The
Burke County Child Advocacy Center, known as the "Gingerbread House",
was founded by
Southmountain Children and Family Services in 1998 to serve as a central
focal point for agencies in Burke County who intervene in child abuse
cases. Before the creation of the Child Advocacy Center, young victims
of sexual or physical abuse were forced to endure a series of separate
interviews and examinations in different "professional" settings such as
the
police or sheriff’s departments or the Department of Social Services. An
already-traumatized child had to tell and relive his or her story over and
over again to many different individuals. The Gingerbread House, located
at 406 South Green Street in Morganton, is a lovely old home with bright
purple doors and shutters. It was remodeled, both inside and out, to
provide a non-threatening, child-friendly place where various agencies can
collaborate to do their jobs while minimizing the additional suffering
usually caused by the investigative process.
Last year the Child Advocacy Center reviewed
216 cases of sexual abuse, conducted 156 interviews and 78 medical
examinations for Burke, Caldwell, Alexander, and Catawba Counties.
The Burke Family Support Centeroffers programs designed to prevent
child abuse as well as family dysfunction and break-up. Among the
programs are parenting classes, anger management classes, counseling,
family visitation support, and community education.
The outcomes of these programs included
preventing out-of home placement of children, reunifying families,
preventing juveniles from being incarcerated, helping individuals
learn to deal appropriately with anger and reduce episodes of
violence, and helping struggling parents learn effective parenting
skills. Additionally, the Centers provided and participated in
community education programs and professional training seminars to
help stop child abuse.
Services
The Child Advocacy Center provides three main
types of services: assessment, case
management, and treatment planning. Assessment includes both interviews and
medical examinations. The Center is equipped with a room where the child
is interviewed by just one person while representatives from other agencies
observe through closed-circuit television. Following the investigation, a
multi-disciplinary team of professionals determines the best course of
action to insure protection of the child, prosecution of the perpetrator,
and delivery of subsequent services to the child and family.
The Center is also fully equipped
with the necessary equipment to perform forensic medical examinations and
record the evidence found for use in criminal prosecution. These
examinations also identify any medical issues that may need to be addressed
for the health of the child. In addition to providing services to the
children of Burke County last year, the Child Advocacy Center assisted
Catawba, Caldwell, McDowell, Avery and Gaston counties as well as counties
in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia with child sexual abuse
investigations.
Staff and Collaborating Agencies
The Center Director serves as the primary forensic interviewer and
facilitates collaboration between various agencies, including law
enforcement departments, the district attorney’s office, the department of
social services, area mental health, various medical institutions, and
Southmountain Children and Family Services. When these participants unify
into one multi-disciplinary team, their efforts are more efficient and
effective. Everyone saves time ordinarily wasted in separate, disjointed
investigations. Also, because representatives from all participating
agencies are involved in the interviews, they can easily share notes,
cooperate, and collaborate to determine the best plan of action for helping
the victimized child.
Funding
The Gingerbread House is fully funded through Southmountain Children and
Family Services. The participating partners are responsible for training
their own representatives but are not partners in funding. Southmountain
Children and Family Services needs funding partners to keep the Gingerbread
House operating effectively. You can join this team of professionals in
their efforts to protect the children of our communities by contributing to
Southmountain Children and Family Services Burke County Child Advocacy
Center.
Opportunities
to Volunteer
At The
Burke County Child Advocacy Center
Opportunities to volunteer at the Burke
County Child Advocacy Center are limited due to the nature of the mission
there and the requirements for client confidentially. However, there are
opportunities to volunteer in several ways that are important to the
mission and are extremely beneficial. These include:
Answering the telephone during meetings or
interviews.
Assisting as needed with childcare during client
interviews.
Assisting with yard and area beautification.
Serving with the Burke County Chapter of Prevent
Child Abuse.
Serving with the Keep Kids Safe Program.
Making presentations in the community to your church
group, civic club, or organization about the mission of the Center.
You Can Make a Difference in
a Child's Life!
Southmountain Children and Family Services
7330 Myrtle Drive Nebo,
NC 28761
828-584-1105
|
The
Gingerbread House 
