MDT Advancement and Support

What is Team Case Management?

Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center (DCCAC) provides a place where those District of Columbia Government agencies charged with responding to child abuse can come together to share information, gather facts, and assist child abuse victims through a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach. Safe Shores is one of many children’s advocacy centers across the country with the mission of reducing the trauma experienced by child victims of abuse as they navigate the legal, investigative and social service systems following an allegation of abuse.

Team Case Management at the DCCAC involves two main programs:

• Joint Interview Program
• Case Review Program

What Agencies and Organizations Comprise the Multidisciplinary Team?

The following agencies are signatories to inter-agency agreement according to which they participate as members of the District of Columbia’s multi-disciplinary team and respond to child abuse victims using the CAC model: Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Office of the Attorney General (OAG), United States Attorney’s Office (USAO), Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA), Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC), and Safe Shores.

The Joint Interview Program

What is a Joint interview?

A joint interview is when members of the multi-disciplinary team convene at Safe Shores to observe a forensic interview of a child victim of abuse. Once the team members have discussed all preliminary facts of the case during a pre-interview conference, the interview is conducted by either a specially trained child/adolescent forensic interviewer or by a trained detective of the Metropolitan Police Department. Team members observe the interview via closed-circuit television. Before the interview is concluded, the interviewer will leave the interview room briefly to ask team members if they have any additional questions to be asked of the child victim. The interviewer will then return to the room and complete the interview. Following a joint interview, the team will hold a brief post-interview conference to discuss the next steps to be taken in the case.

Why Hold Joint Interviews?

The goal of Safe Shores and the MDT is to ensure that the best interest of every child victim is met in all cases that are seen at the DCCAC. A joint interview is one way to avoid the further victimization that may be caused by the investigative process. Instead of each individual agency conducting its own interview, a forensic interview is conducted at the DCCAC while team members jointly observe and have an opportunity to elicit – through a trained interviewer – any information that may be pertinent to the case.

How are Joint Interviews Requested?

Only members of the multi-disciplinary team may request a joint interview at the DCCAC by contacting the Forensic Services Program staff. At the time of the request, team members are expected to provide the following information for each victim to be interviewed:

• Victim’s name and date of birth
• Caretaker’s name, address and phone number
• Caretaker’s relationship to the victim
• Alleged perpetrator’s name
• Age and date of birth of the alleged perpetrator (adult or juvenile)
• Victim’s relationship to alleged perpetrator
• Transportation arrangements for the victim to attend the joint interview (requestor is responsible for ensuring that the victim and his/her family are informed about the interview and arrangements have been made)
• Time and place of prior interviews conducted (if any), and name of interviewer(s)

Once the intake information has been screened for completeness and accuracy, the interview will be scheduled. The DCCAC makes every effort to accommodate specially requested dates and times. The DCCAC will make all appropriate notifications to ensure that other team members are present at joint interviews. Same day interview requests are encouraged and can usually be coordinated within 30 minutes.

Case Review Program

What is a Case Review?

Case Reviews are meetings in which all team members come together to review and gather case facts, share information, and discuss services and treatment plans for child victims and their families who have been seen at Safe Shores within the proceeding two- week period.

When are Case Reviews held?

Case Reviews are held every other Thursday at Safe Shores, and last from two to four hours depending on the number of cases on the agenda.

Who Attends Case Reviews?

Each multi-disciplinary team agency sends at least one supervisor to participate in a Case Review meeting. However, all MDT members who have at least one case on a Case Review Agenda are welcome to attend that review. Due to the confidentiality requirement, the reviews are restricted to the multidisciplinary team and DCCAC staff unless otherwise approved by all team members.

What Cases are Reviewed?

All cases involved sexual abuse or serious physical abuse (as defined by the current respective Memoranda of Understanding) are referred to Safe Shores during the two-week period proceeding case review will be on the case review agenda. In addition, cases remain on the case review agenda until team members are satisfied that the case is on track and appropriate services are in place. Case review agendas are distributed to Team members at least fives day prior to the review date. Any team member who wishes to add a case to the Case Review Agenda may do so by contacting the Forensic Services Program staff.

What Issues are Discussed at Case Reviews?

Safe Shores staff and multi-disciplinary team have created a Case Review Checklist to ensure comprehensive review of each case. This checklist includes, but is not limited to: joint interview information, assessment of child’s ability to relate what happened, support of family members, civil case status, criminal case status, placement and visitation of the child victim, domestic violence history, therapeutic treatment, and medical exam results.

For more information about Team Case Management at Safe Shores, please contact the Forensic Services Program at (202) 638-2575 ext. 105.

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