Multidisciplinary Team
CAC Services
Multidisciplinary Team
A Multidisciplinary team working on child abuse cases includes: law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, victim advocacy, medical and mental health professionals.
The MDT members have signed on to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that represents the shared commitment to the mission, purpose and intent of the CAC and the MDT approach for child abuse cases in our community. The CAC serves as the central hub to the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), which is a skilled team of professionals comprised of members from numerous agencies and organizations that work together in the investigation, treatment, management, and prosecution of child abuse cases.
No single profession or State agency has the ability to respond adequately to any allegation of child maltreatment. The best response to the challenge of child abuse and neglect investigations is the MDT. The MDT approach often extends beyond joint investigations and interagency coordination into team decision making. Team investigations require the full participation and collaboration of team members, who share their knowledge, skills, and abilities. Team members remain responsible for fulfilling their own professional roles while learning to take others’ roles and responsibilities into consideration.
An effective response to reports of child abuse and neglect is an investigation that is timely and objective and that causes the least possible trauma to children and families. Effective teamwork can prevent further trauma to children and can bring those who harm children to justice.
The Multidisciplinary Team is the foundation of the GFNF4Kids Children’s Advocacy Center’s response to allegations of child abuse. Our MDT is a group of professionals from distinct disciplines that collaborates from the point of a report of abuse, throughout a child and family’s involvement with the CAC. MDT members include: prosecutors, law enforcement detectives, DCF’s investigators, forensic interviewers, victim advocates, medical professionals, and mental health therapists.
MDT Coordinator
Angela L. Karratti, the MDT Coordinator, is a specially trained MDT Facilitator that assumes a multitude of roles to ensure the children and their supportive caregivers receive the best possible services for healing and justice. Her roles extend beyond the MDT Facilitator and include an advocator, challenger, mediator, motivator, organizer, team builder and CAC visionary. Angela is the facilitator in the case review process, and her leadership skills brings teams together in an atmosphere of trust and safety to partner for success in child abuse cases.
MDT Case Reviews
MDT case reviews is a formal process by which knowledge, experience and expertise of MDT members is shared and discussed, and informed decisions made, where collaborative efforts are fostered, formal and informal communications are promoted, mutual support is provided, and protocols/procedures are reviewed. The case review process encourages mutual accountability and helps to ensure that children’s needs are met sensitively, effectively and in a timely manner.
MDT Members
Angela L. Karratti
MDT/CAC Coordinator
Veda White
DCF Unit Supervisor
Lacy Buxton
Program Director
Ashley Schutt
CPT Program Supervisor
Kenyel Day
Program Director
Delilah Nine
Mental Health Supervisor
Wanda Eckhoff
Family Advocate
Angel L. Karratti
Prevention Education Coordinator
MDT members come together to share case information, to contribute their own unique expertise to each child’s case and to focus on a child-centered approach to child maltreatment cases. During the case review the team will: discuss, plan, and monitor the progress of the investigation by reviewing medical evaluations, discussing child protection and other safety issues, discussing emotional support and treatment needs of the child and family, assessing the family’s reactions and response to the child’s disclosure, discussing ongoing cultural and special needs issues relevant to the case, and considering other factors as determined by the team.
MDT Participation
The GFNF4Kids Children’s Advocacy Center ensures direct communication between the MDT members working on cases. It is not enough that members show up, they must actively participate in case meetings to positively impact the teams review process and most importantly provide the best services for the child that promotes healing.
