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“Helping People Living Better Lives”

| pg. 475 • Providing or referral to support groups. C. Mental Health Child Advocacy Centers know that without effective therapeutic intervention, many children who have experienced trauma may suffer ongoing or long-term adverse social, emotional, developmental and health outcomes. Evidence-based treatments and other practices with strong empirical support help reduce the impact of trauma and the risk of future abuse and other negative consequences. For these reasons, CACs ensure screening for trauma exposure and/or symptoms before utilizing that information to link the family to mental health services for assessment and trauma-focused mental health treatment for child victims and caregivers. CACs provide services on-site or via referral to providers with specialized, evidenced-based, trauma-focused mental health services to assist the child and family with the healing process. Relevant TANF provisions of the pre-TANF state plan to mental health include: Section C: Kinds of services to meet the emergency situation: C.1. Case management, counseling, therapy, and any other social services provided to alleviate the emergency situation. C.2. Parenting education and training, family support and development of services provided to alleviate the emergency situation. Examples of the types of therapeutic activities conducted by the CACs or by connecting a child/family to include, but are not limited to: • Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT); • Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT); • Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP); • Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR); • Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI); • Alternative for Families: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT); • Other Therapy (traditional, cultural or alternative healing; art, writing or play therapy, etc.); and, • Caregiver or Youth Support Groups. D. Coordination Child Advocacy Centers coordinate multidisciplinary teams (MDT) consisting of law enforcement, child protective services, medical professionals, prosecution, school personnel, CAC staff and other key partners. The MDT meets regularly to review cases, discuss general issues and share information to ensure coordination and help connect families and children to direct services that are needed to alleviate the emergency situation. Relevant TANF provisions of the pre-TANF state plan that coordination includes: Section C: Kinds of services to meet the emergency situation: C.1. Case management, counseling, therapy, and any other social services provided to alleviate the emergency situation. Examples of the types of activities conducted by the CACs include, but are not limited to: • Development, implementation, and adherence to protocols