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Information for Referring Agencies and Physicians The Arkansas Children's House is part of both Arkansas Children's Hospital and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The atmosphere at the Arkansas Children's House is warm and friendly, which creates a needed sense of safety and security for children. The staff, known as the Team for Children at Risk (TCAR), prides itself on providing evaluations in the least traumatic manner possible.
Arkansas Children's House primarily examines children thought to have been sexually abused. We perform over 400 sexual abuse evaluations per year. We also provide evaluations for physical abuse that is not acute (no fresh marks, abrasions, or fractures).
The Arkansas Children's House is located at 1600 Maryland Street on the campus of Arkansas Children's Hospital. A map will be sent to a parent or guardian to assist them in locating our facility. Parking is located behind and to the left side of the building.
We accept referrals for appointments from Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services, local law enforcement agencies, prosecuting attorneys, physicians and other health care professionals. A report of a suspicion of abuse must have been made to the Arkansas State Police Child Abuse Hotline and an investigation initiated.. An interview of the child must have been conducted before an appointment can be scheduled, since the results of the interview can guide the tests to be performed.
When you call (501) 364-2680 to schedule an appointment at the Arkansas Children's House, an intake form will be completed. A copy of the form with its needed information is as follows: Intake Form
Please note the criteria we must meet to be able to give an appointment; they are enclosed in the box on the form. If a child does not meet any one of these criteria, the child likely will need an immediate examination in the Arkansas Children's Hospital Emergency Department. We can help you determine that need and notify the Emergency Department for you.
In order to ensure that every child who comes to the Arkansas Children's House feels safe and secure, we do not permit access of alleged offenders. We follow strict policies and procedures regarding patient confidentiality and are cautious about releasing information regarding a child's visit over the telephone.
When a child is covered under Medicaid, ArKids First, Champus, or Tricare Foundation, we will bill those programs if we receive a referral from the child's primary care physician. If a child has private insurance or no insurance coverage, the Arkansas Crime Victims Reparations Board will almost always pay the cost of the medical evaluations when an incident report has been completed by law enforcement. The parent must provide the child's social security number at the time of the visit in order to file the necessary paperwork. In the rare cases in which law enforcement is not involved, it may be necessary for us to bill private medical insurance or bill the parent. We encourage parents to contact their medical insurance company for pre-authorization and/or referral before their child's appointment.
Some of the services provided to parents, their children, and referral agencies are:
The evaluations performed at the Arkansas Children's House are not physically traumatic to children, and they are rarely emotionally traumatic. A parent may bring a child to tour our facility and meet the staff before the scheduled appointment time. Our staff spends as much time as possible at the time of the evaluations interacting with children to prepare them for their examinations. We use innovative techniques that include multiple methods of distraction to ease children's fears. A video colposcope is used in our examinations for magnification, photodocumentation and as a lighting source. It does not touch a child's body at any time during the evaluation. However, some laboratory tests of the genital and/or anal areas might be needed. The parent will be able to stay with the child during the examination. After the examination, the physician or nurse practitioner and social worker will meet with the parents to discuss the examination and other related issues. At this time, the child will be in the waiting room, and the family will need to bring someone with them to watch over their child while they visit with the staff. At the close of the visit, it may be necessary for the child to have laboratory tests performed.
How to Read the Medical Report (Suspected Child Sexual Abuse/Assault Medical Record)
The first page of this report will contain the following information:
The second page of the medical report deals with the general health of the child. The third page describes the genital and anal examinations. The fourth page lists the tests taken. The investigating agency primarily will be interested in the information on the fifth page. This is the statement regarding presence or absence of medical findings of sexual abuse/assault. It also includes a notation that the absence of physical findings does not rule out prior sexual abuse. (More than half of sexually abused boys and girls will have a normal examination). The last page includes our recommendations for the child and the family.
Who Receives the Medical Report
The medical record is released to the referring agency, referring physician and/or primary care physician, the Medical Records Department of Arkansas Children's Hospital, and the offices of the appropriate law enforcement agency and Arkansas Department of Human Services.
You may contact the Arkansas Children's House by phone, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 PM. The following is a list of the staff and their phone numbers:
We appreciate the opportunity to participate with you in the evaluation and management of abused children and their families. Please call any of us for concerns or questions.
The Family Treatment Program provides mental health services to children and families of sexual abuse. It also provides evaluation and treatment of adolescent offenders under ASAP (Adolescent Sexual Adjustment Project).
Who May Refer Children
Families may call for an appointment for sexual abuse treatment. Referrals for ASAP are accepted only from the AR Department of Human Services (DHS).
Intake
When parents call for an appointment for family treatment services, the name and telephone number will be taken. A therapist will return the call, obtain intake information, and provide further information about the program. When a representative from DHS calls for an ASAP evaluation, an appointment date will be given by the ASAP intake coordinator, ArCola Henderson.
Services Provided
Specialized services in the Family Treatment Program include individual, family, and group therapies for victims, non-offending parents, and non-abused siblings. Treatment is delivered by a multidisciplinary team comprised of psychologists and social workers. ASAP is a specialty treatment program within the Family Treatment Program for treatment of children and adolescents with sexual behavior disorders (e.g. child molesting). This treatment is critical in reducing the risk for re-offense.
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