July 2012Vol. 13, No. 6CAN Investigation Protocol
To improve and enhance multiagency investigations and prosecutions of child abuse and neglect cases, a guide for developing a uniform set of protocols has been made available by the California Child Abuse Training and Technical Assistance Centers (CATTA). The Minimum Standard Protocol is an organizational tool intended to help county and State agencies develop written procedures for investigations. The tool is composed of five phases—preparation, writing, adoption, training, and revision.
CATTA provides training and technical assistance to child advocacy centers, multidisciplinary interview centers or teams, and child sexual abuse prevention, intervention, and treatment service providers. A one-page introduction to the minimum standard protocol, the Minimum Standards Protocol, and a checklist—a guide to protocol development—are available on the CATTA website: