Public health programs should have a data driven child abuse prevention program. LA County offers a model and resources. Public and private health systems in Los Angeles County make over 6,000 reports of child abuse/neglect each year. The Child Abuse Prevention Program, CAPP, in the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, coordinates the reporting. Most reports come from hospitals and most involve infants or young toddlers. Most report categories peaked in the first year. Sexual abuse was the exception with a peak at age three and a new peak at 13 years caused by reports of young teen mothers reported as sexual abuse by reason of age. CAPP maintains: 1) a directory of teams, 2) protocols for case management now revised as a state level document, 3) Surveillance and MIS provided by central data collection with report collection software. 4) Training and technical assistance with resource referral and case management consultation. Special programs include, a system for neonatal reports following maternal substance abuse, tracking children with STD including HIV, program model for pregnant women in jail or on probation, parenting resources, grief and mourning support for children surviving violent family death, and multiagency evaluation of child death. CAPP offers other public health programs a program model, data models, data collection software and case management protocols for health professionals. The CAPP web site is being expanded to allow for Internet transmission of resources.
Learning Objectives: Attendees will be able to: 1 Describe the four basic components of this public health based program 2 List three unique resources public health has for child abuse prevention 3 Define one child abuse preovention program to add to their state or local public health system
Keywords: Children, Family Violence
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.