What We Do
Our Services
Adams County Children’s Advocacy Center (ACCAC) provides a child-friendly, trauma-informed supportive environment to help children through the trauma of abuse from initial outcry to hope and healing. All services are provided free of charge to the family for as long as the child/family wants them.
As ACCAC’s first point of contact with families, Child & Family Advocates serve as a guide for the child and family on their journey towards healing. Child & Family Advocates work directly with the child and non-offending caregiver to identify the child and family’s strengths, coping strategies, and needs going forward. Advocates provide emotional support, education about child abuse and the investigative process, resources, and referrals to other community agencies when needed.
Child & Family Advocates act as the family’s liaison; assisting families in navigating the multiple agencies involved in an investigation of child abuse/neglect. Child & Family Advocates have specialized training in victim advocacy, which includes the dynamics of abuse, trauma-informed services, crisis assessment, and intervention. They are experts in case coordination and knowledgeable about resources available in the community.
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When child abuse is suspected, it is critical to talk to the child about their experience and gather information in an age- and developmentally-appropriate manner. ACCAC’s goal is to help every child feel as comfortable as possible as the multi-disciplinary investigative team (MDIT) determines what may have happened.
A forensic interview is a fact-finding conversation conducted by a specially-trained Forensic Interviewer. The interview is designed to provide the child an opportunity to talk about the reason for their visit to the ACCAC. The Forensic Interviewer strives to make the child feel as comfortable as possible while gathering information to determine what may have occurred. Questions are asked in a non-leading manner at a pace that is comfortable for the child and designed to eliminate suggestibility by using the latest research-based practices. The interview is digitally recorded while MDIT members watch from another room through closed-circuit television.
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Medical exams are conducted at the ACCAC in a child-friendly examination room. Every child alleged to have been sexually abused is offered a medical exam by a nurse that is specially trained in child sexual abuse. The nurse will collect any forensic evidence and document medical findings. The medical exam assesses the child’s well-being and helps children dispel myths associated with abuse, and helps the child rebuild trust that their bodies are healthy. The nurse meets with the child and caregiver to answer questions and respond to any concerns the child or caregiver may have.
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Research has shown that adverse childhood experiences (ACES) such as child abuse can have a tremendous impact on future victimization, lifelong health, and success.
ACCAC is committed to providing trauma-informed, evidence-based mental health services on-site or by referral to community-based mental health providers. Quality mental health services are critical for the long-term well-being and healing of children victimized by abuse. Trauma-informed mental health care is a specialized clinical process designed to assess and mitigate the long-term adverse impact of trauma or other diagnosable mental health conditions.
ACCAC’s Mental Health Therapist is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Art Therapy. Age and developmentally appropriate therapy is provided to help children begin to heal from their abuse.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) helps address the biopsychosocial needs of children with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or other problems related to traumatic life experiences, and their caregivers. TF-CBT is a model of psychotherapy that combines trauma-sensitive interventions with cognitive behavioral therapy. Children and caregivers are provided knowledge and skills related to processing the trauma; managing distressing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; and enhancing safety, parenting skills, and family communication.
Art therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship. Art therapy, facilitated by a professional art therapist, effectively supports personal and relational treatment goals as well as community concerns. Art therapy is used to improve cognitive and sensorimotor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance societal and ecological change.
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A caregiver’s response to his or her child following disclosure of abuse is one of the most significant factors influencing the impact of abuse on the child. The parents/caregivers of children who have been abused often experience feelings of guilt and shame that are intensified by the stigma surrounding child abuse. Silence within families and communities serves to isolate caregivers, making it difficult to express their emotions, process the impact of disclosure, and seek the necessary support and knowledge to move forward. ACCAC offers both individual caregiver education/support and group education/support sessions to provide caregivers with the tools and resources they need to support their children on the journey toward healing.
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This innovative program was designed by Adams County Children’s Advocacy Center as a TF-CBT psychoeducation group with art and mindfulness activities for teen girls aged 11-17 who are survivors of sexual abuse/harassment. Sessions utilize five of the TF-CBT components, including psychoeducation, relaxation, affective expression and regulation, cognitive coping and processing, and education. Sessions combine a mindfulness practice with the TF-CBT relaxation component. The second half of the session is an art activity that directly relates to the topic discussed. Via successful participation in the group, girls will demonstrate increased understanding of trauma and its effects, increased self-esteem, and increased social functioning.
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It is important for parents and caregivers to talk to children about safety, know the signs and symptoms of child abuse, and know who to call if they have concerns. Throughout the Adams County Community, ACCAC participates in a variety of public speaking and community events. At these events, ACCAC staff provides resource materials, child abuse prevention education information and conducts outreach activities to raise awareness of the issue of child abuse and to educate the general public; make them aware of ACCAC /MDIT services and how to report suspected child abuse or neglect.
Key to our mission, the ACCAC offers a revolutionary training program for adults and children. The “What if I Told You?” Child Abuse Prevention Education Project offers seven individualized trainings/seminars geared to specific community audiences. All trainings for adults show how to prevent child abuse by learning how to identify signs of child abuse, report child abuse, and responsibly handle disclosures of child abuse with courage and confidence. The program is appropriate for businesses, social and religious groups, as well as parents and other concerned adults. For children, ACCAC offers Child Safety Matters, an evidence-based, developmentally appropriate prevention training offered to children grades K-12. Learn More
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Adams County Children’s Advocacy Center coordinates the activities of professionals from Children and Youth Services, local and state law enforcement, the Adams County District Attorney’s Office, Adams County Victim Witness Program, as well as medical and mental health professionals, who work as a team to investigate cases of maltreatment in Adams County while offering continuing support and services to child victims of abuse and their families.
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ACCAC Notice of HIPPA Privacy Practices