Helping Children Find Freedom From Abuse
The Children’s Advocacy Center was designed to provide a multidisciplinary approach to helping children who have suffered family violence, sexual abuse, or the loss of a close relative to crime.
Our goal is to help usher these children to a place where they can live free from fear of family and sexual violence.
The CAC is informed by scholarly research to minimize the trauma children suffer after a tragedy, either through counseling or forensic interviews, and each year we serve approximately 500+ local children and families.
If you know a child who could benefit from our advocacy center, contact us today.
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Services At The CAC
FAMILY ADVOCACY
The Crisis Center partners with non-offending parents and guardians to help children develop the skills necessary to heal from their experiences. Children grow best in healthy families, and the CAC helps provide a place for that to happen.
FORENSIC INTERVIEWS
Traditionally, child victims of crime would have to recount their stories multiple times to the police, district attorney, and finally in court. In addition to being difficult for them, this also forces them to relive their trauma–again and again.
The CAC offers forensic interviews with a trained forensic interview. The police, district attorney, and courts use this one interview to build their case, allowing the child to move on from the experience.
TRAUMA-FOCUSED CBT
The Crisis Center partners with child psychologists and counselors to provide trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for children and non-offending guardians. These sessions help children–and their guardians–develop strategies for dealing with post-tragedy mental health, like PTSD.
Children who receive TF-CBT see a 57-63% reduction in PTSD scores and a 31-43% reduction in depression, anxiety, and other symptoms. The program is 12-16 sessions long and non-offending caretakers are encouraged to attend.
Partnering With Local Agencies To Improve Child Outcomes
The Crisis Center of Anderson & Cherokee Counties partners with state and local agencies throughout our operating area to improve outcomes for children who have experienced a traumatic event.
These partnerships include state and local police, Child Protective Services, county and district court officials, and more. Together, we’re able to not only help children in the immediate aftermath of a traumatic event–but throughout their lives.
