Mandated Reporter Training

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Mandated Reporter Training
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Objectives

• Provide Facts about Child Abuse and Neglect
• Define Mandated Reporting
• Explain why Mandated Reporting is Important
• Review Roles and Responsibilities of a Mandated
  Reporter
• Review Additional Resources Available to Mandated
  Reporters

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Child and Family Resource Council
Mission To shape a community that protects
children from abuse and neglect.
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History of the Council

• History
• The Council was formed in 1985 as a means to
  proactively deal with child abuse and neglect in
  Kent County. Since the beginning, the Council
  has utilized primary and secondary prevention
  strategies to accomplish its goals.
• Why Prevention?
• The Councils programs and services are provided
  before problems arise. In other words, while
  other organizations focus on treating the effects
  of child abuse and neglect, we work to stop abuse
  and neglect from ever happening.

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Council Programs and Services

• Connections Offers helpful information about
  your childs development, parenting tips, and
  ideas for fun activities to do with your child.
• Community Education Educational services and
  trainings such as Mandated Reporter Training,
  Shaken Baby Syndrome, parenting education, and
  other topics to help prevent child abuse and
  neglect.
• Encouraging Family Foundations Provides a
  series of parenting and life skills classes to
  unmarried parents of children 0-2 years old.

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Programs and Services (continued)

• Family Resource Guide Comprehensive,
  easy-to-use directory of over 900 programs,
  services, and resources available to children and
  families in Kent County.
• Kent County Healthy Start Provides support for
  first-time parents through home visitation, phone
  calls, and information.
• RAVE (Resources Against Violent Encounters)
  Using the In Touch With Teens program and peer
  education, RAVE helps teach adolescents about
  sexual assault and dating violence prevention.

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How is Prevention Defined?

• Primary services are available to all members of
  the general population and seek to promote
  wellness.
• Secondary services are offered to adults and
  children who are considered "at risk" for abuse
  or neglect.
• Tertiary services are offered to populations
  where child abuse and neglect has been
  substantiated with the focus on preventing
  further occurrences.

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Prevention Saves More Than Lives

• Child abuse costs 258 million per day.
• Estimated cost to the average American family is
  1,400 each year to pay for the consequences of
  child abuse rather than spending 1.06 on
  preventing it.
• For every 1 spent on child abuse prevention, 34
  will not be spent on publicly-funded,
  crisis-oriented programming.
• (Michigan Chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America)

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What is Mandated Reporting?

• A Mandated Reporter is someone who is required by
  law to report suspected cases of child abuse or
  neglect
• All 50 states and Puerto Rico have some sort of
  reporting law
• 25 states include clergy on list of Mandated
  Reporters (includes Michigan)
• 18 states and Puerto Rico require any person who
  suspects child abuse and neglect to report them
  (does not include Michigan)

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Michigans Mandated Reporters Include

• Physician
• Psychologist
• Regulated Child Care Provider
• Registered Dental Hygienist
• Regulated Child Care Provider
• School Administrator
• School Counselor or Teacher
• Social Work Technician

• Audiologist
• Dentist
• Clergy
• Law Enforcement Officer
• Licensed Counselor
• Licensed Emergency Medical Care Provider
• Marriage and Family Therapist
• Medical examiner
• Nurse
• Physician Assistant

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Clergys Responsibility to Report

• In December 2002, former Governor John Engler
  approved Public Act 693, adding members of the
  clergy to the list of individuals who are
  mandated reporters of suspected child abuse or
  neglect
• The Act took effect March 1, 2003
• The passage of this important bill was the direct
  result of the advocacy efforts of many
  individuals in our own community and in
  communities across the state

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Michigans Reporting Law

• Act 238 went into effect on October 1, 1975
• It has been amended and updated several times
  since then
• The law states
• Those who have reasonable cause to suspect child
  abuse or neglect shall make immediatelyan oral
  report.
• Within 72 hours after making the oral report,
  the reporting person shall file a written report.

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Why are Mandated Reporters Important?

• Mandated Reporters are typically professionals
  who see children and families on a daily basis
• Many have access to information/secrets that
  others do not
• They can help prevent many cases of abuse and
  neglect
• They are a vital link between children who need
  help and the services that can help them

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What is Child Abuse?
The Child and Family Resource Council defines
child abuse/maltreatment as a non-accidental
injury to a child which, regardless of motive, is
inflicted or allowed to be inflicted by the
person responsible for the child's care. 
Maltreatment includes, but is not limited to,
malnutrition, sexual molestation, deprivation of
necessities, emotional maltreatment, or cruel
punishment.
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Which Children Are Most Vulnerable?

• Research indicates very young children (ages 3
  and younger) are the most frequent victims of
  child fatalities.
• NCANDS data for 2004 demonstrated children
  younger than 1 year accounted for 45 of
  fatalities.
• This population of children is the most
  vulnerable for many reasons, including their
  dependency, small size, and inability to defend
  themselves.
• (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2006).

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Which Children Are Most Vulnerable?
(Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2006).
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Who are the Abusers?

• Perpetrators are, by definition, individuals
  responsible for the care and supervision of their
  children.
• One or both parents (majority)
• Other relative of child
• Parents boyfriend or girlfriend
• Babysitters

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Abuse Can Be

• Emotional
• Physical
• Sexual

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Signs of Emotional Abuse

• Eating disorders
• Failure to thrive
• Hyperactive/disruptive behavior
• Lags in physical development
• Shallow, empty facial appearance
• Sleep disturbances and/or nightmares
• Speech disorders

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Signs of Physical Abuse

• Head injuries
• Injuries inconsistent with explanations
• Injuries inconsistent with medical history
• Unexplained burns
• Unexplained bruises and welts
• Unexplained fractures and/or dislocations
• Unexplained lacerations or abrasions

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Handprint on Leg (photo courtesy of Lawrence R.
Ricci, MD.)
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Bruises inflicted with switch (photo courtesy of
Lawrence R. Ricci, MD.)
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Bite Marks (photos courtesy of Lawrence R.
Ricci, MD.)
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Burn inflicted with lighter (photo courtesy of
Lawrence R. Ricci, MD.)
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Signs of Sexual Abuse

• Bed wetting
• Difficulty in walking or sitting
• Pain, swelling, or itching in genital area
• Pregnancy
• Torn, stained, or bloody underclothing
• Venereal Disease or other Sexually
• Transmitted Infections
• Withdrawn

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Behavioral Warning Signs of Abuse

• Anti-social tendencies
• Anxiety
• Behavioral extremes
• Behavioral regression
• Depression
• Developmental lags
• Fear or anxiety of certain people or
  places
• Habit disorders
• New words for private body parts
• Nightmares, fear of the dark, or other sleeping
  problems

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Behavioral Warning Signs of Abuse

• Poor social skills
• Regressive behaviors
• Psychosomatic symptoms
• Refusing to talk about a secret he/she has with
  an adult or older child
• Spacing out at odd times
• Suddenly having money
• Talking about a new older friend
• Unrealistic fears

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What is Child Neglect?

• The Child and Family Resource Council defines
  child neglect as the failure, whether intentional
  or not, of the person responsible for the child's
  care to provide and maintain adequate food,
  clothing, medical care, supervision, and/or
  education. 
• Child neglect can also be defined as
  a parents (or parents) lack of responsiveness
  to a child's overall needs.

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Forms of Child Neglect

• Physical
• Consistent hunger
• Inappropriate dress for current weather
• Inappropriate food items for lunch
• Poor hygiene
• Poor growth pattern
• Underweight

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Forms of Child Neglect (continued)

• Medical
• Inadequate medical care
• Making false allegations regarding childs
  medical needs
• Not following through with medical
• recommendations

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• Malnutrition
• In the United States alone, 13 million kids live
  in homes that do not have an adequate supply of
  food.
• (US Department of Agriculture)
• Children who do not receive adequate nourishment
  may suffer abnormal brain, cognitive, and
  psychological development which, if not
  corrected, can be irreparable.(Americas Second
  Harvest)

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The Impact of Neglect on the Brain
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A Communities Response!
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A Communitys Responsibility
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A Communitys Responsibility
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A Communitys Responsibility
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A Communitys Responsibility

• From 2003-2004, There was a 49 increase in
  removals of children by CPS from unsafe
  situations in Kent County
• From 1995-2005, the number of child abuse and
  neglect reports in Kent County nearly tripled
• The rate of confirmed cases of neglect among
  children 0-5 is higher in Kent County compared to
  Michigan in FY 2004

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The Importance of Early Intervention

• It is now clear that what a child experiences in
  the first few years of life largely determines
  how his brain will develop and how he will
  interact with the world throughout his life.
• (Ounce of Prevention, 1996).
• Researchers agree that the experiences of the
  first few years form the foundation for
  childrens future functioning (Perry Pollard,
  1995).
• Being abused or neglected as a child increased
  the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 59, as
  an adult by 28 and for a violent crime by 30
• (National Institute of Justice, 2001)

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Remember

• Child abuse and neglect cross racial, economic,
  religious, and gender lines
• Some parents may only target one of their
  children

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The Roles and Responsibilities of Mandated
Reporters
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How Do You Respond to Disclosures?

• Believe the child
• Do not overreact
• Try to reduce the childs level of anxiety
• Speak calmly and friendly
• NEVER ask questions such as, Why didnt you tell
  me about this sooner?
• Reassure them that what happened is NOT THEIR
  FAULT
• Dont push them to say more than they are willing
  to say

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Next Steps

• Contact Child Protective Services (CPS) at (616)
  247-6300
• For suspected child sexual abuse
• If child is under 13 years of age The
  Childrens Assessment Center at 336-5160 and
  DeVos Childrens Hospital at 391-9000 offer
  24-hour response for instances of alleged child
  sexual victimization by its team of experts.
  (The responses are for those cases that are
  emergent and warrant a medical examination.)
• If child is over 13 years of age The Nurse
  Examiner Program located at the YWCA at 459-4681

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When Reporting, Have as Much of the Following
Information as Possible

• Alleged victim's full name, birth date, and
  race
• Alleged perpetrator's full name and
  relationship to alleged victim (if known)
• Child's current address
• Context of the disclosure. (For example, was
  the child asked about the injury or did they
  volunteer the information?)
• Current address and the address where the
  alleged incident happened (if different)
• If the alleged perpetrator lives with the child
• Why you think the child is being maltreated

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Example of CPS Report
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After You File a Report

• Intake worker receives report
• CPS will determine whether to open case for
  investigation
• CPS will begin investigation
• CPS will assess the risk of harm or threat of
  harm to child and, based on the assessment, will
  take certain actions
• CPS will talk to parents, family members, and
  perhaps teachers to gather information

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After You File (Continued)

• CPS will make decision regarding action to take
• May not be able to take any action if report is
  anonymous or cannot find perpetrator
• Recommend community services like counseling or
  parent education classes
• If significant risk, may put the child in safe
  place (St. Johns Home)
• In most serious situations, the child will be
  placed in foster care and eventually moved to
  another permanent home, but this is only after a
  lot of time and effort are put into getting
  parents help and trying to give the parents every
  possible chance to positively care for the child.

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All CPS Reports Will Fall Under One of the
Following Categories

• Category V Services Not Needed
• Category IV Community Services Recommended
• Category III Community Services Needed
• Category II Child Protective Services
  Required
• Category I Court Petition Required

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Remember

• The goal is to lessen the trauma for the child
  regardless of the situation.
• Personal feelings must not prevent us from
  reporting suspected child abuse.
• Mandated Reporters are neither detectives nor
  investigators.
• Failing to report allows the problem to
  continue
• Those who report in good faith are kept
• confidential and are immune from civil or
  criminal lawsuits (722.625 Sec. 5)
• Mandated Reporters may be called to testify on
  behalf of the child.

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Additional Community Resources

• Mandated Reporter Guide Council (454.4673)
• Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Childrens
  Assessment Center (336.5160)
• Child Sexual Abuse Intervention YWCA (459.4672)
• Parenting Classes
• Arbor Circle (456.7775)
• Council (454.4673)
• Family Outreach Center (247.3815)
• Life Guidance Services (774.0633)
• YWCA (459.4681)

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• There is no trust more sacred than the one the
  world holds with children. There is no duty more
  important than ensuring that their rights are
  respected, that their welfare is protected, that
  their lives are free from fear and want and that
  they grow up in peace.
• Kofi A. Annan
• Secretary-General of the United Nations

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For more information, contact the Council at
616.454.4673 or look at our websitewww.childreso
urce.ccTHANK YOU FOR COMING!