CAC Model
The CAC is a private non–profit corporation that facilitates the teamwork essential for effective intervention and healing for children who have experienced child sexual abuse. While we are not a residential facility, we are a home–like, state–of–the–art Center uniquely designed to serve children who have experienced the unimaginable. Children are able to come to a facility specifically designed for children and the services they need. It has the benefits of a house, such as a playroom and a kitchen, yet it is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, such as audio/video monitoring and medical equipment to ensure that the best professional services can be provided.
The CAC is the 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.” In addition, the support offered to the child’s non–offending family members ensures that the child will have a supportive, knowledgeable family to proceed with them through this often traumatic time.
We strive to meet our mission through collaborative working relationships with local police departments, the District Attorney, the Department of Children’s Services, and mental health professionals. In addition to providing direct services such as forensic interviewing, medical examinations, and counseling to abused children, the Center also facilitates the teamwork necessary for all involved agencies to work collaboratively to meet children’s needs and to successfully investigate cases and prosecute offenders.