The Ken and Vickie French Child Advocacy and Protection Program (CAPP) is a multidisciplinary program within Dartmouth Health Children's. It was established to evaluate and advocate for and provide integrative care to suspected victims of child maltreatment. We do this by:
- Conducting a psychosocial evaluation of the entire family
- Providing medical evaluation and treatment
- Referring for services
The multidisciplinary team conducts inpatient/outpatient consultations and urgent and routine evaluations of children who are suspected victims of neglect, maltreatment, and abuse. We provide evidence-based medical information to all members of the larger county-based interagency multidisciplinary team.
Child advocacy branches
CAPP is a multi-site program with essential, distinct, but collaborative branches serving New Hampshire statewide and southeast and southern Vermont:
- Dartmouth Health Children's in Lebanon, New Hampshire. This branch provides outpatient clinical services, inpatient consultation services, and record review services.
- Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Manchester in Manchester, New Hampshire. This branch provides outpatient clinical services. Elliott Hospital is in close affiliation with this clinic to provide both inpatient and outpatient services to child victims in Southern New Hampshire.
- Grafton-Sullivan Counties Child Advocacy Center, which is located in Lebanon, New Hampshire. This branch is governed under the Dartmouth Health Children's organizational umbrella. This team also provides outpatient clinical services, with a focus on forensic interviews and child advocacy.
- Compassionate Care and Advocacy Clinic for Cheshire County. This branch works with CAPP and the Child Advocacy Center of Cheshire County to help children who may have been sexually abused or teens who may be involved in unsafe sexual situations.
CAPP activities
Organizing and sustaining a 24/7 call schedule
For both the state of New Hampshire and the southeast and southern Vermont. This service employs a team of medical providers specializing in pediatric child abuse.
Guidance and real-time brief consultation
To professionals such as primary care providers, Emergency Room staff, DCYF/DCF staff, police investigators, and attorneys
Triage cases to the most appropriate health facility
To obtain urgent or emergent and routine specialized medical services
Multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings
Leading, organizing, and participating in county and community-based case review MDT meetings as medical representatives and for high-profile cases
Peer reviews
For high-profile or uncertain cases and acute sexual assaults of children under 18 years of age.
Medical-legal case/record reviews
At the request of DCYF/DCF staff, police investigators, and attorneys
Fact witness and expert testimonies
Fact witness and expert testimony services and depositions when required
State and regional coordination
Of specialized medical and multidisciplinary services for abused and neglected children
Community and Children's child abuse prevention activities
Organization of an annual regional child abuse conference: Shield Our Children from Harm
Child abuse research and child maltreatment training
To multiple audiences in collaboration with Granite State Children's Alliance, New Hampshire DCYF and Vermont DCF, Attorney General's Office, Children's Trust, Office of the Child Advocate, among others.