West Virginia Code 49-3-101 – Child advocacy centers; services; requirements
Child advocacy centers provide the following services to children in the child welfare program in West Virginia:
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 49-3-101
- child: means an individual who meets one of the following conditions:
(A) Is under thirteen years of age. See West Virginia Code 49-1-202
- Facility: means a place or residence, including personnel, structures, grounds, and equipment used for the care of a child or children on a residential or other basis for any number of hours a day in any shelter or structure maintained for that purpose. See West Virginia Code 49-1-206
- Multidisciplinary team: means a group of professionals and paraprofessionals representing a variety of disciplines who interact and coordinate their efforts to identify, diagnose and treat specific cases of child abuse and neglect. See West Virginia Code 49-1-207
(1) Operation of a child-appropriate or child-friendly facility that provides a comfortable, private setting that is both physically and psychologically safe for clients.
(2) Participation in a multidisciplinary team for response to child abuse allegations.
(3) Operate a legal entity responsible for program and fiscal operations that has established and implemented basic sound administrative practices.
(4) Promote policies, practices and procedures that are culturally competent and diverse. Cultural competency is defined as the capacity to function in more than one culture, requiring the ability to appreciate, understand and interact with members of diverse populations within the local community.
(5) Conduct forensic interviews in a manner which is of a neutral, fact-finding nature and coordinated to avoid duplicative interviewing.
(6) Provide specialized medical evaluation and treatment made available to clients as part of the team response, either at the CAC or through coordination and referral with other specialized medical providers.
(7) Offer therapeutic intervention through specialized mental health services made available as part of the team response, either at the child advocacy center or through coordination and referral with other appropriate treatment providers.
(8) Victim support and advocacy as part of the team response, either at the child advocacy center or through coordination with other providers, throughout the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.
(9) Conducting team discussions and providing information sharing regarding the investigation, case status and services needed by the child and family are to occur on a routine basis.
(10) Developing and implementing a system for monitoring case progress and tracking case outcomes for team components.
(11) May establish a safe exchange location for children and families who have a parenting agreement or an order providing for visitation or custody of the children that require a safe exchange location.