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State Spotlight - Maine
Last updated: January 2010
Kimberly M. Day
Child Welfare Coordinator
School of Social Work, RM 112
5770 Social Work Building
Orono, ME 04469-5770
Phone: (207) 581-3586
Fax: (207) 351-2396
Email: Kimberly_Day@umit.maine.edu
Dr. Steve Meister
Chair, Child Death and Serious Injury Review Panel
Tools
Reports
- Report of the State of Maine Child Death and Serious Injury Review Panel
- Child Abuse and Child Death and Serious Injury Reports
Mortality Statistics
Program Description
Administration
The Maine Department of Human Services Child Death and Serious Injury
Review Panel was established by statute (Title 22, section 4004)
in 1992. The panel is
housed out of the DHS Bureau of Child and Family Services. The is
one staff member for the Panel that is funded by DHS child abuse and
neglect grant monies.
Teams
Maine has a state level review system. Maine joined other New
England states to form a consortium of Northern New England child
fatality review teams. Additionally, the Panel, along with
the Child Abuse Action Network, serves as a Citizen's Review Panel.
State Team Chairperson: Dr. Karen Mosher
The panel consists of the following members: the Chief Medical
Examiner, a pediatrician, a public health nurse, forensic and community
mental health clinicians, law enforcement officers, departmental child
welfare staff, district attorneys and criminal or civil assistant
attorneys general.
Cases are identified for review from a variety of sources. Some
come from public health nursing, social services, law enforcement and
sometimes psychologists.
The Panel meets every month for approximately three hours. All
panel members are given the time to attend the review meetings by their
public or private sector employers. Panel members volunteer their
time to read the voluminous case record materials before each case
review.
Reviews
The panel reviews cases of suspected child abuse and neglect as well as
adolescent suicides. Cases for review are identified by
pediatricians and Children's Protective Services. The Panel can
subpoena records for the review process. Team information is not
subject to discovery. Deaths to
children less than 18 years old are reviewed.
Purpose
The purpose of the panel is to recommend to state and local agencies
methods of improving the child protection system, including
modifications of statutes, rules, policies and procedures.
Data
Standardized data collection forms collection forms are completed on
each case reviewed. This is not required by statute. Data
is stored on disc. The panel does have access to state vital
statistics. The staff person to the panel utilizes DHS Vital
Records to collect/verify family vital records information on each case
reviewed.
Annual Report
Aggregate data collected by the panel is utilized in periodic public
reports published by DHS. Additionally, each case review results
in a confidential Executive Summary for the DHS commissioner.
This summary contains findings and recommendations.
Prevention Initiatives
The panel
findings have motivated prevention activities in the state including
the "Never Shake a Baby" public awareness campaign. A future
public service campaign is likely to focus on safe sleeping practices
including the potential hazards of adults co-sleeping with
infants. Additionally, the Panel has worked to develop scene
investigation protocols with the Medical Examiner, State Police and
Child Welfare.
Protocols
Maine's Child Death and Serious Injury Review Panel has meeting and
confidentiality protocols in place.
Training
Training is not offered. However, panel members have said one of
the important aspects of each review is the "seminar" nature of
information/collaboration among the panel members, who have
wide-ranging areas of expertise, which they bring to each case review's
discussion. Individual panel members also provide training on
child welfare related issues in various statewide and national
venues.
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