Sexual Assault Forensic Examination – Child Abuse Resource and Education
SAFE-CARE
What is SAFE-CARE?
SAFE-CARE Network Providers are physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners committed to providing quality forensic evaluations to maltreated children in their communities. They encompass a wide range of experience, including urban to rural settings and from small private practices to large children’s hospitals. Each plays a valuable role in ensuring that Missouri’s children have access to the best possible care by:
- Maintaining ongoing education and peer review/mentorship requirements.
- Recognizing that their work extends beyond the examination room.
- Understanding the importance of close collaboration with other agencies and institutions responsible for the health and safety of children.
- Producing meaningful reports, communicating with multidisciplinary team members, and testifying in court when necessary.
The SAFE-CARE Network focuses on providing direct patient care through state-of-the-art medical evaluations for children who may have experienced abuse or neglect. This includes:
Comprehensive Evaluations
- Typically performed as scheduled visits to SAFE-CARE providers at Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) or clinics in the child’s community.
Some SAFE-CARE providers are available for emergency response or expert consultation/review of medical records when direct care is not possible.
Every child who has experienced abuse deserves access to quality medical care.
Key Features
MO-NACA, in partnership with the Department of Health and Senior Services, oversees the state-funded SAFE-CARE program, coordinating a comprehensive medical response to child abuse and neglect in Missouri. The program achieves its mission through various activities:
Annual Training
Providing comprehensive training for physicians, advanced practice nurses, and physician assistants in forensic evaluation and comprehensive medical care for children who may have experienced physical or sexual abuse.
Mentorship and Support
Offering mentorship, support, and ongoing education for a network of providers actively involved in delivering services to children in their communities.
Empowering MDTs
Empowering multidisciplinary team members (MDTs) to better recognize and respond to child abuse and neglect through education on injury mechanics/plausibility, sentinel injuries, and other medical aspects of child abuse and neglect.
Training
The SAFE-CARE Network is committed to ensuring access to quality medical examinations by offering various training opportunities:
- New Provider Training: Annual two-day conference teaching medical providers how to diagnose and treat child physical and sexual abuse.
- Update Training: Regular sessions keeping active SAFE-CARE providers up-to-date on new and advanced topics, including annual conferences and webinars.
- Mentorship Program: Pairs new providers with Board Certified Child Abuse Pediatricians for expert consultation.
Medical Resource Centers
Medical Resource Centers are strategically situated at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, and SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. These centers serve as the foremost authorities in Child Abuse Pediatrics, setting the standard of care for the SAFE-CARE program. Board Certified Child Abuse Pediatricians affiliated with these centers play a pivotal role in providing training, mentorship, and consultation services to ensure the highest quality of expertise within the SAFE-CARE initiative.