Children found living in Meth labs are at a much higher risk
for medical and social issues tied to their unhealthy environment. They need
special, immediate care as they are being removed from the lab. Without a
trained DEC Team, vital steps in the children's care may be missed.
Prosecution of the child endangerment component of these cases can be more
successful when proper evidence gathering and interviewing take place.
DEC Teams are needed across South Dakota, from the largest cities to the most
remote rural areas. If your community doesn't have a DEC Team yet, here
are ten easy steps to form one.
1
Consider possible team members from each core agency.
Child
Protective Services
Prosecutor’s Office
Law
Enforcement
Medical
Personnel
2
Schedule regular times for
team meetings and decide how you will all communicate (FAX, e-mails, phone).
3
Hold regular meetings.
Cross-train
among team members
Establish
Team goals
4
Develop protocols as a team for what should happen during an intervention.
5
Distribute draft protocols among agency colleagues for input/feedback.
Revise
Review
Finalize
Publish
6
Identify Team member needs for additional training.
7
Identify key auxiliary agencies or groups that your Team wants involved, such as
teachers, foster families, day care centers - any group you feel could
offer support to the Team.
Meet
with agencies to explain DEC
8
Outreach to service providers to assist DEC children and families.
9
Develop a locally relevant training module that DEC Team members can present to
non-DEC agencies and organizations for outreach and/or education to build
community support.
10
Develop a way to monitor the progress of your program and the effectiveness of
your protocols and discuss how the DEC process can be improved.
If you are interested in more information or would like
assistance in forming a local DEC Team, please contact the main office of
MAPP-SD.
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