Citation

Osborn PE. Child Abuse Negl. 1981; 5(3): 287-297.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1981, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

There are few reports concerning an overall management plan for child abuse services throughout an entire county. This paper describes the different components of child abuse services including child advocacy/legislation, prediction and prevention, detection and diagnosis, intervention and treatment, and education and training, within a California county and includes a discussion of each component, with an assessment of needs and a delineation of gaps in service. The necessity of overall goal setting is defined and various management techniques are discussed. The county selected for the study was San Mateo County with a population of approximately 500,000. Results indicate agreement as to the comprehensiveness of the plan and the need for further coordination. The favored management scheme called for the hiring of a "Director of Child Protection Services" at the county management level. Subsequent to the completion of this child abuse and neglect project, a task force was appointed by the Board of Supervisors and is now in the process of making recommendations regarding priorities and a course of action to follow to ensure that coordinated services are available throughout the county.