Multidisciplinary Team members include:
Forensic Interviewer: A certified professional who gathers information from a victim through a fact-finding conversation.
Family Advocate: A trained professional who helps you with services in the community and provides support for you as you support your child.
The Crisis Intervention Counselor: A short-term counselor designed to address the immediate effects of the crisis following reporting, to reduce the severity of the crisis, for both the child and their non-offending family members. They also provide short-term emotional support and work with the Family Advocate to ensure everyone involved is linked with all necessary services.
Outside professionals we will coordinate with on your behalf:
The Law Enforcement Officer: They speak to children, non-offending parents, suspects, and other witnesses, and gather evidence from the scene of the alleged event.
The DCFS Investigator: They investigate all reports of child abuse and neglect, conduct interviews, and develop safety plans.
The Medical Professional: Your child may be referred to a physician or other medical professional with specialized training in child abuse. They will examine your child, perform certain tests, and complete a report. If your child has been injured, they will discuss the best care. Don’t be afraid to ask questions; if you don’t understand the response, ask again.
The State’s Attorney: The State’s Attorney has the final decision on whether charges will be filed. Consideration is given to many factors related to the likelihood of success in court, such as the child’s age and maturity, the child’s ability to testify, the alleged plea status, presence of medical evidence, and if there are witnesses.
