Interpersonally, the group of students grapple with their own differences and similarities, which impact the content and emotions they share with each other. There are several moments in the film that demonstrate the clear differences in the participants’ understanding of race. In the first workshop, the students were exposed to the idea that all white people are inherently racist seeing as American society was founded on principles meant to support white people (see more on structural racism here, here, and here for further understanding). Several white students in the film became emotional during that workshop. Most students remained quiet. Following this workshop, a black student and a white student were filmed independently of each other in their own homes and discussed the workshop and what they learned with their families. The white student discussed the differences between structural racism and bigotry with her mother and struggled to identify with the principles taught in the training. The black student stated to his mother how almost everything spoken in that workshop applied to him. The student further discussed his feelings by stating how overt racism is and yet how “subliminal” it is at the same time. How can something be so in your face and yet under your feet simultaneously? I immediately reflected on the dialectic of something being so clear and yet so vague. The film continued to grapple with student differences. At the beginning of the film, one white male student discussed with his mother how he feels that all individuals, if they apply themselves wholeheartedly, have the same chance of success regardless of their skin, gender, sexuality or other demographic factors. As a white man myself, I must confess that when I was in high school, I had the same mindset. How could it be different? Especially when I was reading mythic bootstrap literature in high school classes. Sure, the harder you work the more you deserve, but that statement does not work for all Americans. I had not accounted for racial factors that inhibit the growth of others, not to mention socio-economic factors, nationalities, citizenship status, gender and age. I continued to reflect on these statements and connected them to my experience in high school in New York City. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement responding to the murder of George Floyd, multiple private progressive schools in New York, including the one I went to, suffered scrutiny from students and alumni who identify as black, indigenous people of color (BIPOC). Multiple Instagram accounts surfaced with the handle “BLACK AT [school name].” I read the posts in 2020, and again before writing this post, and remembered feeling horrified knowing these acts of racism, bigotry and microaggressions happened all around me. This was subliminal to me, yet overt to others.

UNDERSTANDING RACE IN SOCIETY AND THERAPY

By Chris Alpert • 01 Nov, 2023

When I first came to Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A), I was unsure what to expect regarding race and diversity at both the organization and in Ohio. Having grown up in Harlem in New York City and attended graduate school in San Diego, CA, I had heard stereotypes about Ohio, specifically that Ohio was a very white state. At C&A during orientation, we discussed the role of first impressions for clients and discussed how the front desk staff are considered, “the directors of first impressions.” I loved this term. After orientation, I wondered, why we didn’t discuss demographic factors such as race and gender? We generally pick those up upon first impressions and have implicit biases and judgements in those first impressions. It was odd to me that we did not discuss these demographic factors. As the summer and fall progressed, I noticed that there were few discussions about race as it impacts C&A and the kids and families we serve. I noticed the number of white staff at C&A and reflected on my own privilege as a white man who can easily avoid the discussion of race because I do not suffer discrimination on an individual or systemic level. I reflected on my first experiences discussing race in high school. When I was in high school at the Calhoun School, my father received a grant to create a film and workshops that addressed race and racism seen through the eyes of high schoolers in New York City. My dad had completed a training hosted by the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond. This training opened my father’s eyes to his own white privilege and motivated him to teach kids, specifically white kids, about their privilege earlier in life. I first saw the film, I’m Not Racist… Am I? (see more here ), toward the end of high school after it had come out in 2014.

THE DANGERS OF MARIJUANA USE

By Dr. Karita Nussbaum • 20 Oct, 2023

Ohio is at a crossroads once again with marijuana on the ballot next month. The following article is from Every Brain Matters, an organization that believes that the THC in marijuana is a dangerous and addictive drug. Every Brain Matters is a trusted source of educational material based on the latest scientific evidence. One of the major criticisms of expanded marijuana legalization is that it makes the drug more accessible to minors. A brand-new study just published in JAMA Pediatrics shows that it has become a valid concern.

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE – SOUTHERN NIGHTS: ILLUMINATING HOPE AND MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION

By Savannah Okray • 11 Sep, 2023

For the last few months, C&A has been diligently preparing for the 18th Annual Let Your Light Shine – Southern Nights presented by The Repository by organizing auction items, printing tickets and using their creativity to make sure that eventgoers feel as though they are walking into an evening in the south, with barrels and lanterns to boot. The committee, led by chair Jen Frey and co-chair Molly Sperling and auction chair Stacy Remark are hard at work, it’s crucial to remember that this event raises awareness and dollars to support the agency’s programs and services amid suicide prevention and awareness month.

GROWING WITH YOUR CHILD AS A PARENT

By Dan Mucci • 30 Aug, 2023

I have grown up as a parent for the last four and half years! As luck would have it, a little more than four and a half years ago, I started at Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A) in the mission advancement department with my responsibilities being the marketing and development coordinator. Some might say, I did a good job of raising my two kids, who were teenagers at the time. But, boy, if I had known of the services C&A offered and even some of the parenting tools for my toolbox, parenting might have been even better.

WHAT DID YOU DID THIS SUMMER?

By Dr. Karita Nussbaum • 09 Aug, 2023

This summer I attended a Marijuana Prevention conference near Denver, Colorado. I was curious to know what the locals were saying after 10 years of legalization. The speakers included a Denver Police Commander, school resource officer, medical doctor, residential treatment program CEO, deputy from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), Executive Director of the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association and others related to educating the community and defending children’s rights. In the audience were parents, professionals and advocates for children from all over the United States. The conference was geared toward the protection of children.

FROM DARKNESS TO DISCOVERY: MY COLLEGE JOURNEY OF SELF-TRANSFORMATION

By Savannah Okray • 24 Jul, 2023

When I arrived on campus, I tried to immerse myself in college culture. I joined a sorority, the speech and debate team, and two other clubs which were extensive time commitments, factoring in no time to relax or focus on bettering my mental health. This lack of attention to my mentality, combined with my low self-esteem that prevented me from making friends led me down a dark hole in which some days I thought it would be better if I wasn’t here. About four weeks into school (at Ohio University), I realized that I had to do something, as I knew it was not safe for me to continue down the road I had been on. From there I moved home and attended an inpatient treatment center where I worked with counselors for five hours a day, learning coping skills and other ways in which I could help mend my suffering mental health. Through the lessons I learned I was able to get the skill set and help I needed and returned to school three weeks later.

THIS IS WHY WE CELEBATE

By Mary Kreitz • 19 Jun, 2023

This time of year there are a lot of celebrations happening in our communities – Memorial Day, Pride Festivals, Juneteenth celebrations, 4th of July and many more. These events aren’t just frivolous excuses to have parties, backyard barbecues or festivals. They are important cultural and civic events we need these celebrations.