Mission Statement
The Children’s Advocacy Center of Hamilton County (CACHC) was established as a private, non-profit agency in 1991 to provide a safe and caring environment for hurting children to receive the services they need in one comprehensive facility. We help victims become children again and lead normal, healthy, productive lives, thereby breaking the cycle of abuse. While we are not a residential facility, the CACHC is uniquely designed to serve children who have experienced the unimaginable.
CACHC is nationally-accredited by the National Children’s Alliance (NCA) and provides forensic interviews, medical examinations, therapy, and family advocacy, which are offered at no charge to children referred by the Department of Children’s Services or law enforcement. The CACHC also provides community education programs to parents, educators, and youth-serving professionals, as well as children’s groups.
The CACHC facilitates the teamwork essential for effective intervention and healing and is essentially the "child's office" - a location where all professionals and agencies responsible for investigating and providing services can provide a coordinated response on a child's developmentally appropriate level. This prevents the potential re-victimization of the child by requiring the child to travel to many different locations to be interviewed and served by many different adult "strangers."
help. hope. healing.
Description
Forensic Interviews
Child forensic interviews are designed to be neutral and fact-finding in which the child feels safe telling the facts of any incident which may or may not have occurred. Interviews are conducted by trained CACHC staff and are generally observed by a detective and a child protective services worker. This service provides thorough incident disclosure by the child in one interview, thereby eliminating the need for the child to undergo multiple interviews. Our forensic interviewers also serve as "expert witnesses" in court proceedings, and interviews are recorded for accurate documentation.
Medical Examinations
Because physical evidence of abuse, particularly sexual abuse, must be obtained quickly, delays in examining a child may result in lost evidence. In collaboration with Children’s Hospital at Erlanger the CACHC provides a quality medical facility used strictly for child abuse examinations. A pediatric physician or a pediatric nurse practitioner, with specialized training and expertise in child abuse, examines victims on site, thereby, eliminating long waits in the emergency room. Children are examined two days per week by appointment and after hours for emergencies.
Therapy
CACHC counselors all have very specialized training in trauma-focused cognitive-based therapy for children. They provide direct assessment, therapy, and support services and are specially trained to deal with the intricate problems relating to child victimization. Children who are referred for therapy may come as long as necessary.
Family Advocacy
The CACHC family advocate assists the non-offending parent or care-taker with services needed to maintain a safe and stable environment for their children. We also assist the family in filing for Victim’s Compensation Funds for the child.
Child Protection Investigative Team (C.P.I.T.)
This team is composed of agencies responsible for coordinating and working in a comprehensive manner on cases involving child abuse. The CPIT members come from diverse disciplines and perspectives, yet all have a common focus with individual abuse cases. The CACHC is charged with facilitating the coordinated and comprehensive response to these cases. Through training, team facilitation and coordination, case tracking and data collection, and advocacy, the Center works to assist these professionals in dealing with critical case issues. Other community professionals are provided education, advocacy and referral and resource information to assist them as incidents of abuse touch their professional lives.
Prevention Education & Professional Trainings
Child abuse impacts one out of every four children. It crosses every racial, gender, cultural, and socio-economic barrier. Help Prevent Child Abuse by knowing how to keep children in your community safe.
The Community Education Department of the CACHC offers the following programs. Schools are highly encouraged to schedule multiple programs that involve students, parents, and staff for an even greater impact in protecting their students from abuse.
