All services necessary to assist children with their recovery from abuse are conducted in one building so the affected are not sent to multiple places after the abuse.
The Child Advocacy Center of Oswego County offers the following services on-site:
Forensic Interviews
Forensic interviews are non-duplicative, non-leading neutral interviews with the victim conducted by investigative team members. Interviews are held at the center in a specially designed room which allows for observation by other members of the multidisciplinary team. Using best practices for interviewing, the victim recounts their experience just once, reducing potential for further trauma. In order for a child to be interviewed a call must be made to law enforcement or the Department of Social Services.
Family Advocacy
Family Advocacy is a free service provided to all child victims and their families. The Family Advocates assist family members through the duration of their case including the investigation, prosecution and recovery processes. The advocates assist with filing a NYS Crime Victims Application for any one who has been the victim of a crime. This application can provide monetary reimbursement to families to cover necessary services. Family Advocates collaborate with all multidisciplinary team members and act as liaisons between the team members and families.
Mental Health Services
The Victim Intervention Mental Health Counseling Program at the Child Advocacy Center provides individual, group and family therapy to child victims of physical and sexual abuse, child witnesses to violence, and children who are drug endangered or severely neglected/maltreated. The program employs credentialed and Licensed Mental Health Professionals, who have received specialized training in treating children who have survived a traumatic experience.
Case Management
Case Management services are specially designed to assist victims with the aftermath of a child abuse disclosure. If families experience medical difficulties, housing disruptions, transportation problems or other crises, our Case Manager can help them problem-solve their challenges and empower them to rebuild their lives.
Outreach and Prevention Trainings
Preventing child abuse from ever occuring is a lofty and valiant goal of the CAC. Darkness to Light Stewards of Children, Safe Harbour trainings for the awareness and prevention of commercial sexual exploitation of children and human trafficking, to include online prevention activities, and Child Fatality Prevention Outreach are all components of the Outreach and Prevention program.
PROTECT
PROTECT is a support group for non-offending parents and caregivers of children who have experienced a trauma or have been exposed to risky or unsafe situations. This group runs for 10 weeks.
Mental Health Services
The Victim Intervention Mental Health Counseling Program at the Child Advocacy Center provides individual, group and family therapy to child victims of physical and sexual abuse, child witnesses to violence, and children who are drug endangered or severely neglected/maltreated. The program employs credentialed and Licensed Mental Health Professionals, who have received specialized training in treating children who have survived a traumatic experience.
Counseling Process
Once a referral is made, the Clinical Director will contact the family within two business days. At the beginning of counseling, the non-offending parent/caretaker will meet with the counselor for an intake appointment. After two to six sessions, the counselor will make an initial assessment for continuation of services or make appropriate referrals to other therapeutic providers. The focus of counseling will be determined by the needs of the family. Typically the focus is on alleviating any Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms that the family is experiencing. Trauma– Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Client Centered Therapy, Play Therapy, Sand tray Therapy, and Art Therapy modalities are used. The decision to terminate counseling occurs when the child, the child’s family and the counselor agree it is time.
Darkness to Light Training
The Darkness to Light Stewards of Children training is a prevention training program that teaches adults how to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. This program is designed for organizations that serve youth and for individuals concerned about the safety of children. It is the only nationally distributed, evidence based program proven to increase knowledge, improve attitudes, and change child protective barriers. There is a fee for this training, which includes a personal prevention plan interactive workbook, and certificate of completion.