Caitlin Whyte (Host): Welcome back to In Their Words, a podcast brought to you by UPMC in Central PA and the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation. This is part two of our exploration into the vital work of the UPMC Child Advocacy Center of Central PA, also known as the CAC.

Before we begin, we want to remind our listeners that this episode deals with sensitive topics, including child abuse and neglect. While we don't discuss graphic details, the content may be challenging for some. Please feel free to pause or seek support if needed.

In our previous episode, we heard from law enforcement and legal professionals about their roles in child abuse investigations. Today, we're diving deeper into the inner workings of the CAC itself. We'll start by hearing from Clara Roberti, the lead forensic interviewer at the UPMC Child Advocacy Center for Central Pennsylvania. With over a decade of experience across multiple CACs in the state, Clara brings a wealth of knowledge to her role. As both the lead and bilingual interviewer, Clara plays a crucial part in ensuring that children from diverse backgrounds can share their experiences in a safe, supportive environment.

Clara Roberti: My name is Clara Roberti. I am the lead forensic interviewer at the UPMC Child Advocacy Center for Central Pennsylvania. I'm also the bilingual interviewer here. I've been with UPMC since January of this year. Prior to that, I was in multiple CACs throughout the state of Pennsylvania. I've been an interviewer for over 10 years, so I've had the opportunity to work at multiple CACs.

So, I always knew that I wanted to work with children and impact children in some capacity. I went to school for social work in North Carolina and then Master's Degree in Texas. And through my career, I tried to find as many opportunities as I could to volunteer and work with children in different capacities. And ultimately, when working in North Carolina, I had the opportunity to do some mental health work, some counseling for children and families, and that's where I really felt that, I could make more of an impact. And then, once moving to Pennsylvania, I learned about the Children Advocacy Center MDIT model and felt that it was a really good combination of my skills, my passions, and just my drive to be able to help children and families.

So, typically, it all starts with an upstander making a Childline Report. So, when individuals make a report of abuse, there's a process that takes place and Childline reports get assigned to each county and then to jurisdictions of police departments. From there, it is determined that the child should be interviewed by a Children's Advocacy Center, then a referral gets made.

For us, we have two individuals who work in the intake department, so those individuals who reach out to the family and coordinate with their schedule and the schedule of the investigative team who typically observes the interviews and then gets those on the schedule. It takes us a really good job at explaining to the family what the process looks like and what to expect when they're here.

Once they're here, we are a very trauma-informed center. So, everybody is trying to give the family's guidance and giving them an opportunity to ask questions every step of the way. So, they check in, they meet the interviewer that will be interviewing or talking to the child. They get a tour of the center, meet the individuals who will be meeting with the family and/or the child. And at that point, the interviewer will take the opportunity to talk to a child. All interviews are recorded, both video and audio, and the investigative team gets an opportunity to observe that interview from a separate room. The non-offending caregiver will meet with the family advocate from the community, one of our internal mental health coordinators, and one of our medical providers.

At that point, they are talking to the families about resources that there are in the communities, their situation, sort of their feelings surrounding the allegation and the fact that they are here at the center, and just preparing them for what happens next. Once the interview is over, the child gets a chance to check in with their caregiver again, and then has an opportunity to meet with one of our mental health coordinators who then does some screenings to make sure that the child is okay emotionally and mentally after having that very difficult conversation and then being able to go home and be safe when they do that. They also have the opportunity to meet with one of our nurse practitioners who will do a head-to-toe exam. And they document that for prosecution purposes, for investigation purposes as well as necessary.

Once that whole process is done here, then that appointment is done. But our mental health coordinators will then follow up with the family to make sure that everybody's okay after the interview, that they don't have any other resources, answering questions that have come up after the appointment. Then, from that point, the investigators who were observing that interview would gather all that information, include that in their individual investigations, whether that is child protective services, or law enforcement, and then move on with their investigations, present that case to whether it's prosecution or to supervisors for an indicated status or for charges to be approved and ultimately be prosecuted.

So, we bring together the responding team so that everybody comes to the child rather than the child having to go from Children and Youth to law enforcement to medical to therapy. The idea is that we all come together, and it's a one-stop shop so that the child can get all the services that they need and resources and referrals if there's something that we cannot provide.

As far as being able to just talk to one individual, there's a huge benefit in that. As forensic interviewers, we are trained in the best way to communicate with a child. Forensic interviews are meant to be trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and be taking into consideration where the child is cognitively to be able to ask the best questions and get the most accurate responses that way. So, we are specifically trained in that, which makes us the most appropriate individuals to obtain that information. The goal is to have the child have to retell their story as little times as possible so that it minimizes trauma and then it minimizes also inconsistencies.

Host: We asked Clara to share her personal perspective on this demanding role. How does she process the weight of these experiences? What does this work mean to her on a human level? And how does she cope with the emotional challenges at the end of each day?

Clara Roberti: I think very early on in my career, I defined what a successful day was for me. And for me, it's having the opportunity to provide that safe space for a child to be able to talk about their experience and start the healing process and/or the investigative process. When I'm able to do that and when a child has that opportunity, to me, that is success.

So, my success, it's not the end result, it's not prosecution, it's just that one individual child and that opportunity that I can provide in that space. Processing the rest of the information. It's certainly difficult. I mean, I would be lying if I said that, you know, it's easy or that it doesn't affect me. But fortunately, I rely on my coworkers and we process a lot. And I also try to keep in mind the fact that I am just one piece in the whole process, and I have to trust the rest of the system, the rest of the team members that are working in that case. So, I know that as long as I do my role as an interviewer, then I have to then let go of that, and allow Mental Health to do their role, and allow investigators to do their role, and trust that they're doing the best work that they can.

So, in our building, we have forensic interviewers, we have mental health coordinators, we have nurse practitioners, we have the intake department, we have the front-end staff, and medical support for the nurse practitioners, and then we have the leadership level, so the supervisors, the managers, and the director of the agency.

Host: An important aspect of the CAC's work that we haven't explored yet is its accessibility. The services provided by the UPMC Child Advocacy Center of Central PA are offered free of charge to families in need, thanks to the work of the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation and a combination of grant funding and state allocations. We asked Clara to shed light on how this financial aspect impacts the families they serve. How do parents and patients react when they learn that these vital services come at no cost to them? In a time of great crisis when families are grappling with trauma and uncertainty, the knowledge that financial burden won't be an additional stressor can be immensely relieving. Clara's insights on this matter offer us a unique perspective on the importance of accessible care in our community.

Clara Roberti: Oh, it's huge. And we hear that a lot from parents, whether it's when they're coming in and we tell them, "No, you don't have to pay," or once the appointment is over, just realizing that there is this group of professionals who are here specifically for their needs in this such difficult time, and they just have to focus on their child and their current needs, and we're there to guide them through that, and they don't have to worry about the financial aspect of it. The majority of the parents that have voiced how grateful they are just incredibly grateful for it.

We see children as young as three years old, and we see children as old as 17, and sometimes we see adults as well, depending on intellectual disabilities or mental health concerns. And through that range of ages, we see all genders, we see all walks of life and different types of surviving children, as well as different types of perpetrators who have committed these crimes.

More often than not, we do surveys at the end of appointments and both the children and the families express how pleasantly surprised they are to be part of that process. They walk in with hesitation and/or nervous to come into this appointment at a place that they have no idea existed. But by the end of the appointment, they are able to just breathe a little bit more easy, knowing that it is a very, very family-friendly trauma-informed process.

Well, I think that as long as we're there, if we're seeing those signs of abuse or those things that we're questioning, is that normal? Is that not normal? Is that the way the child should be treated? We should be childlining that or reporting it to the Childline system. And it's the first step, and it's the one thing that we can all do in that process. The other thing, of course, is if a child discloses abuse to us, to be that listener, to be supportive, to believe them, believe victims, and contact the appropriate authorities to report any abuse that is being reported to you.

I think that it's just important, as we were saying before, that everybody recognizes that they play a role in the whole process in protecting the children and their lives, listening to the children, educating children on what abuse is and who safe people are, as well as reporting that abuse when it's happening, and just supporting their local children advocacy centers. It's big. I mean, whether that's donations, whether it's offering to be volunteers, those things help a lot. There are a lot of events that happen throughout the year that are hosted by several, by multiple CACs to support the work that they do to educate the community. So if you can get involved in any of that, it does help a lot.

Host: As we conclude this two-part exploration of the UPMC Child Advocacy Center of Central PA, we hope you've gained valuable insight into the critical work being done to protect and support children in our community. We've heard from dedicated professionals like Clara Roberti who shared not only the technical aspects of their roles, but also the personal impact of this challenging yet vital work. We've learned about the comprehensive trauma-informed approach the CAC takes and how they provide these crucial services free of charge to families in need.

Remember, the work of the CAC relies on community support and awareness. If you've been moved by what you've heard, consider ways you might contribute to or advocate for child protection in your own community. For those who may need support or have questions about child abuse and neglect, we want to remind you that help is available. In our show notes, you'll find a link to resources provided by the UPMC Child Advocacy Center of Central PA, including contact information for their offices in Harrisburg, Lebanon, and Carlisle.

We'd like to thank all our guests for their openness and willingness to share their experiences. Their dedication to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society is truly inspiring. Thank you for listening to In Their Words, production of UPMC in Central PA and the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation. Until next time, take care of yourselves and each other.