Child Abuse and Neglect and Mandated Reporting in Oklahoma

In 2022, there were 21,599 substantiated allegations of child abuse and neglect in Oklahoma which is a fraction of the total number of allegations submitted to the child abuse hotline. It is critical that professionals and the public, alike, are knowledgeable about the basics of child abuse and neglect, and mandatory reporting laws in Oklahoma to better protect all children. This presentation will focus on the basic identification of the different types of child abuse and neglect. In addition, there will be an interactive discussion of the mandatory reporting laws in Oklahoma. Participants will gain fundamental knowledge of both topics in a way to enhance the protection of all children.

Continuing education units are approved for CLEET, CLE, and VWC; and eligible for LPC and LMFT.

Tricia Gardner, JD, is a Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in the Department of Pediatrics, and a licensed attorney. She currently serves as the Administrator of the Section of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and Director of the Interdisciplinary Training Program on Child Abuse and Neglect (ITP). She is also a member of the National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth Training and Technical Assistance Team, focusing on working with Senior Leaders and is a member of an Oklahoma County Post-Adjudication Review Board.

Ms. Gardner is the Past-President of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC). In the past, Ms. Gardner also served as Director of the Child Welfare Training Program for the State of Oklahoma and Administrator of the Oklahoma Child Death Review Board. In addition, she has been an Adjunct Professor for the University Of Oklahoma College Of Law and a member of the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Child Protection Committee.

Host or Publisher Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth