Multidisciplinary Collaboration To Protect Best Interests of Child Abuse Victims

Abbie Newman

Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center

Abbie Newman, RN, JD, began her professional career as a registered nurse specializing in pediatrics. She went on to become a lawyer, and defended hospitals and physicians in medical malpractice lawsuits. After 19 years practicing law, jin 2008 Abbie became the founding Executive Director of Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center (CAC). CACs provide a multidisciplinary team response to child abuse, and a safe place for abused children to tell their story to prevent re-traumatization. Mission Kids has grown into a Nationally Accredited Center in the United States, serving more than 3,600 children ages verbal-17, of all cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. She is on the Executive Committee of the State Chapter of CACs, and mentors developing CACs across Pennsylvania. Abbie works with Federal and State government representatives for the advancement of statutes, laws and funding for abused children. As a member of the Pennsylvania Victim Services Advisory Committee she works for increased funding to all crime victims, including child victims. She is also a member of the Pennsylvania Child Advocacy Center Advisory Committee, responsible for developing and sustaining CACs across Pennsylvania, and has worked with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to write and develop state statutes regarding CACs.

Risa Vetri Ferman

Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County, PA

The Honorable Risa Vetri Ferman is a trial court judge in the Montgomery County Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas. She was elected in 2015 and took office in January 2016. She is currently assigned to the Family Division. Prior to her election as judge, Ferman was elected to two terms as the District Attorney of Montgomery County. As District Attorney, she was the chief law-enforcement officer of the county. Before becoming district attorney, Judge Ferman spent 15 years working in the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office as a court room prosecutor, specializing in homicide, child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence cases. For six years she served as First Assistant District Attorney, the second in command of the office. Judge Ferman co-founded two nonprofit charities to protect and support abused children, Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center and the Montgomery Child Advocacy Project. Judge Ferman also authored two children's books, "The Mouse Who Went Surfing Alone" and "The Mouse Who Beat the Jungle Bullies". Both books were conceived as teaching tools to educate youngsters and their parents about dangers online and how to deal with bullies.

Abstract

Child Advocacy Centers (CAC) use team investigations to put the best interests of the child first.This interactive workshop is designed to examine how use of a (CAC) can protect the best interests of a child victim of abuse from the perspectives of a Family Court Judge and a CAC Director. Our Judge is the former District Attorney who co-founded a CAC and now serves in Family Court with the responsibility of ensuring the best interests of children. Our CAC Director was the founding Executive Director who worked with the Judge over several years to establish the CAC where none was present to a nationally accredited center serving 500-600 children/year. Topics will include: (1) effectiveness of multidisciplinary team (MDT) investigations and CACs from the team and the bench perspectives, (2) advantages of the CAC serving as the hub of the MDT investigation, and effective collaboration with specialized medical and mental health providers, (3) role of the prosecutor and tips for keeping them actively engaged in the CAC and multidisciplinary process, (4) a view from the bench about protecting the best interests of children and (5) legal and local challenges multidisciplinary teams often face.

The presentation will incorporate audience questions, reactions, and participation throughout the workshop. The local, state and national experiences of both speakers will provide the audience an opportunity to explore many of the real challenges faced by those responsible for the protection of children which include:

- Court rulings on child interviews, suggestibility and taint;

- Differing responsibilities of team members that may be unknown to other members of MDT;

- Developing protocols between MDT and prosecutor;

- Confidentiality of information and challenges of information sharing which is critical to child protection;

- Successful use of the CAC model for sexual exploitation and human trafficking cases.

Authors

Abbie Newman (Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center)
Risa Vetri Ferman (Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County, PA)

Topic Area

Multi-disciplinary Interagency Approaches (MDIA) and Child Protection Units [Micromanageme

Session

Oral 11 » Session 3-Training Professionals (16:15 - Monday, 2nd October, Europe 1 Room)

Presentation Files

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