Blue Water Area Child Advocacy Center

 

The Blue Water Area Child Advocacy Center is a fully accredited member of the National Children's Alliance and is located at 1107 Military, Port Huron, MI 48060. The telephone number is 810.966.9911. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Our Mission: The purpose of the center is to provide a singular forensic interview for children who are alleged victims of sexual or severe physical abuse. It is a collaborative / multidisciplinary effort between the Department of Human Services, law enforcement agencies and the Office of the Prosecutor to facilitate communication and coordination for the professionals involved in the investigative process. The child advocacy center is a child friendly environment that is designed to minimize the impact of the visit to the center. Decorated in calming colors, with child appropriate furniture, it is a comfortable and relaxed physical setting.

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Referral Process:

• Referrals must be made by either the Department of Human Services or law enforcement agencies.

• Intake information will be requested for the Blue Water Area Child Advocacy Center (BWACAC) records.

• To schedule an interview, contact the BWACAC at 810.966.9911. Office hours are 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

• Interviews will generally be scheduled Tuesday through Thursday, as determined by need.

• Agencies requesting interviews are responsible for coordinating interview times with the appropriate parties.

Interview Process:

• We request that the investigative team arrive 20 minutes prior to the scheduled interview for pre-interview discussion.

• An observation room with audio capability is utilized for viewing interviews.

• Professionals are responsible for their own documentation of interview information.

• Post interview discussion will be held among the investigative team to determine a plan of action.

• The parent/guardian will be advised of the plan of action to be taken by the Department of Human Services/ law enforcement agencies.

• Referrals sources for counseling or other needs will be provided to families by the BWCAC staff.

• Case reviews are held monthly.

The child advocacy center offers privacy to families with an off-street entrance. The center has two interview rooms, an observation room, family room, and a conference room for family meetings and professional use.

The Blue Water Area Child Advocacy Center Goals

The primary goal of all child advocacy centers is to ensure that children are not further victimized by intervention systems designed to protect them. Such a center fully compliments our belief that --- "It shouldn't hurt to be a child".

The children's advocacy center model is a child - focused, facility- based program in which representatives from many disciplines- law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, mental health, medical and victim advocacy - work together, conducting joint forensic interviews and making team decisions about the investigation, treatment, management and prosecution of child abuse cases.

The Blue Water Area Child Advocacy Center also employs a family advocate who provides many important services to St. Clair County children and families who visit the facility.  These include:

• Facilitates communication between the families and professionals present during the forensic interview.
• Participates in team meetings with families and professionals following the forensic interview.
• Provides support and referral resources to the parent(s) present for the interview process.
• Makes follow-up telephone contact with families approximately two weeks post-interview to assist with service coordination.
• Conducts support and education groups for non-offending parents/guardians.

 

The Benefits

Communities that utilize child advocacy centers experience many benefits:

• More immediate follow-up to child abuse reports.
• More efficient medical and mental health referrals.
• Reduction in the number of child interviews.
• Increased successful prosecutions.
• Consistent support for child victims and their families.

Professionals involved in multidisiplinary work have:

• Greater appreciation and understanding of other disciplines.
• Better access to cross-disciplinary training.
• More informed decision making.

This comprehensive approach ensures that children receive child-focused services in a child friendly environment- one in which the needs of children and families come first.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Website recently updated due to a generous grant from the:

                                                            

                                               The Midwest Regional Children's Advocacy Center is funded through the Office of Juvenile                     

                                                                Justice, Delinquency and Prevention (OJJDP), Grant 2010-CI-FX-K003.