Child Abuse Prevention IMP Peer Share Call April 12, 2018

Training & Support Specialist FACILITATOR Allyson Horne TeamMates Mentoring Training & Support Specialist ahorne@teammates.org

Tammi Winchester Training Specialist tburk26@msn.com 402-670-2408

Equipping Mentors With Confidence Difficult Subject for Trainers Mentors are Noticers Equipping Mentors With Confidence Difficult Subject for Trainers Training Mentors to Notice Mentor Resource Library Kognito Online Training Project Harmony Partnership This is an overview of what I will cover in the next few slides, demonstrating how we utilize each

Training Mentors to Notice (PPT, handbook, activities) Mentor Training Training Mentors to Notice (PPT, handbook, activities) Academy Learning Opportunities Mentor Resource Library Explanation of how we train mentors with slides following directly from our PPT Explanation of ongoing learning opportunities Explanation of MRL – please go to link if possible during webinar

Recognizing Child Abuse What is child abuse? Any act or failure to act on the part of a parent, caretaker or other adult which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation; or An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm. How can I tell if a child has been abused? Each child reacts differently Be alert to changes in the child’s behavior Mentors can be an additional set of eyes and ears to help keep kids safe. If your mentee reports a situation of risk: harm to self, harm to others, harm by others – it is our legal obligation to report. It is important for mentors to have awareness of how to recognize and report child abuse. It is possible that trained volunteers and mentors may be the first adult to recognize abuse, or mentors may be part of a series of reports, but EVERY REPORT COUNTS. Mentors should not worry about a definition or 100% proof, but trust your gut. If you feel something is wrong, or off – report. Trust HHS to do their great work to decide what to do with the information reported. A report to HHS does not necessarily mean a child will be removed from the home, the report may lead to resources being provided for the family.

Physical Abuse Emotional Abuse Sexual Abuse Neglect Types of Abuse Physical Abuse Emotional Abuse Sexual Abuse Neglect Hazardous Conditions Discussing the different indicators - ACTIVITY: Have mentors divide into groups and discuss the indicators for each type of abuse – both physical and behavioral. List on paper around the room. Discuss how they may be connected and how typically the indicators are something that could be noticed by someone.

PREVALENCE IN IOWA CALENDAR YEAR 2016 8,892 children subject to abuse or neglect. Of those children: o 7,452 were subject of “founded” abuse o 1,440 were subject of a “confirmed” abuse. A “confirmed” abuse is minor, isolated, and not likely to re-occur, and the perpetrator is not placed on the child abuse registry. 51 percent of abused or neglected children were age 5 or younger (slightly increased compare with last year). Of all child abuse or neglect: o 71 percent was neglect (denial of critical care), a decrease from prior years o 10 percent was physical o 6 percent was sexual o 11 percent was presence of illegal drugs in body 756,300 youth ages 0-18 in Iowa

Remain calm and non-judgmental Listen, do not interrogate What should mentors do? If you suspect that a child is being abused… Remain calm and non-judgmental Listen, do not interrogate Report the abuse Clear program policy for reporting for mentors includes staff contact and DHS info Always trust your gut and report.

Confidentiality & Reporting To report suspected child abuse or neglect: IA Hotline Number 800-362-2178 What happens when you make a report? The job of the mentor is to report the suspected abuse. Child Protective Service case workers will investigate and determine action steps; they will not inform the mentor however about those steps. Mentees have been trained that their mentor will keep conversations private unless you tell them you are being hurt, plan to hurt others, or are involved in harmful behavior. If mentees report abuse or say that they plan to hurt themselves or others, you are required to report it to the appropriate authorities. It is our hope as a mentor you will not experience this, but that you feel confident and prepared about what to do if you suspect abuse.

Mentor Resource Library – Kognito Interactive Suicide Risk Awareness Kognito’s Online Training as part of our MRL

Partnership with Community Experts Project Harmony’s trainings Prevent Child Abuse Iowa Be Someone Campaign Understanding Poverty training Tammi’s presentations at partnership on poverty and reporting Project Harmony’s Be Someone Campaign (next slide video featured in training) Prevent Child Abuse Iowa: Stewards of Children training, ACES

May 10 Peer Share Call Match Support: Challenging Matches Innovation Exchange April 19 and April 25