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, Mesa, Avondale and Eloy, and also provides inpatient evaluations at three Phoenix-area hospitals.
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., conducting 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
St. Joseph’s Child Abuse Assessment Center is staffed by three highly trained pediatricians, two nurse practitioners, three medical assistants, and a forensic interviewer. There is also a fellowship program. On call 24-hours a day, seven days a week, the team’s primary role is to provide medical exams and forensic interviews on a moment’s notice. They help investigators interpret medical records and testify in several cases per year. They also participate in community education – speaking at conferences, providing training sessions and serving as a resource for others interested in peer review.
Through medical assessment and support, Childhelp and St. Joseph’s Child Abuse Assessment Center are doing everything possible to restore safety and normalcy to the lives of the children and families affected by abuse.
Meet the Team
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Kathryn A. Coffman, MD
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Lisa Kirsch, MD
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Leslie Quinn, MD
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