The Birmingham City Council unanimously approved an agreement with eight other cities to develop a multidisciplinary response team for child abuse cases. The one-year agreement includes the cities of Bessemer, Brighton, Fairfield, Hoover, Hueytown, Lipscomb, Midfield, and Pleasant Grove, as well as the Alabama Department of Mental Health and the Clay House Child Advocacy Center.
Investigating Child Abuse
According to city officials, the purpose of the team is to investigate child abuse and neglect cases with a well-coordinated, trauma-informed approach and implement a multidisciplinary response to cases. The advocacy center will track and document child abuse cases and provide detailed summaries and documentation for the team to review.
Councilor Hunter Williams expressed his appreciation for the support of this initiative, stating that it will benefit not just Birmingham but the entire region. The council also authorized the administration to apply for a federal grant to survey the Fountain Heights community and draft a National Register of Historic Places nomination.
Original reporting: BirminghamWatch — read the source article.
