Model Protocol for Multidisciplinary Teams - Office of the Attorney ...

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• In cases where the child is perceived to be at imminent risk of serious physicalinjury or sexual abuse, DCBS shall initiate a petition for emergency custody asprescribed in KRS 620.060. DCBS cannot remove a child from the home withoutorder of the court. In addition to seeking removal of the child victim, DCBS mayseek less restrictive dispositional alternatives such as court ordered treatment,removal of the perpetrator, or other alternatives;• When a child is removed from the home, DCBS is mandated to providereunification services. DCBS conducts periodic administrative reviews of allchildren in out-of-home care placement. At these reviews, an assessment of thefamily's progress in treatment and an assessment of the child's placement needswill take place. In support of the Federal Adoption and Safe Family Act allchildren who have been in care for 12 months must have a permanency plan asdetailed in KRS 610.125;• In any instances in which law enforcement or DCBS interviews a child alone, theproducts of the interview (e.g.: notes or recordings) should be immediately madeavailable to the other investigating agency not present at the interview.Law Enforcement OfficersKentucky State PoliceThe duties of the Kentucky State Police are detailed in KRS Chapter 16. Troopers anddetectives investigate alleged criminal conduct committed within the Commonwealth.SheriffThe duties of the sheriff are detailed in KRS Chapter 70. The sheriff and the sheriff’sdeputies investigate criminal acts and participate in courtroom processes within acounty jurisdiction. Sheriffs are also involved in the service of warrants and other courtorders, including emergency protective orders and domestic violence orders providedfor within KRS Chapter 403 which may be filed on behalf of a child in need of protection.City and County PoliceThe duties of the city police department are detailed in KRS Chapter 95. The city policedepartment investigates criminal acts within a municipality, while the jurisdiction ofcounty police relates to crimes committed within the county borders.Specific responsibilities of law enforcement officers ____________________________relating to child sexual abuse cases include:• Conduct investigations for criminal prosecution, including evidence gathering andcriminal case presentation to prosecutors;• In the course of the investigation, interview child victims, parents (non-offending),alleged offenders, and any witnesses to the offense(s). This may includevideotaping of child victims, although all prosecutors do not support this practice.The decision as to whether to use videotaping should be discussed and decided14
upon by the prosecutor and local team members. If videotaping of interviews isused, specific procedures should be outlined in the team's protocol and shall bein compliance with KRS 620.050, Duplication of Videotaped Interview of ChildVictims;• Investigations, including interviews, shall be coordinated with DCBS incompliance with KRS 431.600. This does not imply that an officer or detectivemay not interview a child victim without the presence of a social worker, butevery effort should be made to conduct joint interviews in order to reduce thenumber of times a child must retell the abuse story to investigators;• Obtain and serve warrants, subpoenas, and court orders (including emergencyprotective orders sought on behalf of a child sexual abuse victim);• Make referrals to mental health professionals, medical professionals or victimadvocates as appropriate;• If there exists reasonable grounds for a law enforcement officer to believe that achild is in danger of being sexually abused and the persons exercising custodialcontrol cannot or will not protect the child, the officer may take the child intoprotective custody without the consent of the parent. The officer or person towhom the officer entrusts the child shall, within twelve (12) hours of taking thechild into protective custody, request the court to issue an emergency custodyorder. (KRS 620.040(5)(c));• In any instance in which law enforcement or DCBS interviews a child alone, theproducts of the interview (e.g.: notes or recordings) should be immediately madeavailable to the other investigating agency not present at the interview.Children's Advocacy CentersChildren’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) are designed to promote the well being of childrenwhile facilitating the most effective investigation and prosecution of child sexual abusecases. CACs create a child friendly environment within which interviews, examinationsand therapy service can be conducted. In addition to focusing on the best interest ofchildren, CACs also provide an opportunity to give support to professionals whodedicate themselves to the protection of children, particularly social workers, advocates,law enforcement officers and prosecutors. CACs are defined in KRS 620.020.In order to optimize services provided by CACs and to maximize the spread of limitedresources, a regionalized approach has been adopted for the funding and developmentof these agencies in Kentucky. Each CAC is funded to serve the counties withingeographical regions termed area development districts (ADD), of which there are 15.The model of regional CACs requires these programs to serve children in the county inwhich they are located and to provide technical assistance, training, and othercoordinative roles within the service region. This approach allows decisions regardingfunding of local programs to be undertaken based on a statewide plan for funding withpriority being given to communities with the largest number of child victims,investigations, prosecutions, and similar key characteristics.15
Page 1 and 2: KENTUCKY MULTIDISCIPLINARY COMMISSI
Page 3 and 4: INTRODUCTIONStatement of the Proble
Page 5 and 6: sexual victimization of Kentucky's
Page 7 and 8: Kentucky Multidisciplinary Teams: C
Page 9 and 10: Kentucky Multidisciplinary Commissi
Page 11 and 12: ROLES OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM MEM
Page 13: should establish procedures for the
Page 17 and 18: or psychiatrists licensed pursuant
Page 19 and 20: workers providing case work service
Page 21 and 22: OPERATION OF THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY
Page 23 and 24: JOINT INVESTIGATION FUNCTION OF THE
Page 25 and 26: Investigative ProceduresEstablishin
Page 27 and 28: making, information sharing, hierar
Page 29 and 30: experience). In cases originating i
Page 31 and 32: CASE REVIEW FUNCTION OF THE MULTIDI
Page 33 and 34: Information Presented During the Ca
Page 35 and 36: health agency's overall consent for
Page 37 and 38: TRAINING FOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM
Page 39: fully functioning. The system will

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