The California Clinical Forensic Medical Training Center (CCFMTC) was established by state law in 1995 to increase access by victims of interpersonal violence to trained nursing and medical professionals. The California legislature determined that access to healthcare professionals knowledgeable about medical evidentiary examinations and psychological trauma caused by violence and abuse was uneven in both rural and urban areas throughout California. As a result, PC 13823.93 was enacted to meet this need and created this public policy direction. The Center is primarily funded by the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) with Federal and State funds, and other sources of funding.

CCFMTC Brochure

Violence and abuse are both a criminal justice and public health priority. Quality of life for individuals and communities is seriously impacted by interpersonal violence. Adults and children undergo life changing experiences, injuries and psychological trauma. Entire communities may live in uncertainty and fear.

Most injuries can heal; others require physical rehabilitation. Psychological trauma can result in life setbacks and lives actually changing directions. Relationships and the ability to be productive in all aspects of life can seriously be impaired for years and lifetimes. With effective intervention, victims can regain their life's direction and live productive lives. With counseling and support, violence and abuse do not have to become life defining events. Every community must take responsibility to ensure that victims of interpersonal violence receive competent and coordinated intervention by all disciplines.

CCFMTC is dedicated to improving the healthcare response to victims of interpersonal violence by:

• Increasing the numbers of trained, qualified healthcare providers and teams in rural and urban areas with expertise to respond comprehensively to the victim's health and clinical forensic medical needs;
• Improving the quality of examinations, collection and management of evidence, and documentation and interpretation of findings;
• Facilitating the provision of expert testimony based on evidence based science that is peer reviewed and accepted in the field;
• Promoting and facilitating the development of specialized examination teams;
• Providing coaching and mentoring to examiners through telemedicine;
• Providing training through traditional stand-and-deliver training, webinars, publications, videos, and other innovative training delivery methods;
• Promoting multi-disciplinary teamwork among hospitals, examination teams, and public and private agencies to create a coordinated community response;
• Creating medical leadership at the community level;
• Building clinical forensic medical expertise;
• Bridging the gap between forensic medical services and the criminal justice system; and
• Expanding the depth and breadth of scientific knowledge through research.

Healthcare providers are the primary target audience and receive training to:

• identify, examine, evaluate and document injuries;
• interpret examination findings based on scientific evidence based research;
• learn how to photograph injuries;
• gain confidence in performing examinations and testifying about examination findings in court;
• better manage the health consequences of interpersonal violence and abuse;
• effectively collaborate with social services, law enforcement agencies, advocacy organizations and the criminal justice system.

Allied professionals are the second target training audience identified in the statutory mandate:

CCFMTC trains professionals from related disciplines about medical evidentiary examination procedures and the interpretation of forensic medical findings for investigators and triers of fact. Trained professionals from these fields can make sound case decisions and have informed expectations for forensic medical examinations based on scientific evidence based practice:

• law enforcement officers;
• coroners/medical examiners;
• deputy district attorneys;
• public defenders;
• dependency law attorneys;
• investigative social workers; and
• judges.

The statutory focus covers these major fields of study. At this time, however, CCFMTC Funding source is primarily Federal VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) funding that only funds training activities related to sexual assault. As other funding becomes available, the CCFMTC will be able to focus on the other subject areas.

• Sexual Assault and Child Sexual Abuse;
• Child Physical Abuse and Neglect;
• Domestic Violence
• Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse

• Sexual assault and child sexual abuse forensic medical examinations, documentation of injuries, collection and management of evidence, and interpretation of findings
• Forensic photography
• Basic and advanced courtroom communications
• SAFE and SANE Team development and operations
• Sexual Assault Response Teams (SART)
• Medical director and coordinators course for specialized examination teams
• Multi-disciplinary approach and team models for collaborating with law enforcement, attorneys, advocacy organizations and social service agencies
• Identification, assessment and case management for patients who have been assaulted, abused, or neglected
• Delineation between accidental and non-accidental injuries
• Abusive head trauma
• Epidemiology, dynamics and psychological trauma

• Basic, advanced and specialized courses
• Seminars and classes on-site or in your community
• Presentations at your professional meetings
• Videoconferencing, online courses, and webinars
• Case consultations
• Telemedicine for quality assurance and consultations
• Policy and research symposiums
• Publications and videos

CCFMTC is dedicated to building expertise and a strong collaboration that brings together the disciplines of nursing, medicine, criminal and juvenile justice systems, and forensic science.

CCFMTC has been approached to offer trainings and consultation with other states, the US military, and internationally. We welcome these opportunities on a contractual basis.

Contact CCFMTC to get the latest training schedule, publications, training tools; and, sign up for news about existing and new courses, online training, telemedicine, and new developments in the field.