Our Kids
Programs
Description
Our Kids staff value their roles in educating professionals about child sexual abuse. Staff provides training about dynamics of child sexual abuse as well as when and how to refer a child to Our Kids. More extansive trainings designed for community partners such as law enforcement, Department of Children's Services, CASA, pediatricians and others are scheduled to meet the needs of these referral sources. Over 800 people receive some level of training each year.
Program Areas Served
None
Our Kids staff value their roles in educating professionals about child sexual abuse. Staff provides training about dynamics of child sexual abuse as well as when and how to refer a child to Our Kids. More extansive trainings designed for community partners such as law enforcement, Department of Children's Services, CASA, pediatricians and others are scheduled to meet the needs of these referral sources. Over 800 people receive some level of training each year.
Program Areas Served
None
Description
Research is a vital part of the Our Kids mission. With a patient volume over 900 children a year, Our Kids is one of the largest clinics of its kind in the country. Our Kids is in a unique position to conduct and publish research and add to the body of knowledge in the field of child maltreatment. In 2009 the first medical research from Our Kids was published in the Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Our injury prevalence study was published in December 2016 in the Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology and later, another article about children's language was published in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse and was recognized by The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Program Areas Served
None
Research is a vital part of the Our Kids mission. With a patient volume over 900 children a year, Our Kids is one of the largest clinics of its kind in the country. Our Kids is in a unique position to conduct and publish research and add to the body of knowledge in the field of child maltreatment. In 2009 the first medical research from Our Kids was published in the Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Our injury prevalence study was published in December 2016 in the Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology and later, another article about children's language was published in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse and was recognized by The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Program Areas Served
None
Description
In partnership with IAFN (International Association of Forensic Nurses) and Indian Health Services, Our Kids provides an intensive three-day Skills Lab training program for medical providers who serve on Indian reservations. The curriculum used was created by Our Kids. Our Kids is also providing peer review support once a month for medical providers in many locations.
Program Areas Served
None
In partnership with IAFN (International Association of Forensic Nurses) and Indian Health Services, Our Kids provides an intensive three-day Skills Lab training program for medical providers who serve on Indian reservations. The curriculum used was created by Our Kids. Our Kids is also providing peer review support once a month for medical providers in many locations.
Program Areas Served
None
Description
Our Kids Clinic provides expert forensic medical evaluations and crisis counseling for children and their caregivers in response to child sexual abuse. Each year clinical staff evaluates over 900 children and provides crucial services to over 850 caregivers. Forensic evidence is also collected, and clinical team members provide expert testimony in courts of law. The clinical team seeks to provide the very best care to every single child and family. Our Kids dignifies and respects every child and family member. The clinical team also makes referrals so that children and their families can receive ongoing counseling and support. Our Kids is grateful for the child advocacy centers throughout Middle Tennessee. The Our Kids medical forensic evaluation is considered a medical technical sub-specialty. Nurse practitioners and social workers receive in-depth training, and all clinical team members provide patient care, on-call coverage, and train community partners throughout Middle Tennessee.
Program Areas Served
None
Our Kids Clinic provides expert forensic medical evaluations and crisis counseling for children and their caregivers in response to child sexual abuse. Each year clinical staff evaluates over 900 children and provides crucial services to over 850 caregivers. Forensic evidence is also collected, and clinical team members provide expert testimony in courts of law. The clinical team seeks to provide the very best care to every single child and family. Our Kids dignifies and respects every child and family member. The clinical team also makes referrals so that children and their families can receive ongoing counseling and support. Our Kids is grateful for the child advocacy centers throughout Middle Tennessee. The Our Kids medical forensic evaluation is considered a medical technical sub-specialty. Nurse practitioners and social workers receive in-depth training, and all clinical team members provide patient care, on-call coverage, and train community partners throughout Middle Tennessee.
Program Areas Served
None
CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments
In light of the past issues with Nashville General Hospital's budget, key members of Our Kids Board of Directors and clinical staff established a Contingency Planning group in January of 2009. This group did a careful dependency analysis of the Our Kids budget and created a contingency plan to address any disruption in the contract between Nashville General Hospital and Vanderbilt. Since 2014 all of Our Kids team members have become employees of Nashville General Hospital due to Vanderbilt's decision to end all community agency contracts. In July of 2007, a significant law was changed that made it illegal for medical providers to bill private insurance for services required due to sexual assault. The change in this law has required that Our Kids bill the SAFE Fund (Sexual Assault Forensic Exam). This change has resulted in Our Kids being able to recover over $545,000 in the last year for services provided to patients, thereby significantly reducing dependence on Nashville General Hospital. The level of communication and cooperation among clinical staff is exceptional. It is amazing that Our Kids is able to staff the Nashville clinic and four satellite clinics and provide 24-hour, on-call services for Middle Tennessee with only four nurse practitioners and four social workers. Our Kids staff has worked diligently to establish and strengthen relationships with community partners and referral sources based on mutual respect and trust. The greatest present challenge is the turnover in the Department of Children's Services (DCS) and the unprecedented number of open positions in Child Protective Services of DCS. In February of 2024, Our Kids was awarded a JE Dunn Centennial Capital Grant of $100,000. This grant is designated to renovate the Our Kids main clinic at 1804 Hayes Street All work on this project will occur in Fiscal Year 2024-2025. Our Kids is deeply grateful to JE Dunn for the funding needed for this very special project. |