Section 1100.122  Child Sexual Assault/Child Abuse Programs

a)         Target Population

Programs  shall provide direct services to child victims of sexual assault and abuse, as well as to non-offending parents and minor siblings. 

b)         Accreditation

A Children's Advocacy Center program should be accredited by or actively engaged in the accreditation process of the National Children's Alliance, 1516 C Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20002.

c)         Mandatory Services

In addition to providing the services in Section 1100.70(a)(3), programs intending to apply for funding to serve child sexual abuse/assault victims and their non-offending parents and minor siblings must:

1)         Provide crisis phone counseling for victims and for non-offending parents and siblings of victims.

2)         Ensure that forensic interviews are conducted in a neutral, fact-finding manner representing a multidisciplinary approach to avoid duplicative interviews.

3)         On behalf of victims and non-offending parents and minor siblings, advocate with law enforcement, medical providers, the judiciary, educational institutions, Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Healthcare and Family Services, and other government agencies and social service systems.

4)         Provide information and referral services for victims and non-offending parents and minor siblings to appropriate resources within the community to meet their specific needs.

5)         Network with other community agencies and participate in coalitions and community groups providing related services to children in order to promote the development of a more effective comprehensive response to the needs of victims and their families.

d)         Recommended Services

The following list is intended to serve as recommendations for the development of a comprehensive child sexual assault/abuse program.  Not all programs will be able to provide all of the listed services, and some programs may be able to provide services in addition to those listed.  For a child sexual assault/sexual abuse program to comprehensively address the needs of child victims and their non-offending parents and minor siblings, these service elements should be provided in addition to the required services.

1)         Individual counseling for victims in a safe, child appropriate setting.

2)         Individual, in-office counseling for non-offending parents and foster/custodial parents in order to ensure the most comprehensive services for the child.

3)         Joint counseling for non-offending parents and children when indicated.

4)         Group counseling, when appropriate, for both children and non-offending parents.

5)         Public education by making available to the general public information on the victimization of children and the effects of violence on their lives, as well as program services.

6)         Professional training on treatment and clinical interventions for community service agencies, hospitals, mental health centers and other social service providers in order to increase their sensitivity and their effectiveness in relation to the consequences of child victimization and recovery.

7)         Employer and school intervention services relating to loss of time from work or school due to victim recovery.

8)         Bilingual services; interpretive services for those who have a speech, sight or hearing disability; and promotion of culturally competent responses to child victims and non-offending parents.

e)         Personnel

All staff should participate in a structured training program that addresses the issues of child sexual assault/child abuse.  Direct service staff dealing with children shall have, at minimum, an M.A. in social work, counseling or a related field.