Using a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Approach

What is a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT)?

One of the core factors related to improved handling of child sexual abuse (CSA) cases includes the creation of a collaboration of efforts from all of the primary disciplines involved. Different communities will have different disciplines represented depending on each community's unique characteristics. However, communities should strive to evolve so that eventually 5 specific disciplines are clearly represented at the core of MDT teams. The 5 core disciplines are:

• Child Protective Services
• Law Enforcement
• Therapy treatment providers
• Medical/health care professionals
• Prosecutors

MDT membership may include other professions/agencies which suit the purposes of that particular community. A national survey by Kolbo & Strong (1997) identified that other frequent participants included professionals from; education, juvenile corrections, family support and child care agencies, and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). The initiatives to utilize MDT approaches now exist in all 50 states, but the approach in each state is unique. Georgia has established a requirement for each county to develop its own protocol on how child abuse cases will be handled (See GA Code 19-15-2 G (http://www.state.ga.us/services/ocode/ocsearch.htm). To explore these protocols, please refer to the section of this web site entitled "Child Protective Services Issues".

The logical evolution of a community MDT approach usually results in a Child Advocacy Center (CAC) model. For communities that already have a CAC, the sixth core professional on the MDT should be a child advocate (or other similar CAC staff member).

Not all communities in Georgia have access to a CAC. In the year 2000, there were 21 full member CACs in the state CAC network (www.cacga.com). Some CACs serve more than one county. About another ten communities have centers that are developing but are not yet qualified to be full members. These data also show that, presently, the vast majority of counties in Georgia do not yet have access to a CAC. The Childrens Advocacy Centers of Georgia has a goal of having every community eventually gain access to a CAC, but that goal is far from being a current reality. However, ANY community can use the basics of an MDT approach, even if it is still years away from having access to an organized and fully accredited CAC. In addition, we now know more about what makes MDTs work and how to best use them.