Background

Children's Advocacy Centers (CACs) use a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach to initiate, coordinate, and provide essential multisector services for children and families who experience child abuse. Despite rapid dissemination of the CAC model across the world, little is known about characteristics associated with CAC-based teamwork.

Objective

Given that teamwork characteristics may impact the outcomes of child and families who interact with CACs, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore experiences, facilitators, and barriers to CAC-based multidisciplinary teamwork.

Participants, setting, & methods

We conducted semi-structured interviews with members of a MDT at a Midwestern CAC.

Results

Findings suggest that MDT teamwork was fostered by clear communication, responsiveness, commitment, openness, and appropriate resources whereas MDT teamwork was hindered by role confusion, conflicting perspectives, poor communication, low staffing, complex politics, and structural barriers.

Conclusions

Characteristics of CAC-based teamwork may vary from the teamwork of other types of child protection teams. Interventions that enhance CAC-based teamwork may optimize the function of CAC MDTs and improve outcomes for children and families who engage with CACs.

中文翻译：

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基于儿童倡导中心的多学科团队合作的促进因素和障碍

背景

儿童权益保护中心 (CAC) 采用多学科团队 (MDT) 方法为遭受虐待的儿童和家庭发起、协调和提供必要的多部门服务。尽管 CAC 模型在世界范围内迅速传播，但对与基于 CAC 的团队合作相关的特征知之甚少。

客观的

鉴于团队合作特征可能会影响与 CAC 互动的儿童和家庭的结果，这项定性研究的目的是探索基于 CAC 的多学科团队合作的经验、促进因素和障碍。

参与者、设置和方法

我们对中西部 CAC 的 MDT 成员进行了半结构化访谈。

结果

研究结果表明，清晰的沟通、响应能力、承诺、开放性和适当的资源促进了 MDT 团队合作，而 MDT 团队合作则受到角色混淆、观点冲​​突、沟通不畅、人员配备不足、复杂的政治和结构性障碍的阻碍。

结论

基于 CAC 的团队合作的特点可能不同于其他类型的儿童保护团队的团队合作。增强基于 CAC 的团队合作的干预措施可以优化 CAC MDT 的功能并改善参与 CAC 的儿童和家庭的结果。