Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Child Protection Investigation Team Announces Partnership with LeBonheur
MEMPHIS, TN – Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons, the lead officer of the Child Protection Investigation Team (CPIT), announced Monday the opening of a new clinic inside the Memphis Child Advocacy Center and the designation of LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center as the provider of both scheduled and emergency examinations for alleged child sexual assault victims.
District Attorney Gibbons was joined at the announcement by Nancy Williams, executive director of the Memphis Child Advocacy Center (CAC), and Meri Armour, president and chief executive officer of LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center.
The top leadership of the CPIT agencies housed at the CAC entered into the partnership with LeBonheur, which became effective June 1, 2009. Under the memorandum of agreement signed by CPIT representatives and LeBonheur, the children’s medical center will maintain the appropriately equipped clinic at the CAC where properly trained LeBonheur clinicians will perform examinations. LeBonheur is providing certified nurses and nurse practitioners with sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) accreditation to staff the clinic. Dr. Karen Lakin, medical director of the LeBonheur Child Assessment Program will perform many of the examinations.
Under the agreement, for law enforcement agencies and child protective services, LeBonheur examinations will be provided for all children who are potential victims as defined under Tennessee’s child sexual abuse law. This includes all children younger than 13 years old and children ages 13-17 who are alleged victims of sexual assault by a parent, guardian, relative, person residing in the child’s home, or other person responsible for the care and custody of the child.
In most cases, children will be scheduled by the CPIT for an appointment at the CAC clinic. In emergency situations, examinations will be performed at the LeBonheur Emergency Department. Law enforcement will call a central number to schedule an appointment for a forensic medical examination in emergency situations.
“Our primary concern is for the children who are victims of sexual assault. Forensic interviews of child victims are already conducted at the CAC. By also conducting the physical examinations there, we eliminate the need for victims and their families to travel to multiple locations and will provide a more complete service for child sex abuse victims throughout Memphis and Shelby County,” said District Attorney Gibbons.
Under state law, the CPIT is responsible for naming the provider to perform forensic medical examinations and medical treatment to children who are alleged victims of sexual assault.
The Shelby County Child Protection Investigation Team provides a coordinated inter-agency, multidisciplinary response to prevent, detect, investigate, treat and prosecute child sexual and severe physical abuse as authorized by T.C.A. Sec. 37-1-607 (a)(2) and other abuse and neglect as determined by the CPIT. Under state law, the district attorney is the leader of the CPIT and the CAC is the facilitator. |
Posted on Monday, June 01, 2009 (Archive on Monday, June 08, 2009)
Posted by jdonnals Contributed by jdonnals
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