Medical Evaluation and Treatment

Specialized medical evaluation and treatment services are routinely made available to children and youth. All cases of suspected child abuse are assessed to determine need for medical evaluation.

Activities

CYAC activities within the core area of medical evaluation and treatment may include:

  • Conduct forensic medical exams as appropriate, by a medical professional with specialized training/experience in child abuse
  • Medical exams are conducted at the CYAC or through partnerships/agreements with appropriate agencies or services
  • Medical examination process is explained to the child/youth and caregiver 
  • Medical examination findings are shared and explained to the MDT for effective case planning decisions
  • Medical professionals consult and provide input/feedback on treatment plans as required
  • Medical documentation is securely and appropriately stored and only shared when necessary to reduce re-traumatization and unnecessary information sharing

For more information on medical examination and treatment, see the national guideline and key components.

CYAC Guidelines

Outputs

The type of activities at your CYAC will determine what outputs you track related to medical evaluation and treatment. Example outputs are:

  • # of medical evaluations and consultations conducted
  • Evidence documented and available to MDT members as needed
  • # of trained and qualified medical professionals

Child and youth outcomes

Medical evaluation and treatment within the CYAC model can contribute to safety, justice, and healing for children and youth. Ways to know how medical evaluation and treatment activities contribute to theses outcomes are: 

Safety

  • Medical evaluations are conducted in a timely manner
  • Cases are triaged; the most urgent cases are prioritized 
  • Medical findings are shared and used by MDT partners for case management
  • Caregivers feel equipped to support the child/youth after their medical examination

Justice

  • Children and youth feel empowered to ask questions
  • Children, youth, and caregivers are informed and understand the reason behind medical evaluation decisions
  • Children, youth, and caregivers understand how medical examination evidence may be used throughout investigation and legal processes

Healing

  • Children and youth feel validated and supported through the examination processes

Data Collection Practices

Data collection practices need to reflect your local operational and community context. You may already have tools in place to track these outputs and outcomes, or have tools that can be adapted to reflect these outputs and outcomes. If you need support in enhancing your data collection practices, please connect with us.

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