Vision:

Child protection workers and law enforcement officers will conduct a competent and comprehensive investigation of every child sexual abuse case that comes to their attention, and when abuse is substantiated, pursue appropriate civil and criminal actions.

Objectives:

  1. Develop law enforcement processes for the collection of corroborating evidence in child sexual abuse cases. Launch in 2018 at the Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC) and other education training venues. Train 100 percent of law enforcement agencies by 2021.
  2. Develop and implement a Regional Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Sexual Victims Unit, Child Sexual Abuse (SVU-CSA) Pilot Project in 13 counties in Northeastern South Dakota, headquartered in Watertown, and coordinated with the nearest Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in Sioux Falls by July 2017.
  3. Train all disciplines who work with child victims and their families from awareness (disclosure and/or recognition) through recovery. Use the data and analysis from Goal A to drive training content. Launch training program by July 2017.
  4. Develop a list of training and education resources for professionals and family members regarding prevention, recognition, response, and recovery.
  5. Evaluate MDT programs and recommend interventions, expansion, or collaboration opportunities to the State MDT Development Coordinator by December each year. Conduct a meta-analysis evaluation by the Q42019.
  6. Provide advanced MDT child sexual abuse training for MDT members through statewide expansion.
  7. Provide first responder child sexual abuse training, as well as training on the MDT/CAC model, starting within the pilot project and expanding statewide.
  8. Create a mock house that will serve as a certified training hub for professionals to learn applied techniques in their response to child sexual abuse.
  9. Optimize the process and timeframe for resolution of civil child abuse cases in South Dakota. Develop plan in 2017. Roll out recommendations and education.
  10. Optimize the process and timeframe for resolution of criminal child abuse cases in South Dakota. Develop plan in 2017. Roll out recommendations and education.
  11. Launch a program to educate judicial system stakeholders on approaches that reduce trauma to minors aged 3 – 17 that are required to face their perpetrators in court.
  12. Recommend that public and private employers of professionals working with child victims of violence develop and implement written plans specifically for vicarious and secondary trauma prevention and intervention practices within their organizations and agencies.
  13. Increase the capacity of law enforcement, Child Protection Services, and 911 systems to intake child sexual abuse reports through use of the 211 system. Market the plan in campaign materials.