The Child Abuse Assessment Center at St. Joseph’s Children’s Health Center (CHC) is a partner in the Childhelp Children’s Center of Arizona. St. Joseph’s is part of a team of law enforcement, prosecution, social service agencies, medical professionals and mental health clinicians – all working to provide a safe, secure environment for victims of child maltreatment, including physical and sexual abuse, neglect, and drug exposure. The Child Abuse Assessment Center also partners with city-operated advocacy centers in Glendale, Scottsdale and Mesa, and has four locations in Maricopa County.

The role of Childhelp is to evaluate and provide services for child abuse victims and their families, and to assist in the prosecution of their abusers. St. Joseph’s Child Abuse Assessment Center provides forensic interviews and medical examinations. Other services offered at Childhelp include interviewing child victims and witnesses, interviewing non-offending family members, crisis intervention, referrals to community services, case review team meetings and preparing children and their families for court. Specially trained professionals from most disciplines are available to respond on-site, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Working in collaboration with contributing partners and agencies, Childhelp:

• Reduces the number of interviews a child victim must endure and the time victims and their families spend with the investigation by creating a one-stop investigative resource
• Reduces police and child protective services investigative time (i.e., con- ducting medical examinations at the center), enabling more efficient case processing and quicker prosecutions
• Increases communication between agencies for an improved understanding of their roles and needs

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St. Joseph’s Child Abuse Assessment Center is staffed by four highly trained pediatricians, two nurse practitioners, and a forensic interviewer who specialize in the assessment of suspected abused children, including all medical aspects of their case. Once law enforcement makes an arrest, these individuals may assist in prosecution, including court appearances and expert testimony. Through medical assessment and support, Childhelp and St. Joseph’s Child Abuse Assessment Center are doing everything possible to restore safety and normal- cy to the lives of the children and families affected by abuse.

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