Child Protection at Riley Children’s Health offers multidisciplinary clinical services and education to improve the evaluation and care of maltreated children. Our team of board certified physicians provides evidence-based consultation in cases of suspected child maltreatment. These consultations are objective assessments to help determine the extent of injury and whether medical cause or accidental mechanism accounts for the injury pattern. CHILD PROTECTION
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Our physicians are currently engaged in research related to: ■ Evaluation of physical abuse when domestic violence occurs ■ Disparities in evaluation and reporting of drug ingestions by children ■ Caregiver understanding of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) ■ Radiography use in assessing possible child maltreatment – Use of postmortem body CT scans to evaluate occult injuries – Spinal fractures in children evaluated for nonaccidental trauma ■ Analysis of demographics in child maltreatment evaluation using skeletal surveys as a proxy and employing multicenter trauma databases ■ Spatial distributions of child trauma and fatalities in Marion County, Indiana
DIVISION CHIEF Shannon L. Thompson, MD, FAAP Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, IU School of Medicine > Connect with Dr. Thompson on Doximity.
PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS
Specialized programs Child Abuse Consultation Service
■ Extensive history of collaboration and care coordination with healthcare providers, child protection case managers, law enforcement and the judicial system ■ Consults with the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) on more than 6,000 cases of suspected child maltreatment each year ■ Home to one of only 31 ACGME- accredited child abuse pediatrics fellowship programs in the nation
Child protection specialists facilitate comprehensive medical evaluations for children alleged to have been physically abused or neglected. Foster Care Bridge Program Riley Children’s offers a multidisciplinary clinic to serve as a bridge—providing comprehensive healthcare and acquiring appropriate resources for children entering and making transitions within the foster care system until a permanent medical home is identified. Pediatric Center of Hope Riley specialists in child abuse pediatrics provide comprehensive medical evaluation for children alleged to have been sexually abused. Crisis Counseling Services These services bridge the gap from the time a child is identified as a possible child sexual abuse victim to when formal ongoing counseling may become available. Docs InCASE Program Our team, collaborating with 15 pediatric practices in Indiana, facilitates pediatric care and coordination in advancing the medical role in child protection.
5 board certified physicians
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See full team member list
NOTABLE PUBLICATION
Physical, Developmental and Behavioral Needs of Youth in Foster Care, a chapter within Child and Family- Serving Systems: A Compendium of Policy and Practice Volume II: Approaches to Child and Family Protection: Core Opportunities and Challenges in Family-Serving Systems
Foster Care Bridge Program Encounters: 2020 – 2023
246 234
222
Children Served: 2023 Child abuse consults 5,456 Pediatric Center of Hope consults 808
Child protection specialists at Riley Children’s are active in national and local organizations, including: ■ American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Child Abuse and Neglect ■ American Academy of Pediatrics Trauma Informed Care Champion ■ American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Foster Care Adoption and Kinship Care ■ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Children’s Justice Act Task Force ■ USA Gymnastics Safe Sport Committee ■ Ray E. Helfer Society ■ Local and state child fatality review teams and child advocacy centers
2020–21
2021–22
2022–23
Physical and Sexual Abuse Consultations by Year: 2019 – 2023
6,264
Crisis counseling 738 DCS consults 6,264
5,572 5,355 5,483
The child protection team led 52 community education programs in 2023.
2019–20
2020–21
2021–22
2022–23
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Annual Report 2023 – 2024
317.274.2617
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