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| Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #137 |
| Emerald Coast Children's Advocacy, Inc. |
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| Requester: |
Julie Hurst |
Organization: |
Emerald Coast Children's Advocacy Center |
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| Project Title: |
Emerald Coast Children's Advocacy, Inc. |
Date Submitted |
1/15/2004 12:59:23 PM |
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| Sponsors: |
Peaden |
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| Statewide Interest: |
| Serves child abuse victims - statewide issue
The Emerald Coast Children's Advocacy Center provides services to child abuse victims of physical and sexual abuse. Children and families are given the resources needed to overcome the trauma and social ills associated with child sexual and physical abuse. The future of the State of Florida lies in helping people become productive citizens. |
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| Recipient: |
Emerald Coast Children's Advocacy Center, Inc. |
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Contact: |
Julie Hurst |
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P.O. Box 1237 |
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Contact Phone: |
(850) 833-9237 |
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Niceville 32588 |
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Contact email: |
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| Counties: |
Okaloosa, Walton |
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| Gov't Entity: |
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Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): |
Yes |
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| Project Description: |
| The Emerald Coast Children's Advocacy Center ECCAC, Inc.) is a not for profit 501(C)(3) organization that facilitates the partnewship of private sector and the public sector to serve child victims of physical and sexual abuse in Okaloosa and Walton Counties. The CAC provides resources for members of the Child Protection team, Department of children and Families, mental health, prosecution, and Department of Children and Familties protective investigators to work together under one roof, in a warm child-friendly environment. Each victim of child abuse has a m"multi-displinary team" looking after them, ensuring that no child falls through the cracks. The multi-disciplinary team environment lends itself to stronger, more complete criminal investigations resulting in holding more offenders accountable for their actions. In addition to providing the tools for the "team environment" the ECCAC has implemented services to enhance the child protection systems for child victims and their families. The ECCAC has implemented a system of enhanced care to aid children and families in overcoming situations of abuse and giving them an opportunity to lead "healthy" lives.
The ECCAC operates a 13,000 square foot facility that houses along with ECCAC staff, the agencies involved in providing services to child victims and their families. Personnel from the State Attorney's Office, child protection team (conduct interviews and medical exams), Department of Children Investigators, law enforcement, mental health work together to make a positive difference in the lives of these children. Under the new system, implemented October of 200, child victims now come to a child-friendly place to see the professionals to help overcome the abuse. The Center is also equipped with a medical exam room so the children come to the Center for examds instead of having to wait in emergency rooms and doctor offices. Through the "team process" the needs of child victims and families are more readily identified. Information is gathered more expeditiously and completely resulting in stronger cases for arrest and prosecution purposes.
The center's case advocate program is a unique program targeted at improving the system's response to child abuse. The program is managed by a case advocate (aka team facilitator) (employed by the ECCAC) to foster and promote a multi-disciplinary team environment bringing together prosecution, law enforcement, Department of Children and Family protective investigators, child protection team and mental health professionals. At the onsetof caretakers abuse cases to Department of Children and Failies and non-caretaker abuse cases to law enforcement, case advocate is responsible for tracking these cases to ensrue that information is readily shared and communicated amongst the team members. Child interviews are conducted at the Center and team members gather to observe interviews. Case advocate is responsible for nofigying team members of interviews and conducting pre and post interview team meetings. The case advocate continues to follow the developmetn of child abuse cases and is resonsible for scheduling case review meetings held on a bimonthly basis. These meetings are attended by team members housed at the Center. The team facilitation and information sharing at the team meetings is critical to positive outcomes for child abuse victims and their families. Information is gathered mroe expeditiously and completing resulting in stronger cases for arrest, prosecution, and holding offenders accountable. Since Octorber of 2000 the ECCAC has tranced over 2000 allegations of child physical and sexual abuse.
The Center also manages a mental health advocate program. ECCAC staff manages the program and the purpose is to ensure the mental health needs of child victim and family are being met. Most times child victims and family members need the support of mental health professionals to begin to heal from the trauma. The mental health component is critical in the overall health of the child victim. The mental health advocate meets with families as they come tot he Center and provides both emotional and informational support to them throughout the process, providing resources to include referrals to local domestic violence shelter, mental health providers together at the Center and within the communities, parent education classes, etc. Shs has developed a support group program component for both child victims and non-offending caretakers. Parents and children are given the opportunity to share their experience with their peers. The support groups are held at the Center and again the children and families are returning to same friendly place for services. The mental health advocate program has implemented a "follow-up" mechanism in that CAC staff follow up with the families to ensure that services offered are being utilized by the client. The imminent need for this program is an additional therapist to ensure that no child is left behind without appropriate counseling.
The Center also manages a volunteer program. The administrataive assistant along with associated organizational tasks, acts as volunteer coordinator and manages a staff of approximately 40 volunteers. Volunteers provide forty hour a week reception support by greeting the families, providing assistance tot he children (keep them occupied by reading, playing games, providing snacks), and other tasks associated witht eh client services provided at the Center. The Center is able to operate more effectively and efficiently because of the efforts of the coordinator and most importantly the volunteers.
The Center has been visited by more than 2000 vhildren since opening its doors in October of 2000 and has provided over 2000 services with its agency partners to include interviews, mental health therapy, medical exams, referrals to available to community resources, crisis intervention. We have crea6ted an environment where despite the hurt that has been done to these children, we are still allowing them to be children by creating a non-traumatic, non-threatening environment.
The ECCAC is truly a private-public partnership. Over a million dollars was raised by teh communities in Okaloosa and Walton counties to build the facility so child abuse victims would have a "child friendly" system. The community continues to support the ECCAC and its mission to provide services to child victims and their families.
The funding allocated in the fiscal year budget 2004-2005 would be expended to continue to enhance the system of care offered to child victims and their families and to support ongoing program support costs. The Center anticipates tracking over 1400 cases of child physics and sexual abuse in Okaloosa and Walton counties in the upcoming year and providing services to more than 1000 children and families.
The Emerald Coast Children's Advocacy Center helps provide support to the multi-disciplinary team working in the Center, so they can concentrate on their responsibilities. The Center asks and receives community support for volunteers, diapers, formula, clothing, respite care while children are awaiting placement, food, toys, and much more. |
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| Is this a water project as described in Chapter 2002-291, Laws of Florida? |
No |
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| Measurable Outcome Anticipated: |
| Provide services to over 400 child victims of physical and sexual abuse and their families. |
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| Amount requested from the State for this project this year: |
$150,000 |
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| Total cost of the project: |
$750,000 |
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| Request has been made to fund: |
Operations |
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| What type of match exists for this project? |
Local, Private |
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Cash Amount |
$15,000 |
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In-kind Amount |
$22,000 |
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| Was this project previously funded by the state? |
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Yes |
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Fiscal Year: |
1998-1999 |
Amount: |
$100,000 |
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| Is future-year funding likely to be requested? |
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Yes |
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Amount: |
$150,000 |
To Fund: |
Operations |
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| Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request? |
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No |
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| Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? |
No |
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| Is there a documented need for this project? |
Yes |
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Documentation: |
Statistical information relating to abuse of children since opening of center in 2000. |
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| Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)? |
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Yes |
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Hearing Body: |
Delegation Meeting |
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Hearing Meeting Date: |
12/20/2002 |
