Child Advocacy Center
The Child Advocacy Center (CAC) is a safe, neutral, child-friendly setting where victims of child abuse can talk about what happened. The Collins Center and our CAC provide forensic interviews, family advocacy, and child specific trauma therapy.
The CAC chairs the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) where representatives from Social Services, law enforcement, and the Office of the Commonwealth Attorney meet to coordinate around specific cases and ensure the community is working together to lessen further trauma for the child.
Each Child Advocacy Center is unique to the needs of its community. The professionals in our community have been working collaboratively for many years, and the CAC furthers this approach through training, coordination, and advocacy to victims and their families. The center functions as a shared project among professionals with a vested interest in supporting and treating child abuse victims, giving families in our community a central location and coordinated team to walk with them.
HOW IT WORKS
Collins Center’s CAC coordinates with law enforcement and Child Protective Services to conduct the investigative interviews with minimal trauma to the child victim (limiting the number of interviews a child has to go through after an abusive situation lessens future trauma)
Collins Center advocates provide accompaniment to the child and caregivers as they meet with attorneys, law enforcement, and social services
Collins Center advocates provide after-care support and services to non-offending families and children regardless of whether there is a court process
Collins Center advocates refer to qualified mental health counselors who specialize in abuse treatment and court preparation, and provide education to non-offending family members
Collins Center advocates serve as a liaison for the non-offending family and the legal system as they navigate the intricate process of prosecution
Collins Center’s CAC STRENGTHENS RELATIONSHIPS with allied professionals so that all individuals are working together with the child as the first priority
FORENSIC INTERVIEWS
A forensic interview of a child is a developmentally sensitive and legally sound method of gathering factual information regarding allegations of abuse or exposure to violence. This recorded interview is conducted by a competently trained, neutral professional utilizing research and practice-informed techniques as part of a larger investigative process.
The forensic interview is conducted at the Child Advocacy Center - a safe and child-friendly environment - and is remotely observed by representatives of the agencies involved in the criminal and/or child protection investigation.
The CAC’s success depends on its partnership with these agencies:
Other Law Enforcement Agencies
Harrisonburg/Rockingham Child Protective Services and Foster Care
Medical and Mental Health Professionals
Harrisonburg City and Rockingham County Schools
Multidisciplinary Team
Child First Doctrine
The child is our first priority.
Not the needs of the family.
Not the child’s “story.”
Not the evidence.
Not the needs of the courts.
Not the needs of police, child protection, attorneys, etc.
The child is our first priority.