Child Abuse Assessment and Reporting

Target audience and instructional level of this course: foundational

There is no known conflict of interest or commercial support related to this CE program.

Course Description

This course provides detailed and up-to-date information on clinical and legal issues in child abuse assessment and reporting. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines child abuse as "any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child". Controversial topics are backed by concise explanations that include referrals to recent studies, meta-analysis, court cases, legislative initiatives and other sources. The course explores topics such as the warning signs of potential child abuse, the profiles of abusers and the effects of various forms of abuse. Furthermore, it also covers mandatory reporting, working with child protective agencies, assisting clients in responding to such agencies, and the value and shortcomings of various warning signs of abuse. In addition to the content of the course, clients are given a plain-English pamphlet with instructions on how to behave during an investigation.

After completing this training you will be able to:

• Identify mandated reporters, and understand the participant's responsibilities in mandated reporting.
• Name the standards for making a report of child abuse, including factors such as the limits of confidentiality, reasonable suspicion, and statutory responsibility.
• Identify typical psychological disorders occurring in survivors of abuse and neglect.
• Describe methods of intervention that minimize trauma to survivors of sexual abuse and their families.
• Describe the causes of abuse and sexual abuse.
• Identify the profiles of sexual abusers and be able to distinguish between pedophiles types and other types of abusers.
• Apply knowledge from this course to practice and/or other professional contexts.

Robert A. Yourell, LMFT is a licensed psychotherapist who has been in the mental health field from the mid 1970's. In addition to his practice, he provides audio recordings for advanced stress management and EMDR-inspired processes such as Up Level, a bilateral sound. He developed a system to self-help that integrates concepts from mindfulness meditation, EMDR, CBT, and somatic therapies called Shimmering. He contributes to and edits books pertaining to psychology. He provides entertaining, thought-provoking presentations in areas such as advanced stress management, brain injury recovery, understanding difficult behavior, and preparing for challenging situations. His websites are is www.Yourell.com and www.PsychInnovations.com.

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