MENOMINEE — Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey T. Rogg, along with Menominee County Sheriff’s Department, Menominee City Police Department, Michigan State Police Department, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and Delta Regional Child Advocacy Center have signed the Menominee County Multidisciplinary Team Protocol for the investigation of child sexual assault and physical abuse in Menominee County.

“By entering into this collaboration in our community, our goal is to consider first and foremost, what is best for the child, while respecting and ensuring the rights of the accused, and to provide a child-focused, best practice and evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach to child abuse investigations in Menominee county,” said Rogg. “It is incumbent upon each of our agencies to reduce the trauma and adverse psychological consequences to child abuse victims by providing child-appropriate facilities and responses, as well as providing continuing support to victims and their families.”

The protocol was drafted to reflect the best practices of the multidisciplinary team approach to investigating child abuse as defined by the State of Michigan Governor’s Task Force on Children’s Justice and the Department of Human Services’ Forensic Interviewing Protocol. The intent of the protocol is to define guidelines that govern reliable, effective processes that serve the best interest of the children and families of Menominee county.

The purpose of a multidisciplinary team response is to ensure that those providing services related to child abuse cases are able to conduct their work in a collaborative, coordinated manner that maximizes positive outcomes for the child, while promoting accountability and justice.

“We are proud to be working alongside our partners in Menominee county and remain dedicated to ensuring all children and families in the community receive the support and necessary tools to heal from trauma,” said Kelly Chandler, program director of the Delta Regional Child Advocacy Center.

The Delta Regional Child Advocacy Center is a 501c3 non-profit community-based organization that provides comfort, hope, and healing to children and families impacted by sexual assault or physical abuse. The Delta Regional Child Advocacy Center, the Upper Peninsula’s first Associate Developing Member of the National Children’s Alliance, works with law enforcement, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, prosecuting attorneys, mental health clinicians, and medical providers to coordinate the investigation and treatment of cases involving children.

The Delta Regional Child Advocacy Center provides forensic interviewing, family advocacy, crisis management, peer to peer support groups, court accompaniment, and referrals for medical and mental health services. The Delta Regional Child Advocacy Center provides services at no cost to families in Alger, Delta, Menominee, and Schoolcraft counties in addition to other communities in the Upper Peninsula who do not receive services from a child advocacy center.

To learn more about the work the Delta Regional Child Advocacy Center provides to the community go to www.deltaregionalcac.org.