Arc-Riverside Child Abuse & Neglect/Disability Outreach Project - CAN/DO An OCJP funded Project through the Children’s Justice Act Task Force

Executive Director of Arc-Riverside Project Director: Information Technology Consultant: A “First in the Nation” Project to Address the Issues of Abuse among Children with Disabilities at the State Level. Arc-Riverside Child Abuse & Disability Project Staff Executive Director of Arc-Riverside: Jim Stream Project Director: Nora J. Baladerian, Ph.D. Information Technology Consultant: Tom Hanna

Arc-Riverside... is one of 1200 local Chapters of ARC across the nation. Arc Chapters provide supportive services to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. The organization was begun by parents of children with developmental disabilities, and maintains its focus on their personal needs.

Arc-Riverside has taken on a leadership role, by seeking and acquiring grants to address issues of FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome), which is the primary cause of mental retardation/developmental disabilities today. By virtue of the fact that abuse and neglect are known to contribute to at least 25% of developmental disabilities, they are addressing another important preventable contributor to disability.

Child Abuse & Disability This project will address the 12% of the child population that is estimated to have disabilities. We will assure that all disability groups have representation by inviting their participation through both Internet based and community based awareness efforts.

How big is the problem? At the present time, there is only one study that has been completed at the Federal level. In 1991, their findings indicated that children with disabilities are abused at rates 1.7 times that of their generic counterparts. In the State of California, we do not have an accurate count nor a system for collecting this information. DATA is a major issue. In order to be able to answer this question with authority, data must be available.

WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF THE Arc- CAN/DO PROJECT? 1. Each year of the Project a Think Tank of State Department officials, child abuse, and disability services agencies will be convened to determine the best “next steps” to take together to achieve project goals in an Inter- Agency collaborative cooperation.

WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF THE Arc- CAN/DO PROJECT? 2. Inter-Agency collaboration is a key to effective service delivery. Through this project new and ongoing multi-agency and multi-disciplinary teams will carry out important tasks that will continue independently beyond the term of the CAN/DO Project.

WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF THE Arc- CAN/DO PROJECT? 3. DATA: A systematic way to collect data *that will allow the State of California to have an accurate count of the number of abuse victims with disabilities occurring each year;

* that will allow for the identification of pre- existing disability versus disabilities arising from the abuse; and *that will provide a trail to research the type and extent of system response to each case.

WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF THE Arc- CAN/DO PROJECT? 4. To provide training to first responders, investigators, interviewers, prosecutors and judges on effective and sensitive service delivery to children with disabilities. To assure that this training is effective, and to implement a train the trainers program to disseminate it as widely as possible.

WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF THE Arc- CAN/DO PROJECT? To assure that this project has maximum possibility for success, all aspects of the project will be Web Site supported. As the tasks of the project are conducted, they will be documented on the Web Site. Any Think Tank member can participate by reviewing and commenting, offering information and resources. Many aspects of the project will be available to the general public. Further, meetings will be convened on the Site for the purpose of achieving Project goals.

Think Tank - II This is the first Think Tank meeting for the 3 year Project. Today’s agenda will be complete when we: * have decided upon a plan of action, based on the work already done in Think Tank-I *that makes sense in building the foundation for effective and sensitive response to abuse of children with disabilities *using the model of collaborative effort and inter-agency collaboration and the involvement of all stakeholders.

Technical Assistance Project staff are committed to providing technical assistance in the context of the OCJP grant: Annual Think Tank Meetings Data Collection Efforts Training Programs TA Resources will be organized and presented on the Web

Thank you all for coming today. You probably have already learned, through the documents provided to you prior to the meeting, that this is a pioneering effort. We are creating something brand new. We have the rare opportunity to develop innovative approaches to very difficult problems. Most of all, we are working in the service of one of the most vulnerable populations of children in the State.

Arc-Riverside CAN/DO Child Abuse & Disability Project Check the website often:

Contact the office to learn of current activities & meetings, or new products “about” to be added to the Web...Tell us which projects you want to have a voice in creating. Phone: TDD: (or use STS) FAX: Or come by on Thursday or Friday (by appointment of course).