A Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) is about teamwork – bringing the agency professionals involved in a child abuse case together on the front end – and about putting the needs of the child survivor first. So rather than having a child taken from agency to agency throughout the law enforcement and child protection systems, and having to endure multiple, sequential interviews, the CAC model brings the system to the child, and brings the agency professionals together to work in a collaborative approach that results in effective, efficient and child-centered casework. Click here to view the CAC model.
- 24 hour crisis line – 704.283.7770 – trained staff and volunteers are available to support you and answer your questions
- Call DSS to report suspected abuse or neglect.
- Hospital accompaniment – 24 hour response to Carolinas Heathcare System’s CMC Union and CMC Waxhaw – trained staff and volunteers are available to assist sexual assault/abuse survivors and their loved ones at the hospital
- Professional Counseling – counseling is available to children and their non-offending caregivers
- Support Groups – for teens survivors of abuse
- Family Advocacy – meet with a trained Family Advocate at Turning Point who can help you through this entire process
- Assist with safety planning, legal paperwork, court accompaniment, court education, referrals to community resources, NC Address Confidentiality Program, and crisis intervention
- Forensic Interview – A structured conversation with the child that allows the child to tell their story once. The interview is recorded and provided to the investigators of the abuse.
- Medical Exam – A complete, head-to-toe medical exam provided by a physician from Union County Division of Public Health that is provided on site to gather evidence and promote the emotional well-being of the child by letting him/her know their body is okay in spite of what has happened.
- Trauma Assessment – Conducted with parents of children 0-12 and teens 13-18 to determine how the abuse/trauma has affected them and inform therapists on how to proceed.
- Prevention/Education – Have one of our trained staff come to your group and train you on the 5 steps to protecting children. We have staff that provide Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children. For information on this evidence based training program, visit www.d2l.org