CAC Filling a Need in Jefferson County
In response to the needs of Jefferson County, efforts are currently underway by the Olympic Peninsula YMCA and community partners to develop an accredited Child Advocacy Center where children who experience abuse, and non-offending family members, can come for safety, justice and healing.
"Healing, Safety and Justice in the Face of Child Abuse"
When child abuse is disclosed, families and caregivers may wonder where to turn, how the legal process works, and how their family will be supported. That's where Child Advocacy Centers (CAC) and Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT) come in. As the diagram suggests, with CACs these professionals come to the child/family – rather than the child/family having to seek disparate, uncoordinated services in the midst of their trauma.
All of our services are free and confidential. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, disability, pregnancy, national origin, documentation, age, gender, ethnicity, income, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender expression, or any other bias prohibited by law.
HOW TO CONTACT
Jessica Lowe, Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Team Director, has been with the YMCA of Jefferson County since April 2023. Most recently, Jessica worked as the Executive Director of the B.C. Bereavement Helpline based in Vancouver, B.C. Jessica was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and has been calling Jefferson County home since moving here full time in October of 2020. She brings a wealth of leadership experience and passion for social justice to our community.
To contact: cacdirector@olympicpeninsulaymca.org or call or text 360-912-5225.
Multidisciplinary Team
As host of this effort, the Olympic Peninsula YMCA has obtained initial funding from the National Children’s Alliance (NCA) and WA Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA) and taken the essential first step in the development of a Child Advocacy Center by forming a Multidisciplinary Team.
The goal of the MDT is to share information across disciplines in order to make the healing process as simple and supportive as possible for children while increasing the rate of successful investigation and prosecution of abuse. The Jefferson County Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) is facilitated by the YMCA of Jefferson County's CAC Director/MDT Coordinator, Jessica Lowe, and following the National Children’s Alliance accreditation guidelines, is composed of representatives from:
Next Steps
- Engage community members, MDT partners and stakeholders to develop a strategic plan for the development of the Jefferson County Child Advocacy Center.
- Work to develop an operational plan that keeps children and family at the center in regards to availability of services, safety, and location.
- Secure funding for the opening of an accredited Child Advocacy Center in 2027.
- Continue the MDT process to share information, reduce silos, and provide a coordinated, wraparound response that ensures that the mental wellbeing, physical health, housing, medical, and safety needs of children victims are being met.
