Traverse Bay Children's Advocacy Center


Home About us Board of directors Board access Volunteer Prevention Council Upcoming Events Past events Donate Contact us web hosting by doteasy	Meet the director Brooke Nettz The Midwest Regional Advocacy Center recently named CAC Director Brooke Nettz a "Center Star." Here's what they had to say: The Traverse Bay CAC opened its doors on April 5, 2010, and Brooke Nettz has been there since the beginning.Brooke’s commitment to the CAC movement shines through her work everyday. “The best thing about working at the Traverse Bay Children's Advocacy Center is seeing the sparkle in the eye of those who worked so hard for the past two years to get this CAC established. The legacy has already been built upon their sweat and perseverance and it is my honor to not only ensure that this community will always have this wonderful CAC, but also to encourage neighboring counties to join our movement.” Read more Learn more about the CAC on this podcast with WTCM. Just right click on this link, and save the mp3 file to your computer. What is a Children’s Advocacy Center? Download our brochure Children’s advocacy centers (CACs) are community based, child-focused and child-friendly facilities where representatives from many disciplines meet to discuss and make decisions about investigation, treatment and prosecution of child abuse cases. The primary goal of all CACs is to ensure that children are not further victimized by the intervention systems designed to protect them. Key components of child advocacy center include: Child-appropriate/child-friendly facilities both physically and psychologically safe for clients A designated legal entity responsible for program and fiscal operations Culturally competent and diverse policies, practices and procedures A multidisciplinary team for response to child abuse allegations including law enforcement, child protective services, prosecution, mental health, medical, victim advocacy and children’s advocacy center Forensic interviews conducted in a neutral, fact-finding nature and coordinated to avoid duplicative interviewing Medical evaluation at the center or through coordination and referral with other providers Victim support/advocacy to coordinate with other providers throughout investigation and legal proceedings Case review to provide team-discussion and information sharing throughout the case Case tracking to monitor case progress and case outcomes Limited English Proficiency The Traverse Bay Children's Advocacy Center provides, free of charge, language assistance to persons with limited English proficiency. Esta agencia provee, sin costo alguno, asistencia de idiomas a personas con conocimiento limitado de ingles. CACs – a National Model Nationally, there are 435 accredited Child Advocacy Centers providing services to more that 175,000 children. More than one third of these children are under the age of six. The average age of a CAC client is nine. In addition, there are at least another 200 CAC programs in various stages of development nationally. The Washington, D.C. based National Children’s Alliance is the national membership organization and accrediting body for Child Advocacy Centers. Founded in 1996, NCA serves as a sub-grantor of more than $8 million dollars in federal funds from the United States Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to support the development, growth and sustainability of CAC programs nationally. Benefits of Child Advocacy Centers to the Community Communities that have developed a CAC experience many benefits: more immediate follow-up to child abuse reports; more efficient medical and mental health referrals; reduction in the number of child interviews; increased successful prosecutions; and consistent support for child victims and their families. Professional involved in multidisciplinary work report greater appreciation and understanding of the mission of other disciplines; better access to cross-disciplinary training, and more informed decision making. This comprehensive approach, with follow-up services provided by the CAC, ensures that children receive child-focused services in a child friendly environment – one in which the needs of children and families come first. Reprinted from Putting Standards into Practice: A Guide to Implementing NCA Standards for Children’s Advocacy Centers 2000 How you can help Learn more about child abuse and spread the word to family, friends and neighbors on how to keep our children safe. Report cases of suspected child abuse to the proper authorities and encourage others to do the same. Donate your time or your money to a child advocacy center. Organize a fundraising event to support your local child advocacy center or child abuse prevention program. Reach Out National Children’s Alliance Standards for Accredited Members The purpose of Children’s Advocacy Centers is to provide a comprehensive, culturally competent, multidisciplinary team response to allegations of child abuse in a dedicated, child-friendly setting. A child appropriate/child-friendly setting and a multidisciplinary team are essential to accomplish the mission of Children’s Advocacy Centers and for accredited membership in National Children’s Alliance. The following program components are necessary for accredited membership in the National Children’s Alliance: Child-Appropriate/Child-Friendly Facility: A Children’s Advocacy Center provides a comfortable, private, child-friendly setting that is both physically and psychologically safe for clients. Multidisciplinary Team (MDT): A multidisciplinary team for response to child abuse allegations includes representation from the following disciplines: law enforcement mental health Children’s Advocacy Center child protective services medical prosecution victim advocacy Organizational Capacity: A designated legal entity responsible for program and fiscal operations has been established and implements basic sound administrative practices. Cultural Competency and Diversity: The CAC promotes policies, practices and procedures that are culturally competent. Cultural competency is defined as the capacity to function in more than one culture, requiring the ability to appreciate, understand and interact with members of diverse populations within the local community. Forensic Interviews: Forensic Interviews are conducted in a manner which is of a neutral, fact finding nature, and coordinated to avoid duplicative interviewing. Medical Evaluation: Specialized medical evaluation and treatment are to be made available to CAC clients as part of the team response, either at the CAC or through coordination and referral with other specialized medical providers. Therapeutic Intervention: Specialized mental health services are to be made available as part of the team response, either at the CAC or through coordination and referral with other appropriate treatment providers. Victim Support/Advocacy: Victim support and advocacy are to be made available as part of the team response, either at the CAC or through coordination with other providers, throughout the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings. Case Review: Team discussion and information sharing regarding the investigation, case status and services needed by the child and family are to occur on a routine basis. Case Tracking: CACs must develop and implement a system for monitoring case progress and tracking case outcomes for team components. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE SEE: www.nationalcac.org www.mrcac.org Learn about a CAC in action	What's Coming Click for details Calling All Students: Click here for contest rules

Learn more about the CAC on this podcast with WTCM.

Just right click on this link, and save the mp3 file to your computer.

What is a Children’s Advocacy Center?

Download our brochure Traverse Bay CAC Brochure

Children’s advocacy centers (CACs) are community based, child-focused and child-friendly facilities where representatives from many disciplines meet to discuss and make decisions about investigation, treatment and prosecution of child abuse cases. The primary goal of all CACs is to ensure that children are not further victimized by the intervention systems designed to protect them.

Key components of child advocacy center include:

Child-appropriate/child-friendly facilities both physically and psychologically safe for clients
A designated legal entity responsible for program and fiscal operations
Culturally competent and diverse policies, practices and procedures
A multidisciplinary team for response to child abuse allegations including law enforcement, child protective services, prosecution, mental health, medical, victim advocacy and children’s advocacy center
Forensic interviews conducted in a neutral, fact-finding nature and coordinated to avoid duplicative interviewing
Medical evaluation at the center or through coordination and referral with other providers
Victim support/advocacy to coordinate with other providers throughout investigation and legal proceedings
Case review to provide team-discussion and information sharing throughout the case
Case tracking to monitor case progress and case outcomes

Limited English Proficiency

The Traverse Bay Children's Advocacy Center provides, free of charge, language assistance to persons with limited English proficiency.

Esta agencia provee, sin costo alguno, asistencia de idiomas a personas con conocimiento limitado de ingles.

CACs – a National Model

Nationally, there are 435 accredited Child Advocacy Centers providing services to more that 175,000 children. More than one third of these children are under the age of six. The average age of a CAC client is nine. In addition, there are at least another 200 CAC programs in various stages of development nationally.

The Washington, D.C. based National Children’s Alliance is the national membership organization and accrediting body for Child Advocacy Centers. Founded in 1996, NCA serves as a sub-grantor of more than $8 million dollars in federal funds from the United States Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to support the development, growth and sustainability of CAC programs nationally.

Benefits of Child Advocacy Centers to the Community

Communities that have developed a CAC experience many benefits: more immediate follow-up to child abuse reports; more efficient medical and mental health referrals; reduction in the number of child interviews; increased successful prosecutions; and consistent support for child victims and their families.

Professional involved in multidisciplinary work report greater appreciation and understanding of the mission of other disciplines; better access to cross-disciplinary training, and more informed decision making. This comprehensive approach, with follow-up services provided by the CAC, ensures that children receive child-focused services in a child friendly environment – one in which the needs of children and families come first.

Reprinted from Putting Standards into Practice: A Guide to Implementing NCA Standards for Children’s Advocacy Centers 2000

How you can help

Learn more about child abuse and spread the word to family, friends and neighbors on how to keep our children safe.
Report cases of suspected child abuse to the proper authorities and encourage others to do the same.
Donate your time or your money to a child advocacy center.
Organize a fundraising event to support your local child advocacy center or child abuse prevention program.

Reach Out

National Children’s Alliance
Standards for Accredited Members

The purpose of Children’s Advocacy Centers is to provide a comprehensive, culturally competent, multidisciplinary team response to allegations of child abuse in a dedicated, child-friendly setting. A child appropriate/child-friendly setting and a multidisciplinary team are essential to accomplish the mission of Children’s Advocacy Centers and for accredited membership in National Children’s Alliance.

The following program components are necessary for accredited membership in the National Children’s Alliance:

Child-Appropriate/Child-Friendly Facility: A Children’s Advocacy Center provides a comfortable, private, child-friendly setting that is both physically and psychologically safe for clients.

Multidisciplinary Team (MDT): A multidisciplinary team for response to child abuse allegations includes representation from the following disciplines:

law enforcement
mental health
Children’s Advocacy Center
child protective services
medical
prosecution
victim advocacy

Organizational Capacity: A designated legal entity responsible for program and fiscal operations has been established and implements basic sound administrative practices.

Cultural Competency and Diversity: The CAC promotes policies, practices and procedures that are culturally competent. Cultural competency is defined as the capacity to function in more than one culture, requiring the ability to appreciate, understand and interact with members of diverse populations within the local community.

Forensic Interviews: Forensic Interviews are conducted in a manner which is of a neutral, fact finding nature, and coordinated to avoid duplicative interviewing.

Medical Evaluation: Specialized medical evaluation and treatment are to be made available to CAC clients as part of the team response, either at the CAC or through coordination and referral with other specialized medical providers.

Therapeutic Intervention: Specialized mental health services are to be made available as part of the team response, either at the CAC or through coordination and referral with other appropriate treatment providers.

Victim Support/Advocacy: Victim support and advocacy are to be made available as part of the team response, either at the CAC or through coordination with other providers, throughout the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.

Case Review: Team discussion and information sharing regarding the investigation, case status and services needed by the child and family are to occur on a routine basis.

Case Tracking: CACs must develop and implement a system for monitoring case progress and tracking case outcomes for team components.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE SEE:

Learn about a CAC in action