A quasi-experimental study of the Multi-Agency Investigation & Support Team (MIST): A collaborative response to child sexual abuse.

To improve the holistic response to child sexual abuse in Perth, Western Australia, a group consisting of government and community support agencies developed a new co-located approach that combined support services with investigations, called the Multi-agency Investigation & Support Team (MIST). The model was comparable to the prominent Children's Advocacy Centre approach, with adaptations for Australian conditions. This study evaluated the fidelity with which this new program was delivered and examined whether it resulted in improved criminal justice, child protection, and service outcomes compared to existing practice.

Trends in reports of child maltreatment in the Northern Territory, 1999-2010.

Objective: To examine trends in reports of child maltreatment to the Northern Territory Department of Children and Families among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.

Design, Setting And Subjects: A historical cohort study using administrative data collections of notifications and substantiated cases of maltreatment among children aged from 0 to 17 years.

Main Outcome Measures: Annual rates of notification and substantiation of different types of child maltreatment.

A Therapeutic Model for Supporting Families of Children with a Chronic Illness or Disability.

Background: A therapeutic model for supporting families of children with a chronic illness or disability is described. The model presupposes that the chronic illness and/or disability of a child constitutes a trauma for the entire family.

Method: This paper describes a therapeutic model currently in practice and links it back to psychological dynamics addressed through the clinical interventions and the principles that underlie the model of service.