Welcome from the Chief
Welcome from the Chief
Welcome and thank you for your interest in our section! I have worked with the Section for Children at Risk since 2018 and it is a sincere privilege to serve as section chief for this group of dedicated and compassionate providers. Please see the information below and explore our site to learn more about our section and the professionals on our team. I am immensely proud of the work that we have accomplished and look forward to the ongoing collaboration with partners in the hospital and community to provide continued excellent service and care to the children and families we see.
Our Mission
The Children at Risk Section of the Department of Pediatrics is dedicated to the improvement of the health, safety and wellbeing of children and families impacted by child maltreatment through evidence-based and trauma-informed care.
Our Work
Our section consists of two groups, the “Team for Children at Risk” and the “Family Treatment Program”. The Team for Children at Risk consists of Child Abuse Pediatricians and specialized APRNs who provide medical evaluations for all types of child maltreatment. Our medical providers utilize trauma-informed and evidence-based practices to differentiate between abuse, medical conditions or other non-abusive presentations and complete necessary medical evaluations for children with suspected or confirmed abuse. We are also proud to train future providers in this important work through our Child Abuse Fellowship. The Family Treatment Program consists of psychologists and licensed mental health professionals who specialize in mental health services for patients and families impacted by sexual abuse. As the state-wide experts in the treatment of adolescent offenders and problematic sexual behaviors, the Family Treatment Program also contributes to the safety and welfare of children through evidence-based treatment and interventions to prevent future sexual abuse.
In addition to our clinical work, providers in our section are actively engaged in education, research and prevention/advocacy efforts on both a local and national scale. Providers have had the distinction of being appointed to state legislative and commissioned work groups to address maltreatment, are frequently invited as speakers to local and national meetings and have published in multiple journals. Through these efforts we aim to improve the recognition and response to abuse and to prevent abuse from occurring.
Addressing child maltreatment is a collaborative effort and we are fortunate to work in a facility specifically envisioned and designed to support this cause. The David M. Clark Center for Safe and Healthy Children is a testament to our community partners as a philanthropically supported facility to house services for families impacted by trauma. In addition to our section, the Clark Center is home to the Pulaski County Children’s Advocacy Center (The Children’s Protection Center) and the Child Study Center, a division of UAMS psychiatry providing counseling and psychiatric services for pediatric patients.
Child maltreatment affects the health and safety of children and communities throughout Arkansas. As leading experts in the clinical evaluation and response to maltreatment, the Section for Children at Risk is an exceptional resource in our state to respond to abuse when it occurs and to prevent abuse from occurring in the future.
Liza Murray, MD
Director, Section for Children at Risk
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Program Director, Child Abuse Fellowship
UAMS Department of Pediatrics
Arkansas Children’s Hospital