| |
| Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #2725 |
| Putnam County Children's Advocacy Center & Sexual Assault Forensic Team |
| |
| Requester: |
Maryann Barry |
Organization: |
The Children's Advocacy Center of Volusia & Flagler Counties, Inc. |
| |
| Project Title: |
Putnam County Children's Advocacy Center & Sexual Assault Forensic Team |
Date Submitted |
1/13/2006 2:08:28 PM |
| |
| Sponsors: |
Lynn |
| |
| Statewide Interest: |
| The safety and well being of the children of our state and the prosecution of those who perpetrate crimes against children and sexual violence is of paramount importance to all citizens in the state of Florida. The Children's Advocacy Center of Volusia and Flagler Counties, Inc. is requesting seed funds to establish a Children's Advocacy Center and Sexual Assault Forensic Team in Putnam County. Currently, there are no CAC services for child abuse victims available in Putnam County. Putnam County transported over 200 child victims to gainesville for services during the last fiscal year. A local Advocacy Center would reduce further traumatizing young victims and increase the efficacy of evidence collection for prosecution. The funds are intended to assist in establishing a location and initial staffing needs while additional renewable funding resources are secured. The Children's Advocacy Center has met with the Office of the Attorney General and identifies VOCA funds available to support victim mental health services in Putnam County and a contractual agreement with the Office of the Attorney General for use of these funds is pending. The Putnam County community has rallied to raise donations for the development of a Children's Advocacy and Sexual Assault Treatment Center. The Sheriff's Department, The Seventh Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office, the Health Department, local Victims Advocates and others have worked with Children's Advocacy Center of Volusia Flagler Counties, Inc. management for over a year in paving the way for Center development. The need for services to address and hopefully reduce the incidence of child abuse, paticularly child sexual abuse, via prevention education, post abuse counseling and successful prosecution in the growing, yet still rural, Putnam County and support from the Putnam County Community are well established. |
| |
| Recipient: |
The Children's Advocacy Center of Volusia & Flagler Counties |
|
Contact: |
Maryann Barry |
|
| |
344 South Beach St. |
|
Contact Phone: |
(386) 238-3830 |
|
| |
Daytona Beach, FL 32114 |
|
Contact email: |
mbarry@childrensadvoacycenter.org |
| |
| Counties: |
Putnam |
| |
| Gov't Entity: |
|
Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): |
Yes |
| |
| Project Description: |
| The CAC of Volusia & Flagler Counties will serve as parent agency to a branch office to be established in Putnam County. The site will provide a single location for abuse/assault victims to receive forensic medical exams, forensic interviews and follow-up advocacy and counseling services. The CAC staff will coordinate with the other essential members of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) to provide comprehensive and collabrotive Child Abuse Response Team and Sexual Assault Forensic team services in a centerally located child and victim friendly environment. The MDT members include but are not limited to Law Enforcement, Victims Advocates, Child Protection Team, Medical Services, State Attorney, Mental Health Providers and the Department of Children & Families. The CAC will directly hire or subcontract withTherapist and/or Mental health Counselors, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, and a Victim Advocacy Service Coordinator. The CAC will collaborate and coordinate services with the appropriate Child Protection Team, The Department of Children & Families, Law Enforement Agencies, and Health Department in accordance with the National Children's Alliance standards which govern their standing as a nationally accredited Children's Advocacy Center. In synopsis, the Putnam County CAC will provide a location for CPT medical exams, CPT fornsic interviews, and deposition with non-perpetrators. The direct service array will include sexual assault forensic exams, counseling for child abuse victims, counseling for non-ofeending caregivers, counseling for adult survivors of childhood abuse, abuse/assault victim service coordination and community wide abuse/assault prevention education and family team counseling. |
| |
| Is this a project related to a federal or state declared disaster? |
No |
| |
| Measurable Outcome Anticipated: |
| Expected outcomes are a reduction in the number of children transported out of county for services, an increase in arrest and prosecution rates for child abuse related crimes, a reduction in the number of rape victims transported out of county or seen in the hospital emergency room for sexual assault forensic exams, and increase in the reporting of sexual violence to law enforecement and improved evidentiary efficacy resultin in increased successful prosecution of perpetrators. The long-term expected outcome is a stabilization and evential decrease in the currently rising rate of child abuse and sexual violence in Putnam County. |
| |
| Amount requested from the State for this project this year: |
$125,000 |
| |
| Total cost of the project: |
$141,648 |
| |
| Request has been made to fund: |
Operations |
| |
| What type of match exists for this project? |
Local, Private |
| |
Cash Amount |
$1,500 |
|
In-kind Amount |
$14,950 |
| |
| Was this project previously funded by the state? |
|
No |
| |
| Is future-year funding likely to be requested? |
|
Yes |
|
Amount: |
$75,000 |
To Fund: |
Operations |
| |
| Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request? |
|
No |
| |
| Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? |
No |
| |
| Is there a documented need for this project? |
Yes |
| |
Documentation: |
Agency Needs Assessment using data provided by Putnam County Law Enforcement, Victims Advocates, CPT |
| |
| Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)? |
|
Yes |
| |
Hearing Body: |
Putnam County Legislative Delegation |
| |
Hearing Meeting Date: |
12/12/2005 |
| |
| Is this a water project as described in Section 403.885, Laws of Florida? |
|
No |
