Child and Family Advocacy
Family Advocacy
- While your child is with the interviewer, you will spend time with the family advocate. The advocate’s job is to provide support and answer questions you may have during the investigation.
- The advocate will assist you in getting your child connected to trauma-focused therapy services and any additional referrals needed for you and/or your family.
What is a Child & Family Advocate?
Advocates at St. Louis CAC help ensure that children and families receive the culturally sensitive support, education and resources they need to overcome the trauma of abuse. Crisis assessment and intervention, advocacy, and support services are provided to the involved caregivers in order to help identify each families’ unique needs, reduce fear and anxiety and to expedite access to appropriate services. Families can be assisted through the various phases of crisis management with problem-solving, access to critical treatment and other services, ongoing psychoeducation, information and support.
What do advocacy services with St. Louis Children’s Advocacy Center look like?
Children are referred to St. Louis CAC by a member of the investigative MDT. Victim support and advocacy services begin when the intake coordinator and/or advocate makes initial contact with the involved caregiver to facilitate introductions, discuss services provided at St. Louis CAC and to schedule the forensic interview. Once, arriving at St. Louis CAC on day of the forensic interview; your family advocate will provide active listening while supporting the caregiver as they discuss their concerns and feelings related to the case. Advocates prepare the caregiver for any potential blocks or barriers which the child might have during the interview; assess the family’s level of coping with the crisis and needs as well as identify resources and interventions to support the child and family. Advocates provide psychoeducation on the dynamics and effects of childhood trauma and depending on the needs of the family, advocates may also provide psychoeducation on appropriate behavior related to sex and sexuality in children, the grooming process, information about understanding the process of disclosure, prevention tips, how the MDT and court system works and information about victim’s rights and crime victim’s compensation.
The people here are really nice, and the person I was talking to listened to everything I had to say. And it made me feel better about everything I've been feeling down about!
