COVID-19
Child Advocacy Centers Remain Open
CACs continue to respond to the needs of child victims and our multi-disciplinary partners. However, in order to minimize the number of personnel present at the centers the following restrictions will apply.
- Interviews will be scheduled as referred, should an MDT member request an interview it shall be scheduled per our normal operational standards.
- Program coordinators will contact local MDT members to advise that we remain operational when interviews are needed and to asses what their agency threshold will be for referring interviews to the CAC during the current COVID-19 concerns.
- Family support specialists or other personnel scheduling interviews shall ask if caregivers or children are experiencing any fever, cough, shortness of breath, respiratory illness, other symptoms of COVID-19 or if you or your family have been in contact with someone experiencing those symptoms.
- The minimal number of MDT members necessary to conduct an interview will be present at the CAC. One employee from each agency required to be present for the interview will be allowed, no mentees, interns, trainees or extra personnel will be allowed to participate.
- Family support specialists will request that families limit the number of family members that attend the interview. Unless necessary, siblings, grandparents, other family members and or friends should not come to the center for the interview.
- Crisis center employees shall be asked to refrain from coming to the center and instead be available to assist families via the telephone. Family support specialists or other staff should provide caregivers with crisis center information and facilitate phone contact between caregivers and crisis center staff if available.
- All table surfaces, toys, telephones, chairs, doorknobs, bathrooms, etc. shall be wiped with antiseptic wipes and/or sprayed with disinfectant when you arrive for the day, after each interview and before leaving at the end of the day.
- Hand shaking and other forms of contact will be prohibited and each person entering the CAC should be requested to utilize hand sanitizer when they enter.
- No visits, tours, case reviews, or any other non-essential meetings will take place at the center until further notice.
- Employees shall not attend any external meetings in person unless absolutely necessary and in that case shall follow CDC recommended precautions for interpersonal contact.