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

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(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h)(i)(j)(k)(l)(m)(n)(o)The commissioner of the Department for Mental Health and Mental RetardationServices or a designee;One social service worker who is employed by the Department for CommunityBased Services to provide child protective services, who shall be appointed bythe secretary of the Cabinet for Families and Children;One therapist who provides services to sexually abused children, who shall beappointed by the secretary of the Cabinet for Health Services;The commissioner of the Kentucky State Police or a designee;One law enforcement officer who is a detective with specialized training inconducting child sexual abuse investigations, who shall be appointed by thesecretary of the Justice Cabinet;One employee of the Administrative Office of the Courts appointed by the ChiefJustice of the Supreme Court of Kentucky;Two employees of the Attorney General's Office who shall be appointed by theAttorney General;One Commonwealth's attorney who shall be appointed by the Attorney General;The commissioner of the Department of Education or a designee;One school counselor, school psychologist, or school social worker who shall beappointed by the commissioner of the Department of Education;The executive director of the Governor's Office of Child Abuse and DomesticViolence Services or a designee;One representative of a children's advocacy center who shall be appointed by theGovernor;One physician appointed by the Governor; andOne former victim of a sexual offense or one parent of a child sexual abusevictim who shall be appointed by the Attorney General.KRS 431.660 charges the Commission with the following duties:• Prepare and issue a model protocol for local multidisciplinary teams regardingthe investigation and prosecution of child sexual abuse;• Review and approve protocols prepared by local multidisciplinary teams;• Advise local multidisciplinary teams on the investigation and prosecution of childsexual abuse;• Receive data on child sexual abuse cases collected by the Prosecutor's AdvisoryCouncil and issue annual reports;• Collect data on the operation of local multidisciplinary teams and seek funding tosupport special projects relating to the operation of local multidisciplinary teams;• Receive and review complaints regarding local multidisciplinary teams, and makeappropriate recommendations; and• Recommend to the Governor, the Legislative Research Commission, and theSupreme Court changes in state programs, legislation, administrativeregulations, policies, budgets, and treatment and service standards which mayfacilitate effective intervention into child sexual abuse cases and the investigationand prosecution of perpetrators of child sexual abuse, and which may improvethe opportunity for victims of child sexual abuse to receive treatment.6
Kentucky Multidisciplinary Teams: Current OperationIn 2001 the Commission distributed a detailed survey to all identified multidisciplinaryteams to assess the structure and functioning of each team. Approximately two-thirds ofthe operating teams responded to the survey. Most multidisciplinary teams in Kentuckyoperate with seven to ten members (although eight teams have fifteen or moreprofessionals serving). The most common members of multidisciplinary teams includechild protection staff from the Cabinet for Families and Children, Commonwealth'sattorneys, and victim advocates who are based in prosecutors' offices (each of thesebeing represented on over 90% of teams). County attorneys participate onapproximately 72% of teams. Additionally, approximately two-thirds of teams have theactive participation of the Kentucky State Police and just over one-half have theinvolvement of city police departments. Sheriffs participate in 40% of teams, and countypolice are represented in the makeup of 17% of multidisciplinary teams.Mental health professionals are actively represented on multidisciplinary teams (72% ofthe 2001 teams), with most of these professionals being employed at community mentalhealth centers. School counselors serve on just over 41% of teams. Just over one-halfof the time, Children’s Advocacy Center personnel are among team members (anumber which will grow significantly as Children’s Advocacy Centers are opened ineach area development district). Medical professionals are active on approximatelyone-third of multidisciplinary teams.The legislative intent behind the creation of multidisciplinary teams was to enhance theinvestigation and prosecution of child sexual abuse cases. While assuming thismission, many teams have also expanded their scope. The 2001 Survey showed that57% of teams also review serious physical abuse cases; 48% review child fatalities; and35% also review serious child neglect cases. To conduct these reviews, mostmultidisciplinary teams operating in Kentucky meet monthly (averaging eleven meetingseach year), and meetings tend to last one to two hours. During that time teams review,on the average, twelve cases.Surveys of multidisciplinary teams in Kentucky revealed that most members believe thatteams have strengthened the protection of child victims of abuse, and that the existenceof teams has increased the accountability of all professionals who work on behalf ofchildren who have suffered from abuse.Purpose of a Model Protocol for Multidisciplinary TeamsThe document that follows is intended to serve as a model for communities to use indrafting a protocol and building their own multidisciplinary team. Use of the term"model" is not intended to imply that every community's final document should exactlymirror the recommendations on the following pages. The law stipulates that localprotocols shall be approved by the Kentucky Multidisciplinary Commission on Child7
Page 1 and 2: KENTUCKY MULTIDISCIPLINARY COMMISSI
Page 3 and 4: INTRODUCTIONStatement of the Proble
Page 5: sexual victimization of Kentucky's
Page 9 and 10: Kentucky Multidisciplinary Commissi
Page 11 and 12: ROLES OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM MEM
Page 13 and 14: should establish procedures for the
Page 15 and 16: upon by the prosecutor and local te
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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