IN THE past, a child who had been sexually abused might be subject to several examinations and interviews by a number of individuals representing several agencies.

Typically, a child would see a pediatrician, talk to police, be interviewed by a Child Protective Services investigator, see additional doctors and meet with an attorney, among others. The process could add trauma to an already victimized child.

To minimize that trauma, and improve the efficiency of handling such cases, several counties began creating multidisciplinary teams that work together to investigate charges of child sexual abuse. One such group is the Columbia-Greene Child Abuse Response Team, which works with the Dr. Stephen and Suzanne Menkes Child Advocacy Program at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson.

THE TEAM, formed in January 2006, brings together specially trained professionals from law enforcement, Child Protective Services, the district attorney's office, the medical field, child advocacy groups and other agencies to minimize the number of times a victim must be interviewed and examined.

"Our goal is the smallest number of interviews done by people who know how to interview children at all stages of development," said Dr. Carol Curran, medical director of the Menkes program. She said the program brings all the necessary personnel together in a place where a child can feel safe and comfortable. Curran said the goal is to have one interview per child, but often, additional interviews still are needed.

BEFORE the team approach was used, there was a good chance a child would recant allegations because the process was intimidating, Curran said. She said it also was difficult to prosecute the cases because each time a child was interviewed, the child might say something a little different. The team approach provides concise information in the least traumatizing manner, she said.

Interviews are conducted in a room furnished with comfortable chairs and a couch, in a setting that presents few distractions. While the child is being interviewed by one individual, other team members can watch from an adjoining room through a one-way window or on video monitors. Those team members also can talk remotely to the interviewer if they have suggestions or additional questions for the child.

IN ADDITION to the team investigating the abuse allegations, the Menkes program also provides an advocate to work with victims and their families.

Case Coordinator and Advocate Denise Stroh said her job is to make sure the needs of the family, including health care and transportation, are being met, and she will make referrals to other agencies for additional services as needed. Stroh also follows up on ongoing criminal justice procedures.

THE CHILD advocacy center, located in space donated by Columbia Memorial Hospital and renovated with money from by the Dyson Foundation, includes a medical examination room. That room is outfitted much like a doctor's office and can be used whenever a medical exam is warranted.

Curran and Jennifer Clark, the program's SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) coordinator, conduct the physical exams, which can be documented with photographs as needed. During those exams, they said, children might provide additional information about the abuse.

"If a child discloses something that has happened within the last 96 hours, or if the child has anything that is an urgent or emergent medical complaint, then they go to the emergency room, where they are examined," Curran said. "More often, a child is disclosing something that happened two months, six weeks or two years ago, and the exam can be scheduled and done here."

CURRAN added, though, that in the majority of cases, even children who have been sexually abused will have an unremarkable physical examination.

THAT LACK of evidence, and a lack of witnesses, makes it difficult to prosecute child abuse cases, Stroh said. She said it often ends up being the child's word against an adult's, which makes the team approach to investigating the allegations so important.

IN GREENE County, a Catskill man was sentenced recently to 34 years in state prison on charges he sodomized and sexually abused a 9-year-old girl. District Attorney Terry Wilhelm said the Menkes Child Advocacy Program was used in several ways to help prosecute the case against Adam Phillips. He said a videotaped sworn statement from the victim taken at the center was shown to the grand jury so the girl did not have to be traumatized by providing live testimony in front of 23 strangers.

"Sometimes, when young children are traumatized and they are put in that situation, they don't talk and they don't disclose," Wilhelm said. "If they don't, we can't prosecute."

Additionally, the victim was given a forensic medical exam at the child advocacy center, Wilhelm said. He said Curran performed the exam and provided testimony during the trial.

"Our office is committed to utilizing our full resources to prosecute those criminals who sexually abuse our children," Wilhelm said. "We are thrilled to have the Menkes Child Advocacy Center as a very powerful weapon in our arsenal to prosecute and convict child sexual abusers."

Often, and contrary to popular belief, it is family members, not strangers, who are abusing the children, Clark said, and those cases typically go to Family Court.

COLUMBIA and Greene are not the only local counties utilizing the team approach to child abuse cases. In Ulster County, the Family Violence Unit is a joint investigative team comprising members of law enforcement and Child Protective Services that began working in 1994. That team also works with the Ulster County district attorney's SANE unit and with the county Probation Department's Crime Victims Assistance Program.

Ulster County District Attorney Donald A. Williams said the team approach affords victims and their families the most sensitive and compassionate treatment, while at the same time allows for the collection of forensic evidence critical to successful prosecution. Before that team approach, there were differing philosophies about how to handle such cases, and some antagonism, Williams said.

"One of the reasons that the Family Violence Unit was implemented was to avoid the two separate interviews that would have to occur Ñ one with CPS (Child Protective Services) and one with police," Williams said. Coupled with that, he said, his office tries to have one assistant district attorney handle a case through to its conclusion so the victim and family are comfortable with the prosecutor.

DUTCHESS County also has a Child Advocacy Center that combines law enforcement with Child Protective Services personnel and members of the district attorney's office, said county District Attorney William Grady.

"By having a joint team approach, we're able to limit the number of contacts and interviews a victim has while going through the criminal justice system," Grady said. "The result is a victim who is less traumatized by the system."

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