SIRCC Conference 2019 keynote by Professor Jim Anglin
Earledreka White_Internship Experience at The CAC 2011
1. MY INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
AT THE CHILDREN’S
ASSESSMENT CENTER
Presented by: Earledreka White
PSYC 6739 – Graduate Non-Clinical Internship
Fall 2011
2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
○ Background of The CAC
○ Meet Karen: My Supervisor
○ Meet Earledreka: The Intern
○ My Goals & Objectives
○ Learning Objectives: Journals
○ Work Products
○ Training Materials
○ Continuing Education Credits
○ Professional Development
○ Statistics About Child Sexual Abuse
○ What I Learned: The Do’s of CSA
○ What I Learned: The Do Not’s of CSA
○ Research Paper
3. BACKGROUND OF THE CAC
○ The Children’s Assessment Center
● Is one of the largest advocacy centers
in the nation
● Was founded in 1991 in Houston,
Texas
● Has provided services for more than
50,000 sexually abused children in the
community since 2000
● Brings the components of
investigation, assessment, prevention,
and healing together in one 56,000
sq.. ft. child-friendly facility
● Houses professionals from 45 partner
agencies
● Executive Director, Elaine Stolte
The Children's Assessment Center
2500 Bolsover Street
Houston, Texas 77005
713-986-3300
www.cachouston.org
4. ! Karen Kennard
! Training Coordinator at
The Children’s
Assessment Center
! Has been working with
The CAC for 11 years
! 18 total years of
experience
! Contact information:
! (713)986-3530
! karen.kennard@cac.h
ctx.net
! Karen's Evaluation of
Intern
MEET KAREN: MY SUPERVISOR
5. MEET EARLEDREKA: THE INTERN
○ Earledreka White’ s Documents:
● Statement of Agreement
● Add link for Calendar of Hours
Worked – Completed 500 Working
Hours
○ Start date: August 3, 2011
○ End date: November 30, 2011
○ Gained 27 Continuing Education
(CE) credits
● Duties at The Children's
Assessment Center
● Resume
● Evaluations of The CAC and
UHCL
6. MY GOALS & OBJECTIVES
○ My goals were as follows:
● To gain competency with children and families, with sensitivity to
cultural differences, ethical issues, and interdisciplinary relationships
● To gain experiential training in child psychology
● To obtain professional development as an individual aspiring to become
a child and adolescent psychologist
● To learn and understand the ethics codes of counseling
● To gain experience in the areas of consultation, program development,
and service delivery
○ My objectives included:
● Developing facility with a range of diagnostic skills, including:
interviews, history-taking, risk management, child protective issues,
diagnostic formulation, and referral
● Developing facility with psychological consultation, through individual
cases and participation in multidisciplinary team, including parents,
mental health staff, medical staff, and the legal system
● Learning the clinical, legal, and ethical issues involved in
documentation of mental health services within a medical setting
8. WORK PRODUCTS
○ I contributed the following to The CAC:
● 2011 Training Email Distribution List
○ Updated this list regularly to add (or remove) individuals
wanting (or no longer wanting) to receive monthly updates
via email about upcoming trainings held at The Children’s
Assessment Center
○ Sample Email Blast
● Arnold Foundation Information Log (2005-2011)
○ Numbers Depicted on Chart
○ Created log to showcase the number of First Responders
(Law Enforcement, District Attorneys, and members of CPS)
and other child advocacy centers who have received any
training from The CAC from 2005-2011 and the number of
international visitors who have visited The CAC from
2005-2011
9. WORK PRODUCTS CONT’D
○ I contributed the following to The CAC:
● CSART Contacts
○ Compiled a contact list for the members of Child Sexual Abuse
Review Team (CSART)
● Certification Documentation of Attendance for Training
○ Sample of certificates I would create for each attendee at one of our
many trainings
● Email reminder for Speakers
○ Sample of an email I would send to a CAC Staff member who has a
presentation off-site
● Guided Sign Used on Training Days
○ Sample of a sign I would post around the building as a guide for
people to be directed to the location of the training room
10. WORK PRODUCTS CONT’D
○ I contributed the following to The CAC:
● Speaker Request Email Blast to CAC Staff
○ Sample of an email blast I would send out to request speakers
for one of our upcoming trainings
● Training Evaluations Template
○ Revised layout and wording of training evaluations to
increase the likelihood of completion and accuracy
● Master 2011 Training Log
○ Updated this training log almost daily to document all
trainings, presentation, tours, community outreach events
hosted by The Children’s Assessment Center
11. WORK PRODUCTS CONT’D
○ I contributed the following to The CAC:
● Master Sign-In Sheet
○ Sample sign-in sheet used for trainings
● OMS General Survey Score Sheet
○ Updated the Outcome Measurement Survey Instruments
(OMS) used by the research team from the Lyndon B. Johnson
School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin
● Quantitative Evaluations
○ A sample of a quantitative evaluation I computed after every
training held at The CAC to gain feedback from participants
● Speaker Request Form
○ Revised wording on Speaker Request form to increase
likelihood of accuracy
12. TRAINING MATERIALS
○ Dress Code for Interns
● Received a document stating the proper attire for this internship
○ CAC Intern Orientation
● Here is a copy of the handouts I received at orientation
○ Tour Protocol Guide
● Received training on how to conduct tours and give an overview
of The Children’s Assessment Center
○ Description of Audience Coding
● Received training on how to code child abuse-related training
events to be used to keep the training log up-to-date
○ Writing Behavioral Learning Objectives and Assessments
● Received training on how to formulate the proper wording to be
used in training evaluations
13. CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS
○ "Working with the Disadvantaged: An Ethical
Perspective" Certificate
● Presented by Cynthia F. Reibenstein, LCSW, ACSW, DCSW
○ “Legal duties are the minimum standard of conduct whereas Ethical
duties are the ideal standard of conduct!”
● August 22, 2011 held at The Children’s Assessment Center
● 3 Continuing Education (CE) credits
○ "Working Successfully with Hispanic Families When
Providing Services for the Best Interest of the Child and
Family" Certificate
● Presented by Luis R. Torres, Ph.D.
○ “Culture is to us as water is to a fish… We are creatures of habit!”
● September 1, 2011 held at The Children’s Assessment Center
● 3 Continuing Education (CE) credits
14. CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS CONT’D
○ "Treating Trauma in Children and Adolescents Using Trauma-
Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)" Certificate
● Presented by Sarah Rivera, Ph.D., LPC
○ “Learn how to de-stress. Burnout is real!.. Don’t have your entire caseload consist of
trauma victims –which may be difficult if you work in a trauma center.”
● Two day training: September 15-16, 2011 held at The Children’s
Assessment Center
● 12 Continuing Education (CE) credits
○ "The Microscope with a Wide-Angle Lens: A Complete Look at the
Adopted Child Using a Bio-Psychosocial Model" Certificate
● Presented by Richard J. Delaney, Ph.D.
○ “Realistic expectations can sometimes be hard to come by.”
● September 22, 2011 held at DePelchin Children’s Center
● 7 Continuing Education (CE) credits
○ "Clergy & Faith Healers: The Gatekeepers of Emotional Well-
Being" Certificate
● Presented by Toi B. Harris, M.D.
○ “No one really wants to discuss faith as a part of the healing process.”
● October 11, 2011 held at The Children’s Assessment Center
● 3 Continuing Education (CE) credits
16. FACTS ABOUT CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
○ “Bruises, burns, and broken
bones are more easily
identified as child abuse
than is sexual
assault” (Farrell, 1988).
○ “Victims of child sexual
abuse may have a feeling
that “something is wrong
with me”, and that the
abuse is their
fault” (Johnson, 1987).
○ “More than 90% of juvenile
sexual abuse victims know
their perpetrator in some
way” (Snyder, 2000).
17. WHAT I LEARNED: THE DO’S OF CSA
○ If a child does disclose
sexual abuse to you
please do:
○ Allow the child to use his/
her own words to describe
the incident
○ Treat the child normally
○ Allow the child to talk
about the incident if they
bring it up
○ Write down concerns and
questions for CPS, police
officers, and therapists
○ Love and support the child
18. WHAT I LEARNED: THE DO NOT'S OF CSA
○ If a child does disclose
sexual abuse to you
please don’t:
○ Use your language to
help the child describe
what happened
○ Try to interview or
investigate
○ Overreact
○ Express fear, anger, or
anxiety
○ Let personal feelings
influence the child
○ Reward child for giving
information
20. REFERENCES
○ Farrell, L. R. (1988). Factors that affect a victim’s
self-disclosure in father-daughter incest. Child
Welfare, 67, 462-468.
○ Johnson, B. B. (1987). Sexual abuse prevention: A
rural interdisciplinary effort. Child Welfare, 66,
165-173.
○ Synder, H. N. (2000). Sexual assault of young
children as reported to law enforcement: Victim,
incident, and offender characteristics.
Retrieved from http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/
pdf/saycrle. pdf.
