Trauma-Informed Care Model
The Children’s Advocacy Center is proud to be co-located with at the Family Justice Center, with other on-site parners:
- Chattanooga Police Department
- Hamilton County Sherrif’s Office
- Legal Aide of East Tennessee
- Partnership for Families, Children, and Adults
- Helen Ross McNabb Center
- Helen Ross McNabb Center Behavioral Health/Building Stable Lives (BSL) Program
- State of TN Child Protective Services
- State of TN Adult Protective Services
- Southern Adventist University School of Social Work
- Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office
- McKamey Animal Center
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, are stressful or traumatic experiences, such as abuse, neglect and family dysfunction that disrupt the safe, stable nurturing environments that children need to thrive. The CAC partners with over 800 individuals across the state to bring awareness to the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study through the Building Strong Brains initiative of Tennessee.
Building Strong Brains is an initiative working to change the culture of Tennessee so that the state’s overarching philosophy, policies, programs and practices for children, youth and young adults utilize the latest brain science to prevent and mitigate the impact of adverse childhood experiences. Science tells us that many children’s futures are undermined when stress damages the early brain architecture. But, the good news is that potentially toxic stressors can be made tolerable if children have access to stable, responsive adults. Healthy child development is the foundation for education achievement, economic productivity, responsible citizenship and lifelong health. It is our duty to take a stand for all children. All children need someone in their corner. The shift from “What is wrong with you, or why are you a problem?” to “What has happened to you, and how we can support you and help you overcome these experiences?” will result in a more effective, more empathetic service delivery system and a stronger community.