[Music] hi there my name is Chandler metf and I'm the operations coordinator for cassm my pronouns are she her and hers and I'm here to welcome you to part one of our risk management training during this course we will cover a handful of topics including signs of child abuse and neglect cm's mandated reporting policies and techniques to ensure camper camper safety we'll be following along the slide deck and referring to our official organizational policies before we begin I want to acknowledge that some or all of this content in this training might be difficult to hear however it's extremely important to understand this information when working with children our goal is to ensure both the safety of our campers and the safety of our staff while participating in any km program and Beyond if you need to take a moment to pause this video at any point process or practice self-care I really invite you to do so and then jump back in with the content when you feel ready again I want to warn you that we will cover some content pertaining to abuse neglect suicidal ideation and self harm we're going to start by defining four types of abuse when interacting with our campers over the summer it's very possible that you might observe signs of child abuse or neglect or receive disclosures from campers first we have physical abuse physical abuse is abuse that results in bodily injury then we have sexual abuse including a wide variety of inappropriate sexual behaviors which may be direct or indirect in nature we then have emotional abuse which is defined as chronic or persistent acts by an adult that endangers the mental health or emotional development of a child it's a series of Acts or lack of action that deprives the child of needed love affection support and encouragement to grow into a healthy adult and then finally we have neglect which is the failure to provide for the basic needs of an individual including food shelter the appropriate medical attention and supervision according to the CDC when examining the percentage of total reported cases 78% are neglect 18% are physical abuse 9% are sexual abuse and 8% are emotional abuse you'll notice that this number adds up to more than 100% because some children suffer more than one kind of abuse and I wanted to point out that often times reported cases of abuse represent a much higher number of cases that go unreported the CDC approximates that one in seven children have experienced child abuse or neglect in this past year in the United States again this number is likely an underestimate as many cases go unreported now that we've defined the four types of abuse we're going to talk about possible indicators of abuse most time those experiencing abuse do not discuss what they're going through however as youth workers we must be aware that young people who are abused May display other indications that abuse is taking place it's important to note that many of these indicators are also typical developmentally appropriate behaviors in add in a different context which is why it's extremely important that we discuss them take care not to draw conclusions from any single Behavior or indicator always remember that most indicators should be taken in conjunction with others however if you see something that makes you pause you need to share this information with your Camp adviser to ensure that the camp kesum National hotline is also informed all right so first type we have here is neglect for physical indicators we have consistent hunger poor hygiene inappropriate dress consistent lack of supervision especially during dangerous activities or long periods consistent fatigue unattended physical problems or medical needs or Abandonment for Behavioral indicators we have begging stealing food hoarding food Extended Stays at school early arrival late departure constantly falling asleep in class alcohol or drug use delinquency or states that there are no caregivers present in their life for physical abuse physical indicators we have unexplained bruises or welts unexplained Burns unexplained fractures unexplained Cuts or abrasions and then for Behavioral indicators we have their a weariness of adult contact apprehensiveness when other children cry behavioral extremes frightened nature of parents or caregivers they're frightened to go home or they report injuries by parents and then for sexual abuse for be physical indicators we have difficulty waking walking or sitting torn stained or bloody underclothing pain or itching in the genital area bruises or bleeding in external genitalia vaginal or anal areas venial diseases especially in preens or pregnancy and then for Behavioral indicators we have an unwillingness to change their clothing withdrawal Fant fantasy or infantile Behavior bizarre sophisticated or unusual sexual behavior or knowledge poor peer relationships delinquency or running away or reports of sexual assault by their caretaker and then for emotional abuse finally we have our physical indicators which are habit disorders sucking biting rocking conduct disorders antisocial or destructive neurotic traits so sleep disorders speech disorders inhibition of play or psychon neurotic reactions steria Obsession compulsion phobias or hypochondria and then finally for behaviors we have an emphasis here that it's behavioral extremes right so this is compliant or passive to an extreme amount aggressive or demanding to an extreme amount or overly adaptive behaviors inappropriately adult inappropriately infant or developmental lags physical mental or emotional or even attempted suicide now we will walk through our child abuse disclosure response protocol all children are entitled to an environment in which their physical and emotional needs are met and threats to emotional and physical security do not exist all state laws mandate reporting cases of unknown or suspected child abuse these laws exist to protect children we have a legal and moral responsibility to report any abuse physical sexual emotional or neglect of a child that has been discovered during cessm programming whether it happened at home during the program or you know at any other time we become aware of it it's not up for us to decide we are mandated by law and you could be prosecuted for not reporting a disclosure of abuse or neglect when a camper discloses abuse there are two levels of reporting that need to happen every time first reporting from counselor to Camp adviser second reporting from Camp adviser to the camp kesum National hotline the hotline will then direct you to call Child Protective Services CPS if a call is warranted right now we will focus on the first level of reporting so to reiterate if you believe that a child has been abused or if a child says to you that you that they've been abused you immediately need to report this to your Camp advisor if they were not present for the disclosure and ensure that the ckn hotline is called the camp adviser will likely Loop in the mental health professional as well when a child comes to you to report here are some steps that you should follow first listen l to what is being said without display or shock or disbelief please don't ask any additional questions and don't solicit any information and never promise at any time that you can keep a secret if a camper States if a camper asks if you can keep a secret State I can't promise that I'll keep a secret because I may have to tell someone so that we can help you and keep you safe but I do really want to hear what you have to say report it to your Camp adviser and ensure that the hotline is called Next reassure reassure the child but not only as far as to be hon honest and reliable so don't make any promises that you may not be able to keep or say things like everything will be okay now say I'm so glad you told me and I believe you and thank you for telling me then record as soon as the conversation is over make some notes right away you should be able to record actual words use statements made and observe nonverbal behavior and record that as well whoever heard the disclosure should report this disclosure and make a report the to the incident uh to the camp adviser the camp adviser will then notify the Camp C National hotline if the camp adviser heard the disclosure firsthand they should immediately report the incident to the camp K kesum National hotline the CK National hotline will then outline the next steps which might include reporting the incident to the authorities if appropriate under no circumstances should anyone report the incident to the authorities without the notification and permission of the camp custom National hotline lastly do not discuss a disclosure with other C staff members or Camp members confidentiality is absolutely crucial and this is extremely sensitive information failure to maintain proper confidentiality in these situations could even result in a permanent dismissal from Kim kesum so this is very important remember if a camper discloses abuse to follow the disclosure rule of three listen get help report every disclosure to follow these three steps with no exceptions the second level of reporting to CP is to CPS or child protective services this step should only happen after consultation with approval from the camp cessm National hotline no know that if you are involved in a disclosure of child abuse it is possible that you'll be asked to participate in the call to relay information to CPS and a case worker a few things to remember before we review the official protocol it might not always feel this way but you have done the right thing you've done what's in the child's best interest and it's not your job to investigate what's going on this whole process can be extremely difficult and emotionally draining and we strongly encourage you to debrief with your chapter's mental health professional later in the day or throughout the week as needed after this occurs and finally often times once a report is made we don't get to know what CPS is going to do next the lack of knowledge can be extremely difficult so scary frustrating however these protocols and laws exist to protect the safety of children and it's important that we follow them it's also important that we continue to maintain confidentiality at all times even after a call is made to CPS so to reiterate confidentiality one as a counselor the only person you should tell is the camp adviser and the mental health professional that means if your unit leader wasn't involved in the disclosure you should not tell them if admin is not involved in the disclosure you should not tell them two since the information is private it should be treated as a secret unless the camper is an imminent danger from someone at Camp no one else needs to know besides the camp adviser the mental health professionals and the hotline the camp adviser and or the design will determine with the camp cast National hotline if other staff members should know but 99% of the time this is unnecessary when the camp adviser or national staff determine who should should know about the potential abuse in the life of a camper it is based on what is best for the camper and nothing else it is not personal it is not because you don't love and care for each of your campers it's private information and it should be kept private all right let's talk a little bit here about parent confidentiality it's Camp cm's policy that staff should never tell parents or Guardians about a CPS disclosure made at Camp no matter if the exected abuse is by the parents or someone else there will be exceptions made if the abuse took place during our prog programming or if the accused is not related to the same household as the child but the hotline is the only one who can approve an exception here law enforcement investigations can be compromised and criminal charges could be inadmissible in court if there are reasons the defense could argue that the child has been coached or alternatively If the parents could coach the child to protect themselves or the subject another child or family friend if a parent ever asks if we made a CPS report simply state that quote I'm unable to disclose any of that information I can tell you that we are all man reporters but I'm unable to give you any other information beyond that all right moving on I'm going to talk a little bit more about expressions of suicidality self harm and disordered eating at Camp let's take a moment to discuss some other pressing camper safety concerns that might arise at Camp to keep camper safe we need to make sure that we are ready and able to handle emergency situations as they should arise this content we about to discuss might be heavy it's hard to process that our campers may be struggling with some of these issues and it's particularly hard to understand why kids would turn into some of these coping strategies however that is the framework that ends up being the most helpful here these behaviors are coping strategies for internal pain confusion and negative feelings as we discussed all of Camp custom staff at Camp are mandated reporters and required by law to report any suspected or confirmed harm or abuse three of the most common and most serious issues that arise at Camp are suicidal adiation past or present evidence of an eating disorder past or present and other forms of self harm past or present I'm going to review some definitions here as well as what each of these serious safety concerns might look like or sound like at Camp keep in mind that you as a counselor should be able to recognize when a camper is struggling with one or more of these issues and make the appropriate steps in order to help keep them safe your responsibility is not to provide therapy or mental health support rather to identify escalate report and support your campers all right suicidal ideation is defined as a verbal written or even internalized ideas of hurting yourself or taking your own life at camp this could sound like saying something out loud in any situation including as a joke writing it down alluding to it in the past referring to a friend or someone I know having thoughts of suicide changing in personality or behavior changes in sleeping pattern or expressing feelings of helplessness hopelessness or worthlessness if we're doing our jobs as counselors at camp we should be spending time getting to know the campers in our unit noticing when their behavior seems off or different is the first step to identifying and responding into situations where they may be at risk when a camper expresses suicidal ideation and trusts you with this disclosure we need to acknowledge that this is a profound and personal piece of information it's an indication that you've done an incredible job building trust with this camper and creating an environment at camp where they feel safe enough and supported enough to share something really challenging that they're experiencing however we also need to take direct action to make sure this camper is safe at camp and receives the support that they need if a camper expresses suicidal ideation at camp we need to make sure that we are doing the following first always take expressions of suicidality seriously even if they're framed as a passing comment or a joke a camper should never be labeled as using expressions of suicidality as a means to get attention and all Expressions need to be escalated and addressed no matter if they are in passing indirect or framed as if they're about someone else next always escalate if you are having a conversation with a camper or facilitating a cabin chat and they express thoughts or feelings relating to suicidal ideation listen carefully without interrupting thank the camper for sharing and immediately notify your Camp adviser and your mental health professional as soon as sharing ends we should never leave our campers alone regardless of their mental health expression and we want to absolutely never leave a camper under minimal supervision after an expression of suicidal ideation finally always check in if a camper shares that they are experiencing Su suicidal ideation with an earshot of other campers check in with them afterwards make sure everyone's feeling safe and has the space they need to access your Camp's mental health professional should they need extra mental health support after hearing or overhearing a disclosure escalating suspicions of direct disclosures of suicidal ideation can be really frightening surprising and emotionally challenging it's extremely difficult to hear that a camper is experiencing suicidal adiation and it might be hard to counter your emotional reactions when this is happening if you're having a conversation with the camper and they disclose suicidal ideation it's important to remember the following first stay calm and keep your tone measured warm and supportive it takes a lot of Courage for a camper to share difficult thoughts and feelings with you and you want to create a safe space for them to get the support they need at Camp remember that talking about suicide does not make it worse but it does show that you care and your camper safety matters to you next explain confidentiality never promise a camper that you can keep what they say is secret and even if they ask make sure that you express that you will have to escalate any concerns about their safety or wellbe beinging to other trusted adults at camp try saying something like you can absolutely share anything you want with me and I will keep it private unless I have a concern about your safety or the safety of someone else there's a possibility that after outlining confidentiality campers will no longer want to share this is okay and we don't want to force any campers to share information outside of their consent however make sure you inform your unit leader Camp adviser and MHP of your conversation so that you can continue to keep an eye out for this camper next ask open-ended questions empathize then transition your conversation to your Camp's MHP who will conduct a formal risk assessment to determine if this camper is safe to still remain at camp this transition should happen immediately or as soon as physically possible make sure to explain the next steps to the camper so they're not shocked and they don't feel portrayed when you they're approached by your MHP and you want to try to maintain this trust throughout the process as the camper has trusted you with a very personal piece of information finally make sure during this conversation you never dismiss the Camper's feelings refute or argue with them about how they're feeling criticize their feelings minimize impact of their feelings or blame them for how they're feeling so to review if you suspect a camper is experiencing suicidal adiation ensure that you they are in a safe space in the moment thank them for sharing and immediately escalate your MHP or CA what might this look like in practice well here's an example let's say a camper wants to step outside during empowerment and they ask you and another counselor to join them all of a sudden the camper shares that they've struggled with Suicidal Thoughts in the past though your instinct may be to pause a conversation Al together and pull in an MHP immediately here's what the First Response might be once they've done sharing and you need to seek additional support but before you seek that support you may some say something like this thank you so much for sharing that with me I know it can be really hard and maybe a little scary to share thoughts and feelings like that and I want you to know that I'm so honored that you trusted me with this information I'm really sorry you've struggled with the these thoughts in the past and I really want to make sure that you're feeling safe here at Camp because I care about you so much would it be okay if I grabbed our MHP and we talked about these feelings a little bit more I know you may not know them as well as you know me but they have some really great insight and experience that could definitely make you feel a lot better now let's talk a bit more about what to do if you suspect that a camper is experiencing self Haring behaviors at Camp self harm including cutting is defined as a compulsive and often routine mode of physical self harm at camp this could look or sound like scrapes bruises or Burns in a consistent place hypervigilance or covering certain areas of the body wide mood swings fall by a sense of extreme calm or control if you suspect that a camper is experiencing self-harming behaviors we want to take a very similar approach to the one we just discussed again ensuring camper the camper in question is safe in the moment and then immediately escalating your concerns and observations to your MHP andca who are responsible for making a a formal safety plan conducting a risk assessment and notifying the hotline or other appropriate parties of the camp and the camper Guardians finally I would like to talk a little bit more about what to do if You observe a camper experiencing disorder ordered eating at Camp Eating Disorders are defined as an unhealthy relationship with food this could be too much too little emotional eating binging and purging and many other variations however you must be careful here right just because kids have a specific dietary restriction or need or just really picky doesn't necessarily mean they have an eating disorder at camp this could look or sound like eating way too much or way too little food General disruption at meals throwing up after meals or nervousness or agitation about food again sometimes we may not know if a camper is experiencing disordered eating or perhaps another Behavioral or emotional concern or maybe just be a might be a picky eater right but if you suspect something is a Miss we need to check in with our campers and notify our unit leader C and MHP above all we need to ensure that all campers are eating at each meal and eating enough to keep them safe healthy and nourished throughout the week of Camp if you have any concerns about disorder to eating immediately escalate them to your ca and MHP that was a lot of information but making sure that our campers remain safe at Camp is extremely important as a counselor there are some extremely helpful skills that you can have in your toolbox in order to recognize extreme Behavior or dangerous behavior these are observation knowing your campers individually having a trusting relationship with each camper and being aware of where all your campers are at all times so to summarize if one of these extreme behaviors comes to your attention during Camp as counselors and as people we have ideas and opinions and suggestions and maybe even some experience right but we are out of our league and we are not professionals and it is very complicated it is not our job to fix Campers or their issues and attempting to do so could definitely do more harm than good rather it is our job to be supportive in the moment and quickly involve the correct people you can do so by following three steps as soon as camper brings up extreme behavior and your and it comes to your attention first Listen and talk about what you see the camper prompts you to speak come up with several ways to say something supportive next do not punish and avoid shame Shing come up with several ways to say this is not okay that is not punitive or shaming and then three be helpful come up with several ways to express understanding confidence empathy nurturing and optimism in about learning a better way to cope ultimately though if you suspect any extreme Behavior whether that is based on observation circumstances or just a general gut feeling it's your responsibility and obligation to report it to the camp adviser and they will in turn report it to the camp castom National hotline all suspicions of extreme Behavior should be treated as disclosure of child abuse the camp CM National holling will provide the next steps and guidance such as determining who to involve and when to involve them at the end of the day the best way we can show our love and dedication to each camper that comes to Camp is by recognizing their behavior reporting it and by making every choice about keeping a camper safe above all else all right this brings us to the end of our first risk management module thank you all for your time and attention and I look forward to seeing you back for our risk management module number two [Music]