A health manager may help write their program’s policy and procedures on child abuse and neglect. The procedures should align with all mandatory reporting requirements and licensing requirements. Staff may ask the health manager to look at a suspicious mark on a child, so they should know how to recognize possible signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect.

Tips and Strategies for Health Managers

• Review What is Child Abuse and Neglect? Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms. The iLookOut for Child Abuse course also has a helpful handout about signs and behaviors, called Red Flags for Child Abuse.
• Share the Daily Health Check with teachers, family child care providers, and home visitors. Encourage them to use it daily to look for and document changes in a child’s appearance, mood, or behavior.
• Promote staff wellness because adult wellness plays an important role in keeping children safe. Caregivers who have trouble managing their own stress may find it harder to provide loving, responsive care. Reflective supervision offers an opportunity for staff to explore how to manage stress.
• Ask your mental health consultant about mindfulness activities, yoga, or other self-care techniques to share with staff. Include these in a staff wellness plan. A consultant can also teach trauma-informed practices and help you find local mental health resources for children and families.
• Partner with home visitors and family service staff to connect families to resources to meet their needs.
• Recruit community partners from substance use, domestic violence, and child protection agencies to serve on your program’s Health and Mental Health Services Advisory Committee (HMHSAC). Multi-system partnerships are important elements of child abuse prevention.
• Ask your community partners to provide training on child abuse prevention and mandated reporting.