LCCS is doing its part to ensure that future pediatricians recognize and understand the impact of child abuse even before they begin seeing patients of their own. The agency recently welcomed Dr. Grace Cudjo and Dr. Astha Poudel, pediatric residents from Mercy St. Vincent’s Hospital, for a day-long training with our child welfare professionals. They began by participating in the virtual reality “goggles” simulated home visit. The residents noted that it was particularly helpful to have had the opportunity to see how closely aligned the virtual training was with what they later observed when they visited clients in their homes, especially when it came to home conditions. They were also impressed with the way our staff engaged with families.
According to Chanda Beal, LCCS Director of Social Services, both doctors mentioned that they have often wondered what happened to children after a referral was made to our agency. They were excited to gain that insight and plan to share what they learned with other residents in their program.