MINUTES pp.sworps.utk.edu



JOINT TASK FORCE ON CHILDREN’S JUSTICE/CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

193 POLK AVENUE – NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2010 –10:00 AM, CDT

MINUTES

Members Present Affiliation

Nancy Williams Memphis CAC

Sandra Allen Lebonheur CCP

Linda O’Neal TCCY

Pat Wade TCCY

Stacy Miller TDCS

Bonnie Beneke TNCAC

Cindy Perry Select Committee on Children & Youth

Larry Seeman Volunteer Behavioral Health

Judy Covington Montgomery Co. CAC

June Turner Nashville Children’s Alliance

Cheryl Hultman CASA

Rae Anne Seay Legal Aid Society - Columbia

Frankie Cowan TDCS

Jeanne Brooks TN. Children’s Trust Fund

Jo Ann Gregory Springfield Sheriff’s Dept

Debra Valentine TDCS

Frankie Cowan TDCS

Delora Ruffin TDCS

Christina Dotson TDCS

Karen Alexander TBI

Susan Barber Department of Health

Linda Lloyd Department of Human Services

Elvira Newcomb Administrative Office of Courts

Sasha Fallon TCCW

Delaine Bottoms Carl Perkins Exchange Club

Charity Miles Legal Aid of East TN

Eileen Beehan Catholic Charities

Jim Thompson 26th Judicial District

Thomas Miner 31st Judicial District

Emily Cecil TNCAC

Rory Alley UT SWORPS

Toni Lawal UT SWORPS

Welcome and Introductions

The meeting began with the president, Nancy Williams thanking everyone for coming followed by roll call.

2011 TASK FORCE MEETINGS:

▪ Thursday, March 17 at 10:00 am, CDT

▪ Thursday, June 9 at 10:00 am, CDT

▪ Thursday, September 15 at 10:00 am, CDT

▪ Thursday, December 1 at 10:00 am, CST

Child Sexual Abuse State Plan Discussion

Bonnie Beneke led the discussion and review of the 2011state plan draft. There was much discussion about what should be included in the plan and the importance of ensuring that the concerns, strategies, and action steps reflect child sexual abuse and were clear and concise. For instance, the Task Force reviewed the statement on “The Task Force and the Adam Walsh Act,” and agreed to keep it in the plan. In regards to the Prevention Accomplishments, Jeanne Brooks agreed to work with Bonnie Beneke on providing a statement on child sexual abuse prevention. Linda O’Neal agreed to add information to the “introduction” section on child brain development. Also, the child abuse reporting computer-based training statistics were removed from the appendices; however, the accomplishments made in this area were noted in the intervention section.

Besides the above concerns, Task Force members expressed that some of the data was not clear. Christina Dotson agreed to coordinate a meeting with TDCS data staff person, Lance Griffin, and his supervisor along with Marjahna Hart, Stacy Miller, and Toni Lawal to bring clarification to information such as “alternative response,” “indicated vs. substantiated” classifications, and some of the investigative dispositions submitted to National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS).

After much discussion on the matter, Bonnie Beneke gave the Committees their assignments for improving the concerns during the breakout session. Also, Cindy Perry stated if the Task Force required an extension for submitting the state plan to the Governor and General Assembly, the Executive Committee could draft a letter requesting an extension of February 15, 2011. The state plan is due January 31.

The Committees revised some of the concerns, strategies, and action steps and reported the following information back to the Task Force:

1. Concern: There is a need to improve Child Protective Investigative Team investigations of child sexual abuse.

Strategy 1:

Support Child Protective Investigative Teams (CPITs) trainings across the state and ensure that it is relevant, evidence-based, and best practice (e. g., child sexual abuse, child sex trafficking, etc.)

Action Steps:

1. Continue to assess training needs identified from the CPIT survey and on-site visits (conducted by Tennessee Department of Children’s Services and Tennessee Chapters of Child Advocacy Centers)

2. Support training needs in the regions and state.

3. Support adherence to standards of the National Children’s Alliance COA (Counsel of Accreditation).

4. Maintain current state funding for all established Child Advocacy Centers in Tennessee

5. Increase CPIT coordinator positions in CACs, as needed

Strategy2:

Provide each CAC with the sufficient number of Forensic Interviewers to meet the needs of Tennessee’s children

Action Steps:

1. Maintain current level of funding for current Child Advocacy Center Forensic Interviewers

2. Evaluate and seek funding for additional Forensic Interview positions as needed in the Tennessee Child Advocacy Centers

2. Concern: There is a need to provide quality training for CPS workers to enhance their knowledge and skills of child sexual abuse.

Strategy 1:

Advance Child Protective Service workers with training that is relevant, accessible, and best practice

Action Steps:

1. Review statewide and regional level data as it pertains to classification, repeat maltreatment, and follow up services to assess possible training needs

2. Engage Tennessee Center for Child Welfare (TCCW) and Tennessee Department of Children’s Service (TDCS) Field Focus Quality Review Team, Regional Administrators in discussion on ways to increase workers participation in training

3. Review evaluations from TCCW staff regarding the various methods of training delivery and feedback for both pre-service and in-service training

4. Provide training events specific to child sexual abuse in males, child sex trafficking, sexting, and links between child sexual abuse and domestic violence

5. Continue to advocate for more funding and support so workers can attend Connecting for Children’s Justice Conference

3. Concern: There is a need to effectively address mental health issues for children and families where there is trauma resulting from child sexual abuse.

Strategy 1:

Advance workers’ knowledge and effective utilization of mental health resources

Action Steps:

1. Conduct focus groups with Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (TDCS) staff to determine current level of knowledge of mental health treatment and resources

2. Develop a list of focus questions to guide the process

3. Identify regions to hold the focus groups

4. Identify persons to facilitate the focus groups

5. Engage TDCS regional psychologist, MSSW, and other mental health professionals in a discussion about the focus groups’ findings

6. Identify existing agencies who offer trainings on mental health issues and resources

7. Develop a handout/tip sheet with general terminology and common questions to ask a mental health providers

8. Develop training options

Strategy 2:

Increase workers knowledge of evidence-based practice in treatment of traumatized children

Action Steps:

1. Connect Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (TDCS) workers to resources (e.g. Connecting for Children’s Justice Conference, webinars, etc.) on evidence based practice in treatment of sexually abused children

2. Collaborate with TDCS and other community partners on ways to implement and evaluate guidelines on effective used of mental health resources

3. Monitor the intervention process and follow up

4. Concern: There is a need to maximize the utilization of the new Forensic Interview (FI) statute (which allows videotaped interviews of abused children under age 13 conducted to be admissible in court) and minimize trauma to children.

Strategy:

Develop best practice standard protocol use and storage regarding the DVD, and encourage each judicial district to consider adopting it

Action Steps:

1. Meet and discuss the suggestions as to the protocol

2. Prepare the protocol and distribute to all stakeholders

3. Train at Connecting for Children’s Justice and District Attorney Conferences, Child Advocacy Centers, etc.

5. Concern: There is a need to ensure that the collective wisdom and experience of the Task Force are considered as the General Assembly considers legislation related to child sexual abuse.

Strategy:

Advance concerns and recommendations of the Children’s Justice Task Force regarding any proposed laws relating to child sexual abuse, child welfare law and related topics

Action Steps:

1. Identify proposed legislation that relates to the focus of the Task Force

2. Develop recommendations in regards to any proposed law

3. Offer to share concerns, recommendations and expertise with legislature

6. Concern: There is a need to continue to promote an awareness and knowledge of child sexual abuse in the community.

Strategy 1:

Increase the community’s knowledge of child sexual abuse prevention and intervention strategies

Action Steps:

1. Maintain funding levels for child sexual abuse prevention programs

2. Support and expand community based prevention programs such as Darkness to Light Stewards of Children

3. Continue to promote trainings for school and early childhood personnel

4. Expand child sexual abuse training efforts to home school educators

5. Continue to review and research emerging issues in child sexual abuse such as human sex trafficking involving children and youth as well as Internet exploitation

7. Concern: There is a need to address the long-standing issues surrounding the collection and analyses of relevant and timely quantitative child data pertaining to safety and well-being.

Strategy 1:

Utilize data to make better decisions about child sexual abuse practice and policy

Action Steps:

1. Create a committee to meet and discuss the issues concerning quantitative data

2. Engage Tennessee Department of Children’s Services staff in discussion on ways to improve the collection and analyses of data

3. Encourage Tennessee Department of Children’s Services to consider matching identifying information from Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) with agency data sets from the Children’s Advocacy Centers and courts.

Other Information Reported by Committees

▪ Court Improvement – will look at addressing concerns about the length of time it takes to adjudicate severe abuse cases. The Committee noted that TFACTS system data is needed; however, it may require a year for the data to be accumulated, and would like to review the data by county, date petition filed, and the date of the adjudication order. In addition, the Committee feels it is important to educate courts and attorneys that juvenile cases don’t wait for criminal cases (per the 2005 case law).

▪ Training & Education – the child sexual abuse curriculum is complete and the Committee plans to have further discussion about the distribution and marketing of it.

Other Business

Karen Alexander, Jo Ann Gregory, and Linda Lloyd reported they will be retiring from their jobs in 2011. The Executive Committee stated they would like to later discuss the Task Force membership to assess required members, fill vacancies from the following state agencies: Corrections, Education, and Human Services, and look at including additional law enforcement representatives. Karen Alexander stated she would provide the name of someone from TBI to replace her on the Task Force.

The meeting adjourned at 1:45 pm.

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