National partnership and networks on medical evaluation for child maltreatment

There has been an effective national partnership of professionals working in the field of child and youth maltreatment in Canada since 2004. It began as a forum for dialogue on identification and prevention strategies,... [ view full abstract ]

There has been an effective national partnership of professionals working in the field of child and youth maltreatment in Canada since 2004. It began as a forum for dialogue on identification and prevention strategies, effective partnerships between clinicians and community/protection agencies, to disseminate knowledge on the evaluation and management and stimulate research related to child and youth maltreatment. This network has expanded to provide teaching and training at national medical conferences and hosts web-conferences for both education and peer-review purposes. The need for a consistent, evidence-based approach to the medical evaluation and opinion provided in child protection was evident. Working together, an annual national symposium was developed where best practice guidelines are developed and disseminated.
This presentation will describe the step-wise process used to achieve these goals, including: identification of physicians and nurses for whom guidelines are most relevant; prioritization of topics to be addressed; a shared and team-work model to achieve consensus through discussion of the available literature and best practice models at national symposia; effective leadership to move the process forward; and development of a strategy for dissemination to all concerned professionals in related disciplines. Challenges encountered will be described, together with the approaches taken to address them.
Take-Away Skills:
1. Development of a partnership
a. Assessing needs
b. Determining and expanding the platform

2. Engagement of participants
a. Active participation in partnership
b. Effective leadership

3. Establishing priorities and promoting growth
a. Development and dissemination of written guidelines
b. Establishing a route to recognition of expertise in child maltreatment
c. Supporting collaborative research in child maltreatment